Christ's Call to Love Others

Sometimes it is just hard to love people. But Christ does not ask us to "try" and love other people. He commands us to.

I have had one of those days where in and of myself I cannot love another person. But guess what? I can love this person through the power of Christ. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So, I will pray, ask forgiveness from the Lord and start another day tomorrow with the hopes of seeing everyone else through Christ's eyes.

WOW - Busy, busy, busy

WOW I have been busy. I never thought I would be so busy not to be able to even think....but, yet I have been.

We sold our car (thanks to my internet friend, Jen) and have scaled down to a little get around town car. We are concentraing our efforts on being with the kids while they are still here and also figuring out where we are supposed to be giving our money and time for what really matters (hope that makes sense.)

When I was in high school I had to keep a "stream of consciousness" notebook. I had to write whatever I was thinking all the time. So I am going to revert to that for this post.......

Soccer seaseon is over. Basketball season is starting. Christmas. Money. Keep in touch with friends. Be a good mom. TRY to be a good wife. Think about my Dad and brother - figure out what to do to make sure they are taken care of. Talk more to my sister. Marcie and Meagan. Finish the upstairs of the house. Re-cover the furniture. Make a good breakfast for the kids. Get the car shipped off to California. Get my hair cut. Try not to be critical or pre-judge, for I have been there. Don't think about the worship team figuring out "Cry Out to Jesus" . Pay the bills. Turn the heat down to save money. Pray for Patty, pray for my children, pray, pray, pray.... etc., etc., etc...

There. That is my mind - scary, I know. Love, Melissa

P.S. - Head on over to http://www.prayersforthepeopleyoulove.com/ to read the latest devotion.

Life

This is our house the day AFTER Halloween because I didn't have a camera the night of Halloween, sad, but true. Anyways, MORE importantly,

This is an excerpt from a Beth Moore study I am doing and I wanted to share it because I have found it to be so true in my own life:

"Life is found by losing it for Christ's sake. A vessel is filled by pouring out. The key to receiving is giving. The key to living is dying to self. The greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all. God has been right ALL along. His upside-down path is the only way to true contentment and satisfaction. This world's claim of happiness is betrayed by an ever-increasing lust for more. Nothing EVER suffices. Nothing EVER will. Christ ALONE satisfies the human soul."

Love,

Melissa

THANK YOU

for the two donations we have received for Chris to be able to go to the National Youth Conference in Atlanta!

Have a great day,

Melissa

This is going to be a very busy week, so I doubt I will get to post much.

The kids are going to be in a soccer tournament in Columbia, TN this weekend and we will leave Friday night and come back Sunday afternoon. They are very excited, especially Jacob because he will get to see his best friend while we are up there.

Also, because of my job change and also because of our barely being able to afford gas prices at the price they are at, we have made the decision to sell our Expedition and get something smaller. If you know of anyone who might be interested, PLEASE let us know. We have never had any trouble out of it. It needs new tires and a back headlight put in, but we are willing to do that before we sell it. It is a wonderful car for hauling kids around and I am really going to miss it, but the hubby thinks this is the way to go. Anyways, I am praying that everyone has a great week and stays safe. Love,

Melissa

PLEASE LISTEN

This has been one of my favorite songs for awhile. I felt very led to post it tonight. Someone needs to hear it!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MOb8ihacSM4

You HAVE to see this:

http://tinyurl.com/yxewot

Lost Hair Clips

I was racing around the house this morning (as usual) and needed a hair clip to put up my hair. Now-a-days it seems like I have to consistently go to work with my hair wet (Mom is always last in the shower) and so I just have to clip my hair up and run out the door. I hunted and hunted and hunted throughout my bathroom, bedroom, the girls' bathroom and bedrooms and could NOT find a hair clip to save my life. In my house they are like socks that dissappear in the dryer. I buy them and they always get lost or misplaced (no comment from my friends and family about that!)

The thought came to my mind that we are a lot like those hair clips. If we have given our lives to Christ, then God has bought us and owns us, just like I own those hair clips. Nevertheless, a lot of times some of us are lost from Him or we have gotten broken. Personally, I have been both! The good news is that God will always keep hunting for us and the other great news is that He can restore us when we are broken. What a great God we serve!

From a former prodigal with love and blessings to all,

Melissa (NO, I didn't ever find a hair clip. You don't even want to know what I look like today! :)

National Youth Conference 2007 Atlanta

I am going to be attending a National Youth Conference in Atlanta on November 16th through the 19th with a few people from my church, including our Youth Pastor. Our church allocated a certain amount of money for this event and therefore only myself and two others were going to go. Chris would also like to attend, but the cost for him to go would be $225.00 plus hotel expenses for 2 nights (basically a total of about $450.00)

We originally thought Chris would be working in downtown Atlanta on those dates and that we would be able to expense at least 2 of my hotel nights and that he would have to be working at his job while I attended the conference.

Since then, his work dates have been changed until December and he would really like to attend the conference with me.

Chris and I have both very recently, since Fall Break, rededicated our lives and our marriage to Christ (even though we have both been Christians for a long time, there were still big areas of our lives that we had not let go of and given over to God). We both feel led to be involved in the Youth ministry in our church and have for some time now.

We are humbly asking that family and friends consider contributing to Chris being able to go with me to this conference and would appreciate any donation that anyone feels led to give. Lord willing, he will receive enough to go, but if not we are going to try and make up the difference. Any contribution should be sent to:

Winchester Cumberland Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 176
Winchester, TN 37398

Notate on Check: Chris/Melissa Brown - Youth Conference 2007

Thanks to everyone for reading this VERY wordy and confusing blog and also thanks to anyone who might consider donating a small contribution. Have a great week and love to all,

Melissa

Psalm 40:1-16

Fall Break

Okay, I don't even know how to begin really. Chris and I went to Destin, Florida last weekend with another couple and no children. It was a LOAD of fun! We dealt with something called the "Red Tide" (research it) while we were there and that was bad, but because we were with friends it didn't seem to matter so much. Also, someone caught a 844 pound Mako shark while we were there on Saturday. NICE..............

Both Abby and Emma made the basketball team and that was very exciting. The day after, Abby got to go to Gatlinburg with a friend and a few days later Emma got to go to my sister's house in Nashville. (I think Jacob just liked not having the girls around! :)

I am SO SORRY that I haven't posted in awhile. Life is busy and time is short, but I do know that I love you all and that I keep everyone in my prayers. I have been having a very hard time coping with the stresses of life lately and have felt myself slipping down a slippery slope lately and I am just so glad that God is such a loving and forgiving God!

Love,

Melissa