Faith – Page 2 – Melissa Schlies

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

What You Don’t Know About The Change You Want

On a cloudy day back in February, Tony and I drove down a street we’d never been before. We passed our destination, then quickly I pointed out an ally at the end of the block. Tony took a left and found a parking spot, like it had been there waiting for us all along. We got out of the car, then walked back to the main road, and turned the corner. We walked toward the house we were there to see. Coming from the opposite side of the block, our realtor was walking toward us with a smile on her [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-07-26T20:57:47+00:00July 27th, 2020|Categories: Change, Faith, grief, Hope, perseverance, Waiting|Comments Off

How To Find The Courage to Stay, When You Just Want to Leave

Friends, many of us are finding ourselves in uncomfortable places with all that is going on in our world. Many of us want to make a change that may not be what’s best for us. That is why as a part of this month’s series on Change, I’m re-sharing this post—one of my most read to date—about learning how to stay even when it’s difficult. May it give you courage to stay, if you are right where you need to be. “We want life to have meaning, we want fulfillment, healing, and even ecstasy, but the human paradox is that [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-07-16T23:37:46+00:00July 20th, 2020|Categories: Change, Courage, Faith, Hope, perseverance|Comments Off

What if the Change That Feels Like Loss, is Actually Good?

Hello friends, last year, Tony and I went to California for vacation (remember traveling?), and I learned something about change in the Redwood forest of all places. Then, of course I wrote about it. It felt like such an important lesson for me that I thought I'd re-share with you for a part of this month's series on Change. Enjoy! Other than the sound of gravel crunching beneath our hiking shoes, it was quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you hesitant to speak. And when you do, it makes you whisper. All around us giant redwood trees towered above [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-07-13T15:07:53+00:00July 13th, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Courage, Depression, Failure, Faith, Hope, Preparation|Comments Off

What Helped Me Get Unstuck

To best appreciate this post, read this first. The hot July sun tried to pierce through the trees, as we made our way down the trail, only the tree cover was thick enough to keep us cool. My sister and brother-in-law were visiting us from Massachusetts, and we were showing them one of our favorite places, Ricketts Glen State Park. At this point, we had hiked the trails that pass by the majority of the waterfalls in the park, but we wanted to make a stop at Adams Falls as well. We walked down the path to the bottom, where [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-07-06T14:50:18+00:00July 9th, 2020|Categories: Change, Conflict, Courage, Faith, Fear, Freedom, Hope, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Making Decisions, Preparation|Comments Off

Reader Question #1: Can Someone Have Faith and Still Be Scared?*

Recently, a good friend and email subscriber reached out to me with this question: It is possible to have complete faith in God, and still feel fear? Or perhaps more specific to our current circumstances, can we simultaneously have faith that God is going to watch over us, while still being afraid of Covid-19? When it comes to life, faith, science—basically everything—we as humans want absolutes. And, we want ourselves to be resolute. Once we find what seems to be the right position on everything from the type of milk we drink, to politics, to our beliefs—we want to be [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-04-08T20:45:09+00:00April 9th, 2020|Categories: Anxiety, Courage, Faith, Fear, Hope, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Reader Question|1 Comment

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

Waiting…At Christmas

In celebration of Advent, I am reposting this from my first Christmas blog series in 2016. For those of us who are waiting--not only for Christmas, but for important things to happen in our lives--this post still holds up. And I pray you find it encouraging. This past November, just after Halloween, the stores set up their Christmas displays. Though what is known as the “Christmas Creep” has been happening for quite a few years now, I almost found it shocking. One afternoon, I was doing my grocery shopping, turned a corner, and found myself in Santa’s Workshop. All I could [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-12-01T17:50:53+00:00December 2nd, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Faith, Hope, Waiting|Comments Off

When Change, Changes You

This past summer, Tony and I grew four tomato plants out on our deck. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw some of our first fruits, as I was pretty excited to get a crop. But then, blossom end rot began to overtake our San Marzano plant. For every healthy tomato, it seemed there were two that began to blacken and wrinkle from the bottom up. I was so discouraged. Instead of harvesting red ripe tomatoes, every time I went out to the porch it seemed I was bringing back little, rotting, baby green ones. It was depressing. [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-09-27T14:54:55+00:00September 30th, 2019|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Faith, Hope, perseverance, Saying No, Uncategorized|Comments Off

The Real Secret To Our Marriage

Do you remember, in high school, wishing you had the answer key to a hard exam? Even though you knew cheating was wrong, there was a part of you that wished for an easier way. For me, it was always my chemistry exams—which is ironic as here we are talking about a different kind of chemistry. That of love and marriage. But now, even as adults, many of us are still looking for that answer key. We’re looking for the easiest way to lose weight, get that promotion, and even understand our spouse. With so many things to fill our [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-05-23T13:38:53+00:00May 27th, 2019|Categories: Character, Conflict, Faith, Marriage, Relationships, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Is COVID Taking Away Church?

What You Don’t Know About The Change You Want

How To Find The Courage to Stay, When You Just Want to Leave

What if the Change That Feels Like Loss, is Actually Good?

What Helped Me Get Unstuck

Reader Question #1: Can Someone Have Faith and Still Be Scared?*

The Whisper of Christmas

Waiting…At Christmas

When Change, Changes You

The Real Secret To Our Marriage

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