Stepping Closer

Looking for a job...

2012-02-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

Today, I am posting a different sort of blog.

I am officially a "head hunter" today - letting everyone know about some job opportunities. When I posted a short note on Facebook, I got about 25 responses immediately. This must mean that many folks are looking for jobs.

Maybe we can help each other! Sounds rather "Christ-like," doesn't it!

I am NOT hiring anyone, but some of my friends are. And, I happen to know about several jobs.

So, here goes...

1) Hobby Lobby is hiring in Bartlett. I saw it on the door last week. This may be full or part time. http://www.hobbylobby.com/careers/careers.cfm

2) An online business, www.kidsbowtique.com, sellsoriginally made bags for little girls. My work load has gotten overwhelming andI am looking for help. I thought I would check with you to see if you know ofany ladies who are looking for part time work. I would like to hire 2people to work approx. 10-30 hrs a week (very flexible for the employee).

~ Therequirement is they need to know how to sew.

~ (Employer - Ume Fong, Member of Faith Arlington)

~ Contact Ume on Facebook - "Ume Fong."

3) Shawn Wilkins, State Farm has positions open in his office. (shawnwilkins.com) He needs a receptionist, a service person and a sales person.These are all full time positions. He has a State Farm office which is off theintersate on Sycamore Grove. (His office is on Pleasant View) in the generalBartlett area. It is a great work environment with a team approach. Insuranceexperience is preferred but not required.

~ Have them email their resume IMMEDIATELY to me and I will pass iton.

~ He is in the process of hiring!

~ Email Janalee Wilkins at janawilko@aol.com.

4) I saw Richard Ransom on the news last night mentioning 500 new jobs coming to Memphis. Here is the link:

http://www.wreg.com/wreg-st-jude-bringing-500-jobs-to-memphis-20120124,0,112631.story

Best wishes to all of you. I do pray that many of you will find jobs as a result of this post!

And, if you know of a job, I guess you should comment here or let me know about that job opening! We are living in a day when it is good to help each other!

Blessings,

Melanie

A New Grid

2012-01-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

The plates have been spinning, wobbling, and makinglots of noise in my life lately. I’vesomehow (once again) overloaded my life with good, interesting, busy, and positiveactivities and responsibilities. But, Ihave TOO MANY going at the same time!

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How do I know?

~ Stress level is raised.

~ Sleep is choppy and fleeting.

~ A grouch has come to live inside my body!

~ The head hurts.

~ The tiredness barometer is up.

~ Nothing is as fun as it once was.

So, I’ve spent some time alone with the Lord todayasking for a new perspective – a new grid on this crazy, busy, almost "insane" season in my life.

* What can Ido now that I have all of these plates spinning?

* What is thewise way to alleviate some of this stress?

* What wouldGod tell me to do if He was sitting here with me at my kitchen table?

I was reminded of a wonderful little passage writtento the Jewish people 1000’s of years ago. So, I turned and read. Iimmediately gained perspective as I notice several words about God’s counsel andwisdom:

“God, theMaster, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: ‘Your salvation requires you to turn backto me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.

Yourstrength will come from settlingdown in complete dependence on me - the very thing you've beenunwilling to do.

You'vesaid, 'Nothing doing! We'll rush off on horseback!' You'll rush off, all right! Just not farenough! You've said, 'We'll ride off on fast horses!'

Do youthink your pursuers ride old nags? Thinkagain: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker. Before a mere fiveyou'll all run off. There'llbe nothing left of you - a flagpole on a hill with no flag, a signposton a roadside with the sign torn off.

But God's not finished. He'swaiting around to be gracious to you. He's gathering strength to show mercy toyou. God takes the time todo everything right - everything. Those who wait around for him are thelucky ones.

Oh yes,people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you'll findit's grace and more grace.

The moment he hears, he'll answer. Just as the Masterkept you alive during the hard times, he'll keep your teacher alive and presentamong you.

Yourteacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right:"This is the right road. Walk down this road."

(Isaiah 30:15-22 MSG)

After reading, I began to ask God to show me whichroads were "right" and which roads were "wrong."

Ø In what waysam I rushing ahead of God?

Ø Why am I tryingto do so much?

ØDo I think I’m helping God?

ØWhat plates am I spinning that I need to put down?

ØWhat do I need to let go of?

ØWhich activities do I need to let someone else do?

And, God gave me a new “GRID” that I thought I’dshare. Maybe this will help someone elsetoday… Maybe you also need to cut out a few plates that are spinning around in your world.

After spending some time getting still before the Lord, I took out a notebook and a pen & came up with a new GRID. Here it is...

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In order to pour my life into this activity, ministry,or event...

It MUST:

1) Glorify God& add to the Kingdom in a positive way.

2) Be in the area of my gifting – not just in anarea I can do.

3) Be okay with my family.

4) Be prayedover for at least 24 hours before ananswer is given.

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In order to pour my life into this activity, ministry, or event...

It MUST NOT:

1) Take muchtime away from my family. (Guard those nights& weekends.)

2) Be astressor in my life but a blessing to my life.

3) Besomething I HATE after it is over.

4) Make me agrouch. (Will I be grumpy before,during, and after?)

5) Be a good,but not a great thing. (Only do GREATthings!)

6) Take awayfrom the other great things I am doing.

7) Steal my joyand my peace.

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I'll ask a few Questions about the event,ministry, or job:

1) Does myheart get excited just at the thought of doing it?

2) Do I want totell others what I am doing?

3) Have I donesomething like this before? What was theresult?

4) Will I beglad I did it when it is over?

5) Am Irefreshed or tired when it is over?

6) Do I want todo it again soon? Or, am I hoping tonever do it again?

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I'll consider the wisdom of some wise folks:

“When in doubt, don’t!” (Anonymous)

“The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to sayyes.”

(Tony Blair)

“And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't geton the wrong track or try to do too much. We're always thinking about newmarkets we could enter, but it's only by saying no that you can concentrate onthe things that are really important.” (Steve Jobs)

“Half of the troubles of this lifecan be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.” (JoshBillings)

So, there it is in a nutshell. Ready to try it for yourself?

