The Quarter On The Wall

We sat on concrete blocks and talked all day while the others were working. I guess that's how we roll :) We shared stories and encouraged each other to walk with God more. To trust Him more. To believe Him more. A year ago I met Eli and today she is such a dear friend.

Once she told me a story about her youngest brother, Andrew. They were leaving a restaurant and the waitress proudly proclaimed that she didn't believe in God. Andrew turned around and looked the woman in the eye. Filled with compassion, he told her about what God had done for him... for her... how God had provided His Son as an atonement for his sin. Only he said it in kid words.

He pulled a quarter out of his pocket and told the woman that he was going to ask God to hold the quarter on the wall. He put the quarter up to the wall and as he removed his finger he shared the gospel with her. When he had said what God wanted him to say, he touched the quarter and it fell into his hand.

I remember the day Eli told me the story. Because I picked up every rock and held it to the wall of a nearby home hoping that it would stay in place. Not to test God, but to see something amazing like that. Something crazy. I remember how I tried to cast the doubt out of my mind, but I couldn't. And each time the rock fell to the ground.

I forgot about that story until today. Andrew was holding something shiny in his hand. a quarter. Joy filled my heart as I remembered the story and I asked Andrew to hold it up to the wall. He removed his finger and the quarter remained on the wall. My heart flooded with emotion and I praised the Lord with all that is within me. And then I said, "Who holds the quarter on the wall, Andrew?"

"The Lord holds the quarter on the wall."

Rest + Peace + Joy

Today, I just want to soak up His blessings. I want to be still and simply enjoy the fact that He delights in me. I will walk with Him today and remember the rest, peace and joy that He has promised through His Son. And He stirs a great desire in my heart for you to do the same.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 

The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children — with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul. Psalm 103

Visiting the Orphanage

We pulled into the orphanage and children began to run to us. They pulled us in different directions to show us their drawings on the wall and how they could play the drums. 

I couldn't understand what they were saying as they talked to me, but I remember the great love that poured from my heart yesterday. I wanted to pick them up and tell them of God's great love for them and how He sent His son for them. And there is full life with Him. I wanted to tell them over and over again what the Lord has done for us. I wanted them to know that He is compassionate and He cares for them in the most amazing kind of way. Because even though their mothers and fathers have abandoned them, the Lord will hold them close (Psalm 27:10). 

Faithful to His Promises

The birds were singing just outside the window this morning. And the smell of fresh flowers filled the air. I am so very thankful for today.

The Lord is faithful to all His promises. Psalm 145:13

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer: John + Mel

Protection was the word that came to her mind when she first met him. Because no matter which girl it was in their church family, he would protect them. Like a brother does a sister. Sometime between the first and second date they decided to remain friends and not pursue a relationship. And for a year Melissa talked herself out of having feelings for him.

After the second date, she couldn't ignore her feelings anymore and under the counsel of wise women she began to pray for him and his future as well as her own. Be it together or apart. Every thought she had of him was taken captive and given to God and she surrendered her future to Him.

When he wanted to get together to talk, she knew it would be bad. He probably didn't like her anymore or even liked someone else. He arrived with flowers and asked if he could pursue her and she was all in. Who was this wonderful man that God had given to her?


Their wedding was nothing short of incredible. From the gasps after Mel stood in front of her bridesmaids in her wedding dress to the cheers after John & Mel shared their first kiss, their wedding was truly a celebration. Of love. It was a celebration of His goodness. And I was so blessed to be there and celebrate with them.

John and Mel, I am so thankful I know you both. And that I can call you my friends.

I love all of the little details that were incorporated into the wedding. Mel was incredibly close to her grandmother and chose to wear an antique necklace from her grandmother's jewelry box. The sewing basket below was given to Mel by her mom.

Mel's mom made a clutch for each bridesmaid :) LOVE IT!

Mel's bridesmaids were so kind and excited for Mel. Truly a lovely bunch.

oh Mel, you are gorgeous.

a moment for handwritten vows...

 and the moments leading up to their first kiss...

and a little celebration from the whole bunch!

Mel wanted each bridesmaid to go with a shade of teal and find a dress that really fit their personality. 

we snuck away before the reception for a few photos. 

And arrived just in time to set sail on the Majestic

and then after the reception...

You guys are incredible!!

lovely, Mel. Just lovely.

really?? this is a favorite for sure!

I will end on this sweet note :) Love you both!!

