If you have read my profile you know that I work with kids with Autism.



I'm going to try and paint a picture of this young girl that came into our clinic. I love these kids so I'm in no way trying to give out something to be taken negative here. I'm just going to give you a visual for illustration purpose. In the world of special needs children we call them "hoarders". They go around collecting things and placing them in their own special places. The Webster's definition for hoarding is "hidden accumulation".


She is twelve years old and taller than me. She came in carrying three Walmart bags (one containing unwrapped candy, another a collection of movies and the last one miscellaneous items). Along with a stack of empty candy wrappers, worn out calendar pages, a couple of stuffed animals she's had since a small child and a collection of necklaces, rings and bracletes.

That night as I was laying in bed I found myself thinking of this young girl. My heart and prayers were going up to the Lord for her and her family. I couldn't imagine what this poor mom must be going through. Then God revealed something to me and tears began to stream down my face. I just cried my eyes out to God in thanks and praise to Him. That young girl was a reminder of who.....Praise Jesus of who I USED to be.

Those bags I carried around were full of "junk" too. They slowed me down but not in minutes like with her mom but for me it was in years. Years of living in fear, regret, hurts and insecurity. The worn out calendar pages of hers were my wasted days, months and years that have passed by. I thought I was doing a good job of "hoarding" all the things I had collected over the years. My little hidden accumulation was tucked behind the shyness and good little Christian girl I was. We all know that being around a person plagued with negativity is not a person hidding their junk.

Over the last five years God and I have been peeling layers. He alone has brought a healing and a peace into my life that I never thought I would experience. I never thought there would be a day in my life that I would wake up or go to bed with joy and hope....now it's an everyday thing. I have to fight satan every minute of the day for it but he's not stealing it again without a fight. I've learned to fight him back with God's Word- my Sword. It took five long years to take all the negative planted in my life to be plowed up and replanted with God's truth and plans for my life. Learned helplessness and the self fulfilling prophecy are the pits I dwelled in and depression is what I decorated that pit with. With God and persistence you can overcome.
May we continue to "fight the good fight...."

"Lost in His love..."

Ladies, I just got home from church tonight. I'll never be able to put these
kind of moments into words~ so I'll just say it plain and simple.

There was just something different and special about this normal day.

I have spent many moments today closing my eyes and finding myself

facedown at the foot of the cross. It's like being at a youth camp with

a couple hundred teens and the Holy Spirit just raining down all over

the place.

"The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to

give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets,

cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to

the LORD and sang: He is good; and his love endures forever."
Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests

could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the

LORD filled the temple of God."
2 Chronicles 5:13,14

Tonight this temple of God was filled with the glory of the Lord!
I have fallen head over heals deeper in love with Him.
Forever...Lost in His love

Cake please!!!!!

We could hardly make it through the meal with all the pleads for cake. I don't know about you but I think they enjoyed it!! When I found out four years ago that my nephew's due date was in July- I held out all hopes of him sharing my birthday. Despite my wishes the doctor decided to wait two days later :( Probably for the best I bug him to death already over our special days being so close :) My nephew and neice are my world and I hope you enjoy the photos...

Last week my corner of the world was full of events. It started off when a sweet lady in our community passed away. She was one of those ladies you remember being there as you grew up in church. Alzheimer's robbed her of the last ten years of her life. It was very fitting that she passed away on the 4th of July- while we spent the day celebrating our freedom... so did she. I'll never forget a story that was told about her last days- it has forever marked me. They said that when you first walked into her room it sounded like she was talking to herself. However, as you would listen you would soon realize that she was praying. The comment was made "she forgot her own name but she never forgot His". That God could reach within us and place something so deep within that not even Alzheimer's can take away....wow how amazing is that!!

Also, at her funeral they sang "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine" and it was like for the first time I actually heard the words of that song. "This is my story, this is my song praising my Savior all the day long" and part of the last verse "filled with his goodness, lost in his love". What a perfect time for those words to hit home for me than the week of my birthday. I have been dreading yet another birthday. However, I decided to embrace the day and not look at age or what my life is "lacking" and look at instead what is My Story.....I desire this new year to be all about Him. To know Him more, to serve Him more and to find myself lost in His love.

We are all a living Story and someone is reading it.... let's rest in assurance that our Author has the best story line for us and let's allow Him the freedom to write it.

In His Love,
Melanie