Author: meganc1716

I walk into my class on a normal thursday afternoon and begin to take roll! When I take roll, I always have the girls answer a question of the week, this particular question of the week was, “What is your favorite subject in school?” As I read through the girls name on the sheet, as ask the them question of the week, they all look at my like a deer in the headlights. I begin to become irritated that none to them would answer my question, when sweet little Paige raises her hand and say “ Miss. Megan we don’t know what a subject in school means!” All the little girls start giggling and I join in with them, how couldn’t I, it was adorable. These girls making going to work a blast, because you never know what’s going to happen, and there it’s at least one comical moment each class.

 

God has blessed me with a job, that I love because I am teaching my favorite thing, dance, to girls who also love dance.Y’all it’s a perfect fit! I get to teacher young girls every week to dance, which is a complete dream. If you missed my first post, you can read it here( make here an active link) . I tell my life after high school and how I continued to dance, however I have been dancing since I was four! There is no feeling, for me at least that compares to taking a dance class, or preforming on a stage with bright lights hitting your face causing your makeup to slowly drip off. It is an adrenaline rush and a feeling I know I will get used to. I still dance often and have a performance coming up at the beginning of November! Yay! While I love performing, I have learned over the past year I love teaching and choreographing equally as much. It is so rewarding because it is more than teaching 5&6 year olds executing piles perfectly, it’s about instilling discipline,confidence and self esteem in each dancer!

 

On the first day of class, in each of the classes I teach, we go over classroom roles. For my 5&6 year olds, there things like, “ There is no running in the classroom, please raise your hand if you have a question and please do not talk while the teacher is talking”. Now for my advantaged hip hop students, there are things like “please be in class on time, let me know if you will be missing class in advance and please be respectful to me and your classmates.” Obviously, each age group needs extremely different rules, but placing those rules on the first day of class is important to teach them discipline. My 5&6 year olds, 8 weeks into the school year follow these rules to a T. When there are occasional slip ups, I will say something like, “ Do we talk when the teacher is talking?” and the will respond with something like “ No, I am sorry Miss. Megan”. It is incredible to see at such a young age how much they care and want to learn. I have made a point to tell each class that these rules are not to be mean, but to keep us safe and help us learn as much as possible for our recital dances! Whether that be kindergartners or middle schoolers, both groups understand the rules and follow them because they want to learn as much as possible! This is why I love going to work, each girl wants to be there and wants to do whatever it takes to have the greatest recital dance at the end of the year! They are also amazing at hold each other accountable, if one person is breaking a rule, they whisper to them and remind them! It is  amazing to see these girls dedication at such a young age!

 

Once each class has the class rules memorized the class runs much more smoothly because of the level of discipline, at this point is when confidence aspect begins to set in! Once the girls have a feel for how my classes run, they know what to expect and in return they begin to relax. They know me, and they know I want them to do well but that I am always going to give them a challenge. A few weeks back, one of my little ballerinas did her ballet sways extremely well! I pointed her out to the class and had her demonstrate and y’all you would have thought it was Christmas! She lit up like a christmas tree, these are the moment I live for. They keep me going to see how cable she felt. After class she went and told her mom I said she did well and could not have been more proud. Remember when I said this job was rewarding, this is what I’m talking about! Now, each week in class when I ask someone if they would like to demonstrate a step to the class, everyone’s hands shoot up! They all want to show the rest of the class what they can do and what they remember and y’all this is what teaching is all about!

 

It does stop here though, once they have gained discipline in the classroom, and are confident with their abilities, it’s recital time! Rectial is a huge deal, the whole class has a the same costume and they worked for months to learn a dance to perform. All the hard work in class pays off! All the steps they worked so hard to learn, they now get to show their friends and families what they can do!! They get on stage, with the incredibly  bright lights and huge smiles and perform their dance like pros! After the performance there’s a moment, a moment where they realize they can do anything they put their heart in and their mind to! This moment, is where they build self-esteem, the esteem to know they did great and they are good at something that’s difficult! This is feeling that keeps these dancers wanting to come back year after year and continue to grow. For these sweet girls, the moment after performing is a defining one, one that they will take them for the rest of their lives.

 

Not every girl will dance forever, or even all the way through high school but dance did teach them something. It taught them anything is possible with hard work, and they can do it, because they are cable!! I am privileged to teach these girls and watch as the build discipline, confidence and self esteem. I am truly honored. I play such a small part in these girls life, but for an hour a week I see each group and watch them grow leaps and bounds over the year. It’s truly incredible and I thank God every day for allowing me to be a dance instructor. With all of this said, this is why I love my job and why I wake up everyday stoked to go to work!! Why do you love your job? I would love to hear more about your line of work!

