Waiting – Melissa Schlies

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

When Old Stories Become New

This post was originally shared in 2017 as a Christmas post, but it's one I've been thinking about again as yesterday was Easter. After a year of so much grief, this is a needed reminder of the hope we have for new life. Have you ever heard a story so many times that you almost stopped listening whenever it was told? You knew the story, so why listen? You had it all figured out, so why pay attention? For me, I think there are many stories like that, and one of them is the Christmas story. I have heard and told the [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-04-04T14:37:14+00:00April 5th, 2021|Categories: Hope, Waiting|Comments Off

A Year Later: Five Things I Wish I’d Known Pre-Pandemic

A year ago this week, I drove a half hour north to meet a friend at Barnes and Nobles. When I got there, I pulled into a parking spot just as my phone “dinged.” I had a text. I put the car in park, turned off the engine, then grabbed my phone. Tony’s name showed up in a little grey box on my screen. I clicked on it, and there it was: The first sign our lives were going to change because of COVID. In his text, Tony told me that as of the following week, all the offices where [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-03-08T00:33:40+00:00March 8th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Routines, Social Distancing, Waiting|Comments Off

For The Parts of Your Life on “Pause”

Have you ever been watching a show or a movie, and had to stop it before it was finished? Maybe your popcorn was done in the microwave, your friend or partner had to grab a drink, or at the worst time possible, you had to go to the bathroom. You, or the person holding the remote, hit “pause.” Now, most times, it’s not a big deal. In five or ten minutes, you’re back on your couch, holding your popcorn, and watching your show. But every now and then, something happens and you can’t get back. The phone rings and it’s [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-02-13T20:44:19+00:00February 15th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Hope, Waiting|Comments Off

A Single Person’s Bucket List (repost)

With it being Valentine's Day on Sunday, I thought I'd re-share one of my most popular posts from 2020 all on singleness. Though the pandemic has changed the way one may go about writing/fulfilling their bucket list, I would say it is more important now more than ever. When I was in college, a relationship expert came to speak at our Chapel* one day. As the historical joke/motto for our school was to expect a “ring by spring” if you were dating someone, it seemed fitting. Though I went to college for my education (and maybe, to meet a boyfriend), many [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-02-09T15:54:44+00:00February 11th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Courage, Faith, Habit Making, Hope, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Waiting|Tags: Singleness|Comments Off

For the Person Asking “Why Even Bother Celebrating Christmas?”

For many of us, when things don’t go the way we want, our first response is, “What’s the point?” Why should we continue with our plans if they can’t happen the way we want them to? Why should we even bother? Since buying our house earlier this year, in the middle of COVID, I’ve been tempted to think this way many times. Only for all of us, this defeatist attitude stems not from our plans being changed. Rather it is our desires that drove us to make our plans in the first place. My struggle to keep from throwing in [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-15T15:27:06+00:00December 14th, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Christmas, Faith, grief, Habit Making, Holidays, Hope, perseverance, Practice, Preparation, Waiting|Comments Off

On Wanting Christmas to Make Everything Better

For many, Christmas came early this year. By that I mean, even some of my die hard “Christmas doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving” friends, were decorating their tree the first week of November. Like in The Holderness Family video, we’ve all wanted to believe “Christmas will make everything better.” A little red and green comfort decorated with twinkle lights, feels like a balm on the ache that has been this season. Only now that we’re officially into December, even Christmas is feeling different this year. So many of us are having to let go of our usual traditions and even [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-04T16:28:10+00:00December 7th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Depression, Faith, Holidays, Hope, Loneliness, Waiting|Comments Off

When You Find Yourself in a Desert

Two summers ago, when travel was still fun and easy, Tony and I went to California. We began our trip by eating our way through San Francisco, and staring at the Gold Gate Bridge. Then, before wrapping our trip up in Sonoma, we camped in Big Sur. We crossed Bixby Bridge. Pitched our tent in the middle of redwoods. And spent quite a few afternoons and evenings walking the gorgeous beaches. We saw the purple sand, and even spotted a few dolphins. But in the middle of it all, we noticed something strange: Our hands felt different. They were still [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-10-27T13:33:29+00:00October 26th, 2020|Categories: Change, Faith, Hope, perseverance, Waiting|Comments Off

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

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

One Surprising Step in Finding Contentment

When Old Stories Become New

For The Parts of Your Life on “Pause”

A Single Person’s Bucket List (repost)

For the Person Asking “Why Even Bother Celebrating Christmas?”

On Wanting Christmas to Make Everything Better

When You Find Yourself in a Desert

What You Don’t Know About The Change You Want

Waiting…At Christmas

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