I Want a New Look

Yes, I know, many have asked me, WHERE HAVE I BEEN? with my blog updates. I am working on change and wanted a new look for my blog. (I have also been working on my new look of losing weight, guess how much) I hoped to have it by now, but I don't. So don't judge me, it is coming. Many of those that can help me make this new change have been busy also with leading out on a revolution. So in the meantime, as I create and design the new look that I want, while don't you log onto http://www.thegiftrevolution and begin a change in your heart, life and the hearts and lives of others!!! What gift can you give?

New Neighbors

In the last week, the FRC Media team has moved their offices and become neighbors of TheRUSH Student Ministry. We were so excited to get new neighbors and have company next door!! So as a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" gift, TheRUSH made brownies to welcome the gang! Today, Heredes delivered a tray full of Little Debbies with a sign saying TO: The SugarRUSH - FROM: Media Team! Don't be surprised if we re-gift them for the holidays back to you!

Thank you Heredes, Mo, Ian and the rest of the crew! We love having visitors and company!!!

Beginning of an AWESOME Fall at FRC!

This past weekend at Flamingo Road Church was awesome! God is so good and I am always honored to be a part and be able to witness HIS goodness. Here are some highlights:

• My friend, Kim, came to service with me!
• Fall Family Fun Night + cotton candy/snocones = FUN and LOTS of people! Come back this coming weekend for more of that on Saturday night (5pm or 6:30pm)
• Pastor Troy holding hands with those choosing to follow Christ - glimpse of heaven!
• Loads and loads of food and water donated to Help Us Help Haiti (see pics below)

• TheRUSH Student Ministry rockin as we added back the 2nd service on Saturday night
• Meeting tons of new parents and students as they came to TheRUSH - 47 visitors
• Watching Jake, Patti, Nate and Corey get antiqued by Scot each hour (see pic below)
  
  

And drum roll, please - TheRUSH Cooper City hitting a high of 571 students!

Can't wait til next weekend, it only gets better!

Takes Courage

Most of the time in pop culture, freedom of speech is an accepted freedom by the masses when one speaks. Especially speaking about controversial issues or those of moral decay. But the second someone tries to speak in favor of having boundaries or standing up for a value that is followed by the minority, those words seem to get edited. Not this time. The great thing about MTV award shows is that they are usually live and most of what they say goes unedited. At the VMA's, Jordin Sparks, was not edited and was able to make a statement in favor of having standards.

What did she say?
"It's not bad to wear a promise ring, because not everybody, guy or girl, wants to be a slut,"

Why did she say it?:
In response to the host, Russell Brand about his jokes made toward the Jonas brothers for their choice to save sex for marriage and wear promise rings.

She did later admit, that she felt bad for using the word, slut and she did not intend to come off as being judgmental. Those were not her intentions. BUT, most of the time, even if a young person is thinking or feeling that what they believe in is being challenged or made fun of, it takes courage to stand up and speak out.

3 Summer Highlights

At Middle School summer camp - my niece (on the right)attended her first camp and this is a moment after Scot shared the salvation message when the students went outside with leaders to discuss their decisions. Patti, (in the middle) had the girls, lay down to observe God's majesty in the stars and talk about their step. Patti was once here, over 5 years ago, when she attended a winter camp and made that move towards the cross, and now she leads. Can I just say how proud I am of both of them! Love you girls, LOTS!!!!!


It was great to hang with my sister(2nd on right) when she came down for our niece's wedding. Cool thing about this, our niece Diana, (the bride) and niece Megan (1st on right) are our 2 stepsister's daughters. My father was only married to their mother for 6 years and she didn't care too much for my sister and I, but out of the journey God was able to give us relationships with our stepsister's daughters. My sister actually raised Megan until she was 8 years old. Megan considers her Aunt Wendy like a mom. Sometimes marriages may end, but the journey and who we meet on the way, can be intentionally set up by God to test our ability to forgive and love our enemies. A lot of forgiveness had to come out of those 6 years, but what an opportunity I would have missed if I had chosen not to forgive, thank God He gives me the strength and example to do this.




