Loving February!

It's February already; month two of the new year! How's it going for you so far? I hope that it's shaping up to be a good year and that you're loving life!

Speaking of love, February is the month we usually think of love (considering Valentine's Day). It brings joy for some and dread for others depending on how one views the holiday. Regardless if you're single or attached, never forget that you ARE special and loved! Jesus loves you no matter what and in Him, your worth and purpose is found!

Personally, I have been hoping to focus more on my purpose in Him this year. Not only am I hoping to do that spiritually, but physically as well. I have always struggled to do well both nutritionally and fitness-wise, but I'm hoping to improve and take care of myself. I'm far from perfect, but I am definitely headed in the right direction. :) If you're hoping to do the same, there is a new fitness program that has just come out. The NEW 21 Day Fix Extreme has just been released. It's on special this month; as well as the original 21 Day Fix program. Everyone I know that has done this program has had great results; losing pounds and LOTS of inches...in just 21 days! Combined with Shakeology and it's even better! This program is something I might do at some point, but right now, I've just been working my way back into a workout routine. I'm not pressuring myself too hard yet; doing something is better than nothing! Same goes for all of you. Remember to ease into things. It doesn't have to be "all or nothing".

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Sorry to be so brief, but I don't have much to say right now. Things have slowed down to a normal pace now that the major holidays are over, but there is still a lot going on at the moment. I suppose it never ends, really lol. Anyways, I hope you are blessed and that everyone is taking care of themselves. Be safe (and warm) as we hopefully wrap up the winter season soon! Be infused! God bless you!

The Chrisliss Story

"Well, didn't you just jump on out that boat, Peter. Congrats on the leap of faith!" 

Those were the exact words spoken in a Facebook comment by my friend, Shenora, after making it publicly known that Chris and I are going to get married. Those words have been ringing in my head ever since. They were a prophetic statement of confirmation and encouragement; as well as a foreshadowing of things to come. My heart was lifted and reassured to have such blessed words come out of the mouth of a godly woman. It cemented my confidence and strengthened my faith as I held tight to the image in my mind of walking on the water towards Jesus and His plan for my life (and all the lives involved).

In regards to the foreshadowing part, I knew that I would need to hold onto that courage and strength if I were to KEEP walking on the waters. We all know that Peter is often bold and full of faith, but that his tendency to be impulsive, second-guess, and worry were often his trouble spots. It's nothing I can fault him for, because I have the same tendencies. It hasn't been easy preparing to move and make a bunch of fresh new changes after finally getting settled down. I had bought a house, put a lot of time and money into fixing it up, and was very content in my new job and church home. I was perfectly happy with how things were going and was even at the point where I had become pretty indifferent to having a relationship. My promise to follow through on Gianna's request for a "new Daddy" wasn't forgotten, but my need for a man was no longer that high of a priority and I had become more patient and relaxed about when that part of the picture would be fulfilled. Therefore, that was obviously God's cue to surprise me and shake things up so I wouldn't get too comfortable lol!

So, here it is, peeps! This is for everyone who always loves to know a couple's "story" about how they met and all the "details" regarding the upcoming nuptials (though there isn't much to share regarding that part considering it's basically a private wedding). If nothing else, I hope and pray that all of you who have been so loving and supportive of the both of us will make sure to the read the part at the end about how you can pray for/support our upcoming marriage/blended family. Your prayers mean so much to us! Thank you!

Our Story

There was a moment in the infancy of our relationship where Chris stated: "It's so odd how we've followed similar but at the same time oddly different paths to arrive at the almost mirrored image of each other that we both are today." Indeed! Our life stories are very parallel to each other. We were raised in the Christian faith, grew up in blended families, and have always done our best to live the kind of lives that our faith has taught us to live. Yet, despite our best efforts, we both managed to find ourselves in marriages where those values weren't fully shared. We both tried our hardest to honor our commitments to our mates and to God. Unfortunately, sometimes, things still don't work out. Ultimately, in both of our cases, we were forced to make the painful decision to move on for the sake of our health, safety, and the well-being of ourselves and our children (those close to us know and understand the reasons why).

Chris started saying this early on so he was thrilled
to randomly find this picture one day
(which he immediately texted to my phone lol). 

