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Behind the Scenes: Insignificant

January 21, 2014 by Mel · 14 Comments

I’ve shared this photo in this space a few times.

I think it’s cool, and it’s one of my hubby’s favorites, too…in fact, the first time I posted it (the first of about six times…) he commented that he was glad more people were going to see it. 😉

I like it for lots of reasons. Let’s see…I’m sitting by the ocean watching the waves.

I’m in flip flops.

Oh, and I have a TAN. (Sorry, it’s January in the Midwest…aren’t we ALL dreaming of the tropics by now???)

Anyway, there’s actually a story behind this photo, too…one that I love to think about, especially when I realize that it’s been FIVE YEARS since this photo was taken. Wowza, time flies.

We were living in Indonesia at the time and had escaped the hustle and bustle of the city for a desperately-needed Thanksgiving break at the beach.

Now some of you might think, Oh, Indonesia. Lots of islands. Lots of beaches.

Yes, that’s true…but it doesn’t mean those beaches are easy to get to, especially when you also live in the middle of mountains. 😉 This particular beach was about a five hour drive…with a little stop to fix a flat tire on the way, too. It was also about 80-100 miles from our home in Bandung…how’s that for travel perspective? 😉

Our time at the beach was full of the kinds of things I like to do on vacation…sunshine, swimming, resting in a hammock, reading, playing games, eating seafood, more sunshine.

It was a good few days to just be.

And I remember, as Sunday afternoon rolled around and we faced leaving and going back to life…a life we loved, but also a life that was exhausting…that I needed a few moments to think.

And so I wandered out to the beach by myself, sat down on the (really, really toasty) sand, and watched the waves crash.

I didn’t know hubby was behind me with the camera, and he snapped a few shots of me as I just sat there and thought.

And what I love about this picture is that I look insignificant.

Tiny.

So very small, compared to the vastness of my Father’s creation.

And that’s exactly how I felt that day, too.

He was doing something so big all around me and in my heart. You wouldn’t know it by looking at that picture, but in that season of life, Tobin and I had finally decided to move forward with adopting. It was scary…a dream we were almost afraid to dream.

And as the mongo waves crashed and I sat there, mesmerized by the stunning view of the rainy weather that would eventually roll in…I was reminded of the beauty that comes with soaking in all that surrounded me.

Just being in his presence was the gift at that moment…and it was almost as if He was giving me a hug, reminding me of His greatness...and reminding me that He can do anything.

Just a few minutes later, we packed up the Kijang and headed out for the long and winding drive home.

Occasionally I’ll look at this picture again…or, ahem…post it on the blog. 😉

I’ll reflect on that season with a sweet sadness as I miss what was and what happened and, also, what didn’t.

And, sometimes…well, sometimes I feel small. Insignificant. But then I remember how BIG He is. (<===Click to Tweet!)

And that I can trust Him with my dreams.

And I whisper thanks.

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Linking up with two of my favorites today!

On Tuesdays, I hang out with some of my favorite friends at Crystal’s place, where she hosts Behind the Scenes.

Behind the Scenes” is a fun link up where we show those photos – but tell the real story behind them. The sneak peek behind the scenes, a look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it.

And I’m also linking up at God-Sized Dreams, with my favorite dreaming sisters!

I hope you’ll join us for the sweet, sentimental, and silly stories that make up our days.

Filed Under: adoption, adventures, Behind the Scenes, blessings, encouragement, friends, God-Sized Dreams, Indonesia, just life, remembering, where I am

God-Sized Dreams: Looking Back at a Year

December 31, 2013 by Mel · 22 Comments

I’ve gotta admit something to you, my sweet and faithful readers.

I have procrastinated this post up and down and all around. I have known for weeks…weeks…that it needed to be written. I’ve had days in those weeks when I could have easily taken an hour, gotten comfy on the couch under my awesome sherpa blanket, and pounded out the words you are about to read.

At least, I hope you are about to read them. (I still have to actually WRITE them. Ahem.)

😉

It isn’t that I don’t want to…it’s because when I look back at this year, I almost don’t know where to start.

