Meli's world

  I know it's been a while since I last wrote, so why not break the dry spell with what I've been going through and what I'm learning. School started about a month ago here in Florida. For my little one Emeli, that meant starting pre-k. I'm not sure what she envisioned it to be but she was super excited. She talked about it for weeks, we went shopping and she couldn't wait to start. The first week went ok. Then the next week, she hated the place. She was refusing to go. Crying about it at home. Didn't want to talk about school at all and just was making herself miserable and anxious about it. So we did what every parent would do and switched schools. She started there fine too. And it seemed to be a more hands on and playing curriculum than the other school. However a couple days into it, again she was refusing to go. Except this time we knew she loved it. She was coming home talking about her friends, all she did and how nice her teacher was. Thi...

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...

Today is the end of a season for our family. For the past 4 years my husband has had a second job to help cover expenses and to continue to provide for our family. Today I can happily say its his last day! He took on this job 4 years ago.. (when this picture was taken and we were expecting Emeli) and it has been a great blessing and income for our family as we  prepared for the new addition, to buy a home and just tackle all the expenses that come as homeowners and parents. We haven't gotten rich yet and we can still plan for those unexpected expenses but its no longer a necessity. Our focus as a family has shifted into having more time for one another, investing in the kids real family time, in friendships, and in continuing to serve in the Kids ministry at our church. We have realized there are things far more important than making money and time is something it can't buy. I have to say it scares me a bit to let go of the extra income, but I know I will love my husband ...

I think its awesome how God works with me in themes. I'll be going through stuff not knowing what's going on and He will point me in the right direction with just a song or a verse.  The past couple of weeks I have been consumed by a million little things. Colds, allergies, my husband, the kids, the volunteer hours, the budget, the bills, the appointments, my discipline and self control and failure to keep up with my eating, my exercising....and even things that I pick up from those that I love and I wish I could help. I didn't feel stressed or overwhelmed cause I rarely ever admit to it. But I haven't even felt like I could write.  However as I stopped at a red light yesterday, one of my favorite worship songs came on and at that red light that took two cycles to turn green on me, I had no choice but to be there soaking in the lyrics.  But the chorus really got me and it said::: "I'm running to your arms, the riches of your love will always be enough, not...