25 Things You Didn’t Know About Me…Part Two
Part Two…I told you there was more…
16 – I act like a kid a lot. But I am a responsible adult as well. I make decisions daily that ooze responsibility. I am in charge of twenty-four 9 and 10 year olds and a whole slew of teenagers so yes….I can act like an adult.
Bible check – We are all children, children of God. 1 John 3 states, “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and this is what we are.” The Bible also states that we should have faith like a child. Matthew 18:3 says, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” Children have two things going for them. First, when they sin, we usually punish them, and then they say they’re sorry, and hopefully they don’t do it again. I remember one time when my nephew ran out in the street after being told by his mother not to. He almost got ran over. His mom ran to him and yelled and screamed and spanked him right then and there. Now my nephew was just a kid, maybe 3 or 4. But to this day, he does not go out in the street without looking both ways, and he’ll tell you it’s because he got punished when he was just 3 or 4. The funny thing is that he didn’t even remember nearly getting hit with a car. He remembered the punishment afterwards and never did it again. Wouldn’t that be nice if adults were like that? We sin. God punishes us, probably not a time-out chair but some form of punishment, and we say we’re sorry. Then we don’t do it again. Another thing, they have this innocent faith about them. If I told my nephew that the sky was going to fall, he’d believe me, because he trusts me and has faith in what I say and do. I remember one time my sister had surgery and he was very upset about it. I told him we needed to pray about it. Well, as soon as we prayed about it, he was fine. It wasn’t even because of his faith in God, but his faith in me. If Aunt Missy said God would take care of it, then God would take care of it. Now, wouldn’t it be nice if us adults had that kind of faith in God? We would stop worrying so much and just trust God, like our kids trust their parents to take care of them.
15 – My best friends are not teenagers. They are adults. Can we act like kids when we’re together? Yes. But we are also responsible adults that help each other with big decisions like marriage and children. They are the ones who know me as Melissa and are there for me when I’m not happy go lucky Mel. That’s why they are my best friends. ☺
Bible check – Friends are awesome and God wants you to have them. I don’t have any long drawn out explanation for this. I do have a question though. What kind of friends do you have? Proverbs 18:24 says, “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” I am lucky to have the latter ones. How about you?
14 – I am not always happy. I have a diseased colon that gives me a stomach ache almost daily. I have a crazy family. I have two jobs that include children. I am the team leader at my school. I am the webmaster of several websites. I am the one everyone goes to with their problems. The list goes on and on. So, yes, sometimes I get stressed out or even sad or even angry. I am only human. And yes, I cry.
13 – I have monsters in my closet. I get jealous of my friends who grew up with money and their parents still pay for things. I get angry with my family members because they can be very irresponsible and I always have to fix it. Even though I grew up poor, I still want the cool toys like a Macbook Pro. I even have some guilt over these things and more. Again, I am only human.
Bible check – We did a whole sermon series on ‘monsters in the closet’. If you need more info on this, Richard would be the man to talk to. He is an expert…cuz he preached on it for a month.
12- It’s not just a rumor. I rap. Will I do it for you guys? If every single one of you brings your Bible on a Wednesday night, I will write and rap for you about Solid Rock Café. I am comfortable in making this bet because there has not been a single Wednesday in the many years of my ministry that everyone has brought their Bible. If you don’t believe I rap, ask Katybug about the cricket rap in SC. For more information on why you shouldn’t bet, see the devotion on stair sliding.
11 – I don’t read my Bible as much as I should. That is the one thing my dad and I both had on our lists. It is also the one thing I was most ashamed to admit to him.
Bible check – There are like a zillion scriptures in the Bible that tell you why it’s important to read the Bible, but I’m not going to pull them all out. This devotion is long enough. Why is it important though? Here’s just a few reasons:
you can’t know it unless you read it,
it teaches us the difference between right and wrong,
it’s a map to guide us,
it helps us find wisdom,
it is our light,
it’s our responsibility to pass it on,
you can’t put it into practice if you don’t read it,
you can use it to combat temptation,
it reveals a living God,
it offers help for our problems,
it reveals who we are and what we are not,
and most importantly it’s not just for information, it is for TRANSFORMATION.
10 – I pray for all of my youth, family, and friends every day, but I still don’t pray enough. I am ashamed to admit that as well.
Bible check – Okay, same thing with not reading the Bible enough. Why should we pray? Well, here’s just a few reasons.
