The Chronicles of Melinda

Maybe it’s just getting over being sick.  Maybe it’s the effect of emotional stirring, maybe I’m working my mind harder than my body and it’s a mental thing…but whatever it is…I am tired!  I’m ready for God to give me some refreshment.  Get me feeling all revived again and ready to do battle.

I do have three days in Atlantic Beach, all expense paid to look forward to near the end of the month.  So maybe I’ll feel refreshed when I come back.  And hey - I have an official date coming up.  Maybe something good will come of it that give me a renewed sense of faith that God intends to fill that void.   But really - I don’t really know what I need to get over this fatigue.  I could sleep in all day for a whole day- - - but then I’d be tired from OVER sleeping.  Funny how that works.

Well whatever the case…the funny thing is that even though I am tired…I’m excited to see what’s going to go on this weekend as far as Spiked attendance goes.  I’m sure it will be awesome.  And maybe THAT will refresh me.

Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. (Proverbs 26:20)
There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace. (Proverbs 12:20)

Pretty simple.  If you don’t fuel the fire, the gossip, the drama…it will die out on its own!  Some people like to stir things up.  But when the stirring stops…so does all the turmoil that comes with it.

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt^[ water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Yeah - think about it.  I don’t need or have to say a lot to say on this.  But I used an example of something that happened with youth to drive this point.  If we spend as much time  and energy using our tongue to Praise God and spread his word and share how great he is with our friends and loved ones who are unchurched as we do to spread rumors…oh what a difference we could make for the Kingdom of God!  Nuff said!

NHC is on the HOT series. Pastor Dave has been laying the smack down on Marriage and this weekend…Dave said that he is going to talk about theS word. 

And this is just one of the many reasons that we parents need to work on putting our kids in the appropriate environment at NHC this weekend as Dave discussed in this blog post.  A mature conversation about the S word and spicing up your marriage…is not one for your kids to hear.

So we’ve got these awesome environments at NHC designed JUST for your kids so they can have their own awesome experiences at NHC.  But you also need to know that it’s key that you as the parent are attentive to where your kids can be and when at NHC.

So here’s the deal!  Got a Uhaambo aged kid…(4th grade and under) - - - well you can come to any service of the weekend and they are coverred.  But if you’ve got a Club 56′er you need to know that their service is available on Saturday night (6:30PM) and- FIRST SERVICE ONLY (9:30AM) on Sunday.

There is no CLUB 56 available during second service on Sunday right now.  Second Sunday service is currently when the SPIKED service is taking place (Grades 7-12).

So plan accordingly.  If you have a Club 56er and you show up during second service on Sunday….well they’ve got no place to go for their own service. BUT…they can serve during that service.  So get with the YPM Adam Cook and he will put you through the appropriate channels to get your 56er serving during 2nd service.  For example, my 56er loves little kids…so she serves with the smaller kids downstairs while I am serving in SPIKED. Not so sure I want her in the main auditorium listening to Dave talk about making your marriage and the Sex in it…HOT and since she’ll get her 56 service at 9:30AM she’s Serving for the 11:30AM. 

So if you have a 56′er and you haven’t made the change yet that will put them in the appropriate place during service…this is as good a weekend as any. Either that - or come see us in upstairs to get them plugged in to SERVE.

Sometimes there’s comedy, sometimes Lifetime Movie Network tear jerking drama, sometimes action, I’m sure we can all attest to a little suspense/thriller episode now and again (while we wait to see what God is doing).  I even have Western moments (minus the riding off into the sunset…though I’m patient).  Oh yeah - and we can’t forget those bouts of romance and passion.  But all in all life is straight up an educational flick. And we’re all a part of it.

So sit back, grab some popcorn ( to all who know where this comes from….where your boyfriend at? Is he gettin’ you refreshments? Is he tall? Is he gettin’ you Mike and Ike’s? Oh you like Mike and Ike’s!?  Is he hefty?  Is he coming back? Where your boyfriend at?) and watch it all play out. Don’t worry - God intends for their to be a happy ending.

Anyway- went to work Friday anyway- not feeling much better.  But you know how it is…you are sick and you SHOULD stay home…but you don’t because you want to make sure the boss sees you less than 100% so they know you weren’t faking it.  Ha ha. I hardly ever lay out sick.  I have enough sick leave racked up to get pregnant, go out on maternity leave, put the kid through college and then come back.  (Okay maybe not so much the last part of that - but I could go out on maternity leave and not have to go into leave without pay!)

