Well, in just a few short hours my first college class will officially be over and my second class will start. It doesn't feel like so long ago that my family and I were sitting down and coming to the conclusion that God just didn't want me at college. Now here we are more than a year later and God opened the door back up and carried me through class number one. I am finishing out strong with a 99! These past seven weeks have flown by faster than I ever expected. I am excited to start my second class but more than that I am excited to start my actual theology classes. I know that the Lord will get me through all of these classes by His grace, EVEN MATH! God is bigger than anything and I am praising Him with all of my heart for helping me through this class:)

Anyway, today was AMAZING. Another amazing day with my worship family praising the God that we all love. I enjoyed getting to walk in with my fellow choir members as our orchestra and band played "I am a Friend of God" while we greeted the members of the congregation. My heart is so overjoyed each time I get to stand in the choir loft surrounded by such wonderful people. I am so much more than blessed! I would ask that you would pray for our worship pastor as he is in Georgia for revival at a church there, and also pray for Pastor Kevin who will join him for two night services there.

This week, if the Lord is willing, I get to post new devotionals on Great News!!!!! I know that it is going to be AWESOME! I know we just got done with Sunday but I honestly can't wait for Wednesday. After what I know will be a wonderful service I get to go downstairs for choir practice and I can't wait! This is a short post but I hope that you found something to enjoy about it:) May the Lord bless you exceeding abundantly! May His favor be poured out upon you! May He fill you with more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control than you have ever know before! May your eyes be opened to the wonderful blessings that God has placed in your life! I love you all! =D

It Keeps Getting Better

So if you have kept up with my blog then you saw my last post, the one where I addressed my worship family. I let them know just how much I loved them and to be quite honest I was a little shocked at the response. I had 88 views… 88 in two days! I was overwhelmed by the comments and messages I received and while I didn’t know that it was possible for my worship family to bless me more than they already have, they did. I was brought to tears by each of the responses.

If anything was accomplished from that post I simply think that it just increased my inability to describe how much I love each person in the GFBC worship ministry. I am so incredibly excited that I get to go and worship with these wonderful people once again tonight on stage and then again during choir practice. My heart is so overjoyed that there are once again no words for me to describe what I am feeling. I pray that someone reading this knows this same feeling when it comes to the people the Lord has blessed them with.

In other news, it is finally Fall! Walking outside to cool air and a nice breeze is so refreshing. I know that this means we are one step closer to Winter, which means one step closer to non-stop sickness for my co-workers and I, better known in my family as the “Daycare Curse”. While I am not ready for that, I am ready for the cooler weather and yes, I am ready for Christmas.

For those of you that haven’t yet received an update, school is still going great! I currently have a 99.35, and I am currently in my last week of my first class! I am praying for the next several classes to pass by quickly because I am ready for my Theology classes but I know that everything will happen in the Lord’s time and His timing is perfect!

I can't wait to see what the Lord does throughout today. He has blessed me so much in the last few days and tonight will be no exception I am sure. When I checked the order of service I was surprised to see that all but one song we are singing, are some of my favorite songs for my personal worship time. It makes me think that God has something special for me tonight:) I can't wait! May the Lord bless you richly and beyond measure today! =D

To My Worship Family

Dear GFBC Worship Ministry,
I want to publicly tell each and every one of you that might read this, just how much I love you all. You are more than just people that I get to worship with on Sunday's and Wednesday's. You are my family. I can not really put into words the overwhelming love I feel for each of you when I get to see you all during services or practices and while singing with you. While there are far too many of you for me to know each of your names, I pray for the choir, orchestra, and praise team as often as the Lord brings you all to my mind. It is such a blessing to be able to stand with so many people that have such a strong love for the Lord and want to use the gifts that He has given them to show it.

When I stand in the choir loft, the choir suite, on the stage, or in praise team practice, I am always overwhelmed by the love I feel for all of you and the joy that I feel getting to praise God with each of you. I can't tell you enough how much I love all of you, but may the Lord allow each of you to know the love that He has put in my heart for you. If you can't grasp anything else of what I am saying please know these two things. You are my worship family and I love each of you so much more than I can explain.

To our three God fearing, Spirit filled worship leaders: While everything above is for you as well, thank you so much for all that you three do to keep things running. Thank you for praying for each of us, for encouraging us, and for leading us. God's hand is on each of you and we couldn't ask for better leaders. Not only do you encourage us to sing or play out for the glory of God, but you encourage us by your lives and walks of faith. You work hard and it is appreciated more than the three of you will ever know. May God pour out His blessings on each of you in overwhelming waves!

Thank you all so much for loving God and allowing Him to use you for worship at GFBC. I look forward to worshiping with each of you again soon! May the Lord bless and keep you!

In Christ,
Kelcy =)

Confession Time

I have a problem. There I said it! I have a problem. I have a problem! My name is Kelcy Parker and I am a foodie. I love to cook, I love to eat (I really love to eat) and I absolutely abhor all forms of cleaning related to the kitchen and other large messes. It’s a thing. My husband will definitely have to take cleaning duty for the pay of really good food. I think that is a fair trade don’t you? I don’t have one of those right now so I guess it doesn’t really matter (a husband that is).

