Trust....

God just took Proverbs 3:5-6 and about did an upside down number on me. Not that I should be surprised after the amazing Sunday this has been....but something tells me this is something I've been told before, but for the first time I heard it. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

6 

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart(even the part you think you gave Him, but you took back when someone gave it to you). 

and lean not on your own understanding (Don't rely on how you feel. Overwhelmed, stressed are just feelings. If you truly believe God's got it because He has you.....then smile and move on!) 

in all your ways submit to him (Give it ALL to Him....even the part you just tried to reason with Him about....is it really more important than what He thinks anyway?)

and he will make your paths straight (He will show you where to step at every turn...)

Words for today: Trust Him with what He has told you to do. He knows your heart better than anyone else. Quit analyzing everything, stressing about the details, and let the feeling of overwhelm run your thoughts. Life happens, the world gets in the way a lot of the times, but He is greater than any thought the world can slide in to your video screen. He didn't call you to be overwhelmed and even though you may feel that way, it's okay. Feed the truth that God is working everything for your good and is giving you what you need to take care of what comes your way instead of feeding the feeling of how am I ever going to get all of this finished. Do what He has called you to do, be who He has called you to be, and trust that He is responsible for putting the rest in place. 

Too many times we let the expectations of the world drown out the truth of His word. We let the lists of man drive us more than the lists of God. He said love people not please them. There is a difference. 

At some point He plainly says to us, "You say you trust me with words, now show me. Let me handle the this and that that are troubling you.  Come to me when you start to feel overwhelmed and let me feed your soul."  (So many times we run to others be in person or on social media and all they do is feed our feelings instead of feeding the truth we know in our hearts. We go seeking encouragement from man, but God whispers the best encouragement of all...."I've got you!". ) 

Where ever you are at today, He knows your heart. Let Him speak to those places that only you and He know about it. He knows the words you have poured out in your journal and are on the tablet of your heart. Trust Him with those feelings and watch Him show you just how much He loves you! 

Be You....

Alright time for one of those heart to heart posts because well I've been to the woodshed with God over the last couple of days. He was nice, but rather blunt.  October was a revelation month. It was a time of taking in, listening, and thinking about changes that I needed to make for me. I wanted to start putting those into place for November, but how many know when you start to take it to the next level with God, the enemy gets mad? So the same old rocks that I knew I was strong enough to step over and/or walk on got thrown in my path again. Important truth....our thoughts lead to our feelings. If we continue to think about things that are going to lead us to feeling stressed....guess what, we end up stressed. If we think about things that are going to lead us to feeling worried...guess what, we end up worried. Get the picture....let it sink in. It takes time....

I'm thankful He loves me. I'm thankful He smiles through all of my tears, my doubts, and my questions. I'm thankful He loves me like He does and trusts me more than I trust myself. I'm thankful He knows how strong I am (even when I seem to not get the message). I'm thankful He forgives the pity parties, panic moments, and the people pleasing worry phases.

At some point last night when God and I were discussing(well He was talking, I was listening) about my day....He plainly said "Do you trust me or not sweet girl?" At some point, He wants us to move past the words of I trust you to the actions of I trust you. At some point in our journey, we have to take our faith up a notch and let some things go. At some point in our journey being who He has called us to be and made us to be becomes more important than being who we think others want us to be.

It's not easy going to God's woodshed, but it always brings about revelation. God created us for a calling and a purpose. He desires for us to trust Him to show us that when it's time, and then once we know to walk it out. I'm sure He grows tired(at least He does with me) of when I continue to compare myself with others. Lesson: Comparing yourself with others only brings condemnation and that's not from God.  Be who He made you to be and be happy with that. God gave you the heart He did for a reason, quit apologizing for it. Our part is to be who He made us to be. As long as we do that, He takes care of the rest. That dear readers is a truth that once comprehended is life changing.


Stay focused on the journey,
~Melissa

Uncomfortable?

It would take multiple blog posts to put into words everything He has spoken into my life over the last few months, particularly this past month. So many times I think we find ourselves in an uncomfortable situation, be it us or the situation, and we ask Him for a way out. We stake our ground and plant our feet and say that's it God I'm standing until you move. When all along God's already given us what we need to not only find our way out of this situation, but through it. In short, uncomfortable is not always a bad thing. At some point on this faith journey, it finally clicks. It finally makes sense that we grow stronger through some "things" than if He were to take us out of them altogether. Our Heavenly Daddy knows what we need. He knows if He needs to speak to our storms or to speak to His child. Trust comes in at this point. Trust is taking on step even when you aren't sure where to step after that. Trust is walking knowing He hold the flashlight in one hand and yours in the other.

