One of the first things anyone can learn about me if they go on one of my social media accounts is that I’m a Republican. Although, to be honest, I don’t love using that term now. How about Conservative? Lover of Ronald Reagan?

Anyways, I’ve always been super open and honest about my political (and religious) view points. One of my favorite things on the planet is talking to people with opinions that are completely different than mine. Yes, I’ll admit that younger Megan just liked to try and prove people wrong (who didn’t at 18), but I’ve learned that the only way we’re ever going to make things better is by being open and honest with each other.

So going forward, just know that I’m a Bible thumping, Pro-Life, Police Supporting, 2nd Amendment loving Elephant.

Please be laughing. 

But recently I realized that there was a part of me being sucked out,
there was this pit in my stomach.
maybe an ache for humanity.

Every time I got onto Facebook.

I think we can all agree that lately, things are getting super heated in our country. And there’s a big line and division being drawn. It…well it sucks.

When things happen anymore, it’s either you’re pro this or pro that. You either side with these people, or those. You either stand, or kneel.

And we all (including myself here) forget that we’re all just Americans…we’re all just humans.
Who are allowed to have different opinions. Everyone is so damn defensive anymore.
Still including myself here.

But it’s because we’re passionate about things. I’m super passionate about the Pro-Life movement and find myself irate at people who are pro-choice. And that’s not right, I know this. I know that there are people who don’t have the same views as I do.

And so last week after the shooting in Charlotte I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was astounded by the amount of people, and let me be even more specific, Christian women who have a giant platform, who were pointing their fingers. Placing blame before we even knew the whole story.

And that’s wrong.

I am so sad to see where social media has gone. In a time that should be for searching for answers, or trying to understand, we point fingers. Instead of being a place to go to gather information, it’s the most biased place out there.

And while yes, we’re all entitled to our opinions, and have the beautiful privilege of sharing them…it’s how we’re doing that. It’s the language we use. The words we say.

Please know that there have been plenty of times in the last six months that I have gone a-wall on Facebook with my opinions on things. Begging people to stop supporting movements that are killing the police. Being super vocal about a certain candidate running for President who should be in jail…there I go again. See how easy it is? So maybe I’m taking this break to shut myself up.

A couple months ago I went through and deleted 324 people off my friends list. I had realized that I A) didn’t know some of them B) hadn’t spoken to them in 4+ years or C) I couldn’t keep seeing their posts about hating the police. Now yes, I know you can “Hide” things from your timeline, tried it but they kept coming back. And with the removing of friends, I went in and Unfollowed a lot of pages.

But it wasn’t enough.

I couldn’t take it anymore. So I broke up with Facebook.

Now some of you might thing I’m just being small minded, and can’t handle things.
Maybe you’re right.

But I’m deciding that instead of continually seeing things that piss me off, or make me so sad…I just got rid of it. I’m making the choice to get rid of something that isn’t making my life any better, or pointing me in the right direction.

Yes. Let’s be clear here I had this “But wait! Delete your Facebook, Megan?! How will you survive???”
Look at me, surviving and stuff without it.

I still have Instagram and Snapchat. I’m not a monster.

But I’m taking this giant breath of fresh air, and running with it.

With the election coming, it’s only going to get worse. I know that, and so do you. If you can take it all, friend I am applauding you down here. But I can’t.

I have no idea when, or if I’ll go back. Turns out you can “Deactivate” your Facebook in case you ever want to go back.

Right now, I’m ok with just saying, “It’s not you, it’s me.”

On the days when you don’t even know what day of the week it is, give yourself some grace.

When your child won’t eat the same thing for lunch they had the day before (and devoured it), give yourself some grace.

If you’re left wearing a pair of socks two days in a row, give yourself some grace.

When your floors look like the floors of a barn, give yourself some grace.

If a schedule change comes, unexpectedly from your child, give your self some grace.

When that to-to list looks the exact same for three weeks in a row because you haven’t done a single thing on it, give yourself some grace.

If you wrote something down and still forgot it, give yourself some grace.

When your child wakes up at 545 am, give yourself some grace. And coffee.

If you’ve hit the end of your rope, and you just don’t think you can do it anymore, give yourself some grace.

When you look at other peoples lives and wonder “How in the world is she doing all that?”, give yourself some grace.

On the days that you’re counting down to bedtime from the time your tiny human wakes up, give yourself some grace.

Whether you’re up or your down, I think it’s a really good idea to just give yourself some grace today.

(That title totally rhymes)

If you’re a blogger you’ve seen the Blog-tember challenge going around. I’ve loved keeping up with everyones new posts and thought it would be fun to join in today.
Also having a bit of writers block this morning.

The question for today is: If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be and why?

So here I sat thinking about all the famous people I’d want to switch lives with for a day. Because let’s cut the crap, no one says they want to switch lives with someone who isn’t just a tiny bit famous. So I started thinking. Can’t lie and say a Kardashian didn’t enter my mind. Judge me. Then I thought about someone like Donald Trump, then I got tired. Kate Middleton popped into my head, hello princess, but then I thought it was too much.

