Melody

Congratulations to Daniel & Candice!

2007-03-29T00:51:00.000-04:00

Isn't she just stunning!

This wedding was just beautifully done, and any of you that know Candice, know that it wouldn't be any other way. Congratulations Candice and Daniel! Wish you both the best in Life. I love you guys and will be keeping you in my prayers.

My Alaskan Adventure: Day 4

2007-03-19T02:20:00.000-04:00

Me on the railroad tracks during sunset on Turnagain Arm

Well, this morning we were all up early to go to the 9:00a.m. service at Joe's parent's (the Sproul's) church. After church we went to brunch with the Sprouls and the Hartshorns to the Village Inn (pretty much a Denny's). When we got home, we packed the bags in case we decided to ski, and headed for Gildwood (which is a small town south of Anchorage that has an awesome ski resort). When we arrived, we took the tram to the top of the mountain and watched all the skiers and snowboarders. Actually next week they will be holding the U.S. Nationals there! Once we made it back to the bottom, I treated everyone to dinner, and we headed home. On the way back down the mountain we had a little bit of a thrill or scare. We hit ice, and went into a slide....we managed to come out with only a small portion of the back light gone, and a small dent. It was an awesome 360, and Joe handled it well.
Once home, Joe and I headed to meet some people from ChangePoint (Joe's church). It was a great time. There were about 16 of us, and 10 of us shut off all the lights and played hide and seek. I became the ultimate hide and seek player seeing that the 3 times we played, no one could find me. The funny thing is, they all looked right where I was hiding, but completely missed me cause it was pitch black, and they never actually touched me. They were all great people, and I had an awesome time hanging out with them. I know what you are thinking, hide and seek? But if you haven't tried it lately, then you might want to think about inviting some people over to play.....it makes for some great fun! Well, until tomorrow....my last day....sad

My Alaskan Adventure: Day 3

2007-03-18T01:56:00.000-04:00

Me repelling after ice climbing on "Easy Money" right off Turnagain Arm.

Today I slept in till about 12 or so, tired from the Northern Lights hunt the night before. Once up, we got ready and went for breakfast at Gwennie's. It is a tourist restaurant that has great food and a lot of it. We had our fill on breakfast, and then Joe and I went to rent our ice climbing equipment needed for the afternoon climb. We headed back to the house to change and get ready for Cory (our wonderful guide) to come pick us up. The guys decided to head toward Turnagain Arm where there are a few spots to climb off the sides of the road. Once we had our gear set, Cory started lead climbing and once anchored in at the top it was my turn. Joe gave me some pointers, and off I went. It was an awesome experience, and difficult. By the time I reached the top, my arms were tired from swinging the ice axes and probably because I am just out of shape. Anyway, once Joe was up, then we were able to repell down. That was fun! I was not the greatest at it like Cory or Joe, but I also had never done it before, so I just took my time. Over all, I would totally ice climb again! On the way back home, I spotted a moose off the side of the highway. Cory turned around and went back so that we could see it. I took some pictures which are going to be on my web album. Once back at the house, we cleaned up and headed to Matt's to make dinner and watch a movie...dinner was great and the movie interesting. It was some Japanese made movie that was dubbed over with English. Does any more need to be said! Well, I am off to bed because we have church in the morning, so until tomorrow.....

My Alaskan Adventure: Day 2

2007-03-17T09:30:00.000-04:00

Me during my climb of Flattop in Anchorage, AK!

Today I was up bright and early....around 7:00am. Matt met Joe and I at the house, we had cream of wheat for breakfast, and then off we went on our adventure to climb Flattop! It was a cold morning, probably around zero degrees or so. We started our hike/climb, realizing after a short while that it would have been a good idea to have brought our cramp-ons. The snow had been frozen over so it was slick, and made it hard to climb, but we kept on truckin. When we arrived in what they call the saddle (which I guess is the last place to rest before ascending to the top of Flattop) we decided to head back down from that spot because my toes were starting to become numb from not having proper boots for that kind of temperature. Now, we did not just come down any old way, we came down by way of Glissading. Glissading is pretty much sliding on your butt, and using your ski-pole as a brake and for steering. With the snow being so icy, we were flying. Once we reached a point to stop glissading, we had to make our own trail to get back to the main trail. This is when I had a slight scare, Matt had jumped ahead of us to where he was out of sight, and I was in front of Joe. We were on a steep side of the mountain, and we had to make our own foot holds in the iced over snow. At one steeper point I slipped, and went about 5 ft. before I could really dig in with my ski-pole to stop me from falling all the way down the mountain side! It was a bit frightening for a split second, but with Joe's help I was back on my feet and headed to safer ground.

