South Africa?!

PICTURES!

2006-03-15T13:08:00.000-08:00

I downloaded pictures for the world to see of my time here in South Africa, enjoy them because I am not doing it again until I come home!

melodysafricanpics.shutterfly.com

miss and LOVE you all!

melody

The Last Post...

2006-01-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

Okay so this isn't the last last post... but for five months I will be distant from the blogging world so I shall miss you all incredibly, to all the birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, (etc)... I say happy birthday, way to go, and congratulations (etc!) I hope to have a billion comments when I come back, and who knows maybe I will be able to catch you up a little while I am gone. For those of you who really, really love me =), here is my address while I am over there:

Melody Welton

C/O International School University of KwaZulu-Natal

Room 412 Rick Turner Students' Union Building

Howard College

Durban 4041

SOUTH AFRICA

Make sure you have it marked air mail or it will take three months to get to me by boat!!!

I am going to leave you all with a passage from this book that Jonathan Kraft gave me last year at the beginning of my G.A.P. Team experience. It's called Grace For the Moment... it is by Max Lucado and this book is amazing, thanks Jonathan!

I CHOOSE LOVE...

No occasion justifies hatred;

no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.

Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.

I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...

the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see

people as anything less than human beings,

created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as

anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE...

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.

Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll

invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the

wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment

to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new

assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.

Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind,

for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...

I will go without a dollar

before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked

before I will boast. I will confess before I will

accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...

Today I will keep my promises.

My debtors will not regret their trust. My friends will not question my word.

I will be true to the one who has not yet found me.

I choose faithfulness.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.

If I raise my voice may it only be in praise.

If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer.

If I make a demand, may it only be to myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...

I am a spiritual being...

After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.

I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.

I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.

I will be impassioned only by my faith.

I will be influenced only by God.

I will be taught only by Christ.

I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self control.

To these I commit my day.

If I succeed, I will give thanks.

If I fail, I will seek his grace.

And then, when this day is done,

I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Thank you all for the encouragement and prayers as I make this life changing journey... You all rock my socks off! Until I blog again...

Melody

I am BLESSED!

2006-01-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

i just want to start this post off by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID! i totally forgot my best of any best guy friend a girl could have's birthday on December 30th and i feel so HORRIBLE! but David, our good boy, is now 21! so wish him happy birthday! though it is a little (okay a LOT) belated! I LOVE YOU DAVID=)!

so now that i have tried in a small attempt to correct a huge error of my ways let me just say that I AM SO BLESSED! in two weeks i leave on a trip that will change my life, a trip that is FULLY paid for in scholarships with money to spare, a trip that i wasnt even ELIGIBLE (okay not sure how to spell that...) for but by God's amazing will, slid under the red tape.. He pretty much dropped the next five months into my lap and said "Go for it melody, GO!"

which is exactly what i am doing! but first i have a wedding to get through, which will be beautiful and amazing and exciting! so congrats to AMIE AND KRIS! who will be wed next sat... jan.21, whooo-hooo!

Bring on the New Year!

2006-01-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

Okay guys this is flippin SWEET-O! To celebrate the New Year I went down to Indianapolis, Indiana for four days and worshipped with 2500 other college students from the Campus Crusade organizations throughout Indiana, Michigan, Illinios, and Ohio... It was amazing! The whole body grew through the four days we were there and I had the chance to get closer to the people who are in my Campus Crusade for Christ on Western's Campus.

On Friday we hit areas around Indianapolis delivering 'Boxes of Love' and 155 people got saved from that outreach! Not to mention the twenty or so people who had already got save just by coming with their friends to this conference.

On New Year's Eve there is always a theme party and everyone dresses up, the theme this year was "thru the decades" so my friends and I hit the salvation army and founded the diegest stuff ever! I had a huge purple eighties dress and I looked totally ridiculous, it was so fun! And to ring in the New Years the whole conference started praying at 11:20, stopped 45 seconds before midnight and then after we did the countdown we worshiped for another hour and a half, it was the best new year's celebration I have ever been too!

But the sweetest part is what happened on the way home, the car i rode with decided to leave that night right after the new year's party because one of the girls had to work at 12:30 the next afternoon and instead of sleeping for three hours and then waking up we went for the four and half hour drive at 2:30, it was insane! But to keep us awake I had the best conversation with two of my good friends Stef and Joe (Joe was driving) and it was all about the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues (I am the only person that I know of who speaks in tongues at Campus Crusade at Western) the next day (actually the same day only later!) Stef got baptized in the Holy Spirit and after she dropped me off she was speaking in tongues the whole way home! ISNT THAT THE BEST WAY TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR? it was totally amazing!

and now alls i have to say is, 23 more days until AFRICA!

For those of you who dont know me...

2005-12-22T08:32:00.000-08:00

Yeah that's right this one is for you! For those who have never met me and so therefore obviously do not know me very well... Let me start from the beginning... My name is Melody Joy, beautiful isnt it? And I am saying that in a way where I am so proud of the name my parents gave me, because so often we become our names! And I have become mine! One meaning for the name melody is "created to express' (thanks to kassie, I learned that last year- among oh whole lot of other things!) and that is exactly what I do! I express myself, sometimes a little more than others, most of the time a lot!

These blogs are interesting, I feel as if I can write whatever I want on them and I am invincible... But right now I guess I am making myself more vulnerable than anything... I have had the worst and the best three months of my entire life this past season... my heart was broken and the same person has continued to hurt me in so many ways, I wonder if it will ever stop! But this is the thing...

Because of this I have grown SO MUCH in my relationship with God and I have gained SO MUCH joy! He has taught me more things than I could ever have imagined knowing, and the more I find out I realize that I really dont know anything at all! God has my heart and he has restored it and made it stronger... but he has also showed me that it is okay to say when you are hurt and hurting, which I was scared to admit. I thought if I said that it would show people that I wasn't completely relying on God for my strength... but when I was praying about it he showed me that it was okay, that it was a major part of my healing process. So yes, I am hurt. But God is always good always faithful and always with me! He is my strength and I am SO STRONG! I am happy, vibrant, healthy, powerful, I am just an amazing woman of God! Because he made me to be like him, and he is perfect!

All my love to those who do not know me (one person in particular) and now I hope that you do.. at least a little bit more. oh, I love you who do know me as well ;)

The Laugh Is Back!

2005-12-20T06:29:00.000-08:00

Last night... I laughed! I really, truly laughed!I guess I just didn't realize what was missing until I fully had it back... I don't even want to say how long it has been since I have really, truly laughed. A laugh of joy and fun, living life with God's people and sharpening each other, not just with scripture, but with friendship too. Never let satan steal your joy, God is bigger than any circumstance... I just learned it the really long way. But I learned it! And guess what? Yesterday I ate too, I mean I ate a lot! And I got full and I didn't feel sick and it was AMAZING! I love food so much!

