Portrait of an ENFP

Today I have been thinking about what I should do with my life. For some reason, God keeps bringing the words "bondage breaker" to my head. I googled it. I knew it was a book, but I wasn't familiar with it other than the title. That connected me to "Freedom In Christ Ministries". AH-mazing ministry. Basically a job like that would be the perfect fit...except for they only have a few Field Staff. They are run basically by people who volunteer to go through bondage breaker training and then be the contact person in that specific region. Blast....volunteer jobs don't pay the bills. Plus, I think I'm a little young to be a public speaker to impact change in the masses. Another thing God keeps bringing to my head is "a person of influence". I'm starting to see I might have this gift, but what am I suppose to do with that?! What do all these pieces mean? Why are these words coming to my mind? This virtue of patience is elusive. Once you think you're doing pretty well with it; you realize you have a long way to go.

So I decided to look up my Myers-Briggs strengths finder results... I am an ENFP. (ENFP= Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving) They say...
ENFPs generally have the following traits:
- Project-oriented
- Bright and capable
- Warmly, genuinely interested in people; great people skills
- Extremely intuitive and perceptive about people
- Able to relate to people on their own level
- Service-oriented; likely to put the needs of others above their own
- Future-oriented
- Dislike performing routine tasks
- Need approval and appreciation from others
- Cooperative and friendly
- Creative and energetic
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
- Natural leaders, but do not like to control people
- Resist being controlled by others
- Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it
- Usually able to grasp difficult concepts and theories

ENFPs are lucky in that they're good at quite a lot of different things. An ENFP can generally achieve a good degree of success at anything which has interested them. However, ENFPs get bored rather easily and are not naturally good at following things through to completion. Accordingly, they should avoid jobs which require performing a lot of detailed, routine-oriented tasks. They will do best in professions which allow them to creatively generate new ideas and deal closely with people. They will not be happy in positions which are confining and regimented.
Also-if you wish to continue picking-my-brain an expanded description available... http://www.personalitypage.com/ENFP.html

So there you have it. If you could flip to the back of my brain & check the index on "How Melody Ticks"...you'd get this information. Along with that, these are my suggested career paths and my initial reaction to each...
- Consultant (I don't even know what that is & it sounds boring)
- Psychologist (Great job...more school...mo' money)
- Entrepreneur (You mean, like Rockefeller the oil dude? Hmm- think this requires cashflow too)
- Actress (Dream job...that got crushed by relatives when I was little. Hard to consider now)
- Teacher (Eww. No never. Two words- 'lesson plans')
- Counselor (Similar to my favorite part of my current job-but need more school to go deeper)
- Politician / Diplomat (Uhhh...i'm anti-legalism, so more gov't laws are just as unappealing)
- Writer / Journalist (Strangers really have to like my writing in order for me to be successful)
- Television Reporter (Did you know tv adds 7-10 pounds?)
- Computer Programmer, Systems Analyst, or Computer Specialist (Not much face-to-face time with people...I wanna hear problems, not DOSS mode code)
- Scientist (Uhh...what? Only if I can be a MAD scientist)
- Engineer (In my experience, they lack people skills. Why is this even an option on my list?)

What to do...what to do... *sigh* And so I keep waiting for all the puzzle pieces to fall into place.

spriggs of spring

To celebrate the entrance of the springtime, I have put on:
BLAZE PINK NAIL POLISH
BRIGHT ROYAL PURPLE GLEEVES (arm warmers, as they were referred to in the 70's)
ONE SPARKLY, FANTASTIC BRACELET
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I find it ironic that even though it's the first day of Spring, I had to wipe a dusting of snowflakes off my windshield this AM. Not to be discouraged, I know old man winter is sure to go before too long.
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Along with the changing of seasons comes the changing of vermin who try to invade my little bottom-dwelling home.
This week, the ant kingdom made an appearance (with full force, I might add). I thought I could beat them at their game by bleaching the trash can, but they kept growing in numbers. I picked up these plastic square ant poison traps. Those are basically crap. (Make a note of it.) Definitely not worth $4 or $5... The REAL ticket is Terro Ant Poison. Magical, I tell you. I put it out on little squares of cardboard and within 30, nay- 15 minutes the ant population had decreased substantially. By bedtime, only a few wandering scally-wags were left stumbling around in a drunken, poisoned stupor. By this morning, gone. No trace of the little invaders. If Terro ever needs a rep for a TV commercial, I am definitely available for comment or casting. (Plus it would just be SWEET to be in a commercial, whether it be ant poison or microwave burritos. Of course, as anyone SHOULD know- the pinnacle of all TV commercials are the Old Skool Gap ones. Genius.)

