Category: Uncategorized

Faith, Jesus, Uncategorized, Volunteer

Remember Those In Prison

meghanewhite

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Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners. 

Hebrews 13:3 

I had the privilege to participate in an Angel Tree Party last Saturday. It’s a Christmas party for children of prisoners and their families. Before entering the prison, we waited in a line outside. Every volunteer and family member must be searched, and patted down. Cell phones, and pretty much all personal items are not allowed inside. After all the necessary safety precautions, we joined the party that was already in full swing.

Christmas music was playing. There was dancing, games, food, prizes, smiling children, and smiling dads. Local churches partner with Angel Tree to make it a fun, festive, happy occasion. Myself and a few friends from my small group helped with the craft area. Kids got to decorate a holiday frame with a picture of their dad. These kids were so precious, and so happy to be with their dads. There were little bitty toddlers all the way up to teenagers. So many of the children put “I Love My Dad” on their picture frames.

The kids are only allowed to see their fathers twice a year. Once at the Angel Tree Party, and once in June, around Father’s Day. That’s it. No children are permitted in the prison beyond those two days. So this party was a big deal and a very special time for all the families involved. There were also many wives, girlfriends, moms, and grandmas there.

Angel Tree is a year round organization under Prison Fellowship. Angel Tree has camps, mentoring, and sports clinics. There are over 2.7 million children of incarcerated parents in the U.S. Imagine the fear, shame, and loneliness that these kids must experience. Angel Tree is a blessing to these dear children.

I loved being involved with one tiny part of Angel Tree, but I only helped for a few hours. The real heroes are those who serve in this ministry year round. Like my sweet friend Holly. Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, Holly is just all heart. She leads a men’s group at this prison called Alpha. It’s a mentoring/discipleship program. We got to meet some of the men in Holly’s group and she’s so proud of these guys. How awesome to have someone rooting for you when so many in your life have not.

This prison is for men who have done their time and been reformed. It’s a Christian program that gets these guys ready to go back into the world upon release as leaders and contributors to society. This special program allows only the select few to participate. These men know Jesus and they are forever changed. Gang bangers, murderers, dealers, and all kinds of hardened criminals radically changed by Jesus Christ. That’s the Gospel. The Good News. That’s the hope for all of us.

Jesus is not a respecter of persons. Jesus came for sinners like me and you.

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

Please remember those in prison. Prisoners need the love of Jesus just as much as your co-workers and neighbors. Pray for prisoners. Pray for their children and wives and families. Pray for ministries like Prison Fellowship.

I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25:36

As I looked at the dads in white clothing, many covered in gang tattoos, I saw my brothers in Christ. I saw hope in their faces. I saw love for their children and wives. That room was filled with the Holy Spirit. It didn’t matter that we were behind prison walls. That won’t stop Jesus. Nothing can, except a hard heart. Let’s pray for soft hearts to the gospel.

“The ground is level at the foot of the cross.” Chuck Colson, Founder Prison Fellowship

Love you all,

Meghan

 

 

Prison Fellowship Home

Praising God in Prison by Meghan E. White

 

 

Image by Ichigo121212 from Pixabay

 

Faith, Trials, Uncategorized

Count Your Blessings

meghanewhite

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Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

 

We all have Christmas traditions. One of ours is to play the movie White Christmas while the tree is being decorated. I love all the music from that classic movie. Of course the iconic “White Christmas” song by Irving Berlin is one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time. And I do love that song. But there’s another song from the movie that I love. “Count Your Blessings” was also written by Irving Berlin. He wrote it during a time he was suffering from insomnia brought on by stress. A doctor suggested to count his blessings instead. Good advice.

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep and I fall asleep counting my blessings
when my bankroll is getting small I think of when I had none at all
and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

 

I think about a nursery,
and I picture curly heads,
and one by one I count them
as they slumber in their beds.

If you’re worried and you cant sleep,
just count your blessings instead of sheep
and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.

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Worry and stress are exasperated during this “Most Wonderful Time of The Year”. While it should be one of the happiest times, for many it can be one of the hardest. I think of this song often throughout the year when I feel stressed. When I stop and count all of my many blessings it gives me perspective. The problems will always come, but the gifts from our Heavenly Father will come too. So let’s thank Him for all He has given us, for all He has done and continues to do.
The Word of God is clear about what we are to do with our worry. Give it all over to Jesus. Here are just a few verses:
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-7 (NIV) 
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 (NIV)
No matter what you are facing today, stop and take a few moments to thank God for everything He has blessed you with. Write these blessings down and look at them daily to remember how faithful God is. Let’s count our blessings! Our lists should be so long that we run out of paper. If you are in a painful place, at least write a few blessings down. There is always something to be thankful for. Your list will grow as you begin to think about all the good God has done.
Here is a big blessing to start you off. Jesus came into this world as a tiny baby to save us. Thank you Jesus for the blessing and miracle of Christmas.
When we thank God for His many blessings something happens. We stop focusing on the problems and stress and start focusing on God. That changes our mood and our attitude. Our faith grows, and our praise gets stronger. That’s powerful!
May your load be a little lighter today. May God give you fresh joy and perspective when you think on all He has done.
Love you all,
Meghan
P.S. If you need prayer leave your request in the comments or on my contact page.
Images by monicore from Pixabay
Joey Flynn's Extraordinary Tale, Uncategorized

