Party Time

I know, I know, you're wondering, where have you been? I really don't have time to explain or make excuses. Life has been busy, yeah, what's new. Anyway, the next few blogs may be out of sequential order, but hey, it's my blog.

PARTY TIME

Yesterday, was the All Day Staff Christmas Party at FRC and can I just say it was off the chain. Honestly, when we were first told to reserve the whole day from 12:01am-11:59pm, I thought we were going to meet at the gym in the middle of the night. Carson and I were trying to increase our reps on the machines at the gym. We were wrong, but we did need endurance for the day. It started at 8:30am and included lots of fun and surprises. Our staff was separated into teams and we spent the day competing for the "bag of goodies". The coolest part is that each event is strategically planned by Pastor Troy to teach us lessons of leadership. We participated in games like, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader", a photo contest using our values, cookie decorating, judging team diversity, undercover agents, a mall scavenger hunt and it all ended with a trip to the movies. FRC has a very competitive staff and we all want to win, but what I have learned over the past few years is that it really is more about the relationships and life lessons than the win. As I spoke with some of my co-workers throughout the day, one of them mentioned to me how they didn't even remember who had won last year, but they did remember who they got to know better and the fun they had being with everyone for the day.
Here are the great things I learned yesterday and the people I got to know better:

• Sam Gielow and Brandon Holder are cousins. I helped recruit them both for Jorge's team and never knew this until yesterday. I've known Sam for about 4 years and didn't know she was related to Bev Santiago and Brandon!
• Oana L. went to school with my son at Cooper City High; she took spanish with him, helped him with his homework, graduated the same year he did and she lives in my neighborhood!
• Bev Santiago's husband, Noel works for Sunrise Fire Dept, and so does Marcus Williams dad. And Mark Varca has been praying for someone in the Sunrise Fire Dept to help him out with his fire alarm issues; I think we may have a solution.
• I learned to keep the focus on the prize, to continue to push myself toward's my potential, even when it hurts, that we are all on the same team, but so many times it is who you know and who you have on your team that helps you reach your destiny, and we can always learn a new truth each day, because we are not there yet!

Thank you so much to Pastor Troy, Stephanie, Espy and Greg for a great day of fun! Thanks to all my fellow co-workers, you are all a blast to do life with. I am encouraged, inspired, motivated and energized to get ready for 2008.