As for Me and My House...Joshua 24:15

It’s been a while…

theomeli — Mon, 28 May 2007 22:58:44 +0000

Hey world…sorry we haven’t been posting anything new and exciting in our lives for a while. Things have been and are a little hectic for us as we’re getting ready to move this week and expecting me to go into labor any day now as well. Talk about overwhelmed! Our little apartment is stuffed with boxes and baby stuff everywhere. It’s driving us crazy now and on top of it all, our dog just went into ‘season.’ What timing?!!! But at least now we have a solid place to move into this Friday…for a while there we were pursuing purchasing this other house and it turns out that now just isn’t the time for it. It’s actually a relief rather than a disappointment, which is surprising. I just want a good place to bring my babies home to, and we got it thank God and thank our good friends who are renting us a nice little home close to IHOP. Now I feel like I can go into labor ‘in peace,’ if that’s even possible. Anyways, hopefully I’ll become better at updating and posting here. And I should be posting some pictures here soon!

Matthew 6 reality…

theomeli — Fri, 25 May 2007 19:02:51 +0000

I just want to share how amazing living out Matthew 6 is…. At first, letting go of all the things this world and society tells you you need is kinda hard….and learning what is truly a NEED, and what you consider a need, but it’s actually only a want….yeah those things are kinda difficult to realize and let go of, but once the Lord gets you to the place where you’ve let all those things go (and it can take a while) and you’re truly surrendered and relying on Him for all your needs and truly making His Kingdom your primpary concern…..He really does provide all you need (and way more!) and you really don’t have to worry about those things! It’s amazing!! In the scripture (Matthew 6:31-34) it says “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerend about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enought for today.” I just have to say that the Lord has really done some work in Theo and I and we realized that we cannot recognize who we were a year ago. We were completely different people. We actually trust God now and we’re literally living out this scripture…..our rent is paid for us consistenly….every month, our (nice) clothes is literally given to us regularly, and food is given to us or our groceries are paid for us regularly. That covers all that the scripture says….food, clothes/drink, and even our rent is paid for by the Lord through people, b/c we’re seeking His kingdom FIRST! Our most recent testimony of this is this past week. Someone brought us to Costco on Thursday and bought us a memebrship(a $50 value), then someone else…totally un-related brought us back to Costco on Saturday and paid for our groceries! Then today, we were called to our friends’ house to pick up tons of more food. About a week ago someone I’ve only met a few times said the Lord told her to bless me with all of these herbs and suppliments to help me through the rest of my pregnancy, labor and delivery! All those things cost alot of money since you have to get them at health food stores and I wasn’t really planning on buying them since I knew they would be so costly. But see! The Lord got them for me anyways! Also, within the last 2 weeks, I’ve had 3 different people tell me that they’ve got all these nice maternity clothes for me. I literally haven’t paid for a single item of maternity clothing at all… and I’ll be having my babies within this next month! Thats a whole 10 months of the Lord providing all I need for my whole pregnancy and I haven’t had to pay a penny! Within the last month or 2, Theo has gotten a new jacket, a couple new shirts, 3 new belts, and a bunch more from a particularly stylish friend of ours who just passes it on to us! What a blessing! Besides the actual food, clothes and rent that is taken care of by the Lord, we also are blessed with amazing people in our lives who support us financially, which really helps us to keep doing what we’re doing as full time missionaries and making the Kingdom of God our primary concern!!! (Specifically one couple in FL that are just an example to us of generosity and love!) I’m just writing all of this to encourage anyone who is considering following Jesus with their whole heart….know that He’s faithful and He WILL take good care of you and for those of you who already say you know Jesus, you can always go deeper with Him. Give Him all you’ve got and watch what He does in return. You won’t regret it. Put down the pride of feeling the need to spend money unnecissarily and ‘buying your own stuff’ and just trust Him. Lean on Him and let Him truly take care of you. (You’re going to really need that one of these days anyways) But above all, love God. Learn to love Him with everything inside of you. Read up on how much He loves you (since He chose you, you didn’t choose Him), and let yourself fall in love with Him. Ok, enough of me trying to get everyone in the world to fall in love with God. Just try Him out for yourself!

