Hi Beautiful!

Hi Beautiful, How are you today?

I have been SO BUSY this week! Each day I expected to sit down and blog, but it just didn't happen. Have you had days like that?

Even though I haven't been that diligent about blogging, I have been writing. So far, I've penned 2 devotions and I hope to do 3 more by this time next week. They are in my head just dying to get out, I just need to find peace, quiet, and time! Hard to come by in my neck of the woods!

I had the pleasure of speaking with a frequent blog visitor on the phone this morning. She called the Proverbs 31 office to order a magazine and I answered. She asked if I was Melissa Taylor and said she had been visiting my blog. Her name is Heather and she's from Alabama. Heather if you read this, just let me say that you made my day. Thank you for encouraging me with your sweet words. I was great to talk to you.

While I was talking to Heather, she shared with me a song by Kirk Franklin called Imagine Me. You can view the video and hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL6vw5xI0Bg

I also googled the lyrics. Check them out:

Imagine Me ------Kirk Franklin

Imagine me loving what I see when the mirror looks at me cause I, I imagine me. In a place, of no insecurities and I'm
finally happy cause I imagine me. Letting go of all of the ones who hurt me
cause they never did deserve me, can you imagine me. Saying no to thoughts that
try to control me, remembering all you told me, Lord can you imagine me? Over
what my momma said, and healed from what my daddy did and I wanna live and not read that page again.

(Chorus)Imagine me, being free, trusting you totally,
finally I can imagine me, I admit it was hard to see you being in love with
someone like me, finally I can imagine me.

Imagine me Being strong and not letting people break me down, you won't get that joy this time around. Can you imagine me? In a world, in a world nobody has to live afraid, because of your love, fear's gone away, can you imagine me. Letting go of my past and glad I have another chance and my heart will dance cause I don't have to read that page again.

(Repeat Chorus 1x)

Kirk talks: This song is dedicated to people like me,
those that struggle with insecurities, acceptance and even self esteem, you never felt good enough, you never felt pretty enough but imagine God whispering in your ear letting you know that everything that has happened is now.Gone, Gone, Its’ Gone, All Gone Repeat

Kirk’s remarks( Oh It’s All Gone. Every Sin,
Every Mistake, Every Failure Its’ All Gone!Depression Gone By Faith It’s Gone. Low Self Esteem, Halleluiah Its Gone, All Gone,It’s Gone All My Scars, All My Pain
It’s In The Past , Its’ Yesterday. Its’ All Gone( Can’t Believe Its’ Gone) What Your Mother Did, What your Father Did, Halleluiah (Its’ Gone All Gone Oh Whoa))

Pretty powerful, wouldn't you agree?

Think on those words awhile. Gone. Gone. Gone. The past is gone. We don't have to stay there.

The last post I wrote was titled "Reflection". It was about looking in the mirror and seeing God in you. Seeing what God sees. And learning from your past, but not living in it. Gone. Gone. It's yesterday.

Love that! Thank you Heather, I've already bought it on iTunes and put in on my iPod:)

In closing, I'd like to share some fun. I'm leaving today for a beachtrip with a few high school girlfriends and I won't be blogging while there. I'll include a little fun today since I won't get to have a Fun Friday post this week. Here it is.

Let me just say, it's a good thing that it's what's on the inside that counts. My sweet doggie, Princess, who I adore, normally looks like this:

Isn't she just the cutest thing you ever did see???? Well, she went to the groomer. Her hair was all matted and knotted. They had to shave my sweet baby. This greatly changed her appearance. People are laughing at her. They ask, what she is. I'm sure this has hurt Princess' feelings. I mean, she's still the same dog with the same heart, yet she is clearly being treated differently just based on her appearance! Even her own family has given her the nickname "Stick"!!!! Can you believe that. She went from "Princess" to "Stick" all because she looks like this:

The world is a mean place! But, can't we relate to what Princess is going through? It's sad, but true. Often we are treated different because of how we look or something in our past or something in our life that seems out of the norm. That's why we need God. People can just be cruel and we cannot get our confidence and self esteem from them.

Now's a good time to go back and read the words to that Kirk Franklin song. And in the mean time, I'm going to give my sweet puppy a few extra doggie bones (yea, that's good Melissa, love her with food!) and let her sleep on my pillow while I'm away. After all, I love her ... NO MATTER WHAT!

Beautiful Blessings,

Melissa