The Oasis Motel

It's amazing when you choose to be obedient....

So my latest adventure brought me to the Oasis Motel...  not a place that I had ever been before, but I now have fond memories of that small motel with the neon sign.

A group of friends and I began meeting on Friday nights to get together with the intent of being God's hands and feet.  So, last night we met at Vijay's apartment and prayed together for a while.  We sat in God's presence for a good while just "soaking" in his peace.  Then after a while we piled in a car and headed to downtown, the area we felt we were supposed to go. We prayed that God would lead us to exactly who He wanted.  We drove around downtown a little bit and ended up parking at the Day Center for the homeless.  There weren't many people there, but we parked and got out.

 We came upon three people just standing outside and they did not look like they wanted to talk, but Vijay introduced himself and asked what they were doing.  I offered some homeade brownies that I had made, but they declined.  We quickly found out that this was a family and they told us they were in "transition" and they also warmed up to us when they realized we just wanted to help.  They eventually ate some of the brownies and shared their full story.  Their 13 year old daughter was standing there with them and we found at that she just got registered for school at Central.  My heart went out to Caitlin.  I can't imagine so much uncertainty for a 13 year old.

I have to admit that once I heard their story and saw them at their vulnerable state, all my defenses came down too.  I wanted to help, really help.  All week I had that scripture in my head, "Lord, when did I give you something to eat?  When you gave it unto the least of these, you gave to me".  I felt like I had heard God say all week to me, "Melissa, love me.  Feed me, clothe me."

So, we found out that this family's greatest need was formula for their babies.  They had two little babies, Caleb and Alexis. They were 1 yr old twins.  We got to see them.  It's so hard to take a step back and look at this family standing on the curb of the day center with about 7 duffle bags full of stuff. .. It was all they had.  They weren't allowed to stay at the homeless shelter because you are only allowed to have one bag per person.  So, when we encountered Creed and Karis they were waiting for a ride because they were going to get a cheap motel that night.  They had found a ride with someone who had an SUV to carry all their stuff and take them to their motel.

We met the family at their motel and prayed with them and met a small need of formula for the babies.  The family was just completely overwhelmed and encouraged, and so were we.   I love just being open to God and allowing Him to use us in any way.  I pray that this beautiful family is taken care of in every way.  We heard more about their plans and I pray that their future is secure...  and with God I believe it will be.

Full of Surprises

Today has been a beautiful day.  It was one of those days that was full of surprises... the kind of surprises that bring such joy to your heart.

I was asked by one of my old professors to speak to his class.  I was honored that he would ask me.  So, today was the day.  I was able to wrap up things nicely at work and move on... then I received the phone call that I was going to get a rental car [surprise #1]... (this was a true blessing b/c a lady wrecked my car a week ago when she wasn't paying attention).  I have been without a car of my own for a week.  So, this was good news.

As I was driving over to my old University I was praying and thinking about what I needed to share with them.  I thought about what stuck out to me the most when I was at school...  and I remember that one of my favorite parts of sitting in class at ORU was when the professors would speak vision and believe in us to change the world... and they gave practical examples.

So, I was excited to share with this class.  I am not used to speaking in front of groups of people... sometimes I do great, other times I bomb it... but today went surprisingly good.  The students seemed to be engaged, but more than anything I was excited that I didn't get nervous and I was fully myself.  I passionately spoke about what God has placed in my heart.

I love serving the Almighty God who loves us and has a "New Earth" in store for us someday.  I can't wait to see it and be a part of it.  But, in the mean time, I look forward to bringing his Kingdom to this earth.  Come Lord Jesus, come.  And help us to be ready.

So... after my great and humbling experience (humbling because the class graciously prayed over me when I was done talking) [surprise #2] in sharing my journey with the students thus far, I drove by a fellow RA on campus who I served with in the program.  I honked obnoxiously until we both got out on some side road to find out that we were both at school for the same reason...  so we then went out for smoothies since we both had a couple hours to spare.  [surprise #3]

I was super encouraged by our conversation.  This woman of God has entered into the army and is leading so many to the Lord.  Her shining light of purity is evident for all to see and I know that she is impacting lives for the kingdom.  Her life is such a blessing to me.

SIDE NOTE: You have no idea who you are encouraging with your life, by simply living for God unashamedly.  This beautiful friend of mine is such an encouragement because she is living her life in fear of God.  She boldly stands for purity in a place where so many don't understand why she chooses to honor God.... but its so worth it.   ::Keep it up Christie!!!!!::

So, then I am waiting on a ride from the rental car company to pick me up and guess who comes to my rescue from the heat... yeah, thats right, the lady picking me up from the rental car company happens to be a good friend of mine who served with me on a missions trip with the 8th grade girls this past spring break.  I was SOO excited to see her behind the wheel.  [Surprise #4 ]

After my smoothie chat with Christie I ran home to get ready for a wedding.  (Which I will note I got ready in record time).  The wedding was beautiful, complete with a surprise music video for the groom. The groom wept as his new wife sang to him and poured out her love.  It was precious.

