tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81155736724844986912024-03-05T21:21:15.564-08:00The Simplicity of My TestimonyMelanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-56066431262698573382023-06-03T22:08:00.001-07:002023-06-03T22:24:03.764-07:00Pout or Praise?<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49MipyKALxUkD4mj3ePs25SD-eC7P5eLuLaOO2QDAGYH5IS_nLHUgDxQBl03wkR2sIFC6vIKT8WpOflBMaEwaARzdAYkf1LWWwmuS1iBu4tA62cXYJb2PT9Bt4gdbfOFpLFnnbS5RDzJb3CVuOLCx6-14IX9p_xBMmfUH71nW-JfwGrlJs4GCldCI/s4056/IMG_20200814_0943180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4056" data-original-width="3040" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49MipyKALxUkD4mj3ePs25SD-eC7P5eLuLaOO2QDAGYH5IS_nLHUgDxQBl03wkR2sIFC6vIKT8WpOflBMaEwaARzdAYkf1LWWwmuS1iBu4tA62cXYJb2PT9Bt4gdbfOFpLFnnbS5RDzJb3CVuOLCx6-14IX9p_xBMmfUH71nW-JfwGrlJs4GCldCI/w251-h335/IMG_20200814_0943180.jpg" width="251"></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">On a recent Sunday afternoon, I came home from worship service completely exhausted, and all I wanted to do was put on some comfortable sweats and take a nap. By the next day, after waking with a sore throat, I put two and two together to realize that my body had begun fighting some sort of bug that had been going around. I went on to work but had a repeat of the prior days' fatigue and for the next three days found myself down for the count. I was home from work, Bible Study, rehearsal, and prayer services with chills but oddly no fever, a sore throat, a terrible headache, sweats, and little to no appetite. Thankfully, the COVID tests were negative, and several people that I had talked with all told me the same thing: There's something going around, so rest, take care of yourself, and let me/us know if you need any.<span></span></span><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2023/06/pout-or-praise.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-86065719946606647502023-05-08T17:34:00.001-07:002023-05-08T21:42:53.577-07:00Introducing My New Website, The Bona Fide Beasley!<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span class="c9dxtc"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: #9900ff; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.thebonafidebeasley.com/home" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebonafidebeasley.com/home" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpsGlp1udCobMFHoRbdF5LuFiPEMQKIa8kql2MVlYkapVFfsQ48eDOl-abF5DPouPF6dHWtVYFPWee7go808gEMXl2V5C7qs4-ZxM4sNG2BIqBwUJlpF0cnYFOMJJ3STfjUuoxcMOefm4HzJ3sHxOuRKIfb0VbGwzlYaWQpKPhqEMq3W1uDFP04Te/s1914/TBFB%20Screenshot.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1914" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpsGlp1udCobMFHoRbdF5LuFiPEMQKIa8kql2MVlYkapVFfsQ48eDOl-abF5DPouPF6dHWtVYFPWee7go808gEMXl2V5C7qs4-ZxM4sNG2BIqBwUJlpF0cnYFOMJJ3STfjUuoxcMOefm4HzJ3sHxOuRKIfb0VbGwzlYaWQpKPhqEMq3W1uDFP04Te/w400-h205/TBFB%20Screenshot.PNG" width="400"></a></div><a href="https://www.thebonafidebeasley.com/home" target="_blank">The Bona Fide Beasley</a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><span class="c9dxtc"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">is an
independently</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">owned and operated publishing and consulting
firm, established in 2022</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">,
initially for the purpose of publishing and distributing my first book, </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.thebonafidebeasley.com/buy-the-book" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="c9dxtc"><span color="windowtext"><span color="inherit" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline;">"</span><span color="inherit" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline;">The
Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir</span><span color="inherit" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline;">"</span></span></span></a><span class="c9dxtc"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span class="c9dxtc"><span color="windowtext"><span color="inherit" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline;">titled
after </span><span color="inherit" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: underline;">my
blog of the same name</span></span></span></a><span class="c9dxtc"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">. </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">After
the August 2022 rele</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">ase of the
book, I began a series of public book sales and signing events, and as my
following grew and inquiries about online purchasing of the book increased, I
realized the need to have a dedicated website to further establish my brand and
help inspire and lead people to Christ through my work.<br></span></span></span><span class="c9dxtc" style="font-variant-ligatures: none; text-decoration-line: inherit;"><span></span></span></div><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2023/05/introducing-my-new-website-bona-fide_8.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-63585941818626641542023-04-29T23:23:00.002-07:002023-05-08T16:18:09.265-07:00Meet the Author: Book Sale and Signing Event, Saturday, May 13, 2023!<span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFeVzAvFSsTxNcXjhemOt8uufAyp-yuq6-TFihJm2VvoXvu_Wn0gBPTeUVm5yc5HBSyU1G5Z0-4RsuqYiuEfOQ3oHlDaiGvExoHbWoodXaCAt4U6WJWEveiKiEI3nkC6qD-RiFMQSvOynvTUas3kaNnh7cvMvSghPAIqphHf_C1AeAfrfUyqzDPL4/s3195/20230327_213503.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Bona Fide Beasley" border="0" data-original-height="3195" data-original-width="2252" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFeVzAvFSsTxNcXjhemOt8uufAyp-yuq6-TFihJm2VvoXvu_Wn0gBPTeUVm5yc5HBSyU1G5Z0-4RsuqYiuEfOQ3oHlDaiGvExoHbWoodXaCAt4U6WJWEveiKiEI3nkC6qD-RiFMQSvOynvTUas3kaNnh7cvMvSghPAIqphHf_C1AeAfrfUyqzDPL4/w239-h339/20230327_213503.jpg" title="The Bona Fide Beasley" width="239" /></a></div></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's official! My next book event is confirmed for Saturday, May 13, 2023, from 9AM to 12PM at Peet's Coffee, 2712 Pinole Valley Road in the beautiful city of Pinole, CA (located just inside the Pinole Valley Shopping Center, and just a few steps from Trader Joe's)!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">This will be my third book sale/signing event so far to promote my recently released memoir, </span><a href="https://youtu.be/qnWb0rA3cqM" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">"The Simplicity of My Testimony</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">" and I am so excited about it! I would love to see you there and am asking for your support in coming out and that you will spread the word and bring someone or as many someones as you can! I will have an ample supply of books just waiting for you!