Eventually, we both began to start over and move on. In that process, our paths finally crossed on Plenty of Fish (a free dating site). He was fresh to the dating game, but I had been on and off the site for a while. It had gotten to the point where I figured I had seen all the other "fish in the sea" and I was annoyed and tired of fishing. Not only did there seem to be no new fish, but there truly weren't any worth catching. I even had some that would message me and tell me that I was too good or too pretty for the site and that a nice girl like me wouldn't find the kind of guy I was looking for on a site like that. That's because my profile was very specific as to the kind of person I was looking for; faith and character were the top priorities. My best friend even told me that my standards were too high, but no matter what, I stuck to them. There was NO WAY I was going to compromise on those two things, but anything else was optional. I didn't have requirements as far as looks, income, ethnicity, etc. was concerned. All I cared about was the heart.

What nerd could
resist lol?

Imagine my surprise when I was using the "Meet Me" feature and a picture of a handsome guy popped up. "Do you want to meet him?" it asked. Before hitting "yes" or "no", I always check out the profile first because looks are secondary to substance. In my experience, it is very rare to find a guy who has both. Therefore, I was shocked to be proven wrong lol. I was amazed and refreshed to see almost a mirror image of my own profile as I began reading his lol! Every time I read something, it was just another new level of jaw dropping awesomeness and common ground as he showcased his heart, humor, interests, etc. Where had he been and why hadn't I seen him before now?! Oh well, at least I found him and I couldn't believe that I had probably just viewed the profile of the ideal guy for me! The best part was, the two things I always look at first (faith affiliation and kids) matched up with mine! So, I clicked "yes" to meeting him and promptly "favorited" him. Then, I waited to see how long it would take before he would contact me (call me old-fashioned, but I believe in finding out who the real men are and waiting for THEM to make the first move! The site does let you know when you've been viewed, faved, or if someone wants to meet you). Almost immediately, I got a message from him....and it made me laugh because he obviously had taken note of my picture in Jedi attire. He had said, "Hey, I saw that! Some sith in a jedi disguise trying to spy on me?? lol." I promptly responded with: "Sith?! Never!!! I would have used a Jedi hand wave to make you message me, but I see I didn't have to. ;) They only work on the weak minded anyways...so it would have been wasted on you. I LOVE your profile."

The pictures on the ends were our "main" photos when we met. :)

Long story short, the conversation continued via messages and then over the phone. We did a video call on Skype the same night and we have been inseparable ever since lol! Our lives for nearly six months (yeah, I know....but when you know, you KNOW!) have consisted of constant communication and connection via text/Facebook/Skype; and always looking forward to the weekends when we could finally get to see each other for a short time before resuming our daily work/life routines. This 75 minutes apart thing has been rather tiresome and taxing (but always worth it!).

We've also bonded easily and quickly with each other's family and friends and received their approval and blessings. We are so touched and amazed at how wonderful, loving, accepting, and encouraging everyone has been to us! The Vineyard Church has also been just as amazing and apparently, the family counselor had given Chris a prophetic word a few months before we had gotten together. He had said that God had showed him that there would be a lot of positive changes that would happen in the coming year and at a very rapid pace. Chris didn't know what that meant at the time, but it's definitely come to pass now lol!

The moments of affirmation just continue to come too! We have had our moments of doubt and struggle (particularly as we prepare for this upcoming transition and all that is on our "to do" list) but today's sermon was a big help to us. Kent was talking about the Lord's guidance and how it comes to us in many different forms. It comes through prayer and His Word, but also through godly counsel. Sometimes, we expect these big signs when all we need to do is line it up with God's Word and see if it fits with what's "in the book." Kent kept saying, "Well, it's in the book. Did you read the book?" Lol! He said that 9 times out of 10, the solution to our problem has been addressed "in the book." Want to know how to parent a child? It's in the book. Want to know how to treat people? It's in the book. Want to know how a marriage is supposed to function and look like? It's in the book.

He's right, it's "in the book" and if more people would pay attention to it, we would all function better! He pointed out that in his career as a pastor, he has seen so much pain (especially in regards to marriage and divorce) because people haven't heeded what's "in the book" or the godly counsel of others. He mentioned that so many "blew through stop signs" and failed to heed the warnings. All of this really hit home for Chris
and I (and I was wiping away tears) because we have experienced both situations. With our first marriages, we both ignored the "stop" signs and warnings from godly counsel. We went through so much unnecessary pain. Now, we have the reverse situation where everything is lining up with what's "in the book". Lots of good godly counsel is giving us prophetic words and tons of support, and yet we sometimes are LOOKING for the "stop" signs out of fear. I just couldn't help but cry because all of Kent's words were absolutely melting all that fear and reminding me WHY I jumped out of the boat. I need to keep walking on the water. God set this in motion and I don't have to keep looking for "stop" signs that don't exist this time just because I ignored the ones that DID exist last time. Everything is going to be alright!

