Thoughts from the week..........

Tuesday morning started off interesting. I was deep in some prayer and praise time in my car on my way to a workshop, so deep that I missed my turn. Did I mention that this was in the middle of rush hour and oh yeah I was the presenter? Now some of you are reading this and thinking oh no this did her in for the rest of the day. Nope, I actually laughed, took the detour(I wasn't lost, just stuck in traffic), and kept with my praise/prayer time. I called the school told them I may be late and what had happened. I got there on time by the way;-)

For once I did things His way, I wasn't about to let the enemy get into what was going on this morning. How many times though do we get upset at the detours that God wants us to take? We still end up at the destination right on time, maybe a little later than "we had planned", but on time. How many times do we stay so focused on our to-do list that we forget about His?

Several times we are presented with things that may not always feel right, but He says to do it. It may be easier to get upset about something then to just let it ride for a little while. It may be easier to not help someone so that you can get something done for yourself, but He says just invest the time I promise. It may not always make sense to our eyes, but oh if we could see things through His eyes(constantly).

You are the only one that can change you and you can only change you with His help. So many times we sit there waiting on God to move or to show out, when He's already told us what to do. We have to take our steps and do our part, in order to unlock His part. (Hello...how many times do we ask God to help us lose weight when we won't stop by the gym and do our part?....yep I will one day conquer this self control monster).  Joyce Meyer said it best, Balance is doing a little about of everything, but not too much of any one thing. The only thing that should dominate our day is our relationship with Him. The other parts of our do, should all get a little piece in the day. Keeping a balance to our "do" helps us not to feel like our who and do are the same thing. Keep your mind open(and your to-do list) for those God moments. Those hardly ever fit into your schedule or your daily list, but they make an impact greater than you. Those little moments are seeds being planted for a bigger harvest. Don't let the pressures of this world impact who you are. Life's too short to not make a difference and to love(regardless of your list or schedule). Love people and just shine your light. As a friend said earlier this week, just let your light shine to others, don't burn them with it. Deep breathe and remember trust doesn't always mean you know what's coming next, but you know who's got you!

Until next time sweet readers!
~Melissa

A few thoughts to end the week:

I almost titled this another Just thinking, but thought I better come up with something else;-) This week has been interesting to say the least. So these are just some short thoughts that have come from this week ;-)

• Make yourself a priority before you expect others too. How can you expect someone to have you on their to-do list when you aren't on your own? Believe in yourself and what others think won't matter as much(notice I didn't say it won't matter at all. Still haven't mastered that one yet, but in time, in time).
• Still waiting on that answer to that prayer your heart keeps speaking? Have you done your part and followed through on what He told you to do first? Hmm.....
• Everyone wants to know that what they do makes a difference..........Make it happen for someone else, and trust Him to return the same to you. Look for those moments when you least expect it and from sources you may not always expect.
• God didn't call you to be anyone but YOU, so when others try to put you in someone else's box...stay true to who you are(even if that doesn't fit their expectations).
• Strength is not always ignoring your weaknesses and moving on, but letting Him use your weaknesses to make you stronger. We all have weaknesses, but some of us do a better job at letting them get to us(and impact how we see ourselves some days).
• God has you where He wants you, otherwise He would have moved you by now.
• Trust God to water the seeds you know you are planting. You may not know what a difference you make on this side of eternity, but God does. Don't let what others say or don't say, impact how you live out your journey. The castle is before you, if you can keep walking through the forest.

I guess you can tell where I'm at now, by some of my thoughts to end the week. No one's perfect, but some of us do better at keeping those imperfections to ourselves(and a FEW trusted friends). Your strengths as well as your weaknesses make you who you are. They are both a part of the puzzle piece that you and only you hold.  Stress is a part of life, but it is not your life. You can't please everyone, so quit trying. It doesn't matter to about 80% of the people in your life(if not more) why you do what you do, they only care that you do it. So do what He's called you to, and know that He's got your back! No weapon formed against you shall prosper. The yellow brick road leads to a beautiful castle, but first the walk through the forest. Don't let what may or may not be in the trees keep you from where you are headed. God told you to take that path, and therefore He's gonna keep you safe from whatever comes across the path. Trust is not always knowing what's coming, but listening to the one that does.

