"Trust is allowing yourself to fall back into the goodness of God." -Paula Rinehart
God is good.

I'm attempting to switch my journal over from my website.... Sooooo here it goes....

March 23, 2003
I will boast in nothing else
I will live for nothing else
I will cling to nothing else
But You, Lord, Only You

I throw off al these things
That keep me from running straight for You
They are holding me back
From pursuing what is True

You layed your life down for me
Now I desire to do the same for You
Take my life
Use me, Mold me, Shape my soul
Pursue me, clean me, Make me whole

I want to run straight to you.

January 26, 2003
Ps 84:2
"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God."

December 29, 2002
God, how can you want to be wanted by me?
You are so pure and clean
And I am so dirty
I am in Awe of how You persue me
Unvail your beauty and glory
For me to see

November 5, 2002
Save me, Oh God
For the waters consume my soul
Save me, My Lord
Come and make me whole

Because I am weary of my tears
And I am overtaken by my fears
Are you out there God?
Do you even hear?

Draw nigh unto my soul
Redeem me from this hole
You know my reproach
Come and change me to your mold

Save me, Oh God
For the waters consume my soul
Save me, my Lord
Come and make me whole

July 1, 2002
From Passion on a Hill
The Phos Hilaron
Circa 3rd Century AD

Hail, gladdening Light, of his pure glory poured
Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest
Holiest of Holies, Jesus Christ our Lord

Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest,
The light of evening round us shine,
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life alone;
Therefore in all teh world thy glories, Lord, Thy own.

April 20, 2002
In the palm of His hand,
That's where I'll be,
Loving my Savior and praising my King,
So if anyone asks or comes looking for me,
Thats where I'll be

I dont know what the future holds,
Or what I'll be when I grow old,
But I rest in the fact,
That He knows where I'm at,
And He knows where He wants me to be,

So if anyone asks or comes looking for me,
That's where I'll be

April 15, 2002
Tight-rolled, acid-washed jeans, keds, flipped up collars, fluffy hair; All of these things were brought back to my memory this weekend when my best friend from high school (Jenny) came to visit me. What a blast we had.
I picked her up from the airport early afternoon on Friday, and we went back to my house to rest, chat, and snack (what else, but Doritos and Coke? Our old Favorites!) and for dinner we went to Mo Mo's (famous for their slice of "Pizza as Big as Your Head") down by FSU campus. Then we went for a short tour of the campus, and to hear Silas play at Ruge Hall! Saturday morning we (Jenny, Amber- my rommie, and I) woke up and went to Destin (Home of the America's Most Beautiful Beaches- plus there is pretty good shopping too!) We spent the day on the beach in beautiful weather. Naps on the beach are my favorite! Then we headed down to Sockeyes, one of my favorite surf shops. After a few purchases we realized that we hadn't eaten all day so we went out seeking a cool beach restaurant. Our search ended at McGuire's Irish Pub (Famous for the dollar bills that hang like sea weed all over the ceiling and walls of the restaurant)... Ok, not exactly a beachy place, but we did get to eat outside on the deck where we could see the scenery of the beach. It was beautiful. After eating we decided to drive through Panama City (The World's Most Famous Beaches according to the Travel Channel) to see the attraction and get some ice cream. When we arrived back home at midnight, we were all exhausted so we hit the sack but were up bright and early the next morning for church. After church Jenny and I finished off our sandwiches from McGuire's, and then got out the ol' scrap book. That was one of my favorite things we did. Sitting there looking at old pictures, remembering old times.... Our conversation was full of laughter (of how silly we looked back then.... we thought we were soooo... cool.) So many sentences began with, "Remember when...."
From reminiscing about old memories to creating new ones this past weekend will not soon be forgotten. In two weeks our old high school will hold it's 25th Anniversary Reunion Celebration. I'm sure there will be more "Remember When's" to come.

February 21, 2002
Chicago is known as the windy city... yet during my trip there I did not experience that side of Chicago at all. The weather was perfect. I had gone up to visit my friend/past roomie, Amy. Never having been to Chicago, my excitement was at top levels when the pilot of my airplane announced that we would be landing soon. Amy met me at the airport and from that point on, the weekend was non-stop. I was only there for a weekend, but we packed in as much of the city as we could. There is something about being in a new place.... the mysteries to be discovered..... that makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. Amy and I ran from place to place. One of the highlights was getting to eat sushi for the first time at Benihana's Sushi Bar. I actually liked it which was the real shocker of the day! I also had my fill of Chicago Style Pizza at Giordana's. When we were not eating, Amy and I were running from site to site, place to place, trying to take it all in (Amy was very gracious to accomidate my every whim, since it WAS my first time in the city.) House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe', Chicago Place, Watertower Place, Borders, Starbucks..... Mostly we walked around and just enjoyed the atmosphere of the city. I LOVE IT! I look forward to the time that I can go back and take in more of THE WINDY CITY!

