Seeing God in it all

It's a...

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:06:00 +0000

Well, it looks like the girls have it on the poll, and in real life,

because we're having a GIRL!

Sorry for those of you who voted for a boy.

Better luck next time!

This little miss will make her debut in June!

Boy or Girl?

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Today is the day we have our 20 week ultrasound.

We'll get to see this little one up close...

learn about his or her development...

and find out if it's a boy or girl!

Before we get back from the appointment, though, i thought i'd let my lovely readers weigh in.

So, whatdaya think?

You have a few hours to get your vote in before the big reveal!

Check back later to see if you were right.

FOTO FRIDAY

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

If you've been reading this blog long, you may remember my family took a trip to Disney almost two years ago.

After the trip, i had this great idea of making a digital photo scrapbook to commemorate the trip.

i finally finished it and it came in the mail this week.

So instead of one photo for you all, here is a book's worth of memories.

(hint: you can click the full screen option to see the book bigger)

fine print: this is not an ad for Shutterfly.
They only know me as the girl who took forever to finish her book.

is the womb an indicator of life on the outside?

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

i've been feeling this little one move for the past few weeks, but Jason has yet to really feel it for himself. (Well, one time he might have felt it, but i couldn't really determine if what he felt was the baby or a gas bubble.)

The other day i was home typing a paper and i felt the baby moving around a lot. After a few moments, i thought, "i should put my hand on my stomach so i can see if it's possible to feel the baby's movement on the outside of my body yet." So i put my hand right over where the baby was moving.

And i got nothing.

It wasn't that i couldn't feel the baby's movement on the outside. The baby stopped moving almost immediately when i put my hand on my stomach.

So i waited...

and waited...

i even thought maybe my hand was pressing too hard and so i lightly held it to my stomach.

Nothing.

i decided the baby had gotten settled, or fallen asleep, and i had just missed the opportunity to conduct my experiment on whether i could feel the baby's movements. i determined that the next time the baby moved i would try again, and i took my hand off my stomach and put it back on the keyboard.

Almost immediately i felt one little movement, like a sudden jerk of the baby's arm or leg. It was as if the baby was waiting for the exact moment for me to remove my hand to send me a little message, saying, "i'll move when i want and not when you want."

Now, i may be reading way too much into this...

but if not, it looks like i might have an incredibly stubborn child on my hands...

pray for me.

happy birthday Dad!

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

To the best dad ever,

"It's your birthday!!"

i'm sorry i can't be with you today to celebrate,

even though i'm sure you are saying, "it's just another day" in your best Eeyore voice.

But until i can tell you in person this weekend,

i wanted to wish you a happy birthday,

and tell you i love you,

and that i think you are an amazing dad,

and that i'm so very glad i'm your daughter,

and that i hope we have a cake for your birthday this weekend

because i've been really craving cake recently

on account of the whole pregnancy thing.

Happy birthday Dad!

i hope i'm as cool as you when i'm 52.

love,

the big one (not a reference to my recent weight gain)

VICTORY IN JESUS!! - Naz Update

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:27:00 +0000

Literally five minutes after i posted the previous post,

i learned from Hope's post in the Facebook group We Support Naz that

NAZ IS COMING HOME!!!

The D.A. in his criminal case issued a statement that there was not enough evidence to convict him in his criminal case and requested the case be dismissed!

The judge agreed and signed!

i don't know all the details of what happens next.

i imagine his immigration hearing will still need to proceed based on this new evidence.

Yet his immigration trial was based on his criminal trial, WHICH IS NOW DROPPED, so we can only assume the best in this situation and believe NAZ will return home to his beautiful wife Hope soon.

PRAISE THE LORD!!

My eyes are filling with joyful tears (i do have some extra hormones floating around right now).

Our Heavenly Father is so good.

Join me in thanking Him for His continued miracles and for the joy that His presence in uncertainty can bring!

(ps- if you have no idea what i am talking about, click the Free Naz label link under labels to read the incredible story of Hope and Naz. You'll be glad you did.)

the certainty of uncertainty

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:09:00 +0000

This weekend, a fellow student from my seminary died. The details are vague but it's believed he passed away from health issues. i didn't know Jake really. He was new to seminary, starting his second semester. Since i was at my internship last semester, i wasn't around to get to know him. In fact, i had only met him for the first time two weeks ago, the first week of this semester. He was in my Text and Traditions 1 class. Later that week, we both found ourselves in the mail room at the seminary. He was making copies and i was checking my boss' mailbox. We said hello, introduced ourselves, and then gave our opinions of T&T 1 so far. i said i was excited to learn the foundation of a lot of the Church's current theology from studying the early writings of the Church Fathers, and he agreed. i walked away and he returned to his copies.

