Life, Patience, and Christ

There are times in everyone's life when it seems as though we are holding on by a thread. We find ourselves stressed, exasperated, or anxious. These are all symptoms that seem to occur at one point or another in our lives. 

Why? 

If everyday was "perfect" how would we know what truly living is? In order to fully define life, we must experience the good and the bad. In order to see the good in life, we have to endure the bad days. Highs and Lows, Mountains and Valleys. Although it may seem as though it's the end of the world, I can assure you its not. I believe God gives everyone a challenge. Not for pleasure of watching us struggle or loose faith. Rather, to bring us closer to Him and realize we have the strength to make the most of every situation. These challenges help us learn more about ourselves and realize with Christ anything is possible!

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”

~Plato

Sometimes one of the hardest things to find is patience, though it is a lesson for everyone. We get so caught up in our busy lives. Rushing around trying to be everywhere and do everything at once. We can't expect everything we want to happen right away. Throwing a fit and complaining about how your test isn't graded, is not going to make it happen any faster.  Lately I have been lacking patience. I have the hardest time sitting still for starters as well as taking my time. The other day my Mom, sister and I made a quick stop at the grocery to get just a few things (The key word being quick). Well, if you know my family, you may notice that my Dad and I tend to walk faster than my Mom and sister. So as we are sauntering through the store looking at all the unneeded yet desired products, Megan (me), is becoming agitated by the second. I just remember thinking "why do they walk so slow!!" It was actually driving me crazy. I just wanted to go home and finish my book while I drank a nice hot cup of peppermint tea by the fire. But no. I was stuck walking slowly through the isles. I am not known for my patience. That is a true fact. However I realize now that I could have been a little more tolerant.  I didn't need to be short with my sister. I didn't have anything I had to get to. Sometime I think we get so caught up in the busy world around us and think more for ourselves rather than living life with those around us. 

“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing" it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.”

~Fulton J. Sheen

 Although we may not know where we will be, one month from now or ten years from now, I can promise you, God has a plan! We have to let God's plans unfold. Not only will we find ourselves coming closer to Christ but learning more about ourselves as we grow in faith. There are times when things don't work out the way we want them to. As the saying goes, when one door shuts, another door is opened. We have to be patient. Mountains and Valleys. Just because your having a bad day, be patient, with Christ it will only get better!

Have patience in your life and Christ will deliver!
Yours Truly,
Meg 

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

~Romans 8:25

La Historia De Mi Vida

The Cross Country season has come to a close, and with that, the blistering winds of Kansas have blown through. Although I don't have practice everyday, I'm still just as busy as ever! I seem to be involved in a lot of activities which makes for a fun yet slightly stressful lifestyle! Thanksgiving is fast approaching and Christmas is right around the corner (The most wonderful time of the year!) As soon as Thanksgiving day has past, I can assure you, Christmas music will be filling the house! There is just so much to do and so little time to do it! Although I am grateful for the extra bit of free time, I am struggling to do away with running. Running and Jesus are essentially my life. However our team had a great end to the season. This year at State our team did AMAZING! The girls team placed fourth (the best we have placed since I've been on the team) and the boys placed third. For the first time in history on the boys side, we had, not only a STATE CHAMPION, but a STATE RUNNER-UP as well! Those guys, Michael and Jackson, who stood on the podium this year worked so hard. Not only were they motivated to t run every day, they were dedicated. They ate, spoke, dressed, acted, LIVED like state champions. In my opinion, there wasn't just one state champ, there was two! On the girls side we had two state medalist. My sister, Cara, placed 20th and I placed 15th. It only took four years to get on that podium, but let me tell ya! It never felt sweeter! Our team worked so hard this year and I couldn't have been more thrilled! My love for this team is enormous! I definitely would not be where I am today without them. Hopefully I will be able to run cross country and track in college! As I have spoken with a few coaches, I am getting closer to running at the next level. 

Our State Champions!

