Messy Bun Blog
Writer, Adventurer, Coffee-Addict, Pirate
Welcome
The Messy Bun Blog continues the conversations that began in the newly released book, Messy Bun Mantras.
Join me for conversations on topics such as mental health, anxiety, positive affirmations, motherhood, books, coffee, and everything in between. You don’t have to do life alone and we’re so excited to build a positive community of women.
I’m glad you’re here!
Let’s Get Reading
Everything is Fine
Last summer I felt a stirring in my spirit to take the next step in my faith journey. I could give you a play-by-play recap of what that stirring felt like and the decision-making process - hint: prayers, fasting, and partnership with trusted confidantes - but...
Ash Wednesday
- A call to confession and repentance as we enter into the Lenten season. We didn't sing this song tonight at my church's Ash Wednesday service, but it's been on my mind since February 2nd - Gratitude by Brandon Lake. There are a few lines in particular that stand...
Hospitality
Have you ever had the thought, "I wish I was in full-time ministry"? I'm not great at compartmentalization. If I am passionate about someone or something, I let it consume me. I want to pursue that passion with every fiber within me, and I don't want anything to get...
Refined by Fire
Be careful what you pray for. I had a conversation with a friend not too long ago about worship song lyrics. We both admitted that we're uncomfortable singing songs that express surrender or a commitment to God's will when we're not entirely prepared for it. It's one...
An Uphill Climb
I began 2022 with high hopes that this would be my year to celebrate and work on my health: physical, mental, and spiritual. I had goals for the number of races I would run after the Flying Pig Half Marathon. I had strength training goals. I had goals to continue to...
Oh Hey, I’m Back
It's been a hot minute, I know. Let's do a quick recap! In March of this year (2022) I released my poetry collection, These Bones Will Sing. If you haven't had a chance to pick up a copy, please do! It's now available on my website, Amazon, and if you're local to me,...
These Bones Will Sing – NEW BOOK RELEASE
Hi Friends! My poetry collection These Bones Will Sing is FINALLY OUT! You can buy it on Amazon here. When you do, please share on social media and leave a review on the Amazon page! And if you forgot to leave a review for Messy Bun Mantras, here's your chance to do...
What I Learned from the 40-Day Sugar Fast
A while back I mentioned that I participated in the 40-Day Sugar Fast, based on the book of the same name by Wendy Speake. I kept notes during the fast and typed up my thoughts when it was complete. Here's what I learned. To be clear, for the fast I refrained from...
I Am Capable
the following is an excerpt from Messy Bun Mantras One day a song on the radio caught my attention. The lyric that popped into my ear essentially said: hey, maybe it’s alright that I’m a train wreck sometimes. I remember thinking, Oh, thank God. I may look like I’m...
I Am Not Alone
the following is an excerpt from Messy Bun Mantras In the early fall of 2017, I read the book In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. It tells the true account of the tragedy of the Essex, an ill-fated whaleship that was attacked and sunk by a whale. It is the...
I Am Enough
The following is an abridged excerpt from my book, Messy Bun Mantras. I always assumed that at some distant point in my life I’d feel like I had things under control. I’ve since learned that it’s not about having control so much as it is about accepting who has...
Meg’s January Reads
Happy February! We’re currently experiencing a little winter snow-and-ice storm in the great state of Ohio. I spent yesterday evening curled with a couple books and some tea and listening the sound of sleet hitting the window… Today I plan on baking some cookies and...
I’m Feelin’ ’22
Somehow it’s already the second week of January. I tested positive for Covid on January 1st and spent the first week of the new year exhausted, sick, and isolated. Of course, in typically Type A, Meg personality, all I could think about was how far behind I was on all...
Happy New Year
Cheers to 2022. May it be your best year yet. I'll return to blogging next week. As always, thanks for reading! love, meg
The Everlasting Light
a Christmas prayer - Jesus, the Light of the World, as we celebrate your birth, may we begin to see the world in the light of understanding you give us. As you chose the lowly, the outcasts, and the poor to receive the greatest news the world had ever known, so may we...
Let Me Tell You ‘Bout My Jesus
My pastor's sermon can be summed up in one question: How are you telling people about Jesus? I decided that this blog isn't worth anything if I don't tell you about my Jesus. So here we go... My Jesus is a Light. Biblically, He is the Light of the World (John 8:12)....
Blue Christmas
Apologies for not posting last week. As you know, I am transitioning from part-time to full-time again and it's taking some adjustment. I am working on 2022 plans for this blog and a few other projects, including the poetry book, and will announce those as they get...