After reaching the car we headed to get Joe's mom for lunch, and the four of us went to a Chinese buffet. Then back home and in the bed I went to take a nap. After napping, I cleaned up and we all went to La Mex (pretty much like Monterrey's). We had dinner with Joe's parents and a couple looking to take their positions for Send International. They were great entertainment and we had some great stories floating around the table. Once finished, Joe and I headed to see his friend Heath, who came with us to search for the Northern Lights. What a tiring adventure. These two characters kept me up till 3 a.m.! But after all of the crazy running around to try to get the best view of them, we finally did and it was great! We saw its outer edge, which is kinda like a white fog in the sky, but it dances! Anyway, once we were home, I crashed. So we will see what fun today as in store!

My Alaskan Adventure: Day 1

2007-03-16T11:21:00.000-04:00

Me beside the frozen ocean surrounded by beautiful mountain.

Yesterday, upon arrival in the snowy arctic Anchorage, AK, the temperature was at a high of 7 degrees! That made up the difference of 73 degrees from the high at home. Even though cold, you almost didn't notice it so much because of the captivating mountains and ocean. Today I slept in a little from being so exhausted from being up about 48hrs. You see I couldn't really sleep the night before I left, I guess I was anxious. Anyway, after a great breakfast that Joe made, we headed out to check out the ice wall that we will be climbing tomorrow. I am way excited about that, but that will come after hiking Flattop tomorrow and lunch. This pic was taken right off what they call Turnagain Arm (might be spelled wrong). Yep, that is frozen water behind me in that picture. They told me the tide moves in and out 30 ft. in one day. It is the biggest tide in America as far as I know. Anyway, I have to get up early to hike, so off to bed I go. Till tomorrow.....

Memorial Day!

2006-07-01T02:16:00.000-04:00

Tanner, Lanna, Me, Heidi, and Whit gettin are pose on!

Memorial day was a great time around lots of friends.......we grilled out, played ping-pong, danced, and socialized! A big thanks to JT and Sandy for opening there home for all of us to come party. All night people came and went making it a lot of fun, always different people to chat with, and it made for a ton of laughs! Check out more pics at My Pictures!

My trip to Nashville, or lack of one!

2006-06-11T17:16:00.000-04:00

ahh! I made it to Nashville! Hang 10!
My baby being towed by my sister and I on the way back from Nashville!

After ATL, I headed for Nashville, only to make it about 30 minutes North of Chattenooga where my car broke down. I was then picked up by a state trooper and taken to the nearest Walmart near Jasper, TN! Yeah, I was in the boone hick hills of TN! It was fun to ride in the back of the trooper vehicle though! There, I waited for the tow truck company to come pick me up, and upon arrival to my broken down car, my ride showed up. You see, I met a girl through Judith the night before who we stayed with in ATL. She was down for a couple of days on business, and was from Nashville. I happened to have her cell number in my phone because Judith's phone was dead on Friday, and we had to call her to find out where the Hotel was. Anyway, we used my phone to call, and I still had her number.....she was my ride. I stayed with her and her roommates that night and they showed me around Nashville! Fun Fun!

On Sunday, Justin picked me up and we had a wonderful time shopping, eating sushi, hanging out, going to concerts, etc....the rest of my visit. It was sad to have had to leave, but Bethany and I had a fun time towing the car back. The first stop was UHAUL, where the guy helped us fib a little so that we could tow my car behind hers.....so technically we were pulling a Toyota Corolla! haha....country folk....Anyway, the mechanics in Jasper were hilarious, and it took five of us to push my car up onto the dolley. My sister and I agreed that everyone looked related....small town...you get the pic! After getting on the road, I had fun taking some pics, which are viewable under My Pictures. During our part of the trip through ATL, we had a car pile up happen right behind us, and thank God it wasn't us. Then at the end of our trip arriving back in Anderson, we dropped my car off at JP's backyard service....literally....and it took another 5 of us to push my car off the dolley!

Well, my car is now home and being fixed for just over $3000. The engine had thrown a rod, and it went through the engine block plus broke the oil pan. So, I will hopefully have my car back soon! Please, if you think about it, pray that I will have my car working properly for the next few years....I don't need anymore of this! Fun trip though.....Good times!

Girls Day in ATL!

2006-06-11T16:40:00.000-04:00

Judith, Whitley, Meredith, and I in ATL at the Aquarium!
Beautiful.....just Beautiful!