And then. Joanna Gaines popped up.

Yep. Sign me up.

Here’s the thing about Mrs. Gaines. I love her. Everything about her. Her love for Jesus, her love for her family, and can we please talk about her wardrobe for a minute? Every time I watch Fixer Upper I want to know exactly where she got her clothes so I can go find the same outfit. It’s always simple but so well put together. And she’s cool enough to pull off dangly earrings. And obviously her children are old enough and don’t grab them.

I don’t have a really big decorating bone in my body so it would be cool to switch lives with someone who’s DNA is composed of nothing but that. I’d pick up tips, and some shiplap. And then obviously would come back and make my home beautiful.
I’ve never seen or read a bad thing about her online, and that speaks volumes about her character.

A working mama with style? AND she loves the Lord? Yes and yes.

Who would you be for a day?

I read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and it kicked my butt. I’m also reading a book about Steve Jobs, and I think it would make anyone go, “Yea, let’s do something”. So I’ve got this creative bug going on that I’m demanding myself to do something with.

For the last year, I’ve used the “I’m a mom” excuse. And hello, if you’ve seen my kid it’s fine. She’s been worth setting things aside for (and will be forever, just so we’re clear). However. She’s getting older, which means I don’t have to hold her all the time and she’s content playing on the floor with a toy. Reality: it’s usually a spoon, or a shoe.
Which means mama has some time.

A few short minutes. But it’s time. And am I the only one, or do other mothers totally amaze themselves with how much they can do now in such a short amount of time?

So I’ve decided to come up with some goals for the rest of the year. And share them. Because I keep reading that if you share with people, make your goals known, you’re more likely to follow through with them. Accountability or something.

1. Loose 10 pounds.
Baby weight is a real thing and I’m over it. I realize the holidays are coming and this makes this goal almost impossible. BUT. I really think that if I can make some small changes in my diet and get some more yoga in I can do it.

2. Get the idea with sissy up and running.
I realize this is super vague. But I can’t tell now. You’ll just have to wait.

3. Clean out the garage.
Perfect with Christmas coming, which those boxes take up almost half of my garage. Not kidding.

4. Come up with “Emily Activities”.
She’s getting older and I’m reeeeeeeally trying to keep TV at a minimum. I’ve started a Pinterest board to get some ideas going.

5. Make a to-do holiday list.
My friend Chelsea is spectacular at making monthly to-do lists and I love them. I want to make some lists for the holidays too. Go to a pumpkin patch, see Christmas lights, make hot chocolate. You get my drift.

6. Get established with a regular doctor.
I’m an adult now and I guess this is what they do.

7. Get new glasses.
Because I’m technically supposed to wear them when I drive.

8. Clean out bedside table drawers.
I get that this is something that takes 10-15 minutes. But for some reason I just haven’t done it yet. I’ll guarantee that most of them will be empty when I’m done because their filled with nothing but crap.

9. Get on a blogging schedule and stick to it.
Self explanatory.

10. Read 4 of the 7 books on my shelf.
I have 7 great books sitting and waiting for me to read them. Non-library books, books I’ve purchased. Make it Happen, The Best Yes, Looking for Lovely…you get the point.

So there they are. Ten goals to get through in the next four months.
I can do this…pep talk to myself.

Do you have any more goals for the rest of the year?

If I can be honest here, I wanted to name this post, “When life hands you a Shit sandwich”. But choose not to.

Y’all. Life has been just that lately. Last week was the snowball week. Started with one thing, moved right on down the line to the next crap thing to the next crap thing. And then ended yesterday with me forgetting about a photoshoot. Seriously. I just forgot.

I’ve had some super big things happen lately that’s really taken up a lot of my headspace. And not in the good way. Consuming almost every thought I’ve had for almost two weeks now.

And I woke up this morning with the thought, “This has to stop. Enough is enough.”

I’m unfortunately one of those people that lets things play out in their head 100x. Like last night when I talked to my sweet client on the phone after I forgot about them. For the next two hours I played the “what if” game with myself. What if I had just checked those messages earlier, what if I would have just seen my camera back all packed up and ready to go, what if I had set an alarm. I was a mess.

Here’s a real shocker: I can’t change things that have happened.

No matter how much I will it, there hasn’t been a time machine invented, so I’m out of luck.

Life does this to us. Gets in the way, hands us shit sandwich after shit sandwich. It’s just the way it goes. BUT.

And that is a big and beautiful but…lol.

We have the choice to look it in the face and say, “No. No more”.
We get to choose whether we let something consume us from the inside out (bad things) or we just let them go. Giving it up to God.

Something I didn’t do until this morning.

I know. A mess.

But that release. That finally just saying, “God, please take this because it’s too much for me anymore”. Was amazing.

Will I still feel terrible about my shoot, yes. Will thoughts keep sneaking in about last week, yes. But I’m choosing now to say that it happened and I have to move on. Because there’s a whole life waiting for me to live and I can’t if I’m constantly wrapped up in what happened in the past.

So here’s to taking those sandwiches and throwing them right back at life.