Except at the very beginning, so here goes. Please stick with me? Thanks a bunch.

It really began in 2012, on a cold (and early!) November morning when I was sitting at the table, eyes a bit glazed over, hand clutching my first cup of coffee, making my bloggy rounds. (The list was a lot shorter then.)

I found myself at (in)courage, really the site where it all began for me. I love that sweet space so much and drop by several times a week for the wisdom, laughter, and love these precious sisters share with their readers. That particular morning, I found myself clicking around more than usual, and I landed on a post written by my sweet and now-dear friend, Holley Gerth.

An invitation, really.

She was putting together a God-Sized Dream Team…and would I like to be part of it?

Of course I would!

She was accepting 99 women, and oh…Oh. How. My. Hopes. Flew. Way. Up. Beyond. The. Clouds.

I quickly filled out the application, sharing that my dream was to publish my book.

And when I sent in that application, that’s what I thought. That the heart of my dream was to write a book. Publish it. Maybe be famous, too.

A few weeks later, I received the e-mail that sent me on a little happy dance across my living room. (I really do happy dance. Often. You should try it sometime.) 😉 I’m thrilled to let you know that you’ve been chosen as part of the God-Sized Dream Team!

And what followed in those six months, which turned into a year and now more than a year…

There were gifts like intentional time to find my strengths and pray through how God can use them. (For a non-organized person like myself, this was a good thing. My focus often needs to be narrowed down.) I also learned the importance of carving out that time to pursue book-writing, and I faithfully visited Starbucks (SUCH a chore ;)) weekly to pound out as many words as possible on the rough draft.

In just a few months, I had completed my rough draft and handed it to my first friend.

Dream definitely on its way to being realized.

Yes?

Or, maybe…the dreams were just starting to grow.

Over the course of a year, a little piece at a time, He began to show me that it wasn’t just one dream. While there’s definitely a book in there (and oh, how I can’t wait to share it with all of you!!!) there’s so much more.

SO much more.

Dreams like being the best possible wife and mommy…a dream that I have to daily place in His hands and pray through.

Dreams like someday working on a medical ship as a family. (Yeah, this one’s BIG.)

Dreams like traveling to Uganda to help clean the jiggers from the feet of little children and give them shoes. Shoes that will save their lives…and tell them about the Jesus who saved them, too.

Even dreams that I didn’t know were in my heart…You see, I’d been so used to writing…just writing. Not really connecting, just sharing words and rarely going beyond my little online space.

And then, somehow, God took a group of 99 women and built a family. These women? They’re my sisters. I’ve had the privilege to hug many of them in real life…but all of our hearts are connected.

photo credit: Melissa Aldrich

And then, He took a few of us, and we formed a smaller Mastermind group…and from that, the dream of a brave sister became a new site for dreamers, one that launched yesterday.

And my dream of being a contributing writer came true. The one I’d been so afraid to speak aloud.

I feel humbled, blessed, and honored to even be part of it.

So when I look back at this year of dreaming God-Sized Dreams???

I see blessings…almost too many to even count.

A finished rough draft. Even a meeting with an agent. (I still haven’t written about that, have I?!) 😉

Hugs and heart spills with friends…those in real life and those online. The gift of community is precious.

Prayer times and Google Hangouts.

Voxer and the laughter, love, and sometimes-embarrassment it has brought to my days.

Allowing my heart to bleed even more for what God is doing all over the world.

Learning to take His hand each day and trust Him with my dreams.

And the reminder that sometimes dreams come in the everyday, extraordinary…like this. And there’s nothing small about these kind of dreams, either.

So how do I wrap up a year?

I don’t.

This journey isn’t over. In fact, I’ll be sharing tomorrow what’s next…or, at least, what I think is next.

This year…oh, He’s shown me just how much MORE He can do…beyond what I could have ever hoped or dreamed. He’s SO Good.

And I am so, so thankful. Praise Him for all of it.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

And today, friends?

We’re linking up at the new God-Sized Dreams website! I hope you’ll stop by, read the stories of other dreamers, and even share yours, too! And thanks to each of you for sharing your lives and being a part of mine. You bless me more than you will ever know.