The Crew

College is another big portion of my life, as it is for most every other senior. Taking that next step. Turning the page. Writing a new chapter. Beginning a new phrase. Education is so important in this day and age. I'm so excited for college and the new adventures God will lead me on! It is during these decisive moments we must lean on the Lord. Each college has it's positive's and negative's which sometimes makes it harder for the decision making. Although in my opinion the hardest part is finding scholarships. There are so many out there! It just takes time to apply for each one. But hey! If a two hour essay will give me 1000 dollars, I'll do what ever it takes! Right now the hardest part is deciding whether to run or not to run. So far I have my college search narrowed down to two. One being purely for academics and the other to run at. Right now I don't think I can give up running. But do I break away from the family tradition? The answer is always pray. Pray Pray Pray. In everything you do, do it with Christ! I can't wait to see where God guide's me!

Here's just a peek into the life of Megan! I hope you're having a marvelous day!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

{Prayer}

Prayer is an amazing gift! God wants us to pray to Him often. Whether it's in joy, healing, forgiveness, thanksgiving, whatever it may be PRAY. God is our Father and we are all His sons and daughters. There is not a certain way we have to pray either! We can pray in silence, song, as individuals, in a fellowship, with our hands folded, or lifted to the sky! The options are endless! When we are praying, we are talking to our Father. I was told once that when one prays, they should imagine they are sitting in the Lord's lap. Many of us remember sitting in our Dad's laps (or still do!). We need to have that same connection with God. After all he created us. He is the only one who knows what is planned for us. I am a Princess and he is my King. There is nobody in the world I love more than God. My faith is my first priority in my life.

In our busy lives, it can be hard to find time to pray. But there is always time for God. We can make the time to set aside other projects or activities to spend time with Christ. He gave us life!! Without Him I could not breathe, see, speak, feel, RUN. My goodness the list could go on forever! He is there when we strong or weak. He will always be there by our side. God will never give up on us. There are times when one may feel they are weak or helpless. We must look unto the Lord for He will give us the strength we need to persevere. After living on a prairie surrounded by hills, the verse I tend to connect with(actually verses) when I find myself searching for an answer comes from Psalm 121:1-2. "I look unto the hills, from where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord who created heaven and earth." God holds the answers to all of our questions. We can always look to Him. We can always trust in the Lord for He will never lead us astray. Although we may not realize it at the time, Christ has great plans us! 

PRAY! God wants to hear from us, just like our grandparents! Whether it's in the silence of our hearts or in companionship, PRAY!! Praise the Lord for all He has given us. We have the ability to do so many things we seem to take for granted. We must pray to the Lord in thanksgiving. Throughout prayer, one may find their serenity. Sometimes we may feel as though we don't know how to pray, though it is truly simple. God may not reply to us through a human figure, however he responds through His word, through our friends and family, through the sun rising and setting. We may not realize it right a way, but he always answers our call. Prayer is a beautiful time to have conversations with the Lord. When we pray, God hears more than we say, answers more than we ask, gives more than we can imagine in His own way and on His own  time. Always trust in Him! He will answer all of our prayers!

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. ~Psalm 4:6
A.S.A.P. ~ Always Say A Prayer

Every Second Counts

Time. Everyday we live our lives around a clock, trying to make the most of every second. In one second, four babies are born. In one minute, six million cells in your body will have a chemical reaction. In one day, your heart will beat about 100,000 times. That's unbelievable! The fact that  God made all of this possible for us, makes it all the more! God has given us a lifetime. We aren't supposed to just say "Alright God, thanks! That's cool." We have to make the most of our time every single day. We are The Lord's hands on earth. Every second counts. Coaches tell their runners that during every race. "Every second counts Billy! Run fast!!" Cross country and track are both against the clock. You race to see who has the fastest time. The most guts to dig down and find that next gear. It's hard to do sometimes, however this separates the good from the great.  

