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Melissa Zaldivar

Some things are temporary. Some things are eternal.

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About Melissa

Melissa is a dream defender, Truth cheerleader and a lover of Jesus, sandwiches, and all things ordinary. She currently resides in Nashville, TN.

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I’m going to level with you about my book launch: it didn’t go according to plan. I had all these fun ideas and giveaways and made lists with @gracepcho and had a PLAN. And then, grief happened. A few weeks before the launch I lost a friend and it spiraled me into deep grief. That, paired with some other pain left me raw. I didn’t feel like grabbing my Pom-Pom’s and celebrating anything. Everything took effort. I was in a fog. Two days after the book launched, I lost my job. And about two weeks later, my counselor kindly suggested to me that all of this was needing to be mourned. And I still mourn for other things I won’t talk about on the internet. But what I can say is this: One day, a few weeks ago, I sat up and realized that I believe in the message of this book and every day for the last few months I have lamented or cried or both but I have also seen that it’s true. There really is a Kingdom and Presence of God in our daily life. So if you can’t launch a book because of, well, the kinds of things this book is about, maybe you can relaunch it. Next week, on October 30, I’ll start a weekly video series where I take recipes from friends who have supported this book and make them (and probably things will go wrong) and we will talk about each chapter of Kingdom Come. It’s called the “Relaunch Lunch Club” and I cannot wait to share it. It feels like a gift to finally be able to bring this book into the world and try again on the other side (and also the middle) of grief. I can’t hire a publicist. I can’t be in magazines or on TV because I’m not famous but you know what I can do? I can make lunch and tell you about Jesus. And you can come over and join me. Here’s to trying again. #KingdomComeOver Amazing graphic by @kelseawalkley ❤️

#DearMarriedFriends, Maybe it’s been a few years. Maybe you’ve been worn down and worn out. Maybe there’s just been too much grief and too many words spoken in frustration and it feels like you’re a thousand miles from being new to all of this, young and adventurous. Maybe you are feeling the shift of a new season as you settle deeper into marriage and it makes you ache for a different time. I spend a lot of time with married couples and some are surviving and others are thriving and I just need to say: I’m praying for some fresh life in your marriage today. Some fresh laughter. Some fresh hope. It’s easy in long seasons to pray for basic needs like the bills to be paid and the kids to be safe and the house to not fall apart and the car to stop breaking down. But today, know that you have an advocate praying for more. Praying for abundance and—dare I say it?—joy. Yes, yes. Christ doesn’t just commit to us, He enjoys us, too. Praying for that to be seen in some unexpected ways for you and your spouse this week. Hang in there, friends. Love, Melissa

I’ll let this one write it’s own caption. 🍁

It was just a random post on Facebook. Someone was giving away a kneeling bench. I lost my mind because I’ve been looking for one for years. Let me explain why. Kneelers are these little knee-rests that you can pull down in old churches. They were used for church services and super common in New England but as churches start to die out, you’ll find them for sale or even old pews for sale. They represent to me the legacy of faith in a fairly non-religious culture. I’ve always wanted a kneeler for my office just to remind me of that and now, here it was. I called the number on the post and to my delight was given this gem today. The man gifting it is a retired YoungLife leader and ordained minister. He said he’d hoped someone would take it who would appreciate it. He asked me if he could pray for me before loading it into my car. This is my encouragement to you: Christ is still moving, even in places where the church is struggling. Even in small New England towns where churches get turned into antique stores. The legacy is still being passed—sometimes literally—from one to another. Find someone today who is further down the road in their faith and ask them for their wisdom. We are all better off when we cheer on those who have gone before and those coming up behind. Thanks be to God.

You know that scene in You’ve Got Mail when Kathleen Kelly is sick and then Joe Fox shows up and she scrambles to pick up dishes and tissues that are piling everywhere? Welcome to the post-preaching aesthetic. I loved sharing what Jesus is teaching me. I loved finishing @jessaconnolly ‘s latest audiobook on the way to New York where I was preaching. And when I snapped this photo today, I sent it to a friend because it made me laugh. Some say “hustle hard” but today? I say “I can’t hustle. It’s too hard.” And I think that’s okay, too. Listen to your body. Slow down if you gotta. And then scramble if anyone rings the doorbell. If it’s good enough for Kathleen, it’s good enough for us, people. ✌🏽

It’s world mental health day. And it reminds me of Ephesians where it says that the body builds itself up when each part is working properly. The key is working properly. I wrote a lot of my book after processing in these chairs. After wrestling and confessing and crying. After fighting and doing the work of getting free. The woman who walked with me the past 3 years was kind and honest and patient. She believes in the Kingdom of God and reminded me that we are subjects, not objects in that economy. We deserve to not be used. We are beloved and held dear by a kind creator. But still. This world is broken and relationships fall apart and it leaves us pretty beat up. I sat in that chair and did EMDR and watched as the walls fell down but man—it was hard. It involved a lot of texting friends for support and having patience for myself. I’m not going to tell you about my trauma because this is the internet. But I will say this: if your load feels heavy, find someone to help you set it at the feet of Jesus. If something isn’t working properly, you can ask a professional to take a look. Sometimes you need someone who is trained to pry it out of your white-knuckle grip. Sometimes it’ll all spill out like carrying too many things at the grocery store. But always—always—walking into this space was worth it in the long run. Call a counselor. Deal with your trauma. Figure out your feelings. I always joke that my future husband is BLESSED because I’m doing a lot of work before I take things out on him. We sometimes hurt those we love the most when we don’t deal with our ish. So take a deep breath. Ask for help. No shame in it, friends. After all, you were made to be free.

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