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">The promo video is now live on my YouTube channel, </span><a href="https://youtu.be/DNeRz_U2up0" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">@TheBonaFideBeasley</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;"> </span><b style="font-family: verdana;">(NOTE: This promo video was created for the initial May 6 book event, which was rescheduled for May 13 due to rain)</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">! While you're there, check out the full </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhG4lJzTF4ocoKct93Ub_FnDRWLgNGgKF" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">Simplicity of My Testimony playlist </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">and see how all this came about, including all of the events and videos so far!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">As a "thank you" and show of support for Peet's Coffee always making me welcome to come back, I'm hoping you will also stop inside and purchase a cup of coffee, tea, or snack!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" style="background-color: white;">Thank you, and see you soon!</span></span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">🙌🏾📖🤗🦋</span></p>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-79918073756789084242022-10-15T22:08:00.001-07:002022-10-20T09:17:17.658-07:00You're Invited to Meet the Author!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbtFPVVl5B4webdIFOJuIrLoc4q08GNuuOw7P4dEBbNTOGKDVf5Zgb4bLZS-yYtyyupljDcRVL3B9nsE5ZDcivQWPYpVGNE-T5_JkvW3994BFj8nRKTJd0qLa2_-aqCykWwZ09iEGyb7mQAXI0xwJy0OsprKOfCbqB2uHVnqpcXO-HQRi5Hlaz1jt/s1000/IMG_20221015_161321_463.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Melanie E. Beasley - The Bona Fide Beasley" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbtFPVVl5B4webdIFOJuIrLoc4q08GNuuOw7P4dEBbNTOGKDVf5Zgb4bLZS-yYtyyupljDcRVL3B9nsE5ZDcivQWPYpVGNE-T5_JkvW3994BFj8nRKTJd0qLa2_-aqCykWwZ09iEGyb7mQAXI0xwJy0OsprKOfCbqB2uHVnqpcXO-HQRi5Hlaz1jt/w320-h320/IMG_20221015_161321_463.jpg" title="Meet the Author" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Please join me for my upcoming book signing for </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;"><b>The Simplicity of My Testimony:</b></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;"><b>A Memoir</b>!</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;" /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Saturday, October 29, 2022</b></span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>10AM to 1PM</b></span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Peet's Coffee</b></span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>2712 Pinole Valley Road</b></span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Pinole, CA 94564</b></span></span></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;" /><span style="background-color: white;">If you missed the first one, here's another opportunity! This is my second book signing, and I'm so grateful to the management of </span><a data-attribute-index="0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=peetscoffee&highlightedUpdateUrns=urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6987259526982885376" style="background-color: white; border: var(--artdeco-reset-link-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: var(--font-weight-bold); line-height: inherit; margin: var(--artdeco-reset-base-margin-zero); overflow-wrap: normal; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); position: relative; text-decoration: var(--artdeco-reset-link-text-decoration-none); touch-action: manipulation; vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline); word-break: normal;">#peetscoffee</a><span style="background-color: white;"> for graciously allowing me to host this special event here! I will have plenty of books for purchase and to sign. If you already have your copy and haven't had it signed yet, come on by, and I will gladly sign it for you!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rvNOuFv0vc2yz8iKBWlh9zyCBALLHfTT1QywhCxVfRguyZZQh_7T9C5jSy9ampBjsGLw6JhKQKRRl-vBx-D6pIX4-EhD7lMms--NHYTRfZYMadPtsTNUyKNqlqZUB-odMhYnWUDd6lXxn1wo9xAVWYt6SL_78tCPbztTHA1ZIibL-BqHAFO9psvx/s4000/20220917_130634.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rvNOuFv0vc2yz8iKBWlh9zyCBALLHfTT1QywhCxVfRguyZZQh_7T9C5jSy9ampBjsGLw6JhKQKRRl-vBx-D6pIX4-EhD7lMms--NHYTRfZYMadPtsTNUyKNqlqZUB-odMhYnWUDd6lXxn1wo9xAVWYt6SL_78tCPbztTHA1ZIibL-BqHAFO9psvx/w182-h243/20220917_130634.jpg" width="182" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">My very first book signing, which was held in September, was absolutely amazing! I sold more books in two hours than I had in an entire week, and got a chance to chat with friends and loved ones in the process! Some guests purchased two and three copies for themselves and to give as gifts. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I recorded the </span><a href="https://lnkd.in/gHjKPABp" target="_blank">post-event video</a> <span style="background-color: white;">during a brief break between getting most of the event stuff out of the car and having to go back down to get everything else out, so needless to say, I was pretty wiped out at this point.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I uploaded the video </span><span style="background-color: white;">to my YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0TxrgpRtqRxVUNXk3Eu0sw" target="_blank">The Bona Fide Beasley</a>, describing the day from start to finish! Take a look, and explore the other book-related videos. I'm still basking in the blessedness of the day, catching my breath, and preparing for the next event! </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">God makes all things possible, indeed! </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6y9c6TEKfkIHlUoVrsfo-Sw020ImJyHsNYYFaOamrLhhpEY_sbRD_JlGcMFSSNcB_7YEYNmM2x0N9XlRtYyqMvMwHrjba1Fl9yAWkVMmx64sZfFsz5I0yWmELBXIIphzeIP-le9zfzthqykbo_QWZiNZnKkaqn8qHmYLpVi-w6NsfLktR6sjAlhJ/s4000/20220917_140807.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6y9c6TEKfkIHlUoVrsfo-Sw020ImJyHsNYYFaOamrLhhpEY_sbRD_JlGcMFSSNcB_7YEYNmM2x0N9XlRtYyqMvMwHrjba1Fl9yAWkVMmx64sZfFsz5I0yWmELBXIIphzeIP-le9zfzthqykbo_QWZiNZnKkaqn8qHmYLpVi-w6NsfLktR6sjAlhJ/w171-h229/20220917_140807.