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.

i am captivated by You, Lord

What can I say?
The last week and a half has been filled with "mountain top" experiences.

The Sr High youth retreat was intense and life-changing. We talked about what things hold us back and cause us to keep living as lukewarm Christians. One thing that was convicting for me was how I often live with limits. For example, I will only give so much of my time and energy to a person or a cause and if they take that forgranted, I tend to emotionally pull back. Partly, I think it's healthy to have boundaries and not let people walk all over me; but I'm still trying to figure out what that means. How much of my time and energy comes from my own strength which is why I run dry; and how much comes from the Lord's storehouses which overflow in abundance with love and energy for others?
Then we talked about the things that we are called to be as Christians. My life should be characterized by being crazy in love with the Lord. The Lord wants to pour on others through us His passion, love, truth, strength, grace and mercy. He wants our hearts to most desire His kingdom above our own life. To pour out every hint of self and be filled up with more & more of Him. This is Crazy Love.

After the retreat, I jumped on a plane headed for San Diego, CA for a little r&r with my friend Caitlin. We saw so much that my brain had a hard time recalling everything at the end of the day. There were so many new sights. The various views left me feeling breathless. Interestingly, her pastor/elder at Kaleo Church talked about how we as humans are glory starved and we try to seek that out going places and doing things. That sense of inspiration and awe you feel when you are staring in the Grand Canyon is glory. As humans, we are so designed to eminate glory to the Lord, but sadly, we try to fill it with these other glory snatching moments. This is the example he used: "Nobody goes to the Grand Canyon to look out over the magnificant view and think 'Wow, I am so great! This canyon reminds me of my stunning eye color.' We go there to see the glory of God and be left speechless by the beauty of our Creator. We look outside of ourselves." I have been chewing on that thought this week.

If you wanna see some more pictures, you can visit my facebook page. I also have a few fun stories to share.

Some Highlights from San Diego, California

Baby in uterus

- A little depiction of my work at New Life

Sushi at Sunset

Laying on the beach...soaking in the sun

Reunion with an old friend (Kelli Gallagher and her hubbie)

Climbing the waterfall with Melat


Me and Caitlin at the Oscars

young @ heart

I really want to post this video, but I don't know how to do it.
So click on the link if you wanna hear it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDxMQaMqsig

Speaking of Young @ Heart, my sister let me borrow a DVD documentary by that name and it made me chuckle. It's all about a group of elderly people (averaging about 80 years old) who are part of a choir in Massachusetts. It becomes the thing they look forward to in each day. I really like the frisky old lady. I hope to be that peppy when I reach 80.

strained optimism

"When a man plans, God smiles at us because He sees a much greater plan than we can imagine."

- quote from Bethany Christian Services magazine