Hi, 2017

Hi, 2017.

I'm excited to meet you, as so many are.

I'm aware that we are already a whole 48 hours in to the new year, so that makes me a little late on posting my New Year's thoughts; but I hope my non-conformity/writing slack won't discredit me.

I'd like to say I don't fall prey to the idea that everything up until January 1, 2017 doesn't matter anymore and the whole "new year, new me" quips; but I do. I do fall prey. I don't think I can help it! There's a full 365 days ahead of me that I can do whatever I want with, and I never truly appreciated that until now. We tend to remember events in our lives by the year, and it's exciting to think that 2017 remains unblemished. There's something so thrilling about "new-ness." Something officially clean of whatever has happened in the past, and the fact that we can claim this year as our own.

But as beautiful as you are my new friend, 2016 was kind to me; and you have big shoes to fill.

A year ago, I was entering 2016 with anticipation and anxiety; for I would be spending exactly half of the year in a place of complete unfamiliarity. But what an adventurous half it turned out to be.

2016 gave me people. It gave me people from Australia and New Zealand and South Korea and all over the U.S. I love those people. I wish I could take every person's hands into my own and communicate how much their friendship is treasured... but I can't because that's literally so many people, and also that's weird.

I'll always look back on this year with a smile, but I won't say it didn't come without heartbreak.

The winter break has given me a lot of time to think, and my conclusion is that somewhere along the way, I lost myself.

The Roommate Diaries - Christmas Portraits

Happy finals week to us all!

On Saturday, the roomiez and I decided to take a break from studying to spend some time together and get some good pictures of all of us. We had so much fun hunting down artsy walls and good lighting in downtown Baton Rouge! I hadn't gotten to use my camera in a while, and I realized how much I missed it.

Merry Christmas from ECA 911! Please enjoy these pics of my model roommates.

The War Between Remembering And Forgetting

To the one who can't move on...

I understand you now.

I never have before, and I'm guilty of judging you I'll admit. But I understand your feelings now.

I understand how you are plagued with a vast montage of memories that never seem to quit playing over and over in your head. They dance in and out of your thoughts in the silence of your solitude. Repeatedly they follow an endless track that jerks your emotions high and low like a rollercoaster.

It's hard because those memories hold so much joy, and it feels like your life currently has gone...well, downhill. And of course to climb uphill again means to make new and better memories, but yet you cling to the old ones in fear of forgetting.

How could you forget, you ask? I mean you just said those memories were so full of joy, so how could one forget about them?

Good question.

I guess you don't forget... you just have to push them aside. You feel like your brain can still hold the big stuff - the really fun, exhilarating, happiest moments are locked away in the long-term. But suddenly the details get brushed into the cracks and crevices of the brain to create space for the new thoughts and memories moving in. A fine layer of dust collects over the details that were once showcased at the front of your mind. They don't fade from existence; you just forget they're there. You can't juggle it all - new things, old things - and you feel helpless as the details slip away into oblivion.

Thus begins a war in the mind between remembering and forgetting.

Upside-Down Smiley Face

Happy Monday. Insert my favorite, most-used emoji: the upside-down smiley face.

It's me, your favorite inconsistent "blogger" aka someone who posts only when she feels like it or is compelled by the Lord, etc. 

I've been up to a lot of things recently since my latest post, and I thought I'd share some of the highlights in the life and times of Meaghan Mercy. 

Stuck In-Between

I've never understood the feeling of being stuck in an in-between stage of life more than I do right now.

I've been home for about two weeks now from Orlando, Florida where I spent the last six months of my life. In those two weeks, I've traveled to and from Oklahoma to visit family, back to Florida for a beach trip, and now I'm settled in Lake Charles for four short days until heading to a Leadership Retreat for school.

The busy-ness has been a blessing though... it keeps me from even more heartache than I already feel. My heart aches to be back in Orlando.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see my family and friends and drive the familiar route from my home to the local Chick-fil-A. But I never imagined the strangeness I would feel from transitioning from the life in Florida to my life in Louisiana. It really does feel like I had a different life the past six months; see, my school and home life intertwine, but in Orlando I started from scratch. Same classic Meg of course, just in a place where I knew next to no one. 