January 29, 2002
Well, what is up with 70 degree weather in January??? If this is January, then I'm afraid of what July is going to feel like! This is definately not a typical winter season. Although one thing that is typical of the season is the coughs and sniffles and that is no different this year. Everywhere I turn, I hear it. Of course 2 weeks ago I was boasting of how I am, pretty much, immune to many of the winter ailments. They always say, pride cometh before the fall, and in this case is most certainly did! I was sick for a week and a half with that stuff. I couldn't breath, could hardly talk, yet in my stubborness, I refused to go to the doctor. I mean, what are they going to tell me, that I have a cold. Thanks! I think I figured it out on my own (no offense to the doctors out there. I do appreciate everything that you do.) It is times like these when the smallest little words from my little ones mean the most. One little guy in 3K raised his hand during class to ask, "Miss Petefish, are you sick? I'm praying for you." Words like those can heal the heart faster than any medicine will heal the body.
Thankfully I am almost fully recovered from my infirmity.

January 15, 2002
As I write this the voices of little after school care kids in the backgroud singing the "Hokey Pokey" cloud my brain. So in the middle of this entry if you read, "take your right arm out" or "shake it all about" you will have to forgive me.
January is a crazy month. Getting back into the rat race of life after Christmas vacation is always a challenge. One thing that was on my mind as soon as I got back into town was the "Teen Take-Over Service" that our youth group was scheduled to hold for the church. I had not only told Mr. Stephens that I would prepare a skit, but he had also asked me to give a testimony of what God had been teaching me through my work with the teenagers. With less than a week to prepare after I got back to Tallahassee, the first thing I had to tackle was the skit. I wasn't sure if it would come all together but the teens did great, and the Lord really blessed us with just enough time to prepare. The testimony that I had to give was probably the part that I was most nervous about. I'm definately not the person in the crowd that jumps up on stage every chance given. Actually in my four years in Tallahassee, I had not been on stage at my church to speak. This would be my first opportunity to share my heart with the church. My biggest prayer was that I would be REAL. I didnt want to get up there and be something that I wasnt just to get a laugh and I didnt want to share a bunch of fluff, just so that I could get through the time. Throughout my preparation time, God kept bringing the same verse and thought to my head.... II Corinthians 12:9 which says, "My grace is sufficiant for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." I thought about how inadequate I feel to do many of the things that God sets before me. This verse really encouraged me to embrace those time that I feel I can't do them without God. When all is said and done, those are the times that God gets the most glory from my life. In the living Bible, the passage from II Corinthians says it this way, "But I am with you; That is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people. Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am. I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ's power instead of showing off my own power and abilities." I really liked the wording of the Living Bible. Reminds me of the acromym F.R.O.G. "Fully Rely On God". I definately had to fully rely on God for that teen service, and I am glad to be a living demonstration of his power

December 30, 2001
I'm sitting here right now in my mom's living room. Everyone has gone to bed and I'm still washing my clothes. As I sit here I'm a little sad to think how fast time passes every time I am home, and how quickly things change while I'm gone. Playing with my little brother tonight, he called out, "Come get me, Mitsa, Come get me!" He was very different this time. More like a little boy and less like a toddler. All of the changing makes it tough to be away. Tonight I was driving back from my dad's lake house. The sun was setting and the moon was bigger and oranger than ever. God's love overwhelmed me right there driving down that little North Carolina back road. All the beauty that was, not only in my surrounding, but also in the lives of those that I encountered in this trip home

December 19, 2001
This Christmas season has already been full of activity and fun. Amber and I kicked the season off with our Christmas decorating party. What a blast! Amber and I picked out our tree and we even got it to stand within 10 minutes. Now that's a miracle! We invited our friends over and decorated our house, ate pizza, and watched the Grinch (the one with Jim Carey). I think I like the cartoon, that I watched every year since I was a child, better. Shortly after our party, we went to the Messiah Sing where the audience participates in singing the chior parts of Handel's Messiah. This was my first year, and it was a good experience. I wasn't able to sing every song. The
"Amen" chorus was almost impossible... I mean, the whole song just says "Amen, Amen, Amen." and each word has about 20 notes. If you loose your place, there's NO finding it again. The next event on my Christmas calendar was Christmas shopping and lunch with some of my 6th grade girls and later that night "Light Up Tallahassee" festival. Amber and I worked the face painting booth for Child Evangelism Fellowship, then I linked up with some other friends to walk around and listen to the live music. We heard a local group that I really liked called Isaiah Moon. They had a good sound. Last weekend was our Youth Christmas Service to a Nursing Home and then our anual Christmas Party. That day actually turned out to be quite a fiasco for me and Amber calls it "Melissa's horrible, terrible, very bad, no good day" b/c it reminded her of those children's stories. I was glad when it was done. This week has been exciting. It started on Monday afternoon when Amber and I drove to Jacksonville (2 1/2 hours away) to see Andrew Peterson and Siler's Bald perform their Christmas Concert. Andy had written a series of songs that told the story of Christ our redeemer. He even sang the lineage of Jesus.... you kow, the part of the Bible that is always skipped over when being read (so-and-so begat so-and-so, who begat so-and-so). We stuck around and got to talk to the musicians and Marcus even let Amber and I hammer on his Dulcimer a little. That was great fun. Oh, to be able to play the dulcimer! We got home late and we both had work in the morning but it was well worth the trip. One of the most creative and worshipful Christmas concerts that I've ever been to. After a long night like that, you would think that I would have come home from school yesterday ready to sleep.... Nope. The first Lord of the Rings movie came out at midnight last night, so that's where I was with a group of my friends. It was an exciting, action packed, scary movie. GO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF. So today I am running on fumes. 2 hours of sleep! Tomorrow will be filled with Christmas Parties. It is a half day of school. Then I will be heading up north... North Carolina that is.... to see my family for the Holidays. I'm excited about what we have planned, but I will bring more details of that later.God Bless and Merry Christmas!