Until next time
~Melissa

2 Corinthians 4:18

Apparently God is loving this time of the year I'm in because He's using His words(and mine) and speaking it back to me at various times. Trust me when I say there are more blogs to come. Revelation from today, If God had wanted us to know the whole story, He'd have given us the puzzle box. If He wanted us to know in what order to play the pieces, He'd have given us the puzzle lid. See where I'm headed? Faith is asking Him why and when? and trusting Him when He doesn't always answer right away. Why oh why do we keep asking Him for the answers, when He just said keep walking. One day we'll learn;-) Other revelation from the day....why can't we trust ourselves as much as He does? I think we make Him sad when we doubt ourselves instead of listening to Him. You are YOU, not anyone else. You have love that only you can give and a job that only you can do. Other people may try to replace you, may try to do what you do, but you are the only one that has the heart for what He has called you to do, the place where He has you. Be thankful for those precious few God has placed in your life that add to you. The ones who let you be you without judging or always giving an opinion. The older I get the more I realize, those are few and far between.  
So on to the verse. This was on the way home(after I found out Posey's was open...Yep that was my Godsmile for the day:-)).

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:18

How many times do we focus only on what we can see (on today, the job right in front of us, the things that need to be done right now, Hello the to-do list) instead of keeping our eyes on what we can't see? The lesson God seems to have in the middle of this mess for us, that friendship that is always there regardless of how long has passed, that friend you can call(or text) whenever you need something, those relationships that make you who you are. We keep our eyes so focused on deadlines sometimes that we miss out on some pretty cool stops along the way. The journey is a process and those temporary things(deadlines, what others think,etc.) are just that temporary. Eventually they will be completed or will not matter in the end. Don't be so focused on what you have to do, that you forget to just be. Believe in yourself and remember He knows your heart and He has you right where you wants you.

Until next time
~Melissa

What are you fighting for?

Last night I went and saw Warren Barfield, Natalie Grant, and Chonda Pierce. It was a night full of laughter, worship, and reflection. Warren had just finished singing his song about love worth fighting for, and was talking about becoming a sponsor for Fighting Hunger(I think that was the name...similar to Compassion and World Vision). What got me though, was the question he asked, which was What are you fighting for? He brought up the point that sometimes we end our week with bruises and scars from the fights that have taken place. Do those bruises and scars matter for eternity or are we fighting for things that won't last? Bruises and scars from a fight with eternal significance are okay. That thought got me thinking and usually when that happens, a blog is soon to come.

So what are we fighting for? Are we fighting for stuff or are we fighting for people? What is motivating our fight, is it love or is it selfishness? Are we spending our time fighting for what we want or what He wants for us? The things He has called us to do, the people He has put in our path to love, those are things worth fighting for. He never promised that the fight would be easy, but He knows what's ahead and guess what He knows who wins ;-).

The season you are in may not feel right(hello the weather we haven't had lately doesn't feel like winter either), but enjoy where you are at. He's called you to where you are, because He knows the fight you have in you. He gave you the tasks you see before you, because He knew you could complete them. Don't lose yourself in the battle, but keep your focus on Him. He has a way of making everything balance out. You may get to the other side of your battle with bruises and scars, but those my friends will only serve as a reminder of what God has brought you through. Some things really are worth fighting for, so fight for them and do all that you can do. When you fight for the things that match His heart, that line up with His word, you are not fighting alone.

He said in His word that we have the power to speak to the mountains in our way and they will move, how many times would those mountains move if we would only look at them through His eyes? Climb it, move it, or walk around it, either way..keep moving forward in what He has called you to do.

I'm not perfect, never claimed to be. I've got flaws and scars that not everyone can see. I'm learning feelings are not always a good thing and can mess me up. I'm learning period. I know who I am in Him. I know what He has called me to do, and I feel blessed to be where I am at today. I can change me, so that's what I choose to do. I know what I'm fighting for and who is fighting with me. Fight for what matters to His heart and in time the heartbeat of two(you and God) will become one.

