For those touched by the story of Shaniya Davis
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
I continue to be amazed and inspired by the faith this little angel’s father continues to show in our Lord and Savior through all this. He says “May the joy of the Lord stay full in all of your hearts” when he concludes his statement to the press before taking questions. He states when questioned about his thoughts on his daughter possibly being sold as a sex slave he stated he had not been told some thing s had happened. ”However with the faith in the Lord that we can cleanse ourselves and ask for forgiveness and forgive those who’ve done this disgusting act”.And then when asked if he could forgive Shaniyas mother for what has happened he states ”With the Lord’s strength I’m sure I’will.”
Here is my tribute for everyone who has been touched following this story!
An angel child caught my heart though I never met her face Her loss cut deep as if was mine, when she met the Lord’s embrace Emotions that took over me were far beyond control A little girl I never knew, her name etched in my soul My heart cried out for those knew the blessing of her smile For I know the pain of missing that will linger quite awhile So now in a time of tragic loss, I can only pray In a time of anger and in grief that faith will not be swayed I pray for all the family, strangers and the friends As Faith is often questioned when it’s hard to comprehend Lord hold us tight and close to you as we grasp to understand How this angel came to be with you, taken by Satan’s hand Give us comfort, give us peace and show your love is true Now that Shaniya holds your hand and stands there next to you!Melinda Ann Duarte
If a child’s 57 cent built an UNSTOPPABLE church…what can we do NHC?
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
In a sermon delivered December 1, 1912 by Russell H. Conwell, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia recounted how a 57 cent gift from a child started the campaign to build a bigger church. Rev. Conwell said the little girl’s name was Hattie May Wiatt. She lived near a church where the Sunday School was very crowded and he told her that one day they would have buildings big enough to allow every one to attend who wanted to. Later, Hattie May Wiatt became sick and died. Rev. Conwell was asked to do the funeral and the girl’s mother told him that Hattie May had been saving money to help build a bigger church and gave him the little purse in which she had saved 57 cents. Rev. Conwell had the 57 cents turned into 57 pennies, told the congregation the story of little Hattie May and sold the pennies for a return of about $250. In addition, 54 of the original 57 pennies were returned to Rev. Conwell and he later put them up on display. This was in 1886 when 57 cents was no small savings account for a little girl from a poor family. Some of the members of the church formed what they called the Wiatt Mite Society which was dedicated to making Hattie May’s 57 cents grow as much as possible and to buy the property for the Primary Department of the Sunday school. A house nearby was purchased with the $250 that Hattie May’s 57 cents had produced and the rest is history. The first classes of Temple College, later Temple University, were held in that house. It was later sold to allow Temple College to move and the growth of Temple, along with the founding of the Good Samaritan Hospital (Now the Temple University Hospital) have been powerful testimonies to Hattie May Wiatt’s dream.
Where is God in the Shaniya Davis case?
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
In my christian walk, I had made the decision to stop watching so much news. The news is filled with coverage of negative stories and always something bad. Someone has been shot, hurt, killed. I think I was much happier when I wasn’t watching the news.
Well I drifted back into the habit of watching the news in the morning while getting ready for work in the past month or so. Last week I got sucked into this story of missing 5 year old Shaniya Davis from Fayetteville.
I honestly wish I had never followed it. With the terrible ending to the search in the finding of the body of that beautiful angel preceded by the arrests of the man last seen on surveillance camera taking the girl to a hotel room and the arrest of her mother for her involvement I was absolutely sickened, heartbroken, disgusted and devastated by this case. Her mother is charged with human trafficking with a child as a victim (her daughter) with the intent that she be held in sexual servitude and child abuse by prostitution. And that information came before the discovery of that angel’s body. The man last seen with her was in police custody, but still it was not known where Shaniya was and there was hope that she was somewhere alive.
But every day I checked the headlines in hopes that they would find that little girl alive. And yet when I heard they were searching a heavily vegetated area on a tip..I knew they were most likely in search of a bodyand not holding hope that she was going to be found alive and that was heartbreaking. And then…she was found.
There’s stories every day of missing children, abused chilrden, murders….but this one really has hit a spot in my heart I wish I could let go of. I actually cried when I found out they found her body as if I knew this little girl personally….as if I knew the father who had raised her for years and unknowingly in trying to let her “mother” BE a “mother let her go live in a situation that would end up like this. This story put such a lump in my throat and a knot in my stomach…I went to bed thinking of it and woke up thinking of it and that’s why I’m blogging about it.
