The Lord has been waking me up about this time every night for awhile and I know that I meant to take the time to go before Him in prayer. That I am to serve in a ministry is decided (this was a long process).
Which particular area of ministry is not. What city this ministry is to be in is not. Whether it is to be a "family" ministry (as in all of us serving together) has not. Many unanswered questions.....but this I know, in the stillness of the night my God is in control. He knows the outcome. He knows the end result and He is the one doing the whole thing anyways. For you see he is "doing a new thing" in me.
I ask that you please partner with me in prayer as I position myself before the Lord to hear His voice? My prayer at this point is simple - "Lord, please show me." Amen.
Proverbs 1:5 - Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.
So, I call on my prayerful friends, my prayer warriors - whether they be from Facebook, blog posts or my "reality of day to day living" and ask you to lift me in prayer that He show me the way and then give me the eyes to see it and receive it! Love to you all each and everyone one!Melissa
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Had to Share.....
We lived in the Nashville area for 9 years and let me tell you this article hits the nail on the head! We love you Nashville and you are in our prayers!
We Are Nashville
By Patten Fuqua
Published: May 4, 2010
Allow me a moment to step away from the usual voice of this website. What I am about to write has absolutely nothing to do with hockey. If you live outside of Nashville, you may not be aware, but our city was hit by a 500-year flood over the last few days. The national news coverage gave us 15 minutes, but went back to focusing on a failed car bomb and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While both are clearly important stories, was that any reason to ignore our story? It may not be as terror-sexy as a failed car bomb or as eco-sexy as an oil spill, but that’s no reason to be ignored.
The Cumberland River crested at its highest level in over 80 years. Nashville had its highest rainfall totals since records began. People drowned. Billions of dollars in damage occurred. It is the single largest disaster to hit Middle Tennessee since the Civil War. And yet…no one knows about it.
Does it really matter? Eventually, it will…as I mentioned, there are billions of dollars in damage. It seems bizarre that no one seems to be aware that we just experienced what is quite possibly the costliest non-hurricane disaster in American history. The funds to rebuild will have to come from somewhere, which is why people need to know. It’s hard to believe that we will receive much relief if there isn’t a perception that we need it.
But let’s look at the other side of the coin for a moment. A large part of the reason that we are being ignored is because of who we are. Think about that for just a second. Did you hear about looting? Did you hear about crime sprees? No…you didn’t. You heard about people pulling their neighbors off of rooftops. You saw a group of people trying to move two horses to higher ground. No…we didn’t loot. Our biggest warning was, “Don’t play in the floodwater.” When you think about it…that speaks a lot for our city. A large portion of why we were being ignored was that we weren’t doing anything to draw attention to ourselves. We were handling it on our own.
Some will be quick to find fault in the way rescue operations were handled, but the fact of the matter is that the catastrophe could not have been prevented and it is simply ignorant beyond all reason to suggest otherwise. It is a flood. It was caused by rain. You can try to find a face to stick this tragedy to, but you’ll be wrong.
Parts of Nashville that could never even conceivably be underwater were underwater. Some of them still are. Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel are, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. People died sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate. We saw boats going down West End. And, of course, we all saw the surreal image of the portable building from Lighthouse Christian floating into traffic and being destroyed when cars were knocked into it. I’m still having trouble comprehending all of it.
And yet…life will go on. We’ll go back to work, to school, to our lives…and we’ll carry on. In a little over a month, I’ll be on this website talking about the draft. In October, we’ll be discussing the new Predators’ season with nary a thought of these past few days. But in a way, they changed everyone in this town. We now know that that it can happen to us…but also know that we can handle it.
Because we are Nashville.
http://www.section303.com/we-are-nashville-4366
We Are Nashville
By Patten Fuqua
Published: May 4, 2010
Allow me a moment to step away from the usual voice of this website. What I am about to write has absolutely nothing to do with hockey. If you live outside of Nashville, you may not be aware, but our city was hit by a 500-year flood over the last few days. The national news coverage gave us 15 minutes, but went back to focusing on a failed car bomb and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While both are clearly important stories, was that any reason to ignore our story? It may not be as terror-sexy as a failed car bomb or as eco-sexy as an oil spill, but that’s no reason to be ignored.