Gave two riding lessons on Saturday morning. Then scooped up a youth and headed to NHC still worse for wear to help out with the new Saturday service. Saturday service was PACKED!  And I know I saw LOTS of new peeps!!!!

The youth ran concessions and got to keep all the income for youth ministry. So there were snow cones, popcorn, hot dogs and cotton candy.  And there were SOOOOOOOOOOOO many people at the kick off at new Saturday service that it was absolute organized chaos.There were adults and youth hustling around making it happen.  “5 hot dogs and 2 popcorns please!” “3 Hot dogs” “Where’s my cotton candy?”  Phew big ups to the EPM Jamie McDonald for sharing his cotton candy spinning skillz! 
Well now- when all was said and done there was quite a chunk of change in our money box.  So now we get to figure out how to spend it.

My future husband came through and got recruited for clean up. Wonder if he’ll stick around after all that work.  HA HA!  So what…I’m still a rockstar…I got my rock moves…and I don’t need you!
 
Let me tell you what - praise God for the need to spend it cuz Sunday morning rolled around and we implemented our first MORNING Spiked Service.  And let me tell you what- GOD deliverred.  We had so many kids…we had to get extra chairs!  That’s right - WE RAN OUT OF CHAIRS!  We were prepared for twice the kids…but how could we have forseen that God  would nearly TRIPLE our normal attendance?  Trust me..this is NOT a bad thing!  We will be ready for God’s move again next week with more chairs. And if we still underestimate(cuz you can never truly estimate what God is going todo) and run out again - well that’s all the more reason for praises!

Now even sick - I think I laid STRONGER out like it was nobody’s business but God’s!  God gets all the credit for helping me bring it cuz to be honest with you- I barely remember it! LOL!  Had more table game teams than ever (and I obviously don’t know jack about One Tree Hill) and gave away some Klondike bars and  freeVinny’s Pizza! Then Adam laid out the first message in our new Schooled series complete with Free stuff thrown into the crowd. (School stuff actually -in keeping with the theme!)

When all was said and done….dozens of donuts were consumed in addition to cases of Frapuccinos, the team had worked their butts off and hopefully we drove the point home that SPIKED is the place for a teen to be on Sunday morning. And God rocks!

We cleaned up the room like nothing ever happened, talked about it a little and left the scene.  Then I had an awesome lunch at the Ale House with some cool NHC peeps, headed to Barnes and Noble (since we were in the area cuz I am hardy EVER in that area of Durham) and browsed around far longer than I ever intended. I bought a book and an instructional CD and Taira got a mag.  Headed to the crib and Taira and I took Rolo and Ringo for a walk and now…I’m about to have a cup of tea and snuggle myself into the covers. Nighty night!

Oh yeah - and the rumors are not true.  Dula and I are not dating.  So no…he was not cheating on me Sunday.  That was his REAL girflriend  and it’s OKAY!  LOL!  So the lesson learned is that if we spent as much time and energy in spreading God’s word in a week as was spent spreading the rumor….we truly would be….. UNSTOPPABLE for Jesus!

I just realize - it’s like I’m living a whole new life now.  Well in reality I am.  A lot of things have changed.  I’m walking a new path!  Doing things differently, thinking of the outcome of things before I make certain decisions,  consulting “higher authority” in things I do.  I’ve cut a few ties…for the better.  Severred a few unhealthy relationships and yes I have actually shut a few doors and thrown away the keys on the path to bettering myself. 

But sometimes I look over my shoulder and think…I need to go back.  Not to the bad things or practices…but to some of the people in my life that I’ve kind of left hanging.  Not intentionally.  Things have just opened up in my life that have caused me to focus on different things and different priorities and in some parts of my life I’ve been “flying under the radar”.  So now I have to wonder…have I let myself be so blinded by the splendor and wonder of my new path that I’ve neglected some people that I’m sure God intends to remain an important part of my life.  

I’m sure he doesn’t intend for me to be neglecting some life long relationships while he’s working on me.  Which is probably why he laid this on my heart today… 

I’ve got different levels of frienship with some people in my life.  Some people who I can talk to every once in awhile and it’s all good.  We catch up, say our hellos and may not talk again for another week or so, but we maintain a healthy level in our relationship.  I have some people I talk to EVERY day…to the point that we have nothing to really talk about…but we just have to make that daily connection.  And there’s those few times a week people.  I’ve let some of those slip - the daily conversations have turned weekly, the weekly conversations have turned monthly…you get the idea.  People are asking other people who know me if they’ve seen me or heard from me.  So yeah…I guess I’ve got some s’plainin’ to do and some apologies to make.  Of course…I have a lot of exciting things to share so I’m sure God will help them understand.

