Lazy Days

Have you ever had a day all to yourself? One of those lazy days, with nothing to do but write and draw and think and stay in your fuzzy pink slippers.

Those days start out great. I do four days of school, so before I got a part in this play, I would have 1 weekday of relaxation and playtime.

On those days, I would get really hyped about being a good person. I would lie in my bed in the early morning before anyone else was awake, greeting the sun as it shone through my bedroom window. I'm going to be awesome today, I'd tell myself. I'm going to really help somebody today. I'm going to dedicate this day to the Lord. And I'm going to wash my face, just for me, because today is going to be a perfect day. I would set up a schedule in my mind. I would have a makeover -- take a shower, brush hair, paint nails, scrub lips. I would read my bible and pray for a long time, then go the hunger site and the animal rescue site and feed those in need for free. I would make that day awesome and productive.

Well, that day was gone before I realized it. What had I done? Blogged, ate, brushed my teeth, blogged some more. Oh, and yelled at my brother. Thus is the life of an blogger addict. At the end of one of those supposedly glorious days, I would feel a bit depressed as I crawled into bed.

I had gotten nothing done. I had done nothing for myself. I had done nothing for others and nothing for God. What was wrong with me? Why had I turned a potentially productive day into a, well, lazy day? Where had this gotten me? Did winning my virtual Playstation world really help improve my life? Did it get me new friends? Did it get my closer to God? Did it zap a zit? No.

I think that every day, we should at least do 1 thing productive. One thing that will get you or someone else somewhere. Reach your goals, chase your dreams, help someone, pray. Don't let yourself fall into the laziness trap. Honestly, it's selfish. It's selfish not to take care of yourself. It's selfish to not take care of others, and it's selfish not to seek a closer relationship with the One who is giving you this life.

This is truly living -- taking care of yourself, others, and your relationship with God. Make the best of your day, of your life.

Slippery Slope

The roads are icy and this made me think – isn’t an icy road like sin?
You’ve seen it on the news – cars crashing, people slipping, schools being closed early. Why? People know it’s dangerous! Icy roads and bridges are slippery. You can’t speed up, but you can’t suddenly stop, either. Turning to sharply can end in disaster. There are so many things that can go wrong
Once you choose to get on that road, it’s tough getting off. You have to concentrate and get back to safety.

Sometimes...you can't.

It really is like sin, I think. Once we go down that road, it's hard to get off. Oh, yeah, you've got your excuses. You can justify it in some way. Or "it won't happen to" you. Think again.

The more we sin, the easier it gets. A little white lie here, a little partying there, and before you know it, you're spinning on an icy road.

Like Carrie Underwood says in Jesus Take the Wheel, "Jesus take the wheel, take it from my hands, cause I can't do this on my own. I'm letting go, so give me one more chance. Save me from this road I'm on." Did you catch that? Carrie sings about a woman driving on an icy road when her car spins out of control. Now "for the first time in a long while she bowed her head to pray". If you've messed up a lot, there will be consequences, but Jesus is willing to save you! You can't do it on your own, but Jesus is really into mercy. Forgiveness is offered. All you have to do is ask.

Tonight, I'd just like to ask you to not even get on that dark road. It only leads to trouble. Take the road to Jesus, to life, to true joy, to peace. The other road will get you nowhere.

Happy Birthday, Dalton!

We had a guest at AWANA Cubbies tonight! That bumps us up to 3 whole Cubbies! Abigail, my youngest sister, is still having trouble. Speaking of Abigail, she has a birthday in a week or two. She'll be turning 5. Time flies! She still thinks she's cute baby who needs to be held and spoiled. (Ha, I can just hear Hannah saying "amen".)

Speaking of birthdays, this small and non-biblical post is dedicated to my brother Dalton, who will be turning 8 on Tuesday!! Happy Birthday, Dalton! He is having a StarWars birthday with Darth Vader plates because he is absolutely obsessed (seriously, obsessed, like obsessive-compulsive disorder, I think). SHH--he's getting episodes 1 & 3 of Star Wars. Hehe. (You couldn't just buy him cool socks?) Oh, no. It had to be StarWars. Well, if he's happy, then I'll just go easy on him for a few days so he can have his fun. Until he starts attacking me with his lightsaber and Yoda force mind powers. Then I will have to intervene.

