GuyMelton.com: What Were You Thinking?

After 3 Boys, We finally have a Girl!!!!!!!! Born 12-27-08 ~ 10:03 P.M.

She arrived last night at 10:03 pm. Just 8 months minus one day from conception!!!!!!

3 Boys, 2 Grandsons!!! I never thought it would happen!!!

She is so petite and small, I can hold her in the palm of my hand. Having been the dad of sons, and grandsons it will be so hard to know how to care for this litle one.

I-Phone is her name, the sales person spoke of her like she was a real person. How to hold her, touch her, feed her, tuck her in, etc. etc. .........

Conception happened: April 28th, when our Staff gave me a gift for my birthday...to be used to get a new cell phone. Mine is taped, glued, and Duct Taped together!!!

NOW, I'LL SHARE MORE ONCE I LEARN HOW TO TURN HER ON!!!!!!!

HELP!!!!!! KEVIN, I NEED YOU FOR THIS NEW LITTLE ONE!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Dump -- More of Corey's Wedding and More Than you Care to See!!

Christmas '08 in the Melton Family has taken on new dimension, with another son married, a new daughter-in-law and memories too numerous to even remember right now in the moment. So for my family and my memories of this wonderful week I'm adding some more pics. For those not in the family, you will probably be tired of more wedding pics and Melton pics. That's OK...I'm putting them up anyway. Remember, my blog, is entitled , "What Were You Thinking?" Well, this is what I'm thinking today!

First, I'm celebrating the Spirit of Christmas today...Hope, Joy, Peace, Giving and Love!! All found in the Christmas Story of Matthew and Luke. I highlighted this last night at our Christmas Eve Services. For our extended Oasis Family around the Globe (Africa, Australia, South America, Canada,Korea and other parts of the World. I love it.) The report of Christmas Eve was awesome. The 3 services at the Pines Campus were all well attended. Lots of families, and more kids than I've ever seen. I handed out tons of Candy Canes. I did the Message at the first two and Ben Windle, our Hollywood Campus Pastor did Hollywood and the Midnight service!!! It was good to be at our North Miami Campus for their 9 p.m. service and loved being with our Oasis NoMi Family.  Got home about 10:45 exhausted, but just thrilled to have a part in something meaningful on Christmas Eve. I kept getting these looks and comments, like why do so much work on Christmas Eve?  My response is always the same!! I love it and am so privileged to share Christmas and its meaning every year. 

This morning, it was so different at our house than most years. No little ones around. The honeymooners, Corey and Sabrina waddled into the dining room just in time for Tonia's famous, Christmas Breakfast Casserole!!! The boys and I count it as one of the most important traditions in our family. By mid-morning, Nate and the family checked in by phone and said all went well in Indian Harbor Beach. I can't wait to spend next week in the Tennessee Mountains with Nate, Jenni and the grandsons. We will have Christmas then with them.  

Well, enough for now. I'll dump some pics of some Christmas Eve at Granny's, this morning and more wedding.  God is so good. I am so glad this Christmas there is so much Hope, Peace, Joy, Giving and Love in the Melton House!!

I Know some of our friends in our Oasis Family have heavy hearts this Christmas and can't celebrate like we are...loss of a family member, health and jobs. Some even have lost homes. I don't want to end on a down note. But please know that I am praying for you since this Christmas is not as easy to focus on these things. I pray that in the future you'll have the same Joy and Hope we share this Christmas.

Jim and his family Christmas Morning.

 

Jim and his Mom making Ginger Bread house on Christmas Eve!!! Rico, his cat, was found eating it this morning!!!!!

 

Women's Day out at the Spa!!

 

 

Leaving for the Honeymoon!!!

Promised Man and Drug to the Altar!!!!!

I am sure this won't be the final post on yesterday's Wedding of Corey and Sabrina. You might want to read my First Post before going further.