At the wedding I ran into a lady who works in the same office building as me.  We talked about the LSAT and she informed me that she was also planning to take it in December.  She suggested we study together, which I thought was a good idea.   But... have you ever met someone and thought, I wonder if we could be study buddies.  I mean.... is this lady out of my league, or what.  Well, it turns out in this case that she is WAY OUT OF MY LEAGUE!!!  She confessed that she scored in the 97th percentile on the test when she took it years ago, and recently she was upset because she took it and she only made it into the 88th percentile.  I was shocked.  I would love to have that score.

THEN...  she proceeds to tell me that she actually used to teach the test!!!  I couldn't believe it!  She is an  incredibly resource! [surprise #5]  All I can say is WOW God!  haha, I love your ways!  Here's to a happy girl!  I am overwhelmed by God's goodness.

This week I truly questioned my future and what I needed to do, but daily God has confirmed for me that I am doing what he wants me to.  ::Sigh::

I looked around all day and thought to myself, if God ever takes me away from this City I will truly miss it and all the wonderful people in it.  I absolutely love running into people I know especially when there are half of a million people in the city, and it happens SO often!  I mean what are the odds that I go throughout my day not planning to see anyone I really know and I run into SO many good friends. :)  Loving life.  Thank you God.

The Soldier

I recently found a note I wrote about some thoughts I had over a lunch break while sitting under a tree downtown watching people go by... I thought it interesting that God put this on my heart back then, and I just now found it because he has placed similar things on my heart again.

---Originally written on 8/6/10---

We're in a battle but don't know it. I can hear the battle cry, I see the casualties. I remember smalll glimpses here and there of forewarnings, but we're here. There are two battles that I am talking about. And the one foreshadows the other in such a glaring way. Our nation is at war, yet I never think about it - I don't see the blood, I'm not affected. I know and have the knowledge that people are really dying - and their families are suffering a great deal, but honestly I don't think about it too often. I only hear rumors. People say war is waging... but I don't hear it. It's so far away. Is it real? Others say, who cares...why are really fighting anyway? We have an enemy blatantly calling out our name yelling, "American, you christian...yes you... I hate you and I will kill you, but I won't stop there. I will teach my people, my children and their children to kill and hate you." - I see that... sort of, but its voice just isn't loud in my life... so I move on in my life.

This parallel to the greater battle going on is all too simialr. We are in a war, people are dying- I see the living dead all around me; those walking around with targets on their foreheads, myself included, yet the voice just doesn't seem to be very loud... so I move on with my life.

There is another person in the first battle worth mentioning... the soldier. The soldier is fully alert and attentive to the war being waged around him. He in fact heard about the war - and became alarmed. But he didn't stop there. He dressed for war and got involved. He became engaged. He knew that what he was hearing, even though he didn't see it, was true. He believed and knew in his heart that he was called to fight, not just for himself, but his children and their children. The soldier never allowed himself to fall asleep. He took up his responsibility and he did that because he was called and he knew it. In a soldier's mind he makes a decision to fight, but only because he already knows that he has greatness to give. He knows he is needed... and knows that there will be a battle lost if he doesn't fully engage.

2 Corinthians 10:3-7

Be fully alert and fully engage.

More Changes

I went to catch up with a friend over coffee tonight... which is one reason I am writing this post at 12:00am in the morning... I'm not tired at all, but I have to be up for work in 6 hours. Dang caffeine. You would think that by now as a grown woman I would heed the warnings I am giving myself as I order coffee, knowing fully that my body is super sensitive to such drinks.

Anyway, so lots has changed since I last wrote. I took the LSAT today in order to apply for law school. A big change in my life that I didn't see coming at all. Until 3 months ago, I would have never considered attending law school or pursuing anything remotely similar. But then again, life is not always what you expect it to be.

Back in January I desperately wanted to pursue a mentor, so I did. I had been thinking about a couple at my church that teaches financial peace classes and I knew that this couple was married, passionately in love with God, practical, disciplined, and those were all qualities that I was looking for in a mentor. So, I excitedly called them after thinking about it for probably two months. I garnered up all the courage that I had to meet them at a small deli in the area. They told me that I would probably be the only one to come, which I leaped for joy on the inside because I seriously wanted some one on one attention.

SIDE NOTE: This generation is SUPER hungry for mentors, whether we talk about it or not.

Okay, back to the story... so I met them at a deli with full intentions and hopes that these people would be willing to let me in their lives, because I really wanted some raw, real advice about life. I have at least figured out that the verse which says, "to be wise you must walk with the wise, " is definitely true. Needless to say, whether these people knew it or not, I was freaking out in my car on the way over, coaxing myself and reassuring myself that it was a good idea to be vulnerable.

So, when I got there, I did just that. They asked me about my life and I didn't hold back. I told them my hopes, dreams, aspirations, faults, and my present situation. They were great and I was super grateful for their loving response. Many circumstances kept us from meeting until 2 months later. So, come March I was ready to go over in detail my budget with this sweet couple. But, God obviously had other plans.