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div></span></span></div><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stay tuned for more! For up-to-the-minute updates, follow me on Instagram: </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">@thebonafidebeasley!</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>I look forward to seeing you and meeting you at Peet's Coffee on October 29!</span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">☕️❤️🦋</span><br /></div>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-21404530370900196722022-09-05T22:09:00.010-07:002022-09-05T22:29:55.292-07:00Rave Reviews for The Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir!<span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN60E6juP-uCCz23v8azPPdcnaTfPwzI5AHgCNjk7-0KXDqZdqlZC0uMeZjftmhU5LfVhEuA5YxVfQP3u-ZgXMem6pJyXz59cul0fx1Hk8q5_GrTuoQE2kWG-MOgUKofKmbZxtpgsjKs0TXxS3NZnm9podubXmmDpOesayAKz0JwnuJk4H-0isWYuP/s2249/photostudio_1660922679371.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2249" data-original-width="1803" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN60E6juP-uCCz23v8azPPdcnaTfPwzI5AHgCNjk7-0KXDqZdqlZC0uMeZjftmhU5LfVhEuA5YxVfQP3u-ZgXMem6pJyXz59cul0fx1Hk8q5_GrTuoQE2kWG-MOgUKofKmbZxtpgsjKs0TXxS3NZnm9podubXmmDpOesayAKz0JwnuJk4H-0isWYuP/s320/photostudio_1660922679371.jpg" width="257"></a></div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Heading into the fourth week since the book release, the response to </span><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://lnkd.in/giAm9ZXZ" target="_blank">The Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir</a></b></span></span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> has been overwhelming, and God answered yet another prayer for me in that He allowed my book to be sold in my church's Book Nook!</span></span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px;">The first two weeks of overall sales were GREAT, between the books the church purchased from me to sell, the books I sold just by showing them to people in person, and people reaching out to me because they had heard about it! I'm </span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px;">quickly</span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px;">learning that if I simply show the book to someone, I generally don't even have to ask for a purchase. The quality of the cover and the book speaks for itself, but the main thing is that God is all over it!<span></span></span></div><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2022/09/rave-reviews-for-simplicity-of-my.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-85030262341233282652022-08-12T14:22:00.004-07:002022-08-12T14:26:23.066-07:00Now Available for Sale! The Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg906UltxpGXokp20Tku-PqiAaiQuTaxg7T8fkkLYRUlnWSZjr8CVXXR542VqYWG5v1q22fZnjq81ggzONSFkXLQ3r-zZ1y9nQFKQNRi819y8nP_EN63wOkToyxT6mAl71oRtWGPyi5UJO-sxc0BZW1hMSl-eqSbWF4saQiogpt4j9kM_5aDpj-7g29/s4032/20220805_213833.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ISBN 979-8-9865980-0-0" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg906UltxpGXokp20Tku-PqiAaiQuTaxg7T8fkkLYRUlnWSZjr8CVXXR542VqYWG5v1q22fZnjq81ggzONSFkXLQ3r-zZ1y9nQFKQNRi819y8nP_EN63wOkToyxT6mAl71oRtWGPyi5UJO-sxc0BZW1hMSl-eqSbWF4saQiogpt4j9kM_5aDpj-7g29/w200-h320/20220805_213833.jpg" title="The Simplicity of My Testimony ISBN" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a day that I have eagerly anticipated, and it's hard to believe it's finally here! All I can say is, "Thank you, Lord Jesus!"</span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thank you to everyone who has stood with me, prayed for me, supported and encouraged me, and rallied behind me to get to this day. I appreciate you and all that you have done for me. I have an ask now, and that is for more support, more encouragement, and more prayers because the work is not finished. The book is done, and now I really need your help to get it into the hands of as many people as possible. With every single aspect of the book, except for taking the cover photos, God has blessed me to do all the work - the writing, editing, front and back cover design, book and business logo design, formatting, content layout, publishing, and all the other details. Now I'm doing the direct sales, as well! Lots of work, but I am so grateful for it.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To place an order, please email me at Info@SimplicityOMT.com. The hardcover book is priced such that the total, including tax, is exactly $25, plus shipping. If you would like to purchase in person, please email me for the "pop-up sales" location for this Sunday, August 15.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I look forward to knowing how my testimony will bless, inspire, and encourage you! Once you have read the book, if you are so inclined to write and send a brief review to Reviews@SimplicityOMT.com, I would really appreciate it! Your full or partial review may end up in the second edition of </span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><b>The Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir!</b></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sincerely,<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Melanie E. Beasley<br />The Bona Fide Beasley</span></p>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-77209864128319044502022-07-30T19:00:00.005-07:002022-08-05T08:57:36.759-07:00It's here! "The Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2JFH6IToHeeM7JsimO9PGjUEEYYScWMVfzX7R5ZoKlqV-SJki06WpvjXLq5tt4FOZZPFjMaFevjF2ned7T2lGlbFC1XV331huUtdSxqHwEurgo9sKocht8eL1C0vCalQFvJAMLt1aUpWjpJI8NRu3wqLfYpEvWP1k0pD0yHn2uGHKLv-3mqPB1RC/s2035/The%20Simplicity%20of%20My%20Testimony%20-%20Front%20Cover.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Book Cover: The Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir" border="0" data-original-height="2035" data-original-width="1375" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2JFH6IToHeeM7JsimO9PGjUEEYYScWMVfzX7R5ZoKlqV-SJki06WpvjXLq5tt4FOZZPFjMaFevjF2ned7T2lGlbFC1XV331huUtdSxqHwEurgo9sKocht8eL1C0vCalQFvJAMLt1aUpWjpJI8NRu3wqLfYpEvWP1k0pD0yHn2uGHKLv-3mqPB1RC/w270-h400/The%20Simplicity%20of%20My%20Testimony%20-%20Front%20Cover.png" title="The Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir" width="270"></a><span face=""Berlin Sans FB", sans-serif" style="color: #bf8f00; font-size: 24pt; text-align: center;">Words have the remarkable power to
change our lives, create our reality, and guide us toward our destiny.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;">In some instances, all it takes is one word.
