So I should be reading for Theology class right now, but I noticed that I haven't updated my blog in 2 months. TONS of things have changed. I have a new truck, I got my eyebrow peirced, I'm up to my ears in bills (before they just came up to my neck), Brynne and Adam got married, Sarah and Grant got married, Mel and Dave are offically engaged (and I'm a bridesmaid!), Jack and Lisa are engaged, Kitty got a man, Rach got a job, Danielle's in labor right now, and life is just as crazy as always.
God is teaching me and molding me into who He has meant for me to be. I'm learning, and changing and becoming a whole different person. I'm reading a book called Spiritual Authority by a guy named Watchman Nee. I have pages and pages of notes on the book (totaling about 12 so far), there are so many things in it that are just really mind blowing. I have always had a struggle as to why God made me a woman. I want none of what I'm about to say to sound conceded because if ya'll know me, you'll know I'm not like that. But God seriously gave me a brain and I like to use it. Now what I'm about to say I also don't want to sound demeaning in any way, such as a woman can't have a mind or be smart, so read this with that in mind. I believe that God has made me a woman to give Him glory. I think that in me, learning to be submissive (NOT STUPID, but submissive) that that will give Him glory. It's a whole new way that I'm looking at being a woman. It's actually pretty beautiful. Even over the last few days, God has really been changing my opinions on things. It's been a rough, but wonderful experience.
Not everything has been so great, my nephew ran away from home. It's been hard on my family, and it's been really difficult for me. He really opened up to me and shared a lot with me. I don't think I've made the best decisions with the information that he's given me, and I don't think I've been there for him enough over the last week and a half. I'm in a really odd place with it all. And not to mention, really busy and haven't spent any time with him over the last week, which is entirely my own fault and I should really do it. I think I put it off because I know that I have a lot of responsibility after our next talk as to what to do, and I don't really want to shoulder it, but really I need to man up and just do it. Pray that God will help me with all of this... or basically that He would just do it, because I can't.
Work's good, money still sucks a bunch... I'm still like hard core swamped in bills and barely making it through. I really need better money management skills, because at this point I'm going crazy. My new truck sure is dang beautiful though :) !!! My mother got the internet cut off at our house, otherwise I'd show you some pictures, but as it is I can't... I only suggest you call me and plan to hang out with me so that you can see it :-D.....
Well I think thats enough putting off reading for now, I better get to it, only 4 more hours to finish this book and I'm at work (yesterday when I was trying to read at work I got through a whole 12 PAGES! lol).
Everyone be praying for Danielle! (They're currently inducing her into labor as we speak.)
Everyone be praying for Mel and Dave, and Jack and Lisa, and Ange and Joe, and Holly and Steve, cuz they're ALL gettin married!!
Love you guys,
Mel
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
People to Pray for
This is a post about people I know that are really in need of prayer right now.... please pray for them if you would. Thanks!!!
Melissa Capra. Her and her family recently had to put Cocoa down and I know she was like a part of their family. Please pray for them.
Jonathan. Like I said in my last blog, he's leaving on Saturday for Kentucky for 2 weeks, so please pray that God would keep them safe.
Brynne and Adam. They are getting married in less than a month. Though I wasn't originally sure if they should get married, I feel like my opinion has done a 180. I think they have grown so much and they are absolutely amazing. Please pray for God to bless their new life together.
Kathy. I know she's had an incredibly heavy workload lately and that's gotta be kind of stressful for her and Rach because I know that Rach misses her because she doesn't really get to see her that often. So please pray for her.
My college roommate Sarah. She is also getting married this month and then moving to California. That's such a major change for her, but I know that her and Grant (who is a Marine), are deeply in love and that she has been waiting for this for a long time.
Aaron and Danielle. As most of you know they are expecting a baby, pray for them and this Huge transition from newlyweds to parents :).
And Me. Yesterday really took a toll on me. It was an extreme day, there was no in between. It was either something absolutely amazing was happening or it was something absolutely horrible.
Thanks everyone. All of your prayers for my friends are much apprecitated. :)
Love,
Mel
Melissa Capra. Her and her family recently had to put Cocoa down and I know she was like a part of their family. Please pray for them.
Jonathan. Like I said in my last blog, he's leaving on Saturday for Kentucky for 2 weeks, so please pray that God would keep them safe.
Brynne and Adam. They are getting married in less than a month. Though I wasn't originally sure if they should get married, I feel like my opinion has done a 180. I think they have grown so much and they are absolutely amazing. Please pray for God to bless their new life together.
Kathy. I know she's had an incredibly heavy workload lately and that's gotta be kind of stressful for her and Rach because I know that Rach misses her because she doesn't really get to see her that often. So please pray for her.
My college roommate Sarah. She is also getting married this month and then moving to California. That's such a major change for her, but I know that her and Grant (who is a Marine), are deeply in love and that she has been waiting for this for a long time.
