Whats Happenin’!?! February 7, 2010

Hey wonderful blog readers,

I am in the mood to write oddly enough and I am hoping you are in the mood to read. Today has been a decently good day. So far I have turned in an assignment for Argumentation and Debate, I sent two thank you cards, hung a load of laundry, put another load in, and worked for 8 hours, 15 mins at TB (yeah…that unnamed fast food place! haha) then I talked to mom about Monday and Juli. After that I went down and cleaned out my fridge. The fridge was kinda stinking, so I threw out any questionable food and am putting a box of baking soda on my Walmart List. ahh, the joys of independent living! Anyways, so I am going to be reading the first assignment of Inter-cultural Communications and then hopefully I’ll be scrubbing the kitchen down all before going to bed this wonderful Saturday night.

Anyways, I know that that was a really irrelevant paragraph for you my readers, but since the majority of you are imaginary, I suppose there’s not to many people who could get mad at me for wasting three minutes! Anyways, but basically I just wrote this because I am wanting to stay accountable with people. I don’t want to fall back to being lazy. When I am lazy and idle I tend to be less connected with people, more focused on myself. But when I keep busy and am industrious, I have this desire to connect with people and to have a relationship with them. Anyways, I better git to my book-learnin’!

As always,

Melanie

RESOLVE February 6, 2010

aka

Endurance,

perseverance,

determination,

commitment.

I wish it was as easy as going to the store and getting it!

A link to a great blogpost! February 4, 2010

CLICK HERE!

Radical Womanhood has a great post about the pro-life Tim Tebow Ad that is going to be aired during the super-bowl! Check it out!!

6 months of MRS duty! ;) February 1, 2010

Okay, so tonight is the night of my 6 month anniversary of being married to Luke Ewing.

Wow! Where has the time gone? Okay, well, I do know that the time has just gone to the past like it normally does.

I think I’ve learned a lot in the past 6 months though. I mean, I’ve been living with Luke for the past six months and we have weathered enough of life that I had to have learned something.

However, as I sit here in bed, I can’t think of a thing particularly. This whole season has been a great season of change for me. I would kinda say that being married wasn’t the hard part; it was the responsibilities I had to take on when I moved out of my parents house and became the other half of a married couple.

As I look back on the past six months I am glad that I have had them, but I won’t lie, they have been hard and I have struggled more than it feels like I ever have in my life, but when I look back I realize one thing. The struggles are and will be worth it because I am fulfilling my calling.

You see, I do believe that I was called to marry Luke Ewing. During an IM conversation with my Mother-in-law before the wedding, we talked about some of the what ifs of marriage. Like, What if I end up lonely because Luke is emotionally distant or physically distant? And other what ifs. I remember telling her with much assurance that I was called to marry Luke and if those What ifs come true then God has a reason for it and I must keep my focus on HIM because He called me to this marriage.

Six months later, I can say that I have been tested on this. I understand so many things now. I understand why it is so important for me to have my relationship with God right! If I do not then I can only fail in my relationship with Luke.

Perhaps that is what I have learned, that I desperately need Jesus! I desperately need His grace! And I desperately need to know Who He is!

A verse that has been instrumental so far in my marriage has been James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

A long awaited update January 30, 2010

he last several weeks and months have been crazy for me! I see that I haven’t really posted a real post since December 18, 2009. Well, seeing as I have in the past posted my New Year’s resolutions I suppose I should do that:

Read a book a month

Read through the Bible in a year

Finish my BA in Communications

Concentrate on health and fitness

Journal on a regular basis (4x a week)

Now, I have five resolutions. How am I going to keep them?

1.  Well, first off, I need to have a reading plan:

January: Hudson Taylor Biography

February: Amy Carmicheal Biography

March: Pride and Prejudice (read with Tiffany)

2. I have selected this reading plan in order to read through my Bible in a yearhttp://thebible.net/read/chron.pdf This will allow me to read through chronologically. I saved the file on  my desktop so that it is easily accessible.

3. Need to focus on this resolution (getting my degree) for the first half of the year. I do believe that it is doable. This must be completed no later than: 6/1/2009. In order to complete this:

1. I must complete LSU courses (by February)
2. I must complete 2 TESC courses
3. Apply for graduation and possibly apply for an extension for enrollment.
4. I also am trying to take the Public Relations TECEP instead of having to take Leadership Communications.

4.  Health and Fitness

I ordered Fun Physical Fitness For the Home by Sono Sato Harris and I also ordered Awake! Aware! Alive! Exercises for Vital Body by Lotte Berke. These two books along with walking should help to get me into shape. My goal is to exercise 5-6 times a week. 3x walking, 2-3 doing the F.P.F.F.t.H. and then always doing some of the exercises in A.A.A.

Eat more protein–its good for skin and hair as well as for health. Not only that, but add vegetables and fruits into the diet.

Water! WATER! WATER!

5. Journaling–I want to journal in a notebook and I preferably want to get a nice journal. I think I’ll start journaling in the little journal and when that is all finished I could probably afford to get myself another nicer journal!

Okay, so those are my resolutions and I have been keeping up on them pretty well. I’m not going to extremes to make sure that they get done right now because I am really focusing on getting my degree done! However, I have made some significant changes in my life so far. For one, i am almost switched back to a normal schedule of sleeping during the night and getting up during the day! Right now the goal is to be up between 10am and 11am and hopefully be going to bed around 2am. Anyways, in order to accomplish this I moved the alarm clock and started waking up to the radio. Who knew that would work? .