Amber turned 17!!!! I am very proud of her! She is a Senior, Class of '09! And I am hoping this year goes by slow...yeah, right! Like I have told her, she is going to one day be one of my best friends!!!

Room Reveal

Words can't even express how excited we all were on Saturday night...we locked the doors and the students were not allowed in until service began. I felt like it was Christmas morning and the kids were about to open "the gift"! The students ran in ohhing and ahhing with excitement. The WOW factor had taken affect! We had shown them through our hard work, how special they are to Jesus, how much He loves them! We were His hands and feet, His heart with our gift of a REALLY cool new room (Thank you Pastor Scot for your vision and for stirring creativity among the team) This past weekend we hit 500, we had 43 first time guests, 30 students accepted Christ, and 5 or 6 that were baptized. Today, I had a volunteer call all the others, inviting them to take the plunge at our next Beach Baptism, September 28. Here are the after photos, pics really don't do it justice...



A close-up of the walls: the design and skateboard walls. To the left of this is our new 1st time guest room/decision room.

Remember that baptistry wall, here it is complete with the skateboards...
From the back of the room, the columns even got a facelift
The entire stage, from the back of the room, how many TV do you see?
Front of the stage - metal and top of skateboards

Besides the room makeover, the energy in each service is off the charts, students are not sure which way to look, but as Pastor Scot says, We do all this to earn the respect to speak into their lives. I once had a thought how cool it would be to do camp style services each weekend, instead of waiting for that one week in the summer, we are the church, let's make it cool to come to the church, not just the camp, and now God has created and sent the visionary to lead this! Try and come by and check it out and if you are a parent - get your kids here, seriously!!!!

Busy Summer ended with a Bang!

The last 10 days have been spent renovating the Student Ministry Building, having a Grand Opening Weekend, and celebrating God's gift to us for hard work, briefly as we began again getting ready for this coming weekend! Summer will officially end this coming weekend and what a summer it has been for me personally and professionally. There have been highs and lows, but God has got the glory and this past weekend, words and pictures can not even do it justice. The next few entries will be some of the highlights! I will try and tell the story with more photos, less words (so you will stay engaged!) I want to get them all in before September 1, so I can begin the Fall looking ahead and not feeling like I missed sharing an exciting God moment in my life. Below are pics of BEFORE and DURING the renovation. We had over 15-20 volunteers come up each day last week and help out, despite Tropical Storm Fay potentially hitting us. No students were allowed to help or see the room! Thank you to everyone who prayed, gave, painted, taped, lost sleep, etc!

The walls were primed and designed with stencil art! The top will be designs inspired by a pair of Quiksilver boardshorts and the bottom is metal paint (cheaper than real metal)!

Some of the guys enclosing the old baptistry (My son was baptized there, ahhh!)Nestor and Josh putting metal on the front of the stagePastor Scot spackling the enclosure that will become black and hold lots of cool skateboards!!
Next post - AFTER PICS!!

Lead where you are

Many times in my life I find myself so focused that it seems frustrating to stop and re-focus. But after the last 2 days, I am so glad that I did. My heart is full, my brain is overflowing with tips, stories and knowledge, and my bum is sore from sitting so long. I have learned over my life that when it seems hard or it is something that takes the extra effort to accomplish, it will probably be really worth it. Attending and serving at the Leadership Summit was definitely worth it and not a waste of my time. It was great to see those invited, attend. It was great to meet new friends and share with them the ups and downs of leadership, but also how God always provides. My favorite speakers at the summit: Craig Groeschel, Gary Haugen, and Catherine Rohr.

With so much information received at an event like this, I always ask the Lord for one truth to walk away with and apply to my life - Being willing to try, even when I fail, means that I succeed, because I do not give up. So many of the leaders that spoke shared this one truth in some way or another - they never gave up!!! Shake it off!

Another spiritual truth I sensed God speaking: That I, as part of the American church, am being challenged to sacrifice for the sake of the cross and it's message. Am I willing? What am I willing to give up to help another life?

Check out potentialblog.com to get re-caps from each speaker.