The wife of the couple graciously told me that she was so excited about our first meeting that she had discussed my life with several individuals since that time. I was quite shocked by this, but certainly overjoyed that she had taken such an interest in me. She continued to tell me that with what I wanted to pursue and with the dreams that God has placed in my heart that I really need to continue my eduation by either pursuing my MBA or going to law school. Now, getting my masters in some field was not a foreign idea. In fact, I had been thinking a great deal about continuing my education, but I had always said that I would not go back to school unless I knew exactly what I wanted to do and had a plan, because I don't want to aimlessly spend money or time.

With that said, I was not against the idea of going back to school, but I was definitely against the idea of being an attorney. My first reaction was like vomit coming from my mouth without any hesitation... I immediately exclaimed, "Law school!?! I hate attorneys! First of all, I would never make any money, because I would probably do everything pro-bono. And what would I do? I know, I would be an international trafficking victims attorney. Ha!"

But all of this rolled off my tongue so easily that I wondered who exactly was speaking. And after that night I couldn't stop thinking about what she had suggested and even more so, my response... an international trafficking victims attorney.

So, for the next couple weeks I ran into people who were either planning to attend law school or the like and I found myself asking all kinds of questions. I once again shocked myself by my own level of inquiry.

Needless to say, after much thought, prayer, some fasting and a lot of counsel, I decided to take the LSAT to go to law school. Everything has happened so fast. I never thought that I would be here. I really have never had a desire to be an attorney. I love the idea though of standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves. I love the idea of having an impact on our justice system and working with organizations in order to make sure that our laws our ready to enact justice.

On that note, I had an important conversation with my cousin years back regarding government's role in enacting justice especially for those of us who are Christians. I had been internally struggling with the notion that God is forgiving, so why shouldn't we extend that mercy to others. This may be common sense to some, but until I heard it aloud I hadn't fully grasped my stance on the issue. Yes, God is a forgiving God. He forgave me. But the government's role is not to give mercy, but instead establish justice. Often times, people will finally confront the sin in their life when they encounter certain repercussions for those actions. This in turn may be the most gracious notion that an individual will receive as sin separates us from God, and separation from God is damnation forever.

New Season

Ready or not, here it comes... A new season that is...

I turned 25 today or a quarter of century, however you want to look at it. It's crazy to think about. But more importantly, I found out today that a dear dear friend is moving away.

I remember being at her wedding and she knew that she and her husband would be living in a different city than anybody else and I could tell it was a heavy load to bear. I wanted so much to say that I'm here for you, but i couldn't bring myself to say it, because I told God.... I would never say something like that unless I could truly stand next to her through all that God would take her. Well... I remember the prompting of Holy Spirit to encourage her in this specific way, I was taken back because I knew that if God wanted me to say something like that, it would only be because I could mean it... and mean it I did. God opened up a door for me to work in the same city.

For these past 3 years, my heart has become so close to hers. She is so dear and so precious to me that I cannot explain it. I know that God is faithful and that he has a beautiful plan for each of us. It will be so hard to let go of such a close friendship. I know that our friendship will not end, but I will certainly miss seeing her every Tuesday, every other Monday, every Saturday night, random Fridays, occasional lunches and even more sporadic sleep overs.

I also know that as God moves them into a new season that He is also moving me into a new season. This couple was the closest thing i had to family in this city. I am so grateful for their love, encouragement, grace, laughter, tears, and friendship. But just as the Lord is faithful, I know that He would not let me or my friends stay in place of contentment if He knew that a new season and place would be better, even if it wasn't easy. I know this transition for them may be difficult and extremely trying but the end result will be more beautiful than they could ever imagine... for both of us.

I look forward to the day that we can look back and smile so big realizing that this transition was so necessary for God to do the incredible things that took place in our lives.

In the meantime, I choose to trust my Creator who loves me and has a master plan in place to orchestrate me life. How comforting... : )

Focused Thoughts

I have currently been reading from Tom Minnery's "Why you can't stay silent." I read tonight about Wesley and William Booth. They each suffered greatly for the gospel, but they had a part in changing their culture because they knew the truth and they knew they had to share it.

Booth and Wesley are obvious examples of people who stood up for truth, but I really love the more obscure examples like Tom Wilson...a Vermont farmer moved by his convictions concerning God's plan for marriage. He called up some friends and they had a meeting with seven neighbors, but that grew to hundreds, than thousands and lead by the church leaders to preserve the culture.

The premise of Minnery's book is that as Christians we are called to be salt and light in our world. It is not enough to just disagree silently, you must talk about it and take Biblical stands publicly, because this is what preserves our culture.

Excited to read on...

Eternal Thinking

Unfortunately due to my culture I sometimes find myself thinking in one liners to post on facebook... a sad reality, but true nonetheless.

The latest would look something like this....

"I find I'm not so selfish when my thoughts are focused on eternal things."

When I find myself down about something its usually because I haven't applied eternal thinking. I have personally seen this verse lived out in my life: Seek first the Kingdom of God his righteous and all these things shall be added.

Delight yourself in the Lord and HE willl give you the desires of your heart.