Black Friday Giveaway

meghanewhite

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I’m giving away a copy of my book Joey Flynn’s Extraordinary Tale and I want that winner to be you! It’s my debut Middle Grade Novel. Perfect for ages 8 and up. Both kids and adults have loved my little book. It’s a fun, adventurous story that happens to have a deeper message. To trust God.

But that’s not all. I’m giving away a T-shirt too! As you can see from the picture, the T-shirt has the theme of the book. It’s an adult size medium, and is unisex. It would easily fit an older child or small adult. My husband’s friend Adrien made these T-shirts for me last year, and my friend Nick designed them. The blue is actually much more vibrant than the picture is showing.

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If you want a different kind of children’s book that will encourage your faith, and maybe teach your kids something new about faith in God, then enter my contest. It will cost you absolutely nothing. Joey Flynn’s Extraordinary Tale makes a great gift, and a fun read aloud with your kids.

How to enter the contest:

It’s that easy to enter the book and T-shirt giveaway.

The winner will be chosen and notified next Friday, December 6th.

 

It is my pleasure to share Joey Flynn’s Extraordinary Tale with you and your children! It was a labor of love. I never wanted to write anything, let alone a children’s book. God asked me to write, and you can learn more about why I wrote here: Why Did I Write A Children’s Book?

You can listen to an interview I did with Kid’s Stuff Podcast here: http://kidsstuff.libsyn.com/interview-with-childrens-book-author-meghan-white

 

Enter my contest today! It will cost you nothing and you may be the lucky winner!

P.S. I will sign the copy I giveaway. That’s right. You will have the signature of a famous author. OK, that’s not even close. You will have the signature of an unknown author.

 

 

 

Love you all,

Meghan

Food, Uncategorized

Charcuterie Board

meghanewhite

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Charcuterie (pronounced shar-koo-tuh-ree) is the French word for pork-butcher shop. Now say charcuterie ten times. It’s the art of preparing cured meats. In fifteenth-century France, charcutiers shop windows were filled with all sorts of cooked and cured pork since they were not allowed to sell uncooked pork. French charcuterie involves pates, mousse, and things like rillettes. 

 

Today, charcuterie has taken on a whole new meaning. It’s no longer just meat. You can find charcuterie everywhere from Instagram to restaurants. It’s made a comeback and I am thrilled. This is my kind of eating. Unpretentious, grab what you like, kind of eating. The sky’s the limit with what foods you place on your charcuterie board.

 

There are no rules or complicated recipes to follow. You can use cutting boards, plates, or a large serving tray like I did. Add cured meats, cheeses, bread, fruit, nuts, or whatever suits your fancy. And, there is no cooking involved! Charcuterie can be a creative appetizer or a meal. I had so much fun making this charcuterie board and I hope you will make one too.

 

Wow your guests during the holidays with charcuterie.  They will think you are the coolest host in the world. No more spray cheese and stale crackers for you. Not that cheese from a can is all that bad on occasion, but this time you’re going big. You’re going grand. It’s time to change things up when it comes to appetizers. If you’re not ready to take the leap, then by all means stay safe. But, I really hope you at least try and make your own charcuterie board. You won’t be disappointed. 

 

Happy eating!

 

The Lord bless you

    and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine on you

   and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

    and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

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Charcuterie Board

Here is the list of food I used for my board:

 

  • red grapes
  • strawberries
  • dried cranberries
  • blackberry preserves
  • pistachios
  • roasted almonds
  • chocolate covered pecans
  • colby jack cheese
  • sharp cheddar
  • provolone
  • blue cheese
  • brie
  • pepperoni
  • prosciutto
  • salami
  • marinated artichoke hearts
  • Kalamata olives
  • Spanish olives
  • assorted crackers

 

How to assemble your charcuterie board:

  • Start with placing any bowls of olives, sauces, or spreads on the board.
  • Next, place all meats.
  • Now add your cheeses.
  • Then add crackers or sliced bread.
  • Fill in with fresh and dried fruit.

 

My tips:

  • Lay parchment paper down first when using a tray.
  • Have both soft and hard cheeses.
  • Use both fresh and dried fruit.
  • Add variety with different colored and textured food.
  • Keep it simple if you’d like, with just meat, cheese, and bread. 