Transition

This past summer has been one of transition for every one in my family. The transition began back in February when my son called me and asked what I thought if he were to come home and finish his last 2 years of college back in SFLA. He had been trying to get a job in the midwest and having a hard time as a student who leaves each summer. My husband and I also saw how the college bills were climbing, but knew he was in God's hand. My advice, take the steps and see what doors God opens or closes. When Corey arrived home for the summer, his acceptance letter to FIU was in the mailbox. He will only miss one aspect, not dressing out for football in a week or so, but he knows God has him right where He wants him. Next, my husband is starting a new job this week. It has been a summer of trust and faith as he was out of work for a couple months, but God is good and Tim will continue to do what he loves teaching and coaching teenagers at the same time attending night school for college credits. Amber will begin Cooper City High after being in private school for the past 3 years. This is her Senior year and this is her decision to move schools. She made this decision before Tim knew for sure he would change schools. She knows the friends she left in middle school will be different after 3 years, but she hopes to begin a girl mentoring group and try in her last year of high school to make a positive difference in the life of teenage girls. I love her heart and passion for this. And for me, my office looks totally different, not just the color or furniture, but the peeps also. God has changed things and allowed change, now we must all be obedient as we enter this next chapter. I am very excited to be on this team that God has assembled, both at home and at work. And just the fact that it is Amber's senior year is a little overwhelming and unbelieveable. God has proved His Word again...Luke12:24, Romans 8:28, I Peter 5:6-11. Thank you! I am grateful!

PreSeason

Came in tonight after running errands and visiting family and the sounds of football were coming out of my TV! The sounds of the commentators is really a soothing sound to my ears. It means school is about to start, a new fall season will begin not just on the field, the holidays are around the corner, tailgating, family, friends, jerseys, win, lose, life lessons, FUN!

Jumprope=Endurance

June, 2008 - Journal Entry during High School Camp

Never did I imagine spending hours on end watching students jump rope would be the highlight of summer camp for me and for the students:
First day they decided to end it early, giving up their free time the next day, but not their dinner
Second day they jumped again, did not reach their goal, Soooo, we adults
jumped to help motivate and show if we can do it, they can do. It was so much fun!!!
Third day they pushed, cheered and encouraged and they DID IT! I am sure they heard us celebrating from miles away.

Lesson learned - to pull together as a team and never give up to reach the goal, no matter how long it takes, sometimes it may seem like a lifetime.
Along the way - the enemy will try and trip you up For example: On the third day, some psychic fools tried to hypnotize some of our students...

Little did I know at this time that Endurance would be the theme of my summer!

Suitcase Silence

For the past 5 weeks I have lived out of my suitcase. And I purposely took a break from blogging and turned to journaling the events of my summer. I even turned my cell phone off for over a week...I know it was quiet if you were around me, no dinging from text messages or phone calls. Over the next few days and week, I will blog about some of my journal entries. The average age of my travel buddies were 14-15 years old, the farthest I traveled was over 2600 miles and the shortest distance was 10 miles, I spent time with friends, family, mentors and those I mentor, change was constantly a part of my summer and again I was faced with trusting Christ when I did not see or understand or choosing to panic in the unknown. I can say that coming out on the other side and seeing August just one day away, hope is always in the future when He holds you in the center of His hands, circumstances can never determine your joy, movement forces balance in your life, yes, if you sleep you wake up a day older, but rest allows the body to rejuvenate and feel younger, change is constant and don't you love new beginnings...moving two steps closer to reaching my God-potential!

Sleepless Summer Nights

I know, Summer is the time to rest, re-charge, rejuvenate and get ready for the fall. But I have to be honest, my summers do not tend to look that way. One reason is working in Student Ministry means summer is the time you can have more time with them and to have larger and traveling events. And the other is my own kids, well, the schedule goes out the window since they do not have to get up for school. And once they started to drive, I could not go to sleep until I knew they were back safe and sound in the house. It is still that way, so nights get longer, days seem shorter. I know it is summer and daylight last longer, but it doesn't feel that way. I am not complaining, just sharing a truth that I am currently experiencing. It is great and I wouldn't trade it. Another aspect is with a college age son, all his friends come back home from school and hang out at the house. They tend to begin arriving around 10pm, which means they could leave anywhere from 3-4 hours later. I like that they hang here, you visit with them, see where they are, how their life is going...last night we had about 5 of them here and it was so much fun hearing them reminisce about high school pranks and friendships. I know one day, this stage will change, it will get quieter, I may get more sleep. But I need to be careful what I wish for, because my heart really desires to be a part of their life and I am thankful that they allow me in. For now, I will take my sleepless summer nights, winter is coming...

