Five Minute Friday - Hero

This post is part of Five Minute Fridays where you write for 5 minutes unedited. 

Today's word is HERO

And GO:

Gilbert Blythe told Anne Shirley to write about what she knows.  I don't know super heroes and their secret identities.  But I do know my mother.

She was so quiet, so peaceful.  She loved everybody, but most especially, she loved my daddy and my sister and me. 

She knew how to make a meal of Hamburger Helper taste absolutely delicious.  She could decorate the most beautiful birthday cakes.  She loved cherry Coke from Sonic.  "Extra cherries and extra ice please."

She knew how to make beautiful quilts.  She taught me how to crochet.  She tried to teach me how to sew, but I didn't do so well at that.

She may not have been the best housekeeper, but she was absolutely the best mother.  She was always there to listen to me.  She always believed in me.  She was always there, no matter what I did wrong.

We were able to laugh together and cry together.  We had lots of "giggle fits" especially late at night.  We liked shopping together, which is not all that much.  She was my very first "girlfriend" and my very best friend, and I will always cherish that.

I miss my mom.  I miss my hero.

And STOP.

Unpacking 1 Peter 5:7-8

One of the things I am absolutely loving about the M2C Bible study is the fact that we are surrounding ourselves with scriptures.  I have several verses posted all over my kitchen. Everywhere you turn, you have to read a verse.  It has really helped cut down on the temptations that I have faced.

This is the pantry.

I was out of printer ink, so I opted for sticky notes for my fridge.  I can't wait to see what I get to add next week. 

This is the verse that has gotten me through the week.  I know I have only to rest in Jesus for peace.

On to mapping the verse out.  If you've never heard of this, I suggest you go here for a quick tutorial.  Basically, you look up what each word means.  It's more than that, but that's the gist of it.  This week's verse is 1 Peter 5:7-8.

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

First, I wrote the verse out in my planner.  Then I looked up all of the words, and wrote a short definition of them above the verse.  Oddly enough, they all sort of fit together.  Here's the "Melinda" translation.

Get rid of the entire extent of your worry and nervousness, with a continuity of persistence on Him, because he is concerned for you.  Occupy a position of conscious restraint and management and be perceptive.  The hostile opposing force, the armed adversary, makes predatory movements on all sides (this is a metaphor) like a loud lion searching visually for a human being to destroy completely.  

So not only am I to get rid of the ENTIRE worry, God is concerned for me.  I'm supposed to give it all to him because he cares for me.  I am to be conscious or aware.  And the adversary is looking for anyone to destroy.

I find it so comforting to know that I can give all my worry, all my nervousness, all my depression, all my anxiety to God.  It is very hard to do sometimes, but I'm still learning.

Today has been long.  It's been filled with stress (try being married to an IT guy and having computer problems), and frustrations.  (Teaching cursive to a bouncy 8 year old anyone?)  It's been filled with a bit of anxiety.  And now I have to go and start dinner.  My hope, my prayer, is that you can take this verse, that I can take this verse, and give it all to God.

Hugs in Him,
Melinda

Tinkering

Well shoot.  I got to tinkering with my blog.  First I had turned on Google+ comments.  And everyone left such nice comments.  Then I turned them off.  And I lost them.  :(

And of course, there's someone outside throwing up, which makes for such a pleasant sound.  And I'm a bit too nervous to go and turn off all the lights that are on, because I don't want to look like I'm turning off lights in order to avoid having the door knocked on, but I don't want my door to be knocked on this late at night. 

It is WAY past my bedtime.  Goodnight.
Melinda

Five Minute Friday: Visit

This post is part of Five Minute Fridays, where we get together and write for... you guessed it... 5 minutes.  No editing, no back tracking, just pure and simple writing for the sake of writing.  Then you head back over to FMF and post a link to your writing.  It's good practice.  Today's word is visit.

And GO:

Visit.  It's such a homey type word.  I love to go home, to visit friends and family.  We have family in Nashville, and family in Shreveport.  I miss them so much at times, and I really want to go home.

But more than that, there are times I want to go home.  The Bible says something to the effect that we are strangers here and that we dwell in earthly tents.  (I'll look up the exact verse in a minute.)  And I long for that heavenly home.  I am tired of the toil and the strife and the arguing and the hurt that we have here.  There are times that I can't even begin to imagine what being in Heaven will be like, but I know that I will be with Jesus. 