 

Love,

Megan

You realize your alarm clock never went off, you’re supposed to be in class 10 minutes but you live 20 minutes away. To top it off, the bus you could have taken if you were on time, already left. We have all have had these chaotic mornings. You know, the ones where you’re lucky to grab a granola bar before sprinting out the door to class or work. Mornings like these have us in a rush, zooming from one place to the next. They leave no time to breathe, and certainly no time for ourselves. After a while, this type of lifestyle which many of us live leaves a residue of fatigue, exhaustion and less than optimal hope. So today we are going to talk about how even in our crazy-busy lives, we can find calmness, hope, patience, and love.

In all reality, most of us don’t have an hour to spend reading our bibles everyday and THAT’S OKAY! While some of us have 20 minutes a day to spend, others have 45 minutes and the lucky ones have all of the time in the world. The key is that we all must be intentional about spending time with him. I find that it is helpful to make yourself a promise and set a goal– something like, “I am going to read a devotional on my phone every morning in my car before I walk into work”. Doing something small, such reading devotional on your phone or listening to Christian music during your commute, is intentional as well as fesabile. Y’all, the Lord loves every single one of us. He chose to make us, therefore we are chosen and He yearns to hear from each of us.

Deuteronomy 7:6 says, “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

A five minute devotional before work, or singing with Him while you fold laundry will strengthen your relationship with God, as well as set up your day for success. If you take the time to talk to the Lord before the bulk of your day begins, you will find that He is thrilled to give you the strength to tackle the rest of it! He wants every one of us to include Him in our daily lives, and I promise He will show up every time!! Find a routine for growing your relationship with Jesus! Pick one thing, decide when you are going to do it, (morning, afternoon, evening) and stick to it! They say it only takes 21 days to form a habit– form the habit of building your relationship with God!

However, you cannot treat spending time with Jesus equally to the other items on your to-do list. Your time with Him must be authentic. You have to want to talk and pray to the Lord. For example, the prayer before Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner can sometimes be painful. You all know exactly what I’m talking about. We have all experienced the picturesque joining of hands, while someone leads a rehearsed prayer for the hungry crowd. It isn’t because we don’t want to thank Jesus for this bountiful Butterball turkey, but because no one has eaten all day and you’re sitting around large table filled with delicious food. I find myself having no idea what is even being said in the prayer because I’m STARVING (my mom doesn’t let us eat all day) and wanting to stuff my face with turkey and stuffing. You might be thinking, “what’s your point here?”. My point is I get so focused on the food, the prayer and spiritual aspect of Thanksgiving dinner goes out the window for me!! It is important to not just go through the motions, and to truly show up. If you are reading a chapter of the Bible everyday, it’s important to get everything you can out of that chapter and eliminate all distractions. When you spend time with Jesus, give him your full and undivided attention. He is our creator and savior!! Would you go to lunch with your mom and text throughout the entirety of the meal? No!! (Well… at least I hope you wouldn’t.) Give our Lord the same respect! The two biggest things I’ve learned in my journey with Christ are, be intentional and authentic when spending time with God.

Now, you may be thinking, “What are some ways I can spend time with Jesus in my busy schedule?” No worries! Here are some different options to connect with the Lord that don’t take more than 10 minutes:

 

1. Pray! Talk to Him throughout the day. It can be as simple as, “Lord please give me strength to do well today”.
2. Listen to worship music in your car or at home, and sing out His Glory!
3. Choose a book of the Bible and read one chapter each day
4. Buy a devotional book and read one entry a day! (I love Sarah Young’s devotionals and they are great and short entries.)
5. Start a prayer journal! I have done this and it has been so rewarding because when I’m writing, it keeps me focused on what I am saying to God! It has been really cool to look back to what I prayed for over the summer, and see how Jesus has answered and provided! This is a great choice if you are someone that prefers more tangible things.

These are not the only options, but these are the things that have worked for me!! My last piece of advice would be to find a routine! Pick one thing, decide when you are going to do it (morning, afternoon, evening) and stick to it! They say it only takes 21 days to form a habit– form the habit of building your relationship with God!

