Holding On....

Hey Ya'll!!

I know it's been awhile but I just wanted to share this song with you. I've been playing this song on repeat today and the past couple of days. This song has really encouraged me especially during the crazy stuff I've been through the past few months. God is soo good and He has def helped me. I've been holding on to Him, but most importantly He has been holding on to me!!! I hope this song blesses you as much as it has blessed me! :-)

Be Blessed!!!

Melissa :-)

#SoEncouraged

Hey everyone!!

I know its been a minute since I've posted. I have to say that I am feeling soo encouraged right now!!! :-) Things have been a bit crazy the past couple of months and there have been some changes that have taken place, but through it all, I am encouraged!! The joy of the Lord is my strength and I am enjoying that strength and joy right now. :-) God is soo good!! The enemy is NOT going to steal my joy! I am thankful that I know who holds my future and that my life is in HIS hands. God is so faithful... when man lets you down, God will NEVER let you down. I love how the Lord uses challenges to form and grow us. I pray that the Lord continue to give me His grace to walk in love and forgiveness... and to be formed and made like Him. It can be so hard, but I am thankful that God is helping me through it all.

I am also sooo excited because I will be graduating in exactly 3 months!!! I cannot wait!! This has been a long journey but I am so close to the finish line!! I am looking forward to finishing strong. I am sooo pumped about graduating and moving one step closer to that which the Lord has planned for me. I have to say that I have not walked this journey alone but am thankful for the wonderful people he has put into my life to encourage me. I have to thank my husband Henry. He has been so supportive through this whole experience. I thank God for blessing me with a great friend and supporter!! I LOVE YOU BABY!!! :-)  I also have to thank my mom for her encouragement and prayers. She has been a wonderful cheerleader and her support means more to me than she knows... THANK YOU MOM!!!! :-)

Well I gotta get... I need to work on some school stuff now...

Have a BLESSED week!!!

Melissa :-)

Forgiveness.....

A couple of weeks ago Bishop Johnson spoke about loving those who are difficult to love. He said that when you find it hard to love someone, that the Lord is trying to work out something in you. He has also been talking about forgiveness lately. As he was preaching today I remembered a blog that I had written almost 6 years ago about those very same things. Lately I have been dealing with some situations where these words definitely apply. I have been dealing with my feelings of unforgiveness towards specific individuals who have really hurt me. Hurtful things have been done and said to me recently. And I'm going to be very honest, I'm having a really hard time letting go of the hurt and forgiving these individuals. I guess that's why this word really jumped out at me. I know that the Lord will turn these things around for good, but its still hard. But this word reminded me of the words that I typed almost 6 years ago not knowing that I would be facing these things today. But I believe that the Lord gave me those words for such a time as this. I know that other things will happen and come, but I need to hang onto this word for here and now. I wanted to share this blog with you all in the hopes that it can be an encouragement to others who might find themselves in the same type of situation like me. I hope and pray that this blesses you all and encourages you all as well....



Be blessed!!!


Melissa

Thoughts....


Current mood:Reflective


Christ-likeness...Many people have the desire to be Christlike, but what does that really mean? To me being Christ-like means loving the way that Jesus loves. Forgiving the way that He does. Loving others past the hurt that they have caused you, knowingly or unknowingly. That you love the hardest, those who have hurt you the most. Forgiving when it feels impossible, looking at others through the eyes of God. Forgiving those who have taken from you what is yours. Releasing any and all offenses that you have or held on to for so long. So many people say that they want to be like Jesus, but do they really know what that means? Being like Jesus means loving beyond your hurt and forgiving those who don't even know that they have offended you. It means praying for your so-called enemies and blessing those who curse you. Being like Jesus means turning the other cheek, when you would rather hit back. It means forgiving others even when "they know not what they do" to you. Being Christ-like is more than just a desire...it is a lifestyle. I pray that that Lord help me and show me how to be like Him. Just some thoughts...

Goodbye 2011.... Hello 2012

Wow!!! I can't believe this year is over!!! I have to admit that I am sooo glad that 2012 is here... This year has been a very difficult one, but I'm looking forward to 2012. Between work, internship, life and other issues that I won't go into, its been a challenging 2011. I know that those challenges and issues made me stronger and a better person and for that I am VERY grateful. I know that the Lord carried me through those times and gave me His grace to handle everything that came my way. I'm looking forward to a year of healing, refreshment, excitement, and all things wonderful!! I'm gonna start this year out with a positive attitude and mindset. I'm gonna keep smiling!!! :-)

I have some exciting things to look forward to this year. I'm looking forward to graduating!! It has been a long 3 years but I'm thrilled to be finishing up my Masters. :-) Another exciting thing happening this year is that Henry and I will be celebrating 5 years of marriage!!! I can't believe that it will be five years already!!! I'm soo excited!! :-) I guess we don't qualify as newlyweds anymore... But I still feel like one. ;-) My love for Henry has grown sooo much over these almost 5 years. When we got married, u couldn't imagine loving him more than I already did on that day.... But my love for him has grown soo much more than what I could've ever imagined. I know that it will continue to grow and I look forward to it!!! :-)
 

I am also looking forward to starting a.family with Henry soon. We get that question all the time... "When are ya'll gonna start a family?" Well we both graduate this year with our Masters so we hope to start trying/planning for baby this year. No there's nothing "cooking" right now, but I'll be sure to let ya'll know when it happens!! ;-)

Well I gotta run....heading to church to thank the Lord for His goodness, mercy, love, etc. during this past year. I have sooo much to be grateful for!