How You Can Pray For/Support Us

We are so grateful for the prayers and support of our family and friends throughout our lives! We appreciate your prayers now as well because right now is a very high-stress time for us. I won't specify every little thing, but here is the gist of it:

• Our houses; refinancing his and selling mine. The good news is, I've added a lot of value to my house and I'll come out ahead once I DO get it sold. The bad news is, we don't know when that will be. Pray that the right buyers (and nice new neighbors for my Dad's sake) will come along soon. Paying for two houses isn't doable for us. Also, the refinancing that needs done on his is another catch-22. He's also going to get some money out of it (which will go for my ring and some car repairs he desperately needs to get done before it conks out or something) but coming up with the initial funds to get a foundation inspection done has us in a bind; especially when he was initially told he wasn't going to have any upfront costs. I told Chris that I would marry him with or without a ring. There are a lot of "traditions" that just haven't happened the "traditional" way, but that's ok lol. We're old enough to know what's really important, so that's why we aren't hung up on rings or the wedding itself (it's going to be private and small; just us, our kids, best man/matron of honor, and parents. His step-father will be officiating us in their backyard; sweet, intimate, and non-expensive lol. We HOPE to have some kind of a reception for our close family/friends at a later date, but we don't know when or how that will be possible yet). 

• My Job & the Kids' School: I'm sad about having to leave a job/people I love, to say the least. Pray that the right person will fill my shoes and that I will be able to find somewhere else to work and serve when the time comes. I'm working up until the wedding/move and then I'll be around to watch the kids so we don't have to worry about childcare for the rest of the summer. I hope to start a new job after we're settled and school starts again. That's another area too...getting all the school stuff figured out/transitioned for Casey and Gianna; especially Casey's special needs stuff. Good special help is rare and this is the part that concerns me a lot because I don't know how any other school could ever be as great as Casey's current one. 

• Faith, Wisdom, Provision, and Patience: There is a never-ending list of transitions, adjustments, and changes for all of us. Address/name changes, packing up and moving (and figuring out how to get all that done) and just so many phone calls and changeovers to make, things to do, pay for, etc. My brain is overloaded and I have been beyond exhausted trying to stay on top of things! I just keep praying for the wisdom, endurance, and patience to get through it and that my faith will build up as I trust that God's timing is going to be perfect and He will find a way to provide for us all. He led us out of Egypt to go to the promised land. I won't complain in the desert. He'll provide and He'll get us where He plans for us to be! It may not go the way we think or look the way we thought it would look, but we can deal with whatever happens because He's got a plan! 

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to read this! We hope it's given you a glimpse into our journey and we thank all of you for your prayers and support! We also realize that there are some people that have (or will ask) about wedding gifts and such. Obviously, we have enough stuff accumulated between the two of us over the years so we aren't the typical wedding couple that needs "stuff". I am not one that likes to ask for/accept help, but since I am always one that likes to give it, I have to be humble enough to receive it too. So, if anyone DOES feel led to support us monetarily so we can take care of the avalanche of urgent financial needs that we have, you can Paypal it to chrislisscunning@gmail.com (or if you'd like to hire Chris for computer work or me for some furniture project work, we will gladly take on the jobs; or maybe you'd like to sign up as a Team Beachbody coach through me and/or make a purchase for yourself? :) It all helps!). No matter what, as long as we're all praying, things will happen! We'll keep our eyes fixed on the big picture God has for us; we're not getting back in the boat! :) Be infused! God bless you! 

A Grace FULL Life

We live in a society that is all about rewarding performance. Work hard and "earn" it. Of course, that's not always a BAD thing. After all, God discourages idleness (Proverbs 19:15). However, we sometimes try too hard or take it too far. This is particularly true in the case of God's grace. It's hard for us to understand because accepting God's love and free gift of salvation doesn't compute. We think we have to "earn" our right to heaven by doing the right things, following all the rules, and living up to an impossible standard of perfection.

God's Word says that it's our faith in the GRACE of God that saves us, not our works (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace has nothing to do with US and EVERYTHING to do with HIM. It's all about the cross; His sacrifice, His blood. If we could save ourselves through our own works, then Christ died for nothing and we would need no Savior (Galatians 2:21). Do we "deserve" it? No. Does He give it anyways? Yes! Why? Because He loves us; He's a compassionate and gracious God (Psalm 86:15) and His thoughts towards us outnumber the sand!

