These are just some things I have had to constantly remind myself and other dreamers of in the last few months. So I want to share them with every other dreamer and visionary out there!

1. Do not take on others doubts and fears as your own no matter how often they force them on you.

2. God is and will always be your provider. Stop worrying about what you don’t have.

3. Write the vision and remind yourself of it daily.

4. I’m pretty certain God gave you a scripture or something similar when your vision was sparked. That’s your foundation. Don't ever stop meditating on what it means to you in your today. Everyday!

5. Do whatever you have to do to keep believing in yourself. (Be the consistency you need in your own life)

6. Do your best, that's all God asks for.

7. Work on pleasing God. His standards are already laid out for you and don't change. The scripture says without faith it's impossible to please God [Heb 11:6]. Keep the faith in the vision he gave you, that's pleasing to him!

8. Faith without works is dead [James 2:17]. Let’s put some action behind our beliefs daily.

9. Fear will paralyze your purpose. 

10. You're brave and courageous. There are people who wouldn't dare try what you have done. Be grateful that you won't have to live in the land of what if?

11. Whose timeline are you on? I know it's not easy but get off everyone else's and even your own. God's is different. Get on his! 

12. It's ok to not know.

13. Tears may fall, let them! Think of it as the fertilizer needed to manifest good fruit, increased faith, and strength. 

14. Stay committed and remember, distractions derail dreams. 

Remember that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! [Phil 4:13] Keep dreaming, envisioning, and following thru! We need you!

Just because we have been prepping ourselves for the New Year here at T3 doesn’t mean we are supposed to neglect the rest of 2013! In order to finish this year out strong we have to do something many of us fail at—be present and take care of today!

Every other week I think I fail at this task. I get so focused on the final product of the vision that may be years down the road that I miss out on what is going on right before my eyes. The parts of the vision that are already reality! In an attempt to finish strong I am going to commit myself to these new realities! I will acknowledge them, embrace them, and enjoy them because they are an important part of the journey. There will never be another year like 2013!

In an attempt to finish strong I will stop being so mean to myself! There can’t be another day in this month of December that I speak negatively to myself! I must be my number one encourager!

In an attempt to finish strong I will focus on self-control from day to day! The decisions that I make often cause me to fall back 50 steps. If I can focus on telling myself no or yes at the correct times I will get farther in the next 24 days than I have all year, I just know it!

In an attempt to finish strong I will keep my prayer and devotion time up to par so that I am prepared to walk in to my today and tomorrow. Oh and peep game, work on being obedient without complaints! If I could be honest, I complain like I don’t know how much that bothers God. (I’ve read in Exodus about the rebellious Israelites, they frustrate and anger him lol…I don’t want to do that anymore or hold myself back because of it).

In an attempt to finish strong I am going to take advantage of time with people who love me and strengthen me through their support! Even though there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day.

I plan on being successful at finishing this year out strong! With a smile, love in my heart, and a thirst for life! While I can’t wait to show you all what I have planned up my sleeve for 2014-2018 I can’t wait to show you what I got for you the rest of 2013 =)

How do you plan to finish this year out strong!? Comment, comment, comment!

PS: COMMENT! Lol ❤

Can you believe it?! It is the first day of the last month of the year already! As many of us do at the end of the year I have been in serious reflection. Thinking about the who, what, when, where, and why of my life has caused me to become very aware of the fact that I am nowhere near where I want to be. However, I find solace in recognizing that I have come a long way since 2012. 

This week (Sunday-Saturday) I will leave you with seven thoughts in regards to closing out this year and beginning the new year.

Starting with today! Thought 1: Closing time

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess, the fairest in all the land! She loved all those in her kingdom wholeheartedly and made sure that no one ever went without. She lived to please the people and they were grateful for it.

One day some settlers came to her kingdom from a faraway land. The Princess welcomed them with open arms even though many of her magistrates warned against it.

“They do not appear to have good intentions Princess!” they proclaimed.