Okay so I saw the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe last night (I have always LOVED C.S. Lewis series on Narnia!) and it was INCREDIBLE! LOVED IT! The oldest boy Peter (who is sadly still way too young for me) is the most gorgeous kid ever...sigh... No but seriously they did such a good job with all of the animation and all that jazz, it was good and I recommend it!

So let the countdown begin... 5 days until christmas, 31 days until Amie's wedding, and 37 days until AFRICA!! EEK!

Home for the Holidays!

2005-12-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

helllooooo everyone! Its so weird being back home at my parents knowing that I am not going back to school! At least not Western Michigan Univeristy, okay I will go back eventually! But I WILL NEVER LIVE IN THE DORMS AGAIN, WWAAAHHOOOOO! Thats what I have to say about that!

So now its the whirl wind of christmas shopping and wedding planning and paperwork for South Africa! The countdown is 47 days people! FORTY SEVEN! I cant even believe it! And our wonderful apostle Keri Jones is hooking me up with a church right in Durban! HOW EXCITING! speaking of church, I think its time to share some revelation!!!

I had this amazing conversation with a good and very wise friend of mine last weekend (which by the way was the Ministries Without Borders conference and it was AMAZING and now I want to go to the Phillipines! But I have to finish my education first people, orders of Mr.Jones) and it is definitely one that needs to be shared...

We were talking about all the things God gives us in life, and the things he sometimes takes away. We realized that sometimes God blesses us and gives us things for a seasons, but us being our human selves tend to grasp onto that something for dear life and not want to let it go... when what we really should do is be at a state of constant openness... Always lifting up our hands to our Lord and keeping them OPEN (thats the key) for him to
give and take away as he pleases... and usually when he takes something away its to give us somethings A BILLION TIMES BETTER! So I pray that I will learn to always keep my hands lifted to my Savior, and opened...

Are your hands open?

Seriously, sometimes its a good questions to ask ourselves!! I love you guys!

Oh and p.s. to Cathie, yes Jamo is definitely a friend of Caleb's... at least they know each other! =)
and Jamo, don't worry I know I will always be your favorite ;)

The Beginning of the End

2005-12-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the support guys! I made it out alive..but just barely. And after Wednesday morning I will be completely immunized up and ready to enter the WILD! Or South Africa, whichever comes first.

So now there's bigger fish to fry than immunizations.. today starts finals week and I can count the number of hours i have studied on two fingers, TWO.. thats very BAD! I think its also very bad that I kinda don't care...sigh... I will probably freak out AFTER I take my exams and realize how CRAPPY I did! well... i guess will see!

This past weekend was AMAZING by the way! I really want to go to the Phillipines now, like bad! But as Keri said... I gotta finish my school, then I will go! It was wonderful to see everyone as well, SEVEN out of the ten people from my GAP team were present and that was pretty exciting.. though we did dearly miss our European members!!

I am moving back on friday people! Then January 28 I will be heading towards South Africa.. but as for now, since I am at working I should probably start working.. and then maybe study..eh probably not!

2005-11-30T06:11:00.000-08:00

Today is the real day... in one hour I will have my appointment to get my shots...tear, I can feel the pain already.

I HATE NEEDLES

Let's throw in some turkey and another birthday!

2005-11-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday today to my girl SILJE! she is twenty yo and she rocks my socks off! Last year for her birthday we cooked up a huge norwegian meal and it was all made "from the bottom!" (that means from scratch for those of you who 'don't get it') and it was frickin good food and fun times! I hope your birthday is even better this year silje may, even though i am not there!

i would also like to wish a wonderful thanksgiving to all us americans! yeah that was some good turkey on nov.24, okay so i lie.. i dont even like turkey, but that is what thanksgiving is all about i guess (besides you know, being thankful) anyways i had good food on thursday PLUS my entire family here today to celebrate my mom's side of christmas... we all got to sit around the same table! EEK! it was soooo cool! anyways this is just a bunch of rambling nonsense so happy happy whatever it is that you are celebrating right now! whether it be a birthday or thanksgiving or christmas!!!

love to you all!

p.s. i am still going to africa, YES!

Shots?!

2005-11-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

Sooo...my arm still hurts... yeah, and the saddest thing is- I haven't even gotten one shot! I went to the health center here at western this morning because I have to get all my immunization jazz up to date and vaccines and all that stuff. And they told me they would be starting with shots and stuff and I HATE shots and last night my arm started hurting and it hasnt stopped! Turns out my doctors are crap and my shot records are really screwed up and I have to figure out a bunch of stuff before I get any shots....

All I can say is even though my arm does hurt (I cant wait to actually get a shot!...) it will all be WORTH IT! cause I am going to SOUTH AFRICA! eek! January 28th people, that is the tentative date of departure!

and this wednesday is HARRY POTTER! with my girl april, I AM SO EXCITED! its true folks, I wont lie, I am in love with a fictional character.. and his name is Harry...sigh... I better get back to work!

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO MY GIRL LOU!!!! IT IS HER BIRTHDAY TODAY AND SHE TOTALLY ROCKS MY WORLD! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUISE!

"Daughters of Jerusalem"

2005-11-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

Wow, this smile just won't seem to leave my face! Seriously, what a fantastic problem to have... One that I will continue to have because I have an amazing Prince who tells me to "above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) and he tells me this because he is my PROTECTOR!

I don't know if many of you realized from reading my previous post, but God has been putting me through an amazing testing season of my life, but not without an awesome purpose! So let me just share a little bit of what I have learned, and being from a woman's perspective I am sorry gentlemen, this one is geared towards the ladies...

The beloved warns us THREE times in Songs of Songs about something so extremely important: "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awake love until it so desires." AMEN sisters. God has a perfect plan and he says to us this day "I find you beautiful my precious child. You. You are beautiful and full of my love... my precious, precious child." At least that is what he spoke to me and told me I could share, because we can all grab ahold of a word and make it our own right?! It also says in Song of Songs by our Lover, Jesus Christ, that we are a "lily among the thorns" (2:2) and a lily is pure and white my ladies, we ARE a lily among the thorns! In Proverbs 31:12 it says that a wife brings her husband "good, not harm, all the days of her life." Notice how it says "ALL the days" and not just when you meet "the one" or once you get married. We are called to be good wives all the days of our lives, even before we think about how that boy, or start that relationship, or hear from God about 'him'. I so then encourage all of the single ladies out there (myself included!) and the ones who may be in a relationship that may or may not be heading towards marriage, to bring GOOD and not HARM, to your future husband by being a Lily among the thorns. Be pure everyday you live, which is so amazingly possible through Jesus Christ... and though we make mistakes, thank God for his grace and forgiveness! And not to exclude the married ladies who are reading this as well. Remember to what you are called to be, remember Proverbs, and bring good, not harm to the love of your life... the one that God has placed you with here on earth to forcefully advance his Kingdom, AMEN! (that is so me agreeing with myself and everything that was just written!)

