tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48654408233930587152024-03-05T06:02:56.514-05:00Mayhem and MiraclesA look at the mayhem in life that God uses to work miracles.Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-6641689070708663112013-03-01T10:35:00.003-05:002013-03-01T10:35:39.947-05:00A New Way of..... Living ?Today begins a new thing for me. I just finished my first 2 weeks at a new job, I'm facing the reality of moving to a new country in a little more then a year's time, and my little sister had a health scare recently that has impacted my entire family. <br />
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Something you need to know about my family; we are are BIG people. Like the lightest one of us might be 250 pounds BIG. With this last health concern for my 24 year old sister we have realized that we need to make some changes. We have set up "The Biggest Loser - Family style". We all pitching $10 in every month. The person that loses the highest percent of body weight at the end of the month gets the pot. <br />
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The draw of me gaining $30 and the fact that I am at my heaviest right now has convinced me to make some changes. I have done something like this before. I did really great with it, and then went through some major shifts in life (moved to a new city, got a new job, etc) and relapsed back into the world of fast food and potato chips. I call it a relapse because that is exactly what it was. <br />
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I think we don't realize that most of us have an addiction of some kind in our lives. Some of them are obviously horrible for us and those we love, others seem to be a little less harmless. Mine happens to be eating. I love food. I enjoy eating and cooking with and for others. <br />
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There is nothing wrong with that except that I have lost myself to food and the reality of food on the whole. I have gained 40 pounds since August. I'm pretty sure that none of my clothes truly fit, and I've been avoiding the nagging of the Holy Spirit that keeps telling me that I'm a glutton and that what I'm doing to myself is sin. <br />
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Some people probably think I just went over board, but in my case my over eating is a sin. I have stopped turning to God and started turning to food. I have stopped praying and started eating. I have let my body and my health decline to the point of losing my breath when I bring the laundry up from the basement. This is not the woman that I want to be.<br />
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As a result I am going to start a 6 week meal plan and work out schedule to get me back on track. The preparation for it starts today. I getting ready to go to the store and pick up the stuff I need. The list is huge this week... there are so many things I need to the recipes, but the reality is I'm excited. I'm nervous about various other things and know that I'm going to have to sort through a lot of emotional things as I do this. It has already started. I have some fears and insecurities about myself when we start to talk about and look at weight and fitness issues. I have decided to start writing this journey because I know it will help me to process it and will point me to a place where I can think things out. It also helps that there are only maybe 2 people out there that know I have a this blog thing going on. <br />
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So here are to new days, new beginnings, and new things.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Mel C</i></b></span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-48701333374071812232011-11-17T16:47:00.000-05:002011-11-17T16:47:43.164-05:00today I'm broken. it has been a week of realizing just how messed up I am; of having sin brought to light; of repenting and tears. it has been a messy, messy week. I don't know how to share it with the ladies that I work with. I'm not sure how to teach them the things I want them to learn from this time in my life. it's all i can do to not break down and cry when i look at them. <br />
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they need so much more then I know how to provide. they need more then me, they need God in all his fullness to come into their hearts and change them on a regular basis. I need God in all his fullness to come into my heart and change me on a regular basis. I know this is a truth as old as time, but it is currently one of the hardest things I'm trying to understand and apply in my life. <br />
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How do you teach something you have no understanding of yourself? How do you convey the importance of an issue when you know that you don't really understand what's going on either? <br />
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I'm struggling today. It has been rough here, but I can still quote my friends and say "I don't know the way, but I know THE WAY."<br />
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Tears and growing pains,<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-63332852067987936242011-10-13T17:55:00.000-04:002011-10-13T17:55:48.344-04:00Creative ChangesWhen I think about what it takes to be a writer I consider how I used to write. I used to write on an almost daily basis. I felt like I had something new to express every day and so I expressed it. Everything started changing when I began to find other outlets. When I was writing everyday it was because I didn't do any other creative activities. <div><br />
</div><div>That all changed when I began to work at a bakery after college. That provided me with a lot of outlets for my creativity. I was daily discovering new things, new ways to do stuff, and thinking of new ideas when it came to bakery products and their presentation. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Now I am in the new job and find that I don't have the same feel as I did before the bakery even now. I want to write often but at the end of the day I find that I'm super worn out and have taped the bottom of my creative tank after 8 hours of work.<br />
