Boundless love

I have come to love the night I call Tuesday Night Bible Study at the Bubblegum House. Bubblegum because its pink of course. My three friends live there and have started a bible study there on Tuesday nights. It's great. We hang out, eat, study the bible and most of all pray for each other.

This past Tuesday was totally awesome. I was tired and wanted to stay home, but Kristin called and made sure I was coming. That's what good friends do.

That night it was "Ask any question" night. Whatever question you had you could ask and everyone would try and give you insight.

My friend Renee brought up a verse in Psalms that the Lord has been leading her to a lot. Psalms 119:96
"I see the limits of all perfection, but your mitzvah(Law) has no bounds." (Complete Jewish bible translation)

We began to ponder what does that verse mean? Why does perfection have a limit but God's Law doesn't.

The verse says that God's law has no bounds, its boundless, no limits no stipulations, no screening process, nothing.

And what did Jesus says the two most important Laws are?

Love the Lord and Love your neighbor.

And if God's law has no bounds, then that means his Love has no bounds.

I will never fully experience God's love because it can never reach a maximum state. The most loved I will ever feel will not even begin to express or explain God's love for me.

Moreover I can never love someone to much, the Love that I have for my friends, Family, Co-worker, people on the street can have no end.

Love is everlasting, not just in time but in quality.

Its insane to think that God can't love me enough, his love is boundless as well as timeless and infinite.


I want to live in boundless love, not by the world or by pre-judgments or whatever else comes along.

Lord give me new insight to your boundless love and teach me how to walk in it daily.

tired

Somtimes I wish I weren't me. Sometimes I wish that when I go to bed at night that I would wake up completely different. i'd still be me, but just a different me. I don't know if that's possible or if God would even allow that to happen.

But sometimes when I look in the mirror I'm not satisfied with who I am and I wish that it could change all in a second and I'd be the person, the girl that I've always dreamed that I would be.

I'm just tired of being me.

Oh the places you'll go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
and direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don;t choose to go there."
with your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don;t worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You wont lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Whenever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that bang-ups
and hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a lurch.

You'll come down from the lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a slump.

And when you're in a slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right. . .
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and gring on for miles across weirdish wild space,
head, I fear, towards a mist useless place.

The Waiting Place. . .

. . . For people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls or Another chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

with banner flip-flapping
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
there are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kranks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike.
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up you right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed,)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So. . .
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Brya
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So. . . Get on your way!

-Dr. Seuss

Can you guess where I'm going this summer?

Here's a hint

Answered prayer

Last night, i worked an 11 hour shift at CompUSA. Black Friday. 7pm thursday night to 6am friday morning. It was fun. One of the things that I asked the Lord to do was to give me a good ministry opportinuty today. None showed up at work. i was a little bummed out and maybe just thought I missed out. well after getting some sleep over at the Dawson ranch where i was house/dog sitting i had to amke a descion. stay and wait for them to come home or go back to my house. I've been learning to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and also to practice my gift of prophescy and discernment. the Holy Spirit said to go home. Not even 30 mintues later did 2 lovely mormon missionary ladies showed up at my door. I got all excited like Susie would. i invited them and and we talked for awhile. they mainly talked. It was really cool. they gave me a book a mormon and the are coming back on Friday. I am really excited to see how that will turn out. They did most of the talking this time, so hopefully I'll get to share a lot on friday.

Pray for me. I'm asking the Lord to give me words of knowledge about them and for him to reveal his true self to them.

Fudge and Cookies

Last night I made fudge. Family secret recipe fudge to be exact. Vicki says its better than see's candy fudge.

I love this time of year because I get to do what I do best. Bake. Cookies, Fudge, Cake, and Dinner Dishes. All for endless invites of dinner, lunch, Christmas, just because get togethers.

More importantly this time of year reminds me that I'm on a mission. That I'm here for a reason. Two years ago I was driving to LA on Christmas eve and almost died in a car accident. Two days later I was in Mexico serving as an interpreter on a missions trip with my friend's church. I had lost my glasses in the accident and had to use half my Christmas earnings at walmart to buy some clothes and essentials to make it though the week. It was such an interesting experience to be partially blind and rely on others to help me read and get around a bit. Yet for the most part I thought I could still do everything fine. I didn't to see clearly.