There was nothing about Jake that would signify his life was coming to a close. There was no outwards signs that the end was near. And yet in class tomorrow, his empty chair will serve as a reminder that signs of the end are not often given.

Last week, J and i sat in the living room of one of our best friends' homes. We caught up on life. We told funny stories. Since both she and i were pregnant, we discussed how our pregnancies were going so far. She was 35 weeks and nearing the end. We shared prayer requests and prayed for one another. We even saw the baby move in her stomach. We stayed late, much later than anticipated, but the community was so enriching. The next morning, i received a text from her that she was in labor. A few hours later, i received a text to announce the arrival of her new son, a picture of her holding him, and a prayer request for his little lungs to function well since the nurses and doctors were worried. Over the weekend, her son was put in the NICU, and the prayerful road of watching and waiting began.

There was no sign last week that my dear friend was about to give birth, that her beautiful son was about to enter the world. If anything, we all believed she had a few more weeks of pregnancy to enjoy and endure before the arrival of this little one. And yet his little life, started a month before the anticipated date of his arrival, serves as a reminder that the best laid plans are often overturned by a different path. And in those moments, we let go of the plan, take a deep breath, and lean on God as we start a new journey.

Some say the only certainty is life is death and taxes. i would like to add to this list.
For me, the only certainty in life is uncertainty.

The planner, the controller, in me hates this.

And yet there is another certainty to balance the uncertainty of life.
The presence of God.

His presence does not always make the uncertainty easier.
In fact, it often leads me to question the uncertainty.

Yet His presence provides an assurance that there is something bigger, there is One who is bigger, than all the uncertainties.

FOTO FRIDAY

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Last Friday, i posted about religion instead of posting fotos.

To make up for it, i'm posting two fotos for today's installment of FOTO FRIDAY.

The first one - my first year of school

i call this one Lord love my mother for trying to curl a five-year-old's hair.

The second - my last year of school

i call this one My Last First Day

It's been a long road, my friends.

But it has been worth it.

Have a wonderful weekend!

pregnancy update

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:41:00 +0000

i'm still wrestling with how much pregnancy talk is permissible on my blog before people start tuning out, thinking, "all she ever talks about anymore is her belly bump, or bloating, or gas, or morning sickness, or baby names, or baby registry suggestions, etc." i don't want my life's sole focus to be my pregnancy right now, just as i don't want my life's sole focus to be being a mom once this little one arrives. (Let me clarify, while i do think my pregnancy and impending motherhood are BIG parts of my life, i don't think it completely defines me.)

And yet, the purpose of this blog is to see God in it all, in every area of life...and i'd be blind to not see God in this. So, i'm going to talk about it sometimes. And besides, i know the family and friends who live far away and who read my blog will appreciate the updates.

i hope you all are okay with that.

So, here's a brief recap of the past 3 months of life, broken down into weeks because that's how you talk about pregnancies.

Week 4 - Positive pregnancy test! YAY! (And for those of you who are curious, we were not surprised by this pregnancy.)

Weeks 4 - 5 - Have moments of excitement...mixed with moments of "Oh my word, what have i gotten myself in to? i'm going to have to go through LABOR in 8 months!!!!

Week 5 1/2 - 7 - most horrible weeks of my life to date. (That may be a bit of an overreaction, but not by much). Jason had a bit of a cold/allergies, and i got it. At first, i thought nothing of it...but then i didn't get better. And i STILL didn't get better. And i felt horrible and my chest even started hurting. i went to the doctor finally because i was having fevers (which is bad for pregnant women fyi) and turns out i had an upper respiratory infection. It was even worse because the medicines you can take when pregnant are limited, so it took over a week and a half of antibiotics to kick the infection finally.