</div><div>As I've reflected on this phenomenon in my life I realized that I really do like being creative, and I'm able to be creative in a whole lot of different ways. In college I wrote, at the Bakery I baked, here I counsel, advise and love those around me. It's crazy how different the same person can be at different times. I love watching how God is taking the woman that I am and making me into the woman that he wants me to be. I love watching God use different things to change people and their thought process. I love watching things change and shift at the hand of God. It's a blessing. </div>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-79550999578416682452011-09-17T14:18:00.000-04:002011-09-17T14:18:50.542-04:00A RecapStruggle, struggle, struggle. That's what this week has been all about. I've struggled to sleep. I've struggled to stay dry eyed. I've struggled at work. I've struggled in my room. I've struggled at church. I've struggled at school. I've struggled. That's the sum of it. It's been hard and tiring. And I've discovered the problem.<br />
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I haven't been having my personal times with God. It had been an embarassingly long time since I had had a quiet time and I seemed to be doing just fine. But then we went on a three day trip with work. When we came back from that it was like nothing in the world was every going to be right again. (Dramatic, right?) I made it through Tuesday and Wednesday simply because I didn't have to go to work. Thursday I went to my Bible study and conviction ran deep because I was 9 days behind in a 5 day a week assignment book. When I got to work I was weepy and tired and upset. I wanted nothing more then to just walk away. I was ready to run out on my responsibility, on my calling, on what God required of me. I was ready to go like Jonah on a boat to Tarsesh. Not the best response to a hard week.<br />
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But I didn't. I cried privately when I could, I did my job. I collected work from my students. I did what I had to to make it through my shift. And then I slept, after reading through the book of Jonah. I slept for 9 plus hours, it was fantastic. And then I got up and had some time with God. Yesterday was better. I wasn't as stressed out. I actually got some work done. I walked like a woman who knew where she was headed. <br />
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Last night was a blessing. I got to attend a concert that benefited the adoption ministry at my church; I cried a few times because God is breaking my heart for the children of the word that need to be taken into good homes. After the concert I ran into these four beautiful children that had recently been brought into a loving home and it was great to sit in the floor and let them climb all over me for a few minutes. <br />
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Today I'm making it. I'm fighting because I know that it's worth it. I'm pushing on because I know that I have too. I want to be the woman that God has made me to be and I want to be here at all times, not just when I'm at work or at school or at church. I want to be that woman at all times. I want to be God's in all that I do. <br />
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I want a home that is full of children that are loved when the world deemed them unlovable. <br />
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I want a life that changes others because I choose to be obedient to the Lord, my God who was the creator of the land and the sea. <br />
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I want a life so full of love and joy that others can't help but be drawn in.<br />
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I want a life that serves and glorifies God in all things.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-54161878977136546502011-09-08T18:24:00.000-04:002011-09-08T18:24:06.697-04:00The weather has turned here. The temperature went from 101 degrees to the high 60's overnight this past weekend. It's so strange around here. It's cold and drizzly like we are in the Northwestern part of the country, but we aren't; we're in Kentucky. <br />
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I find the weather fitting for how I feel today. It's been a strange day. I've been draggy when I've wanted to have energy. I've been sleepy when I needed to be awake. I've been awake when I should have been asleep. I've been moody when I should have been steady. I've been scattered when I should have been organized. <br />
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I find myself discontent. I love what I do. I love the work God has me doing, but I'm tired. For some reason I find myself wanting to go any where else. This is a struggle that I watch the Ladies of the house deal with on a regular basis. Being here is hard, in every capacity. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-84469677237936591372011-09-03T09:15:00.000-04:002011-09-03T09:15:03.508-04:00That Girl is Gone...Since so few people actually read this thing, I'm going to write about what is on my heart today without worrying about sounding prideful, because this isn't about my pride. It's about God's grace and His glory through my testimony.<br />
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Last night I realized how much God has changed me. <br />
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I have worked more then 24 hours since 2 pm Thursday. It has been a long couple of days at work. I know my limits, and they are very, very near. As in it could get ugly if I'm at work later then I'm scheduled to work today. I miss having more than an 8 hour turn around between shifts. But at the same time I have learned a lot about the person I'm becoming here.<br />
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In college, way back when I was just starting out on this journey with God (9 years ago last month), I prayed crazy prayers. The kind of prayers that you pray when you are young because you don't really understand the work that is going to come after you pray them. I asked God for patience. I asked that He would help me to be a better listener. I asked that He would lead me to a position of ministry with women. I prayed that He would give me a job that impacted lives in a direct fashion. I prayed that God would lead me to women to disciple. I prayed all these things with out really understanding the words coming out of my mouth.<br />