I think we are like this with our faith sometimes. We have some sight, but its blurred. We think because we can make out objects that its good enough. I believe God wants so much more for us. He wants us to see perfectly the things of his heart and of his word. This year is going to be the first year I have ever read though the bible and I think its awesome. I can see how just being in my word has dramatically changed my life and helped me see and experience what God desires of me.

I love this time of year, what it means, what happened and what it will mean in Christmas' to come.

So all I have left to say is bring on the fudge and lets Celebrate!




PS Lets try and not set the oven on fire!

(That's not my oven, its my friends. And Yes he did set it on fire by accident.)

Does anyone have a training manual on how to be a Mary?

Saying I've had a hard night doesn't quite seem to fit what I want to say, but it will have to do. I've been struggling all night on how to spend my newly acquired "free time." I didn't feel lead to go to the mission to worship, which was my original plan. I stayed home and tried to read my book, which for some reason wasn't as interesting as I was hoping for. Even though I've been waiting about 2 months to read it. I couldn't;t really check my email or blog because my mm was in the living room, TV on, school junk out and talking on the phone to my uncle about all the latest political stuff. Also she's mad that I forgot to vote. I was at bible study I'm sorry. God's soverinty is greater than man's free will anyway. Anyway I felt like I was going to explode.

I realized I had all of a sudden turn from Martha into Mary. I had being doing doing doing and going going going. Always consumed. Always something, and no time for whatever else. The queen of color coordinated calendar to remember when and where what was and why. Alicia from the Christmas play last year ring a bell? That was me.

Tuesday night I had an apostle from Florida prophesy over me. He told me that God wanted to grow me and show me stuff in the resting place. He said that I needed to be Mary and not Martha. My season of Martha was over and my season of Mary is beginning.

Nobody gave me the Mary manual.

I don't know how to do nothing. That's not me. I freaked out when I realized I had nothing to do. Everyone I called wasn't answering their phones. By the 7th person I realized God was trying to show me something. I broke down and started crying. I needed to get out of my house. All I could hear was the TV, which only made me want to watch it. (I don;t watch TV anymore though) I was tempted to go drive and rent a movie, I couldn't because my mom was watching TV and that's rude to kick her out because I wanted to be disobedient to the lord teaching me something. So I though I'll just go to the super cool prayer spot that kirsten showed me. I'll just stand and look over all of vacaville, breathe and let God calm my spirit and speak to me. Then I though that I would go find a park and swing on the swing sets. I love swings. I love the feeling of when you swing up and you hang in the air for a split second you are completely weightless. I think that is the most amazing liberating feeling ever. It gives me joy just thinking about it.

Right as I started my car kirsten called me. I told her all of my nervous freakout ness and she talked me though my whatever it was. She was there when pastor bill prophesied over me and just confirmed that God really just wants me to rest and soak in him. She's good at soaking. She gave me some ideas and told me to come over. We hung out for awhile before her roommates came home. They are also my friends. Renee and I hung out till 1am.

God is just so good. Even in my freak out ness, he is so faithful and wonderful. I'm going to try an make Friday a soaking resting day. It's my day off, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Please pray for me as I undergo this transformation in my life. I am so used to be Martha, yet my desire is to be Mary.

Lord teach me to rest in you and upon your word. Increase my faith to believe that this is your desire for me. You want to spend quantity not just quality time with me. You desire intimacy and that takes time. Time, real minutes on a clock, as you created it with seconds and hours. You grew and birthed things in people over time, not in a quick "your in your out" here's my 30 minutes work with in that timing. Lord forgive me for not being a Mary. Forgive me to lying to myself and other allowing them to think that I was a Mary. Lord I need to be renewed everyday. Be new to me everyday, let my knowledge and understanding of you grow deeper everyday. Manifest your love though me to your people. You are so good. So Good.

