Melissa Newell

Getting the King out of the Boy

2008-05-14T18:11:00.001-04:00

So I'm studying the life of David right now. How God chose him when he was so young and took a good 15 years to work out some crap in his life to prepare him to be king. It's really cool. This poem goes along with the teaching of how we all have a potential to be a key player in God's kingdom. This really brings me hope.

"When God wants to drill a man
and thrill a man, and skill a man
When God wants to mold a man
to play the nobelest part
When God yearns with all his heart
to create so great and bold a man
That the whole world may be amazed
Watch God's methods, watch his ways

How he ruthlessly perfects whom he royaly elects
How he hammers him and hurts him
and with mighty blows converts him
Into trial shapes of clay, that only God understand,
While his tortured heart is crying
and he lifts besetching hands

How God bends but never breaks
When his good he undertakes
How god uses whom he chooses
and with every purpose fuses him
With mighty acts induces him
to try his spender out
God knows what he's about"

Ok. Yes, I'm still alive.

2008-04-26T23:05:00.005-04:00

I just wasn't in the mood to blog... so I didn't. For a long time. Today we celebrated Hudson's 2nd birthday. Also, 2 years ago today I was in Amsterdam with some guys from Riverview. I can't believe how fast time flies...

2008-01-22T12:44:00.000-05:00

It's always humbling when a 3 year old looks in your eyes, and asks, "Missa, what are those red things on your face?"

Yes, they are zits kid. Get over it. You'll get them someday.

Thanks Jaden :)

I'm watching Jaden today. I was lucky to have yesterday and today off. When I found this out, I was so excited. I miss the little guy. I miss seeing him everyday. I miss the questions about zits : ) I got to have Lily over to play with Jaden today as well. She was scared of those little koosh balls or whatever they are called. The stringy rubbery balls. She was pretrified. Poor kid. It was kind of funny though, I'm not going to lie.

I could have been so productive yesterday, but I just wasn't. I had so much time on my hands that I didn't know how to manage it. I went shopping. Then I stopped by work. I actually miss the people I work with when I don't see them for awhile. They are all really awesome. My boss was maybe going to go to mexico with Riv this summer, but it looks like she might hold off for a different time. : ( I read maybe 6 pages in my philosphy book, took some notes on them and that was it. So.... this leaves me with probaly close to 4 or 5 hours of homework for tonight. Math, Philosphy and Astronomy. I'm not one of those super smart people so it takes me longer to get through stuff. Like to read the first two chapters in my philosphy book has taken me a few days. Mainly because I start reading and instantly my thoughts drift off to something else, then I start over. I end up reading the same paragraph 10 times before I actually understand what its saying. Oh well. I need to learn how to study again. I sit down with everything I have to do, and I don't know where to start. So I just don't start. I watch a movie : ) I'm getting better though.

I'm sort of glad I'm in school again. Maybe. A little bit. But hardly at all...

A few thoughts on the first snowy day of the year.

2007-11-22T17:05:00.001-05:00

Oh the Holidays. This time last year, I was in a small Albion pub on the western shore of England, sharing thanksgiving with 3 of my English friends and a bunch of american's and candians. Oh and one australian. Then we we went to blessed Trevor and Vivian's cottage and cooked them their first thanksgiving meal. Vivan is from England and Trevor is from a small Island between Ireland and England called the Isle of Man. Megan cooked her wicked pumpkin pie and Paige and I made some awesome mashed patatoes toegether. Everything was home made and so delicious, because at the time, the only thing we had to compare it to was the dreadful hall food of Capernwray. That was the best thanksgiving ever. No pressure. No guilt. Just a good time with some amazing sisters. After our meal we spent hours drinking coffee and tea watching football and discussing life. This was one of the last times I got to spend some quality time with Stacey, a friend who passed away in a terrible car wreck a week after returning from our year long adventure. Today, I wonder how her family is doing, losing a daughter of 19 years just 6 months ago. The holidays aren't always so great are they?

I'm staying with Randi-Kay the next 4 days. I'm sad I had to leave her alone tonight. I wish I could curl up on her couch, drink some wine and watch a movie all the while, not watching it but talking about anything and everything. I'm glad we are becoming room mates in just 2 weeks. Yay!