Our pastor, Larry Sprinkle, listed three ways that God's grace will benefit our lives:

1. God's saving grace removes guilt. - Through the blood of Christ, we are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7-8, 1 John 1:9). His abounding grace cleanses us of our sin and He removes them as far as the east is from the west. Think about how far removed that is. Not across the street. Not in the next state. From the furthest east to the furthest west (Psalm 103:11-12). It's gone; like that Casting Crowns song (this YouTube video I found is amazing!).

2. God's strengthening grace reshapes our lives. - His grace gives us strength and sustains us! It fuels us and brings confidence and peace to our hearts that is indescribable! Only God can do that! No amount of self-help from any guru or "enlightenment" can ever compare to God's grace! (Hebrews 13:9).

3. God's sustaining grace removes our hurt. - This is a big one for all of us because everyone gets wounded from time to time. His grace covers us; we are weak but He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). We just need to allow Him to heal our hearts or the wounds will fester and poison us; resulting in becoming toxic to ourselves and others (Hebrews 12:15). Don't be bitter, be BETTER!

GRACE and peace to you, my friends! In closing, watch the video below by "The Skit Guys". It was featured in church and I have also posted about them before (I just can't find the post for some reason lol). They have a real talent for illustrating Biblical concepts! Lay down your pride, surrender, and accept from God what you can't attain on your own. Be infused...with STRENGTH and GRACE! God bless you!

As Innumerable as the Sand...

It's always great when someone gives you a wonderful analogy to wow you and boggle your brain! Today, in worship service, our stand-in for our regular worship leader presented us with some great food for thought. Sand. Yes, sand....like the beaches of warmer places (Spring, where are you...really?). He showed us a big cup full of sand; explaining that he attempted to count a few grains (about a pinch). He asked us to imagine how many pinches of sand might be in that container and gave us a few ballpark figures. Obviously, there's no way to count all the grains of sand; nor all the grains of sand on one beach, many beaches, the ocean floor, or the dessert. But my goodness, it's astounding to think of!

Now, consider this verse that  he referenced to us. It's in Psalm 139:18 (the whole Psalm is really amazing, by the way): "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." God has that many thoughts toward us; about me, about YOU, about every single person! Innumerable! Indescribable! Can we even think even a fraction of that many amazing thoughts about ourselves (or about any person) in one day or  even a lifetime? THAT is how extravagant He is and how GREAT His love towards us is! It's hard to fathom, yet it just makes you feel so awed and favored by the Creator of the universe when you think about it!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! You are loved; by the God of all creation! He is crazy about you and sent His son to die for you; taking the place of your sins and eternal separation from Him so He wouldn't have to be without you for eternity (so long as you freely choose to accept His sacrifice and want to be with Him - love always gives a choice). Think about that this week! Be infused! God bless you!

Integrity: Maintaining Yours When People Lose Theirs

"Know that the world is full of ugly, but beauty too. Don't let the bad in people override the good, the evil override the miracles. Above all, there is always love and love never fails." 

- Jama Smith. 

The above quote comes from a dear friend of mine who had posted these wise words of advice in a recent Facebook post. Jama's words couldn't have been more timely because in the past couple days, I have been needing to mediate on those nuggets of truth in order to attempt to cope with some rather unsettling behavior and underhanded actions of a couple people. It seems that no matter how cruel, competitive, and wicked this world is becoming day by day, there still exists that sweet, naive little girl inside of me that is always amazed that someone could behave so nastily and immaturely. It doesn't matter that I have had tons of experience by now in dealing with people who have no character or integrity (or the ones that appear to have some and then flip a switch and show me that they don't). Deep down, I always believe that people are generally decent, grew up with some kind of basic faith and/or manners, and would treat others the way they would want to be treated. Sadly, that's not always the case.

