World Vision

Think back to what you had for dinner tonight...did you enjoy it? Was it nice and hot? Was it just the way you like it? Think back to the last time you craved crisp clean water...how long did it take you to access some? A few minutes? What about the last time you were sick? You went to a store and bought some Tylenol or Advil, or in bacterial infections, maybe went and got a prescription from your doctor. How much of all this did you take for granted?

Now...if you have children, think about them and answer the same questions. How heart breaking would it be as a parent if you were unable to provide all these basic necessities for your child? What if just taking a sip of water could put their life in danger? What if they didn't have access or resources for medical care and were killed by something like the flu, that relatively healthy people can easily survive in this country? What if you had to watch your child go to bed hungry every night? What if you had to listen to them cry from the hunger pains? How devastating would that be to you as a parent?

We are incredibly blessed in this country. Yes, a lot of people struggle to provide for their families, my children and I included, but we have access to clean water, warm meals, and medical care (though the latter 2 are sometimes difficult to come by...we CAN get them). Imagine not having the ability to provide ANYTHING for children...just because you're not blessed to live in this country. It's not because you're not a hard worker, or you're lazy, or you're trying to live off of government benefits...because there are NO government benefits in your country. The resources simply aren't there.

But...what if you could help?

There are a LOT of child sponsorship programs floating around...I don't know about all of them, but I do know about WORLD VISION. At a Women of Joy weekend retreat, I was brought to tears by the story of a World Vision sponsor. To see children suffering and dying because of things that are completely preventable is unacceptable. I went to the World Vision booth during a break between speakers and found a picture of a handsome little 10 year old boy named Cristhian. His health status was poor. His eyes begged for a better life in his sad photograph. I knew I had to help this boy. While filling out my paperwork, I came across a picture of a beautiful 12 year old girl named Maimouna...she had the same desperate eyes as Cristhian. I signed up to sponsor her as well. The feeling of satisfaction was overwhelming...but it didn't hold a candle to the first time I received hand-written letters from my sponsor children. They are so thankful for my sponsorship...

I recently got an updated picture of Maimouna...this beautiful but sad little girl who didn't have a hope in her eyes the first time I saw her, is now a young lady with a beautiful smile in her pictures. My small donation of $35/month has provided her with food, clean water, clothes, school supplies, and medical care. I'm still waiting anxiously for an update on Cristhian. I thank God for the opportunity to sponsor these children. There are so many more who need sponsors. Will you consider saving a child's life? $35/month...your cell phone payment is more than that. If you can afford a frivolous expense like that, why can't you give that money to change a life? Most people spend that much in a shopping trip for things we WANT...

Times are tough all around, but the blessing is really your's when you sponsor a child. I hope to one day be able to travel to Colombia and Senegal, West Africa to meet my sponsor children in person...until then, I will continue to treasure each letter I get from them. If you've EVER thought about child sponsorship...do it. Do it now. Children are dying every day....

www.worldvision.org

Perfect Christians Vs. Real Christians

I'm frustrated. Frustrated with the pressure to be "perfect", to never make a mistake, never a wrong choice (even if I know deep down it's wrong), pressure to be either a "perfect" Christian or a Christian the way other people THINK I should be.

NEWS FLASH!!!

There was only ONE perfect Christian and His name was Jesus Christ. He is the only one to live in this world and NEVER sin (Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin").


There's also only ONE way to be a Christian...and there's a handy little blue print called the Bible to show you how.
1. Ask Jesus to come in your life and live in your heart
2. Confess that you're a sinner and you need Him (Romans 3:23 "For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.")
3. Turn away from your sins
4. Learn and follow the Ten Commandments (that's the part that starts with "thou shalt not...")
5. Spend time with God every day
6. Strive to be more like Christ everyday (love your enemies, always help when you can, pray without ceasing, don't judge...)
7. Ask for forgiveness when you mess up (because you WILL mess up)

I realize people have different areas of strengths and weaknesses-espeically when it comes to being like Jesus. Some people can find good in anyone, others hold a grudge till death. Some are tempted by sins everyday that others can dismiss without a second thought. Some are amazing prayer warriors, some can bring you to your knees with a song. Just like every person is different, every Christian is different. And don't ya think God planned it to be EXACTLY that way? So we can be there for each other and support each other in our weaknesses, not judge, condemn, or point fingers. We will all answer for our lives one day, God is the only one who can judge us. Until then, I thank Him for prayer and forgiveness. I'm not perfect, you're not perfect, none of us will EVER be perfect this side of Heaven. Let's try to remember that when we deal with each other. God's judgement is the only one we have to worry about. Do the best you can with the circumstances God gives you and ask Him to forgive you when you fall short. One of God's greatest promises is 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We don't have to agree with other's decisions, but as Christians, we have been COMMANDED to support, love, and forgive them anyway...Being Christian doesn't mean you're perfect...it means God forgives you...in all your UNPERFECTNESS. Even if the rest of the world won't. And that God will make good out of whatever bad decisions we make.

Chivalry isn't dead, it's just on life support...

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Well, the way to a girl's heart, is through chivalry...this girl anyway. 

Chivalry: the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight man, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms (dictionary.com). 