Whit and I with our Daquiris at P.F.Changs....mmmm...yummy!

Imogen Heap in Atlanta....Five Points!

Girls day in Atlanta was a blast! The four of us had an awesome time visiting the Georgia Aquarium, and especially the part where I was hit on by a 15 year old, and also when Meredith told a group of young boys that I liked them! haha, and it just got better from there!

P.F.Changs was are next stop. Mere once again had fun messing with a young boy who was our food runner. She told him that I liked him, but he was a great sport about it. Then Whit and I were enjoying our virgin Daquiries when I decide to be smooth, and spill my full one on the booth....almost on me and Whit! I still think Whit slipped a little something in it! (wink);)

From there, we headed to Five Points to see Imogen Heap! She was beautiful and captivating with her music! It was a lot of fun, but by the end of the day, we were pooped and ready to go to bed. After Mere and Whit left to go back to Anderson, Judith and I were stuck trying to find the hotel we were supposed to stay at, and then decided to hit up a little IHOP....stuffed french toast! mmmm....good! It is amazing what food can do for you when you are in a pissy mood! Anyhow, it was a great day, and much needed!

Happy Birthday Shout Out!

2006-06-11T14:43:00.000-04:00

My sister Charity turned 24 on May 17! Happy Birthday sis! Much love, and we had a blast at her party!......In this picture, Charity is holding up the presents from Bethany, showing that Beth ran out of wrapping paper! haha....my family!....silly!

Shopping Trip!

2006-06-11T14:05:00.000-04:00

Well, for those of you who don't know, I have three brothers (Nolon 6, Cason 10, Jaron 14). Two of their birthdays were in April, and one was in February.....so I finally was able to take them shopping back in May for those birthdays! Anyhow, these are the final outfits picked out by them with a little sister help! We had a lot of fun at the Mall of Georgia, and they definitely wore me out! They look innocent, but are far from it! haha....jk!

God has been teaching me a lot on how important it is to spend time with family. They are the ones that will always be there throughout your life......I am learning that fast!

Visiting my sis in VA!

2006-04-09T12:41:00.000-04:00

My sis Tiffany and I having fun in VA during my visit!

MuteMath at Longwood University in Farmville, VA!

This weekend I went to visit my little sis Tiffany who goes to Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.....only I am the one that is technically shorter and junk.....but who is really paying attention!

I arrived on Friday afternoon, and Tiffany and I cleaned up to go to the concert in Farmville with Tiffany's boyfriend Aaron and her friends. Upon arrival, I was found by some of my MuteMath buddies....Greg, Adam, and Joe. I went and ate with them in the "green room", and then we all went down to where they had these fountains that shot out of the sidewalk! Joe and I rolled up our pants and went for it! I didn't get all that wet, but Joe noticed and forced me into one of the fountains. We had so much crazy fun!

Anyhow, after that, we continued hangin' and then MuteMath played. We headed for home, and hit the sack. The next day Tiffany, Brooke, and I went to Roanoke to go shopping at the mall. We had fun being goofy as we were shopping, and eating. You can check out those pics on MY PICTURES. Well, it was a great weekend, and a Happy Birthday shout out to my sis Tiffany! Turning 20 on April 19!

Fun in Columbia!

2006-04-09T12:19:00.000-04:00

Jess, David, and I in the Bad A** Coffee Company in Five Points in Columbia!

First off, I just want to thank my good friend Jess for having me as company in Columbia, you are awesome babe! Well, I arrived on Sunday night, and we had fun hanging out talking to her neighbor over AIM.....It was hilarious watching you fall in the trash can JESS! haha.....ok nevermind.....
Monday came, and I slept in while Jess worked that morning at the coffee shop. Then after she was home, we threw some shorts and t-shirts on and went to pic up lunch and headed to the horseshoe in the middle of the USC campus. We had a picnic! It was great, I can't remember the last time I had a lazy afternoon picnicing with a friend! While laying on the blanket chatting, we were almost run over by some college boys playing frisbee.....I teased them and told them they did it on purpose.....which they probably did! haha, Then we played frisbee! After that we went back to the apartment and cleaned up, went to get coffee and dessert, and then headed for Headliner's. MuteMath was playing, and also The Working Title and Baumer! There ended up being a ton of us, and we all gathered in the front of the stage! It was an awesome concert, and I have tons of pics for everyone to view on My Pictures.

Birthday Wishes!