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Now 9 years later I find that I am a woman I never expected to become. I never anticipated that I would be patient enough to hold my words until I could speak without harming others. I didn't think I would ever be living and working in an addiction recover facility. I didn't know that praying for someone to disciple would mean living with 13 other women in a 3 story house. I never would have imagined that I would be going to a Southern Baptist Seminary for graduate school. I didn't think that God could or would change me so much.<br />
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Last night the ladies expressed some of how they see me and I was taken aback. It's alarming to hear how other people view you. It's also alarming how easily satan can convince you of how flawed you are. I struggled with knowing if I was the woman the ladies described me as or if I am the woman I have known myself to be.<br />
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And then, well actually just now, I remembered 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, the new has come." I am not the flawed, self-centered woman that I was even just a year ago. (I will point out that I still have huge struggles and issues on a regular basis, they are just not the ones that I used to have because I have matured past those issues for the time being.) I have been made new and I experience new mercies everyday. I am not the girl that I was, I am becoming more and more the woman that God has made me to be and it's been happening when I wasn't paying attention. <br />
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I am amazed at the work that God has done in the little time that I have lived here. When I think about the things I struggled with daily before I moved I realize that my battles are very different. God is teaching me the fine art of preserving and pushing forward toward the prize.<br />
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I am more then changed. <br />
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We are more then changed. <br />
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We are made new, completely new. <br />
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The belief that "this is just how I am" is false. We are how God has re-made us to be. The parts of me that I thought were here for good, that were unchangeable, have become something new. God is for real when He says He wants to purify our hearts and minds. <br />
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To paraphrase Beth Moore: "I am not that woman any more."<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-5872828636255389382011-07-30T21:27:00.000-04:002011-07-30T21:27:45.572-04:00run-a-waySometimes I want to run-a-way. (I like to spell it like that because that's how I say it, it's one word in my world.) I look at the recipes on a cooking blog and dream of having a kitchen that is predictably available and organized. I miss cooking and hosting and providing a good time for others. It is probably one of the biggest hang ups I have about the life that I am currently living. I love my job, I do not love not having a kitchen to call my very own. Right now almost everything from "my kitchen" is sitting on a shelf in my overly large bathroom. I honestly think that Someone could do a little remodeling for me and create a kitchen by adding a wall to my bathroom, I mean what one person needs a bathroom that is bigger then my first dorm room at college? <br />
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OMG, that idea may have just changed my entire life. I need to find a contractor or someone who could do this for me..... I'll need outlets, cabinets, a stove, and a water line.... that shouldn't be too involved should it? What do you think about that.... I would lose most of my closet space but I am willing to make it work....<br />
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Shew, that's not where I saw this going at all. Oh well, that's where it went. Welcome to my run-a-way thoughts. <br />
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Daydreaming of cooking...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-15763657454857287922011-07-20T23:01:00.000-04:002011-07-20T23:01:49.945-04:00So it's almost August. I'm not sure where the year has gone. I haven't decided if time is moving faster or if I'm just less aware of it's fading into the past, I'm pretty sure it's moving faster. I was reflecting over the last two or three years (all the files I have on my current computer) today and was astonished by the things that I had prayed over the years that were now true in my life. <br />
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I had voiced the desire to have a job that would follow me home, and I now live where I work.<br />
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I realized that I was being lead to full time ministry and wasn't sure what that would look like; now I put 40 hours a week in with a Bible based recovery program.<br />
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I wanted a community of like minded believers that would push me to be fully committed and all in in my relationship with God and with them; I now belong to a singles group in a church that practices solid community.<br />
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I prayed for emotional healing that I was sure would take many many years and have discovered that it really only took a time of repentance and a little more then a year.<br />
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I prayed to be more then just "one of the guys" and have found my self in a place of being able to have healthy well guarded friendships with boys and leaving knowing that I am a woman in their eyes.<br />
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And the list goes on. We serve a faithful God who has saved us from ourselves. We forget that the biggest issue we have (our sin) is not just a series of actions it is literally part of who we are. Our problem is ingrained in our beings and the only way we can get passed it is if we are rescued from our selves. After looking over the last few years I am amazed at the woman that I have been made into. I don't say that to say that I'm amazing because it is truly nothing I have done to make this change happen. It has all been at the hand of God and as a result of his redemption of me. <br />
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Redeemed and loving it,<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-17423957201441954422011-05-28T21:51:00.000-04:002011-05-28T21:51:37.508-04:00Summer NightsSome times I yearn for a few real summer nights.... You know the kind I'm talking about? Sky so clear that you wish you could count the stars, a light breeze, lightening bugs, windows rolled down kind of night.<br />