Week 7 - Slight food aversions in the previous weeks, which i attributed to the upper respiratory infection making me not feel like eating, kicked into high gear. Also, morning sickness made it's debut. My mom swears she never remembers having morning sickness bad, only slightly feeling nauseous on occasion. My younger sister, who has already braved the trenches of pregnancy, had it so bad she had to take medicine. i was hoping to take after Mom, but wasn't that lucky.

Week 8 - First doctor's appointment. J was able to come with me, and we were able to see this little one in the ultrasound. Apparently both J and the doctor saw the baby moving his/her arms before my doctor moved the screen where i could see it, but i missed it. i did get to see the little heart beating. That moment was so magical, and it definitely made it all seem more real to both J and me.

Weeks 8 - 12 - A blur of ~~morning~~ all-day sickness, exhaustion, and trying my hardest to finish my internship for seminary. My nausea became so debilitating at times, i finally had to get on some medicine. Luckily, i only took it as needed (which wasn't every day) and did not have to rely too heavily on it. But on the days i needed, i was so glad it was there. And while i wouldn't change a thing, it was very difficult to spend the final weeks of my internship, where i was writing all my papers for my HUGE portfolio, dealing with all-day sickness and exhaustion. But somehow God helped me through it!

Week 12 - Second doctor's appointment. J had to work :( In this appointment, i was able to hear the baby's heartbeat. It again made everything seem more real.

Weeks 13 - 15 - The all-day sickness finally began to subside, and i was so grateful. i also began to feel less exhausted, but since i was no longer in school and on Christmas break, it was hard to tell if the renewed energy came from moving into the second trimester or from having the stress of my internship over.

Weeks 15 - 16 - Christmas holidays with both sides of our family. Luckily, my nausea was all but gone, except if i didn't eat every few hours. And since it was Christmas and New Year's, and there was a lot of great food being made, i ate...A LOT. At the end of Week 16, i had my third doctor's appointment. In a month's time, i had gained 8 lbs. In the words of my doctor, "i had a good Christmas."

Week 17 - The night before school started, i felt the baby move "for sure" for the first time. (i had thought previously i MAY have felt it, but it was so hard to distinguish anything from the gas bubbles pregnancy brings on.) It felt sort of like gas bubbles, but it stayed in one place and happened repeatedly. The next day, during one of my classes, i felt the same sensation again in the same location. For the first time, i felt a connection with the baby that didn't require seeing an ultrasound or hearing a heartbeat. Up to this point, sometimes it was easy to just feel like i was getting fatter instead of being pregnant. But now that i can feel the baby move sometimes, i definitely FEEL pregnant.

Week 18 - i'm still settling into the routine of the new semester, and trying to coordinate my bathroom breaks and snacks every few hours with my class schedule. But i'm getting the hang of it. i'm also definitely showing now, and i have a few maternity shirts to prove it. i'm not needing maternity pants yet since i can get by with belly bands and hair-ties holding my un-buttoned pants together. But it won't be that much longer until i'm needing full-fledged maternity pants.

That's where we've been the last three months, and there's more to look forward to. Like completing a baby registry, having our anatomy scan/gender reveal ultrasound in a few weeks, and finalizing name choices.

It's been an incredible journey so far, and God has taught me so much (more on that in a later post).
i can't wait to see what's next!

the importance of religion - a follow-up

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:06:00 +0000

A few days ago I wrote about a video called “Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus” by Jeff Bethke that was getting a lot of play on Youtube. At the time, it had over 6 million hits. (It currently has almost 14 million hits and hundreds of response and parody videos as well.) When I first saw this video, I felt as if I might understand the intention behind what this man was saying. When religious practices, works righteousness or lists of dos and don’ts take precedence over the loving relationship found in Jesus Christ, this is an issue. When religion is used to fuel hate, start or increase warfare or oppress the marginalized, this is a tragedy and a travesty. And it was this particular brand of “religion” which I believed Bethke to be addressing.

Yet by using the word “religion” to define his particular understanding of false religion, Bethke unfortunately throws out thousands of years of religious practice and development. By seeing religion as simply “behavior modification, like a long list of chores,” Bethke neglects the spiritual disciplines and practices developed over centuries to bring believers into communion with a Holy God. When Bethke states Jesus came to “abolish religion” and “hates religion,” he neglects to realize the very religious practices Jesus took part in as a Jewish male, and how the Bible claims and encourages true religion as “looking after widows and orphans, and keeping oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1.27). And whether we like it or not, it is the Church (or religion) God has used to further His Kingdom on the earth so that the “gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16.18).