Story Time!!! 
During one of my races recently, I fell (more like wiped out) and actually ended up spraining my ankle. I was in fourth place at the time and was looking to throw in a surge to try to catch the next girl. There was about 600 meters to go so I knew I needed to start picking up the pace if I wanted to catch her. I don't know what happen after that, but the next thing I knew, I was sliding on the ground like a plane who's landing gear did not function. Katie, my sister, (who was the only one to see me during this incident) said I looked as though I suddenly had the desperation to be Superman and tried to fly. Needless to say, I can't fly! At this point in time I had two options, 1. Stay on the ground and just give up, or 2. Get back up and finish. I chose option two because I wouldn't be able to stand myself if I gave up and because I had a sudden fear of being ran over and spiked by the other runners. Glory to the Lord our God, I managed to finish the race in fourth! The best part was when I crossed the finish line! The girl who won, was congratulating the other runners, came up to me after I finished. She gave the usual "Hey good job today" however she then asked "Did you fall?" During this time I was trying to figure out how she would know because she was a good distance ahead. Then she pointed to my shorts and said "You might want to take the stick out of your shorts, it kinda gave it away!" So yes, I did run with a stick in my shorts, and no I did not realize it. But hey, now I have a good story to tell!

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

We have to remember to make the most of our time on earth. Of course I could have started running and just not cared what place I got, but what's the point? Make every second count! You have to learn to use your time wisely and make the most of every situation. Everybody has bad days and good days. We have all been there. Be the optimist in your life! Nobody wants to be around a pessimist anyhow! God gave us life. There is no greater gift in all the world! Each and every single one of us have a talent of some kind. But in order to be great, we have to push ourselves. Glory will not come to the weak, rather it comes to those who are strong and persevere when times get hard.  

"When You've been fighting for it all your life
You've been struggling to make things right
That’s how a superhero learns to fly
Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power"
-Superheroes, by The Script

Of course the road won't always be smooth, and that is why we have God. He is always there for us. "For the Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior." Psalm 18:2. God wants us to come to Him during the good and the bad. Our time on earth is limited so we have to make the most of it while we can. "Every day, every hour" NEVER CEASE THE FIGHT. It won't hurt any more than it does now. Keep pushing yourself because only good can come if you know that you are trying your best! Besides what's to lose if you don't? No matter what you may doing. Make it count. Give everything your best shot and God will help with the rest. 

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity [make it count], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” 

– Ephesians 5:15-17

NEVER GIVE UP

Never Give Up. It's just three simple words, yet for some reason in our daily lives, we seem to struggle to remember this. If one gives up, they are essentially quitting. Later on in our lives, we don't want to look back and regret that we gave up. One should always strive to do their best. As a runner I can easily relate this to...(what's Megan going to say next? You guessed it.) Running! Specifically during races. This past week I ran in a race and I'll admit I gave up on myself. Let me tell you, that does not help your situation. On the course I ran at, I hit the longest most terrible hill. First error. I should believe that it is the best hill ever created! Then, I was passed and slowly but surely, things went down from there. This course also happened to be our home course. So today when I had practice there, I pushed myself past my breaking point. In order to prove to myself that if I simply hadn't given up, I would have ran even better! You have to challenge yourself to do great things. As Rocky Balboa said, "Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up." This is one of my favorite motto's because it's so very true!

If one gives up, they stop trying, they say "forget it" and don't worry anymore about what they can do to get back up. It's true that everyone does have their good and bad days. How are you supposed to have a GREAT day when everyday is good? However there's a difference in having a bad day and not trying. Sometimes the cards simply won't lay right, but if you don't try to win the deck, then you probably will lose that hand (I don't gamble). One of the most important things to remember is to never give up. Your luck may turn around! 

