In four short sleeps...

It's crazy to think that in 4 (very short) sleeps and 3 quick days my life will change. I don't just think it will change. I know it will change. God has been so very gracious to hand pick me for such a journey with an amazing team and to experience such an amazing change to come. It has been my prayer that God just open my heart and mind to anything he wants to show me about myself, about my life... anything. It is also my prayer that I be consistent with those things even after my return. I know God has great things in store for the "RoMed" team! The journey so far to this point has been one that I just love to share because it can only be written by the Lord himself... nothing I did... painted this picture that is about to unveiled. He has broken me, opened my eyes, humbled me, provided for me and held his truths (as always).  We serve such an amazing Savior and I am so blessed that He calls me his.

This past Friday, I went to a wonderful surgeon at Baptist Springhill to figure out all this discomfort and worry I have been experiencing. He said that it could be just a severe muscle strain, a small hernia or maybe even both. But (the good news) I am okay to travel! I cannot lift anything to heavy but I am at a very low risk of having the hernia rupture on this trip. What is even more neat: My doctor has been to Romania and made me feel more at ease about the health care there. Now, the hernia will need to be fixed with time because it will get bigger and bigger. But I can live with a diagnosis like that! Did I mention that God is so good?

During my trip, I will have times where I have access to the internet. As much as I would love to email individuals... this could be time consuming and I doubt I'll have much time! So to keep everyone (who is interested) updated I will update my blog about what God is doing and about the team! I cannot wait to share!

I am finalizing my packing (hopefully tomorrow!) I ask that prayers go up for all of the RoMed team. I pray everyone's suitcases meet weight limits, flight restrictions and customs guidelines to ensure a smooth travel. I pray for our supplies suitcases, that they make it with no issues and can be used to better the life of these amazing people in Romania. I pray for the hearts of the people that we will be touching. Maybe we'll just plant a seed, maybe we'll water the seed or maybe (how awesome) we could see a flower bloom from souls that need the Lord so desperately! In any case, I pray for them. I ask for prayers of safety, energy, love and endurance. The power of prayers are amazing... so don't forget!

I am heading to the missions service at Faith Missionary Baptist on Wednesday night! I will hopefully post one more time before I head out Friday morning!

Until next time.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Melissa

Prayer Request!

Hey everyone! I am going to drop a short "prayer request blog" before I hit the bed tonight!
Tomorrow I am going for my ultra sound appointment for my hernia. After that hopefully things will move fast! I have a surgery consult Friday and surgery lined up for Monday to repair my hernia. I appreciate all of the prayers from everyone and encouraging words. I would like to send a special thanks to the FBC prayer group that prayed for my healing tonight. God certainly can heal me. I believe it. He is such an awesome God.

I promise to keep you guys posted! But pray, pray, pray! Pray for healing. Pray for the doctors handling my case. Pray for my sanity as I prepare and pack for my journey. Pray for my family as they endure this right along side me. (On that note, I seriously think my parents could single handedly run the world. They are the reason why I have a consult and surgery scheduled... all in one day!) Most of all, pray for the RoMed team that I will be apart of. I feel as though God has put a wonderful team together to do amazing things in Romania. Pray for our strength, spiritually and physically as we endure some tough work days ahead. But days that are surely going to be filled with abundant blessings and lessons learned. Pray for our safety as we complete 23 hours of travel!

God is so so good and has provided me a wonderful family, boyfriend and friends who all are so supportive and encouraging through this time.

Until my next update... hopefully soon following tomorrow!

Live. Laugh. Love.
Melissa

Prayers, Peace. Patience.

In 10 days, I will be on my way to Romania! Time has FLOWN by. In true fashion (like with any big event), obstacles are beginning to take shape which can only be the enemy trying to dampen spirits. Luckily, I have a God bigger than any sitation big or small. Now, to pray for peace, patience and understanding, is a lot easier said than done. But I am asking for each and everyone of you to pray,  pray, pray!
For the last week or so I have been having pain in my lower right side. Most of the time it is just a dull ache but if I sneeze, cough, laugh or move suddenly just right it is a very sharp uncomfortable pain. So I paid the doc a visit to confirm that I have a hernia. They did run other tests (the results will be in in the a.m.... we hope) to rule out any infections. Next we'll have an ultra sounds and more likely than not a surgery to correct it. You could imagine my panic (and my parents panic) this situation when in 10 days I will be away from U.S. healthcare and in a foreign country! Crazy! 