Aaron and Danielle. As most of you know they are expecting a baby, pray for them and this Huge transition from newlyweds to parents :).
And Me. Yesterday really took a toll on me. It was an extreme day, there was no in between. It was either something absolutely amazing was happening or it was something absolutely horrible.
Thanks everyone. All of your prayers for my friends are much apprecitated. :)
Love,
Mel
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
The Rich Man, The Movie Star and Me.
I have never learned the significance of trust before. I never realized it's implications. I am not working anywhere right now as all of you guys know and life's been pretty hard for me the last couple of months. Gas is $3.25/gallon and that makes looking for work and even getting to stuff like Mike's on Sunday a struggle.
On Friday of last week I went out to get the mail and I saw a letter from my bank. I opened it and I seriously thought I was going to faint. An $80 overdraw fee. I didn't even want to think about how I would pay it. My dad came home and offered to pay it for me, but I told him no. We are by no means a well off family. My parents struggle every month. I started praying and I sent a text message to a close friend that said, pray for me and trust that God will take care of me. And for once in my life I really honestly believed that. I had absolutely nothing else to trust in. I think I finally understood what Jesus meant when He said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven. I always thought that sounded kind of mean. But really, what would make a rich man think he needed Jesus? He has every earthly thing he could want and if he doesn't have it, he can buy it himself. It's hard for him to understand trust because he doesn't see that he has a need. So after just sitting and praying for about 30 minutes, I called the bank. They said that it was a charge from a Blockbuster account I thought I had closed in March. They said if Blockbuster would credit the charge they would take off all of the overage fees and my account would be in the positive. I called Blockbuster and they said they'd credit the money back and give me a month free of the service. God truly took care of me.
In other news...
I met Chloe O'Brian AND I was on the 10 o'clock news last night :). Kat, Jon, and I went to Trenton's city counsel meeting and the mayor really "took care of us". It was great. We were front row for the entire thing. She is so sweet and so down to earth. She thought we were just crazy to have been there since 5 o'clock (we were even deemed the 5 o'clockers). It was such a great experience! And not to mention just a wonderful day with friends.
I have been incredibly blessed by God these past two weeks. He has shown me so much and truly revealed Himself in so many new ways that I am in awe and am just finding Him to be more and more beautiful each and every day.
AND to top it all off, today I received a phone call and I have an INTERVIEW on Thursday :)!!!God is so amazing. This week is so AWESOME and is just going to get better. We're starting the One Year Bible study tonight and Angela is coming! I'm really glad :). And tomorrow I get my brand new PURPLE PHONE compliments of Kitty McKat :). And then Thursday I have the interview and "Not Bible study" And Saturday is Danielle's baby shower and Sarah's grad party. What a wonderful week full of blessings, great fun, and great friends.
On a different and yet the same note....
Please pray for Jonathan. He's going to Kentucky for two weeks (I'm slightly jealous) with his family and just pray God keeps him safe and that he has a wonderful time :).
Well that's all for now. I'm off to start enjoying this wonderful week. Love you all!!!
Mel
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Memories vrs the Present
Have you ever just been sitting around and heard a song that really took you back and time and made you really reflect on things. That is me today. It had nothing to do with the words, and everything to do with a time in my life that was so much different then it is now. There are a few songs that really do that to me. I have to Praise God for so many wonderful memories because my life is really full of them. Then I kick myself for other memories, the ones that have been created out of my humanity and past mistakes. Those are the ones I look back on and cry over. I know that I can't change them, but I'm trying to get a grip on the fact that those mistakes don't make me who I am. That's something I've never understood before. I was sitting around thinking and I started telling myself that those mistakes have helped make me into the person I am today, but that's not true. I realized that God is the one making me into the person I am today. It really has nothing to do with me or my screw ups. I mean I still mess stuff up and I am by no means perfect, but I am in the Image of Christ and He lives in me. The person who makes all the wrong choices is giving up her life because she has seen the Glory of The Most High King. He has chosen to reveal himself to me and I can't run from it.
I have been so down these last few weeks, and when I'd cheer up or realize I was being silly, something else would happen and I would return to being depressed again. I pray for God to deliver me from that. I am so blessed by Him, and I pray He would help me to continue to remember that.
Mel
I have been so down these last few weeks, and when I'd cheer up or realize I was being silly, something else would happen and I would return to being depressed again. I pray for God to deliver me from that. I am so blessed by Him, and I pray He would help me to continue to remember that.
Mel
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
As promised...
So I've managed to get a little down time (I have been goofing off for the last hour or so by the way), I'm not reading like I should be so I figure I'll update my blog.
First off...