Happy Thanksgiving!
No matter how you celebrate or where you travel, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! love, meg
I am Chosen
My small group at church just wrapped up a study on the show The Chosen. If you're not familiar with it, it is about the life of Jesus told through the perspectives of different people who were called, or chosen, by Him. In terms of production quality and acting, it...
Greater Things
I am standing at the precipice of who I used to be and who I'm meant to be. All that's left is one final step over the edge and into the fullness of faith. It's not that I'm afraid of falling. I've fallen before. I know what that feels like. I have more trepidation...
Mischief Managed
Happy Halloween! I decided to re-post my Spooky Season post from last year. It received a lot of attention last year and I thought it was worth a re-post as a reminder of what Halloween truly represents and a quick survey on paganism for those who are reading it for...
Still Here
I am in a season where most of my friends are either pregnant or have recently had their babies. I've been enjoying this season, watching their hearts grow in love and excitement for their new baby. It's been a joy to talk compare pregnancies and give advice and buy...
Now Serving: Humble Pie
Life is not about me. I get caught in the trap of what's in it for me quite often. Faith can be inconvenient. Faith says Stop what you're doing and listen or Stop and help or Go or Testify and none of that comes easily to me. I don't like getting sidetracked and I...
It’s Been One Year Since You Looked At Me
One. Whole. Year. Messy Bun Mantras was published one year ago! As of today, it sold over 200 copies, which is modest in the book world, but is still WAY more than my first book - a small collection of poetry published when I was eighteen - ever sold. What have I been...
Hello September
Welcome back! I took off last week because honestly, I ran out of time to write, plain and simple. I'm the type of person who is excellent at planning and not-so-great at plan execution. But I'm here now and you're here too, so thank you for showing up. It means a lot...
Peace – a poem
In a family of green thumbs, I have none. Still I plant and water and enjoy the fauna and the florals while they last. I try, and even though they die, I find joy in planting still. Reflections Is there something you are terrible at doing but still enjoy...
God Answers Prayer
A few weeks ago I declared: God. Answers. Prayer. This week I can tell you how I know that to be true. It’s a long story, and I apologize in advance for the length of this post and the vague references to my employment, but I don't share details about my work life on...
Anxiety 101
Anxiety: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome (Google Dictionary); A nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior...
Dear Meg
(Dear Reader - this is a letter written from my alter-ego, Diane. See this post for context. The digest version is that Diane represents all that could have been, but isn't. She's a creative exercise in letting go and learning to be content.) Dear Meg, It's been a...
Spiral: the one where Meg gets philosophical
I am working on praising God through the storms, the drama, and the moods. Oh, the moods. In fact, part of me wouldn't be surprised if that's why my prayers have recently received no as their answer: so that I learn how to praise God in all things. It's not that I...
You Are Not A Loser
You are not a loser for not knowing what you want to be when you grow up. At least, that’s what I’m trying to tell myself. I envy the folks who have always known what they wanted to be when they hit adulthood, took the steps necessary to pursue those goals, and are...
Take a Break
Hey friend! I am taking a break from the blog this week to work on: New BookNew blog postsAdditional administrative tasks for MBM See you next week! love, meg
You Need Only to Be Still
One of my all-time favorite verses is found in Exodus 14. The Israelites are trapped between the Red Sea and the approaching Egyptian army. The people cry out to the Lord in fear and say to Moses: "it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in...
Charcoal & Ivory
My grandma taught me piano basics. I spent countless hours through the years piddling around on her piano and my keyboard, teaching myself to play popular songs by ear, learning to sight read, and attempting duets with my cousins at Christmas. I always wanted to play...
Mission Accomplished
I registered for the Cincinnati Flying Pig Half-Marathon in the fall of 2019. I signed up because my sister-in-law - who claims to have no memory of this - countered my suggestion to run a 10k with the statement, "We should do a half." And I replied true to character,...
The God of Angel Armies
Over the past couple of years, the image of God that keeps coming to my mind and my spiritual life is the Warrior. I love the lyrics of Lauren Daigle's song Rescue: "I will send down an army to find you...I will never stop fighting to reach you." I also love the...
Upcoming News
Hi friends! Thanks for allowing me to share Asian-Pacific Heritage month with you. If you haven't had a chance to look through those posts, please check them out. Additional thanks for allowing me to take a week off last week! I know an email goes out to remind...
Asian-American Heritage: China
Hello! For the month of May I am excited to celebrate Asian-American heritage. Each week will highlight either someone with Asian-American heritage or some aspect of Asian-American culture. This week I'm sharing some of my thoughts on my Chinese heritage, as well as...