I can't even adequately explain how much my time there has impacted my life. 

I experienced incredible joy, and also incredible loneliness. 

My faith was stretched; I learned to cling to the Lord as my only constant and received undeserved blessings in return. 

So many friendships were formed from around the world, and my heart literally aches to think of all the sweet friends who have enriched my life. I fell in love with the people there, and felt loved in return.

I worked for one of the greatest companies in the world; a company I admire so much for putting absolute excellence into everything they do. The Walt Disney Company inspires people of all ages to believe in the beauty of their dreams, and that's one of my favorite things about them. There is no end to their creativity.

It's so funny... halfway through the summer I was so ready to be back home. But as my time in Florida came to an end, I realized I wasn't ready to leave.

More Compassion, Less Of Everything Else

My heart breaks for the city of Orlando - a place I've come to know as my third home.

Three tragedies have occurred in less than a week; the shooting of singer Christina Grimmie, the Pulse shooting with at least 50 lost lives, and most recently, a two year old boy dragged into the water by an alligator and is yet to be found. The loss of life here is great, and it's taken a toll on everyone.

It's been a bittersweet comfort to see the incredible responses of love and support shown by the people here and across the nation. Blood drives are receiving donations past their capacity. Candlelight vigils will be happening soon. Social media is covered in hashtags and pictures featuring #OrlandoStrong and #PrayForOrlando. Theme park characters and staff have taken photos making the heart sign with their hands to share their love and support.

The circumstances of this outpouring of unity are indeed unfortunate. But what I find most unfortunate is that with every post and prayer of support, I find an argument on gun control... a religious debate... a critical lesson on parenting.

Sure, these are important issues that should be discussed reasonably; but think about the purpose of sharing your thoughts on whatever matter it is. Is it just to share your own opinion with everyone else whose minds probably won't be changed over your Facebook status?

Is it to prove that you understand good parenting so that that situation would never happen to you or your child?

Is your opinion really so great that it needs to take the focus off of the most important thing, which is loving and supporting and praying for those whose world is now shattered?

Lately

Hello.

It's me. 

And it has been over a month since I've posted. I'd like to say I've been busy, which I have... but not busy enough so that I couldn't have written. It's hard to find motivation and inspiration. But anyways, here's an update on my oh-so-interesting life.

Christmas Day, 2015

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We spent Christmas in Oklahoma where the whole family lives. I'd have to say the ride back from OK to LA was the absolute worst car ride of my life. The weather in Texas was awful with flood and tornado warnings going off every five minutes... but yet we pressed on. Because of all the rain, the roads were flooded which resulted in many detours. All in all, we spent exactly twelve hours in the car. By that time, I was ready for a tornado to sweep me up and pray it carry me home.

Eventually we made it back, but just 48 hours later, I was packed up and headed to Dallas for Chi Alpha's South Central SALT Conference. SALT is a two day conference for all Chi Alpha's in the South Central area, totaling around 1,800 students. And wow... it was incredible. Not to ride the I-just-came-out-of-an-amazing-Jesus-conference high, but I learned so much those couple of days.

Lifegroup Affirmations 2k15

Last night was our last lifegroup meeting of the semester. On the last night, we always do Affirmations, which is just a time of lifting up, encouraging, and loving on our fellow sisters. Each lifegroup does it differently, but we this time we decided to take over a conference room with a white board in the union. We traced the silhouette of each person, and they stepped out of the room while we wrote or illustrated why we love them around the silhouette. Then they came back in blindfolded, and we took a picture of them in front of the white board surrounded by their affirmations.

It's always a really sweet time together because we get to focus on all the qualities that make each of us so beautiful. This one was especially good, just because it was the last lifegroup with these girls before I go to Disney in the Spring. I can't wait to spend my days in Disney, but I'm sure gonna miss these times with my sisters.

