Falling into the Future

This has been my easiest semester yet, and I'm loving every minute of it! I just signed up for classes for next semester and will actually be a senior :) Finally, I feel like my hard work is starting to pay off. Fall is here, and the leaves just look amazing, so colorful. This season is just a time for me to reflect on God's wonderful creation that He has made for enjoyment, for purpose.

I feel like lately, I'm starting to fall into the future, in that I'm starting to make big decisions that will greatly affect my future. I just talked to my adviser about getting a paid summer internship, to which he told me that there is actually a LIST! Michael and I have also started into looking at apartments for him to live in after he graduates. I almost feel like his personal real estate agent, and I do enjoy it. I feel like I'm becoming a grown up, and I'm not so sure that I'm ready for it, but then again, I guess I don't really find that out until I can look back. They say hindsight is 20/20.

Michael and I are also discussing future plans, things that involve family, jobs, and circumstances. So far we have not really reached an answer that we are satisfied with. We're working through it, although, I must say that I've been quite stubborn in my mindset, thinking my way is the right way. I'm changing that though, my mindset is changing...for the better.

I just spoke with one of my close friends about these issues that Michael and I are working through, and she just gave me about the best advice I could have received. Basically she reminded me that Michael's and my relationship should be a mirror of Christ and the Bride of Christ. Just that thought started to change my heart, into what I know it should be. Right now in my life, I'm working at being mold-able...I don't want to be so set in my ways that I will not ever question them.

Life

This past weekend my family decided to take a trip to Kentucky to see my mom's family. My grandpa aka Sugar just had surgery on his arm, and my grandma was put into a nursing home until he can heal to take care of her again.

I was so excited that Michael was able to come with us, especially since he's never been to Kentucky or met most of my mom's side of the family. However, I was NOT excited about the long long ride ahead of us on Friday. Michael, me, and my sister crammed together in the back seat of my dads HHR and made the best of it. After 8 hours of driving, we finally made it to my Aunt Sissy and Uncle June's farm where we spent Friday night. My uncle is a talker, so we enjoyed the conversation with them, but had to leave the next morning.

Saturday afternoon came around and we finally arrived in Paducah, Kentucky where my grandparents live. Pretty much as soon as we got there, Sugar wanted to go see grandma, because he wasn't able to drive in the past few days because of his surgery.

Now, one thing about me is that I really really dislike nursing homes. They are very depressing to me, and it just squeezes my heart every time I have to go in one. We got there and walked into her room, and my grandma just looked so pail. She has Alzheimer's, and currently she's in the late stages of it. She has forgotten to walk and she doesn't remember how to talk really. She can still say a few words. We walked in and she was kinda sleeping. Sugar woke her up to tell her that she had visitors, and she opened up her eyes and looked all around the room. She stopped on me and just stared at me. 3 years ago was the last time that I saw her, and she mistook me for my mom, because we look so much alike. She didn't say a word to me or even give me a facial expression, just stared. This was almost more than I could take. My heart just broke for her. I wish I could know what she thinks. I wish more than all that she wouldn't be in any pain. Because she has forgotten to walk, her arthritis is starting to get really bad.

I simply cannot imagine living life in her condition. Yes, I am aware that she doesn't really know what's going on, but I still cannot imagine. A scary thing is the fact that so far, every woman in her family has Alzheimer's-that's 9 sisters, and from them so far all of their daughters have it or are showing the early signs of it.

I am so thankful for what God has given me in my life, and I am thankful that my grandmother is still living. She just had her 79th birthday on Saturday!! I will continue to thank God for her, because I know she still has a purpose here on this earth.

Back to School

It's back to school again, and I'm just not sure of what this semester holds for me. Part of me is excited, but part of me is worried :-( Some interesting things happened at the last minute. For instance, my old roommate decided to transfer back to the college that she transfered from...(that's not confusing, hehe) So now it's my fifth semester and I have my fifth roommate. Her name is Ariel and she's really sweet. I think we'll get along great, we're just in the getting-to-know-you stage. My schedule for school hasn't worked out the way I thought it would either...well that will be completely in grained Monday night. I also thought that with Michael not playing soccer this year that we would have more time to spend with each other, but that has also not been the case.

The biggest thing I'm learning right now is that I have to wait. My time and planning is not the best, and I'm just going to have to get over it. I know that God's timing is perfect and that what is going on in my life is His Will for me right now, whether I like it or not. Right now it's just a matter of me coming to grips with all this, even though I know it in my head, I just need to accept it with my heart.