Asian-American Heritage: Worth the Read
Hello! For the month of May I am excited to celebrate Asian-American heritage. Each week will highlight either someone with Asian-American heritage or some aspect of Asian-American culture. This week I am focusing on books that I think are worth reading, both fiction...
Asian-American Heritage: Japan
Hello! For the month of May I am excited to celebrate Asian-American heritage. Each week will highlight either someone with Asian-American heritage or some aspect of Asian-American culture. Kicking off the month is an interview with my dear friend, Meredith...
Anxious Minimalism
I have anxiety. I wrote a whole book about it and started this blog to continue the narrative that began in Messy Bun Mantras. One thing that I don't discuss at length in the book is minimalism. It worked its way into an earlier draft, but by the time the final edits...
Earth Day
I spent a large chunk of childhood indoors, reading, writing, watching movies, and exercising my imagination until I had the foundation for my creativity, humor, and love of story-telling. Truth be told, I wasn't an "outdoorsy" girl. I liked air-conditioning and not...
April Showers Bring…
One of the best things about warmer weather is the reappearance of outdoor markets, whether they are farmer's markets, fea markets, or artisan/craft markets. Nothing welcomes the sunshine quite like a weekend stroll through vendor tables and the discovery of a new...
An “Amy March” Book Review
Happy Thursday! Thanks for being patient with me as I took last week off to be with friends and family for the Easter season. It's fitting that I close the March book reviews in April, because our last March sister is what I'd consider a bit of a wild card. I grew up...
A “Beth March” Book Review
Dear, sweet Beth. There are so many lessons to be learned from the quiet, contented March sister. I think because of the time period in which she lived she was able to get away with sheltering herself within her family and her home. She spends much of the book coming...
A “Jo March” Book Review
One of the things I love best about Jo March is her fearlessness. She isn't afraid of being different or of being herself. She is the March sister we all see in ourselves (or wish we could be): that wild part of us that longs to break free from whatever it is that is...
A ‘Meg March’ Book Review
And just like that, it's March. Is it just me or is the year flying by? For the month of March, I'm reviewing books through the lens of Little Women. If the sisters were here today with modern reading material, what would they be reading? What might they review? How...
The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway
The funny thing is: I hate being cold. It totally bothers me. A lot. But I love running more than I hate being cold. So I suck it up, buttercup, and pull on my fleece leggings, wool socks, base layer, outer layer, fleece jacket, hat, gloves and I run anyway. I have...
Hi-De-Ho, Neighbor!
I read Bob Goff's Everybody Always right before the pandemic shutdown. All of the motivation I gathered to go love my neighbors was snuffed out with the warnings that anyone - anyone - might have Covid-19 and might give it to you. In a world where we were only allowed...
Debt-Free
https://youtu.be/QpE6iXpldXc This is Jake. Jake is my husband. If you've been around me long enough, you know a couple of things to be true: A) I do not gush about my love for him on the internet, and B) Jake likes Dave Ramsey. So, in honor of Valentine's Day weekend,...
Love Story – a poem
You stand at attention, in anticipation. You’ve prepared for this moment: long, tiring hours filled with hope and longing. Fire rumbles through your tortured soul, the turquoise heat melts your love-plumped heart, creating a raucous din of a pulse that bleeds chaotic...
You Are Not A Victim
There's an old saying, "you become the company you keep." Aside from the obvious good versus bad implication, there's something else buried in the wisdom of that sentence, something that only recently has been brought to my consciousness. I didn't notice it because...
Are You There, God?
If God could send a burning tumbleweed every time He wanted to get my attention, I'm convinced that life would be a lot easier. But it would probably lack faith. A burning bush is a sure sign, right? I would have almost no choice but to believe and obey whatever God...
Voices
some days most days I feel terribly utterly isolated void without hope or joy heavy because the voice inside my head feeds me poison and I drink it because the voice tells me it’s what I deserve some days fewer days I feel Brave incredibly powerfully Invincible full...
Dear Younger Me
On Monday you turn thirty-two. THIRTY-TWO. You've had some new thoughts since the letter written on your 30th birthday: You have five gray hairs. Yes, you're keeping track. You've given up on the idea of dyeing your hair because you've leaned into the boho, wild-woman...
It’s the Loneliest Time of the Year
It's the most wonderful time of the year, but because it's 2020, it's morphed into something else, something somber and gray. I'm doing my best to keep the magic alive. I'm on track with gift buying, card sending, and present wrapping. I just learned about...