So yeah, I dont know if much of that made sense to you guys cause this is all so exciting to me, but hey if you have any questions, just ask. And remember, God is SO good ALL the time.. and I am going to South Africa! SWEET-O!

p.s. Cathy if you ever read this, I still would LOVE to see pictures!!!

I will praise You in this storm!

2005-11-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

"I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I am with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will life my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I am with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth"

-Praise you in this Storm, by Casting Crowns

The words are definitly more powerul when they are sung but this pretty much sums up my life right now!

p.s. THANK-YOU so much to the ladies who sent me a card from church, you have no idea how perfect God's timing is! What an encouragement!

God is Love

2005-10-30T22:58:00.000-08:00

“Water must be wet. A fire must be hot. You can’t take the wet out of water and still have water. You can’t take the heat out of fire and still have fire. In the same way, you can’t take the love out of God…and still have him exist. For he was… and is… Love.Probe deep within him. Explore every corner. Search every angle. Love is all you find. Go to the beginning of every decision he has made and you’ll find it. Go to the end of every story he has told and you’ll see it.Love. No bitterness. No evil. No cruelty. Just love. Flawless love. Vast and pure love. He is love.”
–Taken from October 30th (titled: Love Is All You’ll Find) out of Grace For The Moment by Max Lucado.

I love this book! I don’t think to read it every day, even though it has an “inspirational thought for each day of the year” but when I remember to read it, it really hits home! Just last week I was praying about some struggles I had been going through last month and God brought me too 1 John 4:16-19, which is part of what the above inspirational thought is taken from:

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out all fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.”

The part that hit me the most with what I have been dealing with is the part where it says “there is NO FEAR in love.” Wow, no matter what is happening, no matter the distance, or words that are said, or words that are not said… there is NO FEAR in love! God will always love me because he is love and the relationships that are through God will stand any test the devil may throw because our love is perfected in Him. If we love each other with Christ love there is no fear. Amen!

Normally I try to make my posts short because I don’t want to take up too much of people’s time, but I thought this an important revelation to share, and I LOVE YOU ALL because God first loved me!

I'll be packing my bags!

2005-10-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

That's right everyone, the title of this post suggests me leaving and that is exactly what I will be doing at the end of January! I AM GOING TO STUDY ABROAD IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA!! I just got the news this morning, it is official and I won't have to pay a dime of my own money! I am so excited! I will be gone until the middle of July so yes I will miss everyone dearly, more news to come!

EEK!

big news

2005-10-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

i just cant update until i know for sure!

love you guys

birthdays, birthday, birthdays!

2005-10-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

hello to all! Well it was a birthday weekend and I just want to dedicate this post to Rachael Beard, Erin Dugan, and Amanda Cade (you guys dont know who she is but she's great!). Rachael has turned the big 21 and Erin way to be out of the teens! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUYS!

Friendships are beautiful aren't they? To share life and have someone be there for you through everything. Whether it be birthdays, weddings, funerals, births, break-ups, hook-ups, revelations... friendships allow you to live your life to the fullest, with God in the center of everything you do. In saying that I want to take the time to thank all the friends in my life, for always being there for me through every circumstance and loving me no matter what I do! I love every single one of you!

God Bless

Mwuaahhhh!

2005-10-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

A kiss to you all! I love you guys! Be encouraged to give encouragement because in return you will be blessed (it says that in Proverbs somewhere doesnt it?).

Anyways this week is going MUCH better than the last... even though I am more stressed, well i shouldnt say stressed, just really busy! Amazing isnt it? I have had two midterms thus far this week and i have two next week and i have a quiz every other day... yeah! but i love it because i am in the midst of something so exciting and if it works out i cant wait to tell you all what it is!

I have a bible study that i am leading to night so i need to start preparing but last night was the first time i heard from jonathan on the phone and he is doing GREAT just so you all know, i can tell he has already grown SOOO MUCH! love you, thanks for the encouragement! we all know we need it once in a while.. or well a lot in a while!

something i JUST heard on t.v. "there is never a testimony without a test".. DUDE AMEN!

2005-10-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

I just read my good friend Erin's blog and it made me feel all happy! I am glad that Jesus is "still hanging" erin, and oh, how I miss cherry!

I have some really exciting news to share guys.. but I cant do it yet cause I don't know for sure and its EATING ME UP! I miss everyone terribly, but thats to be expected! I love everyone terribly and thats just a fact!

But be encourage cause God is good, ALL THE TIME! actually I could really use some encouragement right now if anyone wants to throw some out there... I know God is good all the time, really I do. But people are definitly not good all the time...

Working away..

2005-10-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

So i am at work, working very hard as one can tell.. but honestly i am not a bad employee, really! at the moment there really isnt anything to do... cause i did it all yesterday! hahaha! i am losing my mind here at western! you think they teach us? oh no they take out our brains, hammer them to death with a calculator, or text book, or a thousand pages of reading, and put them back inside our heads and expect the mush that once used to be a functioning member of the body to work properly...

anyways on sunday i visited this church called Resurrection Life Church in Kalamazoo and i got a free mug! its pretty cool, but i would so have rather gotten a krispy kreme =) on the way back my friend melanie (yeah we kinda look alike too, it was really confusing for our friends at first) saw this sign that said:

"Dont sweat the petty things and dont pet the sweaty things"

HAHA! i cracked up! but not really because my laughter was mostly on the inside nowadays.. not that there is anything wrong with that.. i guess being on the GAP just made me laugh so hard all the time i laughed over my quota and i have to make up for it this year...

anyways i am done, love ya!

2005-10-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

GAME day!

And you though it couldn't be done...

2005-09-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

Well folks i have done it! i have mastered the art of the diet of all diets! and i have realized that no diet out there is really the BEST diet, they all depend on the person who is doing the diet, you need to find the best one for you personally...

being the practical person that i am when i put my schedule together i tried to fit as much as possible into everyday.. in doing that i completely forgot to plan for lunch! so i have become an excellent 'eat as i am walking in between classes' person and i figured since i was walking and burning calories as ate i totally gain no extra weight and i am still full!

the secret to my success (cause believe me i have actually lost weight since being at western!) besides 'eat on the go' is my diet...
my diet consist of a normal college diet:

1. pizza
2. pop
3. chips
4. pizza
5. pizza
6. pizza
7. etc...

pizza looks funny when you type it a lot.. anyways so yeah not the healthiest but dude i walk a fricken buttload and man i say eat the junk food while you can.. God made it for a reason! so enjoy!

raindrops

2005-09-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

rain drops falling from my window
rain drops falling from the clouds
rain drops falling all around me
rain drops falling from my eyes

its raining a lot, good weather for the season... i was reading in this book jonathan got me last year and its called GRACE for the moment by max lucado and this is what it says for sunday, sept. 25th:

'I will also give to each one who wins the victory a white stone with a new name written on it'
revelation 2:17

'Makes sense. Fathers are fond of giving thier children special names. Princess. Tiger. Sweetheart. Bubba. Angel... Isn't it incredible to think that God has saved a name just for you? one you dont even know? We've always assumed that the name we got we were going to keep. Not so... The road ahead is so bright a fresh name is needed. Your eterity is so special no common name will do. So God has one reserved just for you. THhere is more to your life than you ever thought. There is more to your story than what you have read... And so I plead... Be there when God
whispers your name.'