In my case, it was <i>five words</i>, words planted in my spirit in such a
profound way that they would root immediately, then take nearly fifteen years
to produce the fruit that God had intended.<span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;">We each have a divine purpose and assignment,
something that we are to do not necessarily for ourselves, but to contribute to
humanity. This purpose and assignment is something that is exclusive to us,
something that only we can do.<span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2022/07/its-here-simplicity-of-my-testimony.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-2237614919913876202022-04-11T21:31:00.010-07:002022-10-19T09:21:10.158-07:00Metamorphosis<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7pZ7nXMDi7G83wZ9uKkTrvXlmcaT_33-biPQT_RgOdEZ8hUwJ7DKjsd0x5rPIDEXb1xiSwDVrUBQAyUp6dKEyQDxL1EMTFoimXw-ubU6HJyGzv8U_qWV5EfAz61rJmKUaA3b75YnpnZiTm6k1s_2UqrzE6emI3Z-w8aMiPAuXIiQnRic_1WLbhbP/s4032/IMG_20211228_1408129.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Feet up" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7pZ7nXMDi7G83wZ9uKkTrvXlmcaT_33-biPQT_RgOdEZ8hUwJ7DKjsd0x5rPIDEXb1xiSwDVrUBQAyUp6dKEyQDxL1EMTFoimXw-ubU6HJyGzv8U_qWV5EfAz61rJmKUaA3b75YnpnZiTm6k1s_2UqrzE6emI3Z-w8aMiPAuXIiQnRic_1WLbhbP/w240-h320/IMG_20211228_1408129.jpg" title="Feet up" width="240"></a></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"></h1><b><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chapter excerpt from my upcoming book,<br></span><i><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">The Simplicity of My Testimony: A Memoir</span><br></i></span></b><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #800180;">Expected release, June 2022:</span></b><p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br>Looking
back at my past relationships, the twists and turns that my life has taken for
the good and the not-so-good, I understand that every single incident, every
mountaintop experience and every valley experience is and has all been for
purpose. There is no way that I could truly value the blessings without having
endured through the trials, and by getting through each trial, God has added a
brick of character to my foundation.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 0.25in;">Perhaps
the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that living for Jesus is like riding
in the passenger’s seat of a car with a stick shift. I vividly recall when, as
a teenager, I would ride with my sister in her Toyota Celica. The car had a
manual transmission, and I often found myself in awe watching her drive,
clutching, shifting, accelerating, and braking so effortlessly.</span></p></div><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2022/04/metamorphosis-chapter-excerpt-from-my.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-24190717651533129722021-07-21T13:58:00.020-07:002022-02-08T09:59:00.857-08:00My First Academic Publication!<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd0A6uTDK7sWBDS6MU6UEUifvIk_vJCABNHFMVwaWI5a8eIp6FtDFxGghAohbBRXEhxJ-CfLN2H7pQ9PST1G4Dfn5ls2kbuSd3YHHjCeYLSblCtaq1z6o1JoM_42dFW0TPzy_z91Mtsc/s2176/Fotogenic_862e990a-8b2b-47a7-a3e6-75e2db2848ec.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2176" data-original-width="1632" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd0A6uTDK7sWBDS6MU6UEUifvIk_vJCABNHFMVwaWI5a8eIp6FtDFxGghAohbBRXEhxJ-CfLN2H7pQ9PST1G4Dfn5ls2kbuSd3YHHjCeYLSblCtaq1z6o1JoM_42dFW0TPzy_z91Mtsc/s320/Fotogenic_862e990a-8b2b-47a7-a3e6-75e2db2848ec.jpg"></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">After about 15 months of enthusiastic emails back and forth
with several people from my alma mater, <a href="https://www.indwes.edu/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #df8a1f; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Indiana
Wesleyan University (IWU)</span></a>, through a pandemic, and with shifting
personnel (yes personnel, but actually, personal, as well) and priorities, I am
thankful to God to announce that my <a href="https://indwes.whdl.org/en/browse/resources/12610" target="_blank"><span style="color: #df8a1f; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Master's
thesis is now published</span></a>! It has been a long road and another lesson
in patience. In fact, so much time had gone by, and life continued to happen,
that I had placed this project in the back of my mind. That is, until this
morning's wonderful and unexpected reminder!</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><br></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">I usually check my personal
calendar and email first thing in the morning, but this morning, I had other
things to do first so I didn't even think to check my personal email (still
checked the calendar, though). I had no idea of the blessing I was about to
become aware of.</span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><span></span></span></span></div></div><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2021/07/my-first-publication.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-17171147903976200552021-02-22T12:55:00.002-08:002021-02-22T13:06:45.014-08:00Staying Focused<p><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 0.5in;">1 Kings 11:1-43 describes how Solomon’s
selfishness, disobedience, lust of the flesh, and defiance led to him turning
away from his calling as Israel’s king, and ultimately caused the majority of
the kingdom to be taken away from his lineage and given to his servants. The
Lord explicitly admonishes in Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 5:7 that humanity is
to have no other gods before Him, and not to make any graven images [or idols]
for worship.</span></p><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2021/02/staying-focused.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-70896812758867636632020-09-14T18:19:00.004-07:002021-02-22T12:43:18.509-08:00When They Lowered the Flag: A 9/11 Tribute<div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: justify;">I wrote this poem (below) the year after the events of September 11, 2001, and many years before I married and changed my last name. I ran across this poem again today, and though the 2020 anniversary of September 11 has passed, I wanted to share this tribute because I don't think I had the courage to share it before.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The absence of punctuation is intentional, symbolizing how the events of September 11 morphed from moment to moment. America was forever changed that day. Yet, 19 years later, I don't know of anyone who doesn't recall where they were and what they were doing on that day, at that time. <span></span></p></div><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2020/09/when-they-lowered-flag-911-tribute.