Spoken Word Past Present Future

This is an excerpt of a Spoken Word given during one of our Friday Chapel Services by one of our senior's Nadia Prescott.

"They say your past shapes your future
Every memory, every breath, every moment.
A post card placed in a box of remembrance.
Old experiences linger in the air,
Past decisions, remnants of what you once were.
A broken record of words uttered years ago,
Still setting your future in motion.

In life there are doors.
One opening up to reveal another waiting patiently to be unlocked.
Sometimes i want to go back.
Feel palm of hands wrap around cold brass.
Unlock every door, retrace my steps.
Do it all over again. Rewrite my story.
White out my wrongs.

The past is the past.
The world keeps spinning, and time keeps turning.
Autumn leaves do not stop, in perpetual motion.
As we walk by, they continue to fall.
There are some things in which we have no power at all.
These doors are closed, eviction sign still in sight.

You are not your past.
In God all things are made new.
No mind could understand or explain,
The future He has laid out for you.
He's on the other side of the door called forever.
Waiting to embrace you with open arms.

Your new beginning starts now.
Despite what you have been.
See, nothing is out of reach.
Greatness lies on the tip of your tongue.
hands grazed along the age of genesis,
From beginning to the end you are a part of a story.

Your mistakes, your shortcomings left you with outstretched arms,
Like a bouquet of broken bones.
How do you tell someone it's not over?
This is how. It's not over.
This is your year. It's never too late,
To be who you wanted to be.
You are limitless.
So act like it."

GOD'S MESSAGE: Upper Room Christian School Chapel Sept. 12, 2014

Classical Concert at Chapel

We are so excited to have the School of Mahanaim coming this Friday, February 22nd to do a classical concert for our Chapel Service. The School of Mahanaim is a Music, Theology and ESL College located in Huntington and founded on Christian principals.

Mahanaim is first mentioned by the Bible as the place where Jacob, returning from Padan-aram to southern Canaan, had a vision of angels (Genesis 32:2). Jacob's realization that the place was "God's camp", led him to name the place Mahanaim - Two Camps, or Two Companies, to memorialize the occasion of his own company sharing the place with God's. The word is also used in the Song of Solomon in reference to a dance. Song of Solomon 6:13.

We are so pleased to have these students, most originally from Asia, come to our school and share their testimonies as well as their music. The School of Mahanaim has connections with some of Asia's premier classical musicians, composers and conductors. Our Asian students will especially like seeing older students from Asia studying and performing here in the United States just like they are.

Blessings,
Ed

Chapel with Nathan and Mary Ironside

We had an awesome Chapel Service today at the school! We had Nathan and Mary Ironside formerly with Hillsong Ministries in Australia! First Jesse and Elyssa opened up the service with a beautiful worship song. Then we gave it over to Nathan who introduced his wife Mary. They both spoke about the importance of Worship. That we were created for worship and that we all worship something.

Later on Nathan who has produced over thirty CD's internationally strapped on his guitar and began to minister in song while our school band backed him up. The students were singing, clapping and dancing as we celebrated and worship God together!

Afterward Nathan had an altar call where he and Mary prayed for over 100 students who responded to rededicate their lives to the Lord and to a lifestyle of worship. We are so blessed to have a Christian School where the name of Jesus is lifted up and obedience to His word is paramount!

Blessings,
Ed

Keith Davis at Upper Room Christian School

 

Featured on:

   . ABC, NBC, CBS, TBN, BET, CBN and ESPN Sports

   . USA Today

   . Sports Illustrated

   . Ebony, Essence and Parade Magazines

   . National weekly broadcast of the "Power Connection"

Scholastic Awards:

   . Degree in Finance, University of Southern California

   . Dean's List - Scholar Award Winner

   . Graduated with team's highest grade point average

   . Academic Achievement Award Recipient

   . Academic All-Conference - 3 consecutive years

   . Academic All-American Nominee

   . Post Graduate Award Winner

Athletic Accomplishments:

   . Professional Football - New York Giants *Pre-Season injuries

   . 2 Rose Bowl Championship Rings

   . All-American Football Strength Team

   . All-Conference ( PAC-10 Conference )

   . Team Captain

   . All-Star Hula Bowl

   . One of America's strongest linebackers:

         . 6'1" tall, 265 pounds, bench presses 515 lbs., leg presses 1800 lbs.

