Meli's world

For the past 6 and half years, I have worked at an endoscopy center. I work for a group of gastroenterologists who perform their procedures here. Colonoscopies, a scope that looks into the colon and intestines, and Endoscopies, a scope that looks into the esophagus and stomach. Since then, I have learned first hand the effects of what we eat on the body. Indigestion, heart burn, diverticulitis, ulcers, polyps and even cancerous tumors. I rarely think of it since I work up front. I check them in, get them registered and rarely see them as they leave. Most of them are cranky from not eating the day prior or weak from the prep they take to clean their body. Some are scared. Some are nervous. People come for many reasons from constipation to diarrhea, abdominal pain, or bleeding. I have become so used to working here, I rarely think of the people that leave her with bad news. Until yesterday. Yesterday I was reminded the importance of getting your body checked out whenever you fe...

This afternoon as I checked Emmanuel's agenda and his graded work, I came across his spelling test. I was so proud to see 100% and a sticker across the top that read perfect, but my attention was also drawn to the bottom of the paper where the teacher made a smiley face and a heart. Emmanuel had written his teacher a note on the bottom of the paper that read "you're a great teacher"! -- and my heart smiled. Emmanuel up until now has been the type of kid who has no problem reading or writing. He excels in spelling and almost always gets 100% on his spelling test. He didn't need to write this for the teacher to give him a better grade, nor did he tell her this in front of the class to be teacher's pet or get recognition. When I questioned him about it, he told me how his class of 18 boys was being rowdy that day and barely listening to his teacher. He thought she was having a rough day and could use something to cheer her up. And that's where the less...

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 ...

Now that most of you know my story and everything my husband Emerald and I have been through, perhaps you will understand that the things I write about are lessons I've personally learned and the things that have made our marriage thrive and continually push forward. Getting married in our teenage years, it was like date night every night. We would eat out dinner after long days at work, or go out to breakfast before work. We would catch a movie or go for strolls at the mall randomly. So easy to do when you have no other priorities. We would go play tennis with friends at the park, go for walks, swims, or play video games. (yes we were teenagers). It was always exciting and it always gave us time to share our favorite activities and to talk about our days. However things change when you become parents. We moved in with my parents to save money during the pregnancy and never thought of how difficult that would be. Also, we had to get in saving mode for the addition to t...

That day in the car something changed. I heard God. I felt His love. I saw His forgiveness. I saw my sin. I saw how far I'd come and how much wrong I had done. I saw that I had made the idea of this perfect love my idol. And now that it failed me and it hadn't been perfect, I was ready to give up. I'd made Emerald my idol, and even in my idea of "love", I hadn't been able to love him wholly and pure. All that love wasn't even able for me to extend my forgiveness to him as he had to me in the past. That day had to be the day mercy came down and found me right there in my car. I can't quite explain it. It was like I had been given a new set of eyes. I could feel the hurt of betrayal yet I could feel His love fill my heart. I could see the mess I was in, but I could see the pieces He could put back together. I could decide to quit and have that be the end to my dream, but He showed me it could a new beginning. He wasn't only working in me, but ...

High school started with me trying to follow Christ and  be different. I was meeting new people and had the chance to change myself without any one knowing me. But I can say I still truly hadn't surrendered my pride, my needs or my heart to Jesus. The minute a cute guy told me he liked me I was back to wanting a relationship. It was a battle wanting to live a life free of sin and dealing with the real world and high school and all the temptations it had to offer. But I kept on going to church, learning more of the Bible.... And I kept on longing for a relationship, with respect and no cheating. I wanted love. A couple months into high school, I met my husband as most of you already know. He was so different. He was a senior and more mature than any guy I had dealt with. He was a great student. He was friendly, outgoing, respectful and didn’t have a “player” reputation. We became friends. We ate lunch together everyday and we had so much in common. He was a believer ...

  “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 There’s always so much you want to be able to teach your child. I wonder a lot if my teaching Is effective or if they will really remember all I say. Not only in the classroom education part of it, but in the person side of it. For them to be loving, caring, forgiven, to know truth, to stand for truth, etc.   And then there are those moments, where we learn something from our kids. And we are reassured that they are learning and my prayers for them to be able to stand up for their beliefs is working. Emmanuel, my oldest who is 6 is a little clown. He loves to talk and sing and is very outspoken.   He has always been one that I can have conversations with since he was 2. Quick to talk, quick to learn and way advanced for his years. In the past month, my husband and I have also had the privilege to be his teachers at church and go in further detail...