GuyMelton.com: What Were You Thinking?

There is a Reason Corey Melton is still in NYC..................

For all those that know my youngest Son, Guy Corey Melton from his early days you know what a crazy out of control, kid, teen , young adult he was. While he kept most in stitches and was the life of the party, he drove his teachers crazy, and was almost  killed at least a 1,000 times over by his mother or I.

But when he moved to New York City, he not only reunited with his girlfriend of 8 years and soon married Sabrina last year this very weekend, but he also found probably the perfect boss.

He is the Executive Assistant to the Executive Pastor/Administrator of a Church in New York City, Manhattan. A very historic church that has been in existence for almost 200 years. While the buildings are almost 100 years old, and right across the street from the Russian Tea Room and a few store fronts away from the historic Carnegie Hall not everyone in this old historic and traditional church is as formal as its neighborhood.

Why has Corey Loved NYC so much? Why has he made it for these two years? How has he made it in a very historic church so vastly different then the ones he has grown up in.

Well I have known this, but it was confirmed today once again when he sent this picture. Its obvious the pic below tells it all. This is the only type of Guy who could understand Corey and deal with his free spirit fun loving way.  I salute you Corey's Boss!! Are you sure you aren't Corey's Father???????????

BTW, Corey took these Pics.

Make sure you click this pic so you can see it best.
 

25 Days of Christmas Traditions....Day 12-13

Yesterday I shared my Fav of all Traditions , the 12 Days of  Christmas. Today though are two of my Fav traditions also.

Day 12  All the Christmas Cards we receive we put in a basket or some type of holder. When the kids were at home we would spend the first few months of the next year praying for a diff. family who had sent the card. We haven't done this the last few years since our dinner table isn't as consistent as it was when all the kids were at home. It was a neat thing to each day remember friends and family in prayer at the dinner table based on the cards. Maybe ill do it this year during my daily morning devotions. Anyone else ever do this?

Day 13  For many years we have taken the picture Christmas Cards we receive from family and friends and put them on the re-frigerator for the first few months of the new year. We still do that and are building our pic collection now for this next year. Thanks to the families who have sent us their picture Christmas Cards. I really enjoy seeing them when we go in the re-frig. Sometimes Ill just stop and pray for one of the families prior to feeding my face.  

I know alot of us put our kids pics and coloring pics up on re-frig. Anyone else put pics of families from Christmas up? Are there any other traditions using Christmas Cards or Christmas Family Pics.? Just wondering?

Oasis Weekly Email Newsletter............December 12, 2010

I havent shared our Weekly Local Oasis Newsletter with our extend Oasis Family and we have some very important things to share this week about two BIG events coming up.

 

Dear Guy,   This week we are Homeless. I share our story on my blog, please do check it out! Even those who are homeless don't have to feel hopeless, or helpless. But it's easy to feel that way for sure. You don't have to be poor to be homeless, and you can be rich and be hopeless. Helpless is, many times, a choice. The story I share shows how to bring Help and Hope to the Homeless . Or for that fact, our series this weekend, talks about how we can see life from a new perspective. In the second message of our Christmas Series, Believe, the title is Life Never Really Works Out For Me.  I know many of us feel that way right now, or will feel this way at some time. There are some really very helpful ways we will discuss this weeekend and next week at our 7 Nights of Worship Services, that will help us to have a new Perspective. I hope you will be here. The very person who really doesn't want to be here Sunday; or feels, "I just don't have the energy" or "I'm too busy" is the one who NEEDS this message the most. I hope you will all be here. Here can be in Pines, North Miami or Hollywood.   Christmas Eve is almost here!! Yes, I said it's almost here!! Just two weeks from today. Doesn't seem possible does it?  This year we have not only the printed invites you can pick up at your campus to invite someone, but we also have Email Invites through our website, where you can just fill in the email address for those you want to invite and if desired, put a little note to them and invite them. You can just CLICK this LINK and put your friend's name in. Now I don't know how much easier it could be to invite someone than this. Christmas Eve, along with Easter, is the most attended time of the year for those who do not normally go to church. Your church is decorated and we are ready to share the most amazing Love Story with your friends and family at our traditional Christmas Eve Service. I hope you'll be there, and please invite a friend to come with you. The invite has all 3 campus times on it.   JANUARY 10, 2010  --  1:10 p.m.  THIS  will be one of the BIGGEST DAYS in our church's 18 year history. You don't want to miss it. It is the first time in almost 17 years that all our Oasis Family will worship together under one roof. That seems amazing. At the time we had to go to multiple services in our little trailer building, we only had about 200 attending. Today on any given week in all services on all our campuses, we can have 2,500 folks attend our multiple worship services. This day, the 2nd Sunday in January, I look forward to ALL of us being together in one combined service. It's going to be ONE of those DAYS. I'm just telling you!!! You don't want to miss it!! It will be the ONLY SERVICE AT ANY CAMPUS for that entire week of January 9-15. So, you miss it...you miss your Oasis Family and your time of worship for the week. God has done Amazing things here at Oasis these past 18 years.  We will celebrate that, but also "Look Forward" to the Amazing things He will do in the future. For more information you can go to the article on our website. We will have electronic email invites up after Christmas for you to invite your friends also.   JANUARY 10, following the Combined Service, will be a gigantic TAILGATE Party. This is when we all eat together and enjoy some time of fun and fellowship. You and your family will bring your favorite International dish representing your culture, and if you're single, you will be asked to bring your favorite, appetizer or dessert from your culture. We will put it all together and will eat together. If you're not sure what a Tailgate Party is, well, in sports they do this before a BIG game. But  we are doing it afterwards. It's just a big time of fun, and eating. More info to follow on where to bring your food before the service, etc.   I will keep it to this for now. There's tons of stuff on our visitoasis.org web pages about what is happening around Oasis Church. Please make sure you go there!   I also share on my blog this month some of my family's favorite Christmas traditions. I'm sharing 25 of our traditions up until Christmas Day. I love Christmas! Will you go on and check them out? Maybe you'll start a new one, and even better, make a comment and share one of your favorite traditions with me. I want to hear them. I love to hear of people's Christmas traditions. (One of mine has to do with Frosty the Snowman...you need to make sure you see that one so you'll be prepared!!)   God bless you, and I'll see you sunday.     Guy Melton Pastor Oasis Church http://www.guymelton.com http://www.visitoasis.org