Okay so i was encouraged when i read this but i personally dont think God is going to whisper my name, i think that he is going to yell it with glea from his throne and who knows how i am going to react?! i cant wait!

2005-09-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

This has been the longest week of my life (yes i know its only tuesday) and i just wrote a whole page of complaints and then i looked at it, realized that it didnt really help to complain when through everything God is still good so alls i have to say for this post is PRAISE THE LORD!

maybe...a homemade banjo?

2005-09-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

hey guys! dont let the whole word verification thing hinder you from leaving comments, i love hearing from everyone i just hate it when i feel special and then all my comments are about boob enlargements or cat furniture! i got the idea from our lovely quaker oats friend!

anyways inside the mind of melody right now is slightly confused, sad/depressed, and excited! i am sad because i had to say goodbye to beth, jessica, and jonathan today.. who wouldnt be sad after that? especially since i am MADLY in love with one of them (thats jonathan just so that we are all clear!) but i am excited because i went to a bible study tonight for the first meeting and it was really cool!

this week i have to figure out how to make an instrument that makes noise with something in my dorm room, i have no clue! any suggestions?

a life worth living

2005-09-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

I had this class today and it was my favorite one...my dance class! one of the reasons why this class is my favorite is because i love my teacher (dont worry this is going somewhere, somewhere very important!) and at the moment when i was like "why do i really want to do this? why do i want to be a teacher?" my dance teacher made a speech (not meaning too) about how there are some things kids go through in life at home that we could never relate too or maybe in a very painful way could and as she was going on about this i thought how teachers are such a huge part of a childs life growing up. And when they are with these kids everyday they are impacting their lives in a HUGE way! she also said that in school her dance class literally saved her life... what out there is better than being able to share God's love with others through education if you are called to do that? I am so excited I just want to graduate right now! but i still have 3+ years! actually i will be going to school for the rest of my life wont i? now there is something you have to be called to do to handle!

this is the start of the weekend for me! no friday classes YAY! but i do have to work a lot tomorrow, yuck! i love you all! remember to live a life worthy of your calling!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSEPH!!

2005-09-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yes thats right! this post is dedicated to my very good friend Joseph Goulden who is now 20 years of age! I miss you my british boy and the 'ooohhh corn' and fighting for shot gun, and comparing who's skin is better and last but not least "age before beauty"

hehehe, remember the krispy kremes t-shirt cause that will have to do for a couple more birthdays!

i love you, and have fun visiting nathan this weekend =)

that is if joseph ever reads this blog, we all know how well he his with updating his own! =)

2005-09-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

I know you all came to my blog today to read about something so super interesting that you were on the edge of your seat, gripping your desk so hard that your knuckles are white and you start to loose feeling and... okay who am i kidding? i dont have anything interesting to say.. sorry!

but i am still at western and no i havent died yet (though living on a floor with 50 other girls, your life is definitly at risk 24/7) today as my parents dropped me off we had the door open and a girl riding a bike went by, followed by a girl holding on to the back of it wearing roller blades, followed by a girl with camera and then followed by a lot of girlish squels.. sometimes i wonder... if i didnt have Jesus would i have to fulfill my life by doing random things like that? who am i kidding, i would do random things like that anyways! and then when i got in trouble by the RA i would tell her about Jesus, hey there is a witnessing tool!

my different world

2005-09-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

jonathan brought me back to western last night and as my mind transitioned from being back home in middleville to the college life at kalamazoo i realized i was entering a whole different world! but this week i have my shades of faith on people! i am no longer looking at western like it is a lost cause (not that i ever did but ya know) now i have my eyes readjusted to see everything with my holy spirit eyes and not my natural eyes!

so i hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend, i enjoyed being home sooo much, even though i got really sick thats okay! cause its a new day and all my homework for this day is done! yeah! i love and miss y'all already!

COMING HOME!!!

2005-08-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

Yes thats right I AM ALREADY GOING HOME! and it couldnt come fast enough! I cant wait to get out of this place! YAY!! i get to see my man and my family and my friends whom i already miss so much even though i havent even lived here for a week..i cant help it! i am so spiritually connected to my home its just crazy!

but among exciting news joe is sending me BRITISH CHOCOLATE (and other goodies!) which EVERYONE in the dorms is going to be jealous of when i get it (its cause i won something guys, I WON!) and with that in mind it will be easier to come back here once i leave but not easy enough! oh well i got to get an education somewhere right? and besides these people are just begging for the knowledge of salvation, i can see it in their eyes.. some will be hard to win over but i pray others will just be so excited they suck it up like a sponge.. alls i need to do is get the courage to speak and the willingness to really inconvenience my life, which i have found is easier said than done.. but then again "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THRU CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!" (phil.4:13) right guys?

i hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend and i love you! no really i have so much love in me its hard to contain!!

good 'ol western

2005-08-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

well after many tears, a lot of sweat (seriously- no ac!) and a whole lot of frustration i have finally gotten the internet onto my computer in the very comfort of my dorm room. it was hard guys! i spent a total of three hours at the computer OIT help place (dont ask me what oit stands for cause i cant remember) and a lot of nice brainiac guys helped me out... and okay so i never cried but i did get really sad!

i just had a couple of guys come into my dorm room and ask me if i wanted to play ultimate frisbee.. if only they knew.. not only do i not know how but i went for a run the other day and within the first thirty seconds, or maybe ten!, i realized why i hate running! cause its retarded!

anyways i am so excited, did you guys here i totally won a prize! thanks joe from the UK i am so super excited to get mail at college, dude it will be like the high light of my life!!!! okay thats sounds sad... but dude thanks to the spam on my website at least i know where i can get cat furniture.. yeah...

the last supper

2005-08-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

time for another season in my life to begin... I AM MOVING OUT! back to western for my second year of education there! i will be living with my lil sis and i am sooo excited! i already have the van packed up and i am ready to leave bright and early in the morning!

so my new address is:
melody welton
517 eicher
kalamazoo, mi 49008

write me, send me food or any package.... just love me peopl!

nathan i am ticked because i have spam hitting my blog now, i think i am blaming you because you are the only other one i have seen spam on.. anyways i cant wait to see the prepaid phone page or whatever! (sarcastically said if anyone noticed!) oh and i forgot about the smoothies! i made the first smoothie nathan ever drank in america! i should get an award or something!!!

i forget what i am doing tonight? JUST KIDDING!

2005-08-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

LAST NIGHT OF WORK!!! ohmigosh!!! LAST NIGHT! i dont know if anyone realizes this but tonight is my last night at SAMS!! until i start my three other jobs at western.. one of which is going to be a transferral to the sams by that college but hey DONT BURST MY BUBBLE!!