So just pray for healing and pray for quickness but thoroughness by the right doctors! I appreciate everyone's excitement and encouraging words and prayers!! I'll keep everyone updated!

Live. Laugh. Love.

Melissa

A month out!

Wow! I can hardly believe how fast time has flown by! Can you believe in about 3 1/2 months Christmas will be here... CHRISTMAS!!?!?? God has been so faithful to me this year and led me through some dark times. But with the dark times... he led me into some very bright moments in my life. I want to give a little update on my life since I have been really lacking on the blogging end... you know... being a big girl might do this to a girl. Haha!

I am ONE MONTH out from Romania... actually 27 days! I am so excited for what God has in store for our team that he is hand picked to do his work! I feel like I should be making lists and packing. I ought to get on that! I am just really curious on how to pack for the weather! I ask that everyone just pray for our team as we go and do A LOT of extractions in just a short 8 days! Pray that God will be evident in our spirits and the people of Brasov will see him through us. I get chills thinking about it! We recently had our "Packing  Party" where we have about 6 suitcases full of medicine and supplies ready to go! All of which are under 50 pounds! :)! God is so faithful to provide all of that for us! Any overseas traveling advice would be MUCH appreciated from anyone!

I am officially a team member of Burleson Family Dentistry as I have completed my 90-day probationary period. Can you believe, THREE MONTHS of working!? Crazy! I am so excited to see where God leads my career. I have grown so much in those short three months! God is so good and has blessed me endlessly already!

In late September, a wonderful woman named Barbara and I will be kicking off Secret Keeper Girls at FBC Cabot for girls ages 8 to 12! It is a study for Moms and Daughters! If you know anyone who would be interested! Have them contact me or sign up in the commons at FBC the next 3 Sunday mornings! I am so excited about this study and to get to know a new group of girls! God has really planted a seed in my heart for young women and has led me to some neat places with them!

9 months to the day I found out about my issues with cervical cancer, I am cancer free and abnormal cell free! Praise God for this. I will go for another check up in December but things are beginning to look promising! What a year?!

I have a wonderful "special someone" in my life who has caught me by complete surprise. He literally came out of no where in really unique timing. I am sure he will be making more appearances on my blog! But God has already blessed me through him and has shown me what a true sweetheart and gentleman and more importantly man of God looks like. I am so thankful for him and his little one, they have been my smile on days where I didn't think I could. God has shown me that he will provide whom he wants for me, not what I had set out for myself... and for that I am FOREVER grateful! 

Well, it is a big family weekend for this Labor Day weekend! I pray that everyone has a safe holiday and be smart! Enjoy the people God has provided in your life and don't take them for granted.

Today is a great day because God let me laugh with my "recycled teenager" of a Grandma (yes she did say that herself! Haha).

Live. Laugh. Love.

Melissa

He said it.

"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24 MSG)

How often do we forget as Christians that God is completely dependable? If you really think about it (and I know I am guilty of this), we ask "Why?" a lot. "Why didn't I get this job?" "Why can't I look like that?" "Why have I experienced so much hurt when I remain so faithful?" "Why me?" But why are we asking why to God... the God of EVERYTHING. He has a purpose in EVERYTHING. God knit EVERY fiber of my being and literally knows every depth of my mind and soul. Therefore, in all logic, I know that I should know that he knows (wow that's a mouth full!) everything about me. So why do I ask why? God is the most dependable person. He just asks us to seek him first above all else and find ourselves consumed in his Word and promises. I have learned the answer to "Why?" is often a short distance to your knees or a turn of a page away.

