dear husband

i love you, and i want everyone to know it.  i will shout it from the roof tops!  I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!!!!!!

he is a great husband.  he provides for mazerick and i by going to work even when he doesn't want to.  (he doesn't want to go because he wants to spend all of his time loving his wife and kiddo)  he loves me by going places with me even when he doesn't feel like it.  you see, he is always pretty content to just say home and relax, but i need to be around people more.  so, there are a lot of times that he will go out with me just so that i can be around other people.  it's cool that he does that.

we have a lot of fun by playing cards together.  a new thing for us is to play a game online together. it's called dominion.  it's a card game that we play together.  it may sound ridiculous to some, but it's a great time.  we can be laying in bed together, (both with our laptops), playing the card game, listening to music, and just enjoying being in each others presence.

my husband... he's one heck of a guy.  i love him.

lighten up

i feel like my mood has been a bit too contemplative lately.  so, i thought this would lighten things up.
toy story meets inception.... thoughts?

love really does win

*watch out... for those of you that want nothing to do with rob bells love wins...  quit reading here.

for those of you interested in what's been going on surrounding the topic, continue reading.  i have not read "love wins" yet, but i intend to do so.  i have always intended to, as i am a fan of rob bell and his teachings in general.  that's not to say everything he says is 100% agreeable.  if it were, the topic would not be of controversy.  i've read many articles, seen many interview clips, and heard many opinions on the latest controversy.

the latest that i read was this....  ryan yazels blog...  i went to school with him at bethel.  if you are interested in "love wins" or even just the current controversies surrounding it i highly suggest you check out this blog.... and definitely the book.

and really....  when it's all said and done....  love really does win.

and also... leave a comment here!  i'd love to hear what your thoughts and opinions are... spark some lively discussion if you will!

Jesus is cool

 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)


...to be continued...

feeling alone

funny thing.  i just realized that today is the beginning of the second week of lent.  and, on the first week of lent i was doing the "discipline of celebration."  wow, did that backfire.  so, maybe after i'm done writing this blog i'll think about getting on to the new discipline.  i know.  i know.  i didn't write in here every day last week like i had intended.  i had intended on sharing how "the discipline of celebration" was going daily... giving you my focus verses, etc.  well, seeing as i didn't you would think just that.  that it didn't really.  but let me tell you it didn't stop.  i was focused on it.  but, i think it bit me in the butt.  you see, life is just not easy all of the time.  i'm sure you needed me to point that out.  the thing is, for me, life really usually is pretty easy.  all of the time.  but, i began this discipline and it's like right and left things were popping up that were making me really sad inside.  or sometimes just frustrated.  or hurt.  or angry.  i think that i really gave satan an opportunity to shine last week.  and, i'm here today to say, "Satan, stop it.  In the name of Jesus, stop it!  You've got no right to be in MY HOUSE... my life.  So, get out."

okay, now that I've got that out of the way...

i began blogging today because i'm lonely.  i am.  i said it.  i don't feel "connected".  i want to be connected, but i'm just not feeling it.  this is in no way intended to bash the people that are in my life daily, it's just that i feel alone... it doesn't matter who is around.  it doesn't matter what i'm doing.  you see... i've always kind of lived by this philosophy...  (without really thinking about it)  i saw someone else write it and was like, "right on!"  it was, "it doesn't really matter to me who i am.  i just want to be a part of something awesome."  that's my paraphrase at least.

so, today... that's where i'm at.  i'm going to seek something out that i can be a part of.  facebook isn't really being a part of something.  well it is, but it's not what i'm looking for.  i feel like i've lost that a little bit.  i've lost being a part of something.

what defines me?  i love Jesus... a lot.  as a matter of fact, he's my best friend.  but, what am i doing with that?  i'm working on stuff to create a youth center, but it's overwhelming.  i don't feel like i'm making any progress, and honestly, i've pretty much become complacent on all that.  i'm a wife, and a stay at home mom.  i'm trying to speak into my families life.  i'm trying to help my son grow into the young man that God intends for him to be.  and the thing is... that all sounds great.  well, most of it.  the family part at least.  and a way i've always kind of lived is, "when you're sad or upset, do something nice for someone else.  that will then make you happy."  however, this is NOT working for me.  so, enough of that.  i'm moving on.

so, here it is.  my life statement... for now at least,
"it doesn't really matter who i am.  i just want to be a part of something awesome."


there ya have it folks.  that's me right now.  maybe i'll figure out my discipline for the next week to get closer to Jesus, or maybe i won't.  maybe i'll just be close to him in the everyday stuff again.  it seemed that my have been working for me better anyway.

the discipline of celebrating

3/10/11

Day 2 of the discipline of Celebration

Celebrating again!  Focusing today on this verse....  Ecclesiastes 11:4, "Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops."  This verse is meaningful to me for multiple reasons...  First off, in this season of celebration it reminds me to be grateful for perseverance.  I can celebrate perseverance because it will ultimately get me somewhere.  It seems a little odd...  Celebrating perseverance?  That's just weird.  But, think about it.  I can struggle to persevere, or I can celebrate the fact that I'm persevering.  So, in this season... I choose to celebrate perseverance.  And, despite the clouds, despite the rain.... shoot, despite the snow...  I persevere.  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which Christ has called me heavanward.  (philippians 3)  I want to know Christ!  I do!  And, in getting to know him I will do what he says...  I will listen to him, and I will follow.  And, I will celebrate!


Father, help me to persevere.  Even when times are tough, and I don't see any progress.  Help me to persevere.  And, not just to persevere, but do so with celebration!  I love you Jesus!


MamaMely

A new adventure!

Lent

7 disciplines for 7 weeks.  And, this will be a progressive journey…. A progressive sacrifice if you will.  I would like to share the sacrifice with you for a few reasons; 1.  Accountability.  Life is made to live together, right?  2.  Encouragement.  There might be something that I say that encourages someone else in their relationship with Christ.  Why wouldn’t I want to do that?  3.  Fun.  I’m looking forward to getting closer to Jesus in this Lenten season.  I think it will be fun.  And, well… I like to share my fun J  Come along for the ride.

Week One 3/9-3/15

In today’s hectic, stressful and violent world, how can we experience the true joy that comes from God? Can we have freedom from anxiety and care, which forms the basis for celebration? Harvey Cox has said that, "..modern man has been pressed so hard toward useful work and rational calculation he has all but forgotten the joy of ecstatic celebration."  (taken from Celebration-a small group study at http://www.gci.org/spiritual/discip13)

Celebration… to experience the true joy that comes from God. 

3/9/11

 On day one of lent I am reminded to be like an ostrich and instead of comparing myself to everyone else focus on what I am blessed with:

Job 39:12-18 says,

“The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, 
   though they cannot compare 
   with the wings and feathers of the stork. 
¹⁴ She lays her eggs on the ground 
   and lets them warm in the sand, 
¹⁵ unmindful that a foot may crush them, 
   that some wild animal may trample them. 
¹⁶ She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; 
   she cares not that her labor was in vain, 
¹⁷ for God did not endow her with wisdom 
   or give her a share of good sense. 
¹⁸ Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, 
   she laughs at horse and rider.

Lord, Thank you for sacrificing so that I can know you, and eventually live with you forever.  I pray that in these next few weeks I will grow closer to you, and remember that you are the reason I have so many blessings.  I love you Jesus. 

Lovingly Yours,

MamaMely J