Of course, there are a lot of emotions that one feels when someone purposely hurts you, betrays you, and then happily twists the knife some more for their sick satisfaction. Sometimes, the sweet little girl inside doesn't always want to play nice. The anger can sometimes make you want to fight back in a way that would hurt the one that would hurt you. However, I am incredibly blessed by the fact that faith and experience has taught me that reacting in anger and matching the perpetrator's cruelty isn't only ineffective and fruitless, it damages your own integrity and character. That is something that I am never willing to sacrifice. As Jama said, it's important not to let the bad in people override the good; whether it be in the world around you or in yourself. People who exude maliciousness and seek to be abrasive, toxic, and cruel aren't people you want to emulate. I would never want to mirror someone's ugly heart just because they have sought to poison me with their venom. Instead, I choose to stay true to one of the highest compliments that someone has ever given me (which, ironically, came from Jama) and it was when she remarked that I was one of the most forgiving people she knew. How humbling! Yes, that's the person I strive to be; and praise God, it can be seen by others! It makes me want to work all the harder to retain that virtue! Evil comes easily (because we have a sin nature) but CHARACTER has to be taught and developed. There's no way I'm going to let anyone hit my "reset" button to go back to any sort of "default" setting. I have learned and grown too much to ever be a person like them or a person like who I was.


I continue to compose these blog posts for so many reasons (and this makes post #200 already! Yay!). I don't do it simply because a lot of Team Beachbody coaches do it. I do it because I truly have a heart for people and a desire to help. Anyone that knows me know that to be a fact. So, I share with you what I have shared today as a reaffirmation of the kind of person I am and the kind of business that I run. Infusion 413 has heart, character, and integrity at its core because God is the foundation of who I am, the motivation for why I do what I do, and how I conduct this business (as well as my life). It is my hope that people will see that I'm genuine and caring and that the mission of Infusion 413 is something they would proudly want to be a part of (because I'm certainly happy and grateful for every single person who choose to be a part of my team and allows me to be their coach!).

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Remember, we all get hurt, double-crossed, bullied, and used in our lives. However, we should continue to cling to what is good and not let evil corrupt or change us (and, actually, allow the pain to help us grow instead). All things will work out for good according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Continue to act in love no matter what because love really does conquer all and cover a multitude of sins. Evil isn't conquered by evil; it's overcome by GOOD (Romans 12:21). Rest assured, God is JUST and HE is the avenger and equalizer; not us. He's not mocked and everyone reaps what they sow (Galatians 6:7). Keep living a life of love! Know what love is and isn't and how to "fight fair" when you've been hurt (I just posted about that a while back lol). Stick to God's Word as the blueprint for your life and you'll succeed! Be infused! God bless you!

What Love Is (And Isn't)

I never stop learning what love is (and isn't). There have been so many times in my life where I felt like, "Hey, I get it!" only to discover that there is so much more to learn and experience. It's amazing when you realize that you just reached a whole new level of understanding! 

Learning to love (and be loved) is such an amazing gift! It helps one understand the pure, perfect, flawless love of God. Though, in order to do this, it's helpful to understand what love is and isn't. One does that by contemplating on the Word of God. God didn't just speak it; He demonstrated it. Love is action. Love is virtue and character. NEVER is it described as a "feeling". Of course, love can generate strong emotion, but those emotions aren't love itself. Emotions and feelings are fickle and varied. Someone that ACTS in love does so as a result of genuine character and virtue. 

Knowing this, I composed a sort of reference guide. I referred to it earlier this week as Chris and I were conversing in depth about what it means to love. I had actually compiled the guide last year in the midst of a difficult relationship I had had with someone who DIDN'T understand love at all. I showed it to Chris and remarked that he fit the bill so well and how glad I continue to be regarding the fact that we display genuine love, respect, and care for one another. I can't tell you how amazing it is to read through something and realize the fact that the man who SAYS he loves me really DOES because he's demonstrating it the way it was designed by God! 

Just like when I took this picture,
I was distracted from what I was doing by his goofiness;
but I love him. ;)

However, human love isn't perfect (hence the "fighting fair" part of the guide for how to act in love in the midst of conflict). In fact, even as I type this right now, I had to GENTLY remind Chris to give me a few minutes to type this blog (if we are on Skype as I'm trying to do this, he can be a little noisy and/or distracting while I'm trying to work lol). Because he loves me, he doesn't get offended by this. He is gracious, apologetic, cooperative, and patient. It helped that I approached him in a kind manner, but even if I had been a rude and snippy female, he's the type of man that would still treat me with kindness because that's just the kind of character and humility he has. The way he demonstrates love to me helps me to love him that much better (and reminds me of how kind and generous God is to me; whether I deserve it or not). 

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that the following guide helps you as much as it continues to help me. I know that sometimes, we try to figure out whether or not someone loves us based on the advice of our culture, other people, past relationship comparisons, or who knows what. However, God's Word is the measure and the mirror that we should be using to figure that out. Only then will we truly understand how to love and be loved. Be infused! God bless you! 