Leadership Awards and Community Service:

   . Toyota Leadership Award for Outstanding Academics and Citizenship

   . Community Big Brother

   . Dallas County Volunteer of the Year Nominee

   Rose Bowl Champion, professional football player, and academic scholar student. A speaker in more than 3,000 schools worldwide . Motivational programs in 47 states and 40 countries including Australia, Brazil, England, Japan, Russia, Egypt, India and South Africa

   Keith Davis is a man who loves to see people succeed. Keith is a former college and professional football player that you may have seen on ESPN, ABC, USA Today or Sports Illustrated. He is also an entrepreneur as well as a motivational speaker.

   Keith Davis Graduated from the University of Southern California with his team's highest grade point average and a degree in Business Finance. While at U.S.C., Keith was the leading tackler, an All-Conference linebacker, and was selected to the All-American Strength Team. Keith also played twice in one of college football's biggest bowl games, the Rose Bowl.

   He has won 2 championship rings. After college, Keith signed his professional football contract with the New York Giants. During the pre-season, he was one of the strongest players on the team. Yet , injuries caused his time as a pro to be brief. Keith Davis stands 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighs 265 lbs., bench presses 515 lbs. and leg presses 1800 lbs.

Keith has a powerful testimony and word for today's youth and we are so glad that he will be doing a Chapel Service for us tomorrow. 1:15-3pm.

Effective Public Speaking

Each year our students get several opportunities to share the Gospel in one of our weekly chapel services. Students minister in music, pray and share the Word of God in front of 200-300 people each week. This is a great time for them to overcome the fear that most people have of public speaking while enhancing their ability to share their faith with others.

Today's picture is of Jose Coleman a graduate of Upper Room Christian School as he shares the testimony of his conversion and as he encourages the audience to give their lives to Christ and to put their faith and trust in Him.

Effective public speaking is a valuable skill and enhances our student's ability to communicate powerfully without fear. Usually the students are so elated after their time of sharing that it no longer becomes an obstacle for them and they become more and more confident each time they speak.

Grace and Peace,
Ed

Chapel

At Upper Room Christian School we have a chapel service once a week for two periods. It is a time for us to come together as a school to worship and hear from God together. Each week students rehearse that week's songs and we feature a different speaker or guest each week.

The past three weeks have been a series about wisdom presented by our Headmaster and one of the founders of the school Pastor Samuel Hashim. He discussed the importance that wisdom plays in life from both the scripture and from real life experiences. His goal was to put a new found hunger for wisdom and it's pursuit and how to use our time, talent and resources wisely to get their maximum benefit and purpose for our lives.

While chapel is for our students we also allow past students, graduates, neighbors, friends or relatives to come and be blessed by the worship and the teaching. Many students say that their lives were forever changed in one of these services and that things they learned or experienced in chapel have stayed with them throughout the years!

Grace and Peace,
Ed

Aaron's Appendectomy

Today's picture is one of Aaron Mylott a graduate of Upper Room Christian School mixing sound for us in one of our weekly chapel services. It's great to have the students play such an important role in our weekly chapels from lights to sound from singing to playing an instrument to preaching. The students do it all and are trained in every area of interest.
Well last night Aaron was having some pain in his abdomen and at about 3:30 this morning he was rushed in for an appendectomy! With the age we're in he was facebooking jokes right up until when they rolled him into surgery and his last words were, "see you on the other side". Well I'm sure his Mom didn't go for the joke but i really do believe that in times of major distress and possible danger those that know their God have a grace and peace knowing that they are in His hand always and His love will always see them through.
I'm waiting for Aaron to get out of surgery soon and wonder what his first words out will be. He always had a great sense of humor!
Grace and Peace,
Ed