In the previous post i also shared a response video done by Kyndall, an alumni from my seminary. Her response got a lot of feedback too, and she wrote a facebook note to further clarify her thoughts. It was so great, i wanted to share part of it with you.

Bethke (and many, many, many evangelicals before him) want faith to matter. Like most of the rest of us, they were first exposed to a Christianity that was hypocritical, or legalistic, or judgmental, or watered-down. Then, they stumbled on a version of faith that was vibrant and freeing (we’ll call it a “relationship”), and so in the ecstasy of their liberation, they threw out the baby with the bathwater, making religion itself culpable.

But Bethke (or any other Christian, for that matter) cannot define religion the way they are, not if they want to converse with anyone else besides other evangelical Christians who already agree with them.

Why? Because in so defining religion, they are denying conversation to anyone who is from another religion, anyone who is atheist/agnostic (also, Christians who are unashamedly religious, such as Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican) because they are refusing to define terms the way the rest of the world defines them.

So what? Can’t we define things how we please within our own circle?
Not if you want to be worthy of respect. Not if you want people who are different from you to listen. Not if you want to be respectful towards other groups.

So you see, this is not an internal conflict. It is not a mere issue of definitions, which the girl with the small voice doesn’t seem to understand. It’s bigger than that. It’s about the way Christianity interacts with the rest of the world, and it is about the way Evangelical Christians converse with Mainline Christians, and it is about the way American Christians remember that the world is bigger than we are and Christianity is older than we are.

Christianity is a religion, and always has been, and there is no convincing the rest of the world that this is not so. So, I charge you, my generation, let’s quit trying to make up new words and just redeem the old ones. We’re not ultimately helping anything by trying to pretend that Christianity is something other than what it is.

i appreciated Kyndall's video, and her follow-up response on Facebook, because she said so many of the things i was thinking but did not know how to articulate. We Christians must understand the power of our words. We must understand that words like "religion" are defined differently by other groups, and in order to engage others (both believers and non-believers) about the importance of religion and how religion can also be misused we must not define religion so narrowly. And we must understand that when we denounce "religion," we may inadvertently be encouraging younger brothers and sisters in Christ to leave the Church and wrestle with their faith individually and alone.

Luckily, the conversation is not over, for Bethke has responded to criticism and himself reevaluated his thoughts. When Kevin DeYoung reached out to Bethke in loving criticism, he received this response from Bethke...

I just wanted to say I really appreciate your article man. It hit me hard. I’ll even be honest and say I agree 100%. God has been working with me in the last 6 months on loving Jesus AND loving his church. For the first few years of walking with Jesus (started in ’08) I had a warped/poor paradigm of the church and it didn’t build up, unify, or glorify His wife (the Bride). If I can be brutally honest I didn’t think this video would get much over a couple thousand views maybe, and because of that, my points/theology wasn’t as air-tight as I would’ve liked. If I redid the video tomorrow, I’d keep the overall message, but would articulate, elaborate, and expand on the parts where my words and delivery were chosen poorly… My prayer is my generation would represent Christ faithfully and not swing to the other spectrum….thankful for your words and more importantly thankful for your tone and fatherly like grace on me as my elder. Humbled. Blessed. Thankful for painful growth. Blessings.

Grace and Peace,

Jeff

(Thanks to Rachel Held Evans for sharing this great conversation!)

i realize this post is long...and that very few of you may make it to the end. Some of you may even think it's silly to get so worked up over a little video. Yet it is opportunities such as this that allow us to truly wrestle with our understanding of faith and religion...and to ask ourselves tough questions like-

How do we love Christ and His Bride, the Church?
How do we enable to Spirit to work and move freely among God's people?
When faced with poor examples of religion, how can we work with the Spirit to redeem and transform?
And even more importantly, are we ourselves guilty of the very crimes we charge against religion/the Church?

May we ever continue on this fruitful and trying spiritual journey of glorifying God, following Jesus and living in the power of the Spirit, all in the blessed gift of community.

the importance of religion

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:27:00 +0000

There's a video floating around, maybe you've seen it on Facebook. In it, a man speaks a very powerful spoken-word about his separation of Jesus from religion. If you haven't seen it, watch it below.

"Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus"

While i applaud this man's insistence on the grace and mercy offered by Jesus, and his denouncement of religion as imprisoning rule-keeping, i cannot completely agree. When we (believers and non-believers alike) use words like "religion," we must realize that such words can mean different things to different people.

Yes, there are examples of "bad" religion...religion that leads to violence, hatred, rule-keeping or works-righteousness. But religion also provides a way for us to live in community with others, to be part of Christ's body, and to know God more intimately.

Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

A recent alumni from my seminary posted a response video to "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus." Kyndall is a very wise person who love Jesus, and her commitment to religion has led her to follow God's call to be a pastor of a church. Listen to her response below.

"A Religious Response to Jesus-Lover"

What did you think of these videos?
Do you feel there is a danger in renouncing religion as a whole?
Is there any hope for change in religion?

i'd love to hear your thoughts.

Reliving Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year...with the freedom and travels of summer coming in a very close second. And i've been in denial that Christmas is over. My Christmas tree has been taken down. All the ornaments wrapped back in newspaper and placed securely in a box. The presents have been unwrapped and found new homes in my apartment. And all the family has gone back to their respective houses.

But since today is the official last day of my Christmas break before classes begin tomorrow, i'm choosing to relive Christmas. Instead of writing all of the joy and fun in celebrating Christmas with two different sets of families (being married = 2 Christmases = even more Christmas!), i thought i'd invite you to relive Christmas with me through pictures.

Christmas with my family -

Christmas with J's family -

And one of my favorite part of this Christmas? Seeing these two...

Only 345 days until next Christmas!

FOTO FRIDAY

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:33:00 +0000

i call this one An exciting gift.

It's the weekend.

My last weekend before my last semester of seminary starts.

i'm going to enjoy it.

i hope you do too.

true dependence

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:19:00 +0000

This morning, i read today's reading in Jesus Calling, a daily devotional guide written as if Jesus was speaking to you. i am often amazed at how timely each devotion is, for i often feel as if the words are speaking directly to an aspect of my current situation. Or maybe i'm just projecting my life onto the devotional. Either way, i think God really uses these words to grab my attention.

As i was reading the entry for January 5th, i was struck by these words...

True dependence is not simply asking Me to bless what you have decided to do. It is coming to Me with an open mind and heart, inviting Me to plant My desires within you. I may infuse within you a dream that seems far beyond your reach. You know that in yourself you cannot achieve such a goal. Thus begins your journey of profound reliance on Me. It is a faith-walk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Me as much as you need. This is not a path of continual success but of multiple failures. However, each failure is followed by a growth spurt, nourished by increased reliance on Me. Enjoy the blessedness of a victorious life, through deepening your dependence on Me.

As i look ahead to graduation in May, and motherhood in June, it's easy for me to plan ahead for what life will look like then. And even though i feel God would be glorified with my plans, they are ultimately my plans. i'm not sure i can honestly say that i've come to God "with an open mind and heart" to invite Him to plant His desires within me. These desires may even be the same as mine, but i haven't really asked to see.

It's scary letting go of control, though, because there is this fear that God will make your life into something you don't want. But is that really the portrait of a Good Father?

FOTO FRIDAY

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

i call this one 15 weeks means dark circles under the eyes.

The writing blitz that concluded my fall semester of mentoring damaged my brain. i've had the good intentions of finally sitting down and picking up the old blog again...but i just couldn't. i'd get tired before i even started, and i never knew what to write about.

Here's hoping that the reinstatement of FOTO FRIDAY will spark a renewed interest in writing.

i think it will.

Also, for those of you who don't get the privilege of seeing me often, here's a shot to prove that i am in fact preggers... :)

i hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a wonderful 2012.

new development

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

So, i have a question.

Does this make me a mommy-blogger now?

every moment is a choice

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

A quote from M. Robert Mulholland Jr.'s Invitation to a Journey...

"For many Christians, the quest for the deeper life in Christ is viewed as a discipline for the dedicated disciple, a pursuit for the particularly pious, a spiritual frill for those who have the time or inclination, a spiritual fad for the trendy Christians.

We fail to realize that the process of spiritual shaping is a primal reality of human existence. Everyone is in a process of spiritual formation! Every thought we hold, every decision we make, every action we take, every emotion we allow to shape our behavior, every response we make to the world around us, every relationship we enter into, every reaction we have toward the things that surround us and impinge upon our lives - all of these things, little by little, are shaping us into some kind of being. We are being shaped into either the wholeness of the image of Christ or a horribly destructive caricature of that image - destructive not only to ourselves but also to others, for we inflict our brokenness upon them. This wholeness or destructiveness radically conditions our relationship with God, ourselves and others, as well as our involvement in the dehumanizing structures and dynamics of the broken world around us. We become either agents of God's healing and liberating grace or carriers of the sickness of the world. The direction of our spiritual growth infuses all we do with intimations of either Life or Death."

i thought this was amazing, challenging, convicting, life-changing.

What do you think?

Prayers for wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:51:00 +0000

Dear Friends,

i am alive.

Since it's been a while since i've posted, i thought i should tell you all that. My internship with a college ministry is almost finished, and then i have to complete my HUGE internship portfolio to turn in on December 5th. When that is said and done, i will be back to blogging with some regularity.

Until then, i wanted to ask all you lovely readers to pray for my friends Hope and Naz. To get caught up on Hope and Naz's story, click the Free Naz link under labels on the sidebar and read all the posts about their struggle.

Naz's lawyers have recently received an offer from the DA for his criminal case...and it's disappointing. To read the contents of the new plea bargain, as well as how many areas of Hope and Naz's life this impacts, head over to WeSupportNaz.com.

Please be in prayer for Hope, Naz, their families and their lawyers as they try to discern the best course of action.

You are awesome.

love,
melaina

Naz' hearing updates

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Update (10:35 am): J just called and told me that due to the lawyer not being able to make it to the hearing until later this afternoon, today's criminal hearing has to be rescheduled. To my knowledge, there is not a date set yet.

Please pray for Hope and Naz to not be discouraged during this time of uncertainty. And pray that this hearing will be rescheduled soon so we can move forward.

Thank you for your prayers.
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Update (9:15 am): i'm home sick (boo) so i'm not attending the hearing. But J is and is giving me updates throughout the day. The silver lining in all of this is that i can keep you all updated through here.

J just called to let me know two change in circumstances.

First, Naz was NOT transported from the detention center to his criminal hearing today. This is unfortunate, because Naz will not be present at his own hearing so he can speak for himself. But it doesn't mean the lawyer and the rest of the people traveling up to the trial can't speak for him. :) Pray that the dramatic transformation in Naz's life will still be seen by the judge through evidence and testimony of others even if Naz isn't there to show this transformation in person.

Second, Naz's lawyer is flying into the trial, and is currently stuck at the airport in SA due to flight delays. Therefore, they are trying to get in contact with the judge and move the hearing to 3 pm. Pray this happens, so the hearing can still happen today. We've all been waiting so long.

This is all i know right now. But as soon as i hear more, i'll post. Thanks for your prayers!

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i just wanted to hop on here quickly and remind all of my lovely, wonderful readers that Naz's hearing on his criminal case is TODAY @ 1 pm. Please be praying for a merciful reduction of his original sentencing. If this happens, it drastically reduces the likelihood of his deportation in his immigration case.

i will try to give you all an update on what happens today as soon as i can.

I believe in a changed life...do you?

Update on Naz's trial

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:04:00 +0000

J & i have arrived back at my in-law's home from Naz's trial and i have a quick moment to update you all. i admit honestly that i am not a lawyer and do not understand all the legal jargon that is involved with cases like this...but i will try my best to explain what occurred today. i will most likely write a post later, but i wanted to let those of you know who were concerned with the trial today.

Today's hearing was for Naz' immigration case. At this moment, Naz's case for not being deported is pretty weak, since he is a non-US citizen who was convicted of a felony (his 2007 drug charge), which results in automatic deportation. Also, though Hope and Naz's life will definitely be difficult if he is deported back to Singapore, there is no proof that his life will be in danger. Instead of proceeding with this immigration hearing today, the prosecuting attorney, Naz's attorney and the judge rescheduled his immigration hearing for January 18, 2012, based on the results of the possible change in circumstances from Naz's criminal hearing.

Though Naz is remaining in the detention center and is not returning home to his life in our city, there is great hope right now. Naz's attorney was able to reopen his 2007 drug case based on the fact Naz was never specifically told that if he accepted the plea-bargain and plead guilty in that case, it would result in his being ruled an "aggravated felon" and in automatic deportation. Since Naz was only told the verdict in that case "may" affect his immigration status, Naz's lawyer believes he deserves a better chance.