Unexpected

If I had to describe the beginning of my summer I would have to use the word unexpected. My plans consisted of taking a week off as soon as I came home just to unwind and relax. I was then going to try and find a retail job at a store in the mall. After filling out and turning in 17 applications I realized that jobs were a lot harder to come by, and because I had no previous experience no one wanted to hire me for just the summer. I then turned to places like Panera Bread but still got turned down. My back up job had been to call the day care that I worked at last summer, so I called and to my surprise, they couldn’t take me back. I was pretty much crushed at this point because my only fall back at this point was working at Levy Home Entertainment. I worked there temporarily over Christmas break picking books and packing them in boxes. While working there I became very depressed and just went into a slump, and I didn’t want that to happen again. My dad asked if maybe I could help in the office with whatever they needed to be done. When the HR manager said, “sure” I was thrilled. She told me to expect to pick every day, but when they needed me they would call for me. I picked the first day, but since then I haven’t been back in the warehouse! I know without a shadow of a doubt that God has blessed me this summer with keeping me in the office. The HR Administrator is a Christian who is a wonderful woman to be around. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know everyone in the office and am so thankful for the opportunity that I’ve been given. I’m glad this was unexpected, because the expected I had in mind would not have been this great!

Sunburn

I've never really enjoyed reading poetry, especially the classics. In my multicultural literature class, we had a test over poetry, and we were given an opportunity to make up a poem on the spot for EC. I decided to write about sunburn, because I just returned from the beach! Now just remember that I'm definitely not a poet, but I thought that this was cute and fun! I'm proud of it.

Sunburn

The breeze and warm weather

Entice me to come and soak

While walking along the path past the heather

I feel the sun beginning to choke.

Pulling out the 45 spf and slathering it on

The wind and water calm the heat.

Laying the towel up the sand, not a lawn

I enjoy the sun's smile upon my cheek.

It's getting coller now, the sun has taken a turn

I gather my things, go inside to find that I am burned!

Written by Melissa Little

April 16, 2009

Leaving a Legacy

Tonight, Michael and I went to a revival service at Roper Mountain Baptist Church. Last night when we went, we were very welcomed by the people there. They have such a sweet spirit. His Hermeneutics teacher was the speaker, so we went to hear him preach last night and tonight.

Tonight Dr. Horn spoke on leaving a legacy. He went through the story of Joseph's life from the age of 17 all the way up until 400 years after his death, when his bones were carried out of Egypt with God's chosen people. He also mentioned a study that was done on heirs and family. The first was a man who was a drunk and a criminal. The study discovered that his heirs (400 of them)were also mostly drunks, prostitutes, criminals, and overall not good people. Another study was done on Jonathan Edwards and his heirs which less than 2% of 1200 people were criminals. Most were either lawyers, College Presidents, Theological professors, pastors, and teachers.

I want to leave a legacy that is worth remembering. Not that people will remember my name of something they think I accomplished, but something that was different about me. I want people to see that I'm not of this world, that I have something contageous that others want. I want to learn how to show Christ through my actions and words. My prayer today is that I will leave a legacy that others will remember because of an inward desire I have to glorify God.

About Me

I created this blog about a year ago and haven't written anything on it, so I think it is fitting for my first post to be just a little bit about me.


I was born in Charlotte, NC and just turned 20 a few months ago! 20 just sounds so old to me! I pretty much grew up in Charlotte, because I lived there until seventh grade. My church and school were the same place, and I was very sheltered by my parents. I have one sister who just turned 16!!! The summer after seventeth grade my parents told me that we were moving to Roanoke, Virginia and I was devastated to leave the only place I had ever known. Looking back now, I know that God's plan is always perfect, and this move was definitely for the best! My mom's job was the reason we moved. She was promoted to the Red Cross in Roanoke to be over the lab and hospital services. Little did my family know that this would open so many doors for her.

From eighth grade all the way up until my senior year, I attended Roanoke Valley Christian School. At first, I was very reclusive and not enthusiastic about my new circumstances, but after my denial I became more involved with school, and started to branch out a little. I have always had a love for sports, especially with my dad getting me involved so early in life. Volleyball became my new passion. I made the team just a few weeks after we moved, and it also gave me a way to make friends before school started. I played until I graduated, and even now I still love to play pick up games and little tourney's when I can find them.

Currently, I am attending college at North Greenville University in South Carolina. I'm majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Accounting with a goal to one day start an orphanage or maybe a daycare! It is a Christian University and I am loving it here! I heard about it through my best friend, Michael, who is a year ahead of me, and was playing soccer for the school. Michael and I have been best friends for over five years now, and we've been dating since November 23, 2007 (about a year and 4 months :)

Things in my life are changing again! This past summer, my mom received an offer to work for Duke University as the Manager of the Stem Cell Lab/Cord Blood Lab. She decided to take this once in a lifetime opportunity, and Yes, you guessed it, We're moving again! My mom and sister are in Durham right now. Rachel is going to Liberty Christian, while mom is working at Duke. Dad is trying to sell our house in Va, and until it sells it seems like my family will be all over the place. I know that this has been difficult for my parents, but again, I know God's plan/timing is so much better than mine. I just pray that He will continue to provide for my family.