Corey taped a song he wrote, and played it during the reception yesterday. Of course as a Dad I was proud, but especially I'm proud of the lyrics and the heart behind it. He and Sabrina also wrote some incredible vows to each other. I'll post Sabrina's below Corey's song and lyrics.

Hear Corey sing "Promised Man" Download Promised_Man

I thought this day would never come

When we would merge under the sun

Warm our feet under the sand

Proclaiming love before our God and man

I am the luckiest of men

You've taken me just like I am

Loved me through my hell and still accept my hand

You’ve shown me God way more than pages ever can

And I am the luckiest of men

I am the luckiest of men

Years have stretched and some have flown

They brought us here today before this marriage thrown

And all who are here they have heard our solemn swear

And hold us to these words together

Until we leave this Earth forever

And head for the promised land

This is my promised hand

I am a promised man

This is the hand that I have promised to the lamb in front of man

I am a promised man

I am the luckiest of men

 

You've heard of being drug to the Altar...Sabrina bought this funny cake topper for their cake. But everyone I know including Corey and me, believe if it was anything Corey would be dragging Sabrina!!!!! She was a great catch, and Corey is truly a Lucky Man.

Sabrina's Vow

Corey,

We have shared so many phases of life and periods of growth together; from high school, to college, and now adult life. And through it all I have always been able to count on you to: encourage me, support me, love me, and pray with me, and I attribute much of my accomplishments thus far to your presence in my life.

            We have always willingly submitted to the Holy Spirit's Will for the other, and to being exactly what the other person needs in that moment, and it is that God dependent, unselfish love that has gotten us through the past 8 years, and that I feel confident will get us through till eternity.

And that is why,

I promise to always be humble and gentle, be patient, making allowances for each others' faults because of our Love, and to always be led together by the Holy Spirit in order to be at peace with one another, through whatever life may bring our way.    (Ephessians 4:2-3)

I truly believe that “good things come to those who wait”, and there has never been anything worth waiting for more than you. I will love you forever, my best friend, lover and partner in Christ.

 

 

I Swear!!! It's Over!!!! It's Only Just Begun!!!

I swear!!! I thought it would never happen. So many twists and turns over the last 8 years. But it began with the license, and the swearing on Thursday at the courthouse.  I knew it might happen then.

Then the Wedding at Dania Beach, John Lloyd State Park at Port Everglades. But really it's just begun. I'm so happy for Corey and Sabrina!! They have shown amazing patience to wait 8 years. Sabrina to finish her degree at Fordham University, to wait for Corey to grow up and get a real job. (Executive Assistant to the Executive Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, New York City).  I am so proud of you both.

 (BTW, if Corey's boss, Rev. Mike Tombs, reads this, he says he has a GREAT BOSS, and his Pastor, David Epstein is the most loving/genuine/patient Pastor ever. Thanks, guys, for your example to my son. I am forever grateful!!)

Yesterday, Sunday, December 21, 2008 is a day I will never forget. Beautiful weather. Beautiful scenery!!! Beautiful people. What a beautiful day. It started a few months ago, when they decided to have a small ceremony in South Florida for a few family and their closest friends and elderly grandparents who would not make it to the big one in New York City in the Spring. From a few people, it grew to about 120 yesterday in a very informal, intimate ceremony and reception. The Big one is still being worked on for New York. Who knows if it will happen!! But it's official now!! 

There were bets among the family all week if I would be emotional. I really thought I might make it and not get emotional. Well, someone won lots of cash. I didn't get the first word out of my mouth and I lost it. I pretty much cried through the whole thing. That is not an exaggeration. (Which is not bad if you're in the audience watching, but if you're performing the ceremony it does create a little distraction!). It started on the way to Church yesterday morning to preach our early service. (I preached 3 messages on the weekend my son got married. I'm crazy!! I thought when you got gray hair and became a grandparent, you got wise. I can tell you it doesn't work).  It began during the 30 min. drive to our Pines Campus thinking of all the people that I should thank who have been so loving and patient to Corey over the years. As I began thinking and making a list of all the people who have meant so much, I just lost it. Then driving to our North Miami Campus to speak for that service, it just kept coming.  I knew I was in trouble. When I began to thank people publicly I lost it. Actually before I said a word. I'm such a Cry Baby!!! That's OK, the Bride and the Groom got emotional too!! 

