March Memory Passage #1

Sorry this isn't a fabulous retreat recap. While our retreat was AMAZING because God is AMAZING, since coming home I've been back to life and it's challenges and God is wanting to do some Spring Cleaning in my heart and head (and apparently, my house.) Genesis 1:1-4

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

I picked this passage because I feel so out of control with my house and "time management." My weakness in this area is consuming me and draining me in a ridiculous way. If you have struggled in this area, you might know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, all of my most wordy and elaborate explanations will never really be able to help you understand my dilemma. So just trust me that it's bad. The Hebrew words that describe what the earth was like in verse 2 imply that the earth was chaos and I feel like I'm living in chaos. I know it's not that bad compared to some people. I know it's not so bad that I can't have people over. I'm not beating myself up here. I just know how much it affects me and my family and I SO want to be done with it. I have tried and tried and made progress but still struggle. Life is fuller (and in MANY ways more wonderful) (and more challenging) than ever around here and I'm thankful for that, but it's making it even more obvious that i NEED God to speak Light and Truth into my chaos. And I'm going to ask Him to do that and expect Him to do that. It's what I "preached" about at the retreat! Trusting God's grace to do the work in our hearts because we can't do it with our efforts... We have to approach Him in humility and confidence in His ability and desire to do what we cannot do. Whether it's set us free from our sin or help us in our weakness. His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in my weakness and that's what I'm after. So now you know. : )

Poor Hawaii and Vermont...

I just read on the Target website (the part where you find a store location) that there are currently no stores in Hawaii or Vermont. Just in case you were thinking of moving to either of those states, I thought you should know. (And to think I complain that there isn't a Target within a mile from my house!) : ) Melissa

Home and Happy : )

Hey everyone... Just wanted to let you know I'm home and so thrilled with all God did this weekend! He just lavished His love and His grace on us! It was wonderful and I thank you so very, very, sincerely much for your prayers. My kids are still a little sick and we're all tired, but I'm happy. : ) More info later... Love, Melissa

Women's Retreat Countdown!

Hi friends!  Sorry for the lack of blog activity here, but I’ve been busy taking care of coughing children and getting ready for our church’s Women’s Retreat that is THIS weekend!  Woohoo!  I wish every one of you (the girls, anyway!) could come…  I know God is going to meet us and speak to us and bless us and I’m so incredibly excited to get to speak and share all that God has shown me about His truly amazing GRACE and trusting Him.

 

I would absolutely still be so grateful for your prayers as I finish getting ready, gathering my notes and other stuff to take, prepping my family and home for my absence for the weekend, etc.  My heart aches to leave Timothy for the first time, but I KNOW that God has been preparing him and Lowell for this weekend.  Timothy is so much more bonded to Lowell than either Mikaela or Toby were at this age!  I know they’ll be fine, but I still wonder a bit how he will react to me being gone.  I’m trusting God to be sovereign over it all – as well as how tired I will be at the end of it.  I’m grateful that it doesn’t look (yet!) like there will be a repeat of last year when I got the stomach flu 2 days before the retreat (please God!).

 

This is such a dream coming true to be able to speak to my sisters…  I can’t wait to see what God has in store for each one of us.  Myself included.  I already feel so blessed by what I’ve learned in preparing for this and I know there is so much more!  Thanks for your prayers for me and everyone else that will be there and all of our families…  Pray that every word I say would be what God wants me to say and nothing more or less.  And that He would use it to speak to our hearts like only He can do.

 

I’ll give you a report when I get home!

 

J, Melissa

 

