The First One

At long last I've started an official blog. I've been reading everyone else's blogs and even tried doing one on My Space. It became problematic for several reasons, so I abandoned it. Not sure I like what that indicates about me, probably that I lack follow through or something like that. Ah, so... I'm still maturing. I love leaving notes on Facebook, though, so maybe I'm more mature than I think. :)

My name is Melissa and I am first and foremost a child of God. I came to Christ at the age of 5 but have lived a less than exemplerary example of the Christian life most of the time. Thank God for Christ's atoning blood...and for Grace!

I am married to Tony and we live in Washington, DC, where he is in seminary working towards his MA in Christian Counseling and Discipleship. We are unable to have human children so our Dachshund, Lucy, is affectionately called our "dogter". I adore being Tony's wife and Lucy's slave, er, mom.

I am currently unemployed so I'll probably be blogging more than I should in order to get the thoughts racing around in my head out so I can concentrate on writing actual concise cover letters rather than two page missives every time I send out a resume. Cover letters are supposed to sell you to employers, not serve as a platform for comments on issues and such.

I toyed with different titles for this blog: Random Musings of a Capitol Belle... Life from A Shortened Perspective...Shooting from the Hip... and the list goes on. For now, I think I'm going to stick with Rolling Along. As you get to know me, you'll realize that the title, like a whole lot of other things I say, has more than one meaning and is very appropriate for me. :)

My life verse is John 10:10. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." The "I" here is Jesus. The "abundance" ...is everything about my life. Tony and I have a great marriage, a great apartment and enough food. That is abundance. We are on a typical starving seminary student budget, but we have everything we need and sometimes what we want.

I am an avid reader, especially of Christian "chick lit" by people like Janice Thompson, Kristen Billerbeck, Denise Hildreth, and Tracey V. Bateman. For more serious reading, I love to kick back with anything by Brock and Bodie Thoene or Karen Kingsbury. Oh, and let's not forget Mary Kay Adams, Margaret Truman and anything else I find along the way that strikes my fancy. Books are my addiction. I don't like the library because I can't write in books I borrow. My husband and my bank account would probably be happier if I did, though. Another thing to work on... (two item list so far: follow through and utilizing the library).

Writing comes naturally to me since it is really just talking on paper. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am definitely a talker (see, I can tell the truth about myself in more than one area!) but that I also listen readily. Maybe this blog will allow me to get my communication quota out so I won't talk so much. We can only hope. :)

It is odd that I would start blogging on Father's Day evening (well, it's actually Monday AM at this point) since I tend to not celebrate Father's Day. My own Dad died when I was 5 and my father in law is NYC. Lucy pretends to celebrate it for Tony, though.

Anyway, my life is abundant. It is not, however, without pain. The pain is not altogether a bad thing because it shapes me in ways that nothing else can. More on that later.

More random stuff about me (possibly a top 1o list, but we'll see):

1. I love eggs fried over VERY easy but not sunny side up.
2. I am NOT a vegetarian. If it used to moo, oink, or cackle...I'll eat it.
3. I love brussels sprouts and most other green vegetables.
4. I am not a huge cat fan but find that a few of them have wormed their ways into my heart (Ivan & Peter, Seamus, Swazy & Suki - that's for you).
5. I'm part of a great on line prayer group called the Minyan (Love you Jo, Bo, & Ro!) and we pray daily for each other, our nation and our world.
6. Taco Bell is my guilty pleasure...along with The Bachelor/Bachelorette.
7. My husband is my best friend.
8. I love pretty things but am not a girly girl: I don't mind running around town without all my make up in place.
9. I LOVE BIG DOGS! Big dogs ROCK! (I used to have two Newfoundlands and miss being owned by a big dog)
10. Dachshunds also rock...they are big dogs in little bodies.
11. I am ferociously protective of people I love.
12. My husband is the housekeeper in our family...I fail at that part of wifery. Sigh.
13. My favorite color is red...no purple... no green (depends on which day you ask).
14. Fake people annoy me.
15. People who communicate in code annoy me.
16. My dream job is being a Capitol Hill staffer.

To close: some thoughts about fathers.

Charles, my earthly father. I miss you but I do remember you. I can't wait to see you in Heaven.

Mr. C, my adopted earthly father, aka my fairy godfather. I miss you, too, now since you left us in January. I shutter to think that you and Daddy are swapping Melissa stories in Heaven right now. Sigh.

Pop, my precious "other" father I gained through marriage. You are one of the most upstanding men I know. Thank you for raising your son to be such a wonderful husband. Thank you for making a place in your heart for me even when other people didn't want you to. Please stay reasonably healthy...I've had too much loss this year and am not ready to loose you.

Happy Father's Day, guys. I love you.

Rolling along to dreamland,

Melissa