Did you hear about the book called Heaven is For Real where the little boy said he visited Heaven when was in surgery for appendicitis?  It was an amazing book (we listened to the audio version).  And while it was a short "visit" for him, it has changed his life.

We are planning a visit to Shreveport in a little less than a month.  We'll get to see sisters and brother and nieces and nephews and hug necks and kiss cheeks. I miss them all so very much.  And the sense of home will fill our hearts until next time.

And STOP.

Hugs,
Melinda

1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, ³ because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. - 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

Oh, and by the way, there is a little girl who says she has also visited Heaven and seen Jesus, and has painted him.  When Colton saw her painting, he said, "Yes, that's what Jesus looks like."

Bricks

This is my illustration of Chapter 2 of Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.

Although, I just realized I should have "Victory!" on the right hand side of the page.  Oh well.  

Hugs,

Melinda

The Raging Battle Within

This is a post I've needed to write for a very long time.  Let's talk about depression.

There.  I've said it.  That ugly awful word that no one wants to ever talk about, or ever admit to having to battle with. 

I have depression.  And at times, it is a raging battle. 

Let's be honest.  I'm not talking about run of the mill sadness.  I'm not talking about the "blues."  I'm talking about a down and out, the world would be better without me, I can't handle this anymore, depression.  (And before anyone says anything, yes, I am receiving help, and I do have safety measures in place, and I know I won't hurt myself, because I'm too much of a chicken.)

It's a scary place to be.  It's an almost physical pain, an ache in your heart that you can never seem to fill. 

And I've tried.  Usually with food, although there have been other things.  There's a very good reason Tylenol 3 is not allowed in my house.

What I'm learning is that God wants to fill that ache.  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28  That he wants to walk this journey with me, if only I will give it up to him.

Do I have all the answers?  By no means.  Will I overcome and win this battle tonight?  Honestly, I wish I could.  I've been fighting this battle a really long time.  I will think I have won, and a year, 10 years later, I will be fighting it again. 

But I'm learning to fill the ache with scripture and prayer.  (The Made to Crave Bible study is instrumental in this.)  I'm learning to depend on God in the hard times as well as the good times.  I don't want God to take away all my feelings or even all of my sadness.  He gave me feelings.  He gave me emotions.  I simply need help in learning how to balance all of the emotions he gave me in a healthy way.

That brownie, however delicious it may taste, however rich it may smell, is nothing compared to God's word. 

• Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good
• Psalm 19:10 they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
• Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I realize that might not help you if you are in the middle of your own battle.  But I want you to know you are not alone.  I will stand and fight with you.  If you are fighting and you would like an additional prayer warrior, I would be beyond honored to pray for you.  Leave me a comment and I will pray for you and with you.  Together, we can stand on the word of God and overcome this raging battle with depression.

Hugs and prayers,
Melinda

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.  (Philippians 6:10-20)

My Favorite Verse

This post is part of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study. 

I am so far behind, I may never catch up. 

I am trying to participate in an online Bible study.  They host frequent blog hops, and this is supposed to be an introductory post for those who don't know how to "hop."  I was supposed to post this earlier this week.

I am choosing to post about my favorite verse. 

Philippine 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

I didn't really understand the power of that verse until I did a Bible study on change and realized that it's not I, but Christ that does the work.  I have to get out of His way.  (By the way, if I ever get the courage to get a tattoo, that's what I'm going to put on it.  "Not I, but Christ.") 

That verse helped me run my first 5k.  That verse helps me face the challenges of "life." 

I have it one of those rubber band bracelets.  I actually keep extra bands to pass on to others.

Christ strengthens me.  I don't.  He does.  And because He does, I can do all things.  Even run a 5K.

Even participate in an online Bible study and finish the book I've started 3 times.

Hugs,
Melinda

Five Minute Friday - Encouragement

This post is part of Five Minute Friday over at http://lisajobaker.com/ - The rules are simple.  Write for 5 minutes and don't edit it.  Then post it over there and visit the person in front of you.  Or several people in front of you.  The encouragement you get is wonderful.

Which is funny because that's the word today:  Encouragement.

And GO:

Encouragement.  It's such a powerful little word.  I used to be known as a good encourager and maybe to some extent, I still am.  Or at least I'm trying to do more than I used to.