God bless,
Melissa

All the Right Ingredients

Let’s bake a cake today. We’ll need sprinkles to make it look good. We could write a funny phrase in icing. We can use our brains to determine how many half teaspoons are in one tablespoon. And you can’t forget the sugar, to make it sweet. (You can’t have too much sugar!) There’s something else we need…a secret ingredient, maybe?…oh, it’s no secret. Most people don’t even believe we need to use this, but let’s use baking powder, ok? (Or is it soda…? Whatever makes bread rise, let’s dump it in.)
If we didn’t add that final ingredient, what would happen to our cake? It’d be more like a sugary tortilla. Not good. (Hmm…icing and guacamole…?) Baking powder/soda makes the cake rise. You COULD bake that cake without baking powder/soda, but it wouldn’t be very good. You’d probably end up giving it to the dog, if he’s willing to eat it, that is.
Ya know, that’s kind of like us, isn’t it? Not the dog, but the cake. We have all the great obvious ingredients – flour, water, oil, sugar, and a witty saying in icing – in us right now. We can be smart, funny, friendly, and good-looking, all in one great package. But the person who came up with that cake recipe designed it to be used with baking powder. Without it, the cake can’t rise.
We are the cake with all the great ingredients, but we are incomplete if we don’t have Jesus! With Jesus, we rise above everyone else. We become more than humans. We become amazing! We become beautiful (or handsome, for all you macho boys – I mean, men – out there)! We were designed to have all these great ingredients, but if you take Jesus away, we’ll just be flat. We won’t be useful. And, eventually, we’ll get tossed in the trash. Yet having that one ingredient, Jesus, makes us complete, makes us wonderful, makes us useful.
So you can have your twisted tortilla, I want the big cake. I want the real deal.

Tagged!

I've been tagged. I have waited for this moment since I was first introduced to the world of blogging. It's been a lifelong dream -- for a whole year. Here we go!

1.
What is your occupation right now?
Student, Servant of God, Writer, Dreamer, Fashion Police
2.
What color are your socks right now?
White. I know, I'm boring.
I actually do have crazy socks, I'm just not wearing them. You don't ride in crazy socks. No no.
3.
What are you listening to right now?
Video Girl - Jonas Brothers :]
4.
What was the last thing that you ate?
my mom's famous homemade chili that I made
5.
Can you drive a stick shift?
Isn't that something to do with a car...? If so, then I'd like to point out that I'm 13.
6.
Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Nick Jonas

7.
Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Oh yeah. Thanks Jillian!
8.
How old are you today?
13 -- and I'll be 14 in less than a year. :]
9.
What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
figure skating, dancing
10.
What is your favorite drink?
Cherry Coke, any juice or smoothie, Shirley Temple, Strawberry Daquiri (virgin!), Vitamin Water, Sobe Water, anything fruity
11.
Have you ever dyed your hair?
No way...tsk tsk tsk
12.
Favorite food?
spaghetti, tacos...do cheez-its and pretzels count?
13.
What is the last movie you saw?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (omb I could so gush about this!)
14.
Favorite day of the year?
December 25, October 4th
15.
How do you vent anger?
praying, writing, and saying, "Well, you're not so great yourself!" yeah....
17.
What is your favorite season?
I was not made for winter.
18.
Cherries or Blueberries?
Blueberries. But I love both!
19.
Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Ha, if only, if only....
20-21.
How many sibs do u have?
4
22.
Living arrangements?
in a small box on the outskirts of town, under lock & key
or in my house....
23.
When was the last time you cried?
when I was told my dad was getting laid off
24.
Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?
sorry, the people I'd tag have already been tagged!
but my oldest friend is Rachel (her blog is Invisible Oranges, and she still hasn't posted)
25.
What did you do last night
took a bath & read "Totally God's" by Megan Clinton (great book!)
26.
What are you most afraid of
wasps, hornets, fire, having to choose which family member I will save from a volcano
27.
Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
*sniff* I don't eat meat. :]
Definetly cheese! And pickles! And mustard. And lettuce. And tomatoes.
28.
Favorite dog breed?
Labs, Golden Retrievers, Japanese Chins...pretty much everything
29.
Favorite day of the week?
Saturday
30.
How many states have you lived in?
1 -- the stars at night, are big and bright, here in the heart of Texas!
31.
Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds are a girl's best friend (or so I'm told).
32.
What is your favorite flower?
Roses! Next would be orchids.