As of now, I'm tucked away in the woods in a small town called Gaylord. I'm staying at my dad's lodge, or cabin or resort. (They are still trying to come up with a creative name for it.) I'm here with my dad, my brother Jacob and my dad's girlfriend Kelly. Her daughter's and family are here as well. They love Jesus. It's cool. Before we ate we all prayed together holding hands and thanking God for things we had. This was so awesome, but wierd. I've never held hands with my dad before and prayed. My heart was quietly exploding inside. Part of Kelly's family, some people I've just met today who share a passion for serving and doing missions as well, were interested in the past year of my life. Just earlier I was able to share my expieriences in Bosnia, England and with God. I showed them pictures and explained to them what this meant for me. They were thrilled. So was I.

I had a bunch of sutff in storage up here. Pictures, furniture, clothes, shoes, movies, cds. Those sorts of things. I found all of my old yearbooks, all of my old writings for the newspaper. My old paintings and so many pictures from times I can't ever believe existed. It was wierd. I found the cheesy boyfriend album of when we were so 'in love'. Haha. I thought I threw it away so it was funny to find. I found tons of pictures of when I was a cross country runner. 'The best times of my life'. Whatever. It's fun rediscovering these passions after a few years of being so lost in who I was. I didn't love Jesus then, so I'm excited to see where life goes now that I have him in my life.

I'm thankful for so much today that I can't really express it. At all.

Jesus loves me. 'Nough said.

Please Pray for Bosnia.

2007-11-20T11:55:00.000-05:00

So I went to Bosnia this year with a group of people from England. My friend Jo who I went with decided to go back and she just moved there 2 weeks ago. She'll be there for 6 months. But I just got this email from her and another friend who is there.

***************

Dear Family and Friends,

The MSNBC news article reads “Rising nationalist rivalries are pushing Bosnia-Herzegovina towards its most acute crisis since the 1992-95 war and may soon grow worse because of related tensions in Kosovo, according to western diplomats based in Sarajevo.”

Politically, the country is falling apart. A few weeks ago the UN high representative, Miroslav Lajcak, imposed an action to streamline the government. Basically this action was to reduce the number of parliament members needed to create a quorum, trying to remove the deadlock in parliament. The Serbs interpreted this action as a direct assault on the sovereignty of the Bosnian Serb entity know as the Republic Serpska (RS). They claim that Lajcak, in cooperation with the federation of Bosnia (Muslim entity), are trying to do away with the RS.

In response to this, the RS Prime Minister resigned which brought the entire government to a stand still. They are presently in a 30 day negotiation trying to resolve this issue. The problem is that a new PM must be appointed by the RS parliament members but they are refusing to appoint a new PM until Lajcek rescinds his reforms—they are in a stalemate. They are talking about holding an emergency election if they cannot resolve this during the 30 day negotiation period.

Serbia and Russia have also gotten in on the action claiming that Lajcek’s actions are unconstitutional and they are supporting the RS position. To make the situation even worse, Serbia is threatening that if Kosovo is given their independence on the Dec. 10th deadline that they will support the RS in their secession from Bosnia. It seems their intent would be to incorporate the RS into Serbia. Think about where that would leave Goražde, we would be completely surrounded with a new international border which would come within two kilometers of the Hope Center.

Although I don’t think it will happen, the talk of another war has become very prevalent in the media and with the locals. I don’t know what they would hope to gain from this but I am often confounded by the Bosnians and their logic.

The economic situation is pretty bad too, in that inflation is going crazy & food prices are getting really high. As most of the people here struggle to survive anyway, this situation would just make the poverty worse.

This is very brief overview of what is happening in this place we can home. I would like to give you a very specific prayer but truly, I don’t know what the answers are. Please pray for the Lord’s direction and intervention in this situation so that His will be done and His Kingdom come!

Thank you for your continued support without which this ministry would not be possible.

Until All Have Heard...

Steve Reitz

****************************

Wow. Please Pray. Bosnia is such a beautiful country that holds an extremely special place in my heart.

Here is a picture of the team there.

The Post-Secret Project

2007-11-13T00:44:00.000-05:00

So. This post-secret series is awesome. But it is so hard. Very vaguely, it hits sore spots that I want to keep hidden. Part of me wants to forget about them all. Forget anything that has ever happened. Which I know is wrong.

Watch this video. Forgiveness. What the heck does it really mean. This world twists it. Makes me believe things about it that aren't true. I just learned some of the biggest things ever this weekend.