Getting Ready...

It's that time...Summer Camp. In 3 days we leave for Middle School camp for a week, we come home, for 1.5 days and leave again. The past few months we have prayed and planned and this past week, our new Student Pastor began, so we were very busy pulling together our planning with his vision. I am personally so excited for what is about to happen, not only at camp, but every weekend in Student Ministry. So, stay tuned to see what happens when the Rush and the Road collide...it is going to be CRAZY!

Life, like a beach!

A couple weeks ago, I was headed to the beach to have some me&God time. As I drove there, I noticed rain clouds to the east, and thought to myself, maybe I should turn around. I hoped it was not raining at the beach. I began to pray and ask God to please let the sun be shining at the beach. As I drove through the cloudy area, I thought to myself, that this scenario is so much like life. We head out in the direction that God is calling and we face storms, we face dark skies, we face clouds. But in order to reach the destination God is wanting us to get to, we have to keep going, we can not give up, we can not turn around, we have to keep going towards the goal and through the storm. I kept driving and as I hit AIA, I could see ahead that the sky was gorgeous, there was sunshine, no clouds. It was a beautiful beach day. I set up my chair on the ocean's edge and was so glad that I did not turn around!

This past weekend, I had the same experience...Thursday was a tough day, a cloudy day. But I have seen many a tough day and knew that I had to keep going. On Friday night, the Life Development ministries (Preschool, Children and Student) hosted a volunteer appreciation dinner called Ovations and it was such a great time. We had over 250 volunteers attend and we were able to pour into their lives by encouraging and entertaining them for all they do each weekend. Then Saturday morning, Garland and I met with the High School mission team bright and early at Starbucks. Bob Selecky joined the group as Garland prepares the team to get ready to go minister to the people in Peru and visit our campus - FRC Lima! I was then blessed by Lili to be able to accompany some middle and high school girls to a fashion show at Signature Grand, it was so much fun! The weekend services at FRC were great and then the finale of an evening was Beach Baptism and the concert at Hollywood beach.

Not only did I get to hang out with students and family, but I was given the privilege to baptize Nina! Nina is a lady that I met at Starbucks back in December. I invited her to church and then one weekend as I stood in the front for a pastor moment, she came forward. When I was in Starbucks a couple weeks ago, she was so excited to tell me that she was getting baptized at the next Beach Baptism. As I stood in the water and looked into the crowd, I saw her waving at me, Wow! And Matt, BJ and I had the awesome privilege of baptizing her.

Life has it's tough times, it's cloudy days, but what if I would have turned back, given up. I would not have been given the opportunity to witness the power of God.

The power of God as I sit at the shoreline.

The power of God as I watch a life change.

The power of God as He grows and stretches my faith.

I will not relent, I will not give up, I will keep driving through the clouds to the beach. But, Lord, I can not do it without you or your strength!

Thank you for an awesome weekend! Thank you for not giving up on me!

Inside Out

I get these Daily Words each day...this is the one I got this morning...


Friday, May 30, 2008
Good morning. Are you looking for advancement? Do you want a boost in life? Sometimes we need to check our giving habits. Are you an occasional giver? A systematic giver? A Tither??? Remember giving and receiving are one and the same. Giving is just receiving inside out. If things are held up in your life... Remember this principle.. Life gives to the giver and takes from the taker...

How appropriate for this weekend of commitment...

Focus

When I have a bad day, I do my best to not stay focused on the circumstances...

Keep busy, focus on others, focus on Christ, be still...

As I began to write a prayer request for myself, I felt selfish, erased it...hard to ask for help when others have it worse...

And began to pray for Linda Handy, the Gramling family, Lauren Anderson's mom, Sean Honeycutt, the children that are hungry today, those that have suffered a loss of a loved one...