Until next time sweet readers ;-)
~Melissa

It's all about perspective

Where's your focus at as you end this Monday? Are you thinking about everything you didn't get finished or are you able to smile at what did go right today? Let's get honest and real for a minute. Things are not going to go your way, there will be more added to the list than taken off, and most people are not going to understand. It's OKAY.  There are a lot of things I could focus on about today, things that could make my blood boil, things that could ruffle my feathers, things that could make me feel overwhelmed and stressed to the max. However, God did some amazing(big) things today ;-). All I can think about is the fact that He held my best friend's precious grandmother's hand today during surgery and she came through just fine. Those are the things that matter.

So many times we schedule ourselves right out of a blessing. Don't get so stuck on what you have to get done during the day, that you miss out on what He has planned. It may be those extra few minutes just to show someone you care. Give the few minutes you don't think you have away, and trust God to give them back ten fold. A minute showing love to someone is never wasted. Was every minute of my day perfect, nope, but I am a lot closer than I used to be ;-) I didn't do everything right today, but God knows that and tomorrow is a new day.

Love when you can and as much as you can especially when it's not easy or convienent. It will come back to you, He promised ;-)

Who you are is so much more than what you do for a living every day, let the world see who you are not just what you do. What you do may be forgotten in a day, but who you are will stick. I'm a paperwork queen, I'm a teacher, and I'm a technology guru, but that's just what I do. I'm also a daughter, make that a princess of the Most High, and I'm so in love with Him that I can hear Him whisper most of the time.

Your to-do list is a part of what you do, but don't let it be who you are. Sometimes you have to slow down and remember what really matters, it's not always on a list. Love those God has placed in your life and show them, they may never say thank you, but one day He'll let you see.

Until next time
~Melissa

One last thing: Local blog readers.....Sometimes God gives you a desire in your heart/shows you a door, only to see if you have the faith to open the door. With that being said, I'm working on putting fear in its place and I hope to one day step out from behind this computer screen. What exactly does that mean? Well He's still writing that part, but if you are local and read this blog and He brings something to mind where you may need a speaker or someone to share, what you read is how He writes. Email me for more details melissamann00@gmail.com or message me on Facebook. This is a huge step for me, because I'm perfectly content to just be a blogger, but God doesn't always call us to be content.

Just thinking.......

This one should be pretty short, just a few thoughts to start the week. I'm still swallowing this perspective God's been showing me. Six days in now and slowly coming down on the other side of this mountain.

• The hardest person to pray for is the one who has stabbed the knife in your back while smiling to your face, but if you want peace and freedom...pray for them and not just that God would deal with them but that God would bless them. In other words, trust God to take care of how you were wronged, you do your part and do what He said. ##love walk 101
• Be careful what you pray for and when. Prayer is a POWERFUL thing, and it is up to God's timing of how and when those prayers are answered. You may pray for something and it be four years down the line before you start to see the answer to that prayer. #Don't get mad when God grants your requests, when it's time. It may not always be when you want, but it's always when you need.
• Treasure the God friends you have in your life. Those who no matter how long it's been since you have talked, your relationship is built on God and NOTHING can separate you from that friendship. #Those friends will be there when the world is not and will love you for you.
• Do something that doesn't "feel" right, so you don't have time in your schedule as you see it to get involoved in that ministry at church, but deep down you know you should. Sign up and trust God to work the rest out. #Work shouldn't be all that defines you
• The older you get, the more you need to realize what balance looks like. When God is the author of your to-do list, He then becomes responsible for helping you get it finished ;-) #Do your part, and He'll do His
• We put too much stock in what others "think" about us. Love people and trust God to handle them. Like is what we do in the flesh, love is what we do in Him. It's not always easy to love someone who doesn't like you. #love means seeing them through His eyes
• He gave you a gift, step out of the boat, put fear in its place, and OPEN IT!!!!!!! Too many times we delay God because we say it's just not time....He determines the timing, not us. Who determines time anyway? Not us....#What blessing have we missed because it just wasn't time?
• You are special, God has a plan for you, now pick your self up from self induced pity party, and move on to what He's called you to. #for someone tonight