 

Have fun with your charcuterie board! Be creative and enjoy!

 

 

You can read my latest article in the link below. Check out Mustard Seed Sentinel for fantastic content.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-charcuterie-board

Faith, Family, God, Uncategorized

It Really Is Grand

meghanewhite

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O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

 

“America the Beautiful” popped into my head the other morning as I was walking along the rim of the Grand Canyon. I could hear choirs of angels singing there as well. It’s just that magnificent of a place. It’s hard, almost impossible, not to be moved while visiting the Grand Canyon. All my troubles melted away as I looked out at this exquisite masterpiece made by the hand of God.

If you doubt God’s love, just take a look at that picture. Something that beautiful was made by a loving God for our pleasure. It’s easy to see God as distant, and shaking His fist at us. Like we’re all waiting for the lightning to strike. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. We should definitely have holy fear and respect of Him, but we should never doubt His love. He loves you and me so very much. So much so that He sacrificed Jesus, His only son, to save us. (John 3:16) That’s real love.

And, God gave us a beautiful place to live. And, He gave us beautiful places to see and experience, like the Grand Canyon. Thank you God for blessing us with such beauty!

We were in Arizona visiting my in-laws and they blessed us with a few days at the Grand Canyon. It’s been on my list of places to see for several years. I am so grateful for the opportunity to go to such a wonderful place. Not man-made, God-made. I love architecture, but no one, and no thing can beat the Great Architect. His works are marvelous!

Vacations come with expectations. They should be trouble free, worry free, joyful, relaxing experiences. I know, I know. That’s pretty funny, and completely unrealistic. We go to new places with hopes of soul restoration, fun, and enjoyment. And all of those good things can take place during these getaways, but they come with a price. Both from our pocketbooks, and a little from our souls.

Troubles don’t take vacations. I really want them to. In my mind it’s my vacation. My chance to try and turn off my brain. Break out from the routine, and hopefully get new perspective, get some rest, and make some fun memories. Unfortunately, troubles still come along on our vacations. The little stinkers. Don’t they know I need a break from them. Trouble packs it’s bags too. It’s at the airport, in the hotel room, at the restaurant, and sometimes in our attitudes.

But God is there too. Guiding us, providing for us, and making a way through the troubles that show up.

We started off on our road trip from Tucson to Grand Canyon National Park with excitement, and great anticipation. Yeah! This was going to be incredible. Then red and blue flashing lights rained on our parade. My husband was handed a speeding ticket. Wait a minute, that’s not fun. We were all really annoyed. I know, that’s not a very Jesusy-attitude. Shake it off, and keep moving. Hours later my husband quickly pulls to the side of the highway and throws up. That’s not fun either.

Tom was still able to drive because he’s a determined, tough person. We make it to the park and check in exhausted, and Tom was still very sick. Press on. We see the gorgeous sunset and walk the edge of the rim. Pretty, pretty, pretty, even in the dark. It was very cold that first night, so we all bundled up and went outside to watch the best show of stars. Crystal clear skies with no light interruption gave us perfect views of the Milky Way. These are good things in spite of troubles.

The next morning I sneak out while everyone else is asleep and walk the rim. I see the mules getting ready for their ride down the canyon. Amazing creatures. Hard working, and underappreciated. Just me, Jesus, a few hikers, and that magnificent canyon. I breath in and exhale my troubles with new faith, and new perspective. Dylan and I hike a small part of Bright Angel Trail in the early afternoon.

Rain and cold hits as we step out to take the bus for Hermits Rest. Tom notices a flat tire on our rental car. This is not fun. This is not what a vacation is supposed to be. Stinking troubles just had to come along. After several phone calls, and Tom out in the cold and rain, still sick, inflating the tire, we have a solution. We will swap a new rental car in Flagstaff the next day. Press on.

We made it back safely to my in-laws house on Wednesday night, and flew out the next morning. After a flight delay in Tucson, and a second delayed flight in L.A., we landed in Houston last night. Dylan’s bag never made it to Houston, but it just arrived by courier to our house.

Yes, trouble comes no matter if you are on vacation or not, but God is there too. Do you see Him working? He is, whether you are noticing or not. Troubles make us cry out to our Heavenly Father for help. Troubles keep us humble. Troubles stretch our faith. Troubles give God a chance to show up and show off for us.

On your next vacation when the troubles come along too, God will take care of you. Do you trust Him?

The Grand Canyon really is grand. If you’ve never been I highly recommend making your way to that wondrous place. Breathe in fresh air, quiet, and calm. And see what a loving God made just for our enjoyment.

 

He who forms the mountains,
    who creates the wind,
    and who reveals his thoughts to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth—
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.

Amos 4:13

 

Thanks for reading my ramblings. I am tired but amazed at God’s goodness. He is faithful. God bless you!

Love you all,

Meghan