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The thought of driving down Highway 44 near the county line makes my hear skip a beat. I love this time of year in Kentucky. It is a time of cold and hot. A time of beautiful nights and memories spent under the lights of a softball field. Sometimes I wonder how different my life would have been if I had stayed home for college. Who would I be? What would I be? Where would I be? <br />
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Would I be the one playing ball in the summers? Would I own a small business or work in a factory? Who would I be if I had never truly met God? And then I realize that it doesn't really matter. I've gained so many more experiences as a result. Some of the stories I have happened only because I've been brought down the path that I have been brought down. I love the life I've been given. <br />
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Blessed and Realizing It,<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-32886605371363003222011-05-06T09:33:00.000-04:002011-05-06T09:33:28.596-04:00The DerbyThat's right today we are going to talk about The Kentucky Derby.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7NzMA1D2a95zwvbdrqhyILYIDhDgWNO-PN1DIaWQBdin00gVmeYGYyMIsuya9R79LWKu_Xzbzze5XeB_qPMyQBwkpXqYTeQ0Yl8OTYTl1OKRjyEfKOgrfTHSoUI54ffBThya2qEzAfb0/s1600/churchill.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7NzMA1D2a95zwvbdrqhyILYIDhDgWNO-PN1DIaWQBdin00gVmeYGYyMIsuya9R79LWKu_Xzbzze5XeB_qPMyQBwkpXqYTeQ0Yl8OTYTl1OKRjyEfKOgrfTHSoUI54ffBThya2qEzAfb0/s320/churchill.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I know that I'm a baptist and so I'm not supposed to endorse things like horse racing (in public) but I'm also from Louisville, Kentucky. And on the first Saturday in May that means only one thing; The Kentucky Derby. We have a two, sometimes three week long festival to prepare for the Derby. Some people think that it's ridiculous to make so much fuss over something that only last for 2 minutes, and I used to be in that party so I know the argument. <br />
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I'm going to take a moment to explain to you what happened to change it all for me... Being from Louisville is an advantage because you also realize that Derby is a great time to pick up a little bit of extra money by taking on a seasonal job at the track. In college myself and several friends began working Derby as mutual tellers (the people who take your bets and your money, and who you should be tipping when you cash out just so you know.) It was a great way to make some extra money to survive the time from the end of the semester until my first paycheck of the summer. I loved it! <br />
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It was the experience of being at Churchill Downs on Oaks and Derby that showed me just how special this event is. I still get chills when they sound the call to the gate. I tear up when they play "My Old Kentucky Home." And I miss the excitement of being among all those people that are just there for a nice day at the track. <br />
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So today, I've made my picks. I've got three of them. One is purely based on my gut and it's name, the other is because I laughed when I saw it's name, and the third one is my more serious pick...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliQfbyT503uWHjEoMuKFLah8lNOWIChL6qWygn5_tcLYqxHEbiUHMIWL0hAOrZYF89lsa6wIce4yXA3_ui8tJWeZ7WEjMfyLw8oogtAF8KkuzCG7n8hhI5g4SIOuZVUP9DCa979THUdKk/s1600/watch+me+go.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="43" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliQfbyT503uWHjEoMuKFLah8lNOWIChL6qWygn5_tcLYqxHEbiUHMIWL0hAOrZYF89lsa6wIce4yXA3_ui8tJWeZ7WEjMfyLw8oogtAF8KkuzCG7n8hhI5g4SIOuZVUP9DCa979THUdKk/s640/watch+me+go.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkFUBbGKhb584mw0peNOk3UPdC8X-o2490t6eNWJ0KbVXOFJbuIcesCbT76o50XVXBn7aeuP345pMjzgeMcQl4EPUXYAfgsx_u-2whezR9v5lYHel6HRds8RJXDe_qUe5BuSjqoX0H4Qs/s1600/pants+on+fire.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkFUBbGKhb584mw0peNOk3UPdC8X-o2490t6eNWJ0KbVXOFJbuIcesCbT76o50XVXBn7aeuP345pMjzgeMcQl4EPUXYAfgsx_u-2whezR9v5lYHel6HRds8RJXDe_qUe5BuSjqoX0H4Qs/s640/pants+on+fire.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ssq2DpKlwoXTJeNC6W-F7QSwDmp4oKlcC6xm0tMDBFp33vLVFoepI0TV4zzR5qfBNwEfbH4VuROR80D9aoOvbyVq5xGf1x1WKln9d2wBNNPMZl2uq2QLZPm4H5-xKqhtnbanBz8Fwoj9/s1600/soldat.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ssq2DpKlwoXTJeNC6W-F7QSwDmp4oKlcC6xm0tMDBFp33vLVFoepI0TV4zzR5qfBNwEfbH4VuROR80D9aoOvbyVq5xGf1x1WKln9d2wBNNPMZl2uq2QLZPm4H5-xKqhtnbanBz8Fwoj9/s640/soldat.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's to a wet and muddy track and all the chaos that adds to the races! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Dreaming of thundering hooves and pumping hearts,<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-77475777899328569822011-04-29T11:00:00.000-04:002011-04-29T11:00:02.286-04:00Secret ChurchLast Friday night I was one of 50,000 other people who sat under the teaching of David Platt from The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. It blew my mind. It was 6 hours of teaching from the Bible about the Bible using the Bible. There wasn't a lot of cute stories, just scripture and tons of it.<br />
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As a result I've been using the very first secret church (from 2006) in the house with the ladies and they are loving it. It's all available free online, complete with study guides and videos. I just wanted to give a shout out to a ministry that is doing great things and to make other more aware of it's existence. If you have the time, check it out. You will learn something from it. (If you dig around long enough you can also find a place to donate to those that are having to rebuild after this week's storms.)<br />
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So here it is: <a href="http://www.disciplemakingintl.org/">http://www.disciplemakingintl.org/</a> just go to the resource library and they'll take care of you.<br />
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If you want to learn more about David Platt (he has also written a few books) and the ministry of The Church at Brook Hills you can go here: <a href="http://www.brookhills.org/">http://www.brookhills.org/</a><br />