I know that God always sees me through, I know the enemy is never going to relent when I am trying to be obedient and follow God's lead, to help His children, to be a light in a dark world...

And as I write this I can hear the laughter from my living room filled with my kids and their friends as they visit with a friend that was gone in the Air Force for the past year and a half...and returned safely.

I am blessed! And I must claim my new fav verse - "Rejoice in the Lord, always and again I say Rejoice!"

Say (what you need to)

Over the past few months, I have watched some of my closest friends lose their parents.
I got word today that another friend has lost his mom.
We pray for another as his mom and dad face health and life threatening issues.
I guess it is that time in our life that these situations begin to occur.

Life is a cycle, they care for us, we care for them or send them on to the Father. This past weekend, my inlaws were 4 hours away, it was a priority we go and spend some quality time with them. I lost both my parents when I was 30, so I do have empathy and know what my husband will one day have to deal with - every extra moment matters.

One of the lessons that I learned from the loss of my parents at an unexpected time in our lives is best summed up by John Mayer in his song, Say:
Take out of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all your so called problems
Better put 'em in quotations
Say what you need to say (x7)
Say what you need to saaaay...
Walking like a one man army
Fighting with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you'd be better off instead
If you could only
Say what you need to say (x7)
Say what you need to saaay...
Have no fear
For giving in
Have no fear
For getting over
You better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Then never to say what you need to say again
Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open... wide...
Say what you need to say (x7)
Say what you need to
Say what you need to
Say what you need to say

My sister and I had sat down with my dad to say some things and hopefully find humility and forgiveness, that is not what happened, pride played a big part in why, and 2 years later as he lay in a hospital bed, he was unable to speak, I saw the regret in his eyes. God has given us the gift of words and language, we must use it to find our way to love, peace and forgiveness. We are sometimes all each other has...so say what you need to say...say what the Holy Spirit nudges you to say...do it with a heart wide open, you will have no regrets and God may just use those words to bring love, peace, and forgiveness - then HE is glorified!

Click here to see video of John Mayer's song.

At the Car Wash...

This past Saturday, we held a Car Wash at the Cooper City campus of Flamingo Road Church. We are having these car washes at all of our campuses to help children and teenagers earn money for camp. The pictures to the left are from Pastor Arturo's perspective as he drove thru and got his car washed. For only $5, his car got washed, and he played a part in helping to change a life and have a kid take one step closer to Jesus. Wow, ALL that for just $5. Thank you, Arturo! Thank you also to the other parents and leaders that brought out their cars.



The next one at Cooper City is June 7 from 9am-12noon. Doral will be having one this coming Saturday, May 24 from 9am-12noon at Ronald Reagan High School. Hallandale had one last weekend, also and I believe they are planning to do it again. Sawgrass is planning one also. (I will post the dates and times). Which ever campus you attend, check with the Student or Children Campus Pastor and go out and support the next generation!!!

Crazy Love

I am reading this new book, called Crazy Love - Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. It is written by Francis Chan. I highly recommend it to everyone. It has radically changed my way of thinking about God and His love for me. It really is hard to comprehend in my human mind, how much He loves me. I have seen in my life how He pursues me and never gives up on me. This book reasurres me and excites me for what is ahead in my relationship with my loving Father. Here are some highlights from what I have read so far:

"It is important that we not measure our spiritual health by those around us, who are pretty much like us."
"Jesus call to committment is clear: he wants all or nothing."
"For years I gave God leftovers and felt no shame...took my eyes off scripture and instead compared myself to others...the bones I threw had more meat than what others threw...I figured I was doing fine"

That is only up to Chapter 5...(I have so far to go, not just in chapters)...

Go to http://www.crazylovebook.com/ and check out the video discussions Francis Chan does for each chapter. You will begin to see God in such a Big way, and Be still and listen, you will hear Him, also. And it will revolutionize your thinking of putting Him first and yourself second. It is a hard concept for the flesh, but it is the base of Christianity. I want this crazy love and I know this prepares me for eternity in heaven with Him! Isn't that what it is all about?