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-58511349992013760162018-10-03T14:15:00.001-07:002021-02-22T12:57:26.574-08:00After the Hiatus<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hello, and thank you for stopping by my blog. It's been nearly four years since my last post. Much has happened in the past four years, some good, some not so good, and some wonderful! By the grace and mercy of God, I am still here and am thankful for the growth I've experienced.</span><br>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Since the November 2014 post, God has blessed me in every area of my life, and with every blessing, I'm reminded of His awesome love and faithfulness. Even when I fall short, He still loves me, and nothing can separate me from His love (Romans 8:35-39)!<span></span></span><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2018/10/after-hiatus.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-68145161814868742022014-11-17T21:00:00.004-08:002014-11-20T22:35:30.521-08:00Remembering Granny Mary: August 23, 1914 - November 3, 2014<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lpU_yjYoJTr749TEMcby7RWF_g3Ot1nKCJXIrVLkT7x8B_ysuaNbsGZr_OvqW0c3CoNc7Y7SeQRRMpw8509gzzl5bJWp2bFmnu6cB4VN2hSC9ebLMeM7DsPI8K5wzFTFOLXcaXS4A5U/s1600/IMG_20140809_125950_edit_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lpU_yjYoJTr749TEMcby7RWF_g3Ot1nKCJXIrVLkT7x8B_ysuaNbsGZr_OvqW0c3CoNc7Y7SeQRRMpw8509gzzl5bJWp2bFmnu6cB4VN2hSC9ebLMeM7DsPI8K5wzFTFOLXcaXS4A5U/s1600/IMG_20140809_125950_edit_edit.jpg" height="312" title="Mary Ella Hurst, Oakland, CA" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Granny Mary Ready to Party for the 100th!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Because thou
hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High,
thy habitation; </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There shall no
evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For he shall
give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways...</span></span></i><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">With long
life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." </span></i></span><i style="color: #001320; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">(Psalm 91:9-11, Psalm 91:16, KJV)</i></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On August 9, 2014, I, along with my family, church family, friends and staff, celebrated my grandmother's 100th birthday with her. Her actual birthday is August 23, but in order to have our East Coast family here, we decided to celebrate two weeks early. <a href="http://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2013/10/with-long-life.html" target="_blank">Her 99th birthday</a> seemed so long ago, even though only a year had passed. This was probably because over the course of the next year, all I could think about was the upcoming milestone which would launch Granny into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centenarian" target="_blank">Centenarian </a>status.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKyRv2Ak_nCwnzHVjh2BJkBUZY_3YSZ2w53t0TZtsoAP-tp8_P7vrLKDRQVajFGHIWryFIaQwFt15Ty_vOcyn5hgQMhegdgIjfkvcLphU8k9oTeQIBZ3dnvOcBinAZSEY70NVvedh5e0/s1600/Granny+in+Long+Dress.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKyRv2Ak_nCwnzHVjh2BJkBUZY_3YSZ2w53t0TZtsoAP-tp8_P7vrLKDRQVajFGHIWryFIaQwFt15Ty_vOcyn5hgQMhegdgIjfkvcLphU8k9oTeQIBZ3dnvOcBinAZSEY70NVvedh5e0/s1600/Granny+in+Long+Dress.jpeg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpvjnNRXC1PzNXOwvIn7KHhB6zSa87efZ9fdCn7PBVwGRCTFISZb4MMPAU8OeaUfNFR1JPQM4lkLfblaFq-QayjYUm7hpWhjZnWip9acINgg9xpWbpupnCd3ukdPCPfE9Ye_c26ZTdG4/s1600/Granny+Leaning+on+Pedestal.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpvjnNRXC1PzNXOwvIn7KHhB6zSa87efZ9fdCn7PBVwGRCTFISZb4MMPAU8OeaUfNFR1JPQM4lkLfblaFq-QayjYUm7hpWhjZnWip9acINgg9xpWbpupnCd3ukdPCPfE9Ye_c26ZTdG4/s1600/Granny+Leaning+on+Pedestal.jpeg" height="320" width="194" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #001320;">As we gathered to honor Granny, she enjoyed being celebrated and doted on, and even before everyone arrived, she was greeted by countless people wishing her a "Happy Birthday". She'd just grin and remark, <i><b>"Yeah, baby, it's my birthday!"</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #001320;">All my life, everyone affectionately called my grandmother "Granny", even people who didn't know her directly, but through my siblings and me. To all of our friends, family, even my church family, she was "Granny".</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #001320;">The atmosphere was full of all the love one could imagine, as young and old gathered from across the country to be with Granny Mary, to sing with her, to eat with her and to share "Mary Hurst" stories with one another. It was a turnout that we couldn't even have imagined, and w</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #001320;">hat a blessing and a joy to see the descendants of two of six siblings, Mary and Martha, in one room, some of us meeting for the very first time! God used several key people to help bridge the gap in our family. As those [key] people reached out to my great-aunt Martha's side, word of Granny's birthday celebration spread, and before we knew it, I was being introduced to even more cousins!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #001320;">We celebrated for several hours, with Granny as the much-deserved center of attention, and throughout the day, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+150&version=KJV" target="_blank">I couldn't stop praising God</a> (Psalm 150) for allowing us to see this day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two weeks after the big birthday party, Granny and I celebrated again with cake. Yes, Granny had cake twice! It was low-key. After the cake, I read the birthday cards and greetings to her, then called my sister and, putting her on the speakerphone, she and my older niece and Granny had their "Happy Birthday" song and chat. Granny even chimed in, singing "Happy Birthday" to herself along with them. Another beautiful day for our beautiful, blessed Granny.