November 27, 2001
I have started to write in my journal several times this past month, yet everytime I either get distracted or my thoughts don't come together quite like I want them to. I hate that about myself. Not just with this Online Journal, but also with my Personal Journal. I will want to write, but then I get lazy or distracted and the thought passes before they are recorded. That's definately something I need to work on. Hopefully this attempt will find itself complete (and since you are reading it right now, it most likely has).
For the first time since September 11 I flew home for the Thanksgiving Holiday. When asked how I felt about flying, I emphatically expressed that I was unafraid because I knew God had my life in His hands. Those were my true and honest feelings, but I have to say that the few minutes before take-off, my heart had that uneasy feeling of uncertainty. I wispered a quick prayer and then fell asleep for the entire flight. I was very thankful when I was safely in North Carolina hugging my sister. My sister and I pulled in the dirt road that my mom lives around 1:00 am. The first thing I did was walk in my house and up the stairs to wake up my little brother Brandon. Poor kid! I was just so excited to see him. My mom and I chatted for a while and then went to bed.
I spent the next day in NC with my mom and brother, and Thanksgiving day I drove with my sister Erin to Cheasapeake, VA to spend a few days with my Aunt Becky and Uncle John, cousins, Grandparents, my dad and Mila, and Amber and Jeff, plus all the kids. We had a very full house, but it was great. It really brought back memories of past visits. I was very thankful to be with my family.
On Friday all the girls joined the masses in a day of shopping. That is a tradition that I am going to have to break. By the end of the day I had bought NOTHING but gained a headache and sore feet. All the while, the guys went paintballing. I was very jealous (though my friend Ramsey thinks that I would be a big baby the first time I got hit!)
Saturday we drove back to NC and I spent Suday morning in my home church, which is always refreshing. David Stevens, a missionary to Romania, spoke. His message was encouragement from what God has been teaching him, and it truely spoke to me. One statement that stood out to me was about not cluttering our lives with STUFF. Many times we get so attached to our STUFF that we don't have the flexablity to serve God as freely as we would like to. That was especially good for me to hear in the midst of the Christmas season when we get so focused on shopping and presents and material things.
This Christmas I am trying to focus on serving others and showing Christ's love to them. I'm not exactly sure how that will practically play out this season, but I do know that this Christmas I want to give and receive something that will have eternal impact. I have been reading several books that God is really using to move me to a deeper commitment to Jesus Christ. No Compromise the Life of Keith Green by David Hazzard and Melody Green, Rich Mullins Arrow Pointing To Heaven by James Bryan Smith, and Jesus Freak by DC Talk and the Voice of the Martyrs. Reading the stories of fellow believers that have given all is very convicting and shows me how little I actually have given Christ.
May this Christmas season bring us to a new level of knowing and loving Jesus Christ our Creator, Lord, and Savior, and Friend. ~With Love, Melissa

October 23, 2001 Wow! This past month has seemed like a whirlwind! So much has gone on that I don't think I could tell all, but I will attempt to tell much. I guess the first big event of this past month was the Young Life leadership weekend at Southwind Young Life Camp in Ocala, FL. It was my first official Young Life activity and it was not only fun, but also spiritually uplifting. The speaker challenged us in our ministry to not only reach out to the kids that are accepting of us and are easy to talk to, but reach out to the kids that are difficult to be around... Come out of our world to be a part of theirs. Young Life has been a blessing in my life in many ways over the past month. Other than my camp experience, I have also been playing my guitar for our bi-monthly Young Life meetings. That has been a blast. I LOVE playing my guitar for myself, but to be able to use it for others has made it all the more great! I can also see how it is (slowly) helping my improve as a guitarist.
Early October I was given tickets to go to the Sonic Flood concert, and I was unsure of how much I would really enjoy the music. I already had a Sonic Flood CD that I liked, but I was thinking in concert they may be just a little too hard for my taste/mood. After the experience, I was very thankful that I had taken the time to go. Not only was the concert fun (Mary and I stood at the stage, in the center!) but it was very worshipful. At one point Sonic Flood had a time where people could come down and pray and several of the musicians came off the stage to pray with many of those who had come forward. It always impresses me when a musician seems to genuinely care about their audience, and that was displayed that night through Sonic Flood.
Not even a week later, Mary and I were heading down to Orlando for a FACCS teachers convention. This would be a first for both of us. I was pumped about the week, but very tired from teaching that day. We were having a good ol time talking and listening to music, when our air went out in the car... Not exactly the best thing to happen when you live in Florida. about 10 min. later we started hearing this clicking noise. Thinking that was odd, I peered over at the temp gage. It was boiling! We pulled on to the shoulder of I75 to brain storm about what we should do. Here are 2 single girls, stranded, hours from home, and we have no clue what to do, so as Mary was on the phone with her mom, I decided I would stand by the car and stare down every car that passed. My thought was that maybe some one would have pity and stop. Finally someone did. A very nice man who put coolant in Mary's car, and gave us directions to the nearest store to get more. Come to find out, we had to put a lot of coolant in the car, which solved to problem. :o) After that fiasco, we again headed down to Orlando singing and laughing. Mary drove, I DJed. The teachers convention was like a college reunion! I saw several old friends I had not seen since graduation. The speakers were refreshing. I think the speaker that impacted me the most was Dr. David Gibbs from the Christian Law Association. He challenged us NOT TO DO GREAT THINGS FOR GOD! When he first said that, I was thinking, "What in the world is he talking about?" But as he went on, he talked about how anyone can do great things if they work hard. Great things are done by people all the time. Then he told us that we should be doing IMPOSSIBLE things for God. Asking God to let us do impossible things for him. He talked about Peter stepping out of the boat, and Christ feeding the 5,000. He explained that ONLY with God's help could we do impossible things, therefore God will get the glory.
This past weekend was our teen fall retreat. I hosted the Jr and Sr girls at my house. I was going into the weekend with little sleep so I was just praying that God would help me get through. As always HE did, and it was GREAT. Highlights were the concert on Friday night with Consumed, Beneath His Feet, and Loose Change, The Candy Bar skit where Sabrina, Amber and I made fools of ourselves, Chunky's Chocolate Milk (you don't want to know how it's made!), Playing my guitar and singing with the girls at the nursing home, and to top it all off SCREAM 4 JESUS HAUNTED TRAIL~ I still have a sore throat!
If you made it this far in your reading, thank you for taking the time! I would love to hear from you too, so drop me an email at mpetefish@yahoo.com. Much Love, Melissa