Filed Under: adventures, blessings, community, encouragement, friends, God-Sized Dreams, remembering, where I am, writing

When Dreams Come True

December 30, 2013 by Mel · 14 Comments

I’ve written this post in my head about 636 times. 😉

It’s so funny how things that are so big, so life-changing, so amazing to my heart…are sometimes equally difficult to write about.

And this one? Well, I want to do it justice…because it’s all about dreams. God-sized Dreams.

And I’ll be sharing more tomorrow about how God took the ones in my heart and grew them beyond anything I could have ever imagined. ‘Cause He’s awesome like that.

But today, I want to share this brand new space with you.

It’s the dream of a sister and friend, Christine…she bravely stepped forward and obeyed when God said, Yes. Do this. I’ve got it. All.

And we have certainly seen that He does have it all…down to every last, even often small, detail. As we’ve prayed over this space…and shed a few tears before praying some more…we’ve seen Him move and guide.

And now there’s a beautiful place for dreamers to connect.

Today her dream becomes a sweet, beautiful, reality, and she’s invited me, along with several of my sisters, to be part of the journey. And that means that my own God-sized Dream of being a contributing writer comes true today, too. Squeeeee!

Dreams all over the place are comin’ true, I tell ya! 😉

I hope you’ll take the time today to stop by and leave her some sweet encouragement and comment love…she has such an amazing heart for God-sized Dreamers, and I know her words…and her heart behind them…will bless you.

Filed Under: adventures, blessings, community, friends, God-Sized Dreams, where I am, writing

Behind the Scenes: The Day We Shared Life

December 17, 2013 by Mel · 26 Comments

She sends me a facebook message to let me know she’ll be in town, and I count down the days because I can hardly wait to hug her neck. Yes, we just saw each other at Allume in October, but you see…she’s my community.

My sister.

My friend.

And from the first minutes of the ride back from Schaumburg, it’s like old times. Or, in particular, old timE…because this is only the second time we’ve been in real life. There have been countless Google hangout prayer times and a few other chats, connecting over blogs and Twitter and dreaming…and all of these things have made us old friends.

She does life with me that day…we stop at church and I get to introduce her to a few of my favorite people. We deliver bread to the daycare I visit every Friday. Maelie and I take her to our favorite little restaurant for lunch, and then it’s back to my house, where I put on my yoga pants…the ones I promised her I’d be wearing when I picked her up, and then I showed up in skinny jeans. (Sorry.) 😉

And we make hot chai, kick our feet up on the furniture, and heart-spill.

It’s wonderful.

At one point, we even pull out the Nutella and two spoons…making up for what was supposed to happen at Allume and didn’t. I find that, after trying it for the third time, I actually like it…and I double, then triple, dip. Good friends can do that, you know. 😉

And though we promise not to check the clock, we watch the hours, then minutes, tick slowly toward the five, and we know it’s almost over…the seven hours of in-real-life sisterhood we were privileged to share.

We snap a few selfies and even share one on Facebook with our dream team…and I really should have turned off the flash, but I didn’t, and it’s ok. We’re just really bright and sparkly…which is kind of how our hearts felt that day, anyway. 😉

Too soon, it’s time to pack up and take her home.

The traffic is a little pokey, and for once, I don’t mind. Let it crawl, let it crawl, I pray.

There are moments we want to hold on to…and this past Friday was one of them.

My sweet sister, Mandy, came to my house, sat on my couch, and shared life with me. It’s kind of been a dream for a long time…and it was every bit as sweet as I thought it would be.

And it would have been, even without the Nutella. 😉

Here’s to sisterhood and the blessing of community…a gift I can’t even put into words.

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Happy Tuesday, friends! Today is the day when I join some sweet friends at Crystal’s space for Behind the Scenes. We’re sharing the silly and sweet and sometimes-tear-jerking moments that happen behind the camera lens…I hope you’ll take some time and pop over to read some great stories.

Social media and online relationships can make us feel like everyone else has it all together. We’re edited, proof-read, Pinterest-perfect versions of ourselves (or so some might think!) when – in reality? There is an unfinished pile of laundry around the corner. That cute toddler smiling for the camera just had a massive meltdown seconds ago. That yummy breakfast-for-dinner you just showed us on Instagram? It’s because the cat licked the chicken that was supposed to be for dinner.

