What If I Don’t Want To Forgive Them?

September 29, 2014 By: Melissa

Today I’m sharing over at the Internet Cafe Devotions site and I’m talking about something I’ve wrestled with a lot. Here’s a sneak peek.

When we hold on to that anger, resentment, bitterness, anxiety, frustration, and angst we are the ones left as a hot mess. Not the person or persons that “wronged” us, but us. Chances are they have moved on and gone about their lives while we wrestle and roll over what they said, what they did, how they deceived us or let us down.

We make ourselves sick.
We stress ourselves out and they have moved on.

Why? Why do we do that?

We don’t want that to happen.
We don’t want to wrestle with the anxiety and stress, but we do.

…to find out Why It’s Important To Forgive, Even When…We Don’t Want To make sure to go over to the Internet Cafe Devotions site today.

Want to know more about the Internet Cafe Devotions site?

The Internet Café unites women of faith; unites women through the exhortation, edification and encouragement of each other through God’s guiding hand. We seek to unite women regardless of our stage of life or the signs that mark our church doors. Passionately we believe that through our written words we can support women on their own personal journey of faith, inspiring them to live as true disciples.

Stuck in My Own Little World

February 28, 2012 By: Melissa

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b NIV

Stuck.
In the same car line.
In the same seats at church.
In my own little world.

Over the last few weeks, God has really been nudging at my heart to start looking at what He has really called me to do. I mean…really nudging me. So much so that I had to mentally pull off the side of the road and throw my hands up in the air with a “what gives?” reply.

I serve your people at church. I support, love and encourage my husband and kids. I lead the Kids and Women’s ministries at our church. I run…

I…
I…
I…

Herein lies the problem. In laying out all the things I was doing for God, I realized that this is not actually what He has called me to. At my church we’ve been going through an evangelism series called “Just One” and it has become our heart’s cry for what we feel God is leading our church to do.

To be quite honest it wasn’t until just a few weeks ago during the course of unpacking that the light bulb finally come on and God showed me that I have been stuck in my own little world for far too long.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

It is right there in Scripture. We call it the Great Commission and if you wanted to peel everything back to the one thing we are called to do it would be to “GO!”

It is not do this or do that, but simply put to “GO!”

In all the years I have seen this verse, read it, memorized it and talked about it I don’t think it has ever hit me as hard as it is right now. I can not bury my head in the sand and pretend “evangelism” is something others are called to do. I can’t brush it off by saying that it’s “not my thing” and I can’t completely focus on the needs and cares of the people in my church.

Yes, I should love on and care for the people in my church.
Yes, I should run the ministries or events that I lead at church.
But no, that doesn’t mean I should surround myself with church people all the time.

I need to get out of my own little world and “GO!” …just like Jesus says to.

<—- to read the rest of “Stuck in My Own Little World” and find out some of the things that I am doing, and you can too, to keep from being stuck, then head on over to the Internet Cafe Devotions site.

I can’t wait to see what He does when you and I, together, start to get unstuck from our own little worlds. I’m praying this is just the beginning of a great new adventure for the both of us. It may not be easy and it may not be comfortable, but it sure is going to be exciting!

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Stuck in My Own Little World

February 28, 2012 By: Melissa

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b NIV

Stuck.
In the same car line.
In the same seats at church.
In my own little world.

I serve your people at church. I support, love and encourage my husband and kids. I lead the Kids and Women’s ministries at our church. I run…

I…
I…
I…

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

It is right there in Scripture. We call it the Great Commission and if you wanted to peel everything back to the one thing we are called to do it would be to “GO!”

It is not do this or do that, but simply put to “GO!”

I need to get out of my own little world and “GO!” …just like Jesus says to.

<---- to read the rest of "Stuck in My Own Little World” and find out some of the things that I am doing, and you can too, to keep from being stuck, then head on over to the Internet Cafe Devotions site.

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Beat The Summer Slump in Kids & Student Ministry

July 13, 2011 By: Melissa

photo: dreamstimefree_775257 RF-LL

Summer time is here and in ministry these couple of months can be a time to rest from a busy season in ministry. This is not the case if you are in Kids or Student Ministry, as a matter of fact, the summer months can be some of your busiest times in ministry. The kids are out of school, which means the ministries that serve them get geared up to create a memorable summer.

It is also the time of year that juggling the volunteer schedule becomes a three ring circus. People in, people out, trading classrooms, last minute trips and sometimes they just need a break. The kids and students still come every weekend but there are some weekends that leave you wondering if anyone show up to serve them.

Schedules, volunteers, supplies, curriculum, planning, events, VBS, camp, parent meetings, salvation weekends and trainings happen fifty two times a year. No weekend is ever the same and every weekend has the chance for complete chaos. When the summer comes most ministry leaders have experienced the highs and lows of an intense ministry season and because of it some just need a break.

What happens though when you get to the beginning of summer and you are already worn out from the rest of the ministry season?