Forgiveness Doesn't Mean That:
1) They were right.
2) You have to trust them.
3) You will find reconciliation.

Forgiveness is YOU dealing with other's sin.

On another note. I'm getting an apartment. Crazy. : )

I know. Your JEALOUS. Halloween 2007

2007-10-26T23:59:00.000-04:00

HOMEMADE COSTUMES : )

Melissa Newell, Randi-Kay Anthony, Suzanne Price and Dan Price

On Fire

2007-10-23T09:55:00.000-04:00

They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you need to leave.
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be.

But everything inside you
Knows there's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words

And you're on fire
When He's near you
You're on fire when He speaks
You're on fire burning at these mysteries.

Give me one more time around
Give me one more chance to see.
Give me everything You are
Give me one more chance to be near You.

When everything inside me
Looks like everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change
You are the only chance I'll take

And I'm on fire when You're near me
I'm on fire when You speak
I'm on fire burning at these mysteries

I'm standing on the edge of me,
I'm standing on the edge of everything I've ever been
And I've been standing at the edge of me, standing
At the edge

(Switchfoot - I was listening to this song this morning, sitting in the pitch black of the church. I cried. It hit me for some reason.)

I'm so PROUD...

2007-10-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

My friend Josh sent this to me from an Australian newspaper. I'm proud of the way Michigan represents the US worldwide. = )

Freedom

2007-10-05T00:12:00.000-04:00

So I couldn't sleep last night and I decided to read Galatians. I listened to one of the lectures from Capernwray given by a guy from the Netherlands called Eis Van Dijk. Crazy guy. But wow.

This particular lecture was about freedom in Christ. One of the many lectures that made a tear roll down my cheek. I get pretty emotional thinking it.

Freedom in Christ.

I'm sure I've heard it before going to England. The concept I've probably been told before but it didn't click, it didn't make sense, it didn't register that this happens when you follow Jesus. I was so confused in my walk because I couldn't grasp this. Mostly I thought I didn't deserve it, but I just really didn't understand it. I truly thought it was about rules. About trying to get it right all the time.

Galatians 5.1-7
"So Christ has truly set you free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law."
Then it talks about circumcision and how that won't make you right with God because people then thought it did.
"What is important is faith expressing itself in love. You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to be free."

Now, it's not like we can go out and do whatever we want and follow our sinful desires because we are 'free'. It's a reason to serve each other in love for Jesus' honor and His life.

So at this point in the lecture, Eis looks at us and asks in his wierd funny accent, "People, are you free?" And it felt like a sword in my heart. Probably the point when a tear rolled down my cheek. He continued, "Your freedom leads to seeing God's character and the face of Jesus in your life." I wanted this so much and hated it because I felt like this wasn't true for my life. I realized then that I was holding myself bondage to a lot of crap in my life. All crap that I had no reason to carry by myself.

Eis then continued to list all of these different verses explaining things that we are free from BECAUSE of Jesus, how we don't have to be slaves to the sin in our lives or to things that other people do to us.

Anyways, there is so much more to this. But it was really cool to go back and listen to these lectures, look at my notes and the things I wrote down and notice the change in my own life and my own thinking. I'm just soooo thankful for what He's done for me. It's crazy awesome. Sometimes unbelievable that I'm free from stuff because of Jesus.

Wow

Hudson Newell

2007-10-03T00:03:00.000-04:00

I took off an extra day this week so I could spend some time with my family Bryan, Katie and Hudson. Here's the little guy. = ) OOOOOOOOO I love him!

As I wait for my TV dinner...

2007-10-02T13:22:00.000-04:00

Tuesdays are one of my new favorite days.

1) I have the day off, how great is that. Every week.

2) I get to read the Bible with Randi-Kay.

So we read through James today and we both loved it. What a cool book. It talks about genuine religion, genuine faith and genuine wisdom. All things that I love reading about and want my life to look like, but also all things that are hard.

We are going to spend some time chewing up this book, thinking about it talking ALOT about it. After we got done reading it today I so wanted to read it again right then and there. Chapter 4 struck me. It's titled 'Drawing close to God'.

