Welcome To My BLOG! Its my very first one so Please let me know what you Think!
WOO HOO the World Race Journey Begins!
Hello all! My name is Melissa and I just turned 30 last week! Its pretty crazy to me still, when I was younger I thought my life would be so much different at this age. I guess I will start by telling my past, I grew up in the Mule Capital of the World, Columbia, TN. I spent every year going to Mule Day and my favorite past times involved a little Red Wagon, aka Radio Flyer. My parents are amazing, my mom has always been a role model to me, she is such a strong woman and her words of wisdom and values have helped shaped me to the person I am today. If you know me, I'm sure at one point you have heard me say, "momma Says…." I have a younger sister, Lucy and she has more strength and determination than just about anyone I have ever met. So, on our mission journey if I ever get to feeling as if things are tough I will just remember my little sisters battle with pancreatitis. I have a precious niece Abby, who is almost a year and half, she's beautiful, hilarious and for an almost 18month old she's pretty graceful. My father has a heart of gold and has been so reliable, there has never been a situation in my life where I felt I couldn't call my dad to come mend things in some way or another. I only have one grandparent left, but I feel blessed to have had the grandparents I've had. My grandpa, Great Dad, was the happiest man on earth, he was pleasing and peaceful to be around, he would make each person who he came in contact with feel as if they were the prince or princess of the universe, he just had a special way about making you feel important and to a small child that means more than you can imagine. He was never to busy to sit down with you and have a "party" which consisted of little chairs and a table and a couple of cookies. He was a poet and a family man (even though he was an orphan) and there isn't a day that passes by where I don't think of him. My grandma, Granny, was a strong texan woman, with a beautiful spirit, she was known as the little red hen, because she never stopped, she had the will of an army of men, and I don't think she ever rested because, even if she was sleeping Im sure her mind was planning her next to do list. I think of her often too!
When I tell people I plan on going on a mission trip, Im sure there will be many varied reactions. So, i guess I will try and explain my reasoning. My heart has never felt content unless it doing something for others, after graduating from MTSU in 2003, I ran a clothing store, the Buckle and I was talking with my boss and telling him how I loved my job, but I really didn't feel as if I was doing anything to help others. I just felt this ache and calling to be in a career where I was giving back to society and helping people who didn't have the many blessings I had growing up, he didn't get it, he thought helping provide people better fashion was helping. I have been involved with mission trips in my church before, and different organizations such as Big Sister, Hands on Nashville, and the Mission, but that just doesn't feel enough to me any more. I feel God's calling to let go of my comfort zone and to grow into the person he needs me to be. Yes, I'm a little nervous, but thats normal right?? And God will be there for me every step of the way, and I know in my heart he would never call me today anything that he didn't first know I could accomplish. I want to be there too see with my own eyes the hunger for goodness to help and make a difference in someone's life we needs it. I want to bring hope to these children who have very little, in a world where we have so much. And, while I'm doing this, how can I not grow?
