Top Christian Singles of Summer 2014

 "Fix My Eyes" - For King & Country

"I'd love like I'm not scared, give when it's not fair"

 Bold melodies that will be stuck in your head all day (trust me on this one). It's got a solid message, even if it is a little different than their usual!

"It's Not Over Yet" - For King & Country

"To everyone who's hit their limit - it's not over yet"

Wow! Two killer singles off one album... in one summer! Only FK&C could pull that off! Hot (as in today) off the presses, this has some beautiful melodies and awesome lyrics. It's sure to be blasted out some car windows this summer!

"Lay It Down" - Sanctus Real

"Those problems you're worried about can't keep you from living now"

This one just popped up on my FB newsfeed. I love the simple truths that this band is consistently able to transfer into beautiful song lyrics.

"More of You" - Colton Dixon

"I've made my castle tall; I built up every wall; this is my kingdom and it has to fall"

This guy is a gem, and this song comes out of a heart that is truly committed to Christ - something that is cool to see coming off the stage of American Idol. Awesome truths and some great music... what more could you ask for?

"Hold You Up" - Shane Harper

"But the angels, they brought you, and they're gonna hold you up."  

 The main character in the hit movie "God's Not Dead," not only does this guy have some acting chops, but he's got some sweet song writing brains and vocals as well! 

"The Broken Beautiful" - Ellie Holcomb

"Your love can take broken things and make them beautiful"

I of course had to make sure there was some female representation in this list, and I think Ellie's song is the perfect addition to a summer playlist. It's light, playful and has some beautiful truths in the lyrics! If you haven't heard of her, do yourself a favor and check out her songs! 

"Hope In Front of Me" - Danny Gokey
"Even after all I've seen there's hope in front of me"
Another solid Christian that I first spotted on American Idol! This is full of insane truths, and paired with Danny's unique voice, this (in my opinion) is an amazing song! It's been on over and over for me so far this summer!   

Conflict // Song of the Week

What is life without conflict?

I'm an avid reader and I've often wondered why a book always have to have that 'get your heart racing and your palms sweating a little for the main character moment' - whether it's a physical problem (like in those classic Nancy Drew's - chloroform always got the best of that gal) or a spiritual problem. But what would a book be without it? Would there really be a story worth reading? I'm not so sure.

Conflict occurs on this Earth because we're at a time where the 'now' and the 'Kingdom to come' overlap. It won't be resolved until Jesus comes back one day. But I think that God can still use it for His glory, no doubt about it. One of my favorite verses, Lamentations 3:31-33, says: "But though He causes grief, yet will He be moved to compassion according to the multitude of His loving-kindness and tender mercy^. For He does not willingly and from His heart afflict or grieve the children of men" (Amplified). 

In this life, there will be conflict. But what would life be without it? Like a book character without a purpose, without conflict we would never be pushed out of our comfort zone and never grow. God has a purpose for everything we go through and a climax that far surpasses anything we can imagine: Heaven.

To bring it all together, this song by one of my all-time favorite bands has been stuck in my head for the past two days. It's a call for all Christians to fix our eyes on the One True King; a reminder that He is above all. Plus, it's got a catchy beat!

Song: Fix My Eyes

Artist: For King & Country

Look of the Day: Grey Tee

I don't know what it is about grey t-shirts these days, but they seem to be what I have constantly been reaching for in my closet. Maybe it's the slightly-thicker-than-a-normal-tee fabric or the slightly faded graphic design advertising my favorite soccer team but ever since I got this bad boy for Christmas it's been my go-to for a lounging around day. And what do you know, I picked up another softer-than-air grey tee at a concert I was at this weekend. So now my challenge has become: what do I pair them with?

If you haven't noticed, grey is an unusual "colour". It's a neutral, but it's not as 'out there' as white or black or even brown. My grey tee outfits have constantly consisted of dark jeans and a blue zip sweater/black cardigan, and I'm ready for a change. Here are three different ways that I'm going to style my new wardrobe staples this spring - one for work, church and the weekend...