For the life of me, I can't figure out why so many people have abandoned this concept. Why are so many people satisfied with short-term relationships based solely on physical attraction and nothing deeper? Do people really think that those kinds of relationships will last when time starts taking it's toll on our physical appearances? Yeah you can get plastic surgery...but eventually you end up looking like Joan Rivers, and who wants that? Not saying that she's not attractive, but you can tell without a doubt that she's made of artificial material...

So my point is, if this so called "love" goes no deeper than the surface, what's left of the relationship when the wrinkles start coming out? Or when the metabolism slows drastically and 30+ lbs are gained? I don't know about you, but I want a love that will stand the test of time. A love that won't care if I don't put makeup on every day and choose to stay in my pajamas for 24 hours straight. A love that understands I'm moody sometimes and I've got a lot on my plate. A love that will support me when I put God and my kids first instead of being selfish and jealous. So where do you find that?

The definition of chivalry is exactly what God intended a man to be for his wife. Someone who cares about her needs, not out of obligation, but out of genuine love. Someone who will take care of her when she's sick, or at least take care of the kids/chores when she's sick so she can rest. Someone who will open doors for her, ask about her day (again, not out of obligation but out of love and caring), and someone who doesn't expect the relationship to progress at 100mph. Someone who respects her enough to wait...and, if the situation called for it, someone who would give his life for her, just as Christ did for the church. Christ didn't die to be called a hero or so He could get His face in the newspaper, He died out of love. Pure love.

There a very few people like that left in the world. Men and Women...I'm not putting all the blame on the men here. Women have become so insecure in themselves that they will do whatever a man says to feel loved by him...often throwing away any morals she may have had...only to end up alone anyway. So why go through the heartache of rushing into things with person after person and suffer way more than you would have to? Just take things slow and fall in love...not in lust. It's worth it. Let's bring Chivalry back to life :)

I want an old fashioned romance, put together by God Himself...until then, you can call me single :)

Things I've learned this year...

Things I've learned this year:

1. I'm dumber than I give myself credit for
2. I'm smarter than I give myself credit for
3. I can NOT pull off leggings...I can barely get them ON (hahahaha!)
4. My kids are the greatest blessing the Lord has ever given me
5. I would be nothing without my parents' help
6. Sometimes it's better to have only 1 parent
7. I'm happy in my singleness
8. I need WAY more sleep than I used to if I want to be a functioning human being the next day
9. I'm a Bible thumper and I'm proud
10. I'm becoming more and more like my mother (though, not necessarily a bad thing, she's pretty awesome...most of the time)
11. I'm becoming increasingly disgusted with the ways of the world, and increasingly grateful for Jesus and all God's promises
12. I have the power to create my own happiness (Happiness 401:) )
13. My dad and I have more in common than I realized
14. I'd be perfectly fine if I never watched network TV again. All I need are cartoons for my kids and Golden Girls DVDs for me
15. God is in control
16. He will make good out of any mistakes I make
17. Prayer is powerful...but I'm ashamed to admit, I don't do it enough.
18. I don't like the pressure of "dating"...I'd rather just be friends with someone with no expectations. If it turns into more, I want it to be God's will, not my own or anyone else's. 
19. Orange is my all time, hands down, most favorite color in the world
20. Hugs from my kids are all I need on a bad day...unless of course, they are the CAUSE of my bad day, in which case, BEDTIME hugs are all I need :) Haha

Let the education continue....

Happiness 101 vs. Happiness 401

So, you may be wondering why I chose to name my blog "Happiness 401" instead of "Happiness 101", since most things are usually ____ 101. In a nutshell, "101" level classes usually equate to the first year of college, "201" equate to the second year and so on..."401" equates to the senior year...the top, you finally made it. I've always been a happy person, but the causes of my happiness have varied. At this point in my life, I'm determining to make my own happiness, no matter what. I feel like I've finally made it, I have the knowledge to know that I'M in control of my happiness, not anyone or anything else...just me. I feel like most people go through life on a "101" level, always letting circumstances dictate attitudes, feelings, etc.


Now that I've explained that...welcome to my world! I have no idea what this blog is going to become...or even if anyone will want to read it. But there's no harm in seeing what happens, right? So this is where I will share my feelings, tell jokes (yes most of them will probably be corny), talk about the loves of my life (my son, Gavin, and daughter, Lexie...and, of course, Jesus), vent when I have a bad day, and whatever else comes out when my fingers hit the keyboard. So how about some quick background info to get started...


I am Melissa, I'm twen...well, I'll keep my age to myself :) I'm a single mom to 2 wonderful kids. Gavin is 4 & Lexie is 2. I'm sure most of my blogging will have something to do with them...they are my world. My miracle babies that I wasn't supposed to be able to have. I'm a nurse (LPN). I worked in pediatric home care for 2 years, I now work at a nursing home, and I love it. I'm in school to get my RN now, God willing, I will graduate in May. I wear my socks inside out and they rarely end up being matching colors, a have a pacemaker, I like cats better than dogs, I go to church 3 times a week (unless I'm working), I love overalls and the color orange, and I have a slight obsession with surveys & Jesus :) The randomness of these facts thrown together is a perfect picture of my life...and I wouldn't have it any other way. I know the Lord has a plan and He's working in my life every day...random as it may seem to you and I.

So that's a quick intro...I'm super excited to get this blog up and going :) Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon :)