4 Years...

Today Heredes and I share 4 years of marriage.  WOW!!! Time flies!  Thank you baby for a wonderful year! You make me do and go to new places. ;) I LOVE YOU FOREVER!

TGR Stories Part 2...

You should be visiting theGiftRevolution.com to read the stories there [and participating] but if you haven't passed by I'll share some of my stories here.  After you read these, you can go to the site.

1. I got my friend/co-worker a Hello Kitty ornament. She spent some time with me while Heredes was on TGR road trip.  We stopped by Target that day and she pointed it out. She almost bought it, but I convinced her not too. I later bought it, wrapped it and left it on her desk.

2. A group of us drove to the Broward County School Bus pick up place [pretty sure that's not the official name] at 4:30 am.  We served Dunkin Donuts coffee, donuts, and gave out gift baggies with TGR cards to all the bus drivers as they prepared to pick up students.  I have a new appreciation for them.  Great job guys!!  You are appreciated!!

3. Today, I put some GR cards/JuiceBlendz free smootie cards to foam stockings as a gift to my friends at Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, and the Post Office.  Hopefully they'll catch on and participate- since there are only 6 days left.

4.  Our Sawgrass Campus Pastor was out last week on a GR Rally in Arkansas with Pastor Troy & our Executive Pastor.  Him and his wife are expecting twins.  At work she sat at the front office and we chatted a bit and she was telling me that they hadn't put up any decorations for Christmas and with the babies growing she hasn't had much energy after work to pull things out and setup.  So, as a GR, birthday gift, and because she helps Heredes with some work stuff ;) we surprised her at night by going over and helping her decorate her house.  Her expression was priceless!!

So 6 days left.  Guess what?  This is a global movement to inspire the world.  Where you are right now, that's where you can start.  Take time to think, pray, ask- how can you gift someone. How can you gift someone today.  Let's not forget the Greatest Giver & Greatest Gift- "For God so loved the world that He GAVE His one and only Son JESUS. That whoever believes in Him will not die, but have everlasting life."  -John 3:16

Remember, "Because when a gift is given, whether BIG or SMALL, it makes a world of DIFFERENCE."

Sunday...

If your in ministry full time, part time or serve every other week, you know you have some not so great weekend's. But you most definitely have tons and tons of awesome weekends.  Yesterday was an AWESOME Sunday at Flamingo Road Church Doral Kids.  

I wanted to say thank you to all who served yesterday and those that came in afterwards to tear down on their day off of serving. ;)  Thank you for making a kingdom difference! Thank you for taking initiative and allowing me to go and speak to parents! Yay!  Excited to end strong and start a new year even stronger.  

TGR Stories...

As promised, here are some of the stories I have started with the gift revolution:

1: Key West/Road Trip:  Met a 5th grader at the port who fell in love with my funny christmas hat. I gave it to her with TGR card.  She hung out with us the whole night. 

2. Homestead/Road Trip: The team went to the Knausberry farm. We bought 5 dozen cinnamon rolls and we gave 1 out for free for the customers as they waited in line to place their orders. In the process, we also bought a couple of shakes for folks.  It was awesome to hear reactions like this: "Wow. Are you serious?  I've never received anything for free, especially not from a stranger."  and "You guys keep passing hope around!" 

3. Couple Saturdays ago: Heredes and I got gifted at Great Wraps!! 

4. Two Sundays ago: I was driving back to church and Heredes was behind me in his car. A gentleman was selling flowers on the street corner and the rain was coming. I called Heredes and asked him "Do we have an umbrella in your car." H- "yes" M- "Give it to the guy and a GR card please."  Done. He was a bit drier that afternoon.

5. At our All - Day Staff, I bought a $25.00 Shell gift card [11:30 pm] for the next person who would come to pay for gas.  I saw a gentleman go in, unfortunately I didn't see his reaction but the cashier lady gave me the thumbs up.  Hope he was blessed.

6. At All-Day Staff, our team blessed a family with $1500.00. We also gifted one of our pastors who was sick: HP!

This week I have a couple of stories, but those will be on another post.  Get rolling people. Start your Revolution and share your stories at thegiftrevolution.com and here as well.  

The Gift Revolution...

Yea- I'm a horrible blogger, but I'm back!  And I have a question, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO START THE GIFT REVOLUTION?  Oh, wait, you don't know what that is... It's simple: 

TGR is a global movement to inspire the world through acts of giving, because when a gift is given, whether big or small, it makes a world of difference. Person to Person, community to community, Country to Country, you can follow the journey and share your story here.

25 Days to Inspire the World- well we have 17 days and counting.  Listen to this: ALL 7 continents are representing and have started the revolution- YES even Antarctica.  ALL 50 states have begun, and I can't even tell you how many countries. Just take a look at the map on the site.

Next post: stories.  Go start the revolution!

Pastor Troy on Channel 6

Make sure to plug in and watch.  Proud of our pastor! God is doing Awesome things!!! Get on board thegiftrevolution.com.

The Revolution has begun ...

Follow the van here...

It is almost here!!!!!!!!!...

Last week everyone got a gift and today is the day we were to open them. I opened mine and take a look at what was inside.  Make sure you join us tomorrow morning HERE. And if you are not going to church anywhere this weekend YOU MUST check out the Unwrapping of the new series at FRC- at any of our campuses and that includes the Internet Campus.  OMG!!!! IT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

???...

If you read my husband's blog [go to it after you read this] you know that something BIG is brewing over at Flamingo Road Church. We just finished "The Series before the Series" series [lol] yesterday. This weekend we will be Unwrapping everything and displaying the new Christmas series. [It is soooo much more than a series] I can't say anything else.
I did want to share these pictures of what we did at Kid's yesterday [at Doral]. Each child/family was given a gift and they can only open it this Friday. The kids were so ecstatic! They are also excited because they will be learning and participating in the same things as our youth and as their parents.

Don't miss the unwrapping this weekend @ flamingoroadchurch.com. I've seen it- I've heard Pastor Troy's heart- it's going to rock!!!

My Mother-in-Laws B-day...

Elzeli's birthday was on Monday, November 10.  Here is my late post for her- a special, wonderful woman that loves God soooooo much.  I love you Mae.  You are more than special to me.  I am so glad you had a great birthday and enjoyed your sons gift. It made me cry watching the video.  Since we didn't get to speak, accept this birthday blog post as my birthday wish for you.  God bless you and the family and knowing that we will see each other soon.  Besitos. 

Dedicated to the Logans...

A couple of years back I was introduced to the author Francine Rivers. The first book I read by her was "Redeeming Love". I could not put it down. On one of my birthdays, my friend Holly Logan saw that I had her book and she too agreed that her books are amazing. She bought me two books from Rivers' "The Mark of the Lion" series. [I don't have the third one yet] I was very grateful and nicely placed them on my book shelf for when I was ready to read them.
Well time passed and I came across Rivers' "Lineage of Grace" mini books about the women in Christ's lineage. I bought "Bathsheba". I loved it. Words can't explain what her books do to me. When done, I went back to the Family Bookstore and could not find the other four.
Now, two months ago I picked up the book that Holly bought me, "A Voice in the Wind". OMG!!! It totally sucked me in. Amazing- so amazing that when I finished it I picked up the second one, "An Echo in the Darkness". And another added bonus was that my co-worker Jenn, who also loves her books, happened to have all 5 books from the "Lineage of Grace" series. Woot Woot!
This post has been in my heart for a couple of weeks and I wanted to say thank you to Holly and her family- first, for their friendship, second, for purchasing these books that really have done something inside of me that I am so grateful for, and lastly, for their awesome, pure hearts to serve Christ in South Africa. I love you guys- you are not forgotten or alone.

*Holly- you would love to see how I act when I read the books. Heredes laughs at me because first, he never sees me read and second, when I read these I am like in Lala Land.

Check out Francine Rivers, her books, & her story here. Do it! :)

COLDPLAY!!!

Last night a group of us went to the Bank Atlantic Center to see ColdPlay. Heredes, Ricky, and I sat together and all I can say is a big thank you to Pr. Heather. "Lovers in Japan" is still my favorite song on the new CD. Here are a few pics from my iPhone. Does anyone know what the best camera setting is to take pictures at a concert? I had the hardest time trying to get some decent pictures. [pics from my camera will come later- Heredes took the camera on his trip]


Pic 1: Setting up the stage after the opening act finished










Pic 2: Opening













Pic 3: Viva La Vida

99 Balloons...

Heredes sent this link to me this morning. Take a look at the video. Thank you Lord that you give, take away, and your Name is blessed forever more. Let me know what you think. 

Race Completed...

Here are the official times of our 5K run on Saturday:

Heredes: 29:47
Marcy: 34:20

Here is a pic of us exhausted and done!! I must say the hardest thing was not knowing where the finish line was. My goal, again, is 30 minutes for the 5k in December. Great job to all my team mates!!

First Official Race

5:10am: wake up & get ready
5:55am: get to church follow team to park
6:15am: meet with whole team and stretch
7:00am: race starts
?? I hope I finish the 5k in 30 minutes

Thanks coach Debbie and team for doing this all together. And my hubby is the stylish guy there.

Pics and outcome soon to be posted.

Halloween Hope Night...

Here is what FRC is doing for Halloween. It is geared for special needs kids. I am really excited to serve them and their families. It's going to be a great night to leverage this holiday to share the love of Jesus Christ. If you want to help by donating Sugar Free candy, visit Flamingo Road Church.



Halloween Hope Night Promo from Flamingo Road Church on Vimeo.


- Good job Media Ministry! This video was great!

Happy Birthday Heredes!!!...

My husband turned 26 years old today!!!!  Can you believe it!  I can't.  We are so close to 30 years old.  Ahhh!!  

I am running on 4 hours of sleep, but it is all worth making my husband feel ten times more special.  I got him a few little gifts and placed them in bags with little tags describing what might be inside and a clue to find the next gift.  The gifts were: 1. Matrix conditioner 2. Got2Be gel 3. Something for his drawers 4. running socks, mini to go Axe, an exercise shirt [for our 5k] 5. breakfast 6. Sugar free Red Bull & regular Red Bull 7. gums and mints 8. two boxes of Nerds 

9. take out dinner from Grand Lux [we'll see].  

Ooof! I forgot to mention that when he woke up and went to the bathroom there were 26 birthday sticky heart notes on the bathroom mirror.  

I am so grateful for my husband. He is my King David.  God's favor is all around him- not because he is nice, good, creative, etc. BUT because he has given Christ full control of his life! For that I am SOOO thankful.  Thank you to all who just love him and support him and lift him up in prayer.  My husband- You are one of a kind and I am glad God created you for me. ;) Have a WONDERFUL day my love!!!!! 

Leave him a birthday wish here or on his blog.

Polyvore...

Sorry blogville for not posting in like forever.  Here is a quick one.  There is a website where you can create collages of stuff you like.  Thank you to Kristel and my sister Chanti for introducing it to me.  I created my piece like three weeks ago.  Boys and Girls can create one too.  So, if you're just in the mood to Create and you're stuck in the office go here and start.  [more posts to come]

SIRENS & SEALIONS @ SWEAT records....

Come out and support my sisters band and others.  Invite your friends.  

blog worthy...

       Look at how AWESOME God is.  I really had a crummy day yesterday.  Actually, there are to many days that I allow to become crummy.  I allow pride to step in, I allow insecurity to kick in, I allow a bad attitude to sneak in, and I allow myself to isolate myself from people-yabadabadaba.... 

      This morning I had a really good devotional.  Basically, it was talking about pride and taking every thought captive.  I asked God to help me pray about everything and for His help in learning how to discipline my thought life.  I prayed specifically for the phone call I was going to make to the doctor's office right after I finished my Q.T. [quiet time]  I asked that I would not assume that whoever was going to pick up was going to give me a bad attitude.  I asked that He would help me just be kind and loving as I made the phone call and drive down to South Miami.  

      Well, when I told Jesse about the referral I was going to pick up, she said she forgot to request it and that it was her fault.  She asked if I could come at 2:00 pm and I reminded her that I am in Broward now and it would be difficult to miss work.  She automatically apologized again and said she would FAX it!  What!?!?  Are you kidding me!?!? I was so grateful.   

      You may ask what the big deal is, here it is.  In the summer, it was the same person & doctor's office that wouldn't give me a referral to the cardiologist or neurologist & had pretty crummy attitudes.  AND they don't fax referrals to anyone.  They made that very clear.  But today, I believe God BLESSED me because I took a step of faith to pray for my attitude, to confess my wrong to Him, and be a light to them.  He delivered.  I don't  have to drive to South Miami & Jesse was so helpful & so willing to fix her forgetfulness.  I had to share this because when God does something great, even if it may seem small to many, my lips will proclaim His goodness.

Got something to share that may be similar.  Let me read it. Post it here.

"We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5

Free Disney Admission on your Birthday!...

Yes, it's true. Starting 2009, you get a free admission to Disney World and/or Disneyland  on your BIRTHDAY.  Any of their four parks. So, I think I will be celebrating my 26th birthday at Disney World and Heredes' as well. [I hope, and omg I'll be 26.  Eek!]  Hope you guys take advantage of this great, dream come true opportunity.  Click HERE for more information on registering.

National Stay at Home Week....

I'll still be going to work and leading strong, but I truly will enjoy staying home at night with Heredes watching all of our favorite and most awaited Fall shows. Here is our viewing list:

MONDAY: watch the 3- hour premier of HEROES starting @ 8:00 pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [can someone TiVo it just in case?]
Tuesday: maybe catch a little of the Biggest Loser @ 8:00 pm
WEDNESDAY: Pushing Daisies @ 8:00 pm
THURSDAY: Kath & Kim @ 8:30 pm
THE OFFICE [OMG!!!! & Heather's bday] @ 9:00 pm
30 Rock [I think Heredes may want to check it out.] @ 9:30 pm
Friday: nothing
Saturday: nothing
SUNDAY: Ta Ta Ta Taaaaa!!!! THE AMAZING RACE @ 8:00 pm [can someone TiVo this one too? Millers?]

Okay, so I'm totally excited for Monday, Thursday, and Sunday nights. Hope you enjoy your "National Stay at Home Week."

ayayaya...

hey "blogville"
Some updates: we have moved, but correction we are not fully unpacked. We're getting there.
It's a cute 2/1, with plenty of parking, and close to church. Praise the Lord!

Here is a pic of a purse from Peru that my abuelita Juanita gave me when I visited in the summer. I love it! Gracias!

We have moved to one service at Doral and today we had the whole kids team present and it was awesome. Here is a pic of the game we played. Our "Indiana jones'" had to eat monkey brains (oatmeal) that their partners fed them. They all won prizes: the messiest won wipes, the one who ate the most a box of monkey brains, and the stylist eaters hairspray. It was a great Sunday as we learned about knowledge and being a good influence.

For now that's it. Beach baptism September 28.

22 Years Old...

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet sister Chantal Alexandra Meza- or just Chanti. :)  I made a little collage of her.  If you know my sister, you know how awesome she is.  She is a faithful friend [for real], creative- check out FAWN, hard working student and employer, sings with her band Sirens and Sealions, as well as at church, has a serving and caring heart, and loves the Lord with all that is in her.  She is my little indie rock, bohemian model.  :)  

Go ahead and leave her a birthday wish here or on her MySpace.  Sis, I love you! Don't kill me because of all the lovely pictures- Sorry I had to.  Have a great birthday!!!!!!

You're Invited...

You are invited to Friend Day at Flamingo Road Church this weekend.  Join us at one of our campuses- for service times visit FRC.  If you already are a Flamingo Road goer don't forget to invite your friends to one of our services.  See you there!!!

Making Vision Stick...

I read this awesome and short book by Andy Stanley, Making Vision Stick, on my trip to Lima, Peru back in July. I have eagerly wanted to share my notes with you guys and since I haven't updated my blog in awhile, I thought this would make up for my inconsistency. :)

- Vision is about what could be and should be, but life is about right this minute.
- To make our vision stick the most important thing to remember is: I am responsible.
- It's the leaders responsibility to ensure that people understand and embrace the vision of the organization.
- 5 things to Increase adhesiveness:
1. State the Vision Simply:
- Easy to communicate
- Must be memorable: "It is better to have a vision statement that is incomplete and memorable than to have on that is complete and forgettable."
2. Cast the Vision Convincingly:
- Communicate it in a way that moves people to action [The book of Nehemiah.]
a. Define the problem: -every vision is a solution to a problem - What's at stake issue that grabs
b. Offer a solution
c. Present a reason - Why must we do this? Why must we do this Now?
3. Repeat the Vision Regularly
- Think of the most beneficial times to repeat vision. Vision should evoke emotion
4. Celebrate the vision systematically
- What's celebrated, is repeated. Stories, emails, notes, letters.
- "What happened last week that made you feel like you've made progress in your mission to lead people into a growing relationship with Christ?"
- Nothing gives definition to vision like pausing to celebrate a win.
5. Embrace the vision personally
- Live out the vision. People will see and it will catch on. It's liberating
- You begin to be an influential leader.
- communicate it honestly
- Vision Slippage Indicators: Projects, Products, Programs, Requests, Stories, Complaints
- DANGER: When there are no stories to tell, somethings wrong.
- It takes bold leadership to make vision stick!
- He ends with a great story of his son's baseball team and the coach.
- Remember we are in this world for so much more than fun activities. We are here to partner with people/students/kids to reach a personal relationship with Christ.
- "Pay the price. Embrace the vision. And do whatever it takes to make your vision stick!"