So, I'm supposed to tag people. But everyone who would probably want to do this has already been tagged. So...I'll be pathetic and end with a goodbye.

God bless,
Melissa

Not Recieving God's Gifts

"The true children of God are those who let God’s spirit lead them." – Paul, in his letter to the Romans

One of the elders of my church preached last Sunday about how you can be a Christian and still miss out on the gifts of Christianity. I didn’t get to hear – I was Princess Regina in a skit, leading children’s church. I did, however, think that it was an interesting thought.
So, if you’re a Christian, you’ve got the Holy Spirit in you. Not only that, but as a Christian, you have eternal life and will someday live in heaven with God. But is it true that you can actually miss out on God’s gifts if you aren’t fully in tune with him?
You can! I know this may not be good news to you, but unless you are walking in faith and giving God your all, you will miss out on some of the wonderful gifts that God is offering you. Let’s explore some of those gifts that you may be missing out on.

Peace. Say good-bye to peace if you aren’t spending daily time with God.
Problems. Bad things happen to everyone. God is willing to help you with your problems, but you have to admit your problems to him first and ask him for his guidance.
Wisdom. If you aren’t reading your bible every day, do you really expect to understand it?

I’ve told you the bare basics of it. There’s a lot more stuff you can scoop out of this topic – do it! And take a look at the journal jots below.
I want to be a true child of God, the kind that Paul describes – a child who loves God and who loves those around me. Are you with me?

Journal Jots:
Can you think of any other gifts you miss out on when you aren’t giving God your all?
After hearing Paul, would you call yourself a true child of God?
What gift do you need to work on more?
Can true peace be found in the world, or must it come from God?
If you were to acquire those gifts, what would you have to do?

Sheep, Zebras, Lions, and Satan

Throughout the bible we are refferred to as sheep. (And yes, maybe in a stupid way. After all -- we think we know everything.) We are a large flock of sheep, lazily doing very little to help our world.
What else does the Bible say? Peter tells us that we need to, "Control yourselves and be careful!" He warns us that, "The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat." ((1 Peter 5:8-end))
That's pretty scary! We are helpless, dumb, lazy sheep and there is a lion watching us, waiting for one of us to stray too far. When we do, he pounces.
For example, in the African savannah, a herd of zebras are grazing happily. The leader lifts his head, sensing danger -- the musky smell of lions. The lion stalks the herd but does not attack because they are too strong together. Yet when one zebra strays from the herd, the lion pounces on it.
In the same way, we need fellowship with other Christians to make us stronger. Satan will be watching our every move, and if we stray from the Master and from our fellow Christians, we will be attacked.
Then what does Peter tell us? "Refuse to give into Satan by standing stronger in your faith. You know that your Christian family all ove the world is having the same kinds of suffering. And after you suffer a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever."
Wow!

Dead Cats, Starving Dogs, Lost Jobs

Everything is falling apart today. There have been things during church that have made me laugh and made me forget, but it keeps coming back, creeping into my mind. I ask for your prayers, because my family really needs it.
First, one of our cats, orange Jack, didn’t come to the barn to eat breakfast when my mom laid it out. A couple from our church drove past our house on the way and told us there was a dead cat in the rode. My dad checked, and sure enough, it was our beloved Jack. Jack’s brother, Mittens, is depressed right now and is very clingy. My sister was crying.
Second, our neighbors have this pitt bull named Honey. She has had at least two little of puppies and has tumors on her teats that could be cancerous. They feed her very little and she is emaciated to the point where her spine sticks from her skin and the rest of her body sags under it in a pitiful heap. She bites her puppies to get them away from the food that she needs. She has been hanging around our house for two days, sending my dog into a panic. I wish the owners would take care of her.
Third, this guy my dad works with was flipping through papers to see if there was anything else he could do that day before he went home. He stumbled across listings of his job and my dad’s job. That man was laid off on Friday, and my dad is going to lose his job very soon. I keep thinking about the unfairness of it all – my dad is really good at his job and does extra work when needed. This job was why we moved here. Now he’s losing his job just so the company can cheaply hire people from Mexico to do it? We are on financial lockdown – no allowance spending, no going out to eat, no treats, and I guess I’m not getting a bunny anytime soon. I don’t know how long it will last, but at least we have a heads-up right now so we can start saving before he actually does get laid off.
My parents told me that this will be a big test of faith but that it’s also a great opportunity to trust in the Lord. I’m scared, and last night, when I got the news, I cried (which is really rare), but I’m praying that God will pull us through.
Thanks for supporting me and each other in prayer.

