Blogging Break

Hi Friends and Family, Thank you for reading my blog over the past year or so. I'm taking a break, mainly so I have time to work on other things. One day I'll return, and I'll let you know. Blessings - melanie

Just the simple things

I have my husband back! hee hee Basketball for Scott and the boys was officially over MOnday pm when Zach's All Star team came in second place. We all wish they had won. But mostly I'm glad it's over. It exhausted all of us and challenged our marriage. Scott's being a coach and age commissioner for the community basketball league was more time consuming than we anticipated. He did a great, great job. I love to see Scott in action because his passion is youth sports and he is truly so great with kids. Such a motivator and encourager.

But I've missed the simple things. Last night Scott grilled hamburgers and then just the two of took the dogs for a walk. It's such great weather and we took the dogs to Champion Forest where they can run in the woods, and all that makes me so happy.

Today I cleaned and did laundry and did some work and i'm ready to leave tomorrow for the Hearts at Home conference in Detroit. How fun!

Where are you planted?

I was blessed yesterday by two things. First, I went to a Bible study group in Indian Trail. They had just finished doing the study at the end of my marriage book. So we just talked and I just shared some of the things God continues to teach me in marriage. They were such a fun and loving group, a group of women so obviously seeking God. So in doing ministry I was blessed. And you know, I've been so busy that just for a moment I had thought about not going. I'm so glad that I did, however, because it was such a great feeling knowing that the book I wrote helped women in their marriages.

Then my devotional ran yesterday and it was an invitation to have a relationship with the Lord, or to recommit to a relationship with the God who loves you. It was part of the devotionals that run through Proverbs 31 Ministry - see sidebar. I got an e-mail from the office that many people had responded that they accepted Christ. How amazing. How much fun it is to be obedient to God and to know that He's using me. There is truly no better feeling!

In Psalm 1:3, 4 we read:"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

So it makes me think about: Where are you planted? Wherever you are planted is the place God wants you to bear fruit, to take whatever that next step of obedience is, to cling to Him. And then we will bear fruit and prosper!

Company in town

I've been having fun with my relatives. My sister Natlie and her daughter Christi and her son Matthew came into town Saturday. Of course, we immediately were off to a basketball game, All Stars this weekend. I'm glad they got to see Zachary play. That was special. Christi is so fun and so grown-up - driving in just a few weeks. She and Natalie are starting a cleansing fast - does not sound like fun to me! But I admire them!

We celebrated Matthew's 13th bday by letting the boys skip school Monday to go to Dave and Buster's. We've had that planned forever, so even though Tyler missed last week with being sick - again - I let him go. Tyler has called Nat/Christi/matthew about a million times before they come to visit. Now of course he thinks he needs a cell phone - that 7 year old! I don't think so!!!!!!!!

Then Nat and Christi went up to the mountain house to enjoy some girl time, while Matthew is staying here in boy world. He just fits right in - likes to hang out and do the boy stuff, and he brought his unicyle - very cool.

I wish my relatives lived in town.

Heartlight devotional

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March 4, 2007




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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================