ITS MY LAST NIGHT AT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm out!

p.s. hey guys thanks for all the comments, we shall just have to see on thursday what the next face for melody joy welton will be cause i just DONT KNOW! i am living in suspense!

i'm getting a new face!

2005-08-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

sooo.. this wednesday, oh wait maybe thursday? i am going to the eye doctor for my yearly eye check up, this is when i usually get a new pair of glasses and for YEARS i have been going with you know the thicker plastic frames.. well guys i know i have been known very well for my glasses (its true a lot of people dont recognize me without them!) BUT i NEED a knew face! what do you think? stick with the usual, explore a different color? go with thin frames, no frames (i dont think thats possible but hey!) in the middle? black brown magenta?

hmmm... a new face...

a midnight chat

2005-08-17T01:55:00.000-07:00

well it started out with one question "how has your summer been" and one honest reply "pretty crappy" now if you dont want to get into a deep hour long discussion about why then you shouldnt ask, but i wanted to know and i am always up for listening. so it began. but i will always be here for all of you guys, so if you ever need to talk, i can be that friend.

i left the krafts tonight with the complete intention of going home and going to bed, well i remembered i promised my dad i would put gas in his car and i just knew that i would see someone i knew at the shell gas station in middleville because thats the way it always goes! i was going to see if a place in caledonia was open but middlevilles is 24 hours and for some reason i knew i should just go there. then i ran into michael! a good friend of mine and he ended up pouring out his heart to me, i have to admit i dont really know what to say or how to word what i want to say that often... but i am a good listener, and i think he really needed that! so an hour later i left the gas station and now i am really awake! but i should go to bed!

i had a lot of fun with some of my girls today, but i dont think i got any tanner, sucky! i need to get tan for my sisters wedding... in january!

good night all...

a dedication

2005-08-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

so i was driving along in my automobile dadodadodadodado my sister beside me at the wheel dadodadodadodado we were cruising and playing the radio dadodadodadodado going home from church you know..

okay i am done with the song but i really was listening to the radio and driving home from church with my sister and brother! and this one song came on way FM... and it brought back so many memories of the first season that i was on the GAP and i would just like to take the time and say "oooh corn!" and remember the many lives of the animals that were lost on garbow road... the hours of drive time in cherry (especially me and the driver!) the smell of cologne and most importantly the one tune that reminded me of all this.. "heros are made when you make a choice, you can be a hero, heroes do whats right... you can be a hero, you may save a life" lalalala! so be a hero people!

and i dedicate this post to Erin and Joseph, my year round car riding buddies... way to go cherry for getting us from point A to point B almost every day, i understand that you had to break down that one time cause you know, we drove a lot! hey congrats erin too! you will be a great nanny!

and hey chris, i was LOCKED out of the car REMEMBER? yeah LOCKED out! hey when is golf? oh and hey thanks for coming to my website!

abandoned?

2005-08-13T02:05:00.000-07:00

it was dark and the parking lot pretty much deserted... i sat on the curb by IHOP, alone and lonely... i started to get a bit creeped out when a car from the parking lot over started blasting "celebrate good times.. COME ON" i was not in the mood for celebrating... my so called 'friends' had abandoned me.. what has my life come too? i started praying and sat there speaking in tongues as waiters and waitresses looked out and felt sorry for me.. all alone, and i had left my phone at home... what a night to do that.

so i got the SWEETEST necklace from malaysia from my boys chris and jared (chris was born in malaysia, his mom being malaysian and his dad is english.. but not like joseph english.. like something else but from the same country!) so anyways the necklace is the malaysian flag, i told them to get me something pretty and they just took that for shining.. so the necklace is really shining and sparkly, i like it for all its uniqueness!

i am closing tonight so its gonna be a late one, but hopefully i will make some hard cold cash, i dont even want to talk about the night i had at work last night! cant wait for church tomorrow, i am ready to worship with my family!

hostage!

2005-08-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

image that you are sitting there and the world goes dark around you and alls you see is the T.V. screen... the movie is at the most intense part where you figure everything out and then... the DVD starts to SKIP! and you cant see the whole climax and end of the movie. yeah.... that happened to me a couple weeks ago when i was watching HOSTAGE at the Krafts. great movie, well the part that i saw. so i came home tonight after spending four hours at panera bread talking with my old roommate mary over soup (i LOVE their broccoli cheddar!) and my parents and sisters are watching hostage! i was soooo EXCITED! i got to see the second have and MAn it was intense.. good movie, i recommend it!

i got called into work today and of course i could go cause who has no life? no i am just kidding i totally have a life! i got to buck out last night with my good ol buddies at the beard house hold and we watched the DIEGEST movie! it was Kung Fu Hustle and i LOVED it! HILARIOUS i tell you what! beth and i just were in the mood for a diege movie! anyways it was fun being at the beards again, even though it was only for one night!

GAPers reunite!

2005-08-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

it was SOOO great to see so many of my GAPers this past weekend! everyone was at the wedding minus the foreigners and it was so cool! i miss you guys so much and caleb i am so glad that you are back! david remember, january 21st! erin, good luck for your interview, and jessica- yo remember our date ;)
oh yeah hey kassie i talked to joseph this week, he said that he did really well speaking at bible week =)

well james and lynnsy's wedding was fabulous! i bet i even lost a couple pounds what with all the sweat that accumulated on my body during the course of the ceremony! and of course the jokes neve get old when it comes to picking on jonathan and i, i mean lynnsy and james totally didnt even plan it when they decided that we got to walk together... but we all know that i love it, just as i love jonathan!

speaking of jonathan (which i usually am!) we saw hustle and flow on monday and if anyone sees that movie you will know that it was VERY hard for me to sit thru it, definitly NOT my kind of movie, but jon liked it so it was worth it... plus he paid! (i know like wow) and we were walking out of the movie theatre and some lady that worked there was handing things out and apologizing and we were thinking oh they are advertising for a movie or something and we looked at what was in our hands and we go free movie passes! i figured it was because during part of the movie the sound was messed up and jonathan was like "man i thought that was part of the movie" or he said something like that.. anyways we got free movie tickets, whoo-hoo!

so i am working tonight, exciting i know- my life usually really is!

tomorrow is THE day!