The weekend is just about here people.  NHC’s kick-off to three services!  Tomorrow - 6:30PM there is main service and Club 56.  Sunday there’s main service and Club 56 at 9:30AM and Main service and Spiked at 11:30AM.

So many people have been working really hard to make this happen.  Volunteers have come out of the woodwork and stepped up to the plate to give the lobby a facelift and spiff up NHC (not that it wasn’t already spiffy) to welcome all of those who may come into NHC for their first time ever.  Ministry areas have been completely re-modelled.  And there’s been a whole lotta praying going on.

But the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (12 Thessalonians 15-18) and give thanks.  So no matter how much praying you’ve done this week….PRAY UP!  PRAY UP! PRAY UP my friends.  Pray for all the hands and hearts that are helping make this happen.  All the leaders and volunteers who will be serving all weekend (and some who have been serving all week in preparation).  Pray that hearts will be as open as the doors of our church are to allow God to do some awesome, awesome things!  Pray that there will be an awesome movement INTO the doors of NHC.  And give thanks ahead of time for what God IS going to do this weekend.  The signs are up, the work is getting finished, G105 has been broadcasting NHC for the past couple of weeks…and now all we have to do is watch it all happen.

I believe…do you belive?  Don’t miss out on the action!

Last night our small group was nearly nil so Dougie and I decided to just go grab some grub.  First off - should I start to get worried about this economy thing?  I had to pass up two of my regular gas stations last night because they had none.  Ended up gasing up in Durham…but ran into one of our on-fire youth so maybe God wanted that.  The youth make me happy.  So happy in fact - that even if I’m having a crappy day at work (like yesterday) - thinking of our youth ministry can settle it for me.

Anyway, Dougie, Taira and I headed to Golden China on North Point Drive.  I love that place at lunch because they have a signature lunch where you can combine a Japanese entre wtih a Chinese entre.  So I can get sushi and general tsao’s chicken all at the same time and at a pretty decent price.  YUM!  But last night I went for four seasons. Lunch is usually more than plentiful and serves as dinner and sometimes breakfast because of all the food they give you.  Well dinner…was no different!  “Can I get a To Go box…please?”

After dinner we went and spent probably about an hour just hanging out in World Market.  I LOVE just browsing around in that place.  There’s some pretty neat stuff in there.  You can go buy somebody something and swear you got it for them in another country.  HA HA!  I did, however, see the biggest Sugar Daddy ever and I LOVE Sugar Daddies.  And we also made some entertaining videos.  Spend some time in the youth room and you might get to see them.  LOL!  Did you know there’s a possessed toilet in World Market?  Don’t believe me?  Go see for yourself.  Second stall on the right!  Nuff said.  Anyway, after lots of laughs and no money spent (yay us!) before we knew it it was time for them to close so we had to git to gittin.  Spent some time with some fire and then some candles and then off to sleep I went.

Went to the school of one of our youth to have lunch today.  Taco Bell beat cafeteria food hands down.  And now…they are going to serve and help out Saturday so it pays off.

This weekend is rolling up fast.  NHC incorporates Saturday evening service this week.  So all hands will be on deck to make it exciting and successful. (Where will YOU be? If you have been waiting to serve…now is your chance!)  And even more so I am looking forward to Spiked service at 11:30AM.  That means that after hanging out with the coolest youth in town (yeah and some adults, too)…I get to go home and have a full half of a day to do with as I please.  Most likely though…I will spend it working on something.  LOL!  But in reality - I’m looking forward to a Spiked Student Ministry Explosion as a result of the big move.  Stay tuned.  And to all of our volunteers and leaders who may be stressing out just a leeeetle bit about the big weekend….relax!  God’s got this!

I’m babysitting some headwear this week of a fellow NHC’er.  I’m having quite a bit of fun sending daily pictures of a certain someone’s hat in different locations doing different things.  The owner of the headwear thinks I’m crazy…but I think I’m quite amusing if I do say so myself. 

Teen small group tonight.  Pray for our kids and group leaders.  Holla!                 Mel

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• Thankful for the resources we have to reach out to hurting teens! 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 04:17:44 AM March 10, 2010 from txt