Make 2 lists to get you started on cutting back andputting down some of the unneeded, stress-causing plates in you life:

LIST ONE - First,list the things you have on your plate that are “killing” you right now thatyou can cut out. (No, you probably can’tquit your job or your family today!) These "cut outs" are things thatyou don’t have to do, don’t need to do, and could walk away from. Trim back. Cut back. Try to come up with atleast 3 things you can quit doing this week!

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LIST TWO - Next,list those things that you wish to NEVER do again. Write them out and keep them in front ofyou. (You will get asked to do themagain sometime.)

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Now, take LIST ONE, and start getting out of thingsthat you can get out of. (Most of these things you hate anyway!) Send the email, make the call, or write theletter. Do it NOW! Be kind. Be gracious. Be decisive. Be free!

Then put LIST TWO in a place where you can’t missit! You’ll want to be able to refer toit when someone calls! (And, they will!)

This is not rocket science, but I pray it will be ahelpful exercise for you to do in your own life. Just by completing this exercise, I feelbetter and so much less stressed. I have a new GRID to look through, and I pray you will as well.

I’d love to hear from you and know how God uses thislittle tool to help you! You can leave a comment below or email me at melredd82@gmail.com.

Blessings to you,
Melanie

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life?

2012-01-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

OnJanuary 1^st, I read this devotional, and it has stuck with mesince. I thought it might encouragesomeone else today.

Thisis an excerpt taken from Streams in theDesert…

*******

“Astorm is only as the outskirts of His robe, the symptom of His advent, theenvironment of His presence.

Dareto trust Him; dare to follow Him! And discover that the very forces whichbarred your progress and threatened your life, at His bidding become thematerials of which an avenue is made to liberty.” --F. B. Meyer

*******

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,

Where, in spite of all you can do,

There is no way out, there is no way back,

There is no other way but through?

Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene

Till the night of your fear is gone;

He will send the wind,

He will heap the floods,

When He says to your soul, "Go on."

And His hand will lead you through—clear through--

Ere the watery walls roll down,

No foe can reach you, no wave can touch,

No mightiest sea can drown;

The tossing billows may rear their crests,

Their foam at your feet may break,

But over their bed you shall walk dry shod

In the path that your Lord will make.

In the morning watch, 'beneath the lifted cloud,

You shall see but the Lord alone,

When He leads you on from the place of the sea

To a land that you have not known;

And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed,

You shall be no more afraid;

You shall sing His praise in a better place,

A place that His hand has made.

--Annie Johnson Flint

But, I really want to quit!

2011-12-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays, we have been with many of ourrelatives and friends. It’s been fun to reminisceabout days gone by. We’ve talked aboutso many good memories and funny situations.

At one point in our conversing, the topic turned tohigh school athletics. Running up and down stadium bleachers,tiptoeing through tires, jogging laps, going through endless drills andpractices. Maybe you remember??

If you played a sport or were part of a squad, youlikely recall days when you wanted to quit. I sure do. As we’d load up ourgear and head for home, I can remember thinking, “Why am I doing this? I don’tneed this. Maybe I’ll quit.”

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However, after a hot shower, a warm meal, and a goodnight of sleep – we’d start all over and do it again. We wouldn’t quit. Why not? Because we loved the big game, the big competition, the great “naturalhigh” we got from being able to compete.

All of those practices were worthwhile when it camedown to it!

Isn’t it like that in life as well?

We sweat, we toil, we work, we try, and sometimes wereally do just WANT TO QUIT!

“Ican’t do this any more.”

“Ican’t work another day on this job.”

“Ican’t spend another day married to this man.”

“Ican’t deal with this rebellious child any longer.”

“Ireally want to leave this ___________________ (fill in the blank)”

Possibly today, you feel like quitting. You have had enough, and you are ready togive in or walk away or punch out.

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Can I encourage you to do three things before youquit?

First,take a deep breath.

Be still. Don't do anything big today!

Unlessthere’s a fire, you can stay where you are for another day or two. If you are truly afraid for your health oryour life, get some separation quickly. Get to safety, and then take your deep breath.

But, if you are just unhappy, whiny, unsettled,discontented, or sad – take some deep breaths. You are going to survive. Youwill make it through this!

“Nowthen, stand still and watch this greatthing the LORD is going to do right before your eyes.” 1Samuel 12:16

“Bestill, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will beexalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

Second,get alone with God, the Bible, and a notebook.

Pour out your heart, your misery, and yourdiscontentment to God. He can takeit! Tell Him what’s bugging you. Ask Him what to do with it all as you openthe Word. Write down what He shows you.

I have never asked God to speak to me with my Bibleopen and heart receptive, that He has not clearly spoken truth to me.

“Callto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which youdo not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

Last,get up and keep on living.

Today is NOT the day to quit!

Today is NOT the day to give up!

Here are a few great quotes for you to take with youtoday…

"Ourgreatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time wefail." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It's notthat I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." ~Albert Einstein

"Don't bediscouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock."~Unknown

“So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. Atthe right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.” ~Galatians 6:9

“In every way we're troubled, but we aren't crushed by ourtroubles. We're frustrated, but we don't give up.”

~ 2 Corinthians4:8

I encourage you to keep on keeping on today!

One day, it will be worth it all, and you’ll be so glad you didn’t giveup!

It may not be tomorrow or next week, but hope is coming. “because God has said, "Never will Ileave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Blessings to you,

Melanie

What do I do when someone hurts me??

2011-10-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was asked some really tough questions:

What do you do when someone hurts you?

What do you do when someone rejects you?

Doesn’t invite you to the party?

Doesn’t include you in their plans?

How do you handle it when you are not invited to bepart of the team, sorority, club, group, or bunch?

Of course, these things hurt! No one likes to be left out, rejected,disrespected, or not included.

However, every person I know has been hurt by otherpeople somewhere along the way. We allknow what it is like to be slighted by another person or a group of people.

So, what DO we do with the pain?

Matthew 5:43-44 provides some answers for us. These wordsare not easy, but they give us guidance when we are feeling sad and rejected.

"Youhave heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate yourenemy.' But I say to you, love yourenemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray forthose who spitefully use you and persecute you,”

1) Love yourenemies. Ask God to giveyou love for the very people who have hurt you. This is tough, but it’s not your love you need. It’s God’s love for them.