In verse 2: "You want what you don't have... You are jealous of what others have but you can't get it... Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it."
Ok, so it seems simple right? To ask God for the things you think you need or the things you want. But man. Maybe it's just me. But I realized when I read that, that I'm just stubborn. It's not easy for me to ask God for things for some reason. Like the other night I came home after a movie. It was probably close to 1 in the morning and I was really frustrated because I needed to fix the sound on this video I was making and I just couldn't figure it out. So I kept at it and Suzanne was just like, "Melissa, just ask God to help you with it." And I was just like... "Oh." I don't remember that you can do that and personally I didn't really want to right then because I wante to figure it out. I don't know. This is kind of a small example. Point being, I'M STUBBORN.

A Friend from Capernwray!!

2007-09-30T23:45:00.001-04:00

Today I was able to hang out with my friend Jill, who I met at the Bible school in England. She's been studying at L'bri in the Netherlands since the beginning of June and has just gotten home. It's cool because she only lives an hour away from here! We had so much fun hanging out today. It was so awesome to be spending time with someone from my school here in my hometown. I loved it. She also has the same passion for fall that I do. On our way back to my house we found 3 trees that were changing colors. The only trees I've seen so far. We got so excited that we pulled over and took lots of silly pictures. : )

'Turtle' . . . hehe

2007-09-29T12:24:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Brett for this wonderful gift. Now Randi-Kay and I can make our own black and tans and actually be successful. : )

One Year Ago... So Wierd

2007-09-28T00:39:00.000-04:00

Last year at this time I was sitting on Suzanne's couch crying a little bit and hugging and laughing while friends trickled in and out all day to say goodbye. Students from all over the world will be heading to England to begin a their one-year bible school journey. Wow. For some reason I can't really fathom this. It seems like a million years ago that I left that Friday but it also seems like yesterday. I loved it there. I hated it there. I don't ever want to do that again. But I do and I miss it, alot. Conflicting emotions really. All I can say is that those students don't know what they have coming for them, if they were anything like me. A crazy, awesome, hard, exciting time of growing and learning more about our father. I don't even know how I ended up there. I just did and when I got off the train after 37 hours of traveling I thought to myself, 'Oh Shit... What have I done this time?" And I sort of felt that way alot in the beginning but then I just started changing and growing and making amazing friendships that were not focused on having things in common but were existent because we all love Jesus so much. (Way cool.) It was awesome. Ahhhh!!! I can't even explain it!!!! I love Jesus... thats all!!!! There is so much I want to say. All the really cool things I learned about God. Things that seemed so simple but before I just didn't get it. I'm still confused alot. I so easily forget the simple but never-changing truths of our Savior but thank you to all of you who continue to remind me of them.

I'm so happy.

2007-09-25T16:26:00.000-04:00

I just went out to get the mail. Nothing for me, not a surprise. Well other than the normal, 'You've qualified for a credit card!!!' mail. But... As I was walking back to the house I glanced up at the trees, probably wishing that I could climb them. (I really like climbing trees.) But then I noticed something so exciting!!! The leaves have started to change colors. Maybe it started awhile ago, but I've just noticed. So I grabbed my camera.

This is my favorite time of the year by far. I can't wait to walk outside and purposefully walk through some leaves just to hear the crunchiness. That makes me smile. = )

Healthy and Nutritious

2007-09-23T10:03:00.000-04:00

So Randi-Kay and I made three different kinds of pie last night! I know, right? Hard to believe...Randi-Kay cooking anyways :) Apple, Cherry, and one of my personal favorites, Pumpkin.

I just had a big piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast. : ) I'm allowed.

Today I Miss This

2007-09-21T11:01:00.000-04:00

2007-09-19T00:45:00.000-04:00

I'm doing better. Somewhat getting used to this sleeping alone thing. I'm so lame but what can I say. I'm just not used to it. Leaving the TV on helps.

Anyways.

I get really frustrated that my 'fire' for God goes up and down and up and down. I mean, I'm always totally in love with HIm and see Him in my life. But I don't get why I sometimes lose my hunger for the word or that I seem to think I'm not dependent on God. Both of these things are very dangerous. I see huge differences in myself when these two things start happening. The biggest thing is I start to get depressed which makes these things even more severe. Another thing is I start to think all sorts of bad things about myself. That I'm not doing any good, I'm selfish (which is probably true), that I can't be used by God, that I'll never get over things that I struggle with. All sorts of things. These are just surfacy. I think alot of it right now is me just trying to see where I fit in. This is the first semester I have never been in school. But I'm not done with school. I don't have a degree or a career. I work at Starbucks which is most of the time frustrating. I've just been hired at the church as a video intern which is sweet and gives me something fulfilling to do. I'm sure I'll really enjoy that. But I still feel really in between. Lot's of my relationships are different since I've been to England and back. I really miss the deep friendships I made there. Everyone just lives SO FAR away. I've been blessed with two really awesome friends. Suzanne and Randi-Kay. They have kept me going.