It’s stories like this that put that big question mark on your heart for God. It’s stories like this that test your ability to see a greater purpose for the events. It’s stories like this that make it hard to pray for anything positive for those involved in conspiring in the unimaginable and unfathomable events that took place in this little girl’s last few days of life. Honestly my heart says “Rest in Peace Shaniyah…burn in Hell Antoinette Davis, Mario Andretti McNeil and anyone else who played a part in this.” I know that is not how God wants us to feel and that there’s supposed to be some sort of compassion in praying for the souls that committed this terrible sin to be Saved and NOT to burn in hell. But that doesn’t mean we can’t feel that way at least for a minute or two or….
In our anger we are led to think..why should they have the right to have a chance to redeem themselves to know our Lord and Savior? We know that beatiful and bright little Angel who is seen smiling and happy in pictures from years prior to this is now safely in his arms. But we have to find the “purpose’. Maybe the purpose in all this was to prevent her from having to live with the trauma of what happened to her…as anyone who has suffered at the hands of violation knows that is no easy feat in itself. Maybe the purpose was in intervention to save the life that now grows inside of that little gir’s mother. Maybe to intervene in whatever in that mother’s life would put her in a position to make such a terrible and tragic decision to traffick her own 5 year old daughter for unspeakable purposes.
Yet you can’t help think of the people closest to that little girl who loved her so and the pain and hurt in their heart. This father now has to struggle with the decision he made in trying to be a good father when his daughter’s mother asked if she could BE a mother.
But I think it’s evident from this little girl’s father that God is there. Last night at a candle light vigil, held up by friends he cried out…
”Lord, I come to you with open arms and it is hard. It is hard,” Lockhart said, his legs shaking and tears in his eyes as he spoke to the crowd of about 500. “Don’t give up on me and don’t give up on Shaniya.”
I think that this father, crying out to God even after all this happened to him speaks a mountain. And it makes you examine yourself, too. If that happened to you….do you have the faith in your Lord and Savior to still cry out to Him and ask him not to give up on you!!!
Back from the beach with the crud!
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Yeah - so all this time I’ve dodged the bullet, my super spidy senses and lightning fast reflexes weren’t enough.
We had a great time at the beach, but day by day I felt the yuck coming on. A miserable cough that kept me from sleeping well most nights, despite that it was nice and warm in the trailer. By Sunday, I was just ready to go home. And it was 5 hours of driving!!! I had to stop and take a nap at a rest stop.
When I got home I pulled right into the drive, unloaded two horses and nothing else. Everything else could wait. I crawled straight into bed. Spiked a fever of 101 and stayed curled up in my bed.
Malcolm and my mom (who is the BEST by the way for helping with the trip and taking care of all of the critters while I was gone) went out and got me some Theraflu, made me some soup, took my temp and took care of dinner.
Top it off - Monday morning in addition to my feeling like ick - Taira woke up crying with her ear hurting. So as mom headed back to Angier, Taira and I headed off for Dr. Appointments. Ear infection for Taira complete with ear drops and Bronchitis for me complete with an inhaler, Avelox and some super thick miracle cough syrup.
I’m STILL recovering - but back at work today. But so much for dodging the bullet. At least I’ve dodged H1N1 for now.
Dear God…we need to talk!
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Isn’t that something we all need to do? Talk to God? I’m coming to terms that instead of doing all the talking…I really need to do some serious listening. Probably not just in my christian walk, but life in general. I’m so busy talkin’ that maybe I forget to listen.
There’s still time
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
To help us reach our goal!
http://www.horsebackbeachride.kintera.org/myrtlebeachsc/mduarte
Merry Monday
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Well I am counting down to getting ready to head off to the beach! SO much stuff to do! It’s amazing how we stress ourselves out to go…relax. HA HA! Packing, prepping, taking care of things that need to be taken care of while we are gone. We scurry around doing this and that pulling our hair out trying to remember what we know we’re going to forget. It’s crazy. And that’s just when we’re preparing to take ourselves. I’ve got to prepare to take HORSES too! LOL!
So here’s my to do list:
- Pick up the unexpected parts the truck needed Tuesday so I can have them put on Wednesday.
- Drop the truck off to get the parts put on, pick it up and shell out more $$$ for the work!
- Do laundry - and then pack it!
- Pack the horse trailer!
- Clean the horse trailer camping area (after packing it!)
- Make sure mom has everything she needs at the house.
- Make sure the horse sitter has everything needed to take care of the horses being left behind.
- Hit the road.
- Stop somewhere to pick up camping food.
- Make it to my destination in one piece with truck and trailer and horses still in tow. (ha ha).
- RELAX.
So yeah - I’m gonna try to get all that done without stressing out!
Anyway - that said - here’s the weekend in review.
Saturday it was raining - so my Saturday lesson got cancelled and rescheduled for Sunday. So not afraid to say that as should be tradition on a rainy day…all I did most of the day was lounge around. Waited for the rain to subside and at about 7:30PM and Malcolm took us to the State Fair. It was the last weekend for the fair, but the crowd was not too bad. The weather had subsided. Didn’t get searched on the way in. But decided that the best way to sneak a weapon into the fair is to sneak it in with a child. Not that I would - but children were waved through and adults were searched.