September 13, 2001I am broken inside for the devistation and heartache that people are experiencing all over our nation and the world. I cannot fathom the pain of those that are in the midst of the terror, and pictures constantly remind me of that moment in time that changed so many lives. Two days ago when the horror began, I walked across campus in shock. The news had come to me via an email from my roommate, Amber, who watched the events unfold on TV at work. As I would see my students, tears came to my eyes, and thoughts ran through my head of the pain that others must feel for loosing many that they love so much.
In the midst of all the sadness I have been thankfully praising God for being who HE is and for giving me the salvation through Jesus Christ, that takes away all my fears of the future. Christ has given me the "peace that passes all understanding and even though the sadness is still there, I know God's peace which is a great comfort to me.
Ps 61:1-4
My prayer is that God will comfort the hurting, heal the wounded, help us not to harbor bitterness but forgive our enemies, guide our leaders in the difficult decisions they will and do make, and use this event to bring America back to HIM.
Praise God for being who HE is!

August 21, 2001
There is alway an excitement in the air when the new school year is upon us. It is a new beginning. A chance to start fresh and new with a clean slate. It's a time of new faces, teachers, school suplies, hair cuts, clothes, books, friends.... All of this adds to the excitement that I remember as a kid. Even though I am now a teacher, I still feel that excitement. The excitement of seeing my kids and hearing what they did for the summer... Seeing how tall they've gotten... It is a feeling that cannot be replaced.
I am still teaching elementary computer this year, but added to my list of classes are three 3Ks. Yes, THREE YEAR OLDS (actually, my youngest class has many that will not be 3 until the fall or winter.) Crazy! I had the first 3 year old class today, and boy, are they cute. Just one cute story... I drilled with them that when I turn out the lights, their hands go in thier lap, and their eyes go on me. I drilled it, and drilled it,and drilled it. A few minutes before they left, I said, "Now boys and girls, where do your eyes go when I turn out the lights." One cute little guy, knowing he had the right answer, blurts out as loud and proud as he could, "On My Face!" All I could do was laugh. Kids are the best!
God Bless you this school year!
Melissa

P.S. I start my guitar lessons back today!

August 2, 2001Hola Amigos!
Today I'm celebrating my last official day of summer vacation 2001 :o( and what an incredible summer it was! I believe (if my memory serves me right) this is the first summer I haven't worked since I was 15 years old! Even though I am truly excited about what the new school year holds, and am sad to see the summer go. My travels were memories and lessons that will not be soon forgotten. My most recent experience was the missions trip I took to Puerto Rico with our youth. We left Jacksonville and flew to San Juan where we were picked up by the misionaries and driven to to Arecibo where we would be staying. The first week was spent site seeing and passing out Spanish tracts. Our group also had the opportunity to minister in a few churches with songs and drama etc... and hang out with some of the youth groups there. Our second week was spent advertising and conducting Vacation Bible School. It was there that we met many people that will be etched in our memories forever. Throughout the trip the Lord allowed us to see 6 individuals accept Christ and over 4,000 tracts given out. Even though our teens couldn't speak much Spanish, it was neat to see God use them with the little that they did know. "Un regalo para usted. Lealo por favor," they would say as they handed an individual a tract which means "A gift for you. Please read." Faithful in the small things.... My favorite parts were the actual relationships we got to develop with different people we met.
On our days off we did many different activities. I will not bore you with all, but a few of my favorite ones were the hike in the rain forest to the waterfall where we got to climb up and down the rocks and go swimming in the little pools, horse back riding on the beach (a first for me), the trip to the island of Viequez, and San Juan.
The two weeks we were gone were rewarding and fun, but when we stepped back on American soil (carpet) I was very thankful. Being in Puerto Rico for 2 weeks really helped me to develop a great appreciation for missionaries all over the world who are away from their own cultures and families and perservere through many trial and disappointments. I'm thankful for the glimpse that God gave me.Dios Le Bendiga!
~Melissa