Man, I'm just rambling now. Plese pray for me... just transition I guess. I don't even know.

2007-09-16T23:46:00.000-04:00

It's 11:50 pm and I can't sleep. Why? Mainly because I slept in until noon today, took a shower, put in a movie and fell asleep again. I can seriously never get enough sleep. The other reason I can't sleep is that my fam is gone. They are in Seattle until next weekend. And man, I just hate being the only one in the house. It's awesome in the mornings because I can blast my music really loud while I shower and get ready and during the day is fine because I'm not here. But when it comes to night time, I just get freaked out. Like bad. Not to mention the neighbors aren't home but their dogs are still outside growling and barking and whining ALOT. It makes me think someone is out there and is going to get me. Lame I know. Hmmmm. I wonder why their dogs are still outside.

Anyways.

The other day I had to open at Starbucks, which means I leave my house at 4:30 am. Not cool first of all. But on this paricular day, I had left my windows down the night before. I never do that, and am not sure why I did this time. Not the point of the stary though. So I get in my car, role up my windows and start driving to work. I'm about 3 miles into my drive, mind you its pitch black outside and inside my car. All of a sudden I see this black thing fly on my coat and I fell it land. I can't really find the words to describe how freaked out I was. Like, I swerved and almost died. I had no idea what this thing was and went to brush it off but it was stuck to me and it was cold and slimy. At this point I am FREAKING out. So I slam on my breaks. Open my door. Turn on my lights in the car, and to my surpise I find this massive tree frong on my chest. I grabbed it and threw into the woods.

I don't mind frogs at all. I used to chase them and catch them all the time when I was little. But at 4:30 in the morning, I HATE frogs. I fell kind of bad that I just carelessly threw it into the woods, possibly harming it. But come on. Disgusting.

So Cool

2007-08-22T12:44:00.000-04:00

I suck.

2007-08-21T14:40:00.000-04:00

At posting. Seriously. Has it been over a month since I last posted? I so suck at this. Theres so much I have to tell but I don't have internet...

I'm amazed today. I don't know why I'm acting so amazed though. I should have faith that God can do anything, so Him providing a miracle for me isn't an enourmous deal. Right? No... It totally is. I just see his faithfulness more and it's almost like a huge hug or something. (That sounds really cheesy but whatever. I don't care)

God is sweet.

I shared my story on Sunday night at Merge along with my girl Randi-Kay. We sat up there together. Support I guess. I needed it. I was scared. It went great... I think. Randi-Kay is cool. She was amzing just as I assumed she would be. I want to post it here for those of you who weren't there to hear it, but that's too scary. I'm not ready for some people to hear it I guess. Is that ok? I hope it is.

I have lots of thoughts right now so I'm going to do it bullet syle! :-)

- Like I already said. Randi-Kay is awesome. A blessing.

- I get to see some people from Capernwray next weeked. They are flying in from around the States and from England to see our buddy Russ get hitched! I'm so excited! Russ is gettin married!!!

- Today God provided in ways that still have my head spinning. So awesome. I was almost in tears. Ok actually. I shed a little tiny tear. That counts enourmously for a girl that doesn't cry. :-)

- I love Nikki and Mark Shuptar. Alot. These guys have been cool to have in my life.

- I love, love, love the unknown person who paid off my Spring School Fees from going to school in England. You have done something that is so huge in my life right now. So huge. Maybe I can go back to school this year now. Thank you so much. I want to hug you!

- I'm trying to get over an enourmous fear of rejection in different areas of my life. Prayer would be awesome. Please.

- I wish I was a creative, interesting blogger.

The End

Falling More in Love

2007-07-17T21:04:00.000-04:00

It's just been over a month since I've been home from an unexplainable year in England. It's been rough, I'm not gonna lie. When I stepped off the plane in June and saw Suzanne rushing towards me, I felt relief. I felt safe and comfortable. One of the things I enjoyed while being in England was our Wednesday phone dates. It was so amazing to be able to update someone frequently about all the little changes I was going through. It made me a little less afraid to come home because with her, I don't have to do a whole bunch of explaining about why or how I'm different. She understands and knows. Since being home, I'd say it's pretty fair to say I've gone through emotions I didn't even know existed.