2006-04-09T12:15:00.000-04:00

A big Happy Birthday goes out to my now 10 year old brother Cason! He turned 10 on April 2nd! This pic is of him blowing out his candles on the awesome Sponge Bon Square Pants cake! It was way yummy....Ice cream cakes are the best! Well, Happy Birthday bro!

Home Sweet Home!

2006-04-09T12:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this is Meredith's and my pad! First you have my lovely room, Second pic is the Kitchen where all the mad cookin' and dishwashin' happens, and Third is the lovely living and dining....notice my awesome TV! My baby that I never spend time with....TOO BUSY! I don't watch much tv anyway. So that would be the girl pad all pimped out and junk.....not really, but you can imagine that it is! Come and visit sometime......

Visiting the G-MA in Rochester, NY!

2006-03-26T03:31:00.000-05:00

The gang at Denny's on Wednesday morning!

Well, I finally took a full week off for some rest and vacation during the beginning of March. Because of being in India, I missed seeing my relatives at Christmas, and planned a trip after my birthday to rest, which was much needed. The whole week consisted of me staying up late to catch up on CSI and House, sleeping, eating, shopping, more eating, and of course fun with my family. It was the first time I had been in New York since my Grandfather's funeral in June of 05'. With it just being my Grandma and I, it was so different in the house....I had never heard it that quiet before. Usually, you could imagine my family of 10 in the 3 bedroom 1 bath house with basement.....very loud, never quite; also, my grandfather would blare the tv from bad hearing; of course my G-ma would say I filled a lot of the quietness with my big mouth......but that just runs in the family! It was a much needed trip, and I realized how much good food I constantly miss out on: great homemade...true Italian Lasagne and bread, Abbot's Custard Ice Cream, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, juicy filet and shrimp at Salvator's, my fav chicken dish, pumpernickle and turkey bacon, fresh subs from Wegman's, and great breakfast's! I am glad I ran 15 miles that following Saturday......I probably had gained at least five from all that Italian dining we indulged in....but all in all, it was just what the Doctor ordered.

There are more pics at "my pictures"

Marathon training continues!

2006-03-23T03:20:00.000-05:00

the group after our 12 mile run 3 weeks ago!

Well, most of you know I am training right now for the San Diego, Cali, Rock'n Roll Marathon on June 4th. We have only 6 going, but we train with about 11. Some of us are running other marathons, or just doing it for exercise and to push ourselves.
Last Saturday we finished our 15 mile....that was an awesome run....long, tiring, leg cramping, and long, but it was good. I finished in about 2 hrs and 31 min. I am so glad I have such a great group to run with every week, although the past few weeks I haven't ran as often as I would have liked to because of vacation and work. I know I am going to hear it from them next week for not running at all this week.....I can hear Perry and Jake now..... Anyhow, please continue to keep us in your prayers as we strive to keep focused and continue our training for this run. Pray that we don't get run over by any old people on the roads, or crazy drivers in the morning! Believe me, we have had some close ones! If anyone would like to join us, we meet at the AnMed campus off of Hwy 81 in Anderson at 6am every Tues-Thurs morning. The more the merrier!

Music to check out on Myspace....

2006-03-22T02:41:00.000-05:00

From Top to Bottom:

Josh Kelley and band, Florez, and Nathan Angelo......

If you guys ever get a chance to hear them or see them in concert....you should!

Josh Kelley I met for a minute, but the guys on his left and right (Darwood and Donald) are super nice guys who, not only play for Josh, but also for the Carson Daley Show! I had a great time chatting with them about music in general, but you need to check out their music!

Florez has become good friends and clients of mine in the past 6 or 7 months, and they come to the Handlebar every couple of months to play in the town where they originated from. They started out at Furman, and now are based out of Nashville. These guys are super, and love the Lord....which is number one in my book, and have great musical ability, so check them out!

Nathan Angelo (formerly Impellizario) has also become a good friend of mine in the past year. We met through our mutual friend Micah Dalton (also a musician on myspace), started hangin out when he would drop into town, and have been great friends ever since! His sound will remind you a little of Gavin Degraw, but he is his own; another great one to look up!

Also, my new favorite would have to be MUTEMATH! Awesome in concert, and awesome guys!

Birthday Fun!

2006-02-25T00:28:00.000-05:00

mmm....sushi...eel....too much....can't fit.....yummy

First off, thanks so much to all who participated in my birthday fun, and especially to Judith and Whitley for putting it all together.....it was a great one.