2) Bless thosewho curse you. The easiest thingto do when someone curses us is to curse back. Jesus tells us to bless the one who curses you.

“Tobless is to bestow good of any kind upon.”

3) Do good tothose who hate you. Do somethingkind or nice for that person who has been awful to you. This takes some great grace, but can be done.

~ Do something that will encourage that person or make them happy. You don't have to be fake, but you can push yourself to do a kind act for them. You can be nice even if they have not been nice to you.

~ A few years ago, I was really hurt by an individual and his comments. We were having a dinner party, and I felt impressed to invite this man and his family to our party. It was not an easy thing to do, but God gave me the grace to cook for, clean for, and to serve this man and his family in my home. I was able to do good to some people that I knew really didn't like me.

4) Pray forthose who spitefully use you and persecute you. Although most of us don’t really know what it is to persecuted, we do know what it’s like to be spitefully used. When we get used, we are to pray for those people.

Prayer target… DebbieCanfield, wife of revivalist Steve Canfield, shared about the concept of a“prayer target. When someone hurts you,start praying for them. Every time youthink of them, pray for them. Make themthe constant target of your prayers. It may not change them, but it will definitely change you!!

We will get our feelingshurt!

There is no way to stopthe pain, but we can decide how we will respond to it.

Today, why not try lovingyour enemies, blessing those who curse you, doing good to those who hate you,and praying for those who use you…

It will not be an easytask, but it is God’s way.

Romans 12:19-21 remindsus: “Don't insist on getting even; that'snot for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll takecare of it." Our Scriptures tell usthat if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he'sthirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get thebest of evil by doing good.” (MSG)

I close with one of myfavorite quotes from Dr. Adrian Rogers,

“When someone hurts you, tell God on them.”

Blessingsto you today,
Melanie

Alone does not have to mean lonely!

2011-09-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

This pastweek, I had the chance to talk with some precious senior sisters at an assistedliving facility here in our city. Theywere a beautiful group of women, most of them nearing 90. A few of these lovely ladies were closing inon 100!

Their energy,their spirits, and their passion for life amazed me. Many have buried husbands, children, and somany friends. And yet, they keep ongoing.

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The one thingthat did make me sad as I met with these sisters – they are alone and sometimesvery lonely. Having lived full lives,they quietly sit and wait for their heavenly "call" to come. I felt their pain and noticed a littlesadness in their eyes as they talked about their busy children andgrandchildren.

I also hadthe chance this week to visit with a sister in the hospital who is very sick. She is a single mom with a special needsadult child. Her smile was large, but sowas the burden she was carrying. Shefelt very alone in that quiet hospital room. We were there to reassure her that she was not.

Maybe you toofeel isolated today – alone in this busy, crazy world. People are all around you, cars are passingyou by, noise swells all about you; but you still feel so alone...

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Just as Ireminded those senior sisters and my friend in the hospital, I’d like to remindyou today… YOU ARE NEVER ALONE IF YOUKNOW JESUS! NEVER ALONE!

In Hebrews13:5, we are told,

“SinceGod assured us, ‘I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,’”

For those ofyou feeling sad, alone, or abandoned today; be assured – God NEVER abandonsyou! Even when everyone else walks out,He remains!

I’ve chosensome verses that are favorites when I’m feeling down in the dumps or saddenedby life’s challenges. Read overthese. Be encouraged by the Living Wordtoday.

And, talkwith God about the way you feel. Heloves to hear your voice and your heart.

Words of hopefor today…

“Whenyou pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through therivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you willnot be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One ofIsrael, your Savior,”

(Isaiah 43:2-3)

“GodIs Present Among You. Jerusalem will be told: "Don't be afraid. Dear Zion,don't despair. Your God is present amongyou, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm youwith his love and delight you with his songs.”

(Zephaniah3:16-17)

“Ifyour heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut,he'll help you catch your breath.”

(Psalm34:18)

“Butthis precious treasure -- this light and power that now shine within us -- isheld in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can seethat our glorious power is from God and is not our own. We arepressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We areperplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, butGod never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of oursconstantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also beseen in our bodies.”

(2Corinthians 4:7-10)

“YetI still belong to you; you are holding my right hand. You will keep on guiding me with yourcounsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire youmore than anything on earth. My healthmay fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of myheart; he is mine forever. But those whodesert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God!I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about thewonderful things you do.”

(Psalm73:23-28)

My prayertoday for you is that you will not lose heart.

Alone does not have to mean lonely! God is with you! He loves you, and He is FOR you!

I’d love tohear from you today! You can leave acomment below, or email me at melanier@myfaithbaptist.org. If you send me your prayer request, I’d loveto pray for you.

Blessings toyou,

Melanie

God is STILL doing amazing things!

2011-08-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while drinking my second cup of coffee and trying to wake up, I did something I never do - I watched the morning news before I had time alone with the Lord.

Usually, I try to have some time in prayer and Bible reading BEFORE I do anything else. (This is not due to my super spirituality, but to my distractibility once the day gets rolling!)

The morning news was filled with the usual - murders, disasters, famine, hurricane reports, and much news about financial troubles. As I turned off the television, my heart was heavy.

That's when I looked at my phone and noticed the daily verse that gets sent to me each morning...

"Look among the nations ! Observe ! Be astonished ! Wonder ! Because I am doing something in your days - You would not believe if you were told." (Habakkuk 1:5)

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As I read and thought about that verse, it was as if God Himself whacked me over the head to remind me that He is still in control. In fact, He is so "in control" that He is able to do amazing things even in the midst of war and famine and economic downturn. Difficulties don't deter God.

Yesterday, our stock market took the biggest plunge in years, and God reminded me that He is so much bigger than any economy, government, or country. We tend to put Him into these little categories and small boxes, but He is un-confinable and uncontainable. He is God Almighty!

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After pondering these things for a few minutes, I decided to post my experience on Facebook. I was amazed at the comments and responses that I got back! I guess we all need to be reminded that God is at work EVEN in the midst of our world's messes.

Maybe today, you need to hear this too: Our God is bigger, stronger, better, and more powerful than anything on this earth. And, He is quite capable of doing great things even in the middle of our hurts, difficulties, and tragedies.