2005-08-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

its the day that so many of us have been waiting for, FOR SO LONG! the planning the man-hours.. it all comes down to this moment that will be tomorrow... thats right i am talking about the firlan/kraft wedding! miss lynnsy firlan will soon be known as mrs. lynnsy kraft.. james will have a wife, and i.. will have another wedding to help with since my sister is getting married in january.. but thats okay! because this is my season!!

so this weekend i will be at michillinda lodge, experiencing the magic that is love and remember that God is so good to give us exactly who we are perfect for!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JAMES AND LYNNSY!!!

dont eat chilly cheese fries after 4 pm (if you have a roommate)

2005-08-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

i was walking out of meijer today and i was people watching.. i do that sometimes.. it was more of listening to other people talk i guess you could say. and something just hit me.. we dont know everyone... and we probably never will. there were people that i saw in meijer today interacting with each other that i will never have a relationship with. and i just found it interesting. so maybe we shoudl take more seriously the relationships we do have and love the people we do know and have the privilege of interacting with. i dotn know i was just thinking.

work was really slow, but good news i will be transferring to a sams joint by kalamazoo so next year i will have three jobs! (england here i come!) i will be working in the registrar office (hopefully) again AND i am a mentor (yeah thats right i am going to help people and get paid doing it! hahaha!) anyways ambers got to check her e-mail for info on the job she stole from me at western (good thing i got three!)

thats all!

p.s. the title is advice from amber

"some books are better left on the shelf"

2005-07-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Well what an eventful weekend! i dont even remember what happened... oh wait yeah i remember now! well Lou has arrived safely back from England and CONGRATS to nathan for doing school of the word (he definitly rocks my socks off!) and LYNNSY IS GETTING MARRIED IN SIX DAYS! amber just practiced doing her hair, she is going to look HOTT! (thats two t's hotter than one!) her house is looking great. i am so happy for her and james, YIKES!

we had a bridal shower today, i was going to call my norwegians (silje and annette) but i got home too late, i have even bought a phone card with loads of minutes!

its work tomorrow, baby-sitting tuesday, work wednesday and thursday, and REHEARSAL friday, EEK!!! well, one of my best friends is getting married this saturday (in case you all didnt get that) i cant wait to see david and the canadians and anyone else! love you guys!

i am watching anne of green gables at the moment and thats were the title came from for this post! why cant she just forgive gilbert and be done with it?!!!

inside the mind of a server/waitress

2005-07-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

1. Server's have feelings too... I just love going to my job to get yelled at by my customers (note sarcasm)

2."don't shoot the messenger" if your food is messed up or taste gross, the server didnt cook it! the cook did.. notice the difference.. server...cook... yeah

3. minimum wage is $2.65, yeah thats how much i get paid an hour... good service should be appreciated! (and tipped well!)

okay so tonight at work one of my tables asked me if they came in again and asked for "froggy" would the other servers know who they were talking about?... another table later on asked me if my voice was real.. they went on to say i missed my calling and i belonged in L.A. because i reminded them of a producer of a show, what with my glasses and "unique" voice.

so yes i have a cold right now so that makes my unique voice even weirder but i dont care, its mine God gave it to me i have decided to embrace it.. its just nights like these were i wish i was just normal.. but who wants to be normal?

well leave me a comment or something... much love

house-sitting and ROAD TRIP!

2005-07-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

hey all!

well today i just got back from work and before that i was house sitting all weekend for my boss. she has a demon possessed dog but luckliy i left with no pernmanent scars! hillary and jonathan were kind enough to stay with me especially since the house had just been robbed last monday (a week from today!) i would have been scared and lonely!

today i missed a call from my best friend silje who is in norway.. i heard my phone ringing downstairs and i picked it up right has it stopped ringing, one second and i missed the third time she has tried to call.. of course i threw my phone on the ground and sat on the nearby step leading upstairs.. jonathan tried to comfort me but i felt inconsolable! next time silje...next time...

so tomorrow i am heading to indiana with my sister amber and we are visiting my grandpa and his lovely wife marlene.. dude my mom blessed me with SHOPPING MONEY! i am sooo excited!

love you all! and i miss my GAPers... you know the one thing i miss most about the GAP? is all the conversations i had about God! i mean i know thats what it was for but man... i miss it!

cotton candy and elephant ears...

2005-07-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

thats right- THE FAIR! i went to the fair today (well technically yesterday since its like 3 in the morning!) with jonathan and it was way cool, i just love looking at everything in the fair... it was jonathans first time and i was SHOCKED! we ran into some of his friends and some of mine and chatted it up with all of em.. the whole time we were looking for robbie because she told us to see her... we were there for three and a half hours and finally once we stopped looking for her she all the sudden was RIGHT THERE! it was insanity!

then we rented this movie that they remade and it turns out we accidentally got the one made way back when and we had to turn it off because it was so boring and horrible and hillary was like dude we just wasted and hour and a half of our lives.. which we really did!

so i hope the world is still turning and people realize that gravity is a good thing when it comes to staying on the ground! love ya all!!!

a new admiration

2005-07-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

okay so i was cleaning and dejunking the other day (crazy i know!) and i found this poem. a friend of mine wrote it for me my freshman year at college, it was second semester and i remember that i had THE worst week and my close friends were really worried about me.. so they went to meijer (one of our fav hangouts! besides steak n shake) and bought all of these pictures i took during one of our trips that we took and they stopped by my dorm room and gave me the pictures and this poem (they KNEW that the pictures would definitly cheer me up!), i just think this poem is nicest thing anyone has ever written about me so i wanted to share it!

a new admiration
by: shane stewart

not to long ago
i met this girl...

she was strong enough
to break her own heart,
then wise enogh from there
to know where to start.

her personality
made it more simple
to open my mouth
and produce a dimple.

with our friendship now stronger
in such a short time,
the world has changed;
there are people still kind.

she's changed my life
and made me much stronger
by showing me why
love cant always last longer

and she's not afraid to laugh
when she finds something funny
yet is less afraid not to laugh
when something isnt

i admire this girl
in so many ways
and look forward to many more
of our late night chats
and our lazy days.

my life is a song
and there's only one melody.

and she makes me smile...

a birthday!

2005-07-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BOY JONATHAN! he is officially eighteen today, ITS LEGAL GUYS! so we are off to have lunch and see wedding crashers (is that what its called?) and have cake with his family... oh yeah it will be a good time!

and LAURAS birthday is this sunday but she will be gone =( tear.... have fun in mackinac!

okay so last night i watch hide and seek and I HATE scary movies! why do i do it to myself? well i didnt i was sooo forced to watch it, i just wanted to go to bed honestly! so my dad jumped in the pool today with all of his clothes on, it was pretty funny, he accidentally dropped his tape measuring in the pool (he is building a deck!) so he had to go in after it... he said it felt pretty good!

and thats my story!

back from the joint

2005-07-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

well i worked again tonight, and dont worry! there were no creepy 30 plus guys hitting on me tonight, i never did get a twenty dollar tip though, dangit.. a guy i used to date came in though, what is it with that place (sams joint) and not good guy memories?

anyways tomorrow I AM SHOPPING! with all four of my sisters might i add! and then i am hanging out with laura! and jonathans birthday is on friday! funstuff funstuff!

i miss my GAPers! just thought i would mention that, i hope nathan got home safely!

i love you all!

standing alone

2005-07-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

my dear friend nathan caughey leaves me today...

and i am left alone... the last GAP member i remain in good ol middleville, michigan. i am venturing to the airport today, probably to cry my eyes out. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO LEAVE? augh! sob sob.. okay i am good now, i am kinda actually glad that they are gone, NOW I CAN VISIT!

so i worked at sams joint last night and i got hit on by and older guy (we are talking late 30s) and he totally asked for my phone number and left me a tip as big as his bill and i was SOOO CREEPED OUT! but you know if these looks pay the bills i guess then, hey i have traveling to do!!

