Summer Reads

Summer Reads by mscheek on Polyvore

Slow days

Happy Weekend Everyone!!!

I'm excited to be able to take it easy today and tomorrow...relax with a good book, take Miller for good long walks, and spend some quality time with Will (with no plans or schedules to follow)! Tonight we plan on going to see White House Down after dinner and are going to try Elevation Church tomorrow morning. I'm excited, and hope that God will show us the church he wants to plant us at :)

I found the above quotes while playing on Pinterest, and have been some of my favorites lately. When you pick up your life and move, resign from a job, and leave friends behind, it's often that you face feelings of being 'alone'...at least I did. But reading these quotes help me to remember that God is always on my side, and I am never out of his site. He is in control of my life, I have surrendered everything to him, and trust him that he will plant new opportunities to meet others here in Charlotte, and will lead me towards a job that I'm meant to be at. I can't wait to see what the big guy has up his sleeves for me!!!

Follow me on Pinterest at Melissa Cheek

5 on Friday

Happy FRIDAY y'all!

This is my first link-up (just entered the bloggin' world two short weeks ago) and I must say, I am so glad that 5 on Friday is my first link-up! The girls behind the whole idea have the cutest blogs, and write on all things up my alley! I highly recommend visiting their pages and linking up with them; April of A. Liz Adventures, Christina of Carolina Charm, Natasha of Hello! Happiness and Darci of the good life blog.

Here's what I'm loving this Friday:

ONE- Charlotte, NC! I never thought I would be so smitten over the Queen city so fast, but there's not doubt that I just love living here so much already. In the past week I have ventured out and discovered a handful of cute hole-in-the walls restaurants, precious boutiques, and some local favorite hot spots. Let me just share a few of my top picks so far...

• Yesterday my friend Maddie and I went and had lunch at Kennedy's Bar & Grill. Not only did I enjoy the food (I ordered the hamburger with sweet potato fries), but the atmosphere was so lively and fun! Kennedy's is an Irish bar located in the historic neighborhood of Elizabeth,  which has an awesome deck area (a large Shamrock and many strands of lights hung above the large deck) with big screen TV's inside and outside. I will defiantly be making a trip back to Kennedy's soon, where I look forward to enjoying dinner with friends on the deck area looking over 7th Street, with a large cold one in my hands...

•  After lunch at Kennedy's, Maddie and I went to Park Road Shopping Center (an outdoor shopping center) that had some of my favorite places to dine (helloooo The Flying Biscuit and Brueggers Bagels!) and a number of different retail stores. One shop that Maddie and I checked out was Julies; which was just the cutest little women's retail store! Julie's had a wide selection of tops and dresses and other pieces of clothing that I just adored! Throughout the store were also multiple tables filled with bright neon colored necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I had to do all I could to resist from buying everything in sight and going broke!
• Some other recent Charlotte finds I fancy are Peculiar Rabbit (offers some amazing views of Charlotte from the patio area), Rock Bottom (highly recommend trying their Sangria's!), and Petal Boutique (dangerously close to where I live...see ya later paycheck!).

TWO- Mission of Mercy by Nancy Alcorn. Right before I moved to Charlotte, my dear friend Janel gave me this amazingly powerful and heartfelt book that I finished in a solid six days. Nancy is the Founder and President of an organization called Mercy Ministries and wrote this book so that she could share "the practical principles that have made Mercy Ministries a success at life transformation" for girls with troubled pasts. Mission of Mercy is about allowing God to use you to help make an impact and difference in others. One of the main things that stood out to me from Nancy's writing was when she made a reference to WHYS and WHATS in individuals. This is first seen in her chapter called Patterns in which she states that "God understands us completely and loves us unconditionally, yet He loves us enough to change the way we are when our why creates a what that keeps us from living freely and abundantly". Every single one of us judges others and yet we are instructed by God not to judge (Matthew 7: 1-5) because we don't always know WHAT has happened in another person's life that has led to WHY they are the way they are. Nancy is such an inspiration and someone I highly recommend getting to know through her writing!

L. to R. (Me, Janel, Hannah)

THREE- FAMILY. My Mom was not able to help me move to Charlotte and has yet to see the Condo that Will and I live in and is finally able to take a few days off from work and is taking a train on Monday morning to come and stay with me until Wednesday! I am so excited to see her and am very thankful that we will have a few days to have mother/daughter time. My mom and I haven't always had the best of relationships, but with constant prayer and continually forgiveness, we have been able to grow closer over time...THANK YOU JESUS! I'm excited to show her around Charlotte, enjoy some much needed R&R, and to just be in each others presence.