To recap, Judith and I spent the day shopping and eating and what not.....then we met Whit in Anderson and headed for my condo. Upon reaching my place, I was told to where a nice shirt and jeans to go to the restaurant (which I had no clue where we were headed).

After getting ready, I was blind folded and led down 16 steps and to a car, which was very difficult to get into not knowing which way to sit because I couldn't see (probably very funny to watch). Then we headed for the restaurant. I am sure people were staring at our car driving down the road.....I mean, I am a white chick in the back blind folded....with a "chinese" and black girl in the front dancing to ghetto music! People were probably thinking all kinds of stuff! haha!

Anyhow, I was dropped off at the door, where Judith led me into the restaurant and to a room, where my eyes were then uncovered. I was at Nami's sushi restaurant, and there was an awesome group of people waiting for me! We had a great meal, and then headed to my place to have cake and ice cream! Upon arrival, 12 of us played Cranium, and I voted that my team won seeing that it was my birthday and all! (we were really the losers, but whatever)

All in all it was a great night, and the rest is to be left for the girls and the girls only to know! We are about to start the real party.....that is if I can wake Whitley up! heehee! Thanks everybody for the sweet notes and gifts! You all are the very best! I said this earlier at the table during dinner: the friends you have around you make you or break you, and help mold and shape you to be the person you are......well, all of you have brought so much joy into my life, and have been great encouragement and accountability! God has really used you to help me become the woman that I am now.....I can't thank Him enough for how much He has blessed me! Thanks for being a part of my life!

All my Love:)

Mel

p.s. Check out more pics under "my pictures"

Trip to West Virginia!

2006-02-04T21:52:00.000-05:00

This was most of the group that I went with to Winterplace, WV to ski and snowboard Jan. 21st through 23rd. This pic was taken at Applebee's on Friday night after we had been snowboarding and skiing. I could barely sit because the first hour trying to snowboard I landed right on my butt and hurt my tailbone. I truly believe that God was teaching me a lesson, because before I fell I was talkin a bunch of smack to Keith who was also learning to snowboard (which, by the way, literally half-way fell off the side of the mountain......it was really funny.....he is fine.....and I don't mean in that way!) Anyhow, so the trip was a lot of fun! Keith and I had a great time learning from our wonderful snowboard instructorand laughing at each other, I had tons of fun hitting Jason with snowballs, and our trip on Saturday to see the best of West Virginia was interesting. I also was able to visit one of my favorite friends, miss Whitley, not once, but twice! Thursday night with Judith, and Saturday night with Jason. I was able to have a wonderful Sunday at Mosaic Church in North Charlotte at their first service, and see some other good friends of mine Zac and Brandon. Overall the weekend was good, and about my tailbone........I had it x-rayed on Tuesday, and it is not broken! Thank goodness! You can check out more of the trip pictures on My Pictures under "a good time".

p.s. more pics will be posted soon.

Pics from India!

2006-01-20T00:13:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, this is just one of the many pics taken while in India; check out the rest on My Picture site!

Home Sweet Home!

