Deep Joy

I was talking with my husband this week about one of Melissa's friends who has newly discovered Jesus.  She had always believed in God, but now she expresses a new, deep joy in having Jesus as her best friend. I thought about the difference. What Melissa's friend is experiencing, and Melissa experienced, and I've experienced is more than just believing in Jesus.  It's following Him.  It's making Him number one in your life.  Why go to such extremes?  Because only by following Jesus do you experience the thrill of a lifetime!  Only by taking His hand and allowing Him to lead, do you understand the excitement in having your words, your actions and your everyday existence fit into the eternal plans of the Creator of the Universe.  Following Jesus is living The Great Adventure- not always easy, but always rewarding!   As we draw closer to God, we feel a deep joy that defies circumstance, a deep love so immense, we cannot even comprehend it!  When I was discussing this difference with my husband, he compared it to people he knew in High School who got excited about drugs:  "Hey this is GREAT!  You've got to try this!!!"  It was a perfect analogy, because being with Jesus really does make you high!  Melissa says to God, "You spoil me so much!" (p.14, Melissa's Prayer Journal), even in the midst of horrific chemotherapy treatment!  She told her church, "Once asked, He (God) granted me this amazing peace to deal with my situation." The Power of Prayer.  Melissa wanted all of her friends to grow closer to God, to feel this amazing peace. She gave The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren to one of her friends two days before she died. She wanted everyone to feel the deep joy she had holding on to the hand of Jesus. As she ended one of her prayers to the Lord (p.8, Melissa's Prayer Journal), "Amazing, you are amazing. Nothing less and everything more. I love you. Melissa".

Blinded

"We are called to walk blindly, living only in Your light, Guided by Your hand alone, Without our human sight"...  is the first stanza of Melissa's poem titled, "Blinded".  It's one of my favorites, of the 44 poems that she wrote, none of which were meant to be read by others necessarily. Melissa wrote her intense feelings in verse form for her own healing.  When cancer frightened her, she prayed.  Often she prayed by writing to God, not only in her Prayer Journal , but also in her cancer journal.  
- I thought of this poem today because I had a really tough week struggling to trust God.  I let the pressures of the circumstances stress me to the point of an incapacitating headache.  Even though I prayed, I had a tough time trusting.  Yet, I survived the week and I just have to leave the outcome in God's hands. All that worry and anxiety was pointless!  Melissa ends her poem: "But if we lose sight of You, It's like losing a map, there is no way out, We're nothing but trapped;   So I'll stick by You,  I'll hold Your hand tight, Trusting You to guide me, With Your glorious light."...  My goal this week is to hold on tighter to the Hand of our God, just like Melissa did!!-  Blessings to you all!

Easy Conversation

I listened to Melissa's second church witness this week, "The Power of Prayer."  I have it on video, and gave a copy to a local church, who are using Melissa's Prayer Journal in several of their groups. As I watched Melissa deliver her speech again, I thought about how much I need to follow her advice. She talks about including God in our daily comings and goings. She describes an easy conversation that never ends, like an invisible playmate for a child, Someone always there who likes you!  The difference is that God is not just in our imaginations--He really IS there, and not only likes us, but loves us more deeply than we can imagine. And when we join in the conversation, we begin to see and feel His response and His love.  God blesses me when I least expect it in the most surprising ways, which I can more readily see when I do think to pray!  For example, as I searched just now for Melissa's witness on the web, I found a great book review of  Melissa's Prayer Journal--- What a GIFT!!  Book Review.   .....So, this week, I'll try to follow Melissa's example and pray when I'm driving to work, or doing the dishes, or brushing my teeth. I'll try to keep that dialog going, so my invisible Friend and Lord can keep my emotional tank filled with His love! Amen. Melissa's The Power Of Prayer

Lists

I'm really good at making "to do" lists.  I make one almost every day.   I rarely accomplish all that I want to on that day, so the lists linger into the next day.  I rarely make lists of all the good things in my life, unless I discipline myself to do so. On the contrary, I so easily fall into ruminating about problems or a rude remark or a harsh word, allowing it to dwell in my mind like a slow poison seeping through my consciousness.  Melissa did just the opposite!  Even with big problems in her life, she made a point of  thanking God for all the blessings of the day. In her prayer journal, she would first bring a problem to God, and then turn to thanksgiving, filling her thoughts with all the good things in her life.  I'm trying to follow Melissa's example. When I find myself focusing on the negative, I pull out my gratitude journal and make a list of all the things for which I have to be thankful. It never fails to put me in the right mood and mindset.  Today, among many other things, I am grateful to you for reading this!  God bless!  Melissa's Lists

Encountering Adversity

Aversity- bad things happen to good people, both tragic and small.  We live in a broken world and stuff happens, sometimes awful things happen.  Melissa is my role model for handling adversity: She clung to her God.  She refused to feel sorry for herself or see her cancer as "bad luck".  She chose to trust her God; she chose to believe He had a bigger plan; and she chose to live every day in the light of the Lord.  And what impact did that have?  It changed everything!  Rather than be bitter and angry,  Melissa felt God's love every day in little ways, because she had chosen to put on the eyes of faith!  She trusted God, not because she understood His plan, but because she felt His grace. She trusted in Who she knew, not what she understood.  As a result, all of us around her marveled at her power, her conviction, her strength, her ability to feel confident, even as her body was being destroyed.  She told her friends, "Guys, I know where I am going."   She was not a victim of circumstance, but a precious daughter held in the hands of her Lord.  So, when things go wrong for me, I try to see them as part of a plan.  Rather than allowing circumstances to dictate my life, I choose to trust our Faithful Creator, just as Melissa did!   see Melissa's Faith

God is Love

Melissa always loved Valentine's Day, even as a little girl.  She got excited just anticipating being able to tell her family and special loved ones how much she cared.  She would write poems, make cards, even sing songs!  Although Melissa was always a romantic and loved red roses and sweet songs, she also knew the best love came from her Heavenly Father, and wanted everyone to feel this real love as well.  The arms that never fail, the acceptance that's truly unconditional, the forgiveness that never ends, the patience that is never worn out, and the depth of love beyond our imaginations all comes from above.  Valentine's Day provides a lovely reminder to demonstrate our love to those so precious in our lives. But every day, gives us a chance to see God's love for each of us in every blessing in our lives.  Hope you are feeling so very deeply loved today by your Heavenly Father. 

Gifts from Heaven

Melissa wrote many times about the little gifts from heaven in her everyday events that cheered her up and made her feel loved.  I've had several of those gifts today, and its only ten in the morning!  They come through other people, circumstances, just special little treats that may seem coincidence to the by-stander, but those with the eyes of faith can clearly see God's fingerprints!  I find my spiritual vision is more acute when I am hurting for some reason, feeling not quite up to the tasks in front of me.  That's when God reaches down and sprinkles blessings, and I just know I am loved by my heavenly Father.  My gifts today came during my time in Church.  Being focused on God helps to open those channels of communication, and allow God's love to reach us more freely. So, I'll keep praying and keep attentive to the gifts, that I can be thankful to our faithful Creator and Lord. Amen.   A Gift from Melissa