Being Real

God just blows me away. He is so amazing and so wonderful, yet so insanely confusing and mysterious. And I absolutely love it. I love that I love a God who never gets old and overtime I think or hope I have even just some part of him figured out he brings me to a deeper level of understanding and reveals this whole other side of who he is in my life. What other relationship is like that?
I went out to Vicki and Steve's tonight for some velvet Elvis bible study, not expecting much. Other than some tri-tip for my birthday, and it was just awesome. It was probably the shortest chapter in the book, but yet it was such so awesome. We asked so many questions and they just raise more questions and made you think deeper about who Jesus was and is. There were times when I left like my head was going to explode because Jesus was just so REAL to me. He wasn't just my savior, not just the God/man man/God that dies on the cross. He's really REAL and his life as a person became so much more to me than that of a savior. It became a reality of why he is who he is and what that means to me and what his Word means to me. I love waking up in the morning knowing that God, whether father, son or holy spirit will be revealed to men a new light everyday. There is so much freedom in being real and truthful it makes you want to change the world.
I was able to be free tonight with my friends. As some people know, I've been growing in the prophetic, and though I've blogged about it a few times I've never really been free with it when I talked din public, other than with my prophetic friends. Tonight at Elvis, one of the prophetic gifts came up, so I shared my story and my experiences. Not in detail, but that they happen. I Melanie Potts have healed the sick, spoken in tongues, prophesied over people, gotten words of knowledge about people, casted out demons and yes I even raised a fly from the dead. I don't say this to be self-righteous or to show people how spiritual I am or how weird I am. I say this because it's not weird that I'm ding these things. Jesus did them and so did his disciples. I don't want to have a secret Christian life that I have with one set of friends and not the other. I'm not Pentecostal. All I'm doing is being a disciple of Jesus, so if he did it I want to do it too. I want to be like Christ in everything that I do. I know that it's a stretch from the Melanie that everyone knew. I think that this is all part of the transformation that the holy spirit is doing in my life. Its all scriptural, I'm not going against God's word. I'm just trying to be real. I'm trying to let God make me the woman he designed me to be and I'm trying not to get in the way.

2 Awesome Jesus Adventure Stories!

Tuesday night my check Engine light came on as I was driving home from dropping my friend Tim off after bible study. I was pretty bummed out. I really don't like when that light comes on. I get really nervous and I don't want to drive my car because I think its either A) going to blow up B) I'm going to put my key in it and it won't turn on 5 minutes before I have to be at work or C) parts of the car will slowly drop off the car as I’m driving down the road. I know that these worries aren't realistic, but I'm girl so I'm totally allowed to think them.

When I got home I decided to pray over my engine and ask God to supernaturally fix my car. He's done that for a few of my friends so I figured He'd do it for me too. He didn't. I felt I had a pretty good idea of where the problem was coming from. I texted my friend David when I got inside and he said to pray over it again in the morning. I did, flipped my hood up and laid my hands on the engine and everything. The light was till on. I texted David again and asked if he would pray over my car that night when I saw him at the Halloween party. He was down with that. When he got to the party we went over and prayed over my car. Being the awesomely Strong Prophetic friend that he is. God told him that the spark plugs were bad, which come to find out this morning is the area that God pointed out to me where the problem was coming from. David said he would fix it for me.

To get to the absolutely cool part of this story. This morning I went over to his house and he checked out the spark plugs and they needed to get replaced. We went down to auto-zone and HE bought me spark plugs, and he got me the nice expensive ones that were like $53 bucks total. He put them in and we went for a test drive. He showed me the church in Elmira that he's going to most likely mentor in to become a pastor. It’s the cutest looking church ever. It looks straight out of south. Four walls, one steep roof with a pointy steeple with a cross on top. He said the inside matched the outside too. I think I'm going to go to it on Sunday and check it out. As we were driving back to his place my check engine light went off! He fixed my car for me!

I am totally blessed to have such awesome friends. Now for my cool Halloween night adventure!



Five of my friends and I decided to go to a club in San Francisco to minister to people and glorify God in place where he is forgotten or even hated. It was awesome. We decided to stand in the gap and intercede on behalf of San Francisco. There is something so powerful about dance. It may be something only a dancer can understand, but when you dance for God there is an unleashing of the glory of God. It goes back to Psalms and how God is enthralled by his creatures worshiping him, loving him in the mist of everything. It was night of struggle and breakthrough. We got to the club and it was fairly empty, but we were there before 10pm. We danced away and just totally had fun. We were 6 modestly dressed friends having fun. We prayed though our dance and let the love and joy of the Lord pore out of us. After awhile it got slightly crowded and the bands started playing.