July 10, 2001
Hi all! Just thought I would quickly stop in. The past few days have been great for relaxing, reading, playing my guitar, hanging out with my friends, watching movies, going to the beach etc... No work... All play! I know I'm a bum, but that's what teachers get to do in the summer, right? Now I have to get in gear and start packing for my mission's trip. We are putting the finishing touches on our preparation work. All summer the teens have been learning spanish songs and verses, and now we are learning a few skits. Please pray that God will work in us and through us, and that we will be servants to the people that God brings to our path. ~Adios Amigos

July 5, 2001
Happy Birthday America (one day late)!!! My 4th was very nice, but before I get into that, let me back track just a bit. After being in Tally for just one day, I drove down to Reddington Beach, FL to meet my family for a week full of family memories. What a crazy week it was. I have to say that it was the first (that I remember) family vacation that the references to "The Kids" didn't mean my sisters and I. Man it's definately weird to be referred to as one of the adults! Of course that title did not earn me the status to sleep in a bed... no I had the choice of the floor or the couch (which was fine with me. I can sleep just about anywhere!) So the vacation went with babies running around. One day we even attempted to go to the Tampa Zoo. It was fun but a little too hot. We spent most of our time on the beach, but Haley *my three year old niece* had much rather been at the pool. "I want to go to the OTHER water," she would say. I drove back on Saturday, and was trying to decide what the heck to do for the fourth. Tallahassee always has a big fireworks show and concert for the holiday, and this year was Diamond Rio, but Sunday night I got a call from my friends Bob and Matt inviting me to go to Seagrove Beach for a few days with family and friends. So that's what I decided to do. It was a nice 4th. Very relaxing. The morning of the fourth I woke up early and went for a run on the beach, and then came back and fell asleep in the hammock on the balcony. That night everyone went out to the beach to celebrate America! We layed on a big blanket on the beach and as the family set off their own fireworks, I looked up and down the beach to catch glipses of other families doing the same. My favories were ones that were shot up over a little pond and then exploded out like litte fireflies everywhere. The next day we got in some beach time and then Matt and I drove back. I made it just in time to catch Amber's performance in Peter Pan. Last night Amber and I stayed up catching up on life, and then hit the sack. I hope that your Fourth of July was spectacular!

June 23, 2001
Back from the Country Capitol of the US. Yep, here I am back in Tally-town but today I leave for Tampa (actually Redington Beach near Tampa) where I will meet my Dad, sisters (and their families), and grandparents. Should be lots of fun. I'm just thankful that I will get to spend that time with my family.

Nashville was great. Definately a highlight of the summer. There is tons to do there (especially if you love music). Our last day was one of the more relaxing ones there. Amy and I left in the morning to check out some of the shops that we had seen the night before when we went to Fido's (a cool little coffee shop) with our friend Kevin (who used to be a fellow Tallahasseean!) I ate a light but very tasty lunch at the Bread Company Cafe' and then we went back to the apartment to rest. Later that night we went down town (since it WAS our last night in Nashville) and walked through the crowds of different concerts on the river. We ended up getting to see the last part of the bluegrass show at thy Ryman (Vince Gill and Nickel Creek.) I have to say that I had no clue that Vince was a bluegrass star! We missed all that Nickel Creek played except the very end when they went out to play with Vince and the Band, but it was great to see them play at least a little. The Ryman was a great place for a concert. Not too big, not to small. Actually I was told that it used to be a church, and that's when I noticed that everyone was sitting on pews. If buildings could talk, I'm sure that The Ryman would have some great stories to tell. I know I would like to listen.
Late that night Amy and I went out to dinner at a little place called Sunset (I think???) with a friend. Good times! Good times!

The next morning we were quite tired for our drive back. I started driving and DJ Amy kept me awake by manning the music... "Any requests or dedications?" she would ask me. We listened to a little bit of everything. From Andy Peterson to Diamond Rio to Journey to some rap stuff (that was Amy's choice). It was nice to travel with a friend since I do so many miles by myself driving from FL to NC. When I pulled in the drive of my little apartment it was a welcoming site. Last night I slept in my own bed for the first time in a while but shortly I will be off to Tampa for another adventure.
Thank you to everyone (In SC, NC, VA, and TN) that I got to meet or hang out with. Memories that I will not forget. ~Till we meet again.

June 20, 2001
I'm sitting here in Vanderbelt's Library while Amy emails her boyfriend. Yesterday we drove from NC to Nashville and the drive was incredible. It's been quite a while since I've driven through the mountains of NC, and it was awesome. Just makes you want to praise God for all the beauty he gives us to enjoy! We arived in Nashville and after a few relaxing moments went down town to see the sites. It was so much fun to see places I've only heard of in the past. We ate at the Hard Rock, walked up and down Broadway, saw the Gaylor and Ryman among other things. I like seeing the people sitting on the side of the sidewalk playing their guitars. Actually all of the different people intrigue me. On the side of the road there was a guy selling some kind of jewlry and talking of all the "famous" people he had rubbed elbows with in his life time. Everyone's got a story.
After a long night of walking up and down the streets and in and out of little shops (plus my feet were KILLING me.... Next time I just stick to my Reefs) we drove around and hit a Borders Book Store. Listened to some cool music, bought a new book, and then headed home for the night. What a great first night in Nashville, TN! Today we will hit the Country Music HOF, the big mall I keep hearing about, and then later tonight we are supposed to go to a little coffee shop to hang out. ~More Later...