 

Here’s a recap:

 

1. Be intentional. Do something each day, find a time in the day to do it, and stick to it! Build this amazing habit!   
2. Be authentic. You have learned to carve out time with Him, so get the most out of it! Eliminate all distractions and make the time you have with Him the best it can be.
3. Pick something! What one thing are you going to do everyday?

I hope this sparked some ideas of how you can spend time with Jesus everyday! Please share with me what you try and how it worked for you! Also, I would like to share my appreciation for all of your positive and uplifting feedback on my first blog post! I am posting this today solely because of y’all’s interest and reaction to my launch post. I have no idea where this venture will take me, but I am so excited to see where Jesus takes this blog!! Now, go and spend time with Jesus!

 

Love, Megan

There is something about dancing that has always been so instinctual to me. Everytime my ears pick up a jazzy rhythm, or a powerful beat, my body finds motion. I can remember twirling around my living room, performing the “Let’s Go to the Movies” number from Annie that I had memorized from the screen. As I took a bow, the audience… I mean my parents, applauded my routine with enthusiasm. After that, it was a done deal. My mom enrolled me in dance classes, and it was there that I found my greatest passion. I attended Joy’s School of Dance, where I was formally trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, contemporary, lyrical and pointe.

For those of you who do not know me personally, my name is Megan! I am blessed with two amazing, supportive parents and two younger brothers. Last year, I attended Mclennan Community College and I am now a sophomore communication major at Texas A&M University. You may be questioning the relevance of these small details. However, they are apart of my story– my story that Jesus had already planned perfectly.

My senior year of high school I applied to Texas A&M University with high hopes of acceptance. I sat on the edge of my seat in class for what seemed like forever, waiting for an acceptance or denial letter. Seven long months later, the verdict came in. My dream school gave me a big fat “no” in 7th period British Literature. I was crushed, disappointed, and the tears were flowing. Although the primary emotion wasn’t even disappointment, it was fear. Questions began to flood my brain. Where was I going to go to school? Would I ever be accepted to my dream school? How was I going to continue my dance career? This last question sent spine-tingling dread throughout my body. I had my entire future meticulously planned out, and a wrecking ball had just demolished they keystone of the arch I had so carefully blueprinted.

I made up my mind that I was going to accept my offer from Tarleton State University. There I could audition for the dance team, and I could easily transition into A&M after a year. It wasn’t until I had already told all of my friends and family about my decision that I could feel God screaming at me. He was screaming “NO, this is not where your suppose to be”. I went to go tour the campus and meet the advising staff. Driving home with my Dad from my visit, I looked at him, afraid he would be disappointed and said, “Dad, this isn’t right. God doesn’t want me here”. He looked back at me, laughed and said “I know, I just didn’t want to say it first”. Tarleton never felt like home and I knew I was called to be somewhere else. In the hour and half drive from Stephenville to Waco we had made a new game plan, I would go to McLennan Community College, earn a high enough GPA to transfer to Texas A&M for the fall of 2018, and would move to an apartment downtown. I had spent my entire high school career longing to escape my hometown, but deep down I knew that Waco was exactly the place I needed to be.

It seemed as if I had all of my ducks in a row again. I had a gameplan and the support system necessary to execute it well. Although, the spine tingling lingered. I still has no idea where my dance career would advance. I prayed from June after my senior recital, throughout the whole summer. I was begging God to show me how to continue pursuing my love for dance, If it was what he wanted for me. God eventually revealed his plans for me. My former dance teacher, and owner of Joy’s School of Dance hired me on their staff. I was ecstatic and relieved. However, the opportunities did not cap there. In early September, I got a call from a co-worker who was choreographing a musical at Waco Civic Theatre. She informed me that a dancer from the cast broke her foot, and she asked if I could come learn the musical in a week. With zero hesitation I said, “YES! I’ll be over tomorrow to learn all of the dances, so we are going to need to move the coffee table in your living room!”

A week later, I had mastered the material and had committed my next two weekends to performing back-to-back shows. The musical was such a fun experience! It was a funny show, my hair was teased a mile high, and I had Go-go boots on! What more could a girl ask for? After the shows ended, I sat in my room thanking Jesus for the opportunity to dance again and try something new! Then it hit me like a bus with broken breaks, Jesus WANTED me to dance and teach others to dance, therefore I would.

Just when I thought he had given my fair share of amazing opportunities, even more arised! I auditioned for Waco Civic Christmas show as a dancer! I spent four great days dancing with friends in festive costumes, all while entertaining Waco! I could not have been more excited to wake up on my birthday, YES my birthday to go to a dress rehearsal to dance. Jesus gave me the greatest birthday gift last year, the gift of dance. He allowed me to share talent and passion he placed in my life!