Anyhow, that's my story. Ooo! I also had a bizarre dream about mandatory suicide and new shoes and a big black man and trying to last through the end of the world. Yeah, crazy dream, crazy week. All I know is...

SLEEP IN DAY TOMORROW!!! *woot woot*

P.S. Josh said this the other day and it made my laugh. Try to say this 3x fast- "There aren't any fruit snacks in my fruit snacks sack."

therapist 101

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My spirit is tired.

Trust issues resurfacing. My heart & mind curious to know if this battle for transparency at the risk of rejection or betrayal is worth the fight.

I'm tired of fighting. I don't want to be the strong one right now.

I don't want people to ask how I am. The answer is only worth an honest response.

I'm tired of sharing.

I don't trust.

The pattern emerges (circular reasoning), and it is stuck in my head.

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Can I run and hide?

Avoidance is key. Or is it?

Can I pretend like life is great?

Yes, for a while. But it's wearing. An actress can only be under the hot stage lights for so long without retreating for a cold sip of water.

Who and where is my cold sip of water?

Very few choose to REALLY walk beside me. Very few care to listen. Very few show up when they are needed the most.

I'm tired.

Emotions are all over the place.

Shock, Overwhelmed, Anger, Strength, Exhaustion, Repeat

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Come and sit beside me. Don't make me talk and share. Just be with me. Hold me. Distract my reeling thoughts. Provide reprieve.

I'm so very tired.

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who needs a campfire?

New experience.

This weekend I worked alot between both my jobs and that left very little effort to do anything else when I arrived home in the PM. Overall it was an uneventful weekend. I hardcore cleaned my shower and danced around to my new Taylor Swift cd. I also borrowed The Office season 3 from my friend & coworker Britta. Much of my time was spent on my loveseat laughing and relaxing knowing the upcoming week was going to be long.

Anyway-

in the midst of my cleaning frenzy I had been laboring over what to do with my partial bag of stale marshmellows. I couldn't throw them away for 1. marshmellows are quite precious to me 2. they are the really good brand (Jet Puff) and 3. on behalf of marshmellow enthusiasts everywhere I would be shunned for such an act. I entertained the idea of heating them up in the micro like my crazy and fantastic friend Barb can often be found doing. But that just didn't sound very appetizing. Until finally it hit me- roast the mallow to char-blackening crispness and consume. (My most favorite way to eat a mallow.) So I improvised an indoor version of the prehistoric practice of mallow roasting. I grabbed an IKEA tealight and a popsicle stick, sat crosslegged on my loveseat and roasted mallows while I watched The Office.

Very fun. and inventive.

...maybe I'll make s'mores later this week.

breezy revelations

Sometimes the updraft catches us off-guard.

You can respond with tears (girl on right) and uncomfortably force yourself to stand there and take whatever surprise comes your way. Or you can respond with confidence (girl on left) and let God show you the joy in the situation.

I pray that I can respond with confidence and joy and discover the blessings in the midst of the sudden winds of change.

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This is what the Lord says: "When 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity..."

Jeremiah 29:10-14a

overwhelmed by a relentless GOD

The context of this book has literally changed me. It is a must-read for every person who advertises themself as a Christian. Visit the website and watch some of the videos that go along with each chapter. Get ready for God to move you to conviction & transformation. http://www.crazylovebook.com

joy in orange dreamsicle

Ask me how i really feel about winter... this is the expression i may give to you. ----->

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Mom always said, "Melody, if looks could kill- you'd be in trouble." While I have gotten better at controlling my facial expressions, I still practice the ones that aren't as socially acceptable.

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This expression would also accurately portray how I have been feeling inside for the last week... just fighting for joy each day. I think I'm beginning to understand why mom likes the word JOY and why she has reminders of it all over her home. Life and seasons and people try to drain our joy meter to empty. We have to continually be going to the Lord to refill the source. This is not a new concept to me, and yet, I find myself re-learning it time after time.