“Behind the Scenes” is a fun link up where we show those photos – but tell the real story behind them. The sneak peek behind the scenes, a look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it.

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, blessings, community, friends, God-Sized Dreams, just life, Maelie, where I am

The Liebster Award

December 5, 2013 by Mel · 8 Comments

My sweet friend and heart-sister, Kristin, nominated me for the Liebster Award. (This is my first bloggy award…how fun!) The Liebster is a fun way to introduce smaller blogs to more people…and I’ll be passing on the Liebster love at the end of this post. 😉

I met Kristin for the first time (in)RL at Allume, but it felt like I had known her for years. We first connected through the God Sized Dream Team and then God planned it all out (He did!) for us to be roomies at the conference. We are also part of the same Mastermind group, are both contributing writers for a new blog coming soon, and have been in the same HelloMornings group for the last two sessions.

Her friendship is such a gift to me…and not just because she lets me borrow her boots and her jewelry. (Take note of the necklace in my headshot on the blog…yep. Totally hers. She has fantastic taste, and going shopping with her is on my bucket list.) 😉 But, really? She’s just wonderful. Make sure you check out her blog because she just has the biggest, most generous heart ever, and that leaps off the virtual pages of her space. You’ll be blessed!

And thanks, girl, for letting me “borrow” this picture from your blog. Yours is better than mine.

So I get to have a little fun, share some love, and then pass the award on to a few of my friends. (See the end of this post for that!)

First up, 11 random things about me.

1. I’ve lived in four different states and one other country besides the U.S. That’s not too impressive until you understand that for the first 23 years of my life, I lived in Iowa. Just Iowa.

2. I’ve been to 20 countries…we love to travel. It’s a beautiful, beautiful world.

3. I drove a pink motorbike when we lived in Indonesia. I hate pink now…I purchased it during that very, very short period in my life when I thought pink was cool. But I do miss that bike…it was fun.

4. I taught myself how to play the piano and the guitar, but singing is my first musical love. I can also somewhat hold my own on the djembe and can even pluck out a few songs…a few…on the ukulele.

5. My name is Mel. Yes, it’s short for something else, but there’s a reason I go by Mel. Even people I’ve known my whole life seem to think that my full name is Melissa or Melanie or even McKenzie. (No clue how they arrived at that one, and none of them are.) I’m seriously considering legally changing it, but hubby isn’t on board with that one just yet. But it’s Mel. Always Mel. 😉

6. I love running…most of the time. In fact, I’d like to run a half marathon next year. But no more than that. Two hours of running seems like it’s about my limit. 😉

7. I’m a klutz. Really. I trip a lot, and it’s kind of hilarious.

8. When I was pregnant, I wanted a little girl so badly that I wouldn’t believe my doctor when she told me we were having a girl. Four times. Even the day Mae was born, I kind of expected her to come out a boy.

9. My hubby and I met, started dating, and were engaged within five months…and we got married ten months later.

10. I use a copious amount of emoticons when I write. Please don’t go back and count. 😉

11. I was the world’s pickiest eater growing up. There are now only a handful of things I won’t eat…maturity and most living overseas are probably what changed things.

And Kristin had eleven questions for me.

1. What is your favorite time of day? I’m such a night owl…I could stay up until two or three in the morning watching cheesy movies, but life and responsibility force me to go to bed at a more reasonable-ish hour. Usually around 11 pm.

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? As tempting as it is to say Bali (I love me some tropics!) I’d choose here. In this house with the people I love. We truly are blessed by the community and friends we have.

3. What is your biggest pet peeve? Hmmm…I have two. Mean people and people who waste my time.

4. Salty or sweet? Can I say both? (I LOVE salted caramel!) But I probably lean toward sweet most of the time.

5. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Probably that my daughter will grow up to love God and serve Him with her life…and as part of that wish (or prayer), that God will give her mommy and daddy the strength to let her do just that, no matter where He takes her.