June 19, 2001
Live from Knoxville, TN I'm here to check in just for a moment. The past few weeks have been jam packed full of so much, that I have hardly had time to write email, much less in my journal. So much to share... The first stop in my travels was Centrifuge in Tigerville, SC. It was a blast! Our youth grew closer, and I got to know the youth so much better. It was great... a few highlights were my banging on the jembe in my percussion class. My poor teacher! The unplugged night where Paul and Caleb (from the band Consumed) played.... everyone loved them! And the night where our youth group shared and bonded.
I had to leave camp a day early b/c I was in Allison's wedding, and I just know that my percussion teacher was really sad that I wasnt going to get to participate in the performance (haha!) The wedding was really nice. Hanging out with the old gang from college, and meeting new faces too. It was really cool to get to spend time with Allison and Shannon's family. The were really nice. I left Greenville to drive to NC to see my parents, sisters, and brother (among the friends I still get to keep up with.) It was great. The sad thing is that my dad is selling our lake house and this may have been my last summer there. I tried to get as much skiing in as my sore little body would allow. I even tried slalom skiing and stood for about 10 secs. It was really tough to leave my family. Now Amy and I are heading to Nashville where we will see the sites and I will check out a school. I'll check in later with more details. ~mel

June 1, 2001

Cleaned, Packed, and Ready To Go! That's me! I'm ready for the summer to begin. I leave bright and early Monday morning for Centrifuge with our youth. I know the Lord has some great things in store for this summer. Three of my goals for this summer are that I will be able to savor each moment that I have at each individal place with each individual person (not look forward to the next event so much that I miss what I'm doing at that particular time), that I will grow closer to Jesus (consistancy has been tough for me this spring. It's totally what I desire, but doesn't always happen), and that God will use me to encourage others at any given place along the trail (Available to God. That's what I want to be). I think that all of those goals can be summed up in the words, "Carpe Diem" (Seize the Day!) This is the only summer 2001 I have. I want to make the most of each minute!
~More to come...

May 29, 2001

Rain, Rain, and more Rain! That's what Tallahassee looks like today (and yesterday when Amy and I tried to relax by the pool! We were out there a total of 10 mins. before it started pouring on us.) We ended up getting Firehouse Subs, hanging out at her house, and watching movies.... What else is there to do in Tallahassee??? Anyway, Today I found out that I AM going to youth camp with our teens..... CENTRIFUGE, here we come! It's a great camp.
Well, I really don't have much to say, but I hope you had a good Memorial Day. Thank you to all who serve our country in the armed forces. I am very greatful for you.
God Bless!

May 25, 2001

The last bell has rung and school is out for the summer. Yep, today was the last day and wow, what a crazy day it was! Full of yearbooks, last words, goodbyes, parties, sadness, and excitment. The day was like a roller coaster. My sixth graders will now be moving up to Jr. High where I will rarely see them, but I think the hardest part of today was saying goodbye to one of MY fifth graders.... Natalie. She was one of my students that was very special to me, and she is going to another school next year. She is the one that has called me "Miss Wonderful" since second grade. As I said goodbye to her I was very teary (ok, I was crying! I know I'm a bit sappy! Don't make fun!)
Anyway, now I have one week of teacher in-service and then the summer! And guess what, I definately get to go to Nashville now! It's all worked out and everything. I'm so pumped! A friend of mine from FSU is flying up to NC and driving out with me. It's going to be great!
Well, At the moment I should be getting ready for HS graduation, but instead I'm sitting here typing away, so I better get out of here. Have a great weekend and Memorial day!
~Melissa

P.S. I'm going to see Shrek this weekend.... Anyone seen it already? (or any other good movies?)

May 22, 2001

Well, I'm in the final stretch of the school year. These past 2 weeks have been a little wearing on me, so this past weekend I decided that I was going to just take some time to chill a bit. Friday night that is exactly what I did. Amber went out of town for the night, so I had the place to myself. I went and worked out at the gym for a while, rented The Legened of Bagger Vance, went home, played my guitar, and fell asleep to the movie (not your typical Will Smith movie, mind you! It was good, though.) Saturday was a little more active. This month is our churches turn to feed the homeless people down at the mission, so I went down there to serve. Can I just say that I just love it down there. Everyone is so kind and down to earth. I always get blessed by hanging around the people. After that, our youth got together with 3 other youth groups to help out a church that is trying to get started down town. The teens were split into teams and my team had the opportunity to go to a government housing complex to pass out flyers and share Christ with the neighborhood. I think the most exciting part of the whole day was speaking to 2 twin girls about Christ. 2 of the teen girls and I got the opportunity to share Jesus with them, and they both accepted Him as thier Savior. At the same time (although we didnt know it at that moment) their parents were praying with 2 of our teen guys to accept Christ. Isn't God awesome? After sharing, we all went back to one of the churches to have a time of games. Let me just say that I got stepped on one to many times in their game of jungle (I mean volley) ball! rrrrrrrr! Sunday there was a big graduation fellowship for all of the senior and families of the church. Great food.
Anyway, I hope I didn't bore anyone out of thier mind with too many details. I wasn't very concise this time. I'll try to do better. See ya soon!