Rode a few rides, saw the fireworks, played a few games then got some fried okra, a funnel cake, a bloomin’ onion and some candy apples. Also did a lot of people watching. This was a STATE FAIR - so why were people dressed up like they were going to the club? Even saw a girl in HIGH HEELS. I can’t imagine trying to walk the Fairgrounds in heels. Saw people only half dressed. Do people think they’ll meet their soul mate A. If they are half nekked (yes I meant to spell it that way and B. At the STATE FAIR of all places???? Anyway - left at about 11:30PM and got home super late.
Slept in on Sunday and didn’t go to 1st service as planned (anxiously awaiting the media to be put on the NHC website so I can hear it because that’s a great feature at www.newhorizonchurch.tv). Then got up and did morning chores and got horses ready for lessons. My first lesson came at about 11:30AM and the 2nd came perfectly timed at 1:ooPM. All went well so now there are two new peeps set up for regular lessons. Time to put the horses back to work.
After lessons set off to Home Depot and got some stuff for trailer improvement. Finally getting around to getting some insulation and panelling in the dressing room to make it more comfortable to camp in.
As for the evening…set off for just a fun hang out night with the small group. We ate, we laughed, we chatted and just had a warm and fuzzy night of fellowship.
Well now…here we are at MONDAY! Sigh…is it FRIDAY yet? Cuz hopefully by Friday I will be RELAXING safely at Myrtle Beach!!!
As life gets hectic…
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
It’s okay- life is hectic. But at least I’m blessed with a life to live! Ha ha!
My physical therapy sessions and home exercises for my back seem to be having a positive effect. No constant back pain for most of the week. And I’ve been back to riding regularly this week - so PT can stand for, as my friend put it, “Pony Therapy!” Ha ha!
Tomorrow we hope to venture and brave the weekend crowd at the State Fair. I am going to try my hardest not to eat anything that comes in the form of a $7 heart attack…but I’m not making any promises. Ha ha! I’m thinking I can draw the line at a sausage and a funnel cake! Really….I can do it!
Trying to get geared up for the beach ride coming up. There have been all kinds of obstacles in the way! The awning issue - resolved. Truck brakes issue - costing more than anticipated and not going to be resolved until the night before we’re scheduled to hit the road. But safety comes first and when it comes to hauling horses down the road we really can’t take any chances!
And if you feel so inclined - here’s my one last plea to make a donation to the American Heart Association on my on-line donation page. Click on the link below - even if you can only give $1.oo your tax deductible donation goes towards helping the American Heart Association make important advances against heart disease and stroke.
http://www.horsebackbeachride.kintera.org/myrtlebeachsc/mduarte
I’m nowhere near my goal of rundraising $1000 - but at least I’m above my minimum requirement of $130.00 so I’ve gone above and beyond. I know - times are tough to be asking for money and donations. But it’s for a good cause so think about it.
Change is coming…
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Change is coming. Sometimes change is good. Sometimes change is not so good. Either way - change requires some getting used to. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the past couple of years in my life. Some were overdue, some were unexpected, some were a long time coming. But the point is…I had to accept and live with the changes…even if I wasn’t in favor of them. God changes things in our lives as he sees fit. Sometimes they are for his own glorification…and sometimes they are meant to glorify him in the long run.
Change is a hidden blessing sometimes. You know…it hits you and you don’t quite understand it. You wonder what good could possibly come of it. But rest assured…at some point - even if not right away - you will recognize the blessing in the change.
You just have to have faith in what’s to come when there’s change. Brings me back to one of my favorite passages…
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Managed to dodge the bullet…
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
And haven’t caught the cooties despite Malcolm being sick last week, a coworker having confirmed H1N1 and several shelter staff being out with the same. Been taking that generic immune booster stuff EVERY day. So as of today so far I have dodged the bullet.
Went to visit a friend Saturday at her new house. Spent some time floating around in her pond on a boat while Malcolm did some fishing. It was uber-peaceful and I could have stayed there all day. We grilled out on on her deck overlooking her pastures , played pool and just caught up. She found her own little slice of Heaven. But since I can go visit whenever I want…I am not a tad bit jealous! LOL!
Had a great small group meeting last night. Loving the new relationships and as Leah would say …authentic sharing. It’s pretty inspring. Are you in a group? If not - get in one! The end! 
Family is coming to visit from Massachusettes in a couple of weeks. 1 year dating anniversary mark with Malcolm is coming this Friday (what to do?) and life is just overall good! Hope you had a great weekend!
