Tag: Christian Blogger

Staying Organized!

Published on by meganaperezLeave a comment

As a Worship Director, I have to stay organized and on top of things. Not just for my own sanity but for my team. Our worship team consists of college students and adults who work full-time jobs and have families. If I’m not organized, it affects everyone. As our church is also growing, it’s important that I remain organized for the sake of our pastoral staff as well. So that everyone is in the know of what is happening in each department that we run.

My husband and I are Co-Worship Directors at our current church. I mainly focus on all the admin work for the department while he focuses on the music side of things. I take care of the scheduling of our teams, our song selections for the month, our department budget, and some more. I also take care of the social media account for our church, which is a work in progress at the moment, our churches app and our website. It’s a lot of work but it helps me stay busy during the day. I’m working on updating a lot of it, but it might take a little while.

As someone who loves to stay organized, I love to create different templates to help me stay organized. Right now, we use Planning Center to help us schedule our teams and what not, but before anything goes into Planning Center, I created a monthly template that I use to write out what the month will look like scheduling and song wise. Doing this help me to get my ideas down on paper and be able to go over everything with my husband before anyone gets scheduled. I don’t know about you but I’m the type of person that loves to write things down. There is something about a piece of paper and a pencil that just helps me get my thoughts out. I love computers but sometimes writing things out is better for me.

Below I’ve given a screen shot of what I use to plan our teams for the month. This has really helped me and my team to on top of what we have going on. If you would like a PDF copy of this template, simply leave a comment with your email and I will send it out to you! I have different templates for our weekend services and our midweek services. Let me know which you would prefer!

Schedule Template - Worship

What are your favorite tips/tricks for staying organized in ministry?? Leave a comment below!

The Daily Grace Co – Devotional Reviews

Published on by meganaperezLeave a comment

Okay so some time ago I saw an Instagram post from The Daily Grace Co about a sale they were having on their devotionals and decided to purchase some. I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for a good devotional. I love learning more about God’s Word in different ways and from different people. I had heard of The Daily Grace Co in the past and figured I would make the purchase and check it out for myself!

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I purchased the following devotionals:

  1. His Love Never Fails – A study on the book of Hosea
  2. How To Study The Bible
  3. Freedom & Grace – A study on the book of Galatians
  4. He Is More Than Enough – A study on the book of Hebrews
  5. Proverbs – The path of wisdom

So far, I’ve honestly loved them. If you are trying to get into a habit of adding a devotional time to your day, this is a great way to start. These studies are easy to digest and easy to follow along with. They have a great layout in their books with gorgeous photos to go along with each study. I really loved that each study isn’t crazy long so it’s not intimidating at all. They offer a wide variety of topics on their website in their bible studies. They also offer other products that are super cute, like home décor, bibles and verse cards.

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I would definitely suggest checking them out! I know that you will be able to find something for whatever stage you’re at in your faith journey.

What are some of your favorite devotionals from other companies/authors? Let me know below!

My Pregnancy Journey So Far

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So as of today (2.17.19) I’m 17 weeks pregnant. Which doesn’t seem that far along but it’s definitely far along enough for me to notice changes in my body. Which, honestly, has been the hard part for me. Prior to becoming pregnant, I had already gained close to 30 pounds in about 3.5 years. I was previously on birth control, which was the main reason I gained so much weight. It was so hard for me to lose weight while on birth control that I actually stopped trying. I finally made the decision to get off birth control because my husband and I were ready to start our family. I figured that as long as I’m watching what I’m eating (I normally eat very healthy anyways) that I can focus on really losing weight after the baby.

With all of that being said, fast forward to today, and I am currently growing a tiny human being and am gaining more weight. As I’ve been seeing my body change, I’ve had to consistently encourage myself and tell myself that it’s okay.  This is the first time I’m going through this so I don’t know what to expect with the body changes. I mean my stomach is getting bigger and harder, my boobs have gotten bigger and I’m not really sure I like that, and I think I’m retaining water. I know that more changes are coming and soon I’m sure. Which is okay. I think the more I talk about it the more I can accept everything that is happening. Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond excited to be pregnant with our first child. This is something I’ve been wanting for the last year. It’s just so weird to see my body changing this way.

Every day I look at myself, I’m reminded of what a miracle life is. It’s so crazy to think about how God created the female body with the ability to create life like this. It’s such an amazing experience. As crazy as it can be, it’s so worth it.