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In the words of Levar Burton, don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself,<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-81766033092214376952011-04-25T09:57:00.000-04:002011-04-25T09:57:05.545-04:00Got Any Ideas?We are going through a lot of administrative transitions at work right now, which means that my job title has changed. I am now responsible for the curriculum for our students. The ladies are adults and our main focus in the classroom is to teach them how to study the Bible, live addiction free lives for God, to be whole and complete in their identity with out other people's approval, how to be Godly wives/mothers/women, and just over all how to live and be sober (you know, the little stuff). We have around 15 hours of class a week and I am looking for some new material.<br />
<br />
I am really looking for great, cheap, and easy to use resources to teach our students how to live financially healthy, how to have a balanced life-style, what to look for in a church home, how to manage and run a household, some really great in depth Bible studies, etc. Pretty much any topic you can imagine is open for use. <br />
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I am also just looking for some great teaching resources (videos, short lessons, activities, etc.) to use in devotions/chapel time. <br />
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Please, please, please let me know if you have any suggestions. I would love to look into them and have some help diving into this whole "mess." I'm really excited to see what we can come up with. <br />
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The most exciting thing about this? I am using the things I learned in college on a regular basis. I never expected to actually use the curriculum stuff I had to learn to get my education degree. Turns out that teaching isn't just for the classroom any more! (Which I've known for some time, I just wanted to make sure that you all were aware of it.)<br />
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Thanks for the help,<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-20456583050113242632011-04-12T10:10:00.000-04:002011-04-12T10:10:55.346-04:00I went grocery shopping with my parents last Friday night. <br />
<br />
I know it's an interesting way for a 26 year old to spend their Friday night, but it's tradition that the whole family goes grocery shopping on Fridays. It was that way when I was growing up and will probably stay that way unless my father really does retire at some point and they start going to senior citizen day at Kroger or something like that. <br />
<br />
I wouldn't have life any other way for my family, it's predictable and consistent (except for the weeks where there is a community festivity of some sort and random holidays or birthdays)<br />
<br />
Friday night trips mean one thing in my life; Mom will buy whatever I slip into the cart, sometimes with out knowing it. When I was in college this was a sweet deal for me, I had no money so I would cash out all my lose change for gas money and go home so my family could provide me with groceries for the next month. When my sister left for college a few years later she began to follow in that tradition. It's been fun to watch my parents do this for us. As I've gotten older I've stopped putting stuff into the cart because I'm 26, my parents should not be buying my groceries (unless it's a birthday gift type thing, which was a great gift that I loved receiving). But I digress...<br />
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This past Friday I slipped 3 things into the cart; shampoo, conditioner, and the one, the only...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhdbz8hdA1VsBnJvjodKfnCJh6d9KQyYHGZvsyIL8OiZImGCiwr2wvkE85IeFbUHgfDV0jxkNcEOngBnY4iPvGB9xFh6kG27F11t82eknnEwEhevhc7_RflLsBlTYvC-0Elb8pSKaIK45/s1600/JUST-BORN-MARSHMALLOW-PEEPS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhdbz8hdA1VsBnJvjodKfnCJh6d9KQyYHGZvsyIL8OiZImGCiwr2wvkE85IeFbUHgfDV0jxkNcEOngBnY4iPvGB9xFh6kG27F11t82eknnEwEhevhc7_RflLsBlTYvC-0Elb8pSKaIK45/s320/JUST-BORN-MARSHMALLOW-PEEPS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">PEEPS</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">These bad boys are golden, just fantastic and 10 of them officially became mine.... Needless to say I've had 3 this morning.... I'm so glad that I don't buy this junk for myself, but I'm so thankful that my Mommy will buy them if I ask her too! Yea for sugar coated Marshmallows!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's to all my Peeps!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span></div>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-49874471153833769962011-03-31T18:47:00.000-04:002011-03-31T18:47:00.162-04:00Long Days<div style="text-align: center;">Growing up (like when I was in High School) there was a show called </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hEXnxoki4ZY-XR-U3m6j537vtfvn91K5e10-rzizFf2kGEwdBfEHx6dOlqltWdYXqYPhxu6cCMdPeq9DokcPxZ5G_-fjXp1cmcDHrbfhux5Hn-4jsb6uO8khGG1Z_TQzrIMWkXFNQh9R/s1600/strange+days.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hEXnxoki4ZY-XR-U3m6j537vtfvn91K5e10-rzizFf2kGEwdBfEHx6dOlqltWdYXqYPhxu6cCMdPeq9DokcPxZ5G_-fjXp1cmcDHrbfhux5Hn-4jsb6uO8khGG1Z_TQzrIMWkXFNQh9R/s400/strange+days.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have little rec-election of what the show was about, but I use the title often.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today has not been a "strange day" it has been a "long day."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It hasn't been bad. I helped my friends move out of their apartment so they can move into their new home (the parsonage of the little church) and then I had to come to work for 8 hours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think it's long because our work schedule for the April was released yesterday. Next week I have two days in a row off! Two whole DAYS!!! I am so excited that I am distracted from much else and so today has been another "Long Day"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dragging and making it,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span></div>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-77673620600641443342011-03-26T23:54:00.000-04:002011-03-26T23:54:44.471-04:00Spring Break<div style="text-align: center;">I miss spring break mission trips. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXOdhCjFZcTDmSVk9qpH5VKjYRvf-TV9GK9sZYZIt8uLgkD4XUdrK7Oq7cT6SCPJFT0j_tV2cqdZj2X8gBUzf-Ff8BbjmvedIVHKB4MVWOnsVIWshYLt2dgvIa8ISPw_AHYWoEJMbPxw7/s1600/spring+break+2006.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXOdhCjFZcTDmSVk9qpH5VKjYRvf-TV9GK9sZYZIt8uLgkD4XUdrK7Oq7cT6SCPJFT0j_tV2cqdZj2X8gBUzf-Ff8BbjmvedIVHKB4MVWOnsVIWshYLt2dgvIa8ISPw_AHYWoEJMbPxw7/s400/spring+break+2006.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Like this one to Panama City Beach for "Beach Reach" in 2006.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There isn't a lot that I really miss about college because I really love the life I have now, but I do miss spring break mission trips. When else do you get to pile into vans with people that you kinda' know and come back so tight it feels strange not to be together after only seven days of being gone? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All the college kids are getting back from their big trips to New York City, Big Break, and the like and it makes me miss those days of roaming around a city and looking for people to share Jesus with.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Even as I write this I realize that this should be my everyday life. That spring break is not the only time I can go around spreading the truth and love of the Lord. It's not something that only radical college students can do when they are on spring break. It's something that we all should be doing and it's something that I struggle with. I don't normally strike up conversations with people so that I can tell them about Jesus.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I don't normally pray for strangers on the street.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I don't normally give rides to people who need them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I don't normally spend 24 hours a day with people that I want to build relationships with.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maybe I should. Maybe I should be praying for people on the streets. Maybe I should be helping out those that I can help. Maybe I should be more intentional about the relationships in my life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maybe I should go on Spring Break everyday and make the most of what I've been given.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nostalgic and noticing it,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span></div>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-13464890963887326992011-03-24T19:48:00.000-04:002011-03-24T19:48:25.510-04:00A Strange DayToday has been strange. I started out strong and energetic and ready to go. I even got up early enough to make an omelet for breakfast. I made it to campus early enough for me to be comfortable with myself and to not feel rushed or hurried. I enjoyed chatting with friends before service with friends and classmates and most of chapel. About half way through service I started slipping down the slippery slope of sleepiness. It was all down hill from there. I got to class and felt like all the energy drained out of me and left me a sloppy mess in a chair. It was sad and pathetic. I always feel like such a mess when I have to fight against sleep so much.<br />
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I got back to the house had lunch and took an hour long nap. It was a good nap and I felt good and then my energy fell out from under me. I'm sitting here doing phone calls trying to keep my eyes open and not really doing anything that I need to be doing.... oh well.<br />
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Maybe it's the weather. Yeah, definently the weather. Over and out kids.<br />
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Here's to a good night's sleep!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-21322472831890624982011-03-16T22:54:00.000-04:002011-03-16T22:54:24.550-04:00the hard thingThis week our state director challenged us to step up as a staff and do the hard thing. "What is the hard thing?" you ask. Well, it's loving the ladies so much that we discipline them when they break the rules. And I'm not talking about huge, massive rules, I'm talking the little ones. Ones like not turning their hair spray in on time, still being in bed 3 minutes after wake up, not signing off on chores. Little bitty things that don't seem to be that important. <br />
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Why are things like how neat their desks are when they leave important? Basically because they won't be here forever and it's the little stuff that will trip you up and throw you right back into the pit that you just clawed your way out of. We as a staff have been called upon to serve them women by helping them to become disciplined in everything. Little things like getting too much food, regulating how many times they can have soda a week, keeping them in check with they words and jokes matter. <br />
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And it doesn't just matter for recovering addicts. It matters for you and for me. We have to choose to do the hard thing in our lives and to be disciplined. Right now I am struggling with how I use my time. I have so much to do that I don't want to do anything, so I've been choosing to watch "Friends" for hours on end. It's got to stop. I've got to choose to do the hard thing in my life and be disciplined. I can not give disciplines out to my students for not doing what I don't do. <br />
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It is the little things that will get you in the end. People will tell you that affairs don't just happen because they don't. There are a thousand smalls steps leading up to the actual affair. A thousand small choices like what you are going to watch on TV tonight, or read while you lay in bed lead up to huge issues. <br />
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That is satan's gimmick. If he can convince you that one little lie won't hurt anyone, then he will eventually convince you that cheating on your taxes is okay as long as you are still giving to the church. We can not live lives of compromise. In the book of Revelation Jesus tells the church of Laodicea that he will spit them out because they are living lukewarm lives (Revelation 3:14-22). <br />
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I choose to live a life that is decisively for God. A life of integrity and honesty. It hurts and it is not an easy path, but I choose it any way. I choose the hard way with my students and with myself. I'm not sure what this means in my life right now, but I will keep you up dated on the changes as they happen.<br />
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Choosing the road less traveled,<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C </span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-37977087076516665922011-03-16T13:44:00.000-04:002011-03-16T13:44:30.564-04:00TodayToday I slept until 11.<br />
Today I organized a list of donations for a conference.<br />
Today I'm scrambling to fix all the forgetful things I did last week.<br />
Today I want nothing more then to be at the beach.<br />
Today I've been using 2 different computers in a side by side fashion.<br />
Today I'm ready for next week to be here.<br />
Today I've done zero homework.<br />
Today the house is empty.<br />
Today I work at 3 pm.<br />
Today I miss my church, I haven't been there in more then 10 days (that's a long time in my life.)<br />
Today I want for a "normal" life all the while knowing that if I had that I would not be happy.<br />
Today I revel in God's glory and hope that I am bringing glory to His name in all that I do.<br />
Today I will shower.<br />
Today I will laugh with the ladies of the house.<br />
Today I will live life abundantly.<br />
Today counts.Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-19444836351555695692011-03-16T00:31:00.000-04:002011-03-16T00:31:38.534-04:00somedays...somedays i get tired of doing the reasonable thing. i get tired of stuff like using the shift key, doing my school work, making the ladies of the house follow the rules. somedays i listen to country music as loud as I can and somedays i just want to run around yelling "i got a mustang, it'll do 80." Monday was one of those days. And so i listened to the song in the car driving not quite 80 through the "country" on my way to my parents house. Because Monday was one of those days I'll share a little bit with you about what happens when God fearin' women get the blues. enjoy.<br />
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You don't have to be my baby,<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span><br />
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</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-57925715433398439742011-03-11T14:44:00.000-05:002011-03-11T14:44:36.931-05:00The DoldrumsThe last few months have been breath taking in my life. God has been doing some great things. He has revealed areas that had to change in my life, helped me in changing them, healed me, and moved me miles forward in a very short time. It's been the kind of time in my life where so much has happened that every moment has been new, fresh, exciting and exhilarating. <br />
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Only once before have I ever experienced a time like this. It was an equally amazing time where I was taught more they I can begin to explain. But something I always forget about times of extreme growth and rejuvenation is that they are followed by a much slower time. A time where not much happens because you have to adjust to being this new person. You have to take what had been shown to you and begin to apply it to your everyday life. To prove that you have really changed, and I don't mean to prove it to God but to yourself. I think that God factors these doldrums into our lives so that we can adjust to the person he is making us into. <br />
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If God where to completely rework you and then throw the new you into the mess that is this world with out any time to adjust then you are more likely to fail and to fail grandly. <br />
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I am in the doldrums right now. I slept 12 hours last night because I've been going full speed ahead for two months. The past week I've not been very good about having a quiet time because I've been so tired and stretched thin. I feel like the world is going in slow motion so that I may hold tight and stay firm in the newness of me. God is giving me this time in the doldrums to adjust, reset, reaffirm who I am now and to prepare for the next big flurry of activity. <br />
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It's a good time of deep breaths and at the same time I find myself frustrated, annoyed, and disappointed with myself. I have to remember that I need this time. That this has nothing to do with my failure or performance but is just a time to breath deep and settle into how I have been changed in the last two months. <br />
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Thankfully resting,<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-87525631610039040342011-03-06T08:01:00.000-05:002011-03-06T08:01:51.980-05:00Visits with a PurposeI got off of work yesterday at 4 and had to promptly jump in the car and zoom (if you can call 2 hours zooming) to the little town that was home a little less then a year ago. One of my very near and dear friends has been commuting from the city to be a part of the play "Doubt". It was wonderful. She did amazingly well. It was a great trip that last 4 whole hours and then I returned to my current life because I have responsibilities here on Sundays now. It was like a dream. I don't know if you have ever had that kind of experience in real life but I have. There have been a few other times where I have veered so quickly from the life I am living onto some tangent and quickly returned. Those times leave me spinning circles and evaluating every part of my life. Except for last night's trip. I left the play house knowing that I was good. That a short visit was nice but it was nothing compared to the joy that I have found in the city... I love it. I'm glad I'm here and I realized that this is more home then that. It's taken a little longer to make the conversion to calling this city home, but home it is and that is really fun for me. It was a great visit that had a great purpose beyond going to a play in a community theater. <br />
<br />
