Short and sweet(with a few videos included)

How I wish sweet reader that I could pull back some layers and show you what's on the inside, but it's not time for all of that just yet. If you are a Facebook friend, you know He's been writing some more. He and I are on a new part of the journey, and I must say so far so good. It's not been an easy path, but I can tell I'm getting stronger each day. There are a few songs(and a movie clip) that have been in my head this week, and I thought I'd share those below. Christmas break is in three weeks and look for more "deeper" blogs once I get away. I'll continue to do some of these short and sweet moments :-) Enjoy the season! Love those around you and find that person who always has a smile and says I'm okay, and make sure they are okay. There are a lot of people dealing with stuff this Christmas season, a lot having their "first" Christmas without loved ones, and a lot just taking it a day by day. Don't judge someone by the cover you see, there is always more to the story. Be thankful for those friends who have read the entire book and are still a part of the story. Know what God has called you to do, what gifts He has given you, and then when He says it's time unwrap and enjoy! (Even if someone else thinks it needs to be returned;-))
Until next time!

When life gets you down...just keep swimming or as I've said a lot this week..Just keep smiling, just keep smiling.. Eventually either it won't matter anymore or the situation will fix itself (9 times out of 10 it won't matter to you anymore). (Yes it is possible for something to hurt and for you to be able to forget it and move on.....You can choose to do what He said regardless of feelings...it is NOT easy, but with time...)

This has to be one of my all time favorite Christmas songs........Listen to the words....

This is quickly becoming a new favorite Christmas song.......Listen to the words ;-)

Those are all for now, I could post more, but will save a few. Music is a powerful thing. Make the most of each day!

One foot in the front of the other

** I wrote this Monday but never posted it...oops

Short and sweet and straight to the point today.......

Some days it is one foot in front of the other. It takes time to build up the resistance muscles. As the say, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a habit. Some days it's not about what you say, but about what you don't say. Even the one who "always" has it together, may need a little glue every now and then to keep it stuck together. Put the boundaries up and decide what will and will not effect you. You might not be able to change other people and what they do, but you can change you. Sometimes one foot in front of the other will get you to where you are going, you don't always have to run. He made you as you, period. Each moment has something that makes you a better you.

Until next time.....

God's the catcher

Let me just start off by saying, I'm starting to see a pattern. My blogs on Sundays are usually words I need to re-read throughout the week. In other words God goes, Here's a word now walk it out tomorrow. (Let me just say ouch...because I like time, but anyway).  God will move you out of your comfort zone to His zone, even if it is just one step at a time.

So last night I pulled out my work stuff and started trying to get things ready for Monday. Just looking at the stacks and the amount that needed to be organized made me start to feel defeated. (That's a blog in itself....we need to take control over the things we can control and stop letting the enemy use them to push us down). I spread everything out, I laid it into piles(mounds of post it notes and all) and started trying to get it all organized. It wasn't before too long that I gave up(hence the reason why it's not done yet. How many times do we give up on a task that seems overwhelming and guess what it never goes away? How many times could we have the power to handle something greater if we would take control over the little things?) So I stopped for the night and God and I had a long talk. Why He chose a baseball visual I'll never know(I'm more of a football or basketball person).

Stay with me on this one ;-) He told me to throw it at Him. Funny thing is I didn't even have to ask what "it" was. I knew and I had more than one "it" to throw at Him. So I started throwing and He didn't miss a beat. There weren't any stray balls laying around for Him to pick up in the end or "deal with later". As I threw it at Him, He caught it and put it in a bucket. When I was done, He smiled and took the bucket with Him. I sat there and was like but.......... and He kept walking. See He can take whatever we throw at Him. Those "it's" we don't really know how to handle, those "it's" that are making us crazy, those "it's" that were never really ours to pick up.  He knows me well enough to know He needed to take the bucket of "it's" with Him because otherwise I'd try to take them again. Throw whatever you need at Him and once He catches it, He's got it. He has reminded me of that more than once this morning. He catches it, puts it where it belongs, and then He walks off smiling and forgets about it. Why shouldn't we?