I'll share more, and there are pics coming in from lots of family and friends so I'll be sharing more whether you like it or not. At least I am not making you watch my home movies!!! 

For all of you who have known Corey over the years and have loved him, prayed for him and shown him incredible patience, thanks to you, too!!!    

Christmas Family Traditions

Last year I wanted to take each day in December to share one of our many traditions our family has celebrated over the years at Christmas. I don't need to give much explanation of why I never got to it !!! It's Christmas!! This year my goal was to do it again. Now we are just days away and I didn't make it. How did I do all the traditions we did with the kids each year, and yet now I don't have the time to even do a short blog each day of them? Anyway, I decided I would at least list some of them over the next few days. 

Now I realize not everyone will go for our traditions and you shouldn't!!! Each family needs to find what works for them. I also know that many of our traditions we love as a family and look forward to came out of hearing and observing others. Many times a tradition starts without even knowing it's a tradition, and it just evolves. Those are awesome, but many need to be stoked, worked at, and intentional each year. I have both types. 

I love to hear about others' traditions. They might not be for me, but I love to hear about them. I would love to hear about your traditions!! Click on the comment link below or shoot me an email, or go on my Face Book and share it. Who knows, you might inspire someone!!!

I'm not normally big in traditions. I think we need them, but I think they can become anti-productive when Tradition trumps Reality in certain areas, like the Church and in Worship. But for Christmas, I'm all about tradition. Even in Oasis Church which is anything but traditional, and in many cases we are the Anti-Tradition in Church, we do lots of traditional things when it comes to Christmas. 

OK, this is the introduction to my Traditions List. So I'll list some below and then come back later after the two weddings this weekend, and preaching 3 times!!! What was I thinking????????????

Some of these are pretty normal for families, a few might be special to just us. Some of them are now being made a part of my son's family, like the one below!!

• The Twelve Days of Christmas: Giving the entire family a present every day leading up to Christmas for 12 days. It was always a Dollar Store type of gift, even though we didn't have Dollar Stores then, and it made it a lot more work. But I think it was fun, running from store to store all over South Florida for days looking for just the right gift for each boy and Tonia. The challenge, as they grew older they cost more!! Whew!!! And Tonia, how do you buy for your wife who does so much, for a dollar? Usually didn't work. But I had more fun than they did every night. When I came home and they could not wait to open their gift for the day, even if it was just a jar of Malted Milk Balls, which became a tradition in itself. I would put the numbers in a box, hat, cup and they would pick a number and that was the present they got that night. It added a little more suspense to the Tradition. I miss this tradition now that the sons are grown. When it got more expensive the last few years, I did the 7 Days of Christmas.  You can have all kinds of variations. Nathan now does this with his boys and Jenni.
• Christmas Casserole on Christmas Morning: This tradition has become one ofthe Favs of our sons now that they live away from home and are adults. Tonia always made some kind of Breakfast Casserole  (egg based of course) every Christmas morning. It would be cooking while we opened presents. Man!!!, I can smell it now!!   One year she decided not to do it after the boys were grown, and when they got home and found it out, we almost had a riot!!! She now does it again every Christmas. She didn't think it was that big a deal!! Huh!!! It was!!! I can't wait to have it this Christmas!!!!  
• Special Christmas Tree:  When the boys were Seniors in High School, they got to pick out the Tree of their choice!! Normally we are a Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe's tree family. But those years we would end up at the Christmas Tree Lots!! Ugh!! Those Babies are expensive, then add the Flocking!!!! OK, this is one Tradition I don't miss!!!
• Christmas Tree Shopping:  This was a lot more fun when the boys were at home. It was always Thanksgiving weekend or the Monday or Tues. following Thanksgiving. Many times we would be decorating the tree the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Couldn't do it Friday after Thanksgiving, Tonia was out from 5 am until midnight running around helping the stores move from the Red ink to Black ink, thus, Black Friday.  (There were a number of years when we did the fake tree thing and I'm good with that, but decided when the boys were in High School we wanted to go back to Live!!! Plus it really is good for the earth, when we are done we chip it up and it goes into the earth!!!! Hey, I'm going green. When those fake things are finished they go in the landfill for the next million years, and then Al Gore really gets mad and it makes him have to buy more Energy Credits in order to power his 88 Room, 20,000 sq. foot mansion. Where did that come from??? What Was I Thinking?)
• OK, that's it for this morning!!!! To be continued!!!!!!!!!