Trust is more than words. It's action behind those words. Are we trusting when we complain or worry? He's hit me upside the head with this one. So many times we think we are just sharing our burdens with someone or seeking "advice. Honesty check: He bluntly asked me how do you feel after your sharing session? This doesn't mean you can't confide in someone if you need just need to vent or need someone to listen, but know who you are venting to. Too many times we seek for those who will feed our flesh and join in the complaint, instead of running to those who feed our soul and join us in prayer. Know the difference and keep that door closed to the enemy.

I've learned knowing God's plan and knowing His timing are two different things. Sometimes God reveals His plan for our lives and wants us to just trust Him for the timing. Don't jump ahead of God just because you feel uncomfortable somewhere. It may turn out God has you right where He wants you for this season of your journey.  He knows my heart's desire. At some point I finally realized, I was holding on to that piece still and had to let it go. There is a freedom that comes when we let go of what we know our heart desires and we know He has called us to do, and let Him write out the details. We can be focused on making His plan work for our future, that we miss the beauty of His plan of today.

Seasons are changing around us now. Fall is in the air (although this weekend it felt like Winter). I love watching the trees go through the season change. Despite the changes on the outside, the roots and foundation of the tree remain secure. If you have ever watched a Bradford Pear in a wind storm or tornado, you know that the stronger the foundation(trunk) of a tree, the better they can withstand the changing of seasons.  You may be in a season right now where it seems like the leaves are changing colors, but remember with the season changes comes growth. The seasons changing indicate time passing.

This past week I learned the beauty in disconnecting. I know I made God laugh when I complained(whined) about an email and He said...you have the power to fix that. So many times we take on more than He ever intended for us to carry simply because we forget who He made us to be. He made us to live our lives to please an audience of One...Him. When we lose sight of that, our focus shifts and we start to sink.

God has called us all. It may be that you are still trying to find the details of your calling, but be patient. He will reveal them in time. It may be that you have found out what He has called you to do, armor up. The more we see God's view on our day and our lives, the more the enemy tries to throw a rock or hurdle in our path. I am more than convinced that the more we walk in our calling despite the rocks and hurdles, the more the enemy gets nervous. Don't forget that as a child of the Most High, you have the power inside of you to tell the devil to be quiet. Pay attention to the gift of discernment and protect your heart. God has incredible plans in store!

Focused on the journey,
~Melissa

He said come....

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.…

Laying in bed last night and wide awake and God's writing a blog. I wanted to sleep, but God was writing....I probably should have gotten up and typed this late last night, but then again it was late. He took a part the verses above as we discussed my day last night. The blog is a peek into that discussion ;-)

These verses were not part of my quiet time Bible Reading or even my devotional, they were His whisper to me last night. It seems like I've been on an up hill run for the past couple of months and I'm tired. I'm exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. I also realized over the break a couple of weeks ago I was exhausted spiritually. That's a blog for another day because I truly didn't realize you could get to that point. God has a way of letting us have our moment to wear ourselves out to realize His way was the better way. Apparently that's a lesson I have yet to master. I learn it, but forget it way too quickly. So back to the verses above... 

Come to Me: God said we have to go to Him when we are tired. In other words, ask Him for help, when you are overwhelmed, when you are stressed, when you are frustrated, and when you are just plain tired. He knows our minds, but He is also waiting on us to realize we are not superwomen. We serve an amazing super God who wants us to rely on Him to get through the day(and the massive to-do list). He doesn't say complain, but come. Don't plop down mad about how things are going and get stuck. Crawl up in His lap and know that He knows your heart. If you find yourself plopped down, look up...He's got an outstretched hand waiting on you. 

all who are weary and heavy-laden: At some point in our journey this describes us all. When we say yes to more than we should, it is us on a daily basis. (Hey I'm learning...). God knows the journey is tough. He knows the enemy is going to do everything He can to wear us down and make us feel defeated and deflated. 

and I will give you rest: Pretty simple....not I might or I'll think about it, but I will give you rest. Now this doesn't mean you are going to sleep the problem away, or watch it float away on a cloud. It's a peace of knowing He's got this. It's Him whispering in your ear....It's Mine, because you are Mine. 