Don't miss their website here: http://johnandmelissa.jordanbrittley.com/

thankfulness

I called him from the hotel room and told him I was getting settled in and the restaurant downstairs smells soooooooo good. We visited about my flights and his day at work. I was missing him already. 

When we hung up, I ordered in and opened the windows to catch the last of a gorgeous sunset. I flipped on the tv to watch the olympic trials and just soaked it up. life. I love living life. I want to enjoy every minute of it && I want to be thankful for small blessings:

1. delicious food from hotel restaurants
2. couches by the window
3. gorgeous sunsets
4. phone calls from my husband
5. orange ginger shampoo 
6. shuttles to the airport
7. sheets that smell like vanilla
8. fluffy pillows
9. watching the olympics on tv
10. people that smile back at me

happy monday :)

Laptops, Airport Security and an Old Man

I'm starting to feel a little sick to my stomach and I can't figure out why. I've done this many times before and I know how to work the airport. I just need to get through security. There are probably 15 people in line ahead of me taking off their shoes and passing their items of to be scanned.

It's my turn now and I slip off my shoes wondering if that awful foot smell is from my Toms (most likely). I place my laptop in its own bin and the iPad on top of it... I learned my lesson my first time flying: laptops cannot be with your carry-on.

I go through the metal detector and wait patiently at the end of the scanner for my items. An old man clears the metal detector and stands beside me now.

"Whose laptop is this?"

I tell the security guard that it's mine and prepare to be shuttled off to some interrogation room where the lights are too dim and I have to convince them I'm me.

"Laptops cannot have anything on top of them." I can tell he's exasperated with me so I tell him sorry. He places my laptop and ipad in separate bins and sends them through the scanner again. The old man next to me starts to chuckle and says I have nothing to be sorry for. He says they're crazy. I smile at his attempt to ease my nervousness.

Again, "whose laptop is this?"

The old man claims it and in the exact same tone as before, "Laptops cannot have anything placed on top of them." the old man says something under his breath and I laugh. Because there isn't anything he could have done at that point. And then we're both laughing and I'm not so nervous anymore.

And now I'm just excited. Excited to do life and meet people who make me laugh.

Monday Matters: Eli Mejia

We sat on the side of the mountain in the shade and shared our stories. We shared about what God was doing in our lives, our struggles, our dreams...we shared our lives on the side of that mountain. That day God blessed me with a friendship that will last forever. Because it is in Him. We challenged each other to seek Him more and walk with Him more and love Him more. In those four days that Eli translated for our El Salvador team, I realized more and more that God provides. He even provides friends. The kind of friends that come alongside and grab your arm and push you to run faster than you did the day before. 

Today, you get to meet one of those dear friends of mine as she shares her story with you. Or at least part of her story. :) Eli, I love you SO MUCH!

I close my eyes and I still remember that tough, Sunday night and the explosion of feelings I experienced. I felt like I was in front of a jury. All of my thoughts, decisions, and actions were criticized and judged. I was sitting on a couch in my grandmother, Mercedes', living room. My parents and my two grandmothers were sitting on the couch and chairs in front of me, while my little brothers were spectating. This Sunday night was one of my hardest tests of faith.

It was March 20th, 2011 when I decided to share with my parents more details about how and why my life was about to change after I spent two days locked in my room seeking God and His will for my life. "Everything started when I was praying and telling God that I didn't want to keep saying 'I'll do Your will', but never actually take the time to stay in His presence until He tells me what to do. What I didn't know was that God was going to tell me His will and that it was going to be so crazy," I said. Everyone was paying close attention as I started sharing. At this time everything seemed normal, but when I started telling them details about what God showed me, their faces changed. I told them, “I am going to quit college. I will not continue my studies with economics and business. I am going to move to another country to study something related to the ministry and fulfill the plan God has given me by the middle of this year. After I graduate God wants me to start building an orphanage and planting a church in India." There were mixed emotions in the room including, anger, sadness, confusion, fear, and more. Without words, their expressions were telling me "WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? ARE YOU CRAZY?" It took me so long to take the courage to tell my parents God's plan, but I finally did. I felt free. However, I was right about their reaction. The living room remained quiet for a while, but then the attack began. "Eli, are you sure it was God? Don't you think, maybe if it was God, He was telling you to move later on in the future?" they said. After doing her best to hold her anger, my mom added, "Why did you wait so long to make the decision to quit? It is a waste of time, money, and your brain." I began to cry before they even finished, but I couldn't help it. I didn't care if the whole world thought I was crazy, or that I was making the worst mistake of my life. What hurt the most was not getting the support, trust, and blessing from my parents that I thought I would get. It is impossible to forget that stressful moment, not only for me, but for everyone. "Eli, are you really leaving us? Are you moving to another country?" said my brothers, wiping the tears on their eyes. For a variety of reasons, everybody was crying.