Its been a while!

2005-07-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

HELLO EVERYONE! my life is just so full and interesting finding time to get online is just so difficult! but now i have the internet at home again so I promise to try this whole blogging thing more and more!

well i graduated from the GAP (with flying colors might i add!), i have a boyfriend named jonathan, I work at Sams joint (a restaurant) and I am rooming with my sister amber at western this fall! I am sooo excited! today i went back to work for the first time (i am a waitress) and i got to talk to a couple people about God which is sooo cool! he is good all the time!

another wedding?!!

2005-06-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

hello hello hello!!! there are officially nine days left until graduation and however many after that until I am no longer a part of the GAP program! EEK!!!!

So this weekend should be FUN! the gap is going to see benny hinn (spelling? oh well who cares!) tomorrow and then i am going to a wedding (yup you guessed it!) on saturday and I AM SOOO EXCITED because i am wearing a black dress with super cute shoes.. okay sorry that was a really girly moment!

so something interesting happened today... the two gap guys who have always had the longest hair cut it all off! and i got to say, matthew and david you guys look great!!! its like it was when i first met them oh so many years ago!

but yeah thats my interesting life! oh and i get a car for the next five days.. YES!

sorry its been a while!

2005-06-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

AUGH!!! that was sooo diege... i mean totally ridic!!! okay so nothing was diege or ridic i just wanted to say it!!!! i think dancing frees my mind or something because yeah...my mind s free and i jsut saw MY BOY!!! okay so he isnt mine yet but he will be one day!

we set up for yet another wedding today in the church and i danced to the tootsie roll song down the aisle (dont worry no one is here but me and my GAP girls!)

its a beautiful day i hope everyone enjoys it! i cant wait for open houses and free food and weddings! i cant wait to wear my black dress but oh dear i need shoes!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

2005-05-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

So it was my birthday yesterday!! and i had a good day, it wasnt great but it was definetly good! i got to get a new tooth (yes i have a fake tooth, its porcelian, whooo) and so i had to eat soup and mashed potatos for my lunch and birthday dinner.. but oh well. i got to hang out with my amazing family who i love so much and the gapers gave me very creative wonderful gifts! they were so diege =)!!! and my little brother made me the cutest card, he is sooo talented!!!

oh and silje and i went shopping and i have a new outfit, thats always sweet! (i love silje!) and then last night my friends chris and chris and a bunch others took me out for my birthday, we went to steak n shake because our regular place (sams joint in alaska) had just closed, dude it was only like 9:30! anyways that was so fun it should have been illegal! but it wasnt.. cause you know it wasnt! the best part of my day though i would have to say was when i got a phone call from a certain someone wishing me a happy birthday!! he even left me a message singing! i love that guy!

anyways i love you all too!

Flowers, Curls and Ribbons!

2005-05-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

ITS A WEDDING DAY TODAY! My dear friends Josh Best and April White will soon become Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Best!!!!! I AM SOOOO EXCITED! The GAP has worked their magic and made New Life a beautiful place for a reception and I just know that the church where its at will be beautiful as well! So I am sitting here all dressed up just waiting, I have a bit of time...lalalala...

So tonights its party harty and then tomorrow I AM GOING TO PROM! yes thats right I graduated two years ago and I am headed off to Middlevilles prom with my wonderful roommate and sister and norwegian and all those wonderful people... not to mention my date, chad marsman ;) hehe...

Then on sunday its CHURCH and worship and mothers day and youth group... and yes so thats my weekend.. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Life and everthing in it...

2005-04-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

So all my college friends are starting their summer days and I am going to miss that! but hey you sacrifice a little to gain a lot! And where would I be without this year? I dont even know! I have way to much to look forward to on the Fourth of July =)

mel

Breathing

2005-04-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

As long as there is breath in my body I will praise the Lord. I thank God every day for my life, for the air I breath, for the people I know and interact with... he is so faithful!

Anyway, we had our last soccer game last night and we sucked pretty bad... I mean the ref stopped keeping score! But keep in mind that none of us have really played before and we don't practice! I made some friends though! The ref was really cool and I figured that if all of us got encouragement on the field he should to so I told him nice call once when he blew the whistle and he really appreciated it, I could tell! And he said that he did too so there! I also made friends with Debbie, who was a good player on the other team! She was cool, and after the game I met Ben, who is a certain someones friend so that was neat. I barely know any of his friends...

Then we went to Steak n Shake which was like my second home at college last year, we had fun.. I laughed and had people looking at me, I hit my head on the table really hard.. I took pictures and video clips with me sweet new camera...

And so yeah, enjoy life!

Mel

I was feeling Poetic

2005-04-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Life.... and everything in it can be so magical! In a split second you can have a feeling that you wouldn't be able to describe to anyone with all the words in the world...in a split second you can see the most amazing view of God's creation that you have ever seen, never to see it again, and just be more amazed the next time you see something even more magnificent. God created everything to work together so perfectly. He created people to fit together in a way that no other living thing on earth does... he created nature to work as nothing else can... HE created it all. I wonder what he was thinking when he place the stars in the sky in all their glorious patterns? Or when he decided what colors to paint the sunset and what brightness to make the moon? Everytime I see a flower bloom or a leaf change in color I just think at how God formed it all with his words, he spoke and there was light!

I thank God for his perfect timing and for the love I feel, He is so amazing!

Mel

God's AMAZING Power!

2005-04-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

God is so good, I don't know what more to say! Tonight the youth at my church had an amazing break through in worship for two hours and we literally were all dancing 'like david danced' it was the coolest thing to be a part of and to experience God's amazing power! Penny was healed, she had been in a car crash last week and sprained her wrist and was completely healed from it! my brother hurt his ankle this week (probably playing soccer?) and he said once he started dancing and praising God the pain went away. I didn't want to stop! And when I thought I dance or jump anymore I asked God to give me strength and he did! I was more energized leaving the church than when I entered!

GOD IS SO GOOD! Imagine 30 or so youth just jumping up and down praising God like maniacs with the chairs moved to make space in the center of our main room! God is always speaking to us, always MOVING!

So in other areas of my life, that always include God of course! We lost our soccer game, but that could be due to the fact that most of us havent played soccer before, the only time we practice is during our games, and we have never had a real goalie! It's still way fun though! GAP is amazing and we only have until July 3rd to make the most out of it! I am going to miss my Gapers SOOO much I don't even know how to express it! I LOVE THEM!

this next phrase is for hillary, who has probably never even been to my blog! "straight from the mouth of the snake" cya, Mel!

Clear blue skies!

2005-04-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

What BEAUTIFUL weather we are having here in Michigan and I LOVE IT! I read a book outside in the sun today and I have to say I enjoyed it immensly! Today is a good day, eh? And tomorrow will be even better because I am playing SOCCER!! I am thrilled to more peices that I can even put into words, and we are going to KICK BUTT!