2006-01-02T19:34:00.000-05:00

First of all, Happy New Year! Thank you for all of your prayers and support throughout my time in India. I am happy to be home, but I do miss the children that I built relationships with, and my most awesome team that I served along side. The trip was awesome, even though I was sick for most of it. We arrived in Dheli on the night/morning of the 19/20. When first walking off of the plane the smell was definitely different, and what seemed like smoke or fog was in the air. The smog in Dheli was so thick that you could never see the sky during the day or night. You could also be outside for about an hour, blow your nose, and have black in your tissue. Disgusting, I know.
We stayed in Dheli for 2 days at the Westend Hotel, which was a nice hotel in India, but still very different compared to what we consider a Westend here in the states. While in Dheli, we did some shopping, visited the Dheli orphanage, and a lepor colony. We were able to love, not only on the children at the orphanage, but on the lepors who have no one to touch and love on them. It was pretty amazing.
The day leaving Dheli, we had a long trip to Jaipur. Jaipur is beautiful, with lots of older ruins like castles and walls that are at the edge of the mountains. We stayed at Jaipur Palace that night, which was a beautiful hotel, and left early the next morning to visit 5 different orphanages on our way to Raipura in Kota. Raipura was the orphanage that we stayed at, and we arrived their late on the night of the 23. The kids were waiting for us, and when we arrived they swarmed. I found out really quickly that they love cameras, especially digitals.
The next morning I was really sick, and was only out for about 2 1/2 hours. While outside, some boys attached themselves to me right away. Their names are Jeevan, Nannu, Gondu, and Thamauson. They became my buddies for the rest of the time in Raipura. We played duck, duck goose, and they showed me their room. I love those boys!
The next day I was still really sick, and was taken to the hospital with 2 others that hadn't been feeling the greatest for a few days. It was a fun experience, and it was interesting because the doctor does not touch you at all, you just explain your symptoms, and he tells the pharmacist what medicine to give you. The best part was when I got to ride on the back of a scooter back to the orphanage.
During Christmas Eve, the kids put on a big production of dancing and skits. Then we go Caroling from room to room in each hostile, which there were 4. They dance and have a couple people dressed as Father Christmas (Santa). I was only able to go through about 4 rooms and had to be walked back because I was about to pass out.
Christmas day, the kids put on another performance, and then we had a big lunch for all of the special guests that were from all over. They had an elephant and camel for the kids to ride, but I had to go lay down because of being sick.
Then next few days I started to feel a little better, and was able to get out with the kids. I love "tucking" the kids in at night. I would go to my boys room in the small boys hostile, and read them scripture, which was also read in Hindi by their room leader. Then we would sing songs, and sometimes I would bring a bedtime snack! I also met some girls the last 2 days, Pooja, Jyoti, Manisha, Rohini, and Piya, who did some Henna designs on my hand and arm, loved playing with my hair, painted my nails, and taught me some Indian dances. Believe it or not, the boys also loved playing with my hair too! I also cut some of the girls hair why I was there, which they thought was so great!
We were able to go into Kota to get some Indian dress, Saurees and Pinjabees. They turned out beautifully, and we were able to be dressed in our Saurees the last night for our dinner with Sam Thomason (founder of Hopegivers and Emmanuel). I just found out yesterday that I ate monkey at that dinner. I thought it was chicken, actually everyone thought it was chicken!
That night it was really hard saying goodbye to the kids, and when we finished, we had about 4 hours before leaving for the train.
I slept for only an hour because we were leaving at 4 in the morning, and we were supposed to have sleeper cabins on the train. When we reached the station, we found out we were in the cars that had seats. We were all disappointed, but tried to make the best of it. We had a lot of Indians staring on the train, and we all found it interesting that the squatty and toilet dumped right out onto the tracks. Yeah, talk about unsanitary!
Once we arrived back in Dheli, we did some more shopping at the market, and headed for the airport. It was a long flight home, but as soon as we landed in Chicago, we all hit up Starbucks, Cinnabon, and Mcdonalds. I am definitely in more appreciation for the air we breathe and the sky I have to see. As Americans, we have no idea how blessed we are as a country. I pray that I will be able to return to India again, maybe even this year. If anyone wants information on how they can sponsor a child, please email me at pwbarbie@gmail.com and I will send you info. Thanks again for your prayers and support, and I will have pics up soon for everyone to see!

Leaving the Country!

2005-12-17T00:06:00.000-05:00

Well, Sunday is the day that I will be leaving the country, and this is my last blog post before I go. I have been so swamped with everything that I have not been able to even check my email let alone blog. Anyhow, tomorrow I leave to meet my team members for the trip, and am very excited, anxious, and, to be honest, a little nervous. I can't believe that in a matter of 3 days I will be half way around the world during the busiest, family oriented holiday of the year. When I decided to go on this trip, I knew it would be hard, but very rewarding to my spirit. I have known this was approaching all year, but it has come upon me soooo fast! I am not quite sure what all we will be doing in India, but I know that I will get to play with a bunch of children who I will probably want to bring home with me. I appreciate all the prayers that have been said for myself and team, and appreciate the prayers that will be going out while I am gone. The power of prayer I Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to "Pray Continually." James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Phillipians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present you requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I remind you of all these verses to encourage you to continually pray, not only just for my team and myself, but for the Kingdom. There are many great things done through prayer.......we often forget to pray on a daily basis, I am most at fault for that one. I know that where I will be for the next 2 weeks is very much attacked by Satan in ways that are much different then here in America, and I might see things and experience spiritual warfare that I have never seen or experienced before......that is why I write this post. To remind my brothers and sisters to pray and continually. I love all of you, and will be praying for you while I am away as I always do. That God will keep you all close to His heart, and that He will guard yours from Satan's many attacks. Have a beautiful Christmas and fun New Years with your family and friends. I will see all of you next year!

With all of my love and missing you,

Melody

A weekend in the Mountains!