My Groupies Follow Me to New York City

  The video I was shooting last week in New York City to make our Big Announcement in all our Oasis services this week captured a few of the Groupies who follow me around everywhere I travel. See how many times you spot them and can you name them? Keep your eye on the background!!! 

Oasis Church, Most Watched Video's 2008

I was checking out the new Video I recorded last week from New York City to play in our Services this week. If you were here you know I made a very BIG announcement. When I went on the Oasis Church Website and clicked on the U Tube Link of our Videos I got a surprise at how many views had come in off the Internet for some of the videos. Below are the top 5 with the number of Views . Check them out along with all the rest if you missed them this past year.

1.Re-NoMi God of the City , Runaway Winner with 5,800 views

2. Marisol's Storm Story, surprising Second, most moving of all!! 1,689 views

3. Intro. to our Worship Ministry , 1,672 views

4. History of Oasis Church as given by Yours Truly!!! 1,128 views

5. The Ant Parable ,572 views

Honorable Mentions are:

 Guys Big Announcement, Jeremy's Oasis NoMi,7NOW Intro by Guy, and I was almost killed by a coconut, story!! Those got lots of views but missed the top 5 by a little. I hope you'll go back and enjoy the great work our Tech Director Joel Collins has done this past year in keeping our church engaged by video. 

I'm Celebrating Christmas Every Month This Year on the 25th!!!

You know, as I've been working on my Christmas Eve message, it's always hard to know what to say and to say it in a way you have never said it. It's too late to help folks prepare for Christmas. Everyone wants to hear about Christmas, but how many times do they want to hear the same story about the lamb, shepherd and wise guys? While the story and lessons of Christmas never get old, and I never quit learning and being inspired by them, I do find it hard each year after preaching 31 years of Christmas messages, to say it differently to our church and those who only come on Christmas Eve every year. 

One year I challenged everyone to live out the Christmas Spirit 365 days a year. OK, that is good, but how hard is that? 

So this year, I've decided I'm going to start a new tradition. I'm going to designate every month on the 25th day of the month as Christmas Day. I'm going to find a way to express the Christmas Spirit on that day in some way. How about you? Will you join me? 

The anticipation I have throughout December for that day each year, I will find a way to recreate in some way each month on the 25th day. (OK, for you purists, I know Christ wasn't born on the 25th, and probably not even in December!) But it is an easy day to remember. 

So help me out!!! How can I actually make it Christmas in Jan, Feb, March, etc. etc.?????? Celebrate the Spirit of Christmas!!!  

• Hope
  

• Joy

• Peace

• Giving

• Love

• Children

• Traditions

• Jesus!!!!!!

Homeless Families living in our Buildings Again!!!