My first trimester was not easy. Granted it may not have been as bad as what other women experience but it was still hard for me. I was consistently nauseas and not able to throw up. Which I would have rather done just to get rid of that feeling. I was so exhausted all I could do when I got home from work was lay on the couch for a few hours then go to bed. All I could eat was scrambled eggs and toast. So much so that after 2.5 weeks of that, I literally couldn’t stand even looking at eggs. That lasted for about 3 weeks. I started to feel really about the fact that I could barely eat. I started to feel guilty, like I wasn’t taking care of myself or my baby well enough. When I went to the doctor and explained what was going on, she basically said, “Right now, you’re just eating to survive. Eat what you can. This will pass.” Once I heard her say that, it was light a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

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Now that I’m in my second trimester, my appetite is back fully and my energy is somewhat back. I’ve concluded that I will probably be tired for the next 18 years now so I’ve come to terms with it already.

For those women who may have just found out they’re pregnant, don’t be scared. You got this. Our bodies were made for this. We’re strong and we can do this together!

What is your favorite part of pregnancy so far? Let me know in the comments below!

(Shirt pictured above from Confident Motherhood. Shop here!)

Simple Life

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Hey Loves! It’s been so long since I’ve written a post. So much has happened in these past few months that has pulled my focus away from my blog. But now that I’m settled into my new place and new job, I’m finding more time to devote to writing and other ventures.

If you haven’t noticed, I changed my blog name to “Simple Life by Megan Perez.” Why? Because I’m finding that as I’m getting older I’m changing. I find that I’m not all about having the most expensive things or tons of materialistic items. I’m more about having the #simplelife now especially since I’m expecting my first child. Life isn’t about the “things” it’s about the experiences and growing through them. Now don’t get me wrong, I still care about fashion and beauty and what not, so don’t worry I will still have those posts here! But my goal with this is to try and help you all live the #simplelife too and to inspire your own personal growth in different areas of your life. I’m a firm believer that you can never stop growing and honestly you shouldn’t want to stop growing!

I’m working on content right now to share with you on different tips and tricks to help you live out that #simplelife! Don’t forget, you can always leave comments below on anything you’d like me to cover!

Have a great day loves!

xoxo,

mp

Life Updates…

Published on by meganaperez2 Comments

Hey loves, I wanted to kind of give a life update since I realized a lot has changed in the last month or so and I haven’t really shared much. It’s been quite the rollercoaster of emotions to be completely honest. I don’t really think I’ve fully come to a place where I can say I’m no longer emotional about everything that happened.

It’s also hard to figure out how much you should share about your personal life and how much you should hold back. But what I can say is that within the last few weeks, I was recently laid off from my job. It was a crazy experience and I didn’t see it coming. I knew that God was beginning to transition us into a different season of our lives but I never anticipated that this transition could happen so fast. This wasn’t happening according to my timeline. But it turns out it was God’s timeline.

In this moment, I really needed to think about my faith and trust in God. Did I really trust Him enough to know that He will supply our each and every need like it says in Philippians 4:19?

 

Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

 

So, of course that thinking reigned in my head for a few days after everything happened. But as the days have gone by, I have started to realize that I do have that faith and trust in God. And that maybe this needed to happen in order for me to realize that I do have that faith. William (my husband) and I are coming to such a weird place in our lives. We are seeing one-chapter end and another begin. It’s such a weird feeling. Because you can see what is ahead and you just want to get to that point already and just be done with it. But at the same time, you really can’t do that. You have to see this out to the very end. Only then can Chapter 2 really begin. So, to be honest, it’s just really weird.

But it’s also very exciting. I feel like William and I are finally getting to a point in our lives where are seeing all of our hard work come to fruition. We are finally able to starting setting down the path that we have been waiting for, for so long. And it’s a great feeling. Of course, this new chapter means moving to another place, graduating and starting a new life, which is all exciting. But it’s also kind of sad to see this chapter that we are currently in end. I know that I’ve said to a lot of people how excited I am to finally be done with this chapter and move on. But to be honest, it hasn’t really been that bad. God has provided for us these past two years here and really grown us. It’s hard to see that growth while you are going through it but as you look back you can really see what has changed. My marriage has grown stronger, my relationship with the Lord has grown stronger, I’ve come to fully trust and have faith in God like I have never before. It’s amazing really.

Hebrews 11:1: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

I’m even more excited to see what challenges lye ahead of us and what type of growth we will experience at that point as well. For now, I’m home blogging full time and finishing my graduate degree. I’m really enjoying this time of rest and I’m trying to make the best of it by staying somewhat active. So, if you have any topics you’d like me to cover in a future post, just let me know! Leave a comment below!

xoxo,

mp

Prayer is Powerful!

Published on by meganaperez4 Comments

Over the past few years, my prayer life has changed. Honestly, praying and reading my Bible was never the easiest. I get distracted very easily, so the smallest thing would take my attention away. As I’ve gotten older though, I’ve started to realize just how important prayer is and how important it is to spend time in the Word of God.

Throughout the years, I’ve tried many different ways to try and keep myself accountable in my devotional life. So today I wanted to share my devotional habits and what I’m doing. Hopefully, this will spur some creative thinking for your own devotional life.