Work:

 A soft, casual gray tee gets a more polished look with a crisp white blazer, dark wash jeans (or dark blue dress pants if your work is more formal) and chunky gold jewelry.













Church:

Megan styles her grey shirt perfectly for a more formal/churchy outfit. Pair it with a flowy midi skirt and add a pop of pattern with a cute clutch or bag. I would not have thought to pair grey with this colour of peach, but it works beautifully.


























Weekend:

 This outfit is a more put-together look than my usual grey tee outfit. Keeping the colours all in neutral, but mixing within neutrals with a bit of black and brown, with a bit of colour in the scarf, makes this one a go-to for sure. Perfect for a spring day out, even if you have to shed the outer layer as the sun warms up!

Can't Be Saved

Jessa Anderson is one of my all-time favorite Christian music artists.

She just released her new album - Whole - and this song is one of my absolute favorites.

It's beautifully melodic and has a message that struck a chord in my heart 

(read an explanation of the story behind the story here)

Youtube won't let me put a video up so click through here to watch!

How wide and long and high and deep

My pastor was speaking on Ephesians 4:14-21 this Sunday, and specifically on God's love for us. While the whole sermon was fantastic, the part that hit me the most came from verses 18 and 19, when Paul prays that the church might "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge". My pastor used space to paint a picture of this love...

It is 46 billion light years from Earth to the edge of the universe. A light year is about 9.5 trillion kilometers. Times that by 46 billion and you get a number that is off the charts. So when we humans are so proud of making it to the moon... oh wait! And even to Mars... this doesn't even compare to how vast the universe is.

This is how it is with God's love...  we can only get as far as the moon and we can't even comprehend getting further than that. Sure we can put a number to it, but can we really grasp it's width, length, height and depth? 

So take heart - the God whose love is infinitely bigger than we can image has determined to love you. No matter what you do, who you think you are, what stain you think is too hard to remove, God has got it covered. He's in a position of judgement, but chooses love - a love that surpasses knowledge. As the Hillsong United song "Like An Avalanche" says: "nothing compares to this love, love, love."

Top 10 Albums

Here are my top 10 albums of all time - ones that have challenged me and, literally, rocked my world! In no particular order (although I'd probably put the one from Mainstay and For King and Country as tied for my ultimate top albums).

1. The Beautiful Letdown - Switchfoot
2. City Harbor - City Harbor
3. Crave - For King and Country
4. Live Like That - Sidewalk Prophets
5. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
6. No Far Away - Chris August
7. Over And Underneath - Tenth Avenue North
8. Well Meaning Fiction - Mainstay
9. What I've Become - Ashes Remain
10. 3 & Union - 3 & Union

Boldly I Approach

Sometimes you just need a song that speaks truth into the deepest parts of your soul.

This is one of those.

"I'm face to face with Love Himself."

Song: Boldly I Approach

Artist: Rend Collective*

*Their new album came out today and it's fantastic! 

It's called "The Art of Celebration" and all the lyric videos can be found on youtube!

Dear No One.

My friend showed me a video for Tori Kelly's song Paper Heart, and I was sold.

Her soulful voice makes me think of Demi Lovato and Britt Nicole,

and her lyrics are cute but thoughtful.

Song: Dear No One

Artist: Tori Kelly

Winter Blues

Blue has been showing up a lot in the fashion blogosphere. Here are some of my favorite winter blues looks! 

Click on the pictures to go through to the original post!

Rainy Monday Moments

I think we are sometimes under the impression that we need to clean ourselves up before we come to God. That we have to get our act together before God will take us in. But that isn't right. God takes us as we are. He loves the very fact that we are coming to Him, and in His eyes we are holy and blameless when we have accepted Christ (Ephesians 1:4).

One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes says: " He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away his hand; and if only the will to walk is there, he is pleased, even with their stumbles."

See that? He wants them to learn to walk. He doesn't need us to already know everything; He doesn't need us to already be perfect. That is impossible outside of Him. He's not concerned with our good deeds or our good works or our perfect, put-together lives - because anything we do outside of Him is useless and unclean. We should seek God first. Why try to clean up the surface when Jesus has already made us clean in His sight?