Melissa Cheves

To be completely honest, my brain has been running in every direction possible trying to write this "who is Melissa" blog entry. If you were to superficially ask me who I am, I would say I'm a mom and corporate cubical jockey. Upon deeper conversation, you would find that I have a desire to restore and give a voice to the hurting. Excising my creative side helps me feel more balanced, and that my daughter and I are very Gilmore Girls like. Yes, my 16 year old publicly professes that her mom is her bff. Major parental win here!

Jenna and I joined Ex Creatis about 3 years ago. When the opportunity to join this PEACE team presented itself, it was a no brainer. I thought of it as an opportunity to grow my faith, grow as a spiritual leader and grow the relationship I have with my daughter. Plus I had stupid vacation time stacked up from my corporate job that never gets used by year end. Enter that credit card commercial kid "They're paid vacation days! Don't let it go unused!".

I assumed I would help plan interactive art pieces, meet new people and just be pointed to where help was needed most. Then Pastor Dave from the Berlin church visited. He mentioned the huge influx of Syrian refugees crossing the Mediterranean on rafts, and the unimaginable things they've experienced first hand. My heart broke for these people, and my eyes welled up with tears. My daughter and teammates patted me on the back and said "that's art for healing!". The classes I had been so scared to start offering because of my own ridiculous insecurities had a purpose that was was way bigger than I ever imagined. God sized need right there.


So enter growth lesson #1. Trusting the gifts that have been bestowed upon us are not random. They were carefully selected as He created us, and need to be used to love others and glorify Him.

1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.