This is a great hour or so book read. I am not as disciplined as my incredible husband who is in the process of reading and listening to like five books, but I'm getting there. I really enjoyed this book and I am pushing to make our vision stick.

My Shoes, My Shoes, My lovely Running Shoes...

Heredes [read his Utterz interview] and I have started to train with Debby Malivuk- our Global Worship Pastor's Assistant- who is an extreme athlete.  She runs, swims in the ocean, has done the Iron Man in Australia, and well, her and her husband are beasts.  

We started last Monday at Vista View Park here in Cooper City at 6:30 am.  We both ran a little over 2 miles non stop.  And we have kept on running at the gym everyday last week.  

To run without getting hurt you need good running shoes and good running shoes we bought. Debby took us to a store where they check your feet, tell you what type of foot you have, and then you test the shoes on a tred mill.  I photographed them for all to see, because I really like them. :)  

Today was a very exciting day because not only did we run 2 miles non stop, but Debbie had us run another lap. So 4 miles in total- non stop!!!  

Heredes has really been stepping it up on the discipline side- physically, spiritually, mentally... and he is really helping me see that I need to "get ready" (thank you Pastor Troy) and step it up while I'm living in this world to do and reach my God potential.  

Bragging about my Husband...

This is past due, but it is never to late to brag on the one you love. Last week, on Thursday, Heredes flew out to Texas. He was able to help for two days during Extreme Week. On Wednesday, he left early from EW because he had to "pack". When I got home, I was so stinkin' exhausted. I smelled [what do you expect- it's camp], my feet felt like giant elephant feet, and I was hungry.
So, this is were my husband's awesome love kicks in. He took me straight to our bedroom and there he set up a lovely candle light dinner. [we have guest in our house, so that's why we ate in our room] He bought Macaroni Grill, Vitamin Water, dessert- mini Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream & mini Nutella. We prayed, ate, and watched an episode of the Office. What a way to come home and relax, huh?!
I think there are times when people worry for us because we may be to busy or too tired, etc. and may think we never have time for each other. First, I want to thank those who ask how we are doing and remind us to take care of our relationship- it's always good to check up on each other. But second, just wanted to let you guys know that God is so good to us and allows us, many times, to enjoy each other as husband and wife- as best friends. Things like what I just shared- those little things- are the positive points we put in each other's love banks. [that's what we are learning from the book, His Needs, Her Needs.]
Heredes and I don't want to leave our guards unattended, especially when it comes to our marriage. Our Celebration/Staff meeting on Monday reminded me of that. So, all your constant prayers for our marriage are so welcomed, because we know there is an enemy that roams around like a lion trying to devour whoever he can get. But the great thing is we have a Savior that protects His obedient children.- helping us, as we request, to be self-controlled and alert.
[1 Peter 5:8]

With that said, want to share a special & memorable moment where someone showed their love to you? [It can be a parent, sibling, spouse, friend, etc.] Let's share it here.

Extreme Week Rocked!!...

I've been away from the face of blog world because we had our Extreme Week camp last week.  Can I say T-Y-R-I-N-G but so W-O-R-T-H it!  There were about 24 kids and a little more than 25 volunteers.  There were volunteers serving in the kitchen making wonderful snacks, to tech & lighting team, the worship band, small group leaders, check in and resource table team, rec team, and awesome teaching team.  I cannot say thank you enough for everyone who made it possible.  The kid's team was there and a lot of other new faces were involved as well. In the process we were able to add a new team member to the FRC Kid's team at Doral.  

The kids had a blast as they Journeyed to the Deep.  [Deep standing for:  Decision, Equipment, Environment and Potential- the topics our kids learned about]  Each night after the teaching our kids had a theme night: team night, water night, messy night, and family night.  We closed the night off with a black light puppet show for the kids and family.  My friend ministers with her team through puppetry.  Each child and parent received a glow in the dark necklace and the message behind the puppet show, of Christ's love for us through the cross, was just awesome.  

I only have a few pictures and a snip bit video of our praise time.  Again, I can't say thank you enough for everyone who participated, every parent that trusted us, and for God to give us that opportunity to serve.  

The Olympics are Here...

Hope you all caught the opening ceremony to the 2008 Olympic games; it was incredible.  We had an opening game party at our home with my family.  There is something that I totally love about the summer and winter Olympics.  One of my favorite things about the  opening, besides the spectacular show, is each country walking in and representing.  I get emotional when I watch countries that have 1, 2, 4 athletes representing.  What an honor to represent your country- and knowing that you probably won't even win a medal.  It's so much more than winning a medal- though it is a great achievement- I think it's completing a goal; finishing the race strong.  I can't wait to see all the exciting moments these next few days will bring.  What a reminder to continue the race we have before us, finish strong- though we may stumble- and fall into the arms of our BEAUTIFUL, AWESOME SAVIOR AND DAD.  Goodnight from Beijing, I mean, goodnight from me and catch a couple of events.  For event schedule visit here. 

UGH- SICKNESS.

I'm here preparing for our Extreme Week camp for next week.  If you have kids going into 1st-5th grade- sign them up.  It's totally FREE and it is going to Rock.  See my previous post about time, dates, and location. 

With that said, I just wanted to talk about being sick.  It sucks!  I got another Nasty cold.  It began on sunday when we were vacuuming our room and tearing the tiles in our shower. [we are remolding due to nasty mold and crap]  Well, I think I'm allergic to dust- who isn't- and I woke up the next day with a horrible sore throat and now i can't stop coughing, blowing my nose, and feeling all achey.  

So out of curiosity, what do you guys do when you get sick?  What special techniques, products, or Mama remedies do you guys use when sick?  Let me know here and send a little prayer of healing for me.  :)   Thanks!

Vacation OVER....

Heredes and I had a phenomenal time on vacation.  Marco Island was chill and relaxing.  We tanned, sat on the shore of the beach, walked and ran on the beach, watched movies, read, and just enjoyed doing absolutely nothing.  

After we came back, we enjoyed celebrating my cousin's wife's birthday at Cheesecake Factory.  Saturday we attended a friends farewell party and then headed downtown to watch Slava's Snow Show. It was so fun! Great ideas for children's ministry.   After, we chilled at JohnMartin's Irish Pub, listening to live music and eating. [French Onion soup is my new obsession]  

Today we visited CF West Kendall- good stuff!!  After lunch, Heredes surprised me with a 1 hour massage.  Ahhh incredible.  Stopped by to visit my wonderful parents and then went home to clean, clean, clean.  It's midnight and vacation is over, but the fun keeps going as we start work and serving again.  Enjoy the pics!

Extreme Week '08...

If you are looking for an extreme and fun camp for your kids, nephews, students, etc. this is the place to be. Register and don't miss out!

FREE

August 12-15 

FOR STUDENTS ENTERING 1ST-5TH GRADE

Flamingo Road Church: Doral Campus

located at

Ronald Reagan High School

8600 NW 107 Ave

Doral, Fl 33178

REGISTER ONLINE AT:

www.flamingoroadchurch.com/extreme-week

Go to camp without leaving town!  Nightly themes, team competitions, games, high-energy worship, interactive, kid-friendly Bible study, and lots of fun! EW '08 is far from your typical summer camp.

on vacation...

heredes and I are on vacation in Marco Island. Whoohoo! There is like nothing to do but relax and chill- it's great! Right now we are enjoying a movie and dinner. I'll try to put some pictures, but I have to remember I'm on vacation. :). The beach is okay. Actually it is nice, but I'm so afraid of dark murky water that I almost cried- but I didn't. Just wanted to give a little update.

Here's the deal..

So, Matthew McConaughey just had his first baby boy with his brazilian girlfriend Camila. Now you may ask, "What's the big deal?" Well, the deal is the NAME he chose for his son.
First, if you know Heredes and I, you probably know that if and when we have our first baby boy his name will be Levi ? Ribeiro. This is the same name Matthew M. gave his son.
While reading up on the story, he said that one special gift he will give his son is a passport and that he would like to live in Brazil so baby Levi can learn more about his mommy's culture. Ha! I just laughed because I am married to a Brazilian and I just want our kids to be full of culture. :)
Third, this was just cool. They asked Matthew why he picked the name Levi and here is what he said: "Levi was another name for the apostle Matthew in The Bible. They were, in fact, two names for the same person". And then, "Our son was born at 6:22 pm," Matthew goes on to say, "and this particular time represents my favorite verse in the book of Matthew in the Bible: 'If thy eye be single, thy whole body will be full of light.'"
Now here is the cool thing. Yesterday, Heredes read to me the verse he read during his quiet time. Yup, you guessed it- Matthew 6:22. And again he read it and wrote it in his journal today.
With this said, we just got so excited to hear the name and that he went to the Bible- which is so beautiful. So, Heredes and I are stamping the name Levi ? Ribeiro for our future baby boy. [Of course, God knows when that will be and if it will be a boy] I just had to share this because it was so cool!

Job Opening...

Cafe Bustelo is looking for several exciting, full of life  people to apply as crew members for the new opening of their Coffee Shop at the Gaansevoort Hotel in South Beach.  Read below to apply today.  Trust me- the coffee is awesome, the feel will be cool, and you'll be working under great leaders.  If your looking for a job, this is the place for you!

Orange Forum...

About two weeks ago, before leaving to Peru, I had the opportunity to go to First Baptist Church of Ft. Lauderdale for an Orange Forum with Reggie Joiner. As you may know, or not, I was supposed to go to the Orange Conference a few months back, but because of some health issues [that ended up to be nothing- I don't think] I was not able to go. So, to have this opportunity was just awesome! You can check out more about the Orange  Conference here. I decided to post my notes from that day for my volunteers at FRC Kids Doral and other leaders/volunteers out there.

How does Spiritual Development Occur?

with Reggie Joiner

1. Remember it is a process
- It can’t be managed; It’s a God part
It’s not something that is taught; it is Organic
It’s not something that can be systemize; it’s personal
60%-70% drop off of teens leaving Christianity.
We lose if our kids don’t leave as Self Feeders.
It’s not something that can be easily measured; it’s gradual.
Illustration of the rings on a tree- showing growth
Can’t always be seen, because it is too SPIRITUAL

2. Defining Moments that cause growth:
Life Changing Truths [Biblical content- eg. a message]
Significant Relationships [Mentors, etc.]
Spiritual Disciplines [first time you learned what a quiet time was, etc.]
Ministry Responsibilities [serving, volunteering, etc.]
Pivotal Circumstances: [moving away, a death, etc.]
God is more interested in my relationship with Him than being happy for a moment.

Defining Moments 1-4 relate because we can manage them. Pivotal Circumstances are unexpected.

The Role of the Small Group Leader.
They model five faith skills and model the top 5 defining moments.
They are there to show up in their kids lives!
People coming besides others is huge
SGL holds the KEY to spiritual growth
5 Faith Skills [Every SGL should create a safe place and implement:]
Navigate the Bible
Personalize/Memorize Scripture
Dialog/Pray to God
Articulate/Share their faith
Worship with your life:
Leaders/Volunteers should be worshipping with the kids
We do it together to remember that the next day is a sacrifice. [Corporate- like when we take the Lord’s Supper/Communion]
Worship plays as a symbol; we live it everyday

Little Deeper into Defining Moments:
Life Changing Truths:
There is a few truths that are important for our kids to learn with the little time we have with them. Its not our job to teach them the whole Bible before they leave our ministry.
Breakdown of teaching LT:
Pre-k: has truths
Children: learn other truths
Teens: learn more truths
It’s better to teach less and provide an effective and creative presentation.
3 Dials [relate to teaching kids truths at their age appropriate level
Love God [Wonder]
Understand Yourselves [Discovery]
Love Others [Passion]: pursuing a loving relationship with others
Jesus’ example [prioritizing scripture]
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
Love yourself
So you can love others

** The HARDER road is the one we should take, not the easiest road.
The easy road: believing, as a volunteer/leader, that Children’s Ministry is a babysitting club
The Hard road: learning, as a volunteer/leader, the values of Children Ministry/Discipleship and the difference they [you] make
Let’s take the HARD road

-Significant Relationships: Small Groups
As a Children’s small group leader/volunteer you DON’T need to know all the answers [we will never have all the answers] but build relationships with kids by BEING THERE

Ministry Responsibility:
Allowing teens 9-12 grade to serve now so when they are adults they continue in growth as they follow Christ
What kind of teens do we want to raise?
Consumer teens- Church is all about and for me [no!]
Plug In- rolling up their sleeves and serve others [yes!]
Again, SPIRITUAL GROWTH is a PROCESS.