Big City Lady,<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-51981992725927384152011-03-04T14:56:00.000-05:002011-03-04T14:56:55.950-05:00It's that time of year again...Every year around April or May (sometimes as early as March) I start to get antsy... I start wanting to change things; be it where I live, what I do, what I wear or whatever, I just want to change things. It just doesn't feel right for me to be somewhere for more then a year. I don't necessarily mean change cities or towns, just the place where I live, but not this year. This year I'm staying put. I'm not packing bags to go away for the summer or boxing up everything to move to a new place (or storage unit). I'm staying put. And it kind of makes me ache a little. So I've decided to cut my hair. I've been growing it out for a few years (in case some tall dark and handsome fellow where to come along and propose and my hair would be long enough to fix in our wedding, and to donate to Locks of Love) and woke up on Tuesday morning knowing that it was time. The weather is getting warmer, my hair is getting more and more broken with every passing day, and I'm using waaayy to much shampoo and conditioner. I can not support a bottle a month need for this mess on top of my head. As soon as I can squeeze a hair cut into my schedule (and budget) this will happen. I'm beginning to get super excited about it. I think my only requirement is that Patsy (my hair dresser) doesn't cut bangs into again. I'm done with that scene.<div><br />
</div><div>Long locks no more!</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div>P.S. I'll post pics of the current length soon so that you have an idea of how much hair I have. (It's never been this length at any other point in my life, ever. Not even in High School.)</div>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-87121700821943182962011-02-24T16:19:00.000-05:002011-02-24T16:19:46.448-05:00I'm a verbal mess.So today someone asked me if I am from Tennessee. I wasn't that insulted just concerned because he asked on the bases of my accent when we were talking. I have never been asked if I'm from farther south then Kentucky before. This only means one thing, I'm beginning to lapse into mimicking the speech of some of the ladies that currently live in the house. We have 2 ladies from Tennessee, only one of them has a heavy accent and I must be picking it up from being around her. For most people it's not that big of a deal, but for me it's huge. <br />
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My first summer in college I worked at a camp in Michigan and when I realized that my students were struggling to understand my accent I began to alter it so that I spoke more like them. I was only there for 9 weeks. Three years later I still had people asking me what part of Michigan I was from. I keep the accents I pick up for far to long. Being able to change how I speak is a fun game (that I am really bad at. Any international accents I try all end up Hispanic or some indescribable mess of words and sounds) but a dangerous one for me. I went through a phase where I would speak with a fake lisp, three months later I had a problem in the form of a real lisp. So, right now I guess I sound like I'm from Tennessee ya'll. (hehe, this may not be that bad.) We'll see how bad this gets before it starts to get better.<br />
<br />
Dialect drop-out,<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-61421100789023209182011-02-21T21:44:00.000-05:002011-02-21T21:44:53.824-05:00Life and other thingsI just wanted to record this day as a day when I did not get a lot done. There was a storm coming in for most of the day and my head felt like it had a load of bricks in it, so once I got off of work I did the logical thing and watched TV while pretending to organize my room (which consisted of my putting my shoes away). And since that point I've been catching up on Hulu. That's pretty much it. I think I'm storing up time for tomorrow... My day is going to start super early (hopefully around 5) for a 7am meeting, then some have to happen contact points, chapel, class, and then I am going to go help set up for some crazy car race thing at church... I'm really excited about how much I have to do outside of work. It means something for me to be able to say that I have a life, social and otherwise, here in this city. One of my greatest concerns when I moved was that I would be so homesick for the little place I left that I wouldn't fully commit to the place I moved to. Well, I had a few months (around four of them) like that, but now business is starting to pick up and I am truly enjoying myself. It's good stuff this life is. <br />
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Livin' La Vida Loca, (I just did that)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C </span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865440823393058715.post-33176694870706974562011-02-20T23:00:00.000-05:002011-02-20T23:00:28.071-05:00Inexperienced.So, I live in this new city. I'm part of a singles group at my new church. The only reason why large groups of "singles" get together is so that they will hopefully not be single any longer. I would like to note that my singles group married 28 people out in the last year, the rate of success here is pretty good. (That's right I know the stats, but I didn't ask for them; that's makes it less pathetic right?) This hit me full on this week. For most people this wouldn't be a problem. For me it's an issue.<br />
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It's not an issue because I want to stay single forever, it's an issue because I don't want to be single forever and I've realized that I have no idea how to interact with a BOY with out shutting him down or making him feel like he has been put into the dreaded "friend" pile. This week while I was out with my students I was getting hit on and didn't even know it until they told me. Oh goodness. And not only that, it's been so long since I've been attracted to someone that I'm not even sure how to communicate that feeling (or how to deal with it)...<br />
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Very rarely do I find myself in situations where I have no experience, but this whole love life thing is completely out side of the scope of my experiences. I feel like a middle schooler at her first dance. Does that feeling ever go way? (I mean, there should be a cut off for that feeling. 26 is way to old to feel like I'm 12 again. What's with the sweaty palms and junk?) Just where my head is tonight.<br />
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Inexperienced and nervous,<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mel C</span>Mel Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17456230981412513918noreply@blogger.com0