No matter what is going on around us, our All-knowing, All-powerful, All-capable God is completely in control and at work around us. In fact, He's doing astonishing things every single day!

Look around you... you might see something that will amaze you!

Blessings,
Melanie

Every Single Morning

2011-07-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

Every single morning... God gives us a fresh, clean, new beginning!

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Aren't you grateful that we get to wake up to fresh, new days every single morning?

No matter what happened yesterday... God gives us an opportunity to begin again today with a clean slate.

"The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day." (Lamentations 3:22-23, NLT)

Perhaps today, you need to hear this: God's love never runs out! It never quits or ends. No matter where you've been, what you've done, who you've hurt, or how much you have blown it - Jesus loves you!

Consider the words of Paul in Romans 8...

"I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." (Romans 8:38-39, The Message)

~ To that woman who can't beat her addictions...

~ To that teenager who messed up again with her boyfriend...

~ To that man who lost everything he loved...

~ To that friend who has given up hope...

~ To that sister who sits in a jail cell today...

~ To the daughter who wishes she's waited...

~ To the brother who doesn't have a job...

~ To the wife who has lost her husband to another...

~ To that one who's discovered cancer...

~ To the soul who is drowning in guilt and shame today...

God's mercies are fresh and new for you this day! He loves you and will walk with you through this situation.

You can't get away from the love

of our great God!

Praying for you to have HOPE again today!
Blessings,
Melanie

To give in or not to give in...

2011-05-31T06:03:00.000-07:00

Do you remember a game we used to play as kids where we would clasp hands with another child and try to bend their fingers back so hard that they would cry out, “Uncle,” or “Mercy”?

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The idea was to cause the other person to “surrender” to you and your strength.

Even the weakest child would fight to the death because they didn’t want to be forced to call out “Mercy.”

~ Aren’t we still like that today?

~ Don’t we hate to be made to surrender?

~ Does anyone really like to “give in”?

~ I know I don’t.

This morning, I read a verse that really convicted my heart. It’s from Job 22:21 in The Message Bible,

“Give in to God, come to terms with Him, and everything will turn out just fine.”

I like the “everything will turn out just fine” part, but I don’t like the “give in” part.

The New Living Bible phrases it this way,

“Stop quarreling with God!

If you agree with Him, you will have

peace at last, and things will go well for you.”

My challenge today is simple and hard at the same time –

Surrender!

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Cry “Uncle.” Quit fighting God. Stop quarreling with Him. Give in to Him.

It’s the only way that everything “will turn out just fine”.

Blessings to you today,
Melanie

Singing in the Storms

2011-05-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about my wind chimes “singing” during a storm. One of my sweet friends emailed me in response and allowed me to share her thoughts.

I think you will enjoy and be encouraged by her comments. (She asked to remain anonymous.) She may get the bug and start her own blog!

The morning after I read it (The Wind Chimes), I meditated on singing in the storm. I recalled the times when I was carpooling grumpy kids to and from school. Being the talker that I am, I tried and tried to “reason” them into a better frame of mind and mood (for my sake more than theirs.) Time after time, all my reasoning, even though Biblical, was usually unsuccessful. Finally, it dawned on me to pray about how to get through to them. I’m as slow a learner as they seem to be. (genetics are SCARY!!!)

I know that God answered that prayer because the very next time they got into the car grumbling, I was still searching my heart for the right verse to quote and words to say, but I remained silent. (Now, you know THAT HAD TO BE GOD!) I didn’t say a word. I sat silently as they vented their complaints. And then, I began to sing to myself “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart”

The silence that resounded from the backseat was louder than my singing, but I just kept on going. I don’t recall how many rounds I sang alone, but before we’d made it home, first, one child, then another, began to sing with me. By the time we’d arrived at our destination, we were all singing at the top of our lungs and laughing out loud!　

This became a VERY regular tradition during those years. Sometimes they would burst out into spontaneous laughter and sometimes they would roll their eyes and try stay sour. But, every single time they all eventually wound up singing, laughing, and if not happy, at least not sour.　

As I was reminiscing, I recall wondering why do we only sing these songs to little children? Why do we save songs like “I’m in the LORD’S Army” for VBS? Why don’t we ever sing them in “big church”? Because, I don’t know about you, but some days I need to be reminded that I’m in a battle that has been raging for thousands of years, but I can still have joy in my heart because I have “ Victory in JESUS!”

Well, that was 4/12/11 and I didn’t write it “in the moment”. Ohhh… and how quickly a moment can change everything. The following day, I had a sweet conversation with my sister and 10 minutes after we hung up, she called back to inform me that my uncle had been in yet another serious car accident and that his wife didn’t live through it. In mere moments, many peoples lives were changed forever.

I wasn’t particularly close to my uncle’s wife, but I was sad about the circumstances and heartbroken for my uncle, their children, and their grandchildren. My quiet times have been quite “unique” since then. I confess that I’m behind in my “scheduled” Bible Reading Plan and my current Bible Study, but I have had some incredible moments with my GOD and my family.

The following morning I had to ask myself if I could sincerely sing “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart”? The honest answer was no, I couldn’t, but GOD’S Word tells me that there is a time for everything under Heaven, including a time to mourn (Ecc 3:4). So, instead of grabbing my Bible, I picked up my Hymnal and went outside.　

Before I’d even opened it, I was humming “It Is Well With My Soul”. Unlike most people, it’s never been one of my favorites; but knowing the inspiration of those lyrics resonated so much that I sang, and I sang, and I sang. That day I read the words to many hymns and the passages that inspired them. And I sang, and I sang, and I sang.　