Sometimes it's hard to see that life will go on at the moment. Although it always will. We have to have perseverance to keep trying. The determination that we can do anything! You have to be the one to believe you can do anything, that you are a champion. We also must remember that we owe everything we do to the good Lord, Our God! Without him, you would not be reading this right now. He gave us all the gift of life! We are given the ability to do all kinds of things! Everyone has a talent! God knows that we can do great things. We must also believe in ourselves. God has given us the strength and ability to do what ever task we may put forth. Isn't that amazing! He wants us to live a happy and successful life. However we can't give up, no matter what path we take in our crazy lives. 

Never give up on reaching for your dreams. We must keep striving to conquer whatever task that may lay before us. On of my favorite sayings is from Walt Disney.
              
                  "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because                             we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

If we keep moving forward, we will see that there are so many doors to open. We can't give up simply because we feel something is to hard. We must keep pushing forward. It is the only way we can get better. To strive for the stars and don't let anything get in our way. In one of Disney's movies, "Meet the Robinsons" they emphasize the quote above. It's a kid movie but the theme behind it is very good. Just because something goes wrong, doesn't mean we should give up. That will get us no where in life. We must keep pursuing our dreams and opening new doors that lie ahead. The most awesome part, God will be with us through our entire journey through life! 

This is kind of random, however one of my favorite songs is from "Meet the Robinsons". It's called "Little Wonders", by Rob Thomas. The song reminds us that we must treasure the small moments in life that really mold you to what you are, and not to take them for granted. For the horrible things that happened, to let go of it, and move on, but at the same time holding on to precious moments in life. All in all, I think this song is about the little things that make us who we are. It's not the ordinary, everyday things that define us, but the more significant events like love, loss, etc. Everything else is just filler.

At the end of everyday I hope you can look back and say "I did not give up today. I have conquered the task, and I praise God for giving me this ability!" All you need to do is give it your best effort in all that you do. and NEVER GIVE UP! There will always be hard times in our lives. But we can't quit. God has an answer to every challenge set before us. Keep pushing yourself because at the end of the road, Greatness Awaits!

Never Give Up, 
Megan

"But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace."

~1 Corinthians 15:10

ONE TRIBE

Today marks the beginning to an end. Our first day of Cross Country practice was today and I have never had so many mixed emotions about anything! It was filled with many highs and lows. Last year’s season was FANTASTIC! The guys team ended the last season as 

STATE CHAMPIONS and the girls placed sixth. Though we lost many great runners we have many returners, once again “Hungry for Victory” as some may say. As Indians we work as one tribe. Many believe that Cross Country is an individual sport, but it’s not. Yes there are individual places but it’s not just about you doing well and getting a medal. There’s more to this sport than running. Each member has to be dedicated to reaching a goal. As one unit, one tribe, dreams are reached, records broken, and success is achieved. Everyone on a team wants their other team mates to do well. One cannot just wish upon a star and hope your dreams will be achieved. One must have the desire to achieve greatness. One must have the motivation to keep going, the determination to push yourself through the hard times (a.k.a. hills and 1000’s), and to be willing to break past the mold of saying it’s not possible and realize that it is. The team that won state last year, wasn’t just a group of great runners. They were a family, all with the same goal in mind, willing to give it their all every single day. Together they ran thousands of miles and in the end achieved greatness.

Each year we have a team song that helps to get our team excited to run before meets. This year our song is “Fire” by Gavin DeGraw. The lyrics to this song describe my team perfectly. Shout out to Cara for finding it. I could not be more excited to start the season now! As our Coach said, the only wording change we would need to change is “Call the Koppes” instead of “Call the Cops”, however that is a minuscule detail! I know this year is going to be a great season. Everyday I go to school practically jumping off the walls with excitement for practice. This year is going to be great! Not only will the guys be on the awards stand, the girls will be right up there with them! As this is my senior year, I am defiantly going to step it up another notch and help our team bring home the hardware. However I can’t do this alone. With my team and Jesus by my side, great things will happen! Our first meet is 19 days away! It’s the beginning to a grand start!