During the second band, I noticed a bald man standing and staring at the band on stage. The Lord told me that he used to be a musician and that he is desperately looking for fulfillment in his life. The fulfillment and meaning that music gave him in his life. Except what he was doing wasn't the answer. I asked Gianna for some advice on what to do with this information. I have never walked up to a random person and been like "Hey I know you don't know me, but God says this isn't the answer you’re looking for." Gianna asked him if he knew the band on stage, he shook his head no. I knew that the Lord wanted me to step out in faith and say something to him. I decided to ask him if he was looking for something. Thinking back, I should have just said that this wasn't the answer he was looking for, but hey I was nervous. We all learn and grow. I waited for the music to die down between songs, and then I asked him if he was looking for something. He's whole demeanor got really stiff and he just shook his head no. I wanted to say the other part, but I didn't. Then the guy walked away and I didn't see him the rest of the night. Even though he shook his head no I sensed in my spirit that something in him clicked and that I started a chain reaction of something that God wanted to do in him.

Though out the night I was struggling a lot with dancing to secular music to praise God. I thought it was slightly weird and wondered if God was getting glorified though me dancing to music not about him. Gianna pointed out to me that God loves to see his children dance and for the most part dancing is not allowed in church. It my heart that the Lord sees, not the music he hears me dancing too. If I am dancing for him that's all he cares about. I danced for him the rest of the night. When I looked around the room my heart broke for all the people there dancing for sex, alcohol and self image. I started praying for them, and the more I prayed the worse the images on the walls got (they had scary movie scenes from all different movies playing). It was almost unbearable, but the Lord is good and taught me to stay though the fight.

A little bit later when the 3rd band was on stage, Gianna and I decided to go up to the lounge area and just pray. The band on stage was kinda like the pussycat dolls. A girl described them to us as lesbian 80's techno rap, which was very true. The first song was really gross. Gianna and I prayed that she wouldn't be able to sing any more. 3 second later everything that came out of her mouth was out of tune and so horrible sounding that it was hard to listen to. The next guy was even worse. Gianna and I were in some serious warfare praying. Commanding the music to stop, the power to go out in the name of Jesus. As we were asking God to stop the guy on stage, he started rapping and said in the middle of his song "I don't listen to prophets, I listen to my neighbors." He said this about 3 times in a row. That wasn't a normal part of his song. It didn’t fit with anything else he was saying. He was saying it to us. God didn't stop the music because it wouldn't have brought him as much glory as us praying and interceding for the people enjoying it. Sometimes we need to pray even though God will answer it in a different way. After awhile all six of us got a feeling of peace and completion for why we came.

Gianna, Renee and I were talking before we left and I just realized the most awesome thing. I have been reading though Jeremiah lately and everything is about the wrath of God and how he destroys the unfaithful, yet his desire is to give mercy no wrath. It is the same for the people in the club. Even as they were nasty dancing, boo’s-ing it up and being in complete defiance God isn't looking down on them saying "how dare you!" "I’m God the creator, you can’t do this to me, and I will kill you all!" "My wrath is upon you and your descendants." He's saying "I love you; my love for you is stronger than ever, my mercy is good. Come home to me, come back to me. My desire is to bless, not to curse." even in their sin God is swelling with love and mercy for them.

When is that last time that we swelled up with love and mercy for those who have done us wrong? I can't think of a time I've ever done that. I learned a lot on my Halloween night club adventure. I have a deeper understanding of God's mercy for the lost and a greater passion AND boldness to reach them. As well as a desire to worship God though dance no matter what is on.

Oh Onion Rings

So I've been craving onion rings for like 2 weeks now and everything I get them, I just want more. I can't stop wanting them . I'm going out to lunch for my birthday n Sunday with my family and I'm tempted to change the restaurant just so I can have more onion rings. This is getting to be a serious addiction. I think I need to go to onion ring eaters anonymous!