Take my Yoke upon you and learn from Me: When oxen are yoked together they both are carrying the load. Share it with Him and let Him do His part. Learn His way of doing things....Do what He says and He'll take care of the rest. 

for I am gentle and humble in heart and YOU will find rest for your souls: This is the part that stepped ALL over my toes. It's not about what others think. It's not about how others make you feel. It's not about what others do. Do what He asked you to do and rest in that fact. When we truly seek to live our lives for an audience of One, the rest falls into place. We can rest in Him when know that He is all that matters. Too many times we let what others think, what others say, and how others may make us feel dictate what we think, how we speak, and how we feel about ourselves. That is not how He planned for it to be. Live life for Him. Do what you can with all that you can and leave the rest in His hands. Quit seeking the applause of men or the recognition your flesh thinks you may need. Do it because He said to and leave the claps for His hands. 

Planted on the journey,

~Melissa 

Message Mondays

Monday is the day when it seems easiest to be defeated. We start the day with the greatest of intentions only to end the day feeling like a failure. Oh how feelings can really mess with our heads. Let me just get real for a few minutes. My Monday was crazy.....it appears that is the norm lately. If I'm being honest I'm pulled in one too many directions and as hard as I try I know I'm not super woman. I serve a super God, but even He knows I have limitations. I have a difficult time with confrontation and will usually do what I can to avoid it. I know the word no is powerful and productive, but the whole confrontation thing gets in my way. That being said, God is working on it...but for now I'm a work in progress. For every revelation He pours out, obedience must follow. The enemy knows my weak spots, but unfortunately it's because I have told him. The power of life and death really are in the tongue. Oh how some days I just want to pause my mouth and let my heart take over. God knows my heart and even when my mind gets overwhelmed with the shear magnitude of what there is to do, He knows where my heart's focus is. Believe me I'm thankful for that. I some times wish sometimes I could open my heart and display what I know is on the inside.

I spent my time on the way home telling the enemy to shut it. At some point we have to do that and take a minute to remind ourselves what HE says. The more the arrows come the harder it is to stand. The more we want to sit down or run away, the harder it is to stand. He said to stand...when you have done all you can stand. You wouldn't feel the push of resistance if you weren't right where He wants you to be. Muscles are made stronger with resistance and as hard as it is in the moment, God has a plan for all of the mess Mondays seem to bring.

Why does the enemy pick Mondays to throw it all at us? I asked God that question today. At one point I was seriously like really, one more thing today God.....but regardless of what I felt like I could take...God knew what I could handle. (and some days He has to convince us of what we can handle). God reminded me of a Monday so very long ago. See Friday the world was gray and cloudy, Sunday the Son(sun) came out and brought the promise of Monday. Monday is a day of a promise. A day when the lion is roaming about because the saints are armed and ready. The enemy is most worried about us on Mondays because of Sunday. So why else does the enemy throw it all at us on Monday? Because if he can get us to sit down on Monday, then he can do what he wants the rest of the week. God said stand. Stand when you have done all you can and know that is a victory within itself.

Blogs on Monday have became therapeutic. It's a few minutes of an other wise crazy day where I operate in a sweet spot. A few minutes where I take off the lid, the mask and just be me. Not  the me others expect me to be, but the me that He made me to be. I'm finding out more about that me a little every day. I can sometimes give out more than I take in. I want to be fruitful, but still have my busy moments. Negative talk is infectious and takes the strength that only He can give to resist. The easiest thing to do is to join in when someone starts being a negative Nelly and complaining. It takes strength to not join in and let those thoughts take root. It takes strength to be productive and not just a whirlwind. (Some days are better than others). I'm not perfect, but I'm standing still a whole lot more than sitting down. If you are the one that is always giving, make sure you take time to receive back. You may not always have a person with skin on to be that encourager, that ear to listen, or even the friend who will take some of the load. God knows what you need and He will bring it to you. It may come through a song on the radio, a whisper in your ear, or a word that He knows you need right then. My one regret over the last couple of months or almost a year and half are the God moments I missed because of the Busy ones. God slow my heart down and take care of the list that others have made. I want to do yours first. Your timing matters more than mine.