6. What is your middle name? Rose. Though, funny story. In elementary school, I changed it a few times…and at one point I had FOUR middle names. I’m funny like that. 😉

7. What is your favorite Christmas tradition? As a family, we’re starting a few…like a neighborhood cookie party and reading the Christmas story together. And though it’s completely dorky, I love the movie Prancer. I probably watch it at least five times every Christmas.

8. What book are you currently reading? Actually, I’m reading several. My hubby and I are reading Love and Respect in the Family by Emerson Eggerichs together. I’m also going through a study on Ann Voskamp’s The Greatest Gift, and it is so fantastic and changing the way I look at Advent and Christmas. And I’m part of a book study on God is Able by Priscilla Shirer…I’m one chapter in, but I know it’s gonna be good! And my Mom’s Bible Study is going through The Resolution for Women. (Also by Priscilla Shirer and also a good one!)

9. What is the last package you received in the mail? Dayspring sent me a pretty sweet T-shirt and some other goodies a couple of weeks ago. That was a happy surprise, one that I wasn’t expecting!

10. How many loads of laundry do you do in a week? Anywhere from 6-10, depending on how many times I work out and how impatient I am to get the sweaty smell out of my bedroom! 😉

11. What is the best Christmas present you have ever received? Hmmm…that’s a tough one. I’ve been blessed with some pretty good gift-givers in my life. 😉 I think it’s a tossup…between the scooter I got when I was nine years old (I wanted one soooooo badly) and the year my hubby bought me the Rogers and Hammerstein collection on DVD. (I think he regretted it when I started hosting my own little impromptu concerts, though!)

Now, my eleven questions for the friends I am nominating!

1. If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

2. Do you eat breakfast? If so, what?

3. Coffee or tea? Or neither?

4. Christmas tree…white lights or multi-colored?

5. What time of day do you do your best writing?

6. You have a rare day off from any responsibilities. What do you do with it?

7. Do you have any hidden talents? Please share!

8. What’s your most embarrassing moment?

9. What’s a movie that you’ve seen so many times, you can practically quote it?

10. Do you sing in the shower?

11. What’s your favorite book…you know, that one you can read over and over?

And now, my Liebster nominees! (Please stop by and leave them some comment love!)

Cathy from Moments on the Journey. She’s my buddy from the GSDT, a sweet, (in)RL friend, and I just love her and the encouragement she is to me! Plus, she has some of the most fun ideas ever…just check out her blog!

Amy from Living in Harmony. Amy is one of the first online friends I really connected with, and she is always a sweet encouragement to me. She claims that she’s a better speaker than a writer, but I really enjoy her writing and her insights, and I can’t wait for the day I can hear her as a speaker, too.

Julie from Whimsical Words. Julie is one of my GSD sisters, and she was such a happy blessing to me at Allume. I knew she’d be there and I definitely looked forward to hugging her, but I didn’t know I’d connect with her and love her so much! Silly me…she’s wonderful. AND she makes beautiful, hand-stamped cards. So you should check out her Etsy store while you’re at it!

Thanks again, Kristin…so fun!

Filed Under: blessings, community, friends, God-Sized Dreams, just life, random, what I'm learning, where I am

Even in the Small Things: A Guest Post

November 25, 2013 by Mel · 2 Comments

I remember the day so clearly, and it wasn’t one of those warm, fuzzy, happy-memory kind of days.

Christmas Eve, 2005. A Saturday.

And we were on the opposite side of the world from our family and friends.

Life and a two-year commitment in Indonesia…but, really, it was all God…had taken us, geographically, about as far from “home” as we could get.

To say that I was in a bad mood that day may be an understatement…and it’s pretty accurate to say that my husband was there, too.

All day long we spatted back and forth. With last-minute shopping and gift wrapping, Christmas music and cookie baking, giving a gift to our house helper, and anticipating the Christmas Eve service filling those hours, it should have been a day full of the joy of the season.

Instead, it was a day of spouting frustrations and complaining.

It seemed, that day, there was a continual focus on all we were missing…from family get-togethers and friends and our church in Minnesota, to really good eggnog, hot chocolate, and snow.

