Sanctuary in the Middle of Change

I've been thinking a lot this week about my Homekeeping Mission Statement for 2011. The first time I wrote one, was back in 2008, when I joined the Company Girl fun and dove into Small Things.

Back then, I had a one year old, a three year old, a four year old, a five year old, and a six year old! Needless to say, I needed that mission statement to keep me sane! Today, my children are a little older, and four out of five of them are in school. Though the wording has changed some, the main statement (in bold) has stuck with me.

HOMEKEEPING MISSION 2011
I want my home to be, peaceful, simple, and cozy. I will value my relationships with my husband and children by showing them unconditional love and acceptance. I will maintain a reasonable housekeeping schedule and designate chores to keep clutter at bay. I will decorate tastefully and affordably, creating a relaxing environment for my family and all who enter my home.

Do you recognize the three elements in the beginning? They may be different words, but they are still the same three legs of an old reliable stool. Peace, Order, and Beauty. You can find the origin of this story on Rachel Anne's Blog.

And now for my big announcement:
My family will be moving to a new location in June of 2011! We have the opportunity to begin a new business adventure in my husband's home town, where his parents still live. I will be blogging more about it in the future, but today I simply wanted to share the good news with you over coffee.

Over the next several months, I will be living out my Homekeeping Mission Statement while I pack, organize, and slim down our belongings. I'll be honest with you. Maintaining sanctuary in our home while preparing for the big move will be a challenge. Hopefully, with a little patience and a lot of prayer, this Company Girl will be able to keep peace, order, and beauty alive in the middle of it all. :)

May all of your homes be blessed in 2011!
~Melissa

Happy New Year and SSMT Verse 1

Happy New Year!

I am so excited to see what God will bring in the year 2011 for this family. We have some change coming around the bend...BIG change. It's wonderful and scary all at the same time but I know that God is in control. I will be sharing more here as the details of the plan unfold in the coming months.

I am also very happy to be participating once again in the Siesta Scripture Memory Team (SSMT) at the Living Proof Live Blog. Twice a month I will be checking in to share my memory verse. That's 24 memory verses in 2011! There will be a special conference with Beth Moore in 2012 for those who participated. (See above link for details.)

Hebrews 4:12 says "For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

May the evidence of this truth shine through in my life in 2011 to my family and those surrounding me!

And with that thought, here's my first memory verse for 2011. It really ties in with a new year, and the new thing that God is doing with our family.

Isaiah 43:19
See I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
And streams in the wasteland.

May you be blessed in 2011!
~Melissa

Merry Christmas!

I won't be blogging this week because I'm having too much fun with my family! Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Company Girl Coffee...Savor the Smile

Good morning girls! I was going to post something clever this morning but after reading Rachel Anne's post, I thought I'd just have you scroll down so I could pass on a smile during this busy season! Blessings to everyone who reads this...may you find a little something to enjoy, appreciate, and savor today! :)

Enjoy your weekend!

~Melissa

The Blessing of a Smile

This morning when I woke up and came out into the living room, I was greeted with this beautiful smile!All she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth...

In every smile there is a blessing. I am incredibly blessed.

Why not pass on the blessing of a smile to someone you meet today?

~Melissa

Company Girl Coffee...A Christmas Service to Remember

Welcome girls! I'm so glad it's Friday. I've been looking forward to today for a while now. You see, my Brother in Law and his girlfriend are in town on leave from Afghanistan and today is girls' day! My Mother in Law is coming into town, and the two of us are going on a surprise trip with Kari. It's her Christmas present to us. The men are going to stay home with CD and pick up the kids from school. Then later this evening we'll join the men for dinner. It should be a great day!

So I'm short on time this morning, but I wanted to quickly share a post from last Christmas. You see, my husband is more than a Worship Pastor. He also programs our services and helps to plan sermon series, special services, videos, songs, etc... He is so good at what he does and I think he is one of the best "story tellers" ever! Last year's Christmas series was amazing. If you're interested, read about it here.

Thanks for stopping in today and I look forward to reading some of your stories this weekend. For now, I'm off to get ready for my "mystery girls' day!"

Blessings to all!
~Melissa

The Light of Life

This morning when I was taking the kids to school the song "Forever Reign" came on the radio. I cranked up the volume and the kids and I sang all the way to school. The song speaks so many great truths about God. If you've never heard it, I'd recommend sticking around for five minutes or so and listening to it.

Later in the day, as I was lighting my candles for today's Small Thing, I couldn't help but think of Jesus.


He is the creator of light (Gen. 1:3).
His Word is light (Psalm 119:105).
He brought me out of the darkness and into the light. (Ephesians 5:8-9)


He IS light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-John 8:12

Light of the world...forever reign!