2005-12-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was simply amazing! This picture is just one of the many taken, and you can see the rest at my shutterbook. Anyhow, there were 11 of us all together, some of us knew each other better than others, but by the end of the weekend, we were one big happy group of friends having a great weekend together. It is amazing on how the mountains make you forget about everything you have going on around you, and refocuses what is important in life. This certain picture was taken on Saturday morning as the sun rose! It reminded me of how awesome and BIG God is, and how blessed I am to be able to view such an amazing creation He has made for us.

On Saturday night, we all gathered around one table to eat together. It was like having a very mixed family, which is exactly what it was.......my church family. We were able to share, encourage, and shed tears with each other. That was the best part of the whole weekend. God really showed me how blessed I am to have such great friends and sisters and brothers in Christ. I couldn't ask for any more. Although, sickness was evident throughout the house, it didn't hold us back from having a good time. A great big thank you goes out to Sandy Gibbes family for allowing us to have their cabin for the weekend, and to make lots of memories to remember and share along our life journeys!

Thanksgiving: A Home away from Home

2005-11-25T13:12:00.000-05:00

Well, this Thanksgiving holiday, my family was in Michigan, but I needed to stay home and work because of all the time off I will have in December. I wasn't sure where I was going to be or where God would place me for the day, but I had many offer.....which showed me how loved I am......well, or how sorry people felt for me...j/k... ha....Anyhow, the first people to ask me over were clients of mine Gary and Denice Hoffman. They are the sweetest people to open their home to me, and to treat me to my first southern Thanksgiving meal. It was wonderful, the mac & cheese, green beans, corn bread dressing, turkey, the gravy (which was different as well, but mmm....so good), rolls, cranberry sauce, hot apple cider, and some kind of sweet potato dish that was out of this world good! I was so stuffed after I ate, but that didn't stop us from playin' some music. Gary is a good musician, and their son Eric plays bass and sings in a band called Florez.....which you can check out on their website www.florezmusic.com. We had eric play and sing first, and Gary insisted on having me play and sing something, so I did. Later on in the evening, Gary's mom and Denice's father came to join us for seconds on the meal, and we carried on with a bunch of laughter at the table. It was so good to be around a family who has just as much fun and laughter as mine during the holiday season, except for a much smaller sized family. Well, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving this year, and that God blessed your time spent with your family.

--Mel

2005-11-23T23:43:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, my sisters and I finally were able to get together. We celebrated my sister (second from the left) Bethany's 25th Birthday at Monterrey's and then I sent her and her friends off to the Keith Urban concert at the Bi-Lo Center. We had a great time together, and it was good to have all 4 of us in one place.

Prayer Request!

2005-11-15T23:33:00.000-05:00

Well, most of you know that I am going to New Dheli, India over the holidays with a team of about 40 people. While there, we will be working in orphanages in and out of the more traveled areas. I am asking everyone to please pray for my team, the orphans, and anyone else whom we might meet while traveling. We will be flying out on Dec. 18 and returning on Dec. 31. It is only four weeks away, and I am getting even more anxious to go and serve in India with all those kids! I honestly can not say that I will be prepared for the experience which lies ahead, but I pray that my heart will be completely and fully prepared with the Spirit of Love that the Lord has given me towards people. Thank you all for your continued support and prayers! I will continue to keep you posted on the trip........
If any of you have any prayer requests that I could bathe in prayer for you, please feel free to leave them on my comment board as I would be happy to pray for them! God's Word says to "pray without ceasing," and I hope that we all remember to do that as a body, to uplift and anoint one another through the power of prayer. May God continue to shine down on all of you and keep you safe through your comings and your goings!

--mel

Happy Birthday Shout Out!

2005-11-14T22:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to Sandy Gibbes! He turned 26 today and we had a little get together at the house for him. The picture above would be Sandy with the awesome frame that I put together for him, and the pic below is him with his "partner" JT and his card from him....and the mello-delicious cake I put together for him. Hope it was a great one Sandy!

A fairy tale

2005-11-14T22:30:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, in dream land........I wish I had hair.....so Melody could cut it! No, but seriously....Once upon a time there was a sleeping beauty....deep, deep in sleep! Waiting for his prince.....ss, to come and awake him from his slumber! She was riding on a horse.....it was a white one....and in the distance there appeared a soft glow that drew her nigh to him......seeing that her work is in the line of skin care. Anyhow, on her journey toward the tower she will have to battle the fire breathing dragon.....will she ever make it? We will find out! to be continued......

p.s. Sandy's Idea!

I love you Lee!

God gives and takes away......

