Meli's world

Even though I was reminded I havent blogged in 52 days, I had to write my end of year blog. Before I can even think, plan or imagine what 2016 can hold for me, I have to reflect and thank God for the wonderful year 2015 has been. At the beginning of the year, I felt God tell me the word for the year would be BRAVE, and all I could imagine was to face the year with Courage, without Fear. So the year started like most with my birthday..... turning 26 and feeling great about where I am in this point at my life. I could hang on to a million regrets about not having gone to college or having a "career", but I look at my husband, my kids and all that we have created and i know i am right where God wants me. Its been His grace and mercy that have provided and continue to sustain me. I can say I didnt blog as much as I did last year, or as much as I wanted to. But I did feel like I was investing and being present in the moment with everything i was given. I have gained so muc...

It's been a while since I followed up on the Marriage is awesome series. 6 months actually and marriage hasn't stopped being awesome, I have just been working hard to make sure it stays that way. My husband and I have been connecting in other ways developing friendships, and serving at church on top of our full time jobs and kids of our own. When I started the blog and this series in particular, I felt led by God to tell of my experiences and what I've learned to be encouragement, to be light, to be salt. I knew not everyone would be interested in what I'd have to say but if at least one person read it and was encouraged to grow in their faith, their love or marriage, then it was all worth it. In a culture where people don't believe in marriage, marriages are ending in divorce and it's hard to tell the married people apart from the single people, I felt led to tell the world why and how marriage can be awesome. Instead of other people.painting a picture ...

  I tried to write this while we were in Trinidad last week and I was inspired by my surroundings. Mountains!!! Something we never see in Florida. It's funny cause just a couple of days before that I heard Usher blaring somewhere and I remembered what I considered my favorite song at one point ::: Moving mountains. You know the sappy love-break up R&B song???    About 5 years ago I could relate to everything that song was saying. A love gone wrong. The bad taking away the good. lyrics from Usher's "Moving Mountains" Trying and trying and nothing seeming to work. I really contemplated divorce at this point in my life. My husband and I had been married close to 6 years and had a baby boy. We were struggling to make it out of my parents house and everything seemed to be a fight. I don't know looking back I felt a lot of resentment for entering marriage so young with nothing, struggling to find an affordable place where we could feel ...

So it's tuesday, and at this point it's been over a month since I last blogged. There's been so many different things try to come up and take my time and defeat me in feeling writing has no purpose, but when Manny asked me this weekend what my favorite Bible verse was, I was reminded of my goal, my vision and mission to encourage others through writing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11, therefore to encourage others. My life verse. My blog verse. My email signature. No matter what I am going through I was reminded God has called me to encourage others with everything I go through myself. Talking to my husband this weekend as well, I was reminded of childhood dreams to be a writer and a teacher. After bypassing college, getting married and having kids, I put those dreams behind me. I could never imagine exactly how I would end up doing what I love. I have a job, bills to pay. But God does have a way of giving us the desires of our heart once we delight ourselves In Him, and when we...

Note: I am a 26 year old woman who has been with my husband for 11 years and married 10. I am writing this in response to a column entitled "5 reasons we can't handle marriage anymore". I think marriage is one of the greatest relationships we can experience and wanted to paint a picture to the other side of the story. Marriages today can still work. The million dollar question? How? Its a pretty simple concept- you choose to love, to commit and share your life together. Our great grandparents and grandparents did it. and for many of us so did our parents. How can we? Many of you will ask what me gives me the right to share my opinion. I've been married myself. And I'm only one of the many people today who have succeeded at marriage. And while some of us have decided to persevere at marriage for better or worse, others have chosen divorce and convinced themselves they're better off. These same people, though, are quick to point the finger...

As I sit here an write this on my lunch break at work, I realize its the first lunch break in a while where I'm not running errands. I started so strong in my lunchtime walks, and then things just started coming up and well they just were no longer my priority. I realize life gets so hectic and all I want to do is scream sometimes:::: ahhhhh!!! This was the same thing that was trying to keep me from making it to church last night. I rushed. Got the kids dressed and fed but after rushing around, several tantrums, I was exhausted and just didn't want to go. I didnt want to go to the thing I needed the most : God's presence... Worshipping Him and taking my mind of everything that stresses me, and just getting into His word hearing what He had to tell me. Thank God I have a husband who promised me he wouldn't let me skip church service anymore. I find that before I knew Jesus, I was always trying to do. To accomplish and boasts on my academic achievements or awards...

I said yes.... and no he did't just propose and its not a big rock on my finger. Its actually the ring we bought 10 years ago on his Checker's (fast food restaurant) salary. It is real gold and has real diamonds, but I had to laugh at the fact we picked it out inside Kmart's jewelry department. Its funny someone asked me about the other day since I still wear it on my right hand from time to time... and it just dawned on me, that was our "engagement" and "wedding ring" for a long time.  Today is not our wedding anniversary. Today marks 11 years together. It was Friday the 13th in that warm February that we became more than friends. It's also kind of ironic that I name titled this blog "I said yes" cause on this particular day that we celebrate every year, I didn't actually say yes. Nothing was asked. He had actually called me that Tuesday evening to tell me he "liked" me. The week progressed by me telling him I did ...

         I know conflict and cheating! Ooohhh controversial title for a post entitled Marriage is Awesome. My marriage is awesome! But I'd be lying to you if I said we are conflict free. Or that we are so perfect cheating is something we are completely exempt from. So to clear up misconceptions if you're a newly wed, engaged or contemplating marriage, don't look forward to a conflict free happily ever after kind of marriage. Instead be prepared and take some pointers from someone who thought each conflict was the end of her marriage. And as for cheating, its a temptation you may have to deal with as a married man or woman but there's so much you can do to prevent it. Broken doors, holes in walls, driving out in the middle of the night. Yup. Anger. Conflict. Disagreements. Marriage is not always awesome. And as two immature teenagers who have basically figured everything out as we went along, things weren't always hearts and cloud...

Two days ago we celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. Yes, we celebrate two anniversaries a year; the one when we became girlfriend and boyfriend and when we got married. For our tenth anniversary, we had envisioned having the wedding we always wanted and renewing our vows. However a couple of months ago we decided to postpone that since we would not be able to plan it how we wanted. Since then we were thinking of something great to do and due to circumstances and commitments beyond our control, we didn't plan much at all. Instead we decided to have a simple dinner together. Funny the older we get, the more it seems simplicity is key. When we were younger I envisioned him being this hopeless romantic who would plan great getaways or elaborate surprises but as I get older, not only has he become more creative, but the things I used to expect have changed. I find that at one point in our relationship I was living day to day trying to get by...make it to the next date, th...

Mi amor, 10 years ago today we got ready in our black and white attire and headed to court with our dads.... to get married! I  remember walking together in that court room, bashful, nervous, and without really comprehending the commitment we were making. I remember thinking if we could make it for the next ten years, we could make it for life. I knew then the road would be hard, unknown, doubtful, and full of obstacles, but I didn't know then it was possible to love you more now. I loved you then. I was crazy head over heels, no logical thinking-in love with you. You made me smile, laugh, study, work, not wear make up, laugh at everything, not worry about what anybody had to say. We grew up together...from school, studying, skipping, graduating, learning how to drive, getting jobs, and becoming adults. We had plans, we made mistakes, we overcame, we set goals, we made two beautiful Em & Ems and have grown closer together than I could...