I wish I could articulate the sensation without sounding like a cliché, but GOD’S Word is not just a catch phrase. There really is “peace that passes all understanding” (Phi 4:7) for me when I “trust in the LORD with all (my) heart and lean not on (my) understanding”. (Pro 3:5) Even when…　

I don’t understand, GOD knows all things. (Pro 2:6)

Life doesn’t make sense, GOD has a plan. (Jer 29:11)

Life throws a curve ball, GOD has a purpose. (Isa 14:27)

Life isn’t fair, GOD is just. (Psa 36:6)

Life hurts, GOD is at work for my good and His glory. (Rom 8:28)

I’m taken by surprise, GOD knows the end from the beginning. (Isa 46:10)

My world is rocked, there is no ROCK like my GOD. (1 Sam 2:2)

Trouble and storms rage, GOD is with me. (Deu 31:6, Mat 28:20)

Death strikes, GOD has conquered the grave. (Acts 2:31, 1Cor 15:54-56)

I confess that I am bewildered at how swiftly the stormy winds can turn my head in the wrong direction. So many times, the “sea billows roll” in so fast that I’m so busy bailing water out of the boat that I forget to spend time with the Master Carpenter! When it’s all “I can do” to keep my head above water, I tend to forget to run to The One Who created the Heavens, the Earth, and the Seas! When I take my eyes off JESUS and gaze at the storm, I begin to sink instead of looking to The One who Calms the Seas! When I’m held captive by the storms, I’m no longer captivated by The One who Walks on Water!

I know it’s very “natural”, but when you serve a Supernatural God, it’s really bizarre to fall back into this mind-set so easily. And then I think about the wind chimes again and it occurs to me, they aren’t just singing in the storm, they can sing because their anchor is secured by a nail and a hook. Oh, how much more my security is because it is anchored by the nail scarred hands of my SAVIOR and my GOD!

It is no wonder that GOD tells us to “speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”. I believe the instruction is meant for believers to encourage one another this way. But there are times when I need to speak to myself, remind myself, and encourage myself of what GOD’S Word says by “singing and making melody in (my) heart to the LORD; Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto GOD and the Father in the Name of (my) LORD JESUS CHRIST”!!! (Eph 5:18-20)

After all, if my God rejoices over me with singing, how much more should I rejoice over Him?

Zephaniah 3:17

“The LORD your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with his love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Need God to Come Through?

2011-05-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Every morning when I walk into our Master Bath, I see the words. They hit me right between the eyes as they hang on the wall above the towels...

This morning, I opened to read from my favorite devotional book, and there were those words again…

“Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”

In our lives right now, that’s where we are living – in an “impossible to us” territory. This season of our lives requires an “all things are possible God.”

Maybe you are there today as well.

Maybe you are in a place in life where things will not work out unless God comes through.

There is no figuring, budgeting, planning, or scheming out of this bind that you are in.

You are stuck in that spot until your God shows up!

Creator God MUST come through!

Isn’t it encouraging to know that He can and will come through!

Today is not the day to give up; it's not the time to lose hope!

My prayer is that we will each experience a bigger, more powerful, more amazing view of our God.

May we see personally that - NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!!

Blessings to you,

Melanie

Ever been left out?

2011-04-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

~ Have you ever been left out?

~ Not included?

~ Not invited?

~ Maybe even pushed out of the "circle"?

Many years ago, I had an experience that plays back vividly even as I type these words. I was in middle school - 8th grade - and new to my school. There was a group of girls who had befriended me, and we sat together every day at lunch.

While the school was being remodeled, we actually sat in little circles with our friends to eat lunch on the gym floor. There were groups of kids scattered in circles all over the gym floor.

One day, when I went to sit down in my lunch circle, the girls intentionally closed the circle. They wouldn't make room for me to sit down. As I walked to a different part of the circle, those girls closed in the circle on that side as well.

Photo from Google Images

They didn't want me to sit with them anymore, and they made it very obvious.

I was pushed out of the circle... rejected by the girls that I thought were my friends. It was a painful moment as I stood there in the gym holding my lunch tray wondering what to do next.

Have you been there? You don't have to be in middle school to feel left out. You can be 35 or 55 or even 85.

Photo from Google Images

- - Maybe you have been rejected by your spouse, who has left you for another...

- - Maybe you have been interviewed, but not hired for that job you really wanted...

- - Possibly, you have felt left out by a group of women in your church - other Christians...

- - Maybe someone forgot you, your birthday, your anniversary, or something else that really mattered to you...

Most of us have felt the sting, the hurt, and the pain of being pushed out of the "circle." Most of us know what it is like to experience the cold shoulders of life.

Could there be something GOOD in rejection? Could there be something POSITIVE and POWERFUL from the brush offs and rebuffs of life?

It's been said that, "Pain is a powerful motivator for change."

What if the rejections in our lives could motivate us to change, grow, and get wiser?

Here are a few positives that can come from pain, and that came from me being left out of the circle that day in 8th grade:

1) The pain of rejection can motivate us to pray and seek our Savior when we are desperate. When we are hurting, we can experience the sweetness and nearness of Jesus as never before. As we draw near to Him, He draws up close to us!

2) The pain of rejection can help us to branch out and meet new people. I got to meet the rest of the kids in my school when I got pushed out by the "cool" kids. There were some amazing people that I would have never known if those girls hadn't been mean to me. Maybe there are some amazing people around you that you have been "missing" up until now!

3) The pain of rejection can motivate us to try some new things. When one way doesn't work, we can learn other ways that do. Thomas Edison was quoted as saying, "I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward."

4) The pain of rejection can make us sweeter and more like Jesus. When we hurt, our hearts can be opened up and we can become people who care more, love more, and feel more. Today, I spend many hours counseling women who are hurting. I don't think I could do that without having experienced pain and rejection for myself.

Maybe I should try to find those girls from the 8th grade and thank them. For you see, their rejection was used by God to help make me the woman that I am today.

God can use your pain as well. He can mold it and bend it and utilize it for good in your life!

The Message Bible shares it this way in Romans 8:26-28 -
"the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."

Praying for God to use your "rejections" for good today...

Blessings to you,
Melanie

The Wind Chimes

2011-04-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a sweet friend gave me some beautiful wind chimes to put out on my back porch. For the most part, those silver chimes hang quietly making little to no noise. On beautiful days, you don't even know that they are still hanging there because they are so quiet.

However, there have been several spring storms that have rolled through the area lately, and those wind chimes have been "singing" out some beautiful songs. Each time the wind gusts, I hear music coming from my back porch.

This morning, another storm came through and the chimes started their melody again. The darker the clouds, the more beautiful the music.

I think we can learn a great life lesson from my wind chimes - that one about singing on the darkest days.

Maybe today your world has grown dark. The winds are increasing. The clouds are closing in. The rain is pelting down.