25 Christmas Traditions, My All TIME Favorite....Days 9,10, 11

My all time Favorite Christmas Tradition was probably the hardest one and the most time consuming.

While its a tradition that has now been moth balled, it is I think the most memorable. The funny thing is it wasn't really for me. But it blessed me beyond anything else.

Day 9   My All Time Favorite Tradition: 
Each year while the boys were at home growing up I would do the "12 Days of Christmas" . That meant 12 days prior to the "25"th I would bring home a present for the entire family. I usually shopped for most of them early and put them under the tree. They would not be marked, but with a number. The Fam each night would pick a number and that was the one they got. The hours it took was overwhelming. Actually I don't know how I fit it in. It was stressful but fun . I didn't have the Dollar Stores like they do today and my Son enjoys. So it was JC Penny, Sears, Walmart was not in South Florida, but KMart was etc. Malls, malls and more malls. I get tired thinking about it.  I kept them between $1-5  a day. Tonia got one too. I really think it was the most anticipated thing each year or at least each day. I loved doing it, more than the kids enjoyed the anticipation. I think even Tonia liked it.  As the kids got older the presents got more expensive and harder to get . From malted milk candies in the half gallon carton to Gas Cards and Taco Bell and Wendy's. Even theater cards.  Finally i had to move to "7Days " of Christmas for budget sake.   Still today I think of this each Christmas and miss it !! I did it with Tonia even after the boys were finally grown and gone. Not sure this year, since Budgets and times are tighter.  I guess the greatest thing of all was several years ago when Nate had two sons, he decided to begin this Family tradition with his own Boys. That was special. Im jealous though , he gets to shop at the $1. store. so cheap, but so boring. The running around from wpb to key-west for just the right thing for each of the Boys and Tonia was the fun part. And under $5. that was the hard part.  ANYONE ELSE DO THIS TRADITION? SOME OF YOU SHOULD TRY IT!!

Day 10  Tonia Always Watches, White Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street each year.
I don't get into that, but once and a while Ill check in. I think it was last year I watch both with her. Not sure Ive ever done that. She loves it. I would say many years its "Charlie Brown Christmas" that comes in a close third. 

Day 11 Taking the boys to the Mall to have pic taken with Santa. This is pretty much everyones I guess except those of you really spiritual people who teach your kids from the time they are 1 year old, that Santa is really "SATAN" spelled backwards. I feel sorry for you. You miss out on so much fun. But hey, thats your decision. The fav year was when Tonia ran the Santa Booth in the Boca town Center and her  mom and dad came down that Christmas and Gil dressed and played santa one day, and we took the boys to see Santa. None of them even realized it was their Pops. That was priceless. Ill have to find that Pic and post it.

Homeless are staying in our Buildings at our Pines Campus.....