25 Random Things about Me

On a lighter note, I just posted this on Facebook (I wrote it while I was sick this week... and in case you've been wondering, we are all finally well!!!!!) Anyway, I thought I'd post this here too... Just for fun! 1. I LOVE WORDS. I love talking, singing, reading, blogging, writing, word games… but I am especially talking about studying words and what they mean – especially words from the Bible. Finding out what the original Greek and Hebrew words meant (before they were translated into English) is like treasure hunting for me! I love it!!! 2. My first job was working the cash register at McDonald’s. Job #2 was at Domino’s Pizza where I answered phones, put people on hold (“ThankyouforcallingDomino’sPizza,willyouholdplease?”) and learned how to juggle with over-proofed pizza dough. 3. I played the clarinet from 4th grade through my Jr. year of high school and learned to play guitar in college so I could play and sing at the same time! But the instrument I love the most is piano. I hope someday to play better… but piano’s are definitely not as portable as guitars! 4. I speak Spanish well enough that I used to help lead worship in Spanish at church and teach Kindergartners and first graders in Spanish when I was a teacher before Mikaela was born. 5. I have a big mouth, but I prefer to say I have a “big smile” and I DON’T do the wide-mouthed frog joke anymore and haven’t since I was in college. So don’t ask. (I don’t stick my fist in my mouth anymore either.) 6. I have ADD. I can’t think when I’m stressed and I’m disorganized and almost always late, can’t judge how long things will take to do, can’t remember things, get obsessed about things and distracted very, very easily. Sometimes it’s sort of like my brain has a mind of its own. 7. I write music/songs and love to share it/them when someone asks or there’s an occasion for it, but I rarely just volunteer. 8. Spring is my absolute favorite season – the world comes back to life and the sun returns!!! 9. The first thing I remember about my husband Lowell was seeing his picture on a “Get Lowell a Date” fundraiser can at the snack bar in college my freshman year – and I thought whoever he was, he much have a good sense of humor to let his friends do that to him. (Or he had some funny friends – I was right on both.) J 10. I love sitting at the beach, listening to and watching the waves. Could do it for hours. 11. I love being in the mountains – especially near water. My favorite spot in the mountain world is the lookout over Kings Canyon just before you get into Hume Lake… Breathtaking!!! 12. I can’t believe I’m only half-way through with this list. 13. I don’t like big cities. Wouldn’t ever pick a big city to go to for a vacation… (Thankfully, my husband feels the same way.) 14. I love to bake but don’t like to cook. Too many things to do at once and too many decisions (and mistakes!) to make. And it rarely turns out the way I want it to. 15. But I make a really good chicken pot pie - from scratch! 16. I don’t like making decisions! The thing that has been stressing me about this 25 things list? That I have to decide who to tag at the end. (And do I check to see if they’ve done it already? Does it matter??? I don’t have that much time…) 17. I love carbs, but carbs don’t love me. 18. My husband still brings me flowers. : ) And I love him so much that one of these days he’s going to get his own list of 25 things I love about him because I could go on and on… 19. I love my kids and think they’re the greatest kids in the world – and I don’t take any of the credit for it. 20. I can’t keep my house clean. I thank God for FlyLady.net and how she taught me to at least keep my laundry and dishes mostly under control. I’ll get the rest eventually! 21. I am NOT a morning person and never will be. 22. I am NOT a cat person and never will be. (I was bitten by a cat once…) 23. You can tell what kind of mood I’m in by how much I’m talking. The happier I am the harder it is for me to stop talking. : ) If I’m quiet, something’s probably bothering me. 24. My dream is to someday get to speak regularly at women’s conferences and retreats and meetings – to tell them all the amazing true things about Jesus – and to be on staff somewhere where I can do prayer ministry/counseling and help women live their lives in the FREEDOM God wants for them! 25. While I live and when I die I want to be known as God’s Friend – Someone who walked with Him… I love Him so, so much. THE END!

I'm Memorizing Luke 12:48...

For the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge (go! join! do it!) we're memorizing a different passage of the Bible (we each choose our own) on the 1st and 15th of every month. This is #3! OK. This one is intense! I was just writing about it in my journal, so I'm just going to paste here the verse and what I wrote about it. “But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48 I was sort of scared to choose (or accept?) that verse as it feels a bit intimidating to live out. I have been aware for some time now of how great of a spiritual inheritance I have and just how much (I’m sure I don’t really even know the half of it) I have been given by God and so many others who have invested in my life. I know that I am RICH spiritually and my job is to share as much of the wealth as I possibly can. I HAVE been given much and entrusted with much… and I know that part of what I’ve been given is God’s grace for the tasks He’s called me to. In the next 2½ weeks as I finish getting ready for the women’s retreat, I am going to be challenged to believe that I have been entrusted with and given enough to do what God is calling me to do. (I'm still not completely over my fever thing and the kids definitely aren't either!) Is it possible that He’s made it too hard for me? That I won’t be able to do what He’s asking of me? Not according to God’s word! He is asking much more than I think I am able, but He is not asking me to do more than He will enable me to do BY HIS GRACE. And isn’t that exactly what I’m talking about? This is going to be perhaps the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced (that I can think of) where I had to trust God entirely AND give it my all without it turning into striving. Teach me how to do that, Lord, as I’m not sure that I’ve ever succeeded in this before! But I know we can do it together. You have given me much and others have given me much and it is right that much be expected of me. But I know I can’t do it without You. Help me Lord! I know You will. : )