Storm sirens may even be wailing in the background.

Instead of crying, worrying, whining, or complaining - why not try singing today?

~ Turn on your favorite music and belt out a song.

~ Think back to your favorite old hymn and softly sing the words.

~ Or, just hum the melody of that song that means so much to you.

According to Psalm 147:1, "It's a good thing to sing praise to our God; praise is beautiful, praise is fitting."

Why should we sing to God??

He heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds. (v. 3)
He counts the stars and assigns each a name. (v. 4)
Our Lord is great, with limitless strength; (v. 4)
We'll never comprehend what he knows and does (v. 5)
God puts the fallen on their feet again and pushes the wicked into the ditch. (v.6)
He made your city secure, he blessed your children among you. (v. 13)
He keeps the peace at your borders, he puts the best bread on your tables. (v. 14)

Wind chimes are just simple, man-made objects, but they know how to clang out a song in the storms of life.

What a great model for us!
Blessings to you,
Melanie

"This isn't exactly where I thought I'd be right now!"

2011-04-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I got to join with hundreds of other women for an amazing conference at First Baptist Church in Collierville, TN. We were encourage, challenged, exhorted, and blessed by messages from Pam Tebow (Mom of well-known pro football player - Tim Tebow) and so many other great speakers.

It was my privilege to lead a seminar at this event, and I told the ladies that I'd post the basics of the class that I taught. I pray that you will be encouraged as you read today!

This is Not How Things Were Supposed to Turn Out

Collierville First Baptist Church

Saturday, April 2 Melanie Redd

Do you ever look around and think...

~ Did I really sign up for this?

~ How did I get in this spot?

~ How did I end up here right now?

Maybe your life didn't turn out exactly as you dreamed that it would when you were a little girl. And now, you find yourself in a loveless marriage, a boring job, living with a rebellious child, taking care of an aging parent, dealing with incredible physical problems, or something else.

What do you do when you are laying flat on your back, looking up at the sky asking…

Ø Isn’t there more, God?

Ø Is this really what you had planned for me?

Ø I really didn’t think I’d be HERE right now!

Ø Really, really, God? Really?

~ Most women do have something that they… greatly desire, hope for, dream of, want, or something that they are praying over.

~ Most of us also hit times in our lives when we think – this just isn’t really what I had in mind, Lord!

In Genesis 37, we read about a man that must have been feeling some of these same things in the Bible. He must have posed some of these same questions. His name was Joseph, and he was thrown in a pit by his own brothers. As he was stuck in the bottom of that pit, he must have wondered, "WHY, GOD?"

Today, you may also be wondering, "Why, God?" As you wonder and as you wait, I want to offer you some hope - in some very tangible and useful ways.

Here are 12 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS for living with hope while you are stuck in the pit. When you get into those hard, strange, and challenging moments in life…

1) SUPERSOAK yourself with Jesus while you wait.

** Pour it on! Inundate yourself with Jesus like you never have before. Press in as close as you ever have to the Lord.

v 2 quiet times a day

v Carry your Bible with you

v Read every good book on the topic you can find

v Listen to Christian music only

v Join more than one Bible study & get active in your church

v Be alert for God to work

v Go hard after God!

v Spend time with the most Godly people you know.

Our tendency is to pull away – don’t do this. Push in closer!

Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit.”

2) Allow yourself time to GRIEVE while you wait.

**There is some hurt and some pain in waiting on the Lord. It’s not a piece of cake!

The opposite is true! We’d much rather solve our own problems and answer our own prayers.

In the BIBLE – PEOPLE MOURNED. THEY ALLOWED THEMSELVES TO GRIEVE FOR A SEASON. You may need to give yourself the time and the permission to cry for a season too!

Psalm 30:5 (MSG) – “The nights of crying your eyes out give ways to days of laughter.”

“Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.”

3) Do something PRODUCTIVE while you wait.

** Don’t just sit there feeling sorry for yourself! Get up and do something.

~ Windex

~ Clean out a drawer or closet

~ Do 2 loads of laundry

~ Wash your car

~ Sweep the porch or patio

SERENITY PRAYER – “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

When you can’t change anything else, change the sheets on the bed!

4) Get OUT OF YOUR house while you wait.

**Open the blinds, open the windows, open the door, and get outside.

~ Take the dog or kids for a walk.

~ Go for a drive.

~ Wash you car.

~ Go to the park, mall, library, and be around people.

Remember: There is life all around you! You are not alone!

5) EXERCISE, workout, and sweat while you wait.

** Move you body, and you’ll feel better! Sweat out some of those frustrations!

~ Don’t hold it all in. Punch it out, run it out, bike it out, swing it out, walk it out. Let off some steam in a healthy way.

6) TELL SOMEONE you trust how you are really doing as you wait.

** Speaking the hurt out loud is healing. There is something about telling one other trusted friend the truth that makes it better.

ADRIAN ROGERS- “What we uncover, God can cover. What we continue to cover, He will uncover.”

** Just come clean. No more secrets. No more pretending.

Song by Christian Group Sanctus Real – “I’m not alright. I’m broken inside.”

Can I lose my need to impress?

If you want the truth I need to confess

I'm not alright, I'm broken inside, broken inside

And all I go through, it leads me to You, it leads me to You

7) LAUGH at least a little while you wait.

** Laugh out loud! Hear yourself laughing!

Watch a funny show or movie
Hang out with a funny friend
Think back to something that makes you laugh
Laugh at yourself

Proverbs 17:22 – “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.”

Sally Field in Steel Magnolias – “Don’t you just love it when you can cry and laugh at the same time.”

8) ENJOY THOSE in the waiting room with you.

** Look around and enjoy the people you are with. While you wait, make some friends.

~ Others in your same place in life can empathize and relate better to you than maybe anyone else.

EXAMPLE – CANCER PATIENT BONDING

EXAMPLE – MOTHERS WITH LITTLE CHILDREN LAUGHING ABOUT THE SILLY THINGS THOSE KIDS DO

EXAMPLE – GROUPS OF PRECIOUS LITTLE WIDOW LADIES HANGING OUT AND TAKING TRIPS TOGETHER

9)Look for the BLESSINGS while you wait.