On October 21st, Naz's criminal case hearing will be held. It is possible, based on Naz's transformation since the first time he appeared before this judge, his sentencing could be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor. If this happens in Naz's criminal case, it would completely change the game in his immigration case. In fact, it could make his immigration case completely unnecessary. He could even be released from the detention center as early as mid-November!

So, even though today's hearing was basically an opportunity for the prosecution and Naz's lawyer to reschedule his immigration hearing based on the results of his criminal case, there is a lot to be thankful for.

Thank you so much for praying today. Your prayers were definitely felt!

Urgent Prayer Needed

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:06:00 +0000

My dearest blog readers,

Some of you may recall my post about my friends, Naz and Hope. If you don't, please click on the link and read it so you'll understand the rest of this post. :)

Since Naz was picked up by I.C.E. officers back in March, his lovely wife Hope, his family, and all of his friends have been eagerly awaiting his hearing before an immigration judge to find out what is in store for this precious couple.

Well, the wait is almost over.

This Thursday, October 6th @ 1 pm, Naz's case will go before an immigration judge.

Based on the evidence presented, it will be up to this judge to decide if Naz will be deported from the US, or allowed to stay in his beloved community where he and his wife have invested so much of their lives. Naz & Hope are not asking the judge to overlook Naz's past. But they (and the rest of us) are praying and hoping the judge will recognize the amazing transformation in Naz's life, how he has transformed from a problem of society as a drug addict to a solution to the problem as a successful recovering addict, loving husband, contributing legal resident and even as a sponsor for many in the local NA.

Please, please, please be in prayer this Thursday for the judge's decision. Pray for Naz and Hope's future. Pray for mercy. Pray for wisdom and discernment for all the officials and lawyers involved in the case. Pray for God's peace and comfort. Pray for God's favor.

To learn more about Naz's story and to read about the phenomenal campaign his wife has launched on his behalf, check out www.wesupportnaz.com.

To sign the petition to keep Naz in the United States, please visit here. This petition will be presented to the judge at the hearing, and the more signatures we have, the better.

Thank you so much for your prayers and for your action.

Hope & Naz at my birthday dinner in February

i believe in a changed life...and i pray the judge does too.

seeing God this week - community

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:43:00 +0000

i am struck anew with the blessing of Christian community this week. This was not born out of a crisis uniting community around me, nor the vantage point of seeing a community come together over an issue or cause.

This gratefulness and awe for Christian community simply came from opening my eyes and seeing community around me.

...sitting in my seat as over 100 college students are on their feet singing praise to God, hearing our voices unite in worship of the One.

...sitting on my friends' back porch, trying to distract their one-year-old daughter from the plate of chocolate chip cookies and discussing 2 Timothy 2.

...eating lunch with and meeting members of our new connection group (small group) at church, hearing snippets of our stories and planning for our future meeting times to learn more about each other.

As i read through the Gospels and Acts, i see the theme of community over and over again. Christ had His disciples. The apostles had their fellow workers. The believers of the early church "were together and had everything in common" (Acts 2.44). And this gift of community is for us too.

We were not called to live the Christian life in solitude. We do not need to struggle in our spiritual journeys alone. We have the incredible gift of brothers and sisters in our Father's family to walk alongside us and encourage us...and we may do the same for them.

i saw God this week in the blessing of community.

Where did you?

FOTO FRIDAY

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:32:00 +0000

i call this one Seafood is my favorite.

Another weekend is upon us.

To celebrate, J and i are making good use of our Red Lobster gift card and having a date.

My favorite food with my favorite guy.

This may be a favorite weekend...at least in the top 10.

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend too!

checking in

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:40:00 +0000

i've been faithful with keeping up with FOTO FRIDAY and Seeing God Sundays (though it's a challenge sometimes to post those) but i haven't really been able to post much else. Lo siento. So i thought i'd take a brief moment to check in with all of you.