But the Princess, full of love to share with all, ignored their warnings and welcomed the settlers in with open arms.

Life in the kingdom was forever changed…"

This is the beginning of my fairy tale story and although I may not have finished writing it out today, I’m totally aware of the yucky middle and what is becoming a way better ending. We all have a story to tell, no matter how flowery or gory it may be. 

The other night I was out with my cousin and our conversation turned to truth pretty quickly and very unexpectedly. We went just deep enough to scrape the surface of some of the challenges I dealt with in my early adult years. It was so hard for her to comprehend that I, Mel Lee, could ever go through such a challenge that we found ourselves going back and forth regarding the reality of it all. All I could think was, we all have a story to tell even if we don’t look like anything we’ve been through. Cliché or not this is my truth!

We all have a story to tell, whether we are ready to share it with anyone or not. We all have successes,

I had plans to post about something else this week but I thought let me hold off. This is only because I want to share about an event I was privileged to be a committee member and volunteer for. The first annual Royal Summer Tea that took place yesterday August 24, 2013.

My heart is called to pregnant teens and women who have experienced abortion in the past and need assistance in understanding that grace applies to them as well. One of my spiritual mothers introduced me to a ministry a couple of years ago and I have been volunteering there ever since. The organization is called His Nesting Place and they run a pregnancy center and home for unwed mothers as an alternative to abortion. They live life to save the lives of the unborn. (His Nesting Place on Facebook)

Many people feel some kind of way when hearing about pro-life ministries. I must admit that has been me at different points in my life BUT when I am able to experience first hand the lives that are saved (both child and parents) by this ministry, there is no way I can be mad at what they stand and fight for…LIFE. They have been in operation for over 30 years and have housed thousands of women and their children since opening their doors.

Yesterday the first annual summer tea was held in Rolling Hills Estates in one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever been in, in my life. God really blessed His Nesting Place with absolute favor as the owner of the home opened up her beautiful garden in order to put this fundraiser on. 

With over 120 guests in attendance His Nesting Place was able to raise funds and spread awareness about the issue of abortion in America. I feel that the testimonies that were shared by a few of the young women there were touching and resonated with the spirit of everyone in attendance. Which made me feel that I should reach out to my readership on the issue. 

Even though abortion is one of the procedures performed most on women in America it is still a super touchy subject. I just want to hit on it long enough to tell you that: 

1) There are always alternatives to abortion no matter what the situation is. 

2) God has given you the gift of free will! As you exercise it make sure that you are properly and fully educated on the decisions of abortion, parenting, and adoption both in the natural and in the spiritual. 

3) Men or women, if you have had an abortion in the past and are having difficulty dealing with it, whether it happened 2 days ago or 37 years ago, you are not the only one. God wants you to know that there is restoration for you. The guilt, anger, sadness that may be associated with it no longer has to be. Silence surrounding your abortion choice can be the loudest pain in your life. If you are ready to talk about it with someone please do! Not only can you contact me at the His Nesting Place Pregnancy Help Center or through my private practice www.YouCanTherapy.com but you can also find a network of counselors throughout the US and internationally via www.SaveOne.org. 

Freedom is yours if you want it! You have to take the first step…Repentance. That can happen strictly between you and God! Then, if you’re ready there are plenty of people, including myself, ready to help!

Love, 
 Mel

Question: What do ballroom dance partners, employees and their supervisors, and God and his children all have in common? Do you give up or did the title give it away?

Answer: One leads while the other follows.

Follow the leader was a fun game for me. It was cool to follow but it was pure joy to lead and have kids do off the wall stuff that I felt like doing! If you think about it, life is like a never ending game of follow the leader. We are always following something whether we want to or not. I was reading Joshua chapter 3 last week in the message version and it caught my complete and total attention.  