Not my typical blog, but I was just thinking for a few minutes. I haven't arrived, but I am so much closer than I used to be. I have dreams and visions that only God can give, I have a strong urge to do some things I know I'm not doing, but that boat is comfortable. Here's to stepping out of the boat and in my next 30 years opening that gift that He gave. (yes I turn 30 in May and I'm slowly coming to grasp with that reality....it's an answered prayer that I can type it without crying.). You know what, here's to stepping out of the boat before I turn 30, I trust Him and I fully believe those dreams He gives us are a for a reason. If He gives you the picture, He's going to let you walk it out(that may have been just for me, but that's what I just got told ;-) gonna hold you to that one God.)

~Until next time sweet readers.....Thank you for reading this sweet journey that God and I have been on ;-) The journey's not about me...
~Melissa

Are you done yet?

Last week God asked me the question you see in the title above. To me I thought it was silly, after all I'd laid it all at His feet(more than once) mind you. Little did I know He would begin to show me what He meant. I had such high hopes for this past weekend(especially since it was a long one), but God had other plans. I spent the weekend on the couch sick. It was a good chance to gain some perspective. There is a peace He can give with a good dose of perspective, but it's costly. Are you done with caring what others think? Are you done with worrying about if what you are doing is right because it doesn't feel that way? Are you done with talking about what's bothering you and still trying to figure it out? Why is it so hard to love other people and not love ourselves? Do what you do because He cares, not because anyone else does. Do what you know is right, not because it feels right. Trust your heart, He does. Sometimes we try so hard to change those in our lives to make it easier for us, but the truth is, the only person we can change is ourselves. Love yourself enough to do your best regardless of what anyone else thinks. Hear me when I say, it's going to hurt. Putting the flesh in its place(aka as crucifying the flesh)...HURTS. We want others to care and to notice what we do, but is that really why we should do what we do? He reminded me of that verse, about humbling yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up. Get to the point where you do what you do because He cares, not because anyone else is going to care or give you anything in return. I'll be honest, I'm in the middle of walking this out. God challenged me to a few things and this blog is just a start to the things that are still to come. There are some days when you just want to SCREAM out, when the volcanno wants to irrupt and you want to make it known how you feel. Sometimes despite how you must feel, you gotta trust Him to make it right in the end. What does that mean? Keep your mouth closed and do what He's told you to do. When someone asks you to go one mile, go two if you can. Do what is right for those in your daily walk, just because it's right. It's going to hurt when others get away with not doing as much, when others take credit for things you had a part in, when others critize what you do....but keep your mouth shut and trust Him. This is easier said than done, because the flesh wants what it wants. So when you fall down(and you will), get back up, tell Him you're sorry, and keep moving forward. When we do things His way, we begin to see through His eyes.

Have I made it to this place where I can do this easily? NO and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it easily because I need Him more than ever. It takes His strength to keep my mouth shut and some days I still fail at that. (I'm not saying you can't have someone who you can vent to, share your heart with, and just let off your frustrations, but I am saying to be careful who that is). It takes His strength when you see how others see what you do, to keep doing what's right regardless of what they think. It takes strength to love yourself as He does, and not listen to what the world says. You know why you do what you do and so does He. The world may never understand it, but trust Him to shine through as only He can. Perspective is not always easy, but when you can grasp a hold of His, it comes with a peace that makes it worth while. I've made it three days with this perspective, so far so good. I have stumbled a few times, but I haven't fell down yet. I know it may come in time, but I am happy with the direction I'm headed in. I can see the other side of this mountain finally and I'm not going down the way I came up!

So are you done yet with trying to do things your way? He had a reason for why He said to do things the way He did, it's time we start listening ;-)

Until next time
~Melissa