God bless,
Melissa

Cancer, Shots, Band-Aids, and Llamas

Two days ago I went to the doctor for the first time since I was four, I guess. I was strongly against going, because of course they’ll find something wrong with me, that’s their job – to find things that are wrong with people and, hopefully, fix them. Like, suddenly, I’ll have cancer, as soon as I walk in the waiting room. That didn’t happen, thank goodness. I know, I’m talking like a crazy hermit woman.
Both the nurse and the doctor were very nice. Except for the needle the size of my neck part. That wasn’t too fun. I needed a tetanus shot and I could have an optional shot of Gardisil or something that unsanitary dentists can give you, or some disease that starts with an M and if you get it you’ll die in forty-eight hours or less. Yeah, and there were dead smiling flowers all over the information sheet. How…pleasant. Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, doesn’t it? So, because Gardisil doesn’t apply to me, I got a tetanus shot and the deadly M disease flower shot.
I was super scared, but not because I’m a wimp (well, maybe I am, but still). You see, when I remember getting my last shot, I was little. I don’t remember actually getting it, but I remember sitting in the car with a Band-Aid on my knee, bawling like the world had come to an end.
So I made up a song to the tune of "Oh Susana".
"Oh my llama,
I was such a baby.
Cause I got a shot
And a Band-Aid on my knee."
Yeah, I should be a songwriter – don’t you agree? :]
Anyway, the nurse said there were no side effects. Ha. How about extreme exhaustion, blurry vision, light-headedness, loss of appetite, soreness, and swollen shoulders? (And 7 wrong on math?) Yeah, no biggie.

Sorry to bore you with my ramblings. I don’t have any idea how to tie this into becoming a better Christian, or evangelizing, or even how to apply makeup. I wrote this simply because it was a historic moment in my life, and a boring one in yours.

I guess that's somewhat like life, ya know? Sometimes we are all walkin' in faith, and other times, we totally forget about God. We get so caught up in the moment, go with the flow, and long to be accepted, so we change ourselves to fit in. Yes, we are changing ourselves, for our identities are not in the world but in Christ. He bougt us for a high price so that we don't have to fit in to be totally awesome. :] Just a note.

Yours Truly,
The Wimp

Murder is Murder, Plain & Simple

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said, "Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even one year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together."
So the doctor said, "OK, and what do you want me to do?"
She said,"I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this."
The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady, "I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too."
She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.
Then he continued, "You see, in order for you not to have to take care of two babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms."
The lady was horrified and said, "No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!"
"I agree," the doctor replied. "But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution." The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.


This was an email chain sent to me by Alexia. I usually find chain letters VERY annoying, but the last two she sent me have been really good (I'll share the other one with you later).

Abortion is a crime. A crime is a crime. Abortion is murder. Murder is murder. It's plain and simple. Why do people find it so hard to understand?

Please check out www.abort73.com and Lauren Barlow's site www.neversilencelife.com (and yes, it is really the BarlowGirls.)