4 weeks to go…

theomeli — Tue, 08 May 2007 00:12:01 +0000

Ok, so we’ve got about 4 weeks left before our babies are born and before we have to be out of this apartment and the Lord still hasn’t revealed where we’re supposed to move yet….and we’re still only seeing 1 baby. Wow. Could life get any more interesting at this point?…(I bet it could, so I won’t go there!) If any of you out there have connections with heaven, please pray for us as we have so many things “up in the air” still and we’d love some answers. God is so faithful and gives good gifts to His children so we’re not worried, we’re just trying to “Be patient and wait for the Lord to act…” as it says in the Psalms. We have SO many testimonies on how waiting on Him is the way to go and He’s never ever failed us. It’s so encouraging to think back on His faithfulness and goodness….it’s whats helping me be calm and relaxed in this time where our enemy wants to make me a basket case….but I refuse to worry! I refuse to let the enemy make me crazy and scared and frantic…..instead I will trust my faithful Father who always provides what I need. I’ll be sure to post the testimony of when the Lord provides our home and a safe and happy delivery of our babies.

the prayer of Jabez…

theomeli — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:53:40 +0000

“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, and that Your hand would with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested.” ~ I Chronicles 4:10

This has been so real and intense in my life these last 2 weeks since I started praying a similar prayer. God WANTS to bless us and I want everything He has to offer me! It feels kinda selfish asking God to bless you everyday, but the reality is that every single day, the Lord has blessing for us. This book I’m reading about the prayer of Jabez says that BLESSING means, to ‘impart supernatural favor.’ I want all of that, that I can get!

In the last week or 2 that I’ve been praying this, or like this, I’ve been blessed in numerous dramatic ways…

- All of our bills got paid in 3 days, we got blessed with some extra money, and we were given the majority of our deposit for when we move into our new place. Those examples are financial blessing, but I have a few others that are just as much a big deal and exciting! Be encouraged and praise God!

‘I want a friend…’

theomeli — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:12:19 +0000

Ok, so we recently got back from Le Roy, Illinios and it was the best time we’ve had in a long time. We were out in the middle of the country with this amazing family and God. One night I heard Theo talking with the family about what he would do ‘if money were no object.’ The next morning I woke up to God saying to me, “Melissa, money is no object and I’m looking for a friend.” Ok, wow. So, I started meditating on that and I realized that my thoughts of friendship were kinda selfish. As I was thinking of my relationships with different people I noticed that I was analyzing each friendship by who was a better friend to me. I guess normally that isn’t so bad, but theLord caught my attention mid-thought. As I was thinking,….’I can’t be a good friend to God. Why would He want a friend in me?!’ He said, ‘I’m not looking for a selfish love-friendship, how you are. I’m looking for someone who will just sit before me and love me. I know you can’t really be a good friend to me, but I want your heart anyways. I’m not looking for the “receiving” kind of love, I’m looking for an ‘agape’ love friendship with you. I want to pour Myself out.” WOW. What an answer. I truly have so far to go before I really understand the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings, the Lion & the Lamb. His ways really aren’t our weak ways. He’s holy and passionate and so far above anything we can ever imagine. Hopefully, I’ll start to love the way He loves. I want to pour myself out in love in my relationships and consider that a good friendship….not wait to see who will pour themselves out for me to consider it a stronger friendship. It’s SO backwards! Ah, Lord help me….renew my mind! Jesus, teach me your ways! Thank You for your goodness and faithfulness! I love you.

~ I have yet to really know in my heart that ‘money is no object’ but it’s a lesson being learned even now. Our Father is the King of the universe! Praise God!

God is so good…

theomeli — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:41:49 +0000

today’s baby shower was awesome. I just wanna say THANK YOU to everyone who came and blessed us with almost everything we could need for babies. Praise God! now we just need a place to put it! love you guys!

Not yet!

theomeli — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 08:17:22 +0000

Tonight at the hospital I was walking around waiting for Silas to be born and a nurse said she thought I was walking around trying to get ready for delivery myself! I was shocked even a nurse thought I was due. I know I’m big, but I didn’t think it was that dramatic. I still have over 2 months left! I guess this is what I get with 2 babies!!

yet another dream…

theomeli — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 08:12:08 +0000

Ok, so a friend just emailed me and told me she had a dream last night that I was in the hospital and I had twins! this is the second person to have a dream about my twins in a week! Somethings up.

Fierce Faith!

theomeli — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:53:26 +0000

Fierce Faith

So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. . . . Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
—Daniel 6:16-17 (NKJV)

We now come to the most popular episode in Daniel’s life. After breaking the law that forbade him from praying to his God, Daniel was seized. He was thrown into the lions’ den, which was immediately sealed up. It’s interesting that the book of Daniel only gives us an outsider’s view of this event. However, it’s the book of Hebrews that gives us an interesting insight into what happened inside the den:

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions . . . (Hebrews 11:32-33 NKJV)

It was Daniel’s faith—his child-like dependency and belief in God—that kept him from being devoured. Remember that it was the prophet’s faith that had caused him to be cast into the den in the first place. And if faith got him into the den, then it could also get him out of it. Daniel did his part to trust, and God did His part to deliver:

So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God. (Daniel 6:23 NKJV)

The same principle applies to our lives today. Of course the lions have taken on different forms, but no matter what’s out there waiting to devour us, it will always be our faith in God that saves us. Our part is to trust in Him, and His part is to deliver us. And even in our moments of doubt and distrust, He’s faithful to fill us with a fierce faith that stops the mouths of lions.