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Monday, November 3, 2014, just before 9:00PM - two months, eleven days after </span><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">her one hundredth birthday - the Lord called my grandmother home. He had fulfilled His promise, giving her long life, far beyond the "threescore years, and ten" of Psalm 90:10. She passed away peacefully, and the very angels of heaven carried her to be with our Savior, whom she had served faithfully since before I even existed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For more than 25 years, <a href="http://youtu.be/aEybh_z6Tgc" target="_blank">Granny has been my purpose</a>, something that God revealed to me just in the last two years or so. Thanksgivings and </span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqUNZzygG4wplbv91xHgm09y3u3hgUd1y9gJfpFoKyOkX9Eh3fbf3JK2o8u1jW7VqyP2y8TVn9Q8pxn2zOQFAjrAeUNuBUDi5rNl3ihMU4Z1AV-6viCrfYDzoi4ol6Sru1-pMywu3QQI/s1600/Granny2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqUNZzygG4wplbv91xHgm09y3u3hgUd1y9gJfpFoKyOkX9Eh3fbf3JK2o8u1jW7VqyP2y8TVn9Q8pxn2zOQFAjrAeUNuBUDi5rNl3ihMU4Z1AV-6viCrfYDzoi4ol6Sru1-pMywu3QQI/s1600/Granny2.bmp" height="211" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christmases, I enjoyed cooking and sharing holiday meals with her. Other times, she was my "McDonald's buddy", and even though the food wasn't the healthiest, it was what she loved, and I loved eating it with her, watching the joy on her face as she ate what she called "the best shoestring potatoes." I miss her infectious, high-pitched laugh, and singing with her, taking turns listening to each other. I miss the warmth of her hand as she held my hand to pray for me whenever it was time for me to end my visit with her. And I still hear her voice, telling me I'm her baby, as I reciprocated: "You're MY baby, Granny." "I'm YOUR baby?" she'd ask. "Yes, you're MY baby".</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJ1Uf-VhxQaZGzyeLNhpeiAnWVwLebKY3GAn-tDRujT2kixwoBGUfZrRNIJWKtP026Au_BNPWXvqNkPKepxXhwnJb9KaI14PcU2AqITRXPpBT1j92s8lSpOheQFy9iKPKVS4X-668Ukk/s1600/Granny's%2B99th%2BBirthday%2B2013-08-23_edit1%2B(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJ1Uf-VhxQaZGzyeLNhpeiAnWVwLebKY3GAn-tDRujT2kixwoBGUfZrRNIJWKtP026Au_BNPWXvqNkPKepxXhwnJb9KaI14PcU2AqITRXPpBT1j92s8lSpOheQFy9iKPKVS4X-668Ukk/s1600/Granny's%2B99th%2BBirthday%2B2013-08-23_edit1%2B(1).jpg" height="320" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I write this post, it still hasn't fully hit me that Granny is gone. My living room mantle and coffee table are still filled with cards of love and sympathy. The poster my sister and I made for the homegoing service is just a few feet away. I haven't yet started writing the many "Thank You" cards, and the song, <a href="http://youtu.be/Y76dxVSKEVI" target="_blank">"Grandma's Hands" by Take 6</a>, which we included in Granny's service, plays over and over in my mind. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the past several years, I had tried to prepare for the inevitable - that Granny would one day depart, but in my selfishness, I quietly hoped for birthday number 101. Even at 100 years, two months, 11 days, I still wasn't ready to say good-bye. Yet my trust and hope is in the Lord (Jeremiah 17:7), and I know that Granny and I will see one another again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #001320;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>"When I get to heaven, I'll look for Grandma's hands." </b></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Take 6).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Granny, thank you for sharing your extraordinary life with me, and for showing me how to love unconditionally. Thank you for setting such a wonderful and Godly example. And thank you for your countless prayers, from your lips directly to the ears of our Savior, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms+86&version=AMP" target="_blank">who always inclined His ear to hear</a> (Psalm 86:1-17).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love you. I miss you. You're still my baby.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #001320; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoGnjiScyN6vPP6o2J-lVlxAGbTt7XJWpxh-nIVE8DckdQgMgvPTz5_hKO0HB9FcS6zbrEKYS0uNOG6HBLG6tblgALokJEeyw607-JLerXDOBbnATGcpaiNZFcbuS4uffP7TyHDMB8qc/s1600/Granny+Side+by+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoGnjiScyN6vPP6o2J-lVlxAGbTt7XJWpxh-nIVE8DckdQgMgvPTz5_hKO0HB9FcS6zbrEKYS0uNOG6HBLG6tblgALokJEeyw607-JLerXDOBbnATGcpaiNZFcbuS4uffP7TyHDMB8qc/s1600/Granny+Side+by+Side.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mary Ella Hurst</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">August 23, 1914 - November 3, 2014</span></div>
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Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-49205918156717051822014-09-14T21:41:00.000-07:002014-09-14T22:20:08.208-07:00Granny Mary, the Beautiful and Blessed Centenarian!<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b><span class="text">“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall
grow like a cedar in Lebanon.</span><span class="text">Those that be planted in the house of the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="text">shall flourish in the
courts of our God.</span><span class="text">They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be
fat and flourishing;</span><span class="text">To shew that the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b></i></span><span class="text"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>is upright: he is my
rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him." </b></i></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(Psalm 92:12-16)</i></span></span></blockquote>
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I'm still in the process of writing this blog but couldn't wait any longer to post some pictures of my Granny. I'm also in need of approval to post pictures of family and friends who celebrated Granny's big day. Stay tuned for the full post!</div>
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<br />Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-27233281173855920542013-10-13T23:20:00.001-07:002014-11-17T19:06:48.729-08:00With Long Life: The Face of Ninety-Nine<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #990000;"><b><span class="text Prov-9-10" id="en-KJV-16649">"The fear of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. </span>For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased." </b></span>(Proverbs 9:10-11, KJV)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In August 2013, I had the honor and privilege of celebrating my grandmother's 99th birthday with her. My mom used to always tell Granny that she would live to be 100, and that's something that I have never forgotten. Earlier this year, while visiting with Granny, I asked her, "Granny, do you remember Mom used to always tell you you would live to be a hundred?" "Yeah, Baby," she replied. "Do you WANT to live to be a hundred?" I continued. "Yeah!" she said enthusiastically. "Then I stand in agreement with you!" I said. And so I prayed and asked God to give my grandmother at least 100 years.</span></div>
<a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2013/10/with-long-life.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-45337419788514980682013-09-15T22:55:00.000-07:002014-02-03T19:11:37.603-08:00Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Why do bad things
