I have a confession, I suck at blogging. I really envy those that are so good at post regularly and on a schedule. That said, I'm going to try to get better, I promise!! Thank you for being patient with me, and cheering me on in this journey! You are all the best.

Its no secret I love instagram and the community it provides. Some people thinks its weird, but I love that it allows me to connect with people and has led to numerous new friendships. Thats the beautiful side of social media. It can be used for as much good as it can be used for bad. I am so thankful for the people that are apart of my life now because of Instagram.

A few month ago, through a series of events, I found this girl @baileymjane on Instagram. I was immediately captivated by her beauty, as well as her vulnerability and ability to see beauty all around her. I knew that I had to follow this girl and become her friend. Soon enough, she followed me back and we instantly connected!

It wasn't any surprise to find out she's one of the coolest people in the whole world. Bailey is one of the strongest people I've ever encountered. She has gone through so much and still has the biggest smile on her face. Bailey is incredibly kind, and soft hearted. She hasn't let the world around her harden or shape her heart. Bailey is FULL of joy, frankly, she radiates joy. She is wise beyond her years. Her heart for the Lord is so intimate and she's daily striving to reach new levels of her relationship with Him. She is talented and creative. She loves to explore the world around her and is always encouraging her friends and women around her! I really love that she uses Instagram as not only a creative platform but also an opportunity to speak truth over people and encourage people.

I admire her dearly, and I am so excited for the day she comes to BC and I get to adventure with her! Today we get to see a glimpse of her beautiful heart and I could not be more excited!

Hi, I'm Bailey and I'm going to talk about the day I fell in love.

I did not want to fall in love the day I did. The day I fell in love I was angry & cold. Why would I once again open my broken, vulnerable heart - only to be hurt again?

The way I desired love can be unhealthy and frightening. I crave to be captivated. My vulnerability became overwhelming. I quickly fell in love with the wrong ones. After a glance, a two hour coffee date, a long relationship, and 2AM talks. I began to give parts of myself - that I wouldn't receive back. Parts of my heart began to belong to boys that left without a care. I believe there are two types of vulnerability. 1) with your body & 2) with your soul and heart. And it was my soul and heart. Little prices belonged to boys who ran when I showed them my big heart.

My heart slowly began to close - and it became hard to trust anyone. I was angry with boys, men. I was angry at anyone and everyone. I was angry at myself - letting people in. And I was angry at God - for teasing me, bringing people into my life only for them to leave.

The day I fell in love, I was angry, cold - I was impatient. My heart had been locked up. Numbness took over. The day before I fell in love I was envious. Everyone standing around me were in love - while I cried out for any kind of love. A love different from the boy who stole from me. Someone different from the ones who lied. But the day I cried out, he never came. The day I fell in love I had finally given up. I thought I wasn't worthy of his love. I thought my sin was too deep. I thought it was too late. But love came down, Love came behind me and hugged my entire being. And I met him - I met love himself. He showed himself to me as he laid before me, crying out to God. He was covered in bruises, blood and thorns - carrying every one of my sins on his shoulders. I finally met him - as my tears flowed and makeup ran while I knelt with a humble heart. And he told me to stand - as he held my shaking hands. He showed me dancing in a field on a sunny day with him, shoeless, while I turned around in a white dress - just how I liked it. He knew me. He knew the the things no one ever did. He knew I loved open feilds & freedom. He knew I loved being barefoot. He knew I've always loved dresses that twirled. He knew me.

Sunday, May 17, 2015 I fell in love with Jesus. I am captivated. I am loved. A love so different, so pure and innocent. Real love. And he wanted nothing from me but my broken, vulnerable heart.

No sin is too deep No heart is too broken No one is unworthy - to fall in love with love himself.