Prayer is used to overcome temptation,
it changes attitudes,
it helps us remember God’s goodness,
God hears every prayer,
prayer is the secret to a close relationship with God,
it is a weapon against evil,
it can release tensions of emotional stress,
it places our focus on God,
you can do it anywhere and anytime,
it helps you make important decisions,
it puts us under God’s control,
and it heals!
9 – I check for monsters before I go to sleep. I check the closet and under the bed if it’s not my own house. My own bed has so much stuff under it that a monster wouldn’t fit. I check for monsters because I have some scary things in my head from when I was younger and they happened mostly at night. I may be older and able to defend myself now, but I still check just in case.
8 – I had piercings at one time in my life. I only did it because no one thought I would. I showed them! No, they’re not there anymore. I had to keep taking them out for medical procedures. And no, I never got a tattoo. Hello….I am all bone people…that would really hurt.
7 – I have worked pretty much my whole life. I have been a garbage girl, a tax preparer (no, I will not do your taxes), a daycare worker, a jewelry repair person, a sawmill operator, a librarian’s aide, a security guard (stop laughing), an administrative assistant, an events coordinator, a real estate manager, a youth director (yes, paid and all), a tutor, a timeshare salesperson, and even a teacher. The scary thing is I have probably left something out! So when I say I have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt…I mean it!
6 – My papa bought me from my mother for $75. People ask me why I am so close to him. That is one big reason why. And if you ask him, he’ll say it was the best investment he ever made. And I always say I will pay him back with a million dollar check (it was years ago so there’s a LOT of interest) when he dies. He says that’s okay because he wants to be the first millionaire in Heaven.
5 – I have multiple personalities. Mel, Missy, and Melissa can be three different people. You guys usually get to see Mel. There’s a reason for that. ☺
4 – If I had one wish in the world, it would be for those closest to me to be saved. I admit it is harder for me to share my faith with my family and my close friends then it is to share it with a complete stranger. My family and friends know who I am and they respect that, but we never go very deep into it, and that’s my fault.
Bible check – Why is it so difficult for Christians to share our faith with everyone? I really wish I had the answer. I will say this though, God does want EVERYONE to be saved. 1 Timothy 2:4-5, “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for EVERYONE.” God wants EVERYONE to be saved, my family members and friends and the strangers I meet on mission trips in Louisiana and Mexico. I guess it is easier to tell someone you might never see again about Christ then those people who you do see every day. I think we all have thoughts in our head, what happens if they reject us or what if they think I’m an idiot. I have to see these people everyday! Well, here’s the thing. When you’re a Christian, you should let others know about what Christ has done for you. If you found a really great doctor or mechanic (which is nearly impossible to find), wouldn’t you want to tell everyone, especially your closest friends? Since you’ve found the One who forgives sins and gives you a brand new life, don’t you think you should share that? The news you have to share is the best news anyone could ever hear. Romans 1:16 exclaims, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jews first and also the Gentile.”
3 – If I had another wish, it would be for all the teenagers I encounter on a weekly basis to be saved and to walk in Christ. I don’t know why God gave me such a heart for teenagers, but He did. My heart aches when I see one of them get off the path to Him. I have spent many nights praying and yes, even crying, for these teenagers.
Bible check – Just see number 4!
2 – I love the small things. Don’t get me wrong. I love to be there on those occasions like birthdays and weddings, but there is something about the small events that make me happy beyond words. There’s something about when the kids run up to me at church and hug me and don’t let go, when my friends and I cram on the loveseat eating a fudge brownie explosion with one spoon because we’re too stupid to realize there’s clean spoons in the dishwasher, Tuesday nights with my girls eating and watching American Idol, Wednesday nights with my other girls watching them grow up into young women of God, watching Erika and Kenna sing, watching my youth pray, Maegan attempting to warm my cold hands, Kaitlyn picking on me one minute and then wanting to squeeze into bed with me the next, talking about boys with my friend Michelle, Richard calling me and leaving me dumb messages about one-legged frogs, and the list goes on and on. I used to be the yearbook photographer and I had a saying posted in my office…life is not measured by the minutes we’ve breathed. It is measured by the moments we’ve lived! My life has lots of moments…crazy as it seems, it’s the small ones that make me smile the biggest.
AND FINALLY…..
1 – My life is an open book. If you ask me, I’ll tell you. So really, there’s nothing I won’t let you know. I want you to learn from my mistakes. If I did something right, I want to give God the glory. All you have to do is ask. So is there a need for this 25 Things You Didn’t Know About Me? No and yes. No because I really am not trying to hide anything. Yes because maybe now you have a good idea of what questions to ask. ☺