But recently, I've become aware of an online community called (in)courage.  The website address is beautiful.  www.incourage.me   Isn't that great? 

They also have an online conference called (in)RL.  I may not have that exactly right, and any editing I do today is strictly to get the right web addresses listed.

Regardless, the preview trailer for the conference is beautiful and encouraging and it made me cry.  Because I DO have a story to tell.  My story.  And that has changed everything.  Instead of being the encourager, I get to be encouraged simply by telling my story.  My ups, my downs, my ins, my outs. 

I'm actually on the brink of discovering my story, and I feel like it may be bigger than I have ever realized or imagined or bigger than I understand.  I'm thoroughly excited to be in this process, even though I'm also ultimately terrified. 

But encouragement means so much to the person you give it too.  It takes so very little to give that to someone.  Reach out and try to encourage one person, big or small, and let them know they are appreciated.

And STOP.

Hugs,
Melinda

Morning vs. Night

I have two kids.  Boo is a night owl, and her brain functions better at night or in the afternoon.  Little Bit is a morning glory.  Her brain functions better in the morning, and the first part of the afternoon.  I've come to understand that this is just a difference in learning styles.

For example, did you know there are at least three different styles of learning?  I know of three "main" styles:  Visual, audio, and kinesthetic.  Boo and I are both very visual learners.  That's one of the reasons we like reading so much.  It's why we have to write down math problems in order to solve them.

Little Bit is a kinesthetic learner.  She learns by moving.  When she paces while learning her memory verse, I let her, because I know she learns it that way.  When she's concentrating on a difficult piece of reading, she wiggles.  It's hard, because it actually distracts my visual brain, but I let her, because I know it helps.

Mom?  Mom is barely awake this morning and trying to make sure Little Bit gets her learning in.  I better go refill my coffee cup.

Hugs,
Melinda

A colorful date night

Well, this morning, I handed Dale his date night book and said, "pick one," so I would have some idea of how to prepare. For some reason he picked "crayolas."

So I'm interpreting that to mean "colors," which could really mean just about anything. Dinner is a good starting point. Red spaghetti, green peas, white rolls... And what in the world?

Purple cauliflower mashed potatoes. Oh and don't forget the blue cotton candy milk on the side. 

I've got the crayons and paper on the table, along with the markers, oil pastels, and acrylic paint. It should be a very colorful night. 

Hugs,

Melinda

Five Minute Friday: See

This post is my participation in Five Minute Fridays, where we write for 5 minutes without editing. 

Ready, set, go:   Or sit and wait while the dog needs to go outside... Oh the joys of having 2 dogs.  (Insert sarcasm here.)

Okay, back at it now.  Dog is in, dishes in dishwasher, groceries put away...
And start...


See?  I really can't think of anything for the word see.  I can't see.  I'm as blind as a bat without my glasses, and have been most of my life.  It's one of my earlier memories.

There's SEE that Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife found after the death of their child, Maria.  They chose to see that she was in Heaven.

I really can't think of what I should see in this post.  A time, a place, a purpose?  How do you see?  Do you see with just your eyes? 

My favorite color is sunset pink.  That particular shade that's part pink, part orange, part yellow.  It's absolutely gorgeous.  I love to see that color.  It's almost as if God chooses to bless me with that little bit of happiness when I see it. 

Am I too often blind to the needs of the others in my life?  How do I see more of them and less of me?  How do I see only God in any and all circumstances?  Is there a way to see that is better than the limited worldly vision I have?

I see the end approaching.  Next time, I'm going to have to put my timer out of sight so I don't watch it.


And Stop.

Learning about South Africa

I may have mentioned it before, but Little Bit and I are doing a geography study, sort of an overview, of different countries and cultures around the world.  I have really enjoyed it.

This week was South Africa. 

The hardest part has been trying to explain apartheid to her, and why Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years.  She does not grasp that concept.  She understands that the separation was there.  She does not understand why people thought there should be a separation based on skin color.

I agree with her.

Hugs,
Melinda

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

A little update

Just a little update today. 

Over on that side of my blog ----->, there's a list called "Interesting Reads."  It's a list of things that I've come across that have really made me stop and think. 

Also, Matt Walsh can be, hmm, controversial is a bit of an understatement.  But I do find his writing to be interesting.  Please don't visit his blog if you are easily offended.