Once in a while I turn my blog over to a guest. Today it's my wife, Tonia, who shares the stories from this past week and our visiting Homeless Single moms and children. Her Title was:  "It's a Wrap"

I'm so proud of all you who sacrificed to make this a memorable week for these families:

"Well, our Women's Ministry closed the year with an awesome week at Oasis Church, Pines Campus. Last week we hosted two women and their children in our upstairs area where they slept, ate, and the kids played. They even showered and did laundry downstairs.  These women are homeless and are waiting for a shelter to open up for them in Broward County.  At this time there are over 200 people waiting to be placed.  Our hearts were sad on Saturday, as they left with still nowhere to live and will probably be staying in another church in Broward County this week. Thank you to too many people to name here!  Our Women's Ministry Team, those who brought meals, played with the children and pampered the moms. Also for those who brought gifts, diapers and wipes and gift cards; you were a blessing, as well.  And a very special thanks to our heroes who spent the night each night in case of any emergencies and prepared their breakfasts at 6:00 each morning and got them out the door by 7:00.  All of you were needed and much appreciated! May God richly bless you! We had two families who brought wrapped Christmas gifts for each of the six children and their moms.  We stowed them in black garbage bags because the moms want the children to have gifts to open for Christmas.  Thank you so much for your generosity! One of my favorite stories last week was that one of my girlfriends, Nancy King, emailed me and said she'd collected money from her job and had about $275 to donate to us.  What a huge blessing for us because we didn't have enough money to buy the groceries we'd need for their breakfasts and lunches collected yet.  Later Nancy shared with me that the money collected was money three girls had been putting away all year for a weight loss challenge they'd made last January.  Long story short....no one lost the weight so they decided to donate the money and our Shelter Program benefited from their "lack of success" this year. I'm so sorry to hear that, girls, but thanks SO much for giving your money to such a great cause.  Only eternity will know what your investment in these families will have accomplished! Please pray for Jessica, who's 20 years old and her three children and also for Sabrina, who's 25 years old and her four that they will find a more permanent solution to their homelessness.  They are precious young moms who've had some rough times and are trying to stabilize their lives for their children's sake! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!" Tonia Melton

Oasis Pastors Weekly Email December 12, 2008

For those of you not in our Local Oasis Family, I am posting my weekely Email to our Oasis Family. As usual, since its copied and pasted, the links wont work but you can go to www.visitoasis.org or look down the Blog of mine to find some of the post Ive done.  (It doesnt conform to my typepad page, so a few words at the end of the page are cut off.

Have a great weekend!!!

Pastor's Email

Dear Guy, It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!! Are you in the Christmas Spirit yet?  If not, you need to visit our Pines Campus this weekend. It’s the last weekend for the Live Nativity, (with live animals) as well as our Nativity/Creche Display which includes 500 nativities from around the world. It’s very moving. Bring a friend or a whole car full of friends. Our campus in Pines looks more beautiful than ever this year. It’s been a great first week. The drive-thru Light Display and Winter Wonderland will be up until January 1st.  Only the Live Nativity and Creche Display end this weekend, (Friday-Sunday).   This week on my blog I recapped one of the more remarkable weeks at Oasis Church around our 3 campuses.  If you want to find out some incredible stories just click here.   I also have some Christmas related blogs this week. One is a List of WHAT NOT TO GET YOUR HUSBAND this Christmas. LADIES…A MUST READ!!     This Blog Post is one that has definitely stirred up some pretty strange comments, not only on the blog, but on my personal emails and my Facebook page.  So you definitely need to read my #65 and #66…and give me a Break Post. Go there NOW   BTW: If you haven’t signed up as my Facebook Friend, why not do that now, right here.   My son had his 31st birthday and it cost me BIG TIME.  See where I had to take him!! Ugh!!! That hurt!!!!!  Click here     FREE COUPON  CLICK HERE   Kevin McCord has some interesting articles on our North Miami Campus, including Is Die Hard Really a Christmas Movie????  You can check it out here.   Spanish Service Update Check it out Here   There is so much more, but since I’m sending you all over the blogesphere I’ll stop here. This weekend and next week, you’ll see where I’m writing this from today as I come to you from________________!!!! See you at a service this weekend or next week.     Guy Melton, Sr. Pastor Oasis Church