            Anyway, there is a movie I am sure you are pretty familiar with called “Julie & Julia”. There is obviously a LOT of food in this movie and therefore it causes two things to happen in my brain. Number 1: I become very, very hungry. Number 2: I start having this increasing urge that is almost unbearable to cook amazing food that I know I am capable of cooking, but as I said it’s the cleaning factor that really stops me because if I am being honest, my problem extends to making huge messes when I cook. Maybe I just need a husband that enjoys cleaning…. Yeah cause that’ll happen!

            I’m getting off subject…. Something that not a whole lot of people know about me is that I was once very determined to go to culinary school and was talked out of it by a few people that did know. Something about it being hot in the kitchen and a very fast paced job (oh by the way… I tend to take forever when I cook big meals). At least I think I do… I may be wrong on that but you would have to ask my family that question to be sure. I know for a fact that I take forever when it comes to cooking breakfast when bacon is involved BUT it should be noted that I use one pan for all of the food and make a minimal mess with breakfast. Why am I telling you all of this? Well… I don’t really know why to be honest. Guess I just thought I would give you a peak into my thought process for the day. Now you know, God blessed me with the ability to cook and maybe one day I can do something with that ability for Him! Any ideas? Have an amazing, richly blessed rest of the day in Jesus! =)

A Little Slice or Two of Heaven

I was sitting and listening to an AMAZING song that we are getting ready to sing at church by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, and as I was doing this I started to think of a few things that give me joy, little "slices" of heaven if you will. It's more than two but here are some of them:

1. A passion filled worship at church
2. GFBC Choir, Praise Team, and Orchestra
3. My personal worship time
4. My alone time with God in the South Campus sanctuary
5. Breathe by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (and yes, that is the song previously mentioned)
6. The GFBC Christmas Program (you have no idea just how big of slices those really are...)
7. A sunset on a sort of cloudy day

I thought seven was plenty for here, don't you agree? My God is an AWESOME God. In the last few days He has allowed me to experience six of these seven (because it's not Christmas time...) even in the heartache. Plus last night I was overjoyed to get to witness the baptism of a friend of mine! I will admit that it's been a pretty bad week, and if you read my last post you will understand that, but I would also like to remind whoever is reading this and myself that God's Word says that even though weeping may last through the night, a shout of joy will come in the morning (Psalm 30:5b NASB). I trust my God. Right now, I am leaning on my God because I don't have enough strength to walk around on my own. My God is so much more awesome than mere words could ever say. My God has given me a shout of joy with each experience. How could I not love Him?

I want to ask that you will continue to pray for the friends and family of the man I mentioned in the last post, who so recently went home to be with the Lord. But, I also want to encourage you to sit and think about this question: What are your little slices of heaven? Feel free to comment with some below as well, I would love to read them! May the Lord bless you!

No More Death, No More Pain

Tonight I sit typing with a heavy heart. Today I was at a funeral of a good man. Two of my friends, who are brothers... lost their dad this past Thursday. My heart broke watching the youngest of the two hurt, and it broke even worse when I found out that the oldest wasn't going to be able to make it in time for today (NOT HIS FAULT). This friend of mine is in the navy and is trying hard to get home but unfortunately due to different circumstances that are not my place to post, he couldn't make it in time... I know he is hurting, I know he wants to be here, and all I can do is pray for him and his brother. 

So even though I found out about this the day it happened, everything only hit and really sunk in yesterday. My heart broke, I texted my mentor/accountability partner with some serious questions, I went and prayed with a woman I know from student ministry who's office just happens to be on the other side of my work, I have cried almost (but not quite) constantly, and it all led to today (which by the way only increased the water works and the pain in my heart). SO.... why am I telling you all of this? Because I know that I am not the only one... I know that someone else reading this at this very moment has a broken heart, someone reading this is grieving, and like me you are tired of the pain. 

I sat down just a little while ago and told God with more tears streaming down my face that I want so badly to ask Him and the people He has blessed me with here, just like a little child, why there is so much pain in this world. Truth is I already know the answer... we live in a broken world. I asked God to take away the pain in my heart but deep down I know He allows me to experience this pain so that I am reminded of where I belong and that it isn't here. 

Can I tell you something? While I don't like the death and pain that consumes this world anymore than you do, that place where I belong.... where we belong... there is no death and pain there. In fact there is a God who will one day put us on His lap and wipe every tear from our eyes and there will be no more of those either! So right now, I will admit... I want to go home and sit in my daddy's lap, I want Him to take the pain and hurt away more than anything... but the truth is, my life is not finished. God isn't done using me here yet and from what I keep being told... I have some big plans ahead of me. And even though I am hurting, God hasn't left me... I have felt His presence through everything today and have even heard Him whisper that He loves me and He is with me. 

So though I sit here tonight with a broken and heavy heart, I will press on with the help of God. I will live the life I am called to, all the while longing to be in the place that my soul was created for and one day, when God has used me for His purposes here I will run into His open arms squealing like a tiny little child filled with love "ABBA!!!" as He wraps those arms that defeated death around me, and welcomes me home.

Please pray for this family, and for the friends of the family as they grieve. Pray that they remember there is hope in Jesus.