For the 3rd year our Women's ministry has hosted Homeless families in December. There is a ministry , Coalition to END Homelessness that has a Church Based ministry where they sign up churches various weeks of the year to host Homeless Families. The Womens Ministry started doing this 3 years ago and have continued to do so.

This is a wonderful time when so many women mainly come up and bring food, gifts, play games and sleep overnight with the families .  In the suburbs we don't know much about traditional Homelessness , but this is a good way to learn more about it and those who are homeless. They aren't all drug addicts and emotional and mentally ill people.

These are men and women who have lost a job, had financial set backs and found themselves living in cars and the street. The previous years have been women and their children. This year they are finding whole families with men also.

Tonia through this week of hosting 3 years ago, found herself burdened to go beyond this week and started volunteering at the Downtown Fort Lauderdale, home called The Way with the Ministry each Thursday. It is unbelievable the stories she hears each week. Many are whole families living in their cars with children who have to go to school the next day. Parents some of who have to go to work in the morning after sleeping in a car. Its heartbreaking. Many have been professionals, school teachers, secretaries and folks who are hard working but have been laid off in these tough times.

As a church Im glad there are women who are willing to stay up most of the night, ministering to families and making make shift rooms and bringing some Christmas cheer and love for this week.

I am blessed  by Debby Brown, Helen Chisholm, and all the women who have worked so hard this year . I have only gone up to say hello and to hassle our ladies for a few minutes, but I got to get in the picture with the wonderful families. Tonia has been up sleeping at Church the last two nights. I love her. She is awesome!!  Shes my Hero!! I cant complain about eating Canned soup at home while she and others are making great sacrifices for those that Jesus loves and came to die for and love the "Least of These" of the world. 

Christmas Traditions 3-4 of 25 Days............

My typepad blog page was down last night so Im putting two Traditions on today's Blog.

Each year Tonia and I take a Fall , Leaf Vacation. One thing I asked God when He called me to stay in South Florida to start Oasis Church was to see the different seasons. Fall is beautiful, but Its also the time when we begin to listen to Christmas Music. We have always taken our Christmas CD's,/ tapes , LOL, on Fall Vacation. Its the official kick off of the Christmas Season for our family.

The other Tradition and day 4 of our 25 Days of Christmas Tradition's is the CD I listen to most everyday in December!! Many days in October and November.  For those that know me its "Alabama's Christmas "

Now you have to understand I hate country music. For some reason this 17 year old CD, /Tape caught my attention and I have loved it. Everyone on staff is so sick of hearing it every Christmas on our work days, and our Oasis Christmas Display each night.

My fav songs, Tennessee Christmas, Thistle Hair the Christmas Bear.

So what is your fav Christmas Album? Song? I love most of them, but Alabama's Christmas C.D. is my fav.  

Christmas Traditions Day 2 of 25 ....."Flocked"

Day 2 of the 25 days of Christmas traditions is best described as "Flocked"

When our sons were seniors in High School we would allow each of them to pick the tree that Christmas. Anything they wanted. It was fun, but one year one of them always liked the "Flocked " ones and of course if you know me, well you know I dont pay twice as much or more for some fake snow on a tree!!! But that year we did. The one and only Flocked tree ever at the Melton Home.

 This aint no "Fockers" Flocking for sure!!!

If you have a Flocking story share it with me!!!

I am sharing everyday this month a family tradition, check out the first one here, and why Im doing it. I hope you will share some of yours with me. I would love to hear them.
 

Would love to hear of one of your Christmas Traditions!!!

Family Traditions 25 days of December....Day 1

This month I am going to attempt to share one of our Family Traditions each day through Christmas day. Today, December 1st is day 1. These traditions have been practiced for either most of our 34 years of Marriage, or in recent years. Some are my traditions, some are primarily Tonia's and some are the whole family.

I have for a long time loved Christmas Traditions. Even though my family growing up had very tough times and we did not have a lot. There were some very important traditions my mom made sure we practiced at Christmas and even with the Chaos of my Dads alcoholism, my mom always tried to make Christmas special. I think alot of my love for Christmas today came from my mom taking a tough situation making it the best she could for us.

I love to hear of different family traditions. In a church of 84 nations, it really is interesting to hear the different traditions.  My hope is as I share some basic but very important traditions this month that some of you who read my blog post will share yours back. I would love you to share them with the rest of us. Maybe some new traditions will begin this year that will last for a lifetime and beyond.

My first tradition is really one that begins prior to December. like many families Thanksgiving is a big holiday. My oldest son, Jim says its his fav of the entire year. On thanksgiving day, while we give thanks and work at having the spirit of thanksgiving we also use thanksgiving day and weekend to kick off Christmas. While as a kid we did not get a tree many times until just a few days prior to Christmas. we usually begin to decorate for Christmas if not on Thanksgiving day, on Friday or Saturday the lights, and some times the Tree begins to be put up . That depends if we will be in town for Christmas or not.

