I will never forget.

Here it is 2 1/2, almost 3 years, later and I still think about my little brother Jesse almost everyday. It's amazing how there's healing for the lose of someone so close to you, yet, it still hurts your heart so much. A dear friend of mine just passed the 4 year anniversay of her little brother's death and it just blew my mind that it had been four years for her family, and alomost 3 for mine. Time has flown by so qucikly, and it feels like we the police were walking up to us to tell us, just yesterday.

Tonight, I randomly started looking up more information on recent Foresthill bridge jumpers, and just yesterday someone jumped to their death from that were bridge. He made "at least" #44 since the bridge was built 36 years ago. My heart goes out to his family, cause I have an understanding of how they are feeling. Also, my heart still goes out to all of the other 43 families, including my own. It's crazy to know that this continues to occur. It's not like I do not expect it to, but there is so much that I want to do to help prevent it. But what? Is there anything? Ultimately, it is in the Lord's hands.

The Foresthill bridge is a beautiful place... GOREGOUS for that matter- showing all of God's wonderful creation and I hate knowing that it is a place of such sadness, grief, anger, and bitterness for so many of us... even I still cringe when I think about it. The first time I came home from the Honor Academy on vacation, I felt a great need to go out to the bridge and just pray. I did not know what exactly for, but I do know that I want to see that place for the beauty that surrounds it and not as a place for people to end their lives.

I miss my little brother so much. I go to school and sit in classes with people that once knew him... or see his old best friend... it breaks my heart. The pain never seems to fully go away. It's crazy to be back in this same little town again and in the same house for that matter.

Either way, I continue to trust the Lord as He so faithfully brings the true healing we all need. I hope and pray that the other families will come to know the Lord through the lose of their loved ones as well. Some people take it all out on God... others compeltely rely on Him to get through this. Jesus-- You are the way the truth and the life. I praise you for what has happened in my life, because I know that you will receive the glory from it ultimately.



In Loving Memory of Jesse de Puglia
September 12th, 1990- June 27th, 2006

"1Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:1-2

This morning, I started listening to a sermon by Paul Washer- Following Jesus, and it has really made me reflect on my life and what are the things of this world that I have allowed myself to conform to. As Christians, we are called to living in the world but not of the world. Now that I am back in the world, it makes it that much more difficult to do so. How can we transform our minds as we live in the world and have so much garbage trying to flood us daily? By transforming our minds-- by reading the Bible consistently and staying in prayer. Quiet times can not be forsaken- Prayer, reading the Bible, cannot be forsaken. This should be a set apart time, daily to spend with God! The King of the Universe! How is it that it still gets pushed aside so easily?

Being home is good. It's the place I'm called to be at right now, and there are days that I'd prefer this season to fly by quickly, just because I'm ready to move to the next season, but then the Lord clearly reminds me that I'm here with a purpose, His purpose and He's going to join me in this journey; I'm not alone and that gives me the strength to get up and go forward with another day, all fears aside.

I am going to learn a lot in this season... I'm sure of it. I'm going to have to work hard, stay focused and completely lean on the Lord. Trust. Trust. Trust. I will continue to trust the Lord.

He is faithful.

Since I've been home...

Heeelllooo My dear friends!

How are you all doing? I just wanted to give you all an update on what I've been up to now that I'm home cause I get asked a lot :) Thanks for caring about me!!

Ok, so I am now living at home with my family in the beautiful California... I truly am blessed with that alone. I am exactly where I am supposed to be at this time in my life. God has called me here with purpose and it's SO great! Everything continues to fall into perfect place :) I start school at the local community college next Tuesday the 20th. I will be taking 16 units- most of which online- Eng, Spanish, Math (online) and Econ (online). Can I just say I am really excited about it too? I love college and I've been waiting to go for a while now so it's very exciting being able to start up again. I am currently working on getting a job as a nanny. This is a perfect job for me and it's exactly what I wanted, but I didn't know how many opportunities there were near my home, but sure enough, I met a girl at church who is a nanny right down the road from my house and she said she can get me a job too :) Talk about a blessing (Let's just pray, Lord willing, it will work out). Now, all I need is a car (please pray for that if you remember). My mom has been a huge blessing in this and has been letting me take her to work at 6 AM so that my granny and I aren't stranded at home all day and hopefully she'll let me continue to use it as I start school :) I also am very thankful to have miss Ica Nau in my life... some of you may know her, but we've been able to hang out a lot and it's such a blessing. Ica and I were in the same RD group last year and now we get to be best friends ;) hehe

Oh, Home is so great though. I was sick for, well... about a month- I'm still working on getting over it, but I got sick 3 days after I got home, then last week found out I had strep so, I've been on medicine since. I think that whatever has been going around is finally about to leave my body!! Praise the Lord. Also, the Lord has given me SO many opportunities to preach the Gospel to my family!! My 16 year old bro isn't saved, and God's opened up many doors for me to talk to him, and my little bro is 5 so it's been good being able to talk to him as well. I've also been able to just talk about the Bible in general with my step dad which is HUGE and it's totally God doing all the work!!

Also, my long distant relationship is going well too... It's hard, to say the least, but it's good :) Tim and I get to talk just about every day through phone, texting, email and IM... Yes, I am thankful for technology!! lol

All around, I miss you all... a lot... but I AM SO happy to be home. It's just such a great feeling knowing that you're exactly in the center of the Lord's will! I remember sitting in Tom Svitak's office telling him that I was going home after graduation and how I thought the transition was going to be SOOOO hard, and he told me "Mel, if it's where God wants you, it's not going to be that difficult."- wise words from Tom right there lol but it's so true, it really has been an easy transition and I am very thankful for it. I also think that my GI year really set me up for coming home and I can't say how thankful I am for that.



I hope this gives you a little insight on what's been going on in my life. Talk to you all soon!!

<3 Melonie