Eventually, this year, I would like to give up Soda almost completely, but we will see if that works. I would like to give up caffeine completely, but I think I would like to become a coffee drinker! haha.

Other than that, Luke and I are moving this month, which will put a strain on school, but it will be a big blessing in the long run.

Oh, and I am reading a biography of Hudson Taylor for the month of January, and I really really like it! I am impressed with what a man of faith and prayer he was. The whole story is convicting! Reading his biography has also inspired me to be reading more biographies of great Christians. I have to admit, I am really struggling with certain areas of my faith. I am asking big questions like “Who is God? and “Who am I in relationship to Him?”

Oh, about health and fitness, that is going well. I actually ran today! and I loved it! Along with struggling in my walk with Christ, I have been having some emotional issues that are not really new, but I am noticing them more and more. I don’t know if its hormones or what, but my emotions are a roller coaster on some days. Last week I was very angry and I knew what I was angry at, but I couldn’t really calm down and so I was very grouchy. I felt that way today and instead of ignoring it I decided to go running. I turned up my MP3 player and I just ran. It felt so good. I wish I could keep my eyes closed when I run! Its like being in your own little world, just you and God. I don’t feel as angry when I am running and I don’t wonder as much about things. Its like everything goes away when I run. At least, it did this once. LOL, I’m sitting here making generalizations about something I’ve only tried once! Way to go Me! Whatever, I’m intent on enjoying this new activity!

Other than that, I can’t wait to be done with school, but in order to keep up I must quit blogging and starting writing out my assignment!

I’ll be back (and yes, that is a promise!)

Melanie

101 WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS January 17, 2010

CLICK HERE!

God “crated” us! December 18, 2009

Dear Blog Readers,

As you know this week is a busy one and I am trying to stay focused on school, but I do believe I’m about to go insane! LOL. Anyways, I was visiting Natalie (Nyquist) Ference’s blog Pursue the Beauty when I came across the link to this post. I enjoyed it very much and it made me think about how I have kept my blog readers (who do not know me otherwise) in the dark regarding my marital status. I actually have been married for almost 5 months and have NOT posted about it! Can you believe it? When I do a quick “why” analysis in my head I know that its because there are some things in the process that have heart, and the very nature of my blog is a place where I have directly or indirectly dealt with hurt and pain. I feel that I am not ready to deal with the pain that is associated with all this joy. Actually, I think its not the pain that is the problem, but rather the shame of some of the things that I brought on myself. Ahh, but if I go on, I shall either just explain, or I will intensify your curiosity too much! .

Anyways, I did basically just want to announce my changed marital status, share the link and say that I believe that when God created Luke and I, He knew that He wanted us “crated” (the term is actually a combination of courted and dated, but it is so visual to me, can’t you just see Luke and I in a box together totally in love? and God looking on pleased?) You see, God had already created us when we met in 2002, but it would seem the He “crated” us in July of 2009. I am happy to be “crated” with Luke, and I do praise my omniscient Creator for creating such a wonderful creature as my husband!

I think the truth is though, I need to tell my story. I can feel it in my heart that our story needs to be told. When I do, I shall share a link I’ve already shared on my facebook.

Anyways, I just want to close with the following verse:

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

This verse has been a key verse in Luke and I’s relationship!

~Melanie

It is going to be a busy week! December 14, 2009

Dear Blog-readers,

I just want to let you know that this week is going to be extremely busy for me! I would like to be in your thoughts and prayers! Wow, basically, I’ve put off writing about 7 assignments for my semester and I have to do those all and a final by friday.

So, while I eat my Raemon noodles, I’m blogging. Basically, just because I feel like it. This week I have to write a lot and I wanted to get a head start, even if it did me no good. I have to write about online credibility, print journalism vs. online journalism, advertising, public relations and other topics. I am excited to dive into this world of Communications again.

However, I am weary of school. I cannot wait to be done with my BA in Communications. Hopefully, it will be in May! Well, I’m going to start working on my assignments!

Have a lovely week and keep a song in your heart and on your lips.

Melanie.

Decisions, decisions, etc… December 2, 2009

I have not blogged lately like I thought that I might. However, one thing has stuck with me from my post Therapeutic Relief. I have been thinking about that list of seven things that Becky Harling listed in her book Rewriting Your Emotional Script. I have been contemplating what things I need to do in order to keep my day productive. I need to do something in order to stay emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically healthy. My current routine seems to be doing the opposite at the moment. Anyways, for the next week at least I’m not going to be making too many changes, other than trying to eat a little better and drink more water. The reason is because I’m needing to finish up the class I’m taking this term. I have about 8 assignments and a week and a half left, not to mention the final. Anyways, I suppose I should wrap this up!

Ta-ta my wonderful readers; I’ll be back to visit before long.

Someone said it better than I did November 21, 2009

So, in the previous post I said:

I wonder if it is normal to feel on a usual basis that you are sort of just drowning in life. Coming up for air is a rare thing, and deep breaths seem even rarer because they have to be fought for. I want to breath real life, and quit drowning and I’m gonna figure out how.

And Jars of Clay put all that into two simple lines…

“I have no fear of drowning,

Its the breathing thats taking all this work.”

Just thought it was interesting coincidence that I came across that line after writing all that…