The Cumberland River crested at its highest level in over 80 years. Nashville had its highest rainfall totals since records began. People drowned. Billions of dollars in damage occurred. It is the single largest disaster to hit Middle Tennessee since the Civil War. And yet…no one knows about it.
Does it really matter? Eventually, it will…as I mentioned, there are billions of dollars in damage. It seems bizarre that no one seems to be aware that we just experienced what is quite possibly the costliest non-hurricane disaster in American history. The funds to rebuild will have to come from somewhere, which is why people need to know. It’s hard to believe that we will receive much relief if there isn’t a perception that we need it.
But let’s look at the other side of the coin for a moment. A large part of the reason that we are being ignored is because of who we are. Think about that for just a second. Did you hear about looting? Did you hear about crime sprees? No…you didn’t. You heard about people pulling their neighbors off of rooftops. You saw a group of people trying to move two horses to higher ground. No…we didn’t loot. Our biggest warning was, “Don’t play in the floodwater.” When you think about it…that speaks a lot for our city. A large portion of why we were being ignored was that we weren’t doing anything to draw attention to ourselves. We were handling it on our own.
Some will be quick to find fault in the way rescue operations were handled, but the fact of the matter is that the catastrophe could not have been prevented and it is simply ignorant beyond all reason to suggest otherwise. It is a flood. It was caused by rain. You can try to find a face to stick this tragedy to, but you’ll be wrong.
Parts of Nashville that could never even conceivably be underwater were underwater. Some of them still are. Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel are, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. People died sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate. We saw boats going down West End. And, of course, we all saw the surreal image of the portable building from Lighthouse Christian floating into traffic and being destroyed when cars were knocked into it. I’m still having trouble comprehending all of it.
And yet…life will go on. We’ll go back to work, to school, to our lives…and we’ll carry on. In a little over a month, I’ll be on this website talking about the draft. In October, we’ll be discussing the new Predators’ season with nary a thought of these past few days. But in a way, they changed everyone in this town. We now know that that it can happen to us…but also know that we can handle it.
Because we are Nashville.
http://www.section303.com/we-are-nashville-4366
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Melissa's Musings on Avatar
I loved Avatar and let me tell you why! I want an Avatar machine. I am sure there is a technical word for that machine which I don't know, but wouldn't it be so cool to have one that was customized for Christians? I would wake up every morning, put my sinful natured self into the machine, push a buttong which would appropriately read "DIE TO SELF", shut myself up in the machine, relax, close my eyes and live just like Christ wanted me to live all day long. For you see, that is what we are called to do and boy is it hard!
Romans 8: 6-8 (from The Message) tell us:
"Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored."
So until the machine is invented that I can immediately climb into every morning and die to myself, I will just start my morning as usual praying:
"Lord, help me to die to myself today. Put aside my selfish intentions, habits, behaviors and attitude. Help me to be more like you and less like myself every day! In Jesus name, Amen."
Romans 8: 6-8 (from The Message) tell us:
"Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored."
So until the machine is invented that I can immediately climb into every morning and die to myself, I will just start my morning as usual praying:
"Lord, help me to die to myself today. Put aside my selfish intentions, habits, behaviors and attitude. Help me to be more like you and less like myself every day! In Jesus name, Amen."
Friday, April 30, 2010
Brown Family Mission Trip 2010
Our family will be serving this year on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. We travel with a group out of people from Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. This will be our second year serving and just as we did in 2008 we are raising money for our travel expenses to the Rez and this year also car rental, as Chris' new company vehicle will not accomodate our needs. I have been asked to direct the VBS this year and will be having to carry supplies with me also. If we have any money left over from what we raise (hopefully), we will be giving leaving that with Pastor John Lovelace to us as winter propane money for the people on the Rez. They suffer very cold winters there. We will be heading out on June 10th for the 20+ hour drive and then returning on the 18th. We ask for your prayers for safe travel, guidance in my VBS role, and that God use our family to plant a seed of faith while we are there.
If you feel led to help us with travel expenses and the cost of the mission trip, please mail any contributions to:
Winchester Cumberland Presybterian Church
200 2nd Avenue NW
Winchester, Tennessee 37398
Note on your check that the contribution is for Brown Family Mission Trip and your donation will be tax deductible.