For the first time in my life, I felt that it was just me and God. My mom and my grandmother kept telling me what a big mistake I was making and focused on all the negative things about the plan. "With what money? Where? Who are you going to live with?" Honestly, I can't even remember exactly what they were saying. I had a headache and everything around me was just a big noise. "God, why is it so hard for them to understand that it is You who is changing my plans? Why do I have peace about it and why are they taking it away? Why are my parents in the middle of the way stopping me if this is Your will? Please, do something," was my prayer while they kept talking, but I was not paying attention to them anymore. At some point in the middle of the noise, God remind me about one thing I didn't tell them. “Oh, and before moving to study, I will travel just as a tourist," I said. Their eyes were wide open, someone laughed, and I knew that my comment just made me look even crazier. There was no money for me to travel. There was another silent moment. My grandmother broke the silence again and said, "Ok Eli, if it is God who has told you all of these things, we will believe it when they become true, that will be the sign." In that moment, my entire headache went away. I was both sure and confident of what God had showed me. It was my time to live up my faith. Everybody became calm and just meditated. There was nothing else to talk about, we just had to wait and see what was going to happen.

The next day, I received a call from one of my aunts. "Eli, you are going to Miami on Wednesday. I was going to go, but I decided to give my ticket to you. Everything is paid for. "I was in shock, speechless, thankful, and amazed. Here was the sign! I was going to travel for fun, just as God had told me. My parents and grandmothers were surprised. From that day on, their attitude changed, and their negative words became positive ones. "God will provide. God will bless you. We are proud of you." What a good feeling! Everything was falling into place.

In those 24 hours, my emotions went from one extreme to another. It was one of the hardest moments to walk by faith, trusting only in God's word. In those hours, I felt lonelier than ever, but at the same time, I became even more confident that God was with me. I heard the toughest words from my family, but the most encouraging ones, too. I passed the test of faith even though the jury was against me. Faith is believing even when everything tells you that you are wrong, that it is impossible, and that you are crazy. No matter what, trust God because He is faithful. Since that day, He has been supporting me and helping me accomplish all of what He said. I moved in August, and I am currently studying in Texas. I also own property in India, so that I can start the project immediately after I graduate. We have a God who never

lies, who is perfect, and knows what is best for us. The jury may be wrong, but God is NEVER wrong.

What are you looking forward to most about this year?

I made a commitment to accomplish all of God's dreams for my life. Which means that I look foward to please Him and honor Him in the different areas of my life. This year I have less than two more months in Texas. I will do my best to finish the semester with excellent grades. I want to show God's love to all the people I have met at school and give them a true friendship. Then I will move back to El Salvador, and I will serve God in my home church. I want to continue to disciple a group of girls that I know God will use to change this world. oh!I want to be a blessing for everyone around me and wherever I go. I will get married this summer, so I am also looking foward to be a good wife, too. One of my goals this year is to show my future husband how much I love him, make him happy, and be a blessing to his life. I want him to say that his life is better with me on it. After getting married we are moving to Guatemala. I will continue my studies online so I pray everything will work out. We are praying with Gabriel what does God want us to do over there. We don't know specificly what are we going to do, but for sure, we will love the people over there. We will introduce everyone over there to our wonderful, almighty God. We want to build good relationships and offer real friendship. We are not looking to just preach with words about who God is and His love, but we want to show it with our lifestyle. We will look foward to make an impact wherever we go. Every word, every decision, every action in our lives needs to shout to the people around us that God is good and that God is love. This year I just want to get to know God more, so that I can be a better daughter, a better wife, a better student, a better person. Every year is an opportunity to be better than last year.

If you could say anything to women in the world, what would that something be?

Luke 10:27

He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Pray that God help you to fall in love with Him. Once you get to experience His love, your life will never be the same. Read the Bible and pray, that is the only way you will get to know God. Communication is vital for any relationship to survive and improve. If you know who is your God, you will know who you are. You will take wise decisions, you will be secure and confident, and nothing will stop you. There is nothing impossible for God. A life with Him has no limits! then, you will dream as big as you never did. You will enjoy your life no matter the situations. He will be your all. He will never leave of fail, so you will always be complete and happy in Him. And, when you are fill with His love you will be able to love the people around you making this world so much better.