happen to good people, and what will eventually happen to the bad people?</i></span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone very dear to me sent me a text a couple of months ago and asked me to send scriptures on this question. Little did I know that this seemingly simple request would lead to me conducting some serious Bible study, even late into the night and early into the morning hours. Over the course of at least a week, up as late as 1AM with work just a few hours away, and with much prayer to the Lord for direction and words, I believe the Holy Spirit led me to write this essay in response.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2013/09/Why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-70147957254708750582013-05-15T15:21:00.002-07:002014-02-03T19:12:03.695-08:00In Loving Remembrance: Rudolph "Rudy" Emanuel Cook<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
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<em>"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."</em></h3>
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(2 Timothy 4:7)</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">On Saturday, May 11, 2013, at approximately 1:50PM, my uncle Rudy passed away peacefully. He would have been 88 years old on May 30.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Uncle Rudy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year, and throughout his fight, he was an inspiration.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Thinking back over the years, I don't recall a time where I ever heard him complain - about anything. These last few months were no exception, for not a single time did I witness my uncle complain or get angry, with the exception of when he tried to do something and just didn't have the physical strength he needed. God was ever merciful,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> because over the course of the illness, Uncle Rudy was in no pain. He held on as long as he could, and I truly believe that it wasn't until he knew for sure that my aunt would be okay that he finally let go and allowed the Lord to call him home.</span><br>
<a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2013/05/rudolph-emanuel-cook.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-71211392526175143802013-02-18T22:41:00.001-08:002014-02-03T19:13:53.231-08:00The Interview: Great Things<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a>
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I asked the Lord to enlarge my territory, according to 1 Chronicles 4:10, He took me up on it...immediately. This video is my interview about an interview, quite literally. It is my account of how God is moving in my life, and my reaction to it all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2007, God gave me an idea to create my own website, "<a href="http://www.clayforthepotter.com/" target="_blank">Clay for the Potter</a>" (www.clayforthepotter.com). Two years later, He gave me the inspiration to start a blog, "<a href="http://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/" target="_blank">The Simplicity of My Testimony</a>" (www.simplicityofmytestimony.com). This year, He allowed me to be in front of a video camera, and only He knows how wide the audience will be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone once told me, "It's not always about you." This is my mantra. It is all about the Glory of God.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aEybh_z6Tgc?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-17627298928078335982012-12-27T00:03:00.000-08:002014-02-03T19:14:20.114-08:00A Christmas Without Tears<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMrziGbihM0YRNFH6B4_cDNbMpu0wt83jX6y-32sh1v16U20NqSCqt2z8sxl-KNVnu5sk41Le9Ur-yBTiRre89qSLtaTFpVFYPo39q18msXEHs1mAWQJ4El811BRMYoAmu5eq0Yj134c/s1600/Open+White+Rose+by+Melanie+E.+Beasley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="White rose of remembrance" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMrziGbihM0YRNFH6B4_cDNbMpu0wt83jX6y-32sh1v16U20NqSCqt2z8sxl-KNVnu5sk41Le9Ur-yBTiRre89qSLtaTFpVFYPo39q18msXEHs1mAWQJ4El811BRMYoAmu5eq0Yj134c/s200/Open+White+Rose+by+Melanie+E.+Beasley.jpg" title="Open White Rose by Melanie E. Beasley" width="200"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For many years, I've dreaded the approach of the holiday season. As Thanksgiving neared, I would invariably find myself feeling on edge, sad and sluggish, often finding it difficult to even get out of bed in the morning. Getting out of the house and to work on time was a challenge, and often, my morning workouts would be put on the back burner, simply because I lacked energy and motivation. As much as I wanted to exercise, I just couldn't bring myself to go to the gym.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had heard about a condition known as "</span><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">seasonal affective disorder</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">" (or SAD), which tends to affect individuals around the same time each year. Though I refused to put a label on what I was experiencing, I knew its origin, as well as how long it would last.</span><br>
<a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2012/12/Depression-during-Christmas.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-52718047940352524652012-11-27T21:46:00.002-08:002014-02-03T19:14:43.033-08:00My New Venture with Scourby.com<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."</b></span><br>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(Matthew 5:14)</span></span><br>
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<span class="yiv1945536403msid10651"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was recently blessed
with the honor of writing for an incredible and exciting website, </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://scourby.com/" id="yiv1945536403yui_3_7_2_14_1353393019661_211" style="outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="color: #234786;"><span id="lw_1354077143_0">Scourby.com</span></span></span></a><span class="yiv1945536403msid10653"><span id="yiv1945536403yui_3_7_2_14_1353393019661_208">. For those of you not
familiar with the name, </span></span><a href="http://scourby.com/scourby-bio.php#.UKsP2IczOzk" id="yiv1945536403yui_3_7_2_14_1353387576716_137" style="outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="color: #234786;"><span id="lw_1354077143_1">Alexander
Scourby</span></span></span></a><span class="yiv1945536403msid10655"><span id="yiv1945536403yui_3_7_2_14_1353392641382_115"> was known as "the
voice of the Bible" because of his beautiful and unmistakable narration of
the <span id="lw_1354077143_2"></span><span class="yshortcuts">King James
Bible</span></span><span class="yiv1945536403msid10655">. </span></span><span id="yiv1945536403yui_3_7_2_14_1353392641382_117">My role with <a href="http://scourby.com/">Scourby.com</a> is<span id="yiv1945536403yui_3_7_2_14_1353392641382_108"><span class="yiv1945536403msid10656"> </span></span><span id="yiv1945536403yui_3_7_2_14_1353392641382_111"><span class="yiv1945536403msid10657">as a contributing editor, writing blogs for the