I Got God!, by Tammy Marcelain

Special Note: Tammy has been very open about sharing her son's
journey in his battle with a brain tumor and the challenges
involved with doctors, chemotherapy, radiation, and faith -- see
the links at the bottom of this page. She is part of The Coffee
Group.
Jack and I were sitting on the couch the other night. We were watching our favorite show, Deal or No Deal. This show drives me crazy. When I say "our favorite show," I mean my kids' favorite show. I just enjoy being a part of their excitement and listening to their advice for the contestants. My oldest son, Derek, is always pushing for the contestant to open one more suitcase. Jack and I are both saying take the money and go home. My daughter, Sophie, doesn't give her two cents very often.
Jack was playing his Game Boy at the same time we were watching the TV. He was sitting right next to me. The commercial for H & R Block came on the television. You've probably seen them. The punch line is, "I got people." You hear it a half a dozen times during the commercial.
At the end of the commercial, Jack, with his nose in his Game Boy, says, "I got mama." Tears, tears and more tears streamed down my face. I said, "Yes, you do Jack."
My meager human heart was swollen with emotion!
My meager human heart was swollen with emotion with those three words: "I got mama." I love Jack so much. Even now, to write those words makes me cry.
What must God feel when things are hard for us and we say in no uncertain terms, with no waiver in our voice, "I got God."
There was no waiver in Jack's voice when he said, "I got mama." Jack knows I can not fix his brain tumor, but I am by his side ALL the way .. and God is at our side ALL the way.
I don't know God's plans for Jack. I pray for healing, but I don't know if that is in God's big scheme of things. However, no matter which case gets opened, there is peace and confidence in knowing, "I GOT GOD!"
God has said,
"I will never fail you. I will never forsake you"
(Hebrews 13:5 NLT).
---------
(c) 2007 Tammy Marcelain and The
Coffee Group

Thank you, friends

I got so many supportive phone calls and emails after sending out a big prayer request last night. I had just hit the wall - tired, Scott leaving all week, basketball practice every night, speaking Weds. - and then Tyler woke up sick and the doctor said expect him to be out all week. Poor guy - and poor me:) is how I felt last night.

It's not my favorite thing to ask for help, or frankly, to need help. But man - i'm so glad I sent that email because I was just overwhelmed with love and support. I never would have felt that if I hadn't admitted my need.

My next post is from heartlight devotionals and it just put everything in perspective.

Things that have made me smile lately

1. Tyler talking with a lisp because he's missing his two front teeth

2. Sitting in the gym at a basketball game, with Scott on one side keeping the clock, and Zachary on the other side keeping the book.

3. My twin sister natalie and I were talking about how tired we are all the time- one of our favorite topics of conversation. She said, yeah, i decided to just accept it and i fix a big pot of coffee in the afternoon.

4. Natalie and her kids are coming to visit in a week!

5. Zachary made the All-Star basketball team.

6. Walking the dogs on a sunny afternoon.

7. I'm going to a conference in two weeks, started to think i need a couple more professional outfits - and was completely blessed with two new jackets this week. The first one came from wendy in the p31 office - she found a cute jacket at walmart for $1, and it fits great! Then my friend Debbie had a pink and brown jacket that doesn't fit and she brought it over Friday - and it fits and i love pink and brown. Isn't that cool?!

8. That I get to go this conference! I'm going to the Hearts at Home conference to help out my friend and fellow Proverbs 31 speaker,Renee Swope. It will be so much fun and the way it all worked out is a miracle.

9. Amy and Mike bought a new house!

10. Encouragment, challenge, prayers, and listening ears from good friends.

11. Hearing from two Bible study groups who did my What a Husband Needs from His Wife book/bible study.

12. Getting my hair colored and i like it.

13. And the one that made me laugh out loud. I woke up one morning with dog hair stuck to my night cream lotion - Emma, yellow lab #2, likes to sleep with a pillow. If you don't laugh, you'll cry!

Response to basketball and holy ground

This is a a response form my friend Butch Ferguson, who will soon have his own blog up and running. I liked it so thought you'd enjoy it too. He has a great sense of humor and a heart for God. His wife and my good friend Mandy will have a blog soon, too!

"Thanks for sharing your heart and your mission for God, even if He has you on short-term ground. Thanks for being obedient. Sometimes I am blinded to God's message and wonder if I would have been as discerning as Moses. If it were me confronted with a burning bush, I probably would have yelled, "fire", then try to stomp it out with my size 11 desert sandel. I may have even called for one of the faithful followers bring me a goats bladder of water to try to douse the fire. Either way, I would have snuffed out my opportunity to hear God. I'm ignorant that way. That's why I pray, almost daily, to have God keep me grounded and know that He is God. " Butch

Basketball and Holy Ground

No, I am not worshipping basketball! I'm just learning some things in the thick of basketball season.