*****

1 Corinthians 13, John 15:13, 1 John 4:7-21, Galatians 5:22-23  

Love IS

God (He is love. We love him and others).

Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness,self-control). 

Patient (long-suffering)

Kind

Enduring/Persevering

Truthful/honest

Protecting

Hopeful

Forgiving (keeps no record of wrongs)

Sacrificing (even one's life) and puts others first

Love is NOT

Fruits of the sinful nature (sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like - Galatians 5:19-21).

Envious

Boastful

Prideful

Rude

Selfish

Angry/easily provoked

Fearful

Hateful

Unforgiving

Fighting Fair

1. Truth, honesty, and communication. Expressing and listening to each other with open minds and hearts and doing so in love. Meaning, building up and not tearing down (Ephesians 4:29, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Hebrews 3:13). No name-calling and personal attacks. Any emotion should be expressed tactfully and respectfully without accusations/assumptions, judgement/condemnation, bad attitudes, and vocal/body language expressions that can wound as well. Appropriate breaks and constructive methods of dealing with anger should be used (like "time outs" and breaks for some down time). Additionally, while input and help from family/friends is often helpful and needed, it needs to be limited. Not everyone needs to know or needs to no everything (or know every instance). When they do, it's important to let them know when/how a conflict is resolved so that they know we're ok. 

2. No games. No "blame game", excuses, ultimatums, threats, or manipulation. It solves nothing and only creates more problems and wounding. Adam and Eve played the blame game, but it did nothing to help and there were still consequences (Genesis 3). 

3. Taking responsibility,ownership, and apologizing. "Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?" Choosing humility over pride and looking at one's own errors instead of the flaws of someone else (Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 13:10, Proverbs 14:3, Proverbs 16:18, Ecclesiastes 7:8, Matthew 23:12, Ephesians 4:2, 1 Peter 5:5). We all have planks in our eyes so we shouldn't throw stones (Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 6:41-42, John 8:7 ). 

4. Compromises, solutions, resolutions. Both people have to be willing to sacrifice and be willing to come up with a solution to the problem; as well as resolve how to prevent that type of thing from happening again and repenting/doing better (2 Corinthians 7:9, Romans 2:4).

5. "Forgive and forget". Forgiving and moving on (and not dragging up past issues and mistakes into fresh conflict). Unforgiveness is a poison that will eat away at a relationship and breakdown intimacy. It's not always easy to forgive, but holding onto grudges is so much harder. It drains you of energy and is a load on your shoulders. Without forgiveness, restoration isn't possible; nor can we expect God to forgive us if we don't forgive others. The judgment and measure we use will also be measured to us (Matthew 6:15, Matthew 7:2, Luke 6:37). 

The most important thing to remember is that we can and will make mistakes. Relationships are tough and require a lot of grace, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness (sometimes a little more than we would like). No one is perfect or loves perfectly, but we will strive to be made more perfect in love and remember that true love covers a multitude of sins (Luke 17:4, Proverbs 10:12, 1 Peter 4:8).

Live to Love and Love Living!

Love definitely makes you feel empowered. Love makes you sing. Love envelopes you; swallows you up. You feel it coursing through your veins. It's embedded into your soul. You pursue love and it pursues you. It's a unique song. 

To know love is to know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8). When you experience His presence and sense that amazing love He has for you, you can't help but feel lost in it. Blissful. Content. Perfect. You ponder it and meditate on it. You think about the very essence of it. 

Paul says that love is patient, kind, and unfailing; that it hopes, protect, and perseveres (1 Corinthians 13). It's pure, unselfish, and forgiving. Love casts aside all pride, anger, and jealousy. Love, real love, is TRUTH and joy. 

Those verses are always rooted deep into my heart. Whenever I think about what love is, or how to love others, I measure it by those verses. Does my love look like that? Is God at the heart of it? Is it virtuous? Is it good? Is it truthful, patient, kind, and unselfish? How strong is the love in my heart? I want it to be genuine; fueled by God, for He IS love. He enables me to love.

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that these words, verses, and this song will empower and motivate you to love! At this time of year, people seem more inclined to act in love. We feel generous and compassionate; wanting to bless others' lives during the holiday season. Though, we must remember, love shouldn't just be a seasonal thing. It's God's greatest command (Matthew 22:36-40). Live to love and you'll LOVE living! Be infused (with God's love)! God bless you!

Extravagant!

