“For today and its blessings, I owe the world an attitude of gratitude.”

Don’t we all have blessings around us each and every day?  Even when we are dealing with the challenges of life we still have many blessings to be thankful for.  So often we take our blessings for granite and focus on the negative.  If we made an effort to look for our blessings, each day instead of focusing on what we don’t have we would all live with an attitude of gratitude.

How often do you really stop to think about your blessings for the day?  Have you been blessed by the sun or the rain, the food that you eat, the smile on someone’s face, a kind email that was sent your way, a hug or a kiss, a phone call from a friend, good health, or a kind word.  Unfortunately many of us don’t live with an attitude of gratitude because we are always looking for bigger blessings instead of seeing how God blesses us every day.   We look for what we don’t have instead of what we do have.  If you are always focused on something that you want, try focusing on what you have and be grateful for your blessings.  No matter what your circumstances are, we always have blessings from God.  Life is abundant when you focus on your current blessings and see your life and surroundings as a gift from God.  Start living with an attitude of gratitude.

Many blessings,

Melissa

Nobody’s Perfect but Everyone is Special!

Don’t be afraid of being different.  God made each one of us different for a reason …to make us all special from one another.  Every single person in this world has imperfections about them self in their own mind.  And throughout our life, every single person in this world will face challenges.

We live in a culture where we are taught to dress alike, talk like one another, and follow trends.  The media dictates what is beautiful and strong by materials and outer appearances.  Our children look to see what other children are wearing and doing, to fit in.  Yet, God made us each an individual to be proud of ourselves.

Learn to be proud of yourself and believe in who you are.  Love your imperfections and the scars that remind you of your challenges and how far you have come.  Realize that it is what is on the inside that counts and that being special is about the love that resonates from your soul.   Never be afraid to be exactly who you are because you are one of a kind made through the love of God.

Many blessings,

Melissa

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

-Psalm 55:22

If you are struggling through a hard times today just remember that abundance is in the future.  Hold your head high, put your shoulders back and look to a bright future.  Remember that struggles in life are only temporary.  Think back to your past struggles and you will find there was a lesson to be learned.  When you are going through a difficult time, keep in mind it is giving you strength and you are in the process of advancing to a better place.  We were created to do great things in life and difficult times are only a process of getting us there.  No matter what your life looks like today, God will always bring you through to a better place so that you can be a blessing to others.  Be a blessing!

A merry heart does good, like medicine.  Proverbs 17:22

Throughout life there will always be a mountain to climb, a bump in the road or an obstacle to overcome.  This is part of life!  As soon as we get through one obstacle there will be another obstacle to face.  It is so important to enjoy where you are now and not the destination of where you are going.  So many people believe they will be happy when they get their house paid off, or when their spouse gets a better job, or when they get married.  The point is that something else will not make you happy.

Big events only make you happy for a short while and then they wear off.  They are like a quick fix and when they wear off you are looking for another big event to make you happy.  Allow yourself to enjoy your life the way it is at the present moment.  Don’t wait for your problems to be solved because our life will never be perfect.  You may not like your circumstances at the present moment but you can still enjoy your life today.    See the many blessings that surround you and appreciate today.  Live each day in joy and enjoy the journey God has given you!

Many Blessings,

Melissa

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

Have you had big dreams in your life only to settle for less than what was in your heart?  Maybe your dream was to be the best parent ever, or to be at the top of your class or to be number one in your career.  It seems like most of us start out really strong when our dream enters our heart and then we approach bumps in the road and our dream starts to fade.  We decide our dream is too difficult or we tell ourselves we just can’t do it.

We were made to conquer our dreams not to settle.  Throughout life we will always have bumps in the road but they are not a sign to stop or settle.  They are meant for us to rise up and try harder.  God has put our dreams in our hearts and wants us to stay focused on them not to give up on them.

If you have stopped dreaming take a step forward and remind yourself that you are made of so much more and don’t settle for less.  Things may be difficult but it is simply a bump in the road that we all must travel over.  Keep your dreams close to your heart and continue to believe.

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”  Gail Devers

Many Blessings,

Melissa

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. Proverbs 15:1-2

Pay no attention to negative criticism, as long as you are doing well for the Lord. If you move with God you will be watched and criticized. That is part if moving past mediocrity.
The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing and inevitably be nothing. The more you do the more you face criticism. But we are not called to respond to criticism we are called to respond to God. Be sure to evaluate your criticism and make sure you are doing your best for the good of God.
Most of the time people who are critical are either uninformed or jealous. They usually say things that have no real impact on the truth. The next time you make a critical judgment be sure to know all of the facts and think about what you are saying before you speak. Remember to never judge what is said about others by their enemies.
The truth always outlives a lie. As long as what you are saying and what you are doing is of God it won’t make any difference what anyone else says about you.

“When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical.”

Many blessings,

Melissa

The Choice is Yours!

This video says a lot.
It is a great world that God brought us to. Live each day by being your best.

Many blessings,

Melissa

Do not steal.  Do not lie.  Do not deceive one another.  Leviticus 19:11

You can never make a lie work.  Honesty shall set you free.  In today’s world many people are shocked by honesty, which is a true shame.

Several years ago, I was getting ready to resign from a company because I was starting my own business.  Many people told me I should be dishonest and continue to work for the company while running my own business so that I could collect the bonus that was coming up at the end of the quarter.  I was told I was a fool to tell the truth because I would lose a lot of money.  I made the decision that no money was worth my soul and living a lie.  I told the truth and the company was so appreciative of the truth that they paid me the bonus.  The truth always pays.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”  Steve Jobs

Many people over exaggerate the truth to impress others, which is essentially living a lie.  Be happy with yourself and your life and be free of lies.  Living a life of truth is freeing.  When we lie we are simply punishing ourselves.  Most lies are told because we are not happy with whom we are and lying only adds to our unhappiness.  Lies hurt us and others and block the blessings in our lives.

Live a blessed life in the truth.

If we look around us the world is constantly changing every second of the day.  Yet, why is it that so many of us are afraid of change in our lives?   We fight change whenever it comes our way and we make ourselves miserable over changes in our life.

If you think about it, none of us would be where we are today without change.  We change our minds, we change our style, we change our emotions, we change our attitudes, and we change our lives.  If you are not changing you are not growing.  If you never changed your opinion you would never correct your mistakes.  Those who change with the world are the most successful.

Have you ever been told you have to change positions at work and you really fought the change only to find once you got into the new job it was a much better position than your prior job?  Many blessings are brought by change and many of us do not see the blessings because we are unwilling to change.

Remember you cannot grow as a person if you are not willing to change.  Each one of us grows through change.  When you change yourself your opportunities will change.  An unhappy life is a life that is fearful of change.  Be open to change and see your blessings come to pass.

Many blessings,

Melissa

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.  Proverbs 17:17

A true friend is someone who accepts you with all of your faults.  A true friend is there for you during the good times and the bad times.  A true friend is someone you can tell anything to and you know they will not judge you.  A true friend is someone who lifts you up when you are down no matter what the circumstances.  A true friend understands your mistakes.  A true friend is someone who listens when you need it and they know the right time to offer advice.  A true friend never talks behind your back and has the utmost respect for you.  A true friend delights in your happiness and success even when they may not be having the best day.  A true friend always wants the best for you.  A true friend is a blessing in your life.

Be a blessing to someone else and be a true friend!  Our world needs more true friends!

Thank you to all of my true friends!

Melissa