Is God Just? [part1]

Have you ever done something you knew was wrong, and then got punished for it? Maybe your mom found out you were out past curfew last night. Or maybe your dad caught you watching TV when you were supposed to be doing your homework. Do your parents just “let it slide” when you repeatedly and purposely disobey them? No. They use negative reinforcement to teach you not to do it again. And if you don’t learn from that, then my dog is smarter than you.
In the same way, God cannot let your sins slide! Some Christians believe that God does not punish sin, because he is merciful. They are partly right. Yes, God is merciful. Remember in Exodus 16, God has just saved his people from the Egyptians, and then when things got a bit tough, they suddenly suffered from a case of selective memory loss. The Israelites had just seen God miraculously free them, and now they were complaining again. “Did you bring us all this way just to die in the desert?” they whined. If it were you or me “playing God”, we would have snapped our fingers and said, “Ungrateful brats, why don’t I let you starve to death?!” But God didn’t do that. Instead, out of mercy, God sent a type of bird to the Israelites for dinner. The birds, called quail, would simply sit on the ground and let the people catch them! In the morning, God gave them manna that fell from the sky. So, even though the Israelites were whiners, God still loved them and showed mercy to them.
That’s pretty cool, huh? So, if you do something wrong, you just get blessed, right? Wrong! Then you’d keep doing wrong things, and God would not approve.
To look at it from a different angle, God is a just God. In Numbers 16 (we’re still traveling with the Israelites), a man named Korah learned of God’s justice the hard way. He didn’t like how Moses was leading the people – he thought he could do a better job. Korah and 250 men told Moses that they were sick of him. Numbers 16:3 says, “They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far!’” Well, when they were dissing Moses, they were actually dissing God! (Because God had appointed Moses as their leader.) What happened do Korah and his men? “They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them …” (Numbers 16:33) Imagine you were Moses, standing in front of them. Suddenly, the men and their families and everything they owned fell into a crack – alive! It was like they never existed!
God clearly tells us, “For the wages of sin is death.”
So, that’s it? We die? After all, we’ve sinned a BUNCH! Nobody’s perfect, but God requires perfection. God can’t stand sin. So we can’t be with him, right?
Stay tuned for part 2!

Simply Praising Him

This morning, during praise at church, a man in the back row spread his hands out and, throughout the whole worship time, he mumbled prayers to God. I tried to catch bits here and there, but his voice, though confident, was quiet and I felt as if I was eavesdropping (which usually wouldn’t bother me, except the fact that this was church). Was he asking God to give him money so that he could serve God better? No. Was he asking God to make him well-liked? No. Was he asking anything for himself? No! The man was simply thanking God – praising him – for God’s greatness.
Maybe I need to be more like that. Instead of writing off a list of complaints and requests right away, maybe I should praise God first, THEN requests can come.
Why praise God? He made you! And he saved you! He let his only son die so that you could be with him. How cool is that? If someone gave you the greatest gift EVER, would you then ask him for something else, something more? Hopefully not! Hopefully you would thank him and give him all the gratitude you had to give.
God gave you the greatest gift of all. This month, would you like to join me in simply praising God’s awesomeness?

All or Nothing

Anyone who’s ever met me knows that my dream job is to work at Sea World, San Antonio, as the head marine mammal trainer. Maybe you have a dream job, too. Or maybe you haven’t figured it out yet.
Imagine I just get out of college with my Master’s degree, all excited and jittery about my first job interview. I spot one of Shamu’s impersonators in a tank nearby. I hurry to the office, smooth my pencil-skirt and check my lipstick. Good. I am called in to the office and I am directed to sit in a black leather swivel chair.
My future boss folds his hands and looks at me for a long while. “Mrs. Jonas,” he says, “I have been looking forward to this interview.”
I nod, taking in each word, turning them around in my mind. Does that mean I’m hired? He smells weird. Hey, maybe I’ll be a famous fashion designer for trainers!
“Here’s the thing,” the man says.
My stomach churns.
“You are only kind of hired,” he explains. “Money’s been tight, so that’s the way it’s going to be. Come in tomorrow to work…or not. Money may or may not be involved. We’ll see how things play out.”
My hair sticks out on all ends. “Wait, but—”
He ushers me to the door. “See you tomorrow—or not.”
Uh, HELLO! Not a chance! I refuse to be simply “kind of” hired. I’m either hired or I’m not. There’s no in-between stage.

Your relationship with Jesus works the exact same way. Jesus describes himself clearly to us, showing us that he is the divider between death and life. There is no “in between”. Jesus requires it of you! Are you going to give him your all or nothing? Are you going to live or die? I’m going to be totally honest with you: this is a matter of life or death.