2005-10-24T19:10:00.000-04:00

So, this has been an interesting weekend for me. Most everyone knows that I sing for the worship band at Newspring Community Church in Anderson, SC. We had our benefit concert this past Thursday, which God was awesome in blessing and giving us a beautiful night and a great crowd of people to join us in worship. We raised a lot of money for Hurricane Katrina victims (over $8,000), and had a lot of fun.

This past Sunday, however, I overslept, and missed singing and leading in worship because of it. This was actually the second time it has happened to me in 2 months. I felt awful all day, disappointed in myself (although knowing I can't help my alarm clock not working), and kicking myself because of disappointing the band that I sing with every Sunday. Because of this, I will no longer be singing with the band at Newspring unless needed. It was a great run, and I thank the Lord that He gave me the opportunity to do what I love the most, and that is sing. Music is my #1 passion, and it was so awesome and fun, and I know the Lord has more in store for me in this. I know that this will give me more time to prepare for my trip to India as well, and also allow me to have more time to concentrate on my music. I have a lot of work to do in that area. Anyhow, please pray for me as this is a hard thing to swallow, and deal with. I know that God is going to continue to bless Newspring and their ministry, and I know the band will sound great with both Meagans singing! I love those girls, and it was a joy to sing with them and the band. I will continue to trust God that He will allow me to keep using my talent in some other way. Thanks for reading and being a part of my life......Mel

Intimidation

2005-08-05T00:20:00.000-04:00

My friend Melissa and I were talking the other day about intimidation. She feels that guys won't ask her out, and doesn't understand why? Are they all shy, is she unattractive? Is it her personality or the way that she talks? Is she too high energy, or not enough? I tried to help her understand that it was none of those things, that a lot of times a guy will not approach a girl because he is afraid of rejection, which could hurt his self-image. Also, guys now a day have a tendency of not being a man when it comes to how he feels. He wants the girl to do all of the work and make it easy for him. I had a client of mine today ask me about the "guys" in my life....I said, "What guys, there are none." He explained that he did not know why, and went on to give me compliments and such about myself. Flattering, but coming from a 37 year old man, I expected the boldness and honesty. Then he went on to say that I should ask a guy out. I told him no, that I would not give a guy the oppurtunity to be lazy, that if he does not have the balls to ask me out, than he was not worth my time and was not a real man. Women in this generation are at fault for making it so easy for a guy to be lazy in the dating area. We have fought for so many "woman's rights" that we have crippled the men in the way women are to be these days. But, Women's independence should not be so intimidating as to push a guy away, and if it does, then he is not worthy of your presence anyway, as far as I am concerned. Guys, this is pretty sad if you are hanging out with a girl whom you like, and don't make the first move. Where is your manhood? And what I mean by "the first move" is the 'I want to take you on a date' question. Now, I am not saying that a girl asking can't work or hasn't, what I am saying is that as women we should be more aware of the importance of letting a man be a man and step up to the plate. Let him take control of the situation like he should do. If he doesn't go for it, than he has missed out on a great relationship/friendship with you. Don't ever settle for less than what you know you deserve.....you are worth it......don't let the intimidation factor trick you into thinking you are undateable, let it separate the men from the boys....

Why can guys be jerks?!

2005-07-27T01:13:00.000-04:00

this post should get a lot of comments from all of you boys out there.......hint the word boys! So ladies, why can guys be such jerks sometimes? Why do we let them treat us the way that they do, and it be ok? I say no. Ladies, we should not let guys make us feel like we are worthless and unimportant. I am #1 at failing in this, and in the guys that I seem to fall for. A word of encouragement to all of the women who are going through a "guy" time right now; 1st, always remember that God sees you as the priceless ruby that you are. No woman should be treated or shown less. 2nd if a guy that you are with or talking to isn't showing you this special treatment, than dump or lose the loser. 3rd, be careful of the ones who are sneaky, and lead you on.....I have first hand experience in this area. Don't allow it. Don't let yourselves be fooled by their lack of manhood, they don't deserve you or your time. Remember that God is our stronghold, and He is the only one that will fill all of us.....we need to find our rest and contentment in Him before He will place our other, if we are to have one, in our lives. For the guys, I know it isn't your fault all the time, we can be just as at fault; but, remember to treat a woman with utmost respect and care. We are fragile, and need to be treated delicately; and if you know you are having problems with manhood issues, then let the girl know, so she can steer away until all is clear. This has been a long statement, but I am just sharing my thoughts. If we all learned to be more open, starting with the male first, then I think things would be a lot better in the dating seen.....