- Bailey

Isn't she lovely?! I am so thankful for her and everything the Lord has done and i currently doing in her life. If any of you were impacted by Baileys story, or you just want to connect with her you can find her on Instgram

I hope you all have an incredible week and that you are enjoying the Christmas season! I am praying for you all especially those that are entering finals and exams over the next few weeks! I want to hear from you too, please, feel free to find me on Instagram, shoot me an email or if you have me on Facebook, lets connect! I want to hear whats happening in your lives.

Love you endlessly,

- Melissa xox

Hello friends!

I have been so overwhelmed by the love and support My Beloved has been getting! I am so grateful for everyone that shared posts and for those that sent me the most encouraging notes, messages and texts! I cannot express how excited I am for this journey and how excited I am to see where the Lord takes My Beloved. I am SO thankful for YOU.

I will be the first to tell you I have horrible self esteem, and at times it is really really hard for me to see myself in a positive uplifting light. I always see and pay attention to the negative things, the things I see and the things that have been pointed out in my by others. It has been and continues to be my greatest struggle in life and I know that it holds me back from a lot of things in a lot of ways. Because of this, I have always been very influenced by what people say about me. I have continuously let people define me and always in a negative lights. I have always let the bad outweigh the good.

You’re fat, you're ugly, you're stuck up, you're a goody two-shoes, you're a religious snob, you look like a pregnant horse, you're not good enough, you're not pretty enough, you’re annoying, you're not popular enough, are you sure you want that candy bar, you've worn that plaid a lot lately maybe you should stop, you need to care more about how you dress, dress more like a girl, the girls here don't like you, people are threatened by you, you're not talented enough - I could go on with the things that people have said to me.

They stick in my mind like glue. On repeat in mind, never letting me forget. No matter how much positive encouragement I get from the people I love and that love me.

Recently I was asked to describe myself in 3 words, 3 simple words. Seems pretty simple eh? It was so painful for me. I came up with one word, ONE, and it wasn’t a well received by those listening. My word to describe me - boring.

That word slapped me in the face. BORING?! The only place this word comes from is the years of being beat down by those around me. Never allowing myself to flourish in self confidence, and really love the woman the Lord has created me to be. Boring. A word that completely neglects to see the vibrancy that I carry. A word that disqualifies me from seeing myself as a unique and beautiful individual. A word that I need to rid my vocabulary of permanently because frankly I am anything but boring.

I started to pray from that day forward that the Lord would reveal to me how HE sees. I asked Him to show me how He would describe me. Who is Melissa to Him? I have been completely floored and humbled by His response. I am who HE says I am.

I am beautiful, I am loved, I am kind, I am compassionate, I am joyful, I am always laughing, I am funny, I have the biggest heart, I have a voice, I put others first, I am thoughtful, I am intelligent, I am crafty, I am talented, I am passionate, I am so full of life, I make people laugh, I always look for the best in others, I have influence, I am going places, I love well, I am sassy, I am adventurous, I uplift, I speak life, I am in love with the Lord and I know that I am His Beloved.

That is all that matters. No other labels, no other words, His and His alone. They define me, He defines me.

I am who HE says I am.

Low self esteem and a lack of confidence is something that is SO prevalent in women today. There are very few girls I know that have not struggled with their own self esteem. My hope is that this will help encourage those of you that might struggle with the same thing! The Lord’s heart completely breaks when we see ourselves differently than the way HE see’s us. After all we are created in HIS image, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27. He loves each of us so dearly and He desires us to be confident in the women He created us to be. Not the women we have allowed ourselves to believe that we are based off our own thoughts of the things that people have labelled us as. We need to be confident in who He has created us to be. Never becoming prideful of it, but recognizing the words that He is speaking over us, speaking over you. Sometimes we have to press pause on life and take time to listen to His still small voice speaking life over us. Grasping each word He speaks and holding on to it. You are BEAUTIFUL, you are VIBRANT, you are LOVED, you are UNIQUE and you are His BELOVED.

Praying for all of you this week + I really hope this resinates with you the way it has with me.

- Melissa xox