** Look for the silver lining in the clouds, the pearls in the offense, the amazing good that could come out of the situation.

v What could God possibly be up to?

v What is He teaching you?

v Are you becoming stronger?

v Is He doing something for your husband or kids in this situation?

v Is your lost neighbor watching and getting to see Jesus in your life?

v Are there some benefits in this valley?

10) Play MOTIVATIONAL music while you wait.

** Turn on “Rocky’s Theme," or, “I Will Survive!”

Play your Christian favorite music. Sing it. Be motivated in the waiting.

11) Do something for SOMEONE ELSE while you wait.

** My former pastor used to say, “Give to other people what you need. If you need kindness, give it to someone. If you need encouragement, share it. If you need compassion, give it away.”

This may be tough at first, but it is really hard to feel sorry for ourselves while we are unselfishly loving someone else!

I dare you to try this one!

12) CALL ON the name of Jesus while you wait.

“Jesus.” Say that with me, “Jesus.”

When I don’t know what else to do. I just began to say the name of Jesus. I call out His name!

* We all have a choice when we get in the pits, valleys, and challenging times of life: we can get bitter or we can get better!

What will you choose?

I close with a poem that I found that was written by a lady whose child has Down's Syndrome. I tried to find contact information for permission, and I couldn't find it. I found this posted at: http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/welcome-to-holland.html.

Here is my re-post:

Welcome To Holland 
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.  
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."  
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."  But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.  
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.  So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.  It’s just a different place.
It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.  
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there.
And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."   
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.  But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.  
©1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author.

May we all learn to accept and even enjoy our "Hollands" whatever they might be!

Blessings,

Melanie

Do you know Him?

2011-03-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Recently, a new friend shared something with me that I thought might be helpful to someone else who reads this blog.

She said, "I'm a nice person. I go to church sometimes. I read the Bible a little bit. But, I don't know that I really have a personal relationship with a personal God. How can I know Him?"

I answered her this way:

"You come to know God in a personal way by putting your faith in His Son, Jesus Christ."

Faith can be defined in a number of ways, but here is the simplest way I know to share it with you:

The "F" in Faith is for FORGIVENESS. We can experience the incredible and complete forgiveness of God because of His Son Jesus dying for us. But, we can't have have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness.

"In Him (meaning Jesus), we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Ephesians 1:7a, NKJV

The "A" in Faith is for AVAILABLE. This incredible forgiveness is available to every single person on this earth. It is available to all people.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16, NKJV

But, forgiveness is not AUTOMATIC. We don't just get it handed to us because our parents or siblings or friends have received it. It's not something that is just thrust on us or sprayed over us like fairy dust.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 7:21a, NKJV.

The "I" in Faith stands for IMPOSSIBLE. It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven.

God is LOVE just as we saw in John 3:16, but He is also JUST.

"For judgment is without mercy" James 2:13a, NKJV.

And, we are all sinners. We have all made mistakes and sinned against God.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23, NKJV.

So, the question is asked - How can a sinful person enter heaven, where God allows no sin?

That is where the "T" in Faith comes in. The "T" in Faith stands for TURN. If you were driving down the road and someone asked you to turn, what would he or she be asking you to do? (change directions) To turn means to repent - to change directions in our lives.

To come into relationship with God, we have to turn from our sins and our self.

"But unless you repent you will all likewise perish" - Luke 13:b, NKJV.

And, we turn to Someone - we turn to Jesus Christ. We put our faith and our trust in Him alone.

The Bible tells us that, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scripures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures" - 1 Corinthians 15:3b-4, NKJV.

And the Bible tells us,

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" - Romans 10:9, NKJV.

The last letter in Faith is the "H." The "H" in Faith stands for HEAVEN. We can experience heaven both here and in the hereafter. We can know the peace, grace, hope, and joy of a relationship with Jesus now.

According the Jesus, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" - John 10:10, NKJV.

We can also know that we have a safe and incredible place to go when we step out of this life and into the next. We can have the assurance of heaven when we die.

Jesus told His disciples, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" - John 14:3, NKJV.

How do you begin a relationship with God?

You can follow the words of Romans 10:9, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

~ Why not take a moment right now to talk to God?

~ Why not tell Him that you do believe in your heart that He raised Jesus from the dead?

~ Why not confess with your own mouth that you are trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

He loves you!

He wants to have a personal relationship with you!

That relationship can begin right now...

You might want to pray a prayer like this one:

Dear God,

I want that forgiveness that You have made available to me. I want to know You and to know Your peace. I am turning from myself and my sin. My way is just not working. I turn to You alone to save me. Save me, Jesus. I need You today. Thank You for loving me and saving me. Help me to live for you. Give me the courage to tell someone what I've prayed today.

Thank you, Lord.

So, what do you do now?

1) Tell someone. Send me an email to let me know that you've made this decision. You can email me at melredd82@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

2) Tell your spouse, your parents, your pastor, or a close friend. Let someone know what God has done in your life today.

3) Start reading the Bible. You can begin in the Book of John, and start reading about the Lord Jesus.

4) Find a good church that teaches God's Word and loves people. Join in and get involved. Let them know about your new found relationship with Jesus Christ.

I pray that someone, just like my new friend, has begun a personal relationship today with our personal Savior.

Blessings to you,

Melanie

What do you think?

2011-03-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

Would you take a minute and share your opinion today?

I'm in the middle of a new writing project where I'm looking closely into the lives of some interesting Old Testament characters - Jacob, Joseph, and all of those brothers.

In traveling through the last chapters of Genesis, I've come across some amazing, crazy, sordid, sad, and even some funny stories.

While we can understand much of what is written in these Bible pages, there are some things that puzzle us and leave us wondering. I would love to hear what you think about some of these unanswered questions.

Here is my first question: (I've included the passage below the question.)

~ In looking at Joseph as a teenager (Genesis 37:1-11), what do you think motivated him to tell his dad and brothers that he would rule of them all one day?

   ~ Do you think he was being "bratty"?

   ~ Do you think he was "just telling the truth"?

   ~ Was he "naive"?

   ~ Or, something else?

