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So, I definitely haven't posted here in a while.

Currently, I am working on a blog re-design with my pal Amy so right now I am holding all of my creative juices for that process. I plan to be back soon posting regularly and hopefully with a fresh, new blog design!

I have also been working late(r) than normal getting prepared for the craziness that is about to hit our financial aid office. By the way, if you attended college you should say a little prayer for your alma mater's financial aid office. Our job is a lot harder (and more manual) than people think!

My weekend is getting closer and I am really excited! What are your weekend plans?

MEMORY LANE

This past weekend I went to visit my parents and got to see my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. It really made for a great weekend! I love spending time with them, and I feel like I have seen them more in the past few weeks than I have the last 6 months. It was so awesome to see my little niece running around talking and playing. She can also work an iPad better than I ever could. I wonder what that says about me...

On my way home I got the itch to drive through my old neighborhoods and see how things have changed the past few years. Well, things certainly have changed. There are elementary schools where there used to be nothing, and Wal-Marts popping up everywhere. The neighborhoods look smaller to me somehow and living there felt like a distant memory.

It made me realize you can't stop time. The life I had living in those houses felt like a million years ago! How is that possible? It's nice to see where I've come from and in some ways it comforted me to be reminded how far I've come. It gave me hope that in the days, months, and years to come I will look back at this time and be grateful for what I learned. I may look back and think I took this time to myself for granted.

So, future self - told ya so. You got through it and you're still alive and kickin'. You go self!

COME BACK

I posted this photo on Instagram yesterday not to boast, but to hold myself accountable and inspire others. I have seen so many posts the past couple of months about starting the morning off right. I am still adjusting my morning routine, but this will definitely be a part of it. I think the scripture and devotional were perfect for me. It talked about laying down my worries and trusting God. So much of my time is spent worrying about the future.

Thinking this way can make me quickly lose sight of my purpose here on this earth. None of the worry pleases God or brings Him joy. If anything, it stifles my ability to bring joy to others, to encourage them, to accomplish what I need to each day. I am learning to focus again on the Lord and to really place my faith and trust in Him and not myself. Boy, is that hard. I would much rather do things on my own, but where does that lead me? I feel anxious, fearful, sad, lonely, and angry. I can't do everything myself. Sometimes I have to scream it to myself inside - Melissa, you can't do it all! Stop trying! 

I feel now that the Lord is speaking to my heart and reminding me that He loved me first. He knew me before I was conceived, and He knows my heart to this day. The truth is, I just have to learn again for myself. I know that Jesus has been instrumental in my life and He has led me through some amazingly beautiful, difficult, and painful times. I may not understand why things have turned out the way they have, but in the end, I will be okay. Worrying does no good.  

Onto a new day...