May 17, 2001

Well, Last night was great! After church Amber and I went to the gym and worked out for a while. It was nice to work out with a friend. I actually haven't been to the gym in quite some time. I've been trying to run at night instead. After that I came home and played my guitar for a while... Trying to learn some new songs... One by Julie Miller. Later, Amber and I did personality/spiritual gift tests. Still have to finish it up though. Then I'll really know WHO I AM... haha! Reading a pretty good book that was recomended to me by a friend... The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. Reading is slow b/c of time, but he has some great insight on our life with God.
~Until next time!

Alright, I'm attempting to transfer all the previous journal entries of my website on to this site. Hopefully this will be easier and more efficient. Soooo.... Her it goes.

May 15, 2001 am

Well, These next 2 weeks are my last 2 weeks of school for this year. Yipee!!!! Don't get me wrong, I love my students and I will miss them greatly, but I am ready to get out of Tallahassee for a while. I'm excited about this summer. This will be the first summer in a while that I haven't worked most of the time. I am traveling most of the summer to many differents places. I will start the first week in June in South Carolina. I am in Alison's wedding (friend from college) and it will be a nice reunion of many of my college friends. Then I will be heading up to NC/VA to spend some time with my family, friends, and bumming around on the lake. Then down to Tampa/St. Pete for a family vacation. Some time in there I will be going to TN to hang out and tour some of the sites... After that I have 2 weeks that are a little up in the air... I may try to work a bit, and then the last 2 weeks of summer will be spent in Puerto Rico with the youth of Temple Baptist Church for a missions trip. I am totally excited about that! I've never been there (except when we had a layover in on our way to the Dominican Republic.) I guess the only thing that stinks about traveling so much this summer is the GAS PRICES! Oh My Gosh! I'm going to be broke! Gas is in the $1.60's here! And that's for the cheap stuff! At least Georgia is a little cheaper! Well, I hope that I can see you when I am off for the summer. It will be great to catch up!


May 15, 2001 pm

Just got my hair cut tonight... Something I've neglected for way too long. I almost didn't make my appointment tonight. I have felt meloncholy today. Part is probably from a lack of sleep (Amber and i stayed up late last night talking about theology.... that's enough to make anyone tired!) Plus I got Bebo's new CD and his music usually has that flavor. Ever feel like everyone is changing and moving on and doing bigger and better things.... and you are staying the same? Hmmm... I understand.

May 7, 2001

Weekend Reviews: I spent the weekend in Clearwater/Tampa, FL, and what a nice relaxing trip it was. I've only been there once before, but my family will vacation there this summer, so it was a great preview of my trip to come. I went down to see Sabrina graduate from college. I am so excited that she and Cathy will be teaching with me next year! We are going to have a blast.
One thing that I love about that area is the palm trees. I don't know why but it just makes me feel warm inside when there are palm trees around (it was very warm this weekend). Yesterday we made it to the beach for a couple of hours. IT WAS HOT! (So hot that I almost passed out.) Then we headed back to Tallahassee last night. All in all a very fun weekend. It gave me a taste of the summer when I am traveling a lot. I am excited about that! I told Sabrina that next summer we are going to have to take a road trip across the country and back. How FUN would that be!!!!
I should sign off now and find some work to do. I miss all of you Carolina/Virgina Folks (among other friends sprinkled around the world.) I'll see you soon though

May 4, 2001

Yesterday marked the beginning of my 26th year on this earth. Yes, It was my birthday. I can hardly believe it. In reflecting back on my past years, each individual segment of my life seems as if it were its own little lifetime. Each having its own excitements and disappointments. This part has been no different in that aspect, but in other ways it is very distinctive. God has used certain distinctives to help me to look to Him for my next step, although it is a process of growing, and I have fallen back many times.

"I could have fainted if I hadn't seen the goodness of you, My God,
And my head is being lifted so I can keep my gaze to you;
The race is becoming clearer than when I was staring down at my feet,
Pondering the next step to take.
Yeah, I would have fainted if I hadn't seen Your goodness in this place."

May 2, 2001

I just had the best morning! Amber and I have been waking up early on Mon., Wed., and Fri. to go walking. Well, when the alarm went off I really just wanted to go back to bed, but then I heard Amber knocking on my bedroom door, so I dragged myself out of bed. Man, there's just something about getting your body moving in the morning that starts the day off right. To make the day even better, I got to be with the sixth graders this morning b/c their teacher had an appointment. I loved it! It was so fun being in there with them. It was during Bible Class, and so we mostly sang some fun songs, and I taught them a new one... "It's By Grace". They made fun of my NC accent while I was singing. I only wish I had my guitar to play along (or at least attempt). Being in there took me back to the year I taught third grade. Gosh, do I miss it. Well, I'm off now to get ready for my next class.
~See Ya


May 1, 2001

Hello to whoever has found this page and is now reading the very first words that I am entering into this web journal. Why a web journal? Well, I thought that it would help my family and friends that are far, far away, stay up with my daily happenings, if they so wish... (It's better than getting group emails that you may not care to read.) Anyway, at this point I have nothing important to write, so I will sign off for tonight. I trust that all is well with you!
Cheerio!