So here are the pictures from last night. They are filled with much love and inside jokes, quotes each of us say a lot, some of our favorite songs and people.

P. S. The lighting made us all look like serial killers, but it's okay.

For We Trust In Our God - Fall Breakaway 2015

This past weekend I went to a fall retreat called Fall Breakaway by my campus ministry Chi Alpha. We literally "break away" from everything, and escape to a camp in the middle of the woods in north Louisiana. All of the Chi Alpha's in Louisiana meet up to attend sessions by a guest speaker and Chi Alpha staff across the state. We stay in camp dormitories; there are trails to walk and a pond to swim in. And the weather this weekend was absolutely beautiful. The kind that's sunny with a high of 75.

I love this weekend away. I love being surrounded by nature and by fellow believers who love Jesus.

The week before Breakaway was rough... I had a couple of big tests and assignments due that week, so I was beyond ready to escape and rest.

I went to Breakaway last year too, and it was such a sweet time. That weekend Chi Alpha became my family, and I felt connected and loved. I knew what to expect this weekend, and I was expecting great things from God.

10 Things I Love About Fall

Happy first day of fall, ya'll!

I'm celebrating by wearing a pretty dress, devouring some Dove milk chocolate caramels, and watercolor painting to Ben Rector (yes, I'm still playing that album that came out a month ago).

I don't think I truly appreciated the fall season until recent years; it was just the pre-Christmas season. Also, I feel like the color orange represents fall, and I was never a big fan of orange. But there is so much to do, so much to enjoy!

Things I love about fall:

1. Chai lattes.

I can finally drink a warm chai latte without sweating. There is nothing better than it being chilly outside with warm tea/coffee in hand. I feel so seasonal and hipster-y.

2. Cool weather.

Okay, so that doesn't roll around for us Louisianians until November, but the past few days have been cool in the morning so I've been pretending.

3. Cooler weather = sweater weather.

Fall and spring are my favorite outfit seasons: you're not freezing and you're not sweating. Break out the sweaters, scarves, and tights! And layering! I've missed layering so much. I've already made a (few) shopping trip(s) to update my fall wardrobe, and now I want to wear everything even though it's ridiculous to wear boots in 90 degree weather. But now that it's officially fall, I need to wear fall colored things which are all warmer pieces so what is a girl to do.

Friday Night Reflections

Happy weekend to everyone! For most of the people I know, this marks the end of the first week of the college school year. The first week is always the best week because it's syllabus week aka usually nothing too hard is assigned or due. And Friday is the best day because it's the beginning of the weekend!

My Friday consisted of going to class, and then making the two hour drive back home for the weekend. I needed to pick up a few things, and cuddle with my dogs. Now comfortably settled in my own bed, I am serenaded by the sweet sounds of Ben Rector's brand new album "Brand New." No really, it's called "Brand New" and it's going to be on repeat for a good three weeks. I highly suggest anything Ben Rector.

Now as my life is slowing down a bit, I'm able to process my week and everything that's happened recently. So many changes have occurred for everyone, I'm sure, in such short time.

Being back at school has been so incredible already. This year, my university really feels like home. I feel more confident, established, comfortable. I have a community to be a part of, and I know what my place is there. I've learned that sometimes you just need to watch High School Musical and sing every word with your friends on the first night of school. Wednesday night I learned how to play hostess and cook for 17 people. That was a fun experience... had to call my mom for help on that one. Also I'm learning the rights of a pedestrian on a bicycle? I still don't know all the rules...

My Apartment

Well, I'm a few days late, but I am finally moved in to my apartment on campus! After pouring rain and zero parking, I am reunited with my beautiful campus and my darling friends. Decorating my room is one of my favorite parts of moving in, and I thought I would share some of my interior design skillz. I am definitely a fan of gold and all kinds of sparkly things, so don't be surprised at this recurring theme.

I'm OBSESSED with gallery walls. My home decor Pinterest board is full of them!

I got my prints here and here. I got the Starry Night poster from a poster sale on campus.