As a group of us sat in a basement and talked about truth being revealed, God gave me a revelation. I know it sounds kind of silly, but I have always had a horrible struggle as a Christian because I could never figure out how to change myself. I feel guilty because I don't read my Bible and pray. I can go on these kicks like "okay this time it's for sure, I'm gonna read my Bible and pray EVERY day. I'm going to really do it this time." And I do, for about 3 days. Then I just run out of time and get busy with other stuff and get really mad at myself for not sticking to it.
Sunday we talked about Application vrs. Implication. Application being that actions would equal change in us (ie. if we were to pray every morning then one day we would become the kind of person who wants to pray) and Implication being change in us equals action (ie. God reveals to us the importance of communication with him through prayer and because of that truth being made known to us, we set aside time every day to pray because God has shown us what prayer means). I've never gotten it. I've honestly struggled with it for a really long time and I have pages in my journal about just that subject. I will promise God that it will be different each time and then apologize every time that I screw it up, when in reality, that's all we can do without Him. I have never known another way to do it though, you know? But when God revealed to me that it's Him that does it, finally, it just clicked. "
The full reality of the truth of Jesus Christ is in me." When Mike made the comment about the softball team, it really just got me. (Sorry if I butcher this quote Mike) "There is no such thing as a Christian softball team. If you are on it, then Christ is on the team because we have died and Christ lives in us. We represent Christ where ever we are." Wow. Like when I go to the store, that's Christ going to the store, you know? I don't know if that makes much sense, but I die to myself and Christ lives through me?! This statement really changes things for me. People see the way I do things and they can either see Christ or they can see me. It sucks that a lot of the time I screw that up and I make people see me instead of Him, but the thought that they do see Him? Wow, it blows me away.
Some other things that Mike said that really go me were "What truth has God revealed to you? How have you responded to that truth? And if this is the truth, how does that change the way we live?" I have been seriously working through these questions and trying to answer them with raw honesty. I think it has really made me learn a lot and it's been weighing very heavily on my heart and mind. It's really changing me.
Secondly...
I talked to Hilary on Sunday after church for quite a while. It was a really awesome conversation. Let me start off by telling you that she is just a really awesome person. I mean most of you who read this blog know her, but if you haven't really had a good conversation with her, you should. She is an amazing person with a lot of insight :). I feel so incredibly blessed to have her, Ryan, Meagan, and Andy here with us at Make New. They are all so wonderful. So anyway, our conversation consisted of talk of parents, the future, worth, value, and "backwards planning". She really said a lot of things that made me think and gave me some wonderful ideas and insight (as she seemingly has a lot of that to offer :). I really felt a lot better about stuff and I walked away from our conversation with my head a little clearer. I really am glad we have such an amazing family at Make New. I love all of you so much.
Third...
I just wanted to give praise to God. He has truly taken care of me this week. He has provided for me and even did extra stuff that really made me feel wonderful. Not only am I going to be able to pay my bill that is due on the 15th, but he has provided me with a dress to wear to my cousin's wedding that will only cost me $5! I mean I know that probably sounds stupid and girly to most of you, but it was such a blessing to me. My friend is giving me a gift card for Christmas (I know it's May, but we're a weird bunch :)! And it's $25, and it just so happens that JC Penney (where the gift card is for) is having a 50% sale on their dresses! And I went yesterday and found two different ones that looked beautiful! (I won't be able to pick them up until Saturday and so I wanted to find 2 in case one was sold out). But I have 4 weddings to go to this summer and I honestly didn't have any dresses to wear. God is so amazing.
Finally...
Just wanted to give a shout out to some of the people who really made my week:
Kitty- I'm so glad I have you around, you're such an awesome friend and I love you so much!
Jon aka J-dogg - Thanks for being there when I need you. You're an awesome friend and that myspace message still stands.
JT and DT- I am sorry that Dave didn't get the jobs out of state... sort of. I would miss you guys so much and I am SO glad you're sticking around.
The Edwards Children- You are seriously four of the sweetest, most awesome kids ever!
Mike and Sherry- God uses the two of you to bless people more than you know.
Jackie- I'm so glad we get to hang out now. I love getting to see you and I'm so glad things are working out so well for you.
Sara D- I wish you knew how much seeing and hearing from you brightened up my day. You are truly one of the best people I know.
Ryan and Hillary- You both are so stinkin awesome. I'm glad you moved here.
Kathy and Rachel- What the heck would I do without you two?!?
That's all for now,
Love all of ya!
Meliss
First off...
As a group of us sat in a basement and talked about truth being revealed, God gave me a revelation. I know it sounds kind of silly, but I have always had a horrible struggle as a Christian because I could never figure out how to change myself. I feel guilty because I don't read my Bible and pray. I can go on these kicks like "okay this time it's for sure, I'm gonna read my Bible and pray EVERY day. I'm going to really do it this time." And I do, for about 3 days. Then I just run out of time and get busy with other stuff and get really mad at myself for not sticking to it.