I love how I never have to worry about what I'm going to post for this blog. I've mentioned before that I sometimes wonder if I'll run out of ideas, but I know that I won't because God always provides them. Today's media Monday choice was a no-brainer after church service yesterday. Our worship leader shared a story with us about how during Street Fair, he and his wife ran into a sound problem with his wife's parade float for her music studio. They needed their music for their parade float, but there was no battery power to provide the sound. He asked her what they should do and she simply said that they should pray. Then, they tried it again and WOW! SOUND!! He remarked how amazing it was that she had the faith to believe that God would do that for them. He's the God of miracles who has done far greater things than provide some battery power, so why would anything be too hard for Him?

The thing that struck me and made me tear up so much was when he said that God did it "because He loves my wife." That's the simple truth. He loves us, provides for us, and gets us through everything. It made me think of the blog that I shared yesterday and just how amazing true love really is!

Right after he shared that story, we sang this Casting Crowns song. I just kept right on crying lol. I was beyond touched! I just knew that this was definitely the media/song to share today!!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that you bask in the knowledge that His love is amazing, deep, and VERY extravagant!! Be infused! God bless you!!

 

The Beauty of True Love

It's amazing how God can touch your heart through music and movies in such unexpected ways!  A few nights ago, while I was painting in my new home, several songs from Disney's "Beauty & the Beast" ended up playing on one of my specially created Pandora channels (yes, I'm a dork and I listen to Disney songs and musicals lol). Of course, this caused me to think and reflect a lot about the movie. It's been a while since I've watched it, but I've always enjoyed it. It's a fun and delightful treasure for kids and adults alike. It also has a lot of depth and substance that probably gets overlooked.

I feel as though we all need to learn the lesson of true love and surrender that is at the heart of this movie. The Beast learned that love is only love when it's a choice. When he realized that he truly loved Belle, he put his selfish desires aside. He was no longer rude, angry, or demanding his own way. He became a good example of the definition of love when He put HER first (as well as her ailing father, whom he had previously shown no mercy or compassion for). He realized that forcing her to stay, and making her his prisoner, could never be true love. I think it was truly a turning point in the story where he told Belle that he was releasing her. Moments later, he told Cogsworth that he "let her go" and that he "had to". Cogsworth was in shock and asked him why. The Beast's answer was simple, "Because...I love her." 

Belle's own realization of true love came later after she confronted Gaston when she returned home. While trying to save her father from going to the asylum, she proved via the magic mirror that her father wasn't crazy and that the Beast existed. When Gaston realized that she was defending the beast, and that she had feelings for that "monster", she had the guts to say that Gaston was the true monster. To me, that was a very profound thing because if you look at the Beast and Gaston side by side, no one would dare to say such a thing. Though, that's because people usually look at appearances instead of the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

If there's one thing that God has constantly reminded me of over the years, it's this very powerful and simple truth: "It's all about the heart, Melissa." Whatever or whomever you're judging, it all boils down to the HEART of it. The heart is all that ever truly matters. Belle could definitely see that the Beast had a good heart despite what he looked like on the outside. The opposite was true of Gaston; pretty on the outside, but a rotten heart on the inside. I probably don't even need to mention how the story ends, but of course Belle came running back to the Beast. It always thrilled my heart how the Beast was so overwhelmingly touched that she did. He thought that even though he did the right thing in letting her go, he had lost his chance not only to have his curse broken, but to have the woman he loved. So, having her CHOOSE to come back to him (and to love him) was the most amazing thing in the world to him!

True love; it proved to be stronger than any curse....even death. That fact, my friends, is no fairy tale! That IS real life! The best example of that is Jesus' true and everlasting love for us. Through His sacrifice, He conquered the grave for us! He brings us back to life when we are dead inside and gives us life eternally! But, of course, we have to choose (like Belle did) to love and be loved. Just as He came (and is coming back again) for us, we have to come to HIM! 

I've learned so much by pondering on the deep lessons found in that movie. I'm glad that God found a way to bring it to my mind from something so simple as those "random" songs from my Pandora station. Though, nothing is random with God. His timing is so perfect! He knew I needed to reflect on such things right now because as I mentioned last week, getting my new home has been a very emotional thing for me for so many reasons. I will officially move in after some minor interior work gets finished. Though, as that time grows closer, my many emotions continue to surface and intensify. My primary emotion: loneliness. I've never lived alone before. I married young, so I went straight from living at home to being a housewife. Then, it was back to living with my parents after the kids and I were forced to leave. Granted, the kids DO live with me, but it's still a lonely and incomplete feeling when you are so used to having other adults or a spouse in the household. This reality is what is finally drawing out the last bit of grief that has been hanging on since the divorce. I have been anticipating this, but have dreaded it even though I welcome the closure of it all. 