Then saturday is an Indian food party for Kassie's (a GAPer) birthday... When life comes at you fast, make sure to slow down! Sorry I dont know where that came from, but it did so its there and now I am not!

Mel

Showing Off

2005-04-13T00:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to look at your life, and laugh... God has such a good sense of humor you know? And I love Him, and his sense of humor, and I know he MUST love to laugh! And when I reflect on things that happen and God's perfect timing... to use a quote I heard from somebody who heard it from beth moore (I think?) I just want to say "awe... God, you're just showing off!"

Anyways life on the GAP is good as usual... I saw Fever Pitch the other day, it was a good movie... or maybe it was my company that was good?! Anyways and yesterday we had marriage matters, we learned about in-laws!!! But yeah, God is good, life is amazing, he loves to show off!

"Seek beauty, miss love... Seek Love, find both."-Max Lucado

coming home!!!

2005-04-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

I have been in Gilman for the past six days and now after a nice breakfast in my tummy its almost time to head back! What a wonderful time the GAP team had here though, we were so amazingly blessed! Twelve people gave their lives to the Lord, one person redicated their life, and someone got baptized in the Holy Spirit!! How awesome is our Lord and Savior??

Yesterday us girls got to go out to lunch and a movie and then we rode dirt bikes and four wheelers (Jessica and I rocked!!), then the boys joined us for a bonfire and star gazing on the trampoline (I am surprised it didnt break!!).

So here's a holla for the most wonderfully nice people of Gilman, Illinios!

I'm out...

April Fools....?

2005-04-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Yeah, its the first day of April and I have already fallen for the April Fools stuff TWICE, dude normally I am not so gullible... okay maybe a little...=)

Anyways Erin got me all excited for a split second when she said that Lou said it was okay for us to leave at ONE (instead of 4:30) from G.A.P. and that was definetely an April fools joke and then I was tricked yet again when my sister sent me and e-mail saying she had broke her arm (it sounded sooo legit guys, I am serious!) but she said she was doped up on vicadin, which she wouldnt have been and if she was, how was she typing me an e-mail, with a broken arm? and yet I fell for it anyways.. what a sad state of affairs!

But yes other than that it has been a good day, I did a teaching today about being in the world but not of it and I personally got sooo much revelation from it! Anyways now I have to go help chopped down a live tree for firewood in the Dugans front 'yard'? (and thats totally not an april fools joke) okay so I wont be the one doing the chopping but I shall watch!

I heard today, on the radio, that they have passed a bill where you arent allowed to smoke cigarettes while driving (which really would be the betterment for mankind, did you know that its like 17 minutes off your life for every cig you smoke?!) and that was an april fools joke...

Back on the G.A.P.

2005-03-31T16:54:00.000-08:00

Well, it is the first week back on the GAP after spring break and you can tell that we have all missed each other dearly! For those who are reading this that don't know what the GAP is, well you should get a clue! No just kidding I will tell you... It stands for Growth Acceleration Program and it is a ten-month long program training in the ways of the bible and evangelism and a whole lot more! Ten people make up the GAP team, as we are so lovingly referred to, and we come from all over the world! We got some chick from Norwegia, two dudes from Great Britian (Englan AND Wales, beat that!) a true canadian is on the team, and the rest are from the AMAZING brilliant states of Illinios and Michigian in the USA!

So far this week I have climbed a tree (become wet and muddy in the process because I had to dash across a stream that was deeper than I thought it would be!) in a park and played soccer in the church parking lot so as to actually become good! Well I guess other things happened in there as well, like I learned about marriage during Marriage Matters (very important!), and I am doing this amazing bible study with the ladies of the church by Beth Moore calle "Jesus, the One and Only", and I have learned the first habit (out of seven) to become a highly effective person by Steven Covey (I think thats what his name is anyways?) oh and I have seen some movies! Like Luther, that was good, I liked it!

Um, yeah so thats a week in the life of the GAP! Or in the life of Melody, whichever you prefer! Next week the GAP team travels to the distant land of Gilman, Illinios... I am soooo excited! And I don't even know what we are doing!

in the words of my best friend chris:

"keep it real, keep it safe."

Happy Easter!

2005-03-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful day! So far I have already enjoyed a wonderful time of worship, listening to God's word, and fellowship at my church... I have had a wonderful Easter dinner with my family (well 8 of us at least!) and then we watched some basketball movie made in the 50s, it was called Hoosiers? yeah, Hoosiers! And now I am all set for my afternoon nap! Then its time for youth group!!! Praise the Lord!!

Have a wonderful Easter!

quote of the day: "secrets are BAD!"

girls everywhere!

2005-03-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

You would think that my first day of spring break that I am actually able to sleep in I could...But alas, no such luck! I don't really like sleeping in anyways and waking up to 9 little angels (they are present as I am typing this=) in my family room playing "Catch Phrase" was really ideal! i woke them up when I came home last night anyway, so I guess it was only a fair trade!

WE WON OUR SOCCER GAME LAST NIGHT! Okay picture this, 5 seconds left on the clock, the score is tied 6-6... Jonathan passes the ball to Joel (or Joel passes the ball to Jonathan, I don't really remember which, I was to high on adrenaline) and BAM! We scored with like 2 seconds left and won out first game without default! Like we actually won for REAL! So our record is 3-2. yeah, we're awesome! I love talking to the people on the other team though because they don't know what to do! I am just trying to be friendly because I don't really know how to play soccer that well so I like making conversation... I don't understand why I only get weird looks back!

Anyways the surprise party afterward went really well, Kelly was surprised! She turned 17 last week, HAPPY BIRTHDAY (again) KELLY!!!

quote of the day "when you are looking for your shoes, find your socks first!"

Spring Break!?

2005-03-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

Yes this is the week where people go on cruises and visit friends and come back with amazing tans...and what where my plans? To do absolutly nothing! And I have got to tell you that I have the best spring break I think I will ever experience, and I really can't tell you a whole lot of what I did... except I think I have driven at least ten hours this week! I have had sooo much fun, jstu chillin with norwegians and hanging out with my sisters! And shall we not forget Romans 6?!

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin, how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were also baptized into his death? We were therefore buried through babtism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Since we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ. we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body as instruments of righteousness. FOR SIN SHALL NOT BE YOUR MASTER, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE." (1-14)

Yeah, baby! That was all from memory, okay well at least half of it was! I am off to a night of soccer and surprise birthday parties!!

quote of the day "You really should use forks, unless you like spoons better."

The Very First One!

2005-03-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

I have to admit it, I am a virgin blogger! I have discovered this amazing thing from the Norwegians, yes they are all very cool! Anyway, my life is so interesting that you are going to want to keep up on my somewhat daily comments cause you may learn something rare! Like did you know that when the sun is shining it usually makes you happier?! Astonishing I KNOW!

quote of the day "don't eat cheese if you are allergic!"