When you see the Covenant-Chest of God, your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it. Make sure you keep a proper distance!—and you’ll see clearly the route to take. You’ve never been on this road before. Joshua 3:3-4 MSG

The message for me was simple: Let God lead. (I wonder what you just got from reading it)

I automatically put my head down because I knew the word was tailor made for me. Even though I immediately accepted the word, it took me several days to realize I should repent for this. Why? I have tried to take God’s leadership position in my own life and it has negatively affected me and my ministry. Over the last few days I learned that I’ve taken control of things I have no experience in dealing with. My biggest tell? I was worried. When we worry it usually means we have taken the trust we have in God and placed it in our feeble ability or whatever circumstance we’re facing.

I think we all have moments we want to step in as God’s boss. But maybe I should only speak for myself. Sometimes I want to tell God what to do, how to bless, how much to bless, when he is not being fair, and when he should do this and/or that. Of course I don’t sit and say “God do this now”. It

When you are finished reading today's post download a copy of my newest e-guide "Encourage Yourself: My rant turned e-guide"! The link is at the bottom of the post =)

In December I left my job with a very stable community mental health agency in Long Beach Ca. This leap of faith has caused a whirlwind of events and emotions that are molding me into a completely different person than I was 5 years ago when I began working there. As I follow my long lost dreams and attempt to find who I am and what I need at this point in my life, I am grateful that God remains unchanged and kept/keeps his promises.

A couple months back several doors opened for me that put me in great position for exposure, a new course of financial stability, and what I perceive as a joyous course for my life. Two months later I still have not walked through those doors. Matter of fact I’m pretty sure I was duped—Like the bird that thinks a door or window was open and flies *smack* into the glass. That crash stuns you for a bit 

Flashing back to an old post, mainly because I needed to read it again. Hope it can encourage someone else. Originally written 10/15/2011
Come on Esau were you really that hungry? Was Jacob’s cooking just that bomb?!

Ok let me back it up and do a quick recap just in case we aren’t familiar with the story of Jacob and Esau. Well at least the beginning of their story that can be found in Genesis chapter 25 verses 19-34.

*read the following real fast like we are speeding through time*
So Isaac (Abraham’s son) and Rebekah got married. Rebekah was barren but Isaac pled to God regarding this and BOOM she was pregnant with not one but two babies. So while these twin wrestlers were still being carried they fought with each other. Rebekah sought God about this and He told her that two nations were at war in her womb and once they were born “one people [would] be stronger than the other and the older [would] serve the younger” (Genesis 26:23 NKJV).

Esau was born first and then Jacob followed holding onto his big brother’s heel. Esau was the macho 

believe he brought me this far to leave me.” So don’t be discouraged when it gets a little tricky or difficult! 

We knew exactly where we were going, what to expect, and how long it would take but that didn’t make it easy. Sometimes it made it worse! Knowing the hills, or long stretches that take more work were coming up was very discouraging at times!

8. You have got to be kidding me with the detours!

You may think you know where you’re going until they set that big, bright orange detour sign out on 

I’d like to start by saying I love my bike! Anyways, in the beginning of January a friend and I started riding on the bike path from Manhattan Beach to Santa Monica, approximately 26/27 miles roundtrip.

The first time we cruised to Santa Monica in a little under two hours. Not so bad except for the fact we had to be back in Manhattan by 5pm. *Heavy sigh* we planned horribly! 5pm?! Yea, it was totally 3:45pm by the time we started heading back. Do you see the problem? So much for cruising home.

As we raced the clock and the sunset I had time to think. 1st thought—Why in the world did I work out before coming on this almost 30mile trek? The rest of my thoughts? Ok, since you asked:  

1. Lack of planning is downright stressful and can be a complete inconvenience

Nine times out of ten careless planning will negatively affect someone or something else as it did in our case. We knew it would take about four hours roundtrip but didn’t factor in time for rest, snacks, or crowds. At this point my friend was still renting her bike and we needed to be back before they closed the shop. From the moment we made it to Santa Monica we knew we didn’t have long.