Like I stated earlier, God's timing on this is perfect. Today would have been my 12th wedding anniversary. Yet, here I am...single. In my marriage, I was always like Belle; trying to tame the Beast and loving him no matter how much he raged. Though, in my case, I didn't get a happy ending. The prince that exists somewhere inside that raging creature never emerged. His heart hardened instead of softened until terror and rage took over completely and now, the Beast is all that is left. I mourned then, and I mourn now, as I continue to hope and pray for peace & change in that heart and that he truly will allow God to transform him into who he is meant to be. God showed me then, as well as now, that it's in HIS hands and not mine. Surrendering someone or something is SO HARD, but it's only when we give up control to Jesus that everything gets set right again and He can stabilize our lives. We just have to learn to let go. 

 

Letting go of people has never been easy for me; and I feel like I have had to let go of so many! I hate it, but sometimes it's necessary for one reason or another. Actually, I think that the main reason God wanted me to think on that movie was so that I would face the reality that there was someone else that I needed to let go of. When it truly dawned on me, it literally brought me to my knees because I knew that God had been nudging me for a while to release this person to Him. It's someone that I love deeply, but knew that God was asking me to let go and release this person into His hands. I have been avoiding it and living in denial that I was even holding on in the way that I was. However, when God worked on my heart through those crucial lessons of the movie, I couldn't deny what had to be done any longer. I cried and cried and felt the need to kneel and raise my hands to the Lord and say out loud, "I release _____ to you."

When I raised my hands to the Lord, I also remembered the story of Jenny's pearls that has always meant so much to me. In the story, Jenny's Daddy asks her to give up her cheap pearl necklace to him (which she loves more than anything). She refuses and keeps clinging to them until one day she hands them over. In return, her Daddy's gives her a REAL strand of pearls. I felt like I was giving up my prized "pearl" necklace. To me, this was someone I felt was such a treasure and that I was meant to have, but God asked me to trust Him and hand that person over. I don't know what God is going to do in that situation, but I trust Him. It doesn't mean that that treasure is gone, but God will do something with it. It could be that I'm not meant to have it, or maybe I'm just not meant to have it right now or in the way that I thought. Or, maybe he will give me something totally different. I don't know. All I know is that this person belongs to the Lord, not to me. When and if they are meant to be "mine" is up to God. It hurts so very much, but I know that I had to make the same kind of decision that the Beast did by "releasing" them. In doing so, I'm demonstrating that I truly do love this person by giving them their freedom. Maybe they'll have their moment like Belle did and come back. Or, maybe they aren't my "Belle". Either way, I am open to whatever God is determining for me. He will give me something genuine. I don't have to settle for fake pearls!


My heart has been broken more times than I could ever count. Yet, I still have hope  that I will get a "happy ending"; it just may not be in the way that I think (or with whom I think). All I know is that God's new beginning for me was a whole lot different (and better) than anything I could have imagined, so I know that He has the rest in hand too! It took these past three horrible years (well, probably my whole life) to get it, but it's finally here! Maybe sometime soon, some of my other dreams will come true too! I just have to keep trusting and believing that God will do it (because He WILL when He chooses to - and when I'm ready for it). Just like in another Disney movie ("Tangled") we sometimes find a new and better dream. A classmate of mine had reminded me of that fact three years ago when I told him that my dream (my family as I knew it) was now dead and he assured me that it wasn't, but that it was just different and that I would have a new dream. I've always held onto that and I believe that he's right. God is restoring me and building me bigger and better dreams; new and improved versions of the ones I have always had. He is so amazing!
 

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that what I've shared will help you as much as it has helped me. Learning (and re-learning) about true love, surrender, and sacrifice is something that never gets old. It's also important to remember (like Cinderella would say) to "have faith in your dreams...no matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true." Things may not always happen as soon (or in the way) that we would like, but God knows our hearts. If we continue to delight in Him, and seek him FIRST, He will give us our heart's desires (Psalm 37:4, Matthew 6:33). We have to keep persevering and having faith in Him. He is greater than any fairy godmother could ever be and the TRUEST love we'll ever find (because God IS love)! He is a dream come true all by Himself! Anything else is just a bonus! Believe in Him! He'll come through for you...because He loves you!! That's the beauty of true love, dear ones!! Be infused! God bless you!!