website, submitting ideas, editing website content and soon writing press
releases. My first two articles, <a href="http://scourby.com/blog/the-lamp-and-the-light/#.ULWduYczOzk" target="_blank">"The Lamp and the Light"</a> and <a href="http://scourby.com/blog/bringing-modern-technology-to-the-king-james-bible/#.UKsQwoczOzk" target="_blank">"Bringing Modern Technology to the King James Bible"</a>, are now posted,</span></span></span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2012/11/my-new-venture-with-scourbycom.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-643547751078116842012-10-13T21:44:00.002-07:002014-02-03T19:15:12.999-08:00Prayer to Change America<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
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<a href="http://www.charismamag.com/40-days-of-prayer">http://www.charismamag.com/40-days-of-prayer</a>
<br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."</b></span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;">(1 Corinthians 7:14)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As election day draws near, many Americans find themselves faced with fears of the future. Worried about the economy, war, finding jobs, violence, healthcare, housing and just making ends meet, has left countless people unsure of whether they should even vote. I've heard here and there, "Why should I cast my vote, when it really won't make a difference? I don't want to vote for any of the candidates, so I'll just skip this election." I used to think this same way.</span><br>
<a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2012/10/40-days-of-prayer-to-change-america.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-88320392699496946912012-05-10T21:16:00.001-07:002014-02-03T19:15:35.222-08:00Is Your Bible Complete?<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
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<span id="yiv719094417yui_3_2_0_23_1336670407942114"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last week, my pastor started teaching a Bible Study series titled, <b>"How to Study the Bible"</b>. This week, in part two of the series, <b>"Why Study the Bible?"</b> he spoke about how many different Bible versions or translations there are, and the fact that many of God's Words have been written OUT of those versions. He presented a book to us as suggested reading: <em>"Let's Weigh the Evidence"</em> by Barry Burton (available in paperback and Kindle version) and read excerpts from the book. The book compares different versions of the Bible to the King James Version (KJV) and shows how blatantly man has removed from or probably in some cases, added to, the Word of God.</span></span><br>
</div></div><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2012/05/is-your-bible-complete.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-38805846228990249012012-02-13T19:39:00.001-08:002021-07-27T11:23:25.824-07:00DIS-Connected<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a>
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi4FI00gBEeC4OrVEF64VSBTV3CY7trgv26PBfD8iwNh_31z5qL0lJA91k9UGyHRDF5j1PWMGReCYN5joYbJLWu2_6J3eSWWBu1ACEOuvv5c8pH6F-c0hqgZsHTsmSQukWPH4O_Ls87I/s1600/Call+Box.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img alt="People don't use phones for calls much anymore" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi4FI00gBEeC4OrVEF64VSBTV3CY7trgv26PBfD8iwNh_31z5qL0lJA91k9UGyHRDF5j1PWMGReCYN5joYbJLWu2_6J3eSWWBu1ACEOuvv5c8pH6F-c0hqgZsHTsmSQukWPH4O_Ls87I/s320/Call+Box.JPG" title="Yellow roadside emergency call box" width="320"></span></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Normally, during commutes on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Area_Rapid_Transit" target="_blank">BART</a>, there is lively chatter between two or more riders. As each takes turns sharing their personal commute stories, job stories, “what I did over the weekend” stories, and the like, it’s almost impossible not to listen in. In fact, I often look forward to my commutes because it’s in some cases my “comic relief” of sorts.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br>
</span><br>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">On one particular day, something seemed strangely off – missing.</span><br>
</span><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2012/02/dis-connected.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-83195069937621538102012-01-14T22:37:00.000-08:002014-02-03T19:16:28.742-08:00A Break from the Norm: Blessed Are the Works of Our Hands<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script><div style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">The first job ever assigned was by God, and was assigned to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam's job was to "tend and keep the garden." (Genesis 2:15) The Bible tells us in </span><span style="background-color: white;">2 Thessalonians 3:10 </span><span style="background-color: white;">that if a man doesn't work, neither shall he eat. God tells us that He will bless the works of our hands (Deuteronomy 16:15), and that our works are to glorify Him. Further, we are to "work as unto the Lord" (Colossians 3:23-24). That is a condition to the works of our hands being blessed!</span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2012/01/break-from-norm-finding-job-using.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115573672484498691.post-2053322388163659702011-11-10T22:40:00.000-08:002014-02-03T19:16:50.379-08:00Eternal Life Insurance<a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-via="SimplicityOMT">Tweet</a>
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few days ago, I had the awesome privilege of sharing Christ with someone who was sent to my office to take care of some business for her employer. What started out as a conversation about work turned into the most precious gift anyone could receive: She ended up giving her life to Christ. What an honor it was for me, as I witnessed the birth of a new Christian!</span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In preparation for the call that would result in this transformation, I started to go through my Bible (one of many). I was surprised to see how the Lord had already been laying the groundwork for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).</span><br>
<a href="https://www.simplicityofmytestimony.com/2011/11/eternal-life-insurance.html#more">Click here to read more »</a>Melanie E. Beasley - Follower of Christ, Praise and Worship leader, Indiana Wesleyan University grad, published author, editor, public speaker, tech enthusiast, humble and grateful work-in-progress!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14515403131373592545noreply@blogger.com