Here's the passage from Genesis 37:

"So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived. 2 This is the history of Jacob's family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father's flocks with his half brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. 3 Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift -- a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father's partiality. They couldn't say a kind word to him. 5 One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more. 6 "Listen to this dream," he announced. 7 "We were out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before it!" 8 "So you are going to be our king, are you?" his brothers taunted. And they hated him all the more for his dream and what he had said. 9 Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers about it. "Listen to this dream," he said. "The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!" 10 This time he told his father as well as his brothers, and his father rebuked him. "What do you mean?" his father asked. "Will your mother, your brothers, and I actually come and bow before you?" 11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father gave it some thought and wondered what it all meant." (New Living Translation)

I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas!
Blessings to you,
Melanie

Waiting...

2011-02-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I took my daughter to "The Little Clinic" in the Kroger Grocery store near our home. Her ears were killing her, and her regular doctor wasn't open on Sunday.

We signed in and took a seat to wait for the Nurse Practitioner to see us.

The first few minutes weren't bad. Lots of people to watch. Interesting sounds and noises to listen to in the store. Time to Return a few text messages and emails.

But, as the waiting minutes turned into more waiting minutes, we grew tired and restless.

After one hour and thirty minutes, we finally were able to see the nurse and get a prescription for my daughter's ears. They emailed that prescription straight to the pharmacy.

This is when we began our wait for the prescription to be filled. We shopped. We got some lunch, and we checked in at the pharmacy counter after an hour. "Ten more minutes," we were told.

Thirty minutes later, we checked in again. "Ten more minutes," they told us.

Finally, after a four-hour trek to the clinic and the pharmacy, we had our cure in hand! (She feels much better today.)

* This morning, as I thinking back to our four-hour ordeal in the store, I thought about how many times we have to wait in life. Waiting is just part of the journey, isn't it! It is woven into the fabric of life.

Think about it...

~ We wait for phone calls.

~ We wait for emails and texts to be returned.

~ We wait to get the test results back.

~ We wait on the check to come in the mail.

~ We wait for our wayward children to come home.

And, we wait for God to act on our behalf!

Maybe today you are waiting on God to show up in a big way in your life? Maybe you are hoping this is the day that He will answer your prayer? Maybe you are just about to give up.

If you are waiting today (and have been waiting for awhile), be encouraged by the words of David in Psalm 27:13-14(NKJV)-

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

By the way, during that long wait yesterday, there were some good things that happened:

I got to spend the entire afternoon with my amazing teenage daughter!
We got our grocery shopping done for the week.
We got the medicine she needed.
There was even some laughter and fun along the way.

Similarly, as we wait on God to act on our behalf, some good things can happen:

1)We can enjoy spending quality time with Him.

2)We can enjoy the people He has put around us.

3)We can get the things done that are right in front of us to do.

4)We can know that He will send us all that we need for the moment.

5)And, there may even be some laughter and fun to enjoy while we wait.

I don't know what you are waiting on today, but I pray that you will not lose heart.

Think, reflect, and pray over the words of Psalm 27:13-14 from The New Living Bible,

"Yet I am confident that I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

Wait patiently for the LORD.

Be brave and courageous.

Yes, wait patiently for the LORD."

Blessings to you while you wait,

Melanie

Our Night in the Nursery

2011-02-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

Last night, my husband and I did something we have not done in a very long time: we worked in the church nursery together!

Our church is in the middle of a two-week revival, and they needed some extra "helping hands". We fit into that category nicely. So, we signed up to help.

We took a Sunday afternoon nap, geared up in tennis shoes and sweats, drank an extra Coke, and showed up on time to do our duty!

The kids were already in their room with the regular teacher - those 9 little precious and very active people. They were all somewhere between the ages of two and three.

Our night was a absolute blast, a strange mixture of...

A boxing match...

A zoo...

A tug of war...

And, a great big hug fest...

As we reflected on the fun, the mayhem, and the children, we thought of several reasons that Jesus must have loved children so much.

"But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these." (Matthew 19:14 - The Message Bible)

And, we smiled as we thought of the many reasons that we love little children so much.

I thought I'd share with you just a few of these...

1) Children are honest, honest, honest! They speak the truth - no matter what.

2) Little Children are full of wonder. They love to learn, explore, discover, and grow.

3) Young kids are Loving! They hug you, sit on you, smile at you, hold your hand, and freely share love with you. I could have used four laps and six hands last night. My hug quotient went up exponentially!

**One little boy kept running his hands through my husband's hair last night. When Randy asked him what he was doing, he replied, "Your hair is so pretty, I just want to touch it.

4) They are Teachable. They are like little sponges that soak up everything in their paths. Their eyes are wide with interest to learn everything they can. Not one of those kids said to us, "I've already been there, and I've already done that."

5) Most of them are incredibly Healthy and not a bit dysfunctional! Little kids have great "boundaries" - especially with each other. They will tell you what is theirs. They will ask you to stop bugging them - sometimes very loudly. If you mess with their crayons, there will be something said. Even the quiet ones know the word, "MINE!"

6) Little kids are FUN!
After singing time, Bible story, snack time, play time, and knocking down all of the blocks hundreds of times; we decided to try a group game last night.

We offered them the game "Duck, Duck, Goose."
Everyone "sort of" sat in a circle, and one little boy started us out. He began to walk around the circle and say "goose." When he finally said "goose" about 20 times, we told him to start running. All of the kids got up and ran around the circle with him until we called out, "Sit Down." We laughed and giggled and had a blast - even though we never did get that game right! They didn't care. They just had a great time!

Just a few thoughts for all of us big kids today...

What if we imitated the incredible wisdom in the hearts of little children?

What if we:

~ Were a little more honest today, speaking the truth in love?

~ Allowed life to be a "wonder" to us again - allowing ourselves to learn, explore, and discover all of the incredible things in God's World?

~ Shared more hugs and more love with those around us?

~ Let someone teach us something new today?

~ Behaved in more healthy ways with those in our lives by putting up some healthy boundaries?

~ Had a little more fun? Laughed more? Enjoyed life more?

Our short time in the nursery is done~

And, I think we are a little better because of it.

Thank you, sweet kids, for making a difference in our perspectives! Thanks, too, for all of the hugs!

I think I'll start sending those that I counsel to a night in the nursery... it might be the best "prescription for an improved perspective" that I could ever write!

Blessings to you,
Melanie