When I was in England, I always start to say that I finally found God. But that's not true. The truth is, is that God has been knocking at my door for so long and I finally stopped and let him come in. It wasn't easy. I weeped and weeped and weeped a lot while I was there. There was this pond near the castle where I used to go by myslef and sit with the cows, swans, sheep, ducks and frogs. A lot of the time I was screaming at God, asking him questions about why things in my life have happened. Why I don't feel him around me or feel his love a lot of the time. Why he's allowed these things to happen. A lot of the time I would just scream that I didn't understand Him. But then I would walk in the familiar lecture hall, sit down for 6 hours and hear about all that God wanted for my life. How much he loved me. How I am a potential key player in His kingdom. And all the different things I need to attempt to change in my life. Here, I'd also like to say that I started to discover more and more about myslef, but really as God was revealing Himslef to me, he was revealing different things about myself to me as well.

It was such a rollercoaster of emotions. One day I would be so on fire, but suddenly would wake up in a deep depression the next. It's so hard to explain. It was hard not to focus on my life and to focus on God instead. Finding a balance was almost impossible most of the time but it never failed that when I started to focus on God's love, I would feel better. I felt stripped and naked a lot of the time but it humbled me in ways I didn't think would ever happen.

Near the end of my time there, I cried more. I think the devil was trying to convince me that I hadn't made any progress in my walk with the Lord. That being a follower of God was always going to be frustrating and never fulfilling. But I fought him. Three weeks before I left England I struggled with God more than I ever have in my life. I was looking back through my journal entries of that week and got chills reading of how desperate my cries to Him were. Everyone around me couldn't figure out what was going on with me. I couldn't figure out what was going on with me. Looking back, I've realized that part of that week was God painfully ripping some garbage our of my life. I have a lot of garbage. He was erasing lots of guilt, hate, bitterness and frustration.

Then I went and climbed my favorite tree, near 'the ruins'. It was really cold that week, and as I sat high in the tree on the edge of the woods, overlooking the cost of England, the strong wind instantly stopped, the sun came out for no more than 5 minutes and I heard a bird chirp. And my heart was at peace. It was like He was giving me a big hug and telling me not to worry because He was holding me close to His heart. I priased Him, and cried because I couldn't believe how much He loved me. Then I cried more because I couldn't believe how much I actually love Him. And that love is growing at such an extremely fast rate that I'm overwhelmed. For the longest time I couldn't grasp hold of the fact that He loved me. But I know it more and more everyday. One of the ways I've noticed it since I've been back is through Randi-Kay.

I've been hanging out with Randi-Kay lately. I just met her 4 weeks ago when I got back. She became a believer in December. Her and I are so unbelievably similiar, it's crazy. We have been hurt in a lot of the same ways. We have been through a lot of the same things and we understand each other on an unspoken level I think. She makes my transition easier. I thank God for her and her life. She is so encouraging, maybe without her even knowing it. I'm meeting with her evey week to just read God's word. It's great. We ended our time together last week just laughing and smiling. She teaches me alot. Most everytime I talk to her, I realize something new about God. It's cool.

This is seriously just a small window in my thoughts and feeling while I was in England and since I've been back.

A lot of my frustrations are gone. I have more questions now, but it's better this way.

I'm falling more in love with God everyday and I feel different. Only because He's changing me.

2007-07-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

I'm now writing my blogs to a different crowd, not that I was really that great on keeping anyone updated through this thing. But most anyone who reads this probably knows I'm home, back in Michigan, for now. Bible School is over. Whether that's really exciting or not, I still havn't decided. Now this is to keep all my friends from every corner of the earth updated on the non-exciting life of Melissa newell.

1) I miss you Marieke, Dyne, Jo and Rosanna. "AHHHHHH!" That is my frustration on not being able to see your face or give you guys a hug.

2) I got to watch my nephew Hudson the other day, all day, which made me so happy. He's a pretty cool kid. It must be the Newell blood.

(I really like his rolls. They are so... rolly!)

Just Lost A Friend...

2007-07-06T18:59:00.000-04:00

You were such a beautiful girl. Your smile was always contagious. I'm still in disbelief. I love you Stacey.