I hope you all have a blessed new year full of many blessings, growth, lots of love and more. Happy New Year!!!! 

Be Blessed!!!

Melissa :-)

Almost there...

Hey ya'll! I know it's been a minute since I've written. Life is busy but good. :-) 

Well I'm almost 30!!! Just have a few more hours to go.... :-) I can't believe that time has gone by so fast!! Needless to say this has been a really crazy, busy time with work, my internship and life, but I am sooo excited about my big day tomorrow!! They say 30 is the new 20.... well if so then... BRING IT ON!!! I look forward to this next year of my life with great anticipation. I'll be able to cross off a few things from my life's To Do List, so I'm really excited about that. I'll share as time goes by. ;-) 

A lot of people say that I don't look 30... so that's a good thing. ;-) 


Hmmm... I just realized that I will have to come up with a new name for my blog.... Any suggestions?? :-) I guess I have til tomorrow to come up with something.... ;-)

I know this is a short post, but I still have to get ready for work tomorrow. So on that note I gotta go... see ya'll in my 30's!!!  :-)

#Tryintostaypositive

Hey everyone!
So as many of you know summer break is now officially over for me. It is back to work/school I go.... I am actually glad to be going back to school and work. I usually want an extra week or so of summer vacation and wish that summer break could be longer. But this time I feel a little differently than I did before. :-) There are a few things in the works that I am soooo looking forward to right now!!! I can't share just yet. But when the time comes I will do so. ;-) 

One of the reasons that I am glad to be going back to school is so that I can get this year finished! I know, I know... The year is just beginning and I'm already thinking about it being over. Well here is why.... This is my last year of grad school and I am doing my internship this year. This year is going to be mad busy and crazy. Not only am I doing my internship, but I am also taking courses and taking this HUGE test that I need to take in order to graduate. :-/ So needless to say I cannot wait to get through this year and get DONE with school!!!!

I know that there will be some crazy and hectic times ahead, but I have decided to think positively. I know it sounds so cliche when people say "think positive thoughts" but it really makes a difference when you do that. For instance, last Friday was a crazy day for me. From the minute I woke up my day was craptacular... but as the day went on I made the decision to stay positive. It was hard at first because I was upset, tired, frustrated, etc. Even though my surroundings did not change, my thinking did. And honestly... it really made a difference. I told myself that I will focus on the things that I can change, try to be a better person/teacher and keep it moving. When I changed my thinking, my outlook on my situation changed and I actually felt myself feeling less stressed and happier than I did that morning. So my goal this year is to think positively, maintain a positive attitude, encourage those around me and be grateful for all that I have. I am grateful that I have a job, that I'm able to go to school, and that I have an awesome hubby who supports me. (I love you baby!!! ) I want to encourage you all to maintain a positive attitude and "think positive thoughts". If you try it... you'll see that it really works!!! :-)

So on that note... I gotta get... Need to get ready for the big day tomorrow....

Be Blessed!!

Melissa :-)

Memory stones...

"Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?'" "Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord." 

Joshua 4:5b-6, 7a

In one of my devotions that I had not too long ago I read this particular passage of scripture.  While reading this I remembered that my Mom and I started a "memory stone" box when I was younger. The artifacts or "memory stones" were to remind us of all the things that God had done for us. Each "memory stone" has a testimony and represents prayers that we prayed that have been answered. Every time that we looked at or saw the "memory stones" it reminded us of God's faithfulness. Some of the "stones" represent promises that God made to us while others represent things that God "surprised" us with. Even though we didn't have a lot at times, God ALWAYS provided and met our needs. 

While I was in Oklahoma recently, I was able to look and reflect on the "memory stones" that mom and I collected over the years. It was nice to remember what the Lord has done for us over the years. This is how our "memory stone" display looks like.

McCaw family memory stone display

 One of the "memory stones" is a letter from Victory Christian School stating that I was accepted and that someone paid for half of my tuition for all FOUR years that I was going to attend high school. Another "stone" represents the missions trip that Mom and I took to Dominica. It was a wonderful trip and one of the first of several "missions" trips that we were able to take together. There are some cards with scriptures that have special meanings to us as well. There are other "stones" I could explain, but I think you get the idea. ;-)

I really like this idea and see this as a way to take the "thankful journal" (that I talked about in an earlier post) one step further. Instead of just writing down what I am thankful for, I would like to collect "memory stones" to remind myself of how faithful the Lord has been to me. I want to always be thankful for those prayers which the Lord has answered. I would like to continue this "tradition" with my children and family. I'm in the process now of collecting "stones" to put in my own display. I find that when I don't remember and reflect on the goodness of the Lord, I tend to complain and become ungrateful about the things that I am going through that might be tough at the moment. So I think this will be a good thing to start so that I can become more grateful and mindful of the prayers the Lord has answered and the needs that He has met. 

I would like to encourage you all to take the time to reflect on the goodness of God.  I'm sooo excited and am soo grateful for ALL the Lord has done for me/us and will continue to do. He is truly awesome!!!!

Be Blessed!!

Melissa :-)