April 19, 2000

Our faith semester is
winding down, and next Monday will be
our last night to go out visiting. It has been a
great semester full of challenges. The Lord
has done lots of great things through this
ministry this semester, and to be a part of that
has been a blessing to me. The Lord has and is
teaching me many things this semester. I
think the biggest lesson I am learning is to
trust him (it is a continual process of a few
steps forward, a few steps back, a few steps
forward, and so on.) I have found that when
you are serving the Lord, Satan is standing there
ready to throw things at you to distract
and discourage, but if you keep your eyes focused
on HIM, Satan will loose that battle!!!! It
is not an easy process though. I am praying
about next semesters faith team. I have an
option to be a faith leader, but if I take that
option, I need to have 2 people that are on my
team as learners. Pray that God makes it clear
to me about what he wants me to do and
who should be on my team. Also, with summer
coming up, I have been thinking about
summer plans. I will probably be working at
North Florida Christian with the computer
program part-time, but I do have a few weeks that
I will have a break. I am not sure what
I will do in that time. I will come home for a
little bit, but maybe God would allow me to
do something else too. Keep that in your
prayers.
I am in the process of finding new roommates and
living arrangements. Pray that God
will lead me in that area.
And finally, Pray for my next school year. There
are ideas that I have for places I can
serve, but I'm not sure which ones I will pursue.
I will be teaching computer again at
North Florida, but I would like to get involved
in other college or youth ministries.
So many decisions coming up.

April 10, 2000

A friend of mine sent me this little story that
reminded me that even though we are in a race
(the race of life), don't loose focus of the
importance of caring about and helping others.
This story reminded me of these verses in
Philippians.

Philippians 2:3-4
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every
man also on the things of others.

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics,

nine contestants, all physically or mentally
disabled, assembled at the starting line for the
100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out,
not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to
run the race to the finish and win. All, that is,
except one little boy who stumbled on the
asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and
began to cry. The other eight heard the boy
cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then
they all turned around and went back.
Every one of them.
One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and
kissed him and said: "This will make it
better." Then all nine linked arms and walked
together to the finish line. Everyone in the
stadium stood, and the cheering went on for
several minutes. People who were there are
still telling the story. Why? Because deep down
we know this one thing: What matters in
this life is more than winning for ourselves.
What matters in this life is
helping others win, even if it means slowing down
and
changing our course.

Feb.29, 2000

Right Now I am sitting in an HTML class at
the Florida Educational Technology Conference. I
am really excited that I am learning how to
design web pages. You are probably thinking,
"You aren't learning! You're typing email."
Don't worry! I'm keeping up! I'm
multitallented b/c I can do both at once!
Anyway, I will be in Orlando until Wednesday. It
is a nice break from school. :0)

I was traveling to Orlando last night so I
didn't get to go to Faith Evangelism. Sounds
like they had a great night.

Feb. 22, 2000

I had a great
weekend. I spent all last week babysitting for
some of my students (from Wednesday to Saturday)
so it was nice to be in my own home again.
Saturday night I went out with my Sunday School
class to the Bowling Ally. Then a friend and I
went to Fun Station. There we played video
games, laser tag and batting cages! It was a
blast! Sunday was Friend Day at church and the
audiorium was full of new faces. The goal was
for everyone to bring their unsaved friends so
that they could hear the gospel. The Lord really
blessed, and 10 people were saved/made public
professions of faith. College Sunday School was
also awesome. We worshiped together and then
Scott delivered a message on The Vine (the new
name of our group.) All in all it was a great
day, and I thank God for that. Last night at
faith our group kind of struck out in finding
people home, but there was one person saved from
another group which is very exciting! Praise the
Lord for his salvation and for ours!

"But Let all those that put their trust in Thee
rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because
though defendest them: Let them also that love
thy name be joyful in thee!"
Ps. 5:11

Jan 25, 2000

How is everyone doing today? I hope that you are
having a great cold, winter day. I hear that my
friends in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia
have had some snow and ice. As for us in
Florida, we are just miserably cold (or at least
I am since I prefer the warmer seasons.) To
those of you that have snow, I hope that you
enjoy any time you get off from work or school.
Build a snowman for me! :0)
Well, last night was our first visit out with
Faith Evangelism. We had about an hour of
learning time at the church and then we went out
to visit at about 7 pm. The college Faith team
visited 2 college students which we found were
not at home, but we did chat with their roommates
for a few minutes and left the door open to go
back next week. Even though I was a little
disappointed not to get to talk to either of the
students we went to see, I feel that God may have
opened up the door for us to speak to not only
the students we intended to talk to, but also the
roommates we met last night. I am excited to see
what God will do with those situations.
After going out for about an hour and a half,
everyone meets back at the church for a time
called Celebration. Let me just tell you, after
Celebration time, I was wanting to go out and
tell the world. Last night 4 people were saved
including one college student. Several who were
already believers showed interest in attending
church and/or Sunday School. It is neat to be
able to share these moments together.
Next week we will be going out on Thursday. I
can't wait. Thank you for praying for us
throughout the week and while we were out last
night.

"HE can no more leave a life unchanged than a
mother can leave a tear untouched."
Max Lucado
Just Like Jesus