Meli's world

Last week we celebrated the beginning of us. 12 years since I became your girlfriend and my life has never been the same. I decided I wanted to write you a letter like those we wrote in class so many times and folded in a special way. I don't know what we thought in our teenage minds about life, but one thing was for sure, I loved our friendship. You made me smile and I couldn't wait to go to school just to see you the next day waiting by the gym like you always did You were smart, funny, and had a fresh humor... you were able to insult.me and compliment me in the same sentence. You challenged me to speak up, to not wear make up, to do things that would make me uncomfortable and help me grow.... you helped my English and did my homework for Algebra 2..... you took buses and taxis just to see me. You would take the city bus all the way to Albertsons with me just so I wouldn't be alone. You spoiled me with all types of stuffed animals and surprises. You introduced me ...

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 ...

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...

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to win through the radio, registration for a marriage retreat about 1 hour away from us. It was being held at the Marriot in Delray Beach. This was the perfect getaway for my husband and  I to spend time with each other and learn more about marriage. Marriage after all is one of the most important missions we have as we create and raise our family. I was so ecstatic when I received the call, that we had won! It was an amazing privilege because one: its hosted by Focus on the Family, one of the ministries that helped us get our marriage back on track a couple years ago, and two because this year is our tenth anniversary and I always envisioned having a wedding and renewing our vows. Though that isn't possible just yet , the conference did end with us renewing our vows! It was an amazing experience to be able to have this romantic getaway, but also to see over 300 couples from 23 states gathered to improve their marriage. Some couples ...

       As most of you may already know, I wasn't 16 and pregnant, like the popular MTV show. Instead I was 16 and married. Yes married before I graduated, or officially got my driving license. Married before I got an actual job and before I knew what marriage was really going to require.     I met my husband my freshman year in high school and for many months only looked at him as a friend to share my "boy" drama with. But after many lunches, conversations, hanging out, inviting him to my church, dancing at my quince, and skipping many electives together, I was in love with my homeboy, my friend. And all of a sudden, all the guys that I was entertaining as potential suitors didn't matter anymore. Not after Emerald called my house on a Tuesday night while I was watching American Idol, to confess his love for me. I remember seeing his family name on the caller I.D and almost falling off my bed to get the phone to tell him my sister wasn't ho...

Do you have a garden? I don't. I'd love to have fresh fruits and veggies available for me in my own backyard, but honestly I just wouldn't want to put in the work. There's a lot of planting involved, soil, water, getting dirty, keeping insects away... Totally not my thing. I don’t mind paying more for my produce at a market just to avoid the work required to grow it! Last month, as I was reading blogs on marriage as I always do (one of my favorite subjects); I came across a 30 day husband encouragement challenge. It gave daily instructions on what topic you'd be encouraging your husband on like character, generosity, honesty, and even physical appearance. During the 30 days, I was also not allowed to say anything negative to my husband or about my husband to anyone. Sounded easy enough. The point? To sow in your husband love, patience, understanding and grow stronger as a team by pushing your partner. I decided to take on the challenge, not because he needed e...