In February, I was accepted by Texas A&M for the fall of 2018!! (Gig ‘em!) I was still loving teaching at Joy’s, and was offered the position as assistant choreographer of Grease the musical, at Waco Civic Theatre!! Grease was a blast. I was able to choreograph a few numbers, and I watched a cast work endless hours to produce an amazing show! This was first time I was seeing MY choreography on a stage. It was the most rewarding feeling I have ever experienced. Through this opportunity, I learned I love choreographing for others just as much as I enjoy performing! It is crazy to think that I never would have learned this about myself, if God had not guided me to stay in Waco.

In June, Joy’s recital program had my name listed not as a dancer, but as an instructor. It was an unfamiliar but exciting feeling. My sweet little first graders did an amazing job on stage, and executed their dance with grace. I shed a tear or two as I watched them from the wings, but I could not be more proud of their accomplishments. I was blessed with the experience of a year teaching at the studio that helped shape me into the woman that I am today. I was pushed to be the greatest person I could be, and as a member of the staff, I had the opportunity to do the same for other young dancers. My job at Joy’s was amazing, exciting and allowed me to share my passion with students that were on the quest for their own passions. Who would’ve thought that I would get to experience something this BIG in my little hometown? I had found wings in my roots.

As the weather grew hotter, and my time in Waco was almost up, I began preparing for my exciting move to College Station. I had an apartment picked out, my class schedule was perfectly lined up, and I had even landed a job teaching dance at a local studio. I finally could take a deep breath, and spend quality time with my family, friends and boyfriend before the move. Although, the deep breath was short-lived.

It was after one of the last Grease rehearsals when Waco Civic Theatre asked me if I would choreograph their summer musical, Newsies. Obviously I accepted! I was so incredibly honored that they liked my work enough to hire me, a 19 year old, to choreograph an entire musical. With my amazing assistant and best friend, Lee Lee, at my side, we casted and finished all the numbers in just three weeks. The cast was unbelievably talented, and an absolute joy to work with.

Once the choreography was complete, it was my time to move to College Station and their time to practice what I had created. My family and I loaded up a U-haul and made the drive to Aggieland. Sitting in my new apartment on my light pink bedding, I took it all in. I was finally at my dream school. I had worked incredibly hard, and it really had paid off. As classes began in mid-August, I began living my maroon-colored dreams. I kept up with my Newsies cast, and as their performance neared, I became so excited to see my choreography live. The second weekend of September,I made thedrive back to Waco for the musical. I have no words for how well the show was executed. It was obvious that The Lord had his hand over our show. We sold out at all of our scheduled performances, and due to high demand, we added three additional shows! To say it was a success would be an understatement. The newspaper raved about the production in multiple articles, and the audience members has wonderful things to say as well. I was so incredibly proud to be one of the creative minds behind the show. I am so grateful that Jesus presented me with such a rewarding challenge. He knew that I was ready, and he walked with me through every step.

The fear and disappointment I had at the end of my senior year was all for a reason.   If it’s His will, it will be done. Jesus wanted me in Waco. Even though His plans were different from my own, I placed all of my trust in Him. Little did I know, I would become a teacher, perform in two musical, be an assistant choreographer to another and choreographer my dream show. This was JESUS’ plan, not mine, and His was perfect. I promise He knows your heart and your desires, but you have to trust in Him. When I realized I was no longer in control, good things started happening. Not because of what I was doing, but because of where He placed me. This past year, Jesus showed me that His plans will always fill the desires of my heart. Whatever your passion is, give it to Him. He will fuel your talent and allow your passion to be used for his work. Do not give up, trust in Him and everything will work out. It may not work out as you had planned, but it will be according to His plan– which will be a million times better than anything you could ever dream up!! Surrender to Him and remember, he knows the desire of your soul.

I am now on Aggies in Motion Dance Team at Texas A&M University and I teach dance at On Our Toes Dance Studio. I share this story because I wanted to be honest about my struggles over the past year and share the fruitful journey that it resulted in. I am called to show how Jesus can change your life in just a year, and how many opportunities he provides. Please learn from me. Surrender to The Lord now, and you will never look back. He will fulfill you, lift you up and love you like no other!! For my fellow dancers, never give up! He will show you a path to continue, if you trust in Him. I am in love with dancing with Him. I hope after reading my story, you too can find joy in dancing with Jesus as well!

Love, Megan