That was part 1 of my talk with Him last night, part 2 came from
Romans 12:21
²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

(**Caution...this is the part that made me go, but why(yes said in a whine no doubt), because this is the part I knew I'd have to walk out this week. ( I don't usually get these without the test to follow))

I've read this verse before but I always saw evil as evil(hatred, being mean etc.). Last night my eyes I read it differently. It's all about how you respond. When you are met with rudeness, unthougthfulness, and down right mean, how are you going to respond? Are you going to seek revenge and make your case or are you going to pay back evil with good? In other words when someone does something wrong to you(be it in action, word, or lack of word), how are you going to respond? Are you going to get angry and get mad or are you going to be good and not let feelings win? God didn't say we had to be a door mat or take whatever anyone throws at you. He did say we don't have to throw it back at them though. Sometimes we need to confront the situation(and believe me God will open the door and your mouth when that's time), but sometimes we may need to just smile and walk away(even if we are counting to 10 under our breath). It's all about how you respond. When presented with that situation, God will give you the grace you need to handle it His way. Rest in this fact though, when you mess up, you always get a chance to correct it ;-)

I love this time of the year, but that being said there is a lot to deal with inside and out. That old saying is true, I'm not where I need to be, but praise God I'm not where I used to be. I'm a lot closer to Him than two years ago, and definitely a lot closer than I was thirteen years ago. December is a month, but I'll explain in blogs to come. Be patient with each other this season. Emotions are high, people have stress going on that we can't always see. We need to show others an extra amount of grace, chances are we may need it ourselves. One thing He told me last season and I'll end with this..."Life is about slowing down and remembering what really matters. It's not always found on a to-do list." Trust Him with your list and then breath.....it always gets done some how some way.

Until next time ~
Melissa

It's blog or bust time......

Random thoughts:

• Some people are in your life to lessen the load, others are in your life to be a lesson. Know the difference and save yourself some frustration.
• Why do we keep asking God to move the mountain or part the sea, but we aren't willing to take the first step? If you stay put(be it in a pity party or whatever), who wins? Take a step forward whether you feel like it or not and see what happens.
• Don't expect others to do for you what you can do for yourself. In other words...don't have a what about me moment and a why me, if you aren't taking some me time yourself.
• No one is going to understand you all the time, no one that is but God. Know who you are in Him, crawl up in lap at the end of the day and rest.
• We are all flesh and that means we all have feelings, it's okay to have one of those days, to have things that make you upset, things you can't fix but wish you could...It's okay!! It's what you do with those feelings afterwards that make a difference. Do you continue to think about what's making you upset? Do you try to fix the things you know aren't yours to fix? Do you get down on yourself when you have one of those days? You know yourself, you know your heart. God's the only other one that does. Trust Him to let it shine through and trust Him to help all of that "mess" make sense. Don't let the "stuff" get  you down, and don't let others help keep you there.
• Know who is meant to speak in your life and who is not........Not everyone who is in your life is there to change you, maybe you are to there to change them?
• Do your part and be happy with that. It's all about the seeds you are sowing. If you are doing what God's laid out for you(His plan)...the harvest you will reap will be bigger than you could imagine. (Blog to come about the sower...good stuff).
• Things happen.......sometimes the only thing you can change or control is how you react.
• When God parts the Red Sea for you, moves that mountain out of the way, or does something BIG...remember it as you keep walking on this journey we call life. Too many times God moves in a huge way and we head out into the wilderness called life only to forget it and start complaining. He hasn't changed...so why are you?
• Keep your peace even when you know you are right. Better to keep your mouth shut and let the truth come out in time, then to open it and be full of hot air. Keeping the peace makes Him smile, trying to avenge yourself does not. That's His job ;-)
• Each day on the journey is sweet and memorable. Some make us smile as we go along, some make us smile when they are over. All make us a better us if we will let Him.
• Know who you are inside and out. Then listen to the truth and let the other stuff go in one ear and out the other. Let Him decide what takes root.........

As you can see there are multiple thoughts/blogs running through my head. Some I will elaborate more on later, others are just random thoughts for the night. Please don't over analyze the thoughts and read more into then what's there. God and I are good. I know I make Him smile most days, some I am sure make Him laugh. I wouldn't trade this unique relationship for anything. I love the fact that He loves me and even likes me. (Think about that for a minute....) I love that He knows me the best and loves me the most. He listens to my vents and my frustrations. He fixes what He can and then helps me deal with the rest. He's slowly helping me to not be so concerned about what other people think or do to me, because it really in the end doesn't matter. Not all of this blog may be for you, but chances are there is at least one of the random thoughts that made you go yep or amen. Smile and let Him take it and run with it in your heart. You'll be surprised what He may write.

I'm not perfect, but I've learned lately who I am in Him and I'm okay with me. Enjoy this Thanksgiving week and be thankful for the YOU He created you to be!
~Until Next time ~

The Little things aren't always Little to Him

That email that made you laugh till you cried, that child who did just what you asked them to, that song that made you smile, that you tube video that reminded you what He had brought you through, and that person who stopped to say you are important. Throughout the "busy" of our day we sometimes over look these little things, but when you stop to look back over the day...were they really little? See sometimes God doesn't always answer our prayers in the big ways we pray. So you asked God to help you keep your peace and He sent you an email that made you laugh till you cried? Made you forget anything that was bothering you now didn't it? So you asked Him to lighten the load and that child did exactly what you asked them to do, you asked Him for a smile and listen what's that....a song that makes you smile from ear to ear. You asked Him to show you where to you are supposed to be...and someone said Only you can do what you do(in other words you do make a difference!).

