Meli's world

I wish I was at the point I could just write about being loving and kind all the time. Yet here I am again to tell you of how badly I handled myself in a situation. On Friday, my brother called me so that I could stop to buy him some Publix fried chicken he was craving since he was unable to drive that day. I picked up my kids and nephews and headed that way. Right after making a pit stop to deliver my neighbor some flowers  since she had recently been discharged from the hospital. Kindness was my mission. We stopped at our local grocery store which never fails to have hot chicken ready. Yet to my surprise they only had rotisserie, not what my brother wanted. I asked the lady behind the counter as her and a co worker were loading the fryer and changing the filter and she replied it would only be 20 minutes until the fried chicken would be ready to go. At my brother's request, I waited. All 3 kids and I would stroll the aisles after a stop at the water fountain and...

I find so many of the lessons God teaches me come through parenting. The week before last, I encountered one of those situations as a mom that made me feel like Momma bear ready to protect her cubs at all cost. My son Emmanuel, has been dealing with a difficult kid all year long. I found that it seemed like no matter what, it was difficult for my son to get along with this boy. He told me stories of this boy being rude, calling others names, and making fun of anything my son did including him getting new glasses. Our response as parent, was always for Emmanuel to choose kindness and respond with an encouragement for the kid to remind him he could do better. Emmanuel was slowly losing his patience.  And I couldn't understand why they budded heads so much when they were once friends in 1st grade. I didn't address any of these stories with my son's teacher until the day he came home telling me the other boy kicked him. That same day an email went out to my son's te...

If I am going to be honest, when I started this blog I wanted to name it Meli's Messes, because when it comes to marriage, and motherhood, I feel I have made a lot of messes of it all. I struggle with feeling inadequate and like a complete failure at times. I am not sure what triggers this when I thought of myself as "confident" and the fact my truth is rooted in God's word (for the most part). Perhaps it is the pictures we paint on social media of perfection. Perhaps its our brains are oversaturated with looking at images of other Moms who seem to do it all. Work 60 hours a week, meal prep cooking gourmet healthy meals for the family, working out 5 hours a day even becoming body builders, or running a home based business, all while being able to homeschool or be present at every school event, and looking completely wonderful with their blowdried hair looking like they came out of a salon or stepped out of a Tresemme commercial. Their nails are done...

Today, my husband of 12 years turns 30! and to think that I have known him since he was 16 leaves me a bit emotional. I am very blessed to call him mine and be the one who gets the privilege of being his wife. But if you happen to call him family, friend, or co worker, you are pretty blessed too. This guy exudes so much of what I hope to be one day..... loving, selfless, generous, humble and easy going....... Here are a couple of the reasons I love him. I am bypassing the traditional birthday card this year and going all out with this blog..... Babe, 1) You Seek Jesus first! - nothing is more important to you then seeking God, His kingdom, and His direction for your life! “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 ” 2) You serve! This has always been something that attracts me to you. you are so willing to help anyone in need and give up your time to do for others.... anyone needs help you are there! Mann...

Hello! I haven't been writing much and I surely miss it. But God definitely gives us seasons. The past season was a busy one. Busy at work, at church and the kids school and soccer. This season, we decided to stop letting busyness consume us, take it back a bit and only be fully committed to a few things. I found that in my busyness trying to do for others, for God, for my family.... I was feeling drained. Mentally, emotionally and physically. My health was suffering and I even gained weight despite new workout routines. I was taking on too much. and I was afraid to admit it. I was afraid to say I couldn't do it all. I finally broke a couple weeks ago after a women's conference at our church titled "Simply Jesus". It was God speaking to me letting me know all I need is Jesus. Alone time with Him, seeking Him, pursuing Him.  A reminder to Abide and Remain in HIM. The vine. God spoke to me that day and I was reminded to see myself in HIS truth. Since tha...

  If any of you read my 2016 wrap up blog, then you would know the word "Go" is the word from God for 2017 for me personally. And I have been meditating on this verse: Mark 16:15 that reminds me we are instructed to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation". And that has been something I have thought about a lot, because as much as I love Jesus, as much as I write and no matter how much I love teaching, I know I need growth in the area of evangelizing and telling people the good news. A couple days ago on my lunch break, I went outside to about one of the five new picnic tables around our property, A picnic table in the middle of the parking lot is where I sat to blog on my phone. The blog was going to be about a lesson I am learning as I parent Emeli, but instead this is what I got. A man who walked past me in the lot, came back around and asked if I minded him sitting with me. Of course I answered "no". And once he sat ...

The sun rises on 2017, as the sun set on 2016! And a new year is always time to reflect on what has been. At the beginning of 2016, God gave me the word MORE. Which I thought was so vague. Yet looking back, I see God makes no mistakes. And the word more was going to describe and encompass so many areas of my life. First it started with more GROWTH. More seeking God's direction for my life. We started the year off in a church wide study entitled free and even joined Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes. This series along with these classes convinced us there was more to living than being slaves to debt and that God has called us to have freedom to be generous givers. This was just the beginning of the journey this mentality would send us. There was also more serving....in the kids ministry. Yup, Saturday nights remained our night to teach, to lead and to give God our time to sow into kids lives while their parents get their time with Jesus. It has been ama...

Yesterday was my day off of work. It couldn't have come at a better time since we are busy and non-stop since Hurricane Matthew had us cancel and reschedule over 80 patients last week pending its arrival. Matthew. The hurricane that never came, thank God. I spent my day volunteering at my kids school, catching up on my budgeting, and enjoying a lunch date with my hubby. Since it was Wednesday when we usually attend church, I figured I could make a quick trip to Target after I picked up the kids from school since my fridge was almost bare. I managed to get them earlier since I went right at dismissal time and decided I could bribe them with ice cream beforehand so they could behave and have it really be a quick trip through the aisles. Bad idea! Don't give your kids a sugar rush and expect them to behave. I should have saved it for after! When we got there, I had 3 missions : picking up a new foundation and lipstick for myself, check out something nice for Emerald (my...

This past week some days were cloudy, dark, and rainy with just a few hours of sunshine in between. And sometimes that's exactly the state of mind we fall in to. Cloudy, rainy and barely sunny.  I wallowed in self pity about almost everything and my mood was deteriorating fast.... it was like my mind went from Sunny Florida days to thunderstorms rolling in almost immediately like a typical summer afternoon. I was frustrated with my cravings and lack of weight loss despite doing more then ever before. I was frustrated with what seems to be the kids never ending fighting and bickering.  I was feeling annoyed by my husband despite him being the sweet loving guy who comes home to help me with dinner..... I was lamenting that right now is not a good time to pursue education.... I was even listening to the voice that says I can't blog about what I'm learning. ...... I haven't learned it yet. For the past two weeks, I was more attentive to my feelings then the word of...

I know.... what a dramatic title. But most of you who know me know one of my favorites is Christian hip hop. And in the words of Lecrae, this is something I've been thinking about a lot the past couple of weeks. "If I die tonight, I gon' know that I Gave this with my everything If I die tonight If I die tonight, you ain't gotta cry Cause I know that Heaven waits If I die tonight"- Lecrae I started trying to eat healthy and clean a couple of weeks back.  I figured I would start feeling better more energetic and this time around I'd finally conquer my weight. Except, I started feeling like I hadn't before. Tired. Out of breath. No energy. Headaches. Sweating and feeling hot almost daily.  At first, I thought it was just my allergies and the b-12 deficiency I've dealt with in the past. But it was worse. And soon, I felt I couldn't exercise or have the energy to meal plan at the end of the day I wanted to sleep. one day, I looked at my hands...