We are a basketball family. And I am so thankful that God truly has given me the ability to enjoy this sport. I love watching my sons play and Scott coach. Maybe it all started went I went to the ACC tournie many years ago while I was pregnant with Zachary...

BUT - things have gotten over the top around here. Along with coaching Zach's team, Scott is an age commissioner for the community league. And right now we're in the tournament. This means there are games every night and all day sat and sun for about 10 days. So he has to be there.

Okay, okay, but THEN - there's more. We're using the Union Academy gym and Scott is in charge of opening and closing this gym every time it's being used. Not great, but okay, God we can handle this... but THEN - here's the tough part, Scott was out of town last week, not available to open and close the gym, so who do you think got to do that most nights? That's right, me.

So I have been praying every second because let me assure you this is not what I want to be doing. I have gotten busy. I'm preparing talks, writing book proposals, editing devotionals, trying to work out at the gym and keeping up with the rest of our lives.

And an amazing thing has happened. I have seen God's supernatural grace just land in me and He given me a gracious attitude. Most of the time:)

As I've been praying about it, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind Exodus 3:5 "... for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." This is where Moses stops to investigate the burning bush and then God speaks to Moses and tells him his calling.

We all have holy ground in our lives, a place made holy because God shows up. Moses was being a shepherd, pasturing the flocks, when God changed the common to holy. I think about how Moses could have just passed by that burning bush and really missed out on a lifetime of knowing God more intimately.

We have that same opportunity to see the holy ground right where we are. For me the holy ground in my life right now is basketball. I want to see God in this. I want to see his grace transforming me and breaking me free from any other strongholds in my life.

The sin tendency I have to fight against is anger and resentment and withdrawal from Scott. I really don't want to do that. Scott knows this has been too much, neither one of anticipated how demanding the schedule would be, he's not going to do it again next year, so why make all of us miserable? I don't want to punish Scott with my bad attitude, and I don't want to prove that I am right about this being too much. It is what it is... how will I let God in? How will I let God use this to make me more like Him? How will I trust Him in this? How will I partner with God to love Scott in this? I'm choosing God.

Deuteronomy 10: 20, 21: "'You shall fear the Lord our God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. He is your praise and He is your God...'"

Thankful for friends who seek God

Today I am feeling so thankful for friends who love and follow God.

Today Scott was feeling disgruntled and tired and grumpy and frustrated, mostly about some work stuff. I was gone this morning, and by the time I got home Scott had changed. He was at peace. I could just tell immediately. I asked him what was different. He said he just lost focus for a bit - and he remembered to put his eyes on the Lord, and it's going to be okay.

A friend just called to give me an update on something she had asked me to pray about. She was having a really bad attitude about a situation, and she was really frustrated and just vented some yesterday and asked for prayer.

And then this morning she did something incredible - instead of hanging on to that crummy attitude, instead of choosing to sin, she humbled herself this morning and fell on her face and told God she was just desperate for HIm. She knew that she needed to change her attitude but He was going to have to come through - and boy did He. The situation she was involved in had a good outcome and i could just hear in her voice the joy she found in obeying God!

Then the other friends who inpsired me are the Whalens. Marybeth's blog- see sidebar- is one of my favorites because some days it's about her every day life - which is very different from mine, and other days it's about more weighty matters.

The day that really stood out to me was "About paying off our college loan" on 2/14. her husband Curt blogs sometimes and she's got a link that day to his comments about their debt. It just moved me to tears because of their faithfulness to God. They could have taken an easier way out probably, they could have said this obedience is too hard - but they didn't. Step by step they have been faithful in paying off their debt.

So thank you my dear friends for your faithful example of following the Lord, of pressing into Him, knowing that He is the source of all we need and all we want to be. These friends are an example to me of Phillipians 4: 8,9: "Finally brethren, whaever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."