Sunday we talked about Application vrs. Implication. Application being that actions would equal change in us (ie. if we were to pray every morning then one day we would become the kind of person who wants to pray) and Implication being change in us equals action (ie. God reveals to us the importance of communication with him through prayer and because of that truth being made known to us, we set aside time every day to pray because God has shown us what prayer means). I've never gotten it. I've honestly struggled with it for a really long time and I have pages in my journal about just that subject. I will promise God that it will be different each time and then apologize every time that I screw it up, when in reality, that's all we can do without Him. I have never known another way to do it though, you know? But when God revealed to me that it's Him that does it, finally, it just clicked. "
The full reality of the truth of Jesus Christ is in me." When Mike made the comment about the softball team, it really just got me. (Sorry if I butcher this quote Mike) "There is no such thing as a Christian softball team. If you are on it, then Christ is on the team because we have died and Christ lives in us. We represent Christ where ever we are." Wow. Like when I go to the store, that's Christ going to the store, you know? I don't know if that makes much sense, but I die to myself and Christ lives through me?! This statement really changes things for me. People see the way I do things and they can either see Christ or they can see me. It sucks that a lot of the time I screw that up and I make people see me instead of Him, but the thought that they do see Him? Wow, it blows me away.
Some other things that Mike said that really go me were "What truth has God revealed to you? How have you responded to that truth? And if this is the truth, how does that change the way we live?" I have been seriously working through these questions and trying to answer them with raw honesty. I think it has really made me learn a lot and it's been weighing very heavily on my heart and mind. It's really changing me.
Secondly...
I talked to Hilary on Sunday after church for quite a while. It was a really awesome conversation. Let me start off by telling you that she is just a really awesome person. I mean most of you who read this blog know her, but if you haven't really had a good conversation with her, you should. She is an amazing person with a lot of insight :). I feel so incredibly blessed to have her, Ryan, Meagan, and Andy here with us at Make New. They are all so wonderful. So anyway, our conversation consisted of talk of parents, the future, worth, value, and "backwards planning". She really said a lot of things that made me think and gave me some wonderful ideas and insight (as she seemingly has a lot of that to offer :). I really felt a lot better about stuff and I walked away from our conversation with my head a little clearer. I really am glad we have such an amazing family at Make New. I love all of you so much.
Third...
I just wanted to give praise to God. He has truly taken care of me this week. He has provided for me and even did extra stuff that really made me feel wonderful. Not only am I going to be able to pay my bill that is due on the 15th, but he has provided me with a dress to wear to my cousin's wedding that will only cost me $5! I mean I know that probably sounds stupid and girly to most of you, but it was such a blessing to me. My friend is giving me a gift card for Christmas (I know it's May, but we're a weird bunch :)! And it's $25, and it just so happens that JC Penney (where the gift card is for) is having a 50% sale on their dresses! And I went yesterday and found two different ones that looked beautiful! (I won't be able to pick them up until Saturday and so I wanted to find 2 in case one was sold out). But I have 4 weddings to go to this summer and I honestly didn't have any dresses to wear. God is so amazing.
Finally...
Just wanted to give a shout out to some of the people who really made my week:
Kitty- I'm so glad I have you around, you're such an awesome friend and I love you so much!
Jon aka J-dogg - Thanks for being there when I need you. You're an awesome friend and that myspace message still stands.
JT and DT- I am sorry that Dave didn't get the jobs out of state... sort of. I would miss you guys so much and I am SO glad you're sticking around.
The Edwards Children- You are seriously four of the sweetest, most awesome kids ever!
Mike and Sherry- God uses the two of you to bless people more than you know.
Jackie- I'm so glad we get to hang out now. I love getting to see you and I'm so glad things are working out so well for you.
Sara D- I wish you knew how much seeing and hearing from you brightened up my day. You are truly one of the best people I know.
Ryan and Hillary- You both are so stinkin awesome. I'm glad you moved here.
Kathy and Rachel- What the heck would I do without you two?!?
That's all for now,
Love all of ya!
Meliss
Hey everyone
I've been running around getting some stuff done, but there is a post coming! Just for a preview it has to do with what we talked about Sunday (application vrs. implication) and a deep conversation I had with a good friend about where my life was going and what I was going to do about it. So hopefully I'll get that done for ya today. And please pray for Kitty. I love her very much and she is really sad about some things with her family right now. It's hard to see your best friends hurting, but I trust God to bring her through this.
Love you guys.
Melissa
Love you guys.
Melissa
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Encouragment when I need it the most
Kathy: i am praying for you every day for a job
me: Thanks
Kathy: will keep my ears peeled
me: I'm getting super depressed about not having one and no one seems to want to hire me. I'm sure it will be fine though
Kathy: your job is out there...
God has it already planned
me: Thanks Kathy
Kathy: we will continue to pray and seek Him for the direction to find it!
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