Our church will also be taking up a love offering on May 23rd.
Here is some information about the community we will be serving (third world country statistics - hidden away in the land of plenty):
* Median income is $2,600 per year with 85% to 95% unemployment.
* Infant mortality rate 300% higher than the U.S. national average.
* Diabetes and Tuberculosis rates 800% higher than the U.S. national average.
* Elderly die each winter from hypothermia (freezing).
* At least 60% of the homes are severely substandard, without water, electricity, adequate insulation, and sewage systems.
* School drop-out rate is 70%.
* Recent reports state the average life expectancy is 45 years old while other reports state that it is 48 years old for men and 52 years old for women.
* With either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for any community in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.
* And the list goes on and on….
If you feel led to help us with travel expenses and the cost of the mission trip, please mail any contributions to:
Winchester Cumberland Presybterian Church
200 2nd Avenue NW
Winchester, Tennessee 37398
Note on your check that the contribution is for Brown Family Mission Trip and your donation will be tax deductible.
Our church will also be taking up a love offering on May 23rd.
Here is some information about the community we will be serving (third world country statistics - hidden away in the land of plenty):
* Median income is $2,600 per year with 85% to 95% unemployment.
* Infant mortality rate 300% higher than the U.S. national average.
* Diabetes and Tuberculosis rates 800% higher than the U.S. national average.
* Elderly die each winter from hypothermia (freezing).
* At least 60% of the homes are severely substandard, without water, electricity, adequate insulation, and sewage systems.
* School drop-out rate is 70%.
* Recent reports state the average life expectancy is 45 years old while other reports state that it is 48 years old for men and 52 years old for women.
* With either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for any community in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.
* And the list goes on and on….
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
When God Calls....
I have known for many years that God would call me into some type of ministry, but always thought it would be missions (since that is what I dreamed of doing for God when I was a child). Lately, God has opened several different opportunities up around me and I am really trying to discern where God is leading me. I am in prayerful decision mode right now. For an ADHD person, trying to find where you are supposed to be HAS to come straight from God, because the Lord knows we can't figure it out on our own AT ALL!
I have been chewing on the thought all morning that if we wait until we think the "time" is right or we are "right" or we are "good enough" to do certain things for God, then that time will never come! I am an imperfect person. I will never be good enough or feel like I fit the bill. Therefore, we must step out in faith. We must know that God will only take us where He wants us to be and that in that place there will also be provision. Come with me and step out in faith!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Beth Moore - So Long Insecurity!
So even though it seemed like it wasn't going to happen - I am going to be in Woodstock, GA tomorrow get to see my sista Beth Moore speak live on her new book "So Long Insecurity". Those of you who know me, know that I love how God has used her to teach so many women about the Word of God and that she is SO down-to-earth.
I pray for safe travels for myself and my little car and I can't wait to hear a word from my Father this weekend! Praying for you all to have great weekends and wonderful time with friends and family!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Busy, Busy, Busy......
Haven't had time to blog lately, but wanted to drop in and update. We are all doing well. Chris is VERY busy with work this time of year so he has been gone quite a bit. Jacob is trying to finish up school for the year and the girls just finished TCAPS which they said "were a breeze". :) I am busy with work and school myself and am also preparing for our trip to South Dakota coming up on June 10th. We will be serving again on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and I will be directing the VBS there this year. Please pray that I can get everything ready to go and that the Lord will use our family in a powerful way to help the people there on the reservation.
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."
Jeremiah 32:17
Friday, April 16, 2010
Jacob
Well, another year has passed and I wish time would slow down. Jacob will be 15 tomorrow and eligible for a learner's permit! Wow, can you believe it? I am so blessed to have such a wonderfully unique son and can't wait to celebrate his b'day tomorrow! Hope you have a blessed weekend!
Melissa
Melissa
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Messiah Tour - Atlanta
Chris and I are headed out tomorrow at noon to help chaperone a trip to the CIY Believe Messiah Tour in Atlanta. We are really excited and blessed to be able to take such a great group of Middle Schoolers to the event. Please keep us in prayer for safe travels and that it be a changing event for our Middle Schoolers.
www.ciy.com
Melissa B.
www.ciy.com
Melissa B.
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