We are too often focused on the big things. We want to see God answer our prayers in the BIG way. We want the mountain moved out of the way, instead of taking a drink and continuing to climb. Have you ever stopped to think what we would miss if He moved out of the way some of those mountains we were supposed to climb? Climb the mountain now and the next one will seem easier.

Don't go through the day so busy and so preoccupied that you miss those little smiles He's sending your way. Some call them kisses from Heaven, but to me they are smiles. It's the little things sometimes along the way that are His way of reminding you, Yes He cares and Yes He's listening ;-)

Diamonds are made from days like............

I have always heard Wednesday called Hump day, but never knew why exactly until last week. Were Monday and Tuesday a piece of cake....why no but I did good holding my peace and not letting it get to me. Wednesday started off around 7:30ish with a snowball effect. It was one thing after another all day until by the end of the day I felt about two inches tall and felt like I was carrying more than I could. (Key word in that was felt....) Some days are just like that, some days the enemy will throw everything at you at once, and will use other well meaning people to make you question yourself.(because if he can get you to doubt yourself...he's accomplished a lot). Confidence in yourself(not the self righteous confidence), but the confidence that knows Who is inside of you, what He has promised you, and Who is in charge is a powerful tool.

Stay with me on this one......Your Hump day may not be on Wednesday necessarily, but look back over the last couple of weeks. Do you have a day that stands out as one where you had a decision to make? One where you were standing on top of the hill and you could either start over(and fall backward) or keep moving forward and come down? If I had not crawled up into His lap last Wednesday, recognized that I was feeling way too much, put on some praise music, and listened to Him, the rest of the week would have been different. Some days do not always go that way, some days I let feelings get the best of me and continue on in my pity party for a few more days frustrated and stressed. What I did Wednesday determined how I handled Thursday and Friday. (By the way last week was Truth 4 and Feelings 1 ;-))). Diamonds are made from those pressure days, those days when it all comes at you at once. Imagine you are practicing your tennis swing and the machine goes crazy. The balls start flying at you faster than you can hit them. What do you do? You hit the ones you can, pick the others up when it's empty, load them back and start again. That's how some days go...BUT as Christians we have help picking up the balls(the mess of the day) if we'll let Him ;-)

Looking back over last week, Wednesday was priceless. Feeling wise it was HORRIBLE, but God used it to teach me more than one lasting lesson. Trust Him with your heart, He made it........and He knows when you need a pick me up and He's always on time(and may even surprise you with what He uses!).

Diamonds are made through pressure. That day that you feel has done you in, the one that has left you in tears, may be what He needs to finish the diamond making process. After all, what Princess doesn't need a few diamonds ;-) (not sounding prideful...but God is my Heavenly Daddy and He's a King, so that makes me a Princess!!).

The stickers only stick if you let them

Here's a short summary of You are Special by Max Lucado..(Hopefully that will help this make sense).

You are Special is about a little wooden puppet named Punchinello who is a Wemmick. The other wemmicks give him dots because Punchinello doesn't do anything "special". He doesn't have any of the talents that the other Wemmicks have, or at least not that he can see. If he did have a special talent, he'd be given a star. Then he meets a Wemmick who doesn't have any stars or dots. She tells him about going to see the Woodcarver named Eli. So Punchinello heads up that way and meets Eli. Eli reminds Punchinello that He made him and He thinks He is special. As Punchinello listens, a sticker fell off. Eli reminds Punchinello(who is sitting in His lap at this point), that the stickers only stick if you let them. The more you trust His love, the less the stickers stick. He told Eli to come see Him everyday and to let Eli remind Punchinello just how special he was(Eli knew after all because He made him).

I used this story for years with teaching teenagers and doing various camps etc. Why am I bringing this up now? Because God whispered this week....The stickers only stick if you let them.   So many times we let what others say to us or about us stick and we shouldn't(I know it's hard........). He is the only one whose opinion matters. So many times though we get busy and the dots start to stick. Then when we slow down we crawl up in His lap and start listening to what He has to tell us. Just like taking off a band-aid that has been on for awhile, the stickers coming off may sting at first, but over time His grace will be all that you feel. So if you have had a day when the world has just beat you up, when you feel like you going in one direction and everyone else is pulling you in another, crawl up in His lap and let Him remind you just how special you are. The stickers will start to fall off and over time, His words will be all that you remember.

The stickers only stick if you let them. Some days keeping the stickers from sticking is not going to be easy. Those are the days that as soon as you get a chance run to His lap and let Him remind you of how special you are and how much He loves you. After all He made you and He knows you the best and loves you the most!!