Thanksgiving day while Tonia fixes the main meal which she loves to do, she always has the Macy's Day Parade on. She may not see it all, but it has to be on no matter what. That officially kicks off Christmas for her. For me the afternoon normally was around the TV watching the Dallas or Detroit football game. Unfortunately in recent years with both team being at best mediocre the games are usually painfully boring to watch. So our first Tradition for Christmas is Thanksgiving, Macy's Day Parade and the beginning to pull the boxes out of the attic for Christmas. (BTW, 3 years ago, Tonia finally got to attend the Macy's Parade in NYC. It was awesome!!! Unfortunately it rained hard and we were so cold we didnt stay through it all. But a good trip anyway)

What is your family Tradition? and does Christmas start Thanksgiving day or weekend for you? 

30 Years ago Today We welcomed our Second Son into this world....... Part 1

30 Years ago this morning at 9:34 AM Tonia and I welcomed our second son into this World. Nathan Sean Melton was born at Memorial Hospital , Regional on November 28, 1979. We still live only a few miles from memorial, but his life-story has taken us thousands of miles, and millions of smiles during this 30 years. The rest of the Blog post is going to tell you about the adventures and wonderful memories we have had since that skinny little kid came into the world. 

This will take two post to do. I learned that when James our oldest son turned 30 and I tried to give his whole life in one post. Cant be done. So I don't care if you get bored and tune out. Its for me , my family and for Nate. If you choose to look at the pics and only read a little thats fine with me. Nate you have brought a lifetime of joy, smiles and happiness to us. I have enjoyed so much your free spirit and smile. So many times your smile is what made my day. Those eyes, always just melted me. Your son Caleb has those eyes, and he reminded me of that yesterday. I told him he had the most beautiful eyes, and he said, I know they are just like my dad's. That was precious.  Caleb does remind me so much of your early days.

  Its funny as I looked through hundreds of pics this week picking out the ones I wanted to put on this post I was reminded of so many things we tend to forget over the years. Even though Jim was the older brother and you loved him and followed him, it was you who took the lead so many times when it was risky or in an area you guys weren't sure you could go.  The time at Granny's condo in Dania when we kept warning you about a certain risk, you were taking which then it happened and it was the bloodiest , most painful day of your life and Mine and Uncle Pats. I remember us taking you to the Emergency Room and no one wanted to be the first one to tell the nurses what happened!! Ouch!! Then to see them laugh behind your back !! It was just a hard day!! A memory only you and our immediate family will share !! No pics for that one !!! Im sure your glad , you know I would share them!! Back to you and Jim, He would just watch you and if you did it, he might try it!! Your little body, did the most amazing things, all the body contortions, somersaults, walking on your hands, tumbles. There was never a girl your age that could match you in gymnastics. I swore you would be a great cheerleader someday. If you hadn't gotten the surfing bug early on, you probably would have probablyy been a gymnast.

  You have always hated to travel!! I mean 30 Min's was your limit, after that you hated the trip. You haven't changed alot have you!! I think you have a little one just like you in that way. One of the most hated but memorable trips was the 3 weeks we took to drive 8,000+ miles from Hollywood, out west, up the Northwest cost and then across the top of the United States and back home. You and your brothers griped the entire trip. But now you guys say it was the best ever!! Looking through the pics sure brought back some great memories. Wish I could post them all. (1 hour to see the Alamo, and grand-canyon, San Fran and LAX, yellowstone, and Mt.Rushmore!!! We saw a lot in 1 hour!!) 

  Remember skiing on June 30, at Mammoth, CA, Mountain on that trip? Snow in Jackson Hole, Wy, on July 4th.

The trip up the East-coast, after finally getting 3 weeks of vacations after 10 years at the First Baptist Church of West Hollywood  was another great one. The 21 days in a pop up camper!! Whew!! St. Augustine, Virginia, and Colonial Williamsburg that you guys hated. D.C. , NY, and Shea Stadium to watch the mets Game. 30 degrees in June!! It was freezing. I cant believe I pulled that camper through the streets of NYC, but Im glad we got to go up to the top of the Worlds Trade Center.

  Christmas has always been special to our family. I think it started when I was a kid, and just always wanted to make it special for you guys. So many memories and whats Great is we still get to make them now with your boys. I love how they always talk about our trips to the Mt's in Gatlinburg and how much they like the cottage. I hope we get many more of those types of Christmas with you and your family. One of the best ever was when Mom managed the Santa Booth at the Boca Town Center, and Pa-Paw dressed as Santa one day and you guys went up and gave him your wishes and none of you recognized him. That was fun for us.  