If I end up collecting a whole bunch, I may move the list to a page instead.  But I hope you enjoy what I've included so far.

Hugs,
Melinda

New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Eve has come and gone.  New Year's is typically the time we make "resolutions" that we make and then promptly break.  What is a resolution?  Dictionary.Com defines resolution as follows:

res·o·lu·tion (rĕz′ə-lōō′shən)

n.

1.  The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.

2.  A resolving to do something.

3.  A course of action determined or decided on.

4.  A formal statement of a decision or expression of opinion
 

Funny that.  There's no "setting of goals" listed there.  Well, that's good, because I'm not good at making resolutions.  I seem to be better at making goals.

 

So, instead of a list of New Year's Resolutions, I'm working on my list of goals.  They are both fitness related, health related, and spiritual related.

 

1. I would like to be able to run the Plaza 10K since I missed it this last year.
2. I would like to be able to ride the whole length of the Katy Trail.
3. I would like to lose 50 pounds.  In order to do that, I need to eat healthier.  I will accomplish this in the following ways.
1. More fruits and vegetables
2. No more soda!
3. No cookies or candy.  If I want something sweet, I will eat an apple.
4. I want to live with the following in the forefront of my mind always:  Not I, but Christ. 

That's all.  I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but I've learned that I have to have specific definable goals in mind, or I won't accomplish anything. 

 

How about you?  Do you make any resolutions, or do you make goals?  What kind of goals did you make?  I'd love to hear them.

 

Hugs,

Melinda

Five Minute Friday - Fight

I'm going to try to join up with Five Minute Friday again.  FMF is sort of like a blog party.  Lisa Jo Baker gives us a word, and we take 5 minutes out of our Friday to write about the word.  No editing.  Just writing for 5 minutes.

Today's word (well actually yesterday's word) is Fight.

Ready, Set, Go...

Fight.
Fight for your lives
Fight for your rights
Fight for the truth
Fighting like cats and dogs
Fighting for values
Fighting among yourselves.
Dog fights.
Kid fights.
Family fights.
Fight the aliens (I'm watching Doctor Who)
Fight the government.
Fight your weight
Fight your self
Fight your exercise level
Fight your muscles
Fight depression.

Fight God.
Fight the devil
Fight the lack of self control
Fight the control freak.
Fight the OCD
Fight the need for total control

Fight the cold
Fight the heat
Fight the rain
Fight the snow.
Fight the pain.

Give up the control
You have to fight, but give up the control and trust in God.
You don't have to fight for the love of God.  You have to surrender to it.
You have to fight your overwhelming desire for control and give it all up.

And Stop.

What is kinesiology tape?

So one thing I've been introduced to since I started running is this thing called kinesiology tape.  My wonderful chiropractor (Hi Dr. Brannon!) started wrapping my ankles with a brand called Rock Tape.  And then in an effort to cut costs a little, I tried using a brand called KT Tape and then KT Tape Pro.

I thought you might be interested in a little review.

Basically, I can't get the KT tape or the KT pro tape to stay on for more than a day.

Dr. Brannon wrapped my ankle last Friday with Rock Tape.  It is STILL on. 

KT tape is more readily available.  You can find it at places like CVS Pharmacy.  But it just doesn't last.  I don't know if I'm not putting it on correctly (but I'm pretty sure I am), or what, but it slides off within the first 24 hours.

Rock Tape is harder to find.  I'm only seeing that I can buy it online.

KT tape comes prepared in strips that you don't have to cut.  Rock tape doesn't. 

But Rock tape just lasts longer. It is even a bit more stretchy.

Plus, it comes in fun colors like ... tattoo.

Well, that's it.  My fun little review.  Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,
Melinda 

Dogs and Cords

My life is dogs and cords. The new dog, Skye doesn't get along with the old dog, Nana. We've had them on leashes in order for them to adjust to each other and to stop the almost constant fighting we endured during the first weeks of December. 

It becomes interesting because both dogs want to be right there beside us (me?) during class time. 

This is Nana on my right. 

And Skye on my left. 

Add into the mix that Dale is in IT and it feels like there are computer cords EVERYWHERE. 

And the fact that Skye can escape her harness. 

And that my computer cord gets pulled off all the time (little thin cord on top of Nana's back in this picture).

The only word left is ... Tired. 

Hugs,

Melinda