FOUR- The 4th of July. This is going to be the first holiday Will and I will be celebrating together in Charlotte...and I can't wait! Who doesn't love being rock RED, WHITE, and BLUE, watch the fireworks and celebrate the freedom and independence of America? Where there are barbecues, picnics, and family gatherings...count me IN! This year, Will and I plan on going to the U.S. National Whitewater Center in which we will get to listen to some live music, as well as watch the fireworks over the whitewater river! Check here for more information on this two day event!

 

FIVE- Organization and a CLEAN room! I never realized how much stuff that Will and I had and how long it took to fully unpack everything you own. This room is almost completely unpacked and just the way I want it to be! I can't wait to share more photos with you all and to write a post on the condo in its entirety!

Thanks to Mom for painting this bedroom furniture white for me!!!

I really enjoyed sharing five things I currently adore and can't wait for next Friday to share 5 more!

The Queen City

So I am now a Charlotte resident...saying that still seems so surreal. Will and I had been talking and praying for MONTHS about me making the move to Charlotte, and finally the opportunity had arrived and I was ready to start this semi-new adventure into the unknown! You might say to yourself, "HELLOOOO, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY DECISION TO MAKE"! But it wasn't...not in the least bit. I had been in Raleigh since 2007, had finally gotten to know my way around Raleigh without having to depend on my GPS, had great coworkers, a stable job, an amazing community "groop", and was in love with the church I went to.

But then there was Will, and our relationship. Long distance was so tough on both of us. Having to commute back and fourth was hard on Miller. Things weren't as easy and I of course wasn't as happy as I had been when Will was closer. I knew that if I moved to Charlotte, I couldn't afford to live alone, so the only options would be to find another roommate (I didn't want to have to worry about that hassle) or live with Will. All my life, I felt that one should not live with their boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage. What would you have to look forward to after you exchanged vows? What would there be to learn about the other person if you already lived with them? At the same time as those thoughts ran through my head daily, my relationship with God was being tested due to what the distance presented for me; worry, anxiety, fear, and doubt. I didn't want to leave behind all that I had gained over the years in Raleigh, but I knew that distance wasn't going to help further Will and I's relationship towards marriage. We needed to be together again...in the same city, even if that meant going outside the norm and living together.

And so, with weeks of constant prayer and reassurance from friends and family, I made the decision (finally) to leave behind my job and the life I had made for myself in Raleigh. Will and I looked online for a place we could call home for at least two years, and quickly came upon a precious condo in the Elizabeth/Myers Park area of Charlotte! I was just smitten with the place, it's location and all it's 1200 square feet had to offer.

So what has life been like for me since the move? Lots of disorganization, boxes to unpack, Miller to entertain, endless hours of searching and applying for a new job, and having to depend on my handy dandy GPS to get me from place to place. But, despite all of those setbacks, the move has presented me with the opportunity to spend so much (needed) time with Jesus; praying and reading his word. I feel closer to God (and Will) more then I have in months! I have been able to wake up each morning thinking "what do I want to accomplish today". I have to say that it feels pretty darn good to step outside of a life that was so routine/planned/scheduled...

I can say I have mastered the art of unpacking and have been able to enjoy my free time without worrying what needs to be done next. And let me add that I have only been here for four full days and have already landed a second interview for a position with Primary Physicians Care--so please send prayers my way!

There is still so much work to be done at the condo, but I can't wait to share photos with you all and to give you more updates on how things are going :)

First & Last Day All In One

Hey everyone! My name's Melissa and welcome to my blog! This is such a 'mile marker' day for me---Today I am writing my FIRST ever blog post (super excited about starting one of these) and today is also my LAST day at the current Company I work for (Headway Workforce Solutions) as I am getting ready to make the move to the Queen City this weekend! Days like today are bittersweet. I am filled with both happy and sad emotions, but know that what God has in store for my future is going to be simply wonderful! It's days like today where I sit back and soak in all that I have to be thankful for; like sweet co-workers and friends, new beginnings, tender goodbyes, and the thrill of new memories that are in the making. I am so happy to finally have jumped on the blog bandwagon and can't wait to write and share my new journey through blogging, along with all the other simply things in life that I adore: my boyfriend William, fashion, a good book, road trips, food, Will and I's pup Miller, church and of course Jesus!