Calling – Melissa Schlies

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

Is COVID Taking Away Church?

What do you do when the place you’ve gone to most for spiritual comfort, strength, and community, is no longer an option? Or, at least physically not an option? That is what many of my friends and church-goers across our country have been asking and struggling with these past four months. The restrictions of many States, have prohibited their usual gatherings. But where some churches and their staffs have taken social distancing seriously, and have engaged in mental gymnastics trying to continue to serve their congregations, many aren’t having it. They’ve said the restrictions are persecuting them for their beliefs. [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-08-02T14:46:41+00:00August 3rd, 2020|Categories: Calling, Change, Church, Faith, Hope|2 Comments

Creativity—Why even Try?

This post was originally slated for March, but then the Pandemic hit. Today, as we begin to open our world back up, it feels like a good time to revisit the topic of Creativity. As now, more than ever, we may need to be creative. A few years ago, Tony and I went to our first Michelin Star restaurant—by accident. We were on our dream trip to Tuscany, and we were late getting back into the town where we were staying. Online, I’d found three possible places for us to eat, but when we went to the first two, there were [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-05-27T12:59:19+00:00May 28th, 2020|Categories: Beauty, Calling, Courage, Creativity, Habit Making, Health, perseverance, Self Care|Comments Off

What if You’re a Success, & You Don’t Even Know It?

Two parts boredom and one part hope that someday soon we’ll be moving, had Tony and I cleaning out our room last weekend. And I mean, deep clean. We emptied out our closet, drawers, and my bookcase. But the treasure we found, was a lot closer to the surface. As I am terribly allergic to dust, Tony dismantled the small mountain of stuff on my dresser and dusted everything. Then I came in, wearing my COVID mask, to sort things out. But just as he was finishing, he held up a small piece of hemmed fabric that I’ve had on [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-05-11T13:23:45+00:00May 4th, 2020|Categories: Beauty, Calling, Creativity, Identity, Success|7 Comments

Two Questions to Ask as We Wait For The Return of “Normal”

I know you’ve said these six little words. I just wonder if when you say them, you get the same feeling I do each time they pass my lips. Because every time I say, “When things get back to normal…” There’s a heaviness in my chest. A question on whether I should replace the “when” with an “if.” A sense that we’ve passed the point of no return. That just as September 11th shifted so much about how we live our lives, COVID-19 has done the same. Only we don’t fully know what it looks like yet. Often, after this [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-04-26T13:07:37+00:00April 27th, 2020|Categories: Adulting, Anxiety, Balance, Calling, Courage, Habit Making, Making Decisions, Social Distancing|Comments Off

What The World Needs Now

A couple of weeks ago, I sat on my couch with my closest friend. With mugs of tea and coffee in our hands, she asked me about my writing. As January was rather busy and hard, I shared I didn’t know what I’d write about on the blog this month. Then offhandedly, I said: “Probably something about relationships as it is February.” Then I added, “But that feels so cliche.” As this is the month of Valentine’s Day, it is kind of the “month of love.” Yet joining the chorus of other bloggers and online magazines sharing tips on how [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-03-26T16:41:26+00:00February 3rd, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Calling, Change, Conflict, Friendship, Hope, Relationships|2 Comments

In 2020, Start Small

On Monday, I shared I was terrified the first time I climbed a mountain. Mostly, because I wasn’t ready. But honestly, I made it all the way to the peak that day. It felt amazing. Until, I hurt my knee on the way down. Then Tony half carried me about three miles as I wobbled back to the car. We were dating at the time, and boy did that experience solidify our relationship. But it also taught me I had to get in better shape if I wanted to do it again. Sometimes, the mountains we want to climb in [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-03-26T16:35:14+00:00January 9th, 2020|Categories: Calling, Change, Courage, discipline, Habit Making, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, perseverance, Preparation, Routines, Start Here, Success|Comments Off

In 2020, Climb Your Mountain

Friend, the first time I climbed a mountain, I didn’t fully know if I was going to make it. It was so BIG. A few of the people I was with, had climbed the mountain before. And as we got ready to go, they talked about how there were some really challenging spots on the way to the top. I remember listening to them and wondering, What would I do, if I couldn’t make it? I wasn’t an experienced hiker. In fact, I had only recently begun to regularly go on hikes where I lived. My adventurous side had [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-03-26T16:33:23+00:00January 6th, 2020|Categories: Adulting, Calling, Change, Courage, discipline, Failure, Habit Making, Start Here|Comments Off

The Whisper of Christmas

Underneath the hum of Christmas, some of us hear a whisper. It’s not one we hear in our ears, but rather one spoken to our hearts. Like the unexpected tug of an old memory, it speaks to us in surprising moments. When we’re waiting at the stoplight we get caught in every day. When a particular Christmas carol comes on in a store. Or while we’re stringing lights on our tree. This whisper reminds us Christmas transcends all the “more” it has become. Sure there is joy in all the cookie baking. We find revelry in the ugly sweater Christmas [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-12-16T12:17:00+00:00December 16th, 2019|Categories: Calling, Christmas, Faith, Hope, Uncategorized|2 Comments

When It’s Actually Ok to Compare

In our kitchen, on the shelf just above our toaster, you will find a small bronze colored tool that looks like a wrench. It came with a piece of Ikea furniture we bought years ago. And somehow, it got repurposed for pulling things out of our toaster oven. Once our food is cooked, the hot oven rack is too small to grab with a mitt, so we reach in there and hook it with this “wrench.” Then, we drag it out. Only, it doesn’t work that well. In fact sometimes, I still burn myself. Yet here we are, years later, [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-10-24T13:12:10+00:00October 31st, 2019|Categories: Acceptance, Calling, comparison, Lead, Leadership, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Is It Possible To Find Career Contentment?

Is COVID Taking Away Church?

Creativity—Why even Try?

What if You’re a Success, & You Don’t Even Know It?

What The World Needs Now

In 2020, Start Small

In 2020, Climb Your Mountain

The Whisper of Christmas

When It’s Actually Ok to Compare

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