Day 7: Grace
I'm thankful for grace. Not just the kind of grace that we humans extend to each other around the holiday season, but divine grace. Limitless grace. The sort of grace that stepped down from a heavenly throne and came to earth in a newborn baby. The kind of grace that...
Day 6: Family + Friends
It's easy to be grateful for my family and friends. I'm lucky enough to have a family I like: both paternal and maternal sides, and my in-laws. Family is sich a big part fo my life and my social circle. They are the village with which I raise my kids. They are the...
Day 5: Freedom
At the end of the day, I'm grateful and proud to be an American. Yes, our country has some things to work out, but there is always hope for the future. I've found new meaning in this verse: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on...
Day 4: Work
Today I am grateful for my work. I’m grateful for a full-time job that gives me the means to provide for my family, normal co-workers, and a flexible environment should non-work emergencies arise (and they have). I’m beyond grateful that we were considered an...
Day 3: Rest & Renewal
Happy Sabbath. It's been a while since we've been in our normal church service, but it was definitely where we were meant to be today. In the spirit of Rest, I'm keeping this post simple: I'm grateful for my SNC church family. As briefly outlined in Messy Bun Mantras,...
Day 2: Practicing Gratitude
Hebrews 13:5 NIVKeep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." It's easy to find gratitude in the frenzy of Christmas morning or around the pre-Covid dinner table...
A Week of Thanksgiving
There is officially only one week left until Thanksgiving. In order to prepare my heart and my mind for the holiday, and to reflect on the year and seek out the good, I am trading my weekly blog post for 7 Days of Thankfulness. I highly encourage you to join me in...
I’ve Never Ridden in an Ambulance…
...except for that one time at Kings Island where I passed out and had to ride through the park on the little mini ambulance to the first aid center. Luckily I was mostly unconscious for that. It's been a long week. Friday night my husband Jake went to the ER - in an...
I Solemnly Swear I Am Up to No Good
Happy Halloween! Even though Covid has put a damper on this year's festivities, I still plan on having a fabulous Halloween. You might be thinking, Meg, aren't you a Christian? Aren't you supposed to shun the devil and hate Halloween? I'm so glad you asked. Grab a...
I am Enough
I was recently on the receiving end of phone call with an extremely rude customer while at work. I won't recount what he said, because ultimately it doesn't matter, but it left me seething. I didn't do anything wrong and I knew this particular customer was simply a...
Autumn Love
Today is our ninth wedding anniversary. We're not much for gift giving, but I thought I'd check on what the traditionalists say we should give. According to Hallmark.com, our anniversary themed gifts to each other should be either willow (wicker) or pottery. Does...
Find Your Why
I was recently chatting with some friends about motivation. We're all feeling a little less motivated these days. We have plenty of excuses, but no good reasons. I thought about how to reply to my friend's quest for motivation and it led me back to a book I started...
It’s Fall Y’all
It's officially Autumn - my favorite season. I love this time of year. I love the crisp air, the last remaining rays of sunshine, the overcast clouds huddling together in the gray sky, the blankets, the flannel, the bonfires, and the snuggles with family and fur...
For Diane
One great thing about writing a book is the dedication page. I'm serious. Google "funny book dedications" and you'll find that writers are so amused by their dedication pages and what they're allowed to print there. Trust me. I believe I thought about my book's...
Pursuing Bravery
"Hey, I've decided to read 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs, do you guys want to read it with me?" My friend sent that message via Snapchat to our little friend group in the final week of December 2019. Without hesitation, we all bought the book and committed to...
How I Survived Post-Partum Depression
Let’s start by talking about the difference between the “baby blues” and postpartum depression. The baby blues are mild mood changes and feelings of worry, unhappiness, and exhaustion that may occur in the first couple of weeks after having a baby. These feelings are...
Just Do It
How do you write a book? How do you run a marathon? How do you do anything worth doing? The answer is obvious: you start. You'll see this pop in interviews with people who have accomplished big things. Someone always asks, "how did you do it?" and nine-out-of-ten...
Why I Don’t Complain About My Husband
I want to apologize in advance because I'm probably going to sound like the biggest tightwad of a snob, but just hear me out. I know you've been here: some social situation with other couples present; the food is great, the company is spectacular, and the stories have...
Making Room for Error
For most of my life I've been a perfectionist. I was a (mostly) straight-A student with honors, meticulous in my writing and my art projects, incapable of letting myself make mistakes. Perfectionism held me back because it kept me afraid of failing. Failing was simply...