Mentoring:

i'm in the 5th week of my mentoring and it's going AMAZING!! Here's what i've learned so far -

It is hard for me to stay motivated and not procrastinate on assignments when i'm working off a syllabus i created myself. It's funny, i thought it'd be easier.
i don't miss class. Don't get me wrong, i love learning. But i love the practical act of learning while in ministry, and i don't miss sitting in a class setting for 1 1/2 hours every other day.
i have found fulfillment in working with this college ministry, and feel that my calling from God into this type of ministry has been affirmed.
It stinks being on a different schedule than your husband. :( But we're making it work.
i've read some great books so far for mentoring. If you're interested in religion and faith in the lives of 18-23 year olds, here's some books to check out.

Souls in Transition - a heavy read backed by statistical research conducted on youth as they moved from the ages of 13-17 to 18-23. Kind of intense, but worth it.
The Slow Fade - i haven't finished this yet, but it's discussion of the importance of mentors in the lives of college students is intriguing and well-thought out.

Next Semester:

i graduate next semester (YES!!!) and i've finally got my schedule figured out. i'm going to take the following classes - Texts & Traditions I (theology of the Patristics), my Capstone (Call, Context and Confession) and Studies in Spiritual Formation: Traditions of Christian Spirituality and Prayer. i'm excited about most of the classes, though i'm not looking forward to the intense amount of reading. But i'm HOPING since it's my LAST SEMESTER EVER i will be motivated to get to May.

Music:

Have you heard of Imagine Dragons? i saw them showcased on a blog, and have fallen in love with them.

Here's my favorite song. i like their musicality and lyrics...and i secretly wish i could be the stylish girl in the band. i've always thought it would be fun to be in a band like that, wearing cute, stylish outfits on stage as i harmonized with the lead singer. But since i'm not so good at the harmonizing and not that stylish, i'll just live vicariously through them.

That's what's going on with me.

How's life with you?

seeing God today

noreply@blogger.com (melaina) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000

i got out of class and headed across campus to the lecture hall. Shea Wigham, an up-and-coming actor who had studied theater at my junior college had come to campus that day for a special lecture. My then-boyfriend and friends from the theater program were already there, but i hadn't wanted to skip my class so i hustled over to catch the last part of the lecture.

As i slipped in quietly and sat near the back, i heard Shea mention calling his wife that morning in New York. He said that she had told him things were crazy there and people were freaking out in the streets. i wondered what he was talking about, but apparently whatever the topic was had been discussed enough already, because he moved on to talk about a recent movie he had just wrapped with Anthony Hopkins, who he referred to as "Tony."

After the lecture, i came towards the front to connect with my friends and boyfriend. i asked them why Shea had been talking about his wife and what was going in New York. They all looked at me in shock and my friend Ricky said, "You don't know?" They preceded to tell me about how two separate plans had flown into the Twin Towers in New York. i remember standing there in disbelief, asking, "What?!?" There had been an attack on American soil? i could not believe it.

For the rest of the day, every where i went, it's all people were talking about. When i went to work that afternoon, one of my co-workers had brought her TV up to the office and had the station set on the national news for the entire day. The TV was right beside my desk, so i spent the whole afternoon hearing about the different theories of what had happened, about Flight 93 crashing in Pennsylvania, about how the entire airline system in America had shut down completely. i remember seeing footage of the planes crashing into the Towers, of a badly damaged Pentagon, of President Bush hearing about the attacks while he sat in an elementary classroom listening to children's questions.

That day will forever be seared in my memory.

i know there has been a lot of media focus on 9/11 lately, and i'm sure there are many blogs writing posts today about "where i was when i found out..." And i don't necessarily want to add to the noise. But because it's Sunday, and because i want to ask myself where i've seen God this week, i can't ignore what today also signifies. Ten years ago, our ~~country~~ world was forever changed.

It's easy for me to see God in prayer, in scripture, in a worship service at church. It's easy for me to recognize God in a breath-taking sunset, a moment of stillness enjoying nature, in the warmth of loving relationships.

But it is hard for me to see God in tragedies. My faith tells me He is there...but it is hard to see Him.

As i think back to 9/11, i know God was there. i can see Him at work in the stories i hear of courage, survival, and love. And yet as i look at the big picture, i am left speechless as to how explain where God was in it all.

But i ~~have learned~~ am learning that even if i can't see Him clearly, this does not mean He is not there. Even today, 10 years later, God is still at work in the lives of those touched by 9/11. And i am grateful that God is at work, He is moving...even if i can't always see.

i saw God in the unanswerable today.

Where did you?