Thank you for reading, enjoy your evening...
~Melissa

Messy Mondays

Mondays are not my favorite day of the week. Let's face it, when that alarm goes off I'm not a happy camper. This morning was no exception. My bed was warm and I was comfy. How dare Avalon play "It's a New Day" and signal that my sleep had come to an end. Please hear my heart...I absolutely love my job this year. I love what I do, who I work with, and where I work. I just love my sleep as well. If the day could start around 9:30 I'd be good as gold. Mondays are unique. I discover, deal with, and figure out things on Monday that I didn't even realize I had to deal with. Mondays bring out laughter at times, tears at times, and definitely smiles. Mondays are also the days when I typically second guess myself, question myself, and wonder what in the world did I do all day. I can stay focused and be productive most days, but Mondays just seem busy. Today was no different. At the end of the day I was left questioning what was it I actually accomplished today. There was nothing that could be marked off of my "list", no projects that could be filed away, and nothing that had been started seemed to be have been completed. In short Monday was a busy day. The enemy wants nothing more than to take our busy days and tie them to how we feel about ourselves. The to do list shouldn't dictate how you feel about you....God does. Give His gift of today the best you that you can and know that you have done what He asked. Too many times we put too much pressure on ourselves because we have said yes to one too many things and are trying to hold ourselves to unrealistic expectations. God said Be who I made you to be and do what I've called you to do. Pure and simple, short and sweet, He doesn't complicate His gift of today. 

I left out my specific details on purpose so He could bring your own to remembrance for you. We all have days that look like a messy Monday. I have often times referred to them as diamond days before because I have learned there is always a message, a nugget somewhere. I've learned the more the enemy tries to defeat me with thoughts about my day, and what I did or didn't do, the more God wants to speak thoughts about what He has done and is going to do. If the enemy can keep our minds focused on what didn't get done during the day, we won't be focused on what God did do during the day. If you feel like you made a mess out of your Monday or maybe your Monday was busier than you thought it should be, listen to this truth. You made a difference today. You impacted someone in your path. God knew the seeds that needed to be sown and the words that need to be spoken. He promised in His word, that it would always come back. If you were you today, He is smiling and so should you. God knew what the day held before your alarm even sounded. He wasn't surprised by anything that came your way because He knows what you can handle. There is beauty in the mess and a message in the making. You may see a mess, but God sees a message. 

Stay the course and enjoy the journey! 

~Melissa 

I don't do overwhelmed....

Before I get too far, let me explain the title...this was what God so lovingly told me Friday when I told him I'm overwhelmed. He replied with "I don't do overwhelmed...remember I've got this, move on." Oh how He knows me.....In other words He was basically telling me You are Mine and I'm running this show. I don't do overwhelmed so you don't either. God doesn't have a to-do list, so therefore He doesn't have the stress that goes along with the pressure of a to-do list. He knows how to prioritize and what needs to come first. He gets that people before paperwork, but time with Him before people. Jesus didn't let what others demanded ruffle His feathers or make Him feel stressed. He handled everything with grace and a peaceful demeanor. I want to be like Him. I want to react like Him. Days I hit the mark and other days the arrow falls short the target. I somehow can see my sweet Heavenly Daddy picking up that arrow and handing it back for me to try again. He gets it. He knows our flesh sometimes gets the best of us. He knows we get stressed, overwhelmed, and focused on pleasing others at times. He also knows that our hearts seek to please Him, and He knows that one day we will be strong enough to stop the flesh before instead of asking for forgiveness afterwards.

I have a list of what needs to do be completed, but I try not to focus on it. Focusing on the list makes me feel stressed. With feeling stressed comes negative talk, grumpiness, not feeling so great, and being overwhelmed. I've learned over the last couple of years just what stress can physically and mentally do to your body. It is not a pretty picture. God did not design us to perform at our best when we are stressed. So what do we do when those feelings come? We have two choices. One let the thoughts of stress etc. play over and over in our minds therefore feeding the flesh, or two let our mind play He's got this, He's got this, He's got this over and over. We may not feel like He has it, but just as the official whose son Jesus healed, we have to believe Him at His word. If the official had asked for some proof or doubted that God had done what He said He had, the official's son may have not been healed. However the official believed Jesus at His word and so should we. When God says come to me all you that are heavy laden(stressed, overwhelmed, tired) and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you(know that I have this under control) for it is easy. (I've got this child remember).

I don't know what your week holds, but I know who holds your week. Rest in the promise that He has it all under control. Put that promise on repeat and when the enemy tells you otherwise, remind him Whose feet your day has already been laid at.

Enjoy the journey,
~Melissa