We had Richie Righteous at this Friday's Chapel Service

Cambria Heights Rapper Takes A Leap Of Faith
by Theresa Juva, Assistant Editor
06/14/2007

Richard Ishmael, aka Richie Righteous, considers himself an authentic Queens rapper, but not like his famous borough counterparts 50 Cent and Ja Rule. “I choose to rhyme for the Lord,” the 29-year-old said inside his Cambria Heights recording studio. “I grew up in church and around music. Living in New York, there was no way to escape hip-hop.”

Ishmael emigrated from Guyana when he was 11, when the family moved so that his father could start his own church, what later became the Jamaica Assembly of God. During church services, Ishmael played the drums. Soon, he was creating his own beats and mixing them with lyrics, a process that “combined my love for God with my love for rhyme,” he said. But he felt the pressure to conform to the mold of rapping with obscenities. “It was hard on my conscience that you shouldn’t speak like this,” said Ishmael, who graduated from York College.

Not that he was immune to the rough neighborhood life other Queens artists rapped about. When Ishmael was 7 years old and still lived in Guyana, thieves broke into his home to rob his father, who they believed was wealthy. The thieves fled with valuables, but not before firing several shots that Ishmael and his family were able to dodge. The experience solidified the faith Ishmael would later use to weave lyrics into hip-hop songs. “The beauty of what hip-hop used to be is that from whatever angle you come from, you can tell your story,” he explained.

Hip-hop in its purest form is a way of communicating experiences, a purpose that has been warped in today’s hypersexual and materialistic mainstream rap, he said. “I love Queens rappers,” he added. “They are super talented. I just wish their lyrics were more positive.” He said that although rapping about the tribulations of street life is valid song material, most mainstream rap focuses on degrading women and much of the storytelling has been lost in the catchy hooks of urging women to “shake it.” This is in sharp contrast to Ishmael’s lyrics. In “Holla Back” he sings: “I never dreamed back when I was rapping on pavements/I blow to start up righteous entertainment/The same kid everybody said should stop doing gospel cause I had a son out of wedlock/But God took the kid that was out of control/Blessed my music and he’s used it to win souls.”

Ishmael’s different approach to hip-hop hasn’t helped him win over producers, however. Many aren’t interested in squeaky clean lyrics, a frustration that he takes out in one song called, “We Are At War.” In it he vents: “Gangstas get air play/Crack feens get air play/This ain’t no fair play what must I do to get air play/Oh I know maybe I should switch up my resume/And start rapping about how to get weeded.”

Ishmael still finds ways to reach his audience. Every month, he hosts a concert at the Jamaica Assembly of God, located at 139-25 88th Ave., an event called “Emergency Room,” because it is where people are metaphorically saved by the hope and optimism they feel after the concert, he said. “It provides an environment for young people where they can have a great time,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about dying,” he added, referring to the sometimes violent club culture.

While Ishmael said he will always call Queens home, he takes his gig across the country, mostly to churches. Last year, he performed at the Texas church of T.D. Jakes, a renowned evangelical preacher. He performs at both megachurches in front of 10,000 people as well as small storefront congregations. Ishmael is currently working on his second album titled “R.I.C.H,” which stands for Resting In Christ’s Hands. He hopes to destroy misconceptions people have about Christian-inspired music. “It doesn’t have to be preachy,” he said. “My life as a gospel rapper is to show people there is a human aspect to us. I’m somebody who chose to follow God.”

Richie did a great job for us Friday in Chapel! The kids were up representing Jesus and their Christian lifestyle. You could sense the genuine love and concern Richie has for this generation and God is using Him to both win souls and solidify those who already are walking with God. The kids love him. Check him out at http://www.richierighteous.net/index.cfm .

Grace and Peace,

Ed