I want to reiterate again: God... the God of EVERYTHING knit EVERY fiber of my being. Not only did He knit every fiber of my being but He made it "whole" in him. He turned my sinful imperfection to perfection. To think EVERY fiber... tiny cells... DNA... all are so complex. But by the hand of God... He simply knit me together.. perfect by His saving grace. Precious Lord, thank you, THANK YOU for your grace. I have had the interesting privilege of seeing a human cadaver in a gross anatomy lab setting. If you ever get the rare chance to do this or even just study on the complexities of the human body, do it. To see every muscle, nerve, tendon, bone... every fiber woven and wired together to create life, GOD DID THAT. To hold a heart that once was beating and lungs that took breath in...GOD WIRED THAT. The answer to "Why?" is so simple with God when you think about Him in this manner... "Why?" Because you gave me precious life, Lord. Life that has been made perfect by your sacrifice. You took the fall for me. 

God calls us, He commands us and He guides us through his word, convictions and visions. This past year, God has proved to me every day how dependable he is, even when I doubt. He calls, He says it and He does it. He is ever faithful. Lord, take my "Whys" and turn them into instant "Because God CAN"s. 

I read this in my quiet time today and I think it is fitting to the times when we feel defeated and don't remember God's dependence. Psalm 17: 16-19 (A prayer of David) NIV: "He reached down from on high and TOOK HOLD OF ME; he drew me out of deep waters. He RESCUED ME from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster BUT THE LORD WAS MY SUPPORT. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me BECAUSE HE DELIGHTED IN ME." God said and he does.

Today is a great day because God says and always does... even when the "does" isn't what you expect at all.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Melissa

 

Patience

My mother has no idea that I'm writing this but here you go Mom! My Mom is such a woman of God and has such a heart for serving others and for the Lord. She has such a strength in prayer and in patience. Only my Mom can begin to understand how she has taught me patience and strength in prayer since I was a very little girl. I thank her everyday for her patience with me, our family, our hard times... everything. I am so thankful for her heart. She posts encouraging statuses on her Facebook every day. Today she posted this:

"Patience with others brings peace to our own soul. Lord, help me to display patience even when I do not feel patient because everyone will benefit, but me most of all."

I never considered the thought of being patient with someone bring myself peace until I read that because I am seeing that first hand. When we are patient, we are more in tune with God, others and ourselves, even if it is with someone else. Thank you God for giving me the ability to be patient. I pray to use it more often. 

So I will be patient and count my blessings that God gives me for doing so. It's funny how God reveals the most to us when we choose to remain silent. He gives us strength for decisions that lie ahead.

Today is a good day because I was patient and felt better.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Melissa 

 

I Need You

This is a song that I heard at Super Summer 2006, I believe. It's called "I Need You" by The Swift. It is such a beautiful song about how we go through this life and we really do try to do it on our own. But here's the deal: we don't have to. We become so worn out and so tired trying to be in charge of ourselves when this life isn't ours to begin with. We need to Lord and his perfect grace so much than we admit. I am so thankful that he gives such a perfect grace to me when I truly don't deserve it.

You can download the song on iTunes if you are interested, enjoy!
"My heart is restless in me
My wings are all worn out
I'm walking in the wilderness
And I cannot get out

I need You, oh I need You
Blessed savior come
I need You, oh I need You
Fill the every longing of my soul

Oh how I need You Lord
I need Your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today

And my bed is soaked with sadness
My sadness has no end
A downward spiral of despair
That I keep falling in

I need You, oh I need You
To You my soul shall fly
I need You, oh I need You
Yahweh how I love you more than life

Oh how I need You Lord
I need Your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today

Your silence is like death to me
So won't You hear my desperate plea

Today my soul is soaring
Way over mountains high
Though I can see the valleys
They are all just passing by
Its not that I am stronger
Look at my feeble wings
But I've been lifted higher
Yahweh's lifted me in His own strength

Oh how I love You Lord
I love your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The God who always will endure
Now I will celebrate
For all the thousand ways
That you have shown me grace

And made my heart in grace to stay
You made my heart in grace to stay
Lord, make my heart in grace to stay
I need You, oh I need You"

I have two favorite parts in this song. First:
"Oh how I need You Lord
I need Your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today"

Second:
"Oh how I love You Lord
I love your perfect word
With tearful eyes I see
The God who always will endure
Now I will celebrate
For all the thousand ways
That you have shown me grace"

I fail him... yet he shows me endless grace. Thank You, Lord.

Today is a good day because I received grace when I didn't deserve it.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Melissa