 You always made mom and I so happy when you wrote poetry and would draw. Who would ever thought, the drawing you did free hand, even our house in Cooper City would come in handy, and now your drawing whole Landscape Designs for commercial business projects. So many notes, and drawings I cant put them all here, but here are just a few.    

 

  Some of the crazy things you did, like broke both arms right before our Christmas Ski trip  skateboarding in front of the house, couldn't find that pic, but this is the culprit you did it on, ouch .and couldn't even go to the bathroom by yourself. I remember feeling so bad for you , that Christmas, not being able to ski.   But then there were the years we skied'd with Pops out in Colorado at Christmas. Thats where it all began!!! The year of -15% and we were still out on the slopes at Monarch, CO.  
One of few times you ever met My Dad. This was at my Granddad's 80th Birthday in Lakeland. I think this is the only pic I have of you and my dad. At least that I could find.

  I remember the day your fav Baby Sitter died, Tracy Shoaff and you were heartbroken. The day before Halloween, and you brought home this baby kitten from the field. I hated cats but couldn't say no since it was such a sad day for us. That cat ended up outlasting you and your bro's and after 18 years, we just had to say good bye to "Pumpkin"  (because she was found at Halloween, thats where the name came from, i remember that day like it was yesterday). She was the best cat ever!! She was your cat, but you ended up leaving her for me to raise. Even after you stole her and took her to college, and 6 months sent her home!! That was the best day ever for Pumpkin and for me!!  RIP Pumpkin. But Nate I thank you for bringing her to the door step that day and begging us to keep her!! I still have tears in my eyes, just thinking about it!!

 The Bahamas Mission Trip when you and Jim joined our Jr. High kids . Those kids are now parents of Grown kids and still my Face Book Friends. I remember telling you a hundred times not to play with the land crabs they would bite. Then outside that little church on Andros Island, you finally got bit!! Wish I had that pic!! Cant remember but you were screaming we ran out and someone just yanked him off your little finger. That was one of those times, Jim just sat and stared!! lOL, great trip.How could I not use this pic of the lizard hanging on your ear!!

Lots of things to share moving into your teen years, from the Costa Rican surf trip, your graduation, your Hyundai on your 18th, birthday, and the old trailer you lived in when you came to college up in Indian Harbor Beach.  Then some of your fam now. Im so proud of you Nate, and Im so blessed to have you as a son. Not only are we still making wonderful memories but you have left mom and I with so many wonderful memories of your growing up days. We will cherish them more with each passing year. Thanks for being such a wonderful son. We love you with all our hearts.

To Be Continued.........................

Some pics that didn't make the cut.......
 
  









 
 
 

Some thoughts on Thankfulness in the "Fog" of War............

Below is a portion of what I shared with our Prayer Partner Team/Inner Circle, in my weekly Prayer email today. May God be close to you and your family and you feel His presence this Thanksgiving Season....

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I know this is almost just a "cliché" in our day. But it really is something that we must stop and really ponder. While it's true, everyday should be a day of thanksgiving, the reality is that many days we are not very thankful. I mean it isn't easy if you've lost your job, had pay cuts, losing a home, car or even a family member who is sick or suffering. Thanksgiving season always tends to make us at least try to take some time and ponder, even in the midst of tough days, to count our blessings. We really are a blessed people. We are a blessed country. The Apostle Paul said it best when he said "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I find myself". Now that is a context of what Thanksgiving is really all about.
 
Please try to take some time this week to count the many things we all can be thankful for. So when someone in the next day says, "Happy Thanksgiving", stop, and think about it!! What is there to be thankful for in your life. I have so much that I tend to overlook in the fog of "War". Meaning in the day to day stress and busyness, I tend to just see the darkness of all the things around me. Last month, I took some time off of watching the constant "dooms day" news  channels, and even my Facebook posting, just because it's easy sometimes to allow the circumstances of life to keep me from really realizing how much God has done for me.
 
When our boys were in kindergarten they all memorized Psalm 100 in their class at the church we attended. They would proudly quote the entire Psalm at the Thanksgiving Table that year. I think maybe all of as adults this Thanksgiving need to go back and read Psalm 100. I know I'm going to do it.
 
You are one of the people I'm thankful this week. Thanks for praying for me. Thanks for praying for our staff, Oasis Church and the many who are on our Prayer Digest each week. I know so many families who count on you to pray for them as they go through some tough storms of life. Thank you. I'm grateful.