The Lord cares about the small things

I am in such awe right now of how much the Lord really loves me. This morning when I was out at Steve and Vicki's I got a splinter down by the horses on one of their fences. I got most of it out, but a small little piece stayed in my pinky. I was kinda frustrated by this because it hurt every time I bent my finger. The splinter was right on the crease.
One of the ways the Lord has been growing me lately is in the prophectic; healing, prophesy, words of knowledge, all that stuff that Jesus did. Well I haven't raised anybody from the dead, unless you count the fly in Mexico. Jessi can vouch for me, it was dead before I prayed life back into its fly body.
Back to my splinter. Well it was really bothering me and on the way home from Bible study I was just kinda like "In the name of Jesus I command you to leave. " When I got inside I was going to get a razor blade and cut it out, but when I went to look at it again. The splinter was hanging outside my finger dangling. That thing was stuck good inside too. I tired all day to get it out. It just goes to show that nothing is too big or small for Jesus to care about.
Go Jesus Go Jesus Go Jesus Go Go Go!

Importance vs. Urgency vs my life

Back when I was in high school my youth pastor gave this message about the things that really matter in life. He was a man of illustrations whether stories or pictures or example or whatever. This has always stuck out to me. Its the important vs urgent graph. I realized today that my life is very un organized. Not in the I'm a messy and have papers stacked high in my room and in my car so no one can enter my room or ride in my car and I have no time to clean up sense. In the sense that I prioritize things really weird.
when I was working with the youth all of my time was compass and Church it was all important, but not necessary urgent (don't tell Joseph his lists of lists aren't urgent) and I lived very much in that box with the rare oh no impotent and urgent thing coming my way.
I think there are some things in my life that are urgent that haven't been getting done. Things like spending serious time with Jesus, not in quanity but in quality. I want to be able just to soak in the Lord's presence and dance around for hours on end. I think God wants me to do this. It just didn't ever fit into the box I was living in. I definitely didn't have time for things that weren't important or weren't urgent. I kinda like doing those things though. I did some today. today is my day off. I am house sitting for the dawsons. The dogs woke me up so I went and fed the horses at 8am. I have nothing to do till 6pm. Sure I have a 3 page essay to write and laundry and my car could probablly get cleaned out but those are in the important, not urgent box (my paper isn't due till the 29th) Today was going to be my not important not urgent day. I resolved a few weeks back to stop watching all television and movies, chantoll and cameron now own my DVD collection. However this morning I decided to watch x-men 3. I asked Jesus first. He said it was ok. I read a chapter of blue like jazz first though. It was very relaxing, not having to do anything. It feels weird though. I've always been the type of person that has a million things going on. Having a not important not urgent day is weird to me. I did give in and do my essay though and I will probablly clean my car as well. I feel like I'm just blabbing away, I'm not sure if the coolness of my chart really got across, but hey it was life changing for me at least.

changing times

we are now going monday night at 6:30pm. meet at cheyenne. sorry. chantoll is not available at that time on sunday

Wahoo!

Chantoll and I (Melanie) are getting our noses pirced for our birthdays This Sunday. we are going to urban Body in Davis. If you want to come meet us at the Cheyenne House around 4pm!

New Name

A few months ago I had some of my friends prophesying over me and one of them said that the Lord wanted to change my name of Melanie to Melody. I thought that was very entering since Melanie means darkness and mystery where as Melody is obviously a melody of music. I really like it. I changed my name tag at work to say Melody the other day and it just kind feels right. I'm not saying people have to start calling me Melody. I just think that it cool. All though out the bible the Lord would change people's names based on significant life changing events whether it was spiritually or something that would happen. I am at a point where the Lord is dramatically changing me and purging me and refining me. It makes sense that he would change my name as well. Even if it were only for him for call me that. I also decided to get my nose pierced because of this too. I think there should be a physical change to represent the spiritual change in my life. After all that's why the Jews were circumcised, that's why people wear enjoyment rings and why people get tattoo to remember and represent major things in their lives. I have always loved how Abram proposed to Sara with a nose ring. Right now the Lord is speaking to me on how I truly am HIS bride. SO that's why the nose ring in case you were wondering. Chantoll is getting one too. I'm not sure on her reasons,but were going together for our birthdays.