Jefferson City!

Hi Friends!

A week ago, I went on an adventure with a friend of mine, Sadie! I only had one class in the morning, and would be done before 10:00 AM with all of my meetings and classes for the day! Sadie also had a similar schedule, so I asked her if she would want to accompany me for an adventure to Jefferson City with me, which is about 2 hours away from our school.

So, after class, we went! We are young! We are explorers! And who knows where life will take us after college... so taking time to travel now is quite the opportunity!

The two of us caught up on life... Sadie is also an resident assistant in the dorms on campus, and an amazing Christian gal who pursues God with her whole entire heart. When the Bible talks about iron sharpening iron, you can bet that Sadie is exactly that kind of a friend.

Arriving in Jefferson City, we went straight to find lunch. Since pizza is her favorite, we went to Aris' which is a pizza parlor across the street from the capitol building. The two of us pointed to the same pizza on the menu at the same time, and split it which was so fun.

Then, we walked to the capitol and stood in awe. WOW. What a beautiful building! The tulips were blooming all around the manicured lawns and fountain, and there were statues left and right. In the first floor of the capitol building, there is a museum where the two of us nerded out.

After we enjoyed the museum, rich history and architecture of the capitol building, we walked back to my car where we had stowed our Bibles. Picking up our bible study sacks, we proceeded to weave our way through Jefferson City to find ourselves a coffee shop. Sure enough, we found one with a sneaky view of the capitol building.

As we sat in the shade of a blissful sunny day, we both took a deep, restful breath. In that moment, I was filled with absolute and complete contentment and gratitude and bliss. Nothing could made that moment more special.

As we poured over the things God had been whispering in our spirit about our campus, our families and our lives something truly amazing took place. There, out of all of the souls that fill the timeline of eternity, sat two friends who by the amazing appointment of a good, good Father were placed in the same moment of the span of eternity. At a shady table, with a view of the Missouri State Capitol Building. The utterances that swayed back and forth between the two of us stirred our hearts toward encouragement and faith. God reminded us both of promises He had made over our lives and we wrote down and declared that yes, God has been and will continue to be good and faithful to us in our lives.

I write of this adventure not just because it was a great day and I wanted to share the joy I experienced from it, but to take it as an example and encouragement.

For many years, I felt very alone in my faith. While I had friends much older than me and much younger, I spent some of my crucial developmental years without a friend who understood my faith- you know, someone you can really share it with and wrestle those tough questions with. I prayed and prayed for such a friend, but learned that God really is all we need to be satisfied. We can walk solo if that's what it comes to. BUT, when God does bring people in your life that you can rejoice in His Goodness with, DO IT!!! My lonelier season is no longer sad, but serves as a personal comparison- like a measuring stick of the extra blessing God has put on my life. It means that now, when I come across friends like Sadie, I won't take them for granted because they add so much richness to my life, spiritually.

Here is a challenge: thank someone who is an iron sharpening friend. Write them a note or call them. Don't take them for granted, but rejoice that God blesses us through a community of believers who uplift, challenge and encourage us!

Until next time,
Melly XOXO



"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." ~Proverbs 27:17

{Sadie, thank you for being an iron-sharpening friend & for the awesome memory of that day in Jeff City!}

P.S. If you are feeling alone in your walk, keep pressing on! I have been there and know that you are not alone. Feel free to reach out to me, I would love to be (or even help you find) an encouraging pen pal and would love to pray for you by name (I already pray for all my blog readers!!!). Be blessed! <3