It’s your choice.

Fake Holly

A hurricane of a sigh escapes my lips. My head is dizzy, my hands numb as I type.

Yes. I'm sure you are feeling the same way, or will be feeling so soon.

School has come back to haunt the houses and schools of millions of children across the world. Christmas break has come and gone. Which brings to mind a song by Alabama, called "The Little Boy's Prayer".

"Can we have Christmas
all the year long?
Tell stories of Jesus
and sing all his songs.
Something is special in our home today.
Can we ask Jesus to stay?"

Christmas comes to the world as an explosion of great things. While the Christian Christmas is even more spectacular and meaningful, even non-believers have fun (unless Santa is broke, due to the North Pole's failing ecomomy and recession crisis. The elves aren't good with money, you see). Almost everyone is willing to extend an extra dose of love to the world, whether it be cookies for a neighbor, supplying presents for the needy, or making a casserole for the hungry -- Christmas is the season of love. (After all, Jesus is love.)

Now, however, all of the Christmas decorations are gone. The tree, the fake holly, the wrapped presents, the unlimited supply of toffee and sweets -- they've vanished and we don't see them again for a whole year. (Of course, that stubborn mistletoe is still in our tree in the backyard. The only one I'll be kissing is my dog. I know, I'm such a scrooge.)

Yet there is one thing...ONE THING...that still lingers in the chilly air. There is something -- someone -- who will last longer than the presents, longer than the non-existent snow (welcome to Texas), longer than the frozen casserole and even longer than the candycanes. That someone is Jesus. He's still here, whether you believe me or not. And he's going nowhere.

Ok, so if Jesus is still here, why is he now unwelcome in our homes and hearts? Why have we closed our doors to him? Why have we forgotten him, as if he were that little chocolate Santa you devoured last week? Would you throw a splendid celebration for someone's birthday and then kick him out of your house before he can say "Happy New Year"? Hopefully not!

So, friends, would you celebrate Jesus all the year long with me? Can we tell the world of everything he's done and the love that he's offering? Would you help me to help the needy? Can we spread love throughout the nations together? Are you with me?

Let's ask Jesus to stay.

No Driving in Heaven

I opened a savings account today. (I can hear Maddy gasping right now.) I put in $96 to start with. It may not seem like a lot to you, but to ME, well – I do my share of chores and only get a measly $2 a week. Yeah, I know.
So, what’s even worse, my siblings (except the youngest) opened an account as well, but because they were under age 13, they got $25 from the bank to add to their account! It is SO unfair. So now they have almost as much money as I do, and I’m twice their age!
It makes me mad. I’m saving up for a car that I don’t even want (I NEVER want to drive – it’s called a chauffeur). My car will probably be held together by duct tape, and maybe the previous owner’s cat gave birth in the seat. The wipers will wipe water onto the windshield, there will be no OnStar to tell me the name of that song on the radio, and the worst part? When I have to dodge bad guys like NCIS’ main character, and back up into a lake to avoid being shot, my seatbelt will suddenly jam and my face will turn white and this stupid fish will come and nibble my cold fingers as my vision and consciousness leaves me. Then, alas – I will be but 16, not yet at the prime of my life, with my entire life ahead of me. My life will flash before my empty eyes – my first day of school, when I took my training wheels off my bike (I was 10…don’t laugh), when I got a dog, when I started this blog, when I got horses, when I spent $10 on a milkshake at an amusement park and forgot that it was my money. (Don’t ask.) Then a light will flash against the still, murky water and I’ll hear the voice of my Father – that is, my Lord – and I’ll go to heaven and there God will give me a bright red Ferrari and a chauffeur so I never have to drive it. And there will be no jammed seatbelts in heaven. And no savings accounts. And no overpriced milkshakes. I’m so excited! I can’t wait! What about you?

Help please!!

Blogger is confuzzling me...again. It's done this before. When I go to the "New Post" page to write, there is just the title box, the typing box, labels box, and the publish post button. There's no options for pictures, changing the font, colors, etc.
Can anyone help me? That'd be great.

Thanks,
Melissa