And maybe that makes sense somewhat…it doesn’t mean it’s right, but it makes sense. The holidays can be hard.

They’re hard for missionaries and people who are away from loved ones. They are painful for those who have experienced loss and have empty hearts. They can be lonely and full of reminders of what was.

Probably each of us could place ourselves in one of those categories if we want to.

Sadly, I don’t think it crossed our minds that day to give thanks for the many blessings that surrounded us…

You can go here to read the rest this post.

Friends, today I’m thrilled to be guest posting at my sweet friend, Kim’s space, Winsome Woman. I’ve known Kim through the God Sized Dream Team over the last year, and God even worked things out for us to be Allume roommates for one night. As a bonus, we even got to have coffee at my favorite ever (so far!) coffee shop the next morning. She is sweet, kind, and gracious, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to share on her blog today!

Filed Under: blessings, community, friends, guest posts, Indonesia, remembering, what I'm learning, where I am

Five-Minute Friday: Grace

October 31, 2013 by Mel · 26 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five-Minute Friday. So, grab a timer, set it for five minutes, and join me!

The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write. Then leave some comment love for the person who linked up before you…and anyone else because that’s the fun and the heart of the community!

Today’s prompt: Grace

(thanks, Julie, for this one!)

I spent last weekend with some of the most amazing sisters ever. (To be fair, I don’t have any blood-related sisters, and I always wanted one. Or thirteen. So I like to think that God is just making up for it now with an abundance of them. ;))

I had looked forward to this conference for so long, and there were so many necks I couldn’t wait to hug. So many cups of coffee I wanted to drink while seated at a little table with friends over long, deep conversations.

Some of it happened…as much could be squeezed into an already jam-packed schedule.

And some of it didn’t.

There were some of you, beautiful sisters, who got a quick hello and a hug, and while I know that can convey something, I know how I wanted to find time for so much more.

This week? Well, it’s been a lesson in giving myself grace.

Of accepting that sometimes, no matter how we plan things, they just don’t quite work out like we want them to. And the simple fact that sometimes there’s not enough time.

My Father…He’s been whispering this thing of Grace to me over and over in the last few days. Reminding me that it’s ok.

That community can connect and love even despite distance and lack of sit-down-in-person cups of coffee.

If you and I had a chance to meet last weekend, I am So. Very. Glad. Y’all are beautiful and treasured…and I’m not just saying that.

This community? I never knew the magnitude of its impact until the hugs started happening and the tears started to fall and I could see it all for myself.

And if we didn’t connect in person, pull up a chair and we’ll keep talking, keep loving…through computer screens and twitter and our blogs. And someday soon, I hope we’ll sit down for that coffee at a cute little table in a corner.

Grace.

Grace in what happens, grace in what doesn’t.

So, so blessed by grace.

Love to each of you, whether you are part of my (in)RL community, my online one, or both. I’m so thankful to have you in my life.

Filed Under: blessings, coffee, community, friends, remembering, what I'm learning, where I am

Behind the Scenes: On Allume, Cake, and the Blessing of Sisters

October 29, 2013 by Mel · 26 Comments

This?

This is cake.

It’s my love language. (Well, one of many.) 😉

And this particular piece of cake? It was eaten on Sunday, late morning.

After my roomies had left.

After I’d said (and cried over) a lot of goodbyes.

After I’d made a quick jaunt to this sweet little coffee shop with a dear friend.

I just needed a little time to think…about an amazing weekend spent surrounded by so many of my beautiful sisters.

Well, I also needed something amazing to eat as I attempted to cram all of those sweet, awesome, swag goodies into my suitcase. Trust me, friends…when they tell you to bring an extra suitcase, Just. Do. It.

Says the girl who checked a 50.5 pound bag and toted a way-too-heavy carry-on through the airport. 😉

Anyway, back to Allume.

Amazing.

Life-changing.

Love-led.

Spirit-filled.

It was overwhelming, but the good kind of overwhelming.

And, honestly, I can’t begin to process it all just yet. (Hence, the reason this post is #1 of about 212…)

Because I’ll want to tell you about how the country of Uganda wiggled its way into my heart, probably forever.