A Bystander Becomes a Believer

Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den.
—Daniel 6:23 (NKJV)

When God does something, it usually has more than one purpose. Such was the case with Daniel’s deliverance from the lions’ den. This miracle not only saved Daniel’s life, but it also served to accomplish something in King Darius, who had been a bystander to the entire event.

Darius found himself in an awkward position. He loved and respected Daniel but was also the one who approved the very law that condemned the prophet. According to his own law, Darius was unable to overturn the decree that would send his friend to the lions’ den. He was bound by law to punish Daniel, but he was also bound by guilt for having played a part in his apparent death.

The king was restless that entire night and went down to the den early in the morning. Is it possible . . . could it be . . . was Daniel’s God able to save him? His questions were answered by the prophet’s heartfelt greeting. “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me . . .” (Daniel 6:21-22 NKJV). Now notice how Darius responded to Daniel’s deliverance:

Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. (Daniel 6:25-27 NKJV)

Most Bible scholars believe this proves that Darius came to a saving faith in the true and living God! Here’s the point: A lot of our trials are being used in other people’s lives. Bystanders are watching us every day as we go through difficulties. They want to see how our God delivers us—and when He does, it might be the very thing that brings them into His kingdom.

Holy Spirit Leading!

theomeli — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:31:52 +0000

Well, since the Lord is highlighting the fact that a lot of us deal with the fear of man and have pretty much kept all the “Good News” of the kingdom to oursleves, me being the chief of sinners in this area, I figured I would right a quick testimony of the perfect leadership of the Holy Spirit. At 7:00pm on Wednesday March 14th, our small group planned to meet together, wait on the Lord and go out to evangelise wherever it was that the Spirit led us. The Lord had been highlighting to us the fact that Jesus only did and said what the Father told Him to. So, Our group leader, whom has had missionary experience in some Muslim nations, sat us down and briefed us on how we are going to just wait on the Holy Spirit to give us some pictures and words in order to lead us to where He wants us to go. He then went on to share some quick testimonies of when him and his wife where on the mission field and had walked out this reality. This diffenetly built and encouraged our faith. So, we put some worship music on and we waited on the Lord. All of us individually wrote down the pictures and words we felt the Holy Spirit gave us. This was fun and we had some good laughs at some of our pictures!! Non-the-less we had a lot of them that actually matched up and fit together. I’ll share with you the pictures we got that are relevant to this certain testimony, a McDonalds, a Hamburger, a middle aged African American, and the number 37. Several of us got the picture of the African American gentleman. So, we put all of our pictures together and headed off to the streets. The five guys went out in the mini-van with car seats and the five ladies stayed home and interceded(because three of the five are pregnant). The presence of the Lord was on us in that mini-van. He was highlighting meekness and humility and that it’s not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit. We drove around for I would say 1 hour praying and being touched by the Lord. The anticipation for the movement of the Lord was high and the Spirit kept on giving us more and more pictures and touching our hearts with His love. Okey, I’ll fast forward some. We end up driving by an African American Male and one of us sinced that this was significant. So, we drove around the block and passed 37th street. Right after 37th street was a McDonalds. We pulled into the McDonalds and our leader got a strong picture of a One Way street sign. So, we pull out of the McDonalds parking lot and as we stopped at the nieghborhood intersection that the McDonalds is on, that same African American male that we saw previously, flagged us down and walked up to the the passenger window of our van and just said Hi. We all just stared at each other for a couple of seconds and one of us says, “Hey bro, the Lord sent us here to tell you about Him…etc. Literally two minutes later, two of us get out of the car, start ministering to this man who’s name is Sean. Five minutes after that, He gives his life to the Lord!! The fish literally jumped in the boat. While the other two began to minister to Sean, three of us remained in the van in the McDonalds parking lot interceding for about TWO HOURS!! At one point our team leader felt the Lord tell him to give Sean, who is homeless and can’t read, a hug. As he did, Sean began to weap and as they continued to pray he said he felt peace, joy and FIRE! All this took place under a ONE WAY street sign!! So, the Holy Spirit led us to Sean who basically jumped into our van and said give me Jesus!!, but it all happened at a McDonald’s, down the street from 37th st. , under a one way street sign and He led us to buy him a burger to eat!! The Amazing part is that both the intercessors(at home and in the van) and those doing the “physical ministry” touched the heart of Jesus for one homeless, lost, written off by society, soul and are forever changed!! One sowed, the other reeped and both touched the heart of God for the lost and experienced the perfect leadership of the Holy Spirit!! Praise the Lord!!!! AMEN.