Together We Can Do Great Things

Though it’s the beginning to many grueling practices, sore throats from cheering on your teammates, and sweat soaked clothes from running in hot humid weather. It’s all worth it! Every step you take will lead you somewhere great! When you’re with your team, or second family, you begin to realize once you have given your best effort and are so very passionate about a goal, anything can happen. I’m not saying if you want to be successful you have to be on a cross country team by any means. I would gladly encourage one to join any sports team, of club, or activity, or group or whatever else you may call your gathering. You should do what makes you happy. Happiness is key in life! You don’t have to be on any kind of team if you don’t want. But everyone does have a goal of some kind, and one should do everything they can to reach that goal. Though it seems like a far off dream now, anything is obtainable. You have to believe in yourself, never lose hope, and never cease to fight for success. When you put your heart, your mind and your soul to something, I can assure you that you will find a way to get that dream.

Keep on working towards whatever you want to do with your life. I hope that you reach your goals and aim higher! Never give up on what you set out to accomplish. Always remember that God is always there for you. He wants us to pray to him everyday. After all He is our father, a King. We are His princess’ and princes’ He only wants what is best for us!

Keep on Runnin’!

Megan

“…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

-Hebrews 12:1

La Historia de Mi Vida

These past few weeks have been a blur, though they were a great way to finish off the end to my summer vacation. I went to a camp one week and then to South Dakota the following week. The camp I went to was so much fun! I had a blast! Believe it or not it was the first time I had ever been away from my family for that long. Though I missed them dearly, I enjoyed every minute spent at camp! It was a leadership camp for inspired Student Council members. Sounds kinda nerdy, ya I know. However the knowledge I have gained from there is amazing! I made so many new friends and met so many inspiring people. Everyone there had so many talents and brought great leadership values to their council's! As soon as I returned I was overwhelmed by how much I missed my Council, as well as the amount of time I was given to do all of my laundry before having to leave again for another week. South Dakota was a lot of fun! My family is very outdoorsy, therefore, while we were in SD we went camping. The Black Hills were absolutely gorgeous! We went on many hikes and climbed various mountains. It was great to spend so much time with my family after being away for a week. As soon as we set up our campground I put up my hammock. There was a creek close to where we were so I set it up next to there. It was the perfect spot for reading! The driving part was not so pleasant since I have a really hard time sitting for long periods of time. I would much rather be playing! I still had a great time and would do it all over again if I could!!

One cannot simply go to South Dakota without seeing Mt. Rushmore! 

The Black Hills were beautiful!! I loved our week there!

The view from the top of the mountain we hiked. You could see for miles!

Now that I am back home I have been running of course, as well as figuring out my future. It's crazy to believe that I am going into my last year of High School. Where has all the time gone?? Lately I have been applying to colleges and looking for scholarships. It's all very time consuming I must say. The good thing is I know that I want to be a Pediatrician. Therefore I would like to major in Biology. The draw back...I have no idea where I want to go to school. Each school is different in its own way and I just need to find the one that's right for me.  I know that God will lead me to the best one, but it's still hard to make decisions! Every senior goes through this same process. Although it's long, I know that where ever I choose will be worth it in the long run!

I believe every teenager must experience the sensation of being home alone. When ever this opportunity arrives I have a grand time! Today just so happened to be one of those days. When no one is around I love to play the piano (I tend to bore my family by playing the same song over and over but how else am I supposed to practice?) or violin or turn my music up really loud and make up random choreography to each song (One can do great leap passes down long hall ways). I probably look hilarious when caught in this act....but it's so much fun. Today I was practicing the violin and was wishing that I had a piano accompaniment to the song. Clever as I am, I realized I could record myself playing the piano on my phone. I then hooked up my phone to the speaker. And Bam! There I had my piano accompaniment! IT WAS SO COOL!!! I was absolutely thrilled with this idea! I understand someone probably already thought of this idea. However for the time being please allow me to be impressed with myself.

So here is the story of my life as it stands!
Love, Megan

The Lord shall guide thee continually. -Isaiah 58:11