Or how I was blessed to meet with an agent and take another step with my book.

About how I met some truly fabulous women who are just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.

And those posts will come, but they’re not quite here yet…I’m still processing, still smiling, and a teeny tiny part of my heart is grieving that the weekend is over. Yep, still rockin’ the ENFP all over the place. 😉

But I can begin with cake.

And?

This.

photo credit: Melissa Aldrich, Quiet Graces

My beautiful sisters.

This group of women who daily inspire me in my walk with Jesus. They live with passionate abandon, they prayer-cover those who struggle, they give an abundance of hugs, they laugh loud and love even louder.

They listen to my stories and share theirs with me.

We do life together…and even if it’s more through computer screens than at coffee tables, I will hold them in my heart forever.

More stories on the way…probably 211 of them. 😀

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Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, blessings, friends, God-Sized Dreams, where I am, writing

Five-Minute Friday: Together

October 24, 2013 by Mel · 31 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five-Minute Friday. And this week?

Insanely. Awesome.

I’m actually doing a live FMF in a room with a bunch of my sweet sisters who have all come together for Allume, an amazing conference that is already blessing my socks off.

So, grab a timer, set it for five minutes, and join me!

The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write.

Today’s prompt: Together

So here’s the thing.

This group…my community…we’ve been together for a long time. We’ve been together in the way we share our stories and our laughs, our tears, our prayers…

Our hearts.

Through screens and words and pictures.

For months I have looked forward to finally being together in real life with them…to hug necks and let the tears drip and let them know what they mean to this girl who has fumbled for community for way too long.

Now we’re together…in the same room.

It’s like a big, happy-dance-all-over-the-room dream come true…I kind of can’t believe that I get to be with each of you, letting you know just how much each of you mean to me.

The community that occupies a giant piece of my heart is finally an in real life one.

I kind of feel like dancing…

Anyone for cartwheels?

😉

Filed Under: (in)courage, blessings, encouragement, Five Minute Friday, friends, where I am

Behind the Scenes: An Indonesia Moment

October 15, 2013 by Mel · 26 Comments

I let myself go back tonight.

It’s not a place I go often, but I do revisit once in awhile, whether through pictures, video, memories, even reading a random book sent to us by our organization before we even began our journey.

There are times when it’s good for the soul…and just plain good for my heart…to remember.

I know it’s something I’ll never have again.

But I do like to have those moments when Indonesia feels so real again…so close I can almost taste the nasi uduk and gepuk or even the pisang goreng. I can hear the call to prayer, the constant honk of car horns, the little beep of a passing motorbike. I can even smell the not-always-wonderful scents that permeated Jl. Cihampelas during a Saturday drive to CiWalk.

Sometimes I worry that the memories will fade…not just in my heart, but the hearts of others. I think of our sweet pembantu and wonder if she will ever hug my daughter. If we will ever hug her again.

It hurts sometimes.

And tonight, well…I knew I’d go sometime.

I went to the cupboard…and I dug through and found the very last packet of Indonesian coffee, one I’ve literally been saving for a night when I knew I’d want it. (And, clearly, patience was my shining virtue because the expiration date…which I totally ignored…was approximately a year ago. Give or take four months.) 😉

I plopped on the couch…and as I sipped and savored and remembered the many, many mornings when I’d begin a day of teaching 4th grade, coffee mug in one hand, drinking this exact beverage…it was like the memories and moments flooded back into my heart.

It felt like a beautiful, wonderful lifetime ago and at the same time, just a tiny blink spanning then and now, too.

I guess that’s the way it is with memories we hold so deeply…they feel like forever snapshots, ones that we tie into that corner, hoping that our hearts will always be strong enough to hold on.

And as the happy tears fill my eyes…but they only brim, they don’t drip…I give thanks for these moments.

The kind when I can smile and know that it was good.

**************************

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, coffee, friends, Indonesia, remembering, where I am

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Behind the Scenes: On Allume, Cake, and the Blessing of Sisters

Five-Minute Friday: Together

Behind the Scenes: An Indonesia Moment

Mel

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