Melissa Schlies – Melissa Schlies

Before Setting Goals, Do This First in 2022

Three months into my first job in youth ministry, I sat in the office of one of my coworkers. My shoulders were hunched. My eyes were heavy. I was afraid I was going to cry if I said too much. I felt so empty. Across from me sat one of the few fellow women leaders on our staff. She was a force, and yet cast a motherly gaze directly into my face. Though I was trying hard to keep it together, she drew out of me what I needed so badly to say: The way I was leading and living [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2022-01-03T01:01:55+00:00January 3rd, 2022|Categories: Balance, Habit Making, Health, Holidays, Mental Health, perseverance, Practice, Routines, Self Care, Social Distancing, Start Here|Comments Off

Don’t Forget to do THIS Before Christmas

So many of us are afraid to confess or to declare what it is that we want because we confuse naming our desire with demanding the desire. —Emily P. Freeman At the end of October, Tony and I started making our travel arrangements for Christmas. Every year, the week after the holiday, we fly to see Tony’s family in Wisconsin. But this year, I wanted to go to Massachusetts first. I wanted to be with my family for Christmas Day. For two or three nights, we sat trying to figure out flight logistics, but it just wouldn’t work out. On [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-12-20T10:34:02+00:00December 20th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Christmas, Holidays|Comments Off

A (Mostly) Unexpected Christmas Bucket List

One of my favorite Christmas memories from growing up, is of my dad taking our family into Boston. He wanted to introduce my sisters and I to one of his favorite memories as a kid: seeing The Enchanted Village at the now former department store, Jordan Marsh. A small mechanical village with over 250 animated figurines, The Enchanted Village, takes you back to a Norman Rockwell version of Christmas. Created originally in 1958, it can still be visited each holiday season at a large furniture store in Massachusetts. Only, at fourteen, I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-12-12T20:56:03+00:00December 13th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Christmas, gratitude, Habit Making, Holidays, Hope|2 Comments

When it doesn’t feel like Christmas

There is a mouse in our house. Unfortunately, I am not talking about a cute Christmas book we all need to buy the children in our lives. Nor am I channeling Dr. Seuss with this post. There is an actual mouse somewhere in our house. I guess this is what happens when you buy a home that is over a hundred years old. There are cracks where a mouse (I am hoping it is only one), can get in. And now, in the middle of the Christmas season, Tony and I are trying to figure out which cracks it’s using [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-12-07T21:11:39+00:00December 6th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Christmas, Contentment, Holidays|Comments Off

Sometimes, Gratitude Isn’t Enough

Halloween is over. Somehow it’s already November. In a few weeks we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving with loved ones. And if our festivities aren’t too chaotic, there will be a moment when we’ll reflect on what we’re thankful for this year. Individually or collectively, we’ll practice gratitude. For some of us, this activity will feel like vanilla ice cream on an already delicious slice of apple pie. But for others of us, gratitude will feel like the taste of your aunt’s over baked sweet potato casserole with charred marshmallows on top. You know it’s supposed to be sweet, but all you [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-10-31T23:31:51+00:00November 1st, 2021|Categories: Contentment, Depression, gratitude, grief, Health, Hope, Mental Health, Self Care|Comments Off

Finding Body Contentment…in a Pandemic

On the first night of our trip to Colorado last month, Tony and I found a pizza place for dinner. Not realizing it would be freezing after sundown, we opted for outdoor seating and were led to a table on the adorable patio of an Italian restaurant. We ordered our food. Then we waited. We waited some more. I put on my fleece, and folded my arms against my body to keep warm. Excited to be on vacation, we started talking about our weekend plans. But the food still didn’t come. Tony pulled out his phone as he often does, [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-10-25T00:01:15+00:00October 25th, 2021|Categories: #mybodyhas, Acceptance, Beauty, Body Image, Contentment, Self Care|Comments Off

Is It Possible To Find Career Contentment?

The signs are everywhere. They’re in the window of your favorite coffee shop. They’re stuck in the ground outside the local car dealer. And before you even get to the produce section of your grocery store, it’s a stanchion sign that reads: “Join Our Team.” Then, in bigger letters, “Now Hiring.” If you need a job right now—any job to help you pay the bills—it shouldn’t be hard to find one. Only, our generation doesn’t want just any job. In fact, the pandemic has made this clearer to us than ever. All our time in lock down and, for some [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-10-17T21:52:35+00:00October 18th, 2021|Categories: Adulting, Calling, career, Change, Contentment, Courage|1 Comment

My Fall Bucket List & How Fall Helped Me Find Contentment

For as long as I can remember, fall has been my favorite season. It has the perfect weather to wear a sweater, but not need a jacket. To drink a hot, fall flavored latte without overheating. And to turn on the oven, and bake a pie. But ten years ago, Tony and I entered into a difficult life season, and fall became even more dear to me. Fall has the perfect weather to wear a sweater, but not need a jacket. To drink a hot, fall flavored latte without overheating. And to turn on the oven, and bake a pie. [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-10-13T23:20:23+00:00October 14th, 2021|Categories: Anxiety, Change, Conflict, Contentment, Creativity, Depression, grief, Habit Making, Health, perseverance, Self Care|Comments Off

One Surprising Step in Finding Contentment

“So, is it possible to get to the point where I am ok being single?” Over the tops of our Starbucks coffees, she looked me straight in the eye and I couldn’t lie to her. Not that I wanted to. It’s just, as a mentor whose job it is to encourage, it can be difficult to speak the truth when it’s discouraging. “It may be. But it’s also possible you will always want a relationship until you have one. I know for me, as hard as I tried, the wanting never went away.” I replied, hoping my words didn’t sound [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-10-11T01:28:56+00:00October 11th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Contentment, Habit Making, Health, perseverance, Relationships, Self Care, Singleness, Waiting|Comments Off

How Do We Find Contentment—in All of This?

As I write this, a big red truck is beeping outside my window. The sound of grinding pavement can be heard in the distance. It’s not the perfect soundtrack for writing, but here I am. For almost six months now, our city has been digging up the streets around our house to replace our gas lines. And even though today there’s the promise of new pavement, believing it will all be over soon, is difficult. There’s been too many weeks of “no parking” signs posted on our sidewalks. Too many days of circling the block trying to find our way [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-10-04T14:18:01+00:00October 4th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Anxiety, Balance, Contentment, Depression, Habit Making, Self Care|Comments Off

About Melissa Schlies

Don’t Forget to do THIS Before Christmas

A (Mostly) Unexpected Christmas Bucket List

When it doesn’t feel like Christmas

Sometimes, Gratitude Isn’t Enough

Finding Body Contentment…in a Pandemic

Is It Possible To Find Career Contentment?

My Fall Bucket List & How Fall Helped Me Find Contentment

One Surprising Step in Finding Contentment

How Do We Find Contentment—in All of This?

ABOUT ME

RECENT POSTS