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Right now, I wake up earlier that I used to. Waking up early gives me some time in the morning to spend time with the Lord. I’ve been doing daily devotionals through New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp. It’s been a great way to start my morning every day. I also do the Bible reading that is suggested that ties in the daily reading. I love being able to get some encouraging words and read Gods word in the morning. It really sets off my day on the right foot. I’ve gotten so used to it that when I miss a day, everything just feels off.

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I’ve also used index cards to write down my prayers. I really like to have the opportunity to lift other people up in prayer. A lot of the times when I start to pray I lose the words that I want to say. Having the prayers for others already written down helps me to remember to pray for them. It also sparks thoughts and prayers for others that I may not have remembered to write down.

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I love being able to start my day this way. I notice such a difference in my attitude throughout the day. Putting aside the fact that I’m a worship leader, spending time with the Lord as a Christian woman in general is extremely important. Spending time with God in the morning is like spending time with my best friend. It takes time to get to know someone and build a trust with that person. The same thing goes with God. If you don’t put effort into your relationship with Him than He isn’t going to put effort in either. He will not force Himself on you nor will He force you to love Him. He wants us to come to that decision on our own. Because of what I’ve been through in my life, I have come to truly love and appreciate Him. Which makes waking up early every morning that much easier!

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What are some of your favorite prayer tips? Leave a comment below!

Word: Consistency

Published on by meganaperezLeave a comment

So, for the past two years I’ve decided that I need to have a word for the year. Why? I feel like it keeps me focused through the year. I find it gives me drive and motivation.

In 2016 my word was Faith. That year we had felt a call from God to move to Pennsylvania for my husband to go back to school full-time. So, we jumped into this new life really not knowing what we were doing and how we were going to make it. He wasn’t working much more than part time, if that, and I took a pay cut at a new job. We had the same debt and bills to pay off and I was concerned. I took the year to really put my concerns in front of God and keep my faith in Him that he will take care of everything. And throughout the entire year, my husband and I just kept seeing our faith being tested and seeing how faithful God was. Through our relationship, in our finances, through our everyday lives. It was incredible.

In 2017 my word my Trust. I felt as if my trust needed to be strengthened. Now, I do believe that faith and trust go hand in hand but for this past year I felt like I needed to grow in my trust with God and my husband and other relationships in my life. And believe me when I tell you that my trust was tested, in all the above areas. It was a difficult year but it ended on a great note. I can definitely say that I have complete trust in God, my husband and my family/friends. It was a great growing experience for me.

For 2018, I decided that I needed to pick a word that would give me motivation. For some reason, this year I felt like I needed an extra push. I really started this year with the feeling that God was going to do great things. But I realized that if God was going to great things, then I needed to be consistent in my part. What does that mean? If I want God to bless my relationship with Him, then I have to be consistent with my daily devotionals and prayer time with Him. If I want God to bless my health, then I need to be consistent in my working out and healthy eating, etc.. So, this year I decided that my word needed to be Consistency.

That word is just as much motivating as it is challenging and terrifying for me. When I look back on my life there are so many areas in which I notice my consistency level just tanks! I start an 8 week work out program and don’t get past week two. Ever! I start a diet and last about 3-4 weeks. I want better skin but I go to bed with my makeup on because I’m too lazy to take the extra ten minutes to just take it off. Little things like that that have added up to be this life of inconsistent behavior. And to be honest, I’ve had enough! I’m over it. I’m over being inconsistent and I’m over not following through with simple things. If I want to see change and growth, I need to do my part and be consistent in doing it. Will it be an easy journey for me? Oh hell no. But you know what, at least I have to try.

I have set myself up this year with different avenues in which I think can really help me stay accountable to this goal. I set up a large calendar on my wall in my office and everyday I’m writing what I accomplished that day. If I get everything done that was on my to-do list, I give myself a gold star. Is that cheesy? Heck yes, it is! But you know, it feels really good to give myself that star knowing that I fully earned it. And I can’t wait until the end of the month to see a whole month full of stars! I also have my daily planner. I’m checking it every morning and every evening when I come home work. Setting my day up knowing the items that I need to get done and ending the day making sure I’m getting those items done. Being diligent and consistent is the only way I can grow. And it’s the only way that you can grow too. I don’t know what your goals are this year but if this is something you can relate to, let’s do this goal together! Teamwork makes the dream work baby!

So this year, you are going to see a lot more posts on my blog. I’m going to be more consistent in getting my content together. You are going to see more from my business, as an Independent Stylist with Stella & Dot while I incorporate my love of fashion. I have some great things in store and I can’t wait to share them all with you!

Do me a favor and leave a comment! Let me know what you thought about the blog post and what your New Years Resolutions or goals are for this year. If you aren’t already, make sure you are following my Instagram account (@StylebyMeganAlexis) to keep up with my posts on jewels and fashion!

 

Love you guys!

Xoxo