Tio Max this is for you...

Well, I didn't ADD all the pics I wanted to. Here is a picture of my uncle and his family. Thank you for opening your home to me. Love you guys.



Middle picture- left to right: Max, Maga, Maxito, Tais, Marce

Back from Peru- FRC Lima...

I have been dying to update my blog since before I left to Lima, Peru. There is so much to say. Here is a run through of my trip to FRC Lima.

FRIDAY:
- Got to the airport 3 hours before flight took off. Paid $100.00 extra for an overweight bag.
- Flew out to Lima with my team members: Melissa Nadlman, Ricky Garcia, and Brian Fuller.
- Arrived in Lima around 11:00 pm. Didn't leave until midnight.
- Steve and Dorcas took us to our hotel.
- Shared a club sandwich with Melissa and we went to bed like at 2:30 am.

SATURDAY:
- Woke up at 6:45 am and met up with Raul and Heather and the rest of the gang at the gym.
- Got ready and had a breakfast buffet. Yum. Bread and honey is good.
- Off to meet the FRC Lima team at the Radisson.
- Watched a video message from Pastor Troy and then broke off into our teams. Melissa- First Impressions, Ricky, Fuller, HP- Mag, Marcy- Children's Ministry.
- Had an excellent time with Mariana and Patty talking about vision, ministry, and getting to know each other.
- Ate some awesome food. Tried Ceviche for the first time. DELICIOUS!
- Each member [from FRC USA :)] explained one of the ETHOS. Yes, I said it all in Spanish.
- Spoke some more with the team and went back to our hotel and got ready for dinner.
- Walked around Larcomar and then ate at the Vaca Loca.
- Had coffee with the girls and Ricky of course. [He was our bodyguard] We had some good talks.
- Spoke with hours with Melissa [awesome] and went to bed.

SUNDAY:
- Didn't go to the gym. [not feeling good]
- Left for service at our FRC Lima campus
- Observed and experienced worship there and the Children's Ministry
- Later had our final evaluation, last Q & A time with our teams. We ate at TGI Fridays
- Said our goodbyes and went back to our hotel.
- Bought a calling card to call my husband [finally!!!] So good to hear his voice and my mom's as well
- Said bye to my FRC USA crew and my uncle picked me up
- Had an awesome time with my mom's family. Uncles, Aunts, cousins, grandma, etc. Ohhhh it was GREAT!

MONDAY:
- Shopped at the mall with my aunts
- Saw Raul and Heather. LOL.
- Ate at BEMBOS. Yummy!!
- Went back to uncle's home
- Spent time with my beautiful grandma [who looks great! She has cancer, but it is going away Praise the Lord- I believe that]
- Said my goodbyes :( and off to the airport
- Almost missed my flight because of the horrible traffic.. but we did play who can spot the most volkswagon beetles. Girls won!

TUESDAY:
- Arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, on time, and gave my husband the biggest hug and kiss!!
- Had breakfast at Panera Bread
- Got home, showered, crashed until 3:00 pm

In a nutshell that was my trip. I just can't express how grateful and honored I am for my leaders to trust me to go over and share and cast vision and so much more. Thank you for the opportunity to see my family as well. Thank you Lord! Thank you church family!! Praying that next my Heredes and I can go together and serve overseas. Here are some pics from the trip. We did more than eat. LOL. I have other video and pictures on my video camera that I haven't imported yet. :)

Mi new Mii...

My new Mii since I cut my hair.

FRC Kids Doral Newsletter...

Here is our Newsletter at FRC Kids. Hopefully some of our families, or new families who have never visited FRC Doral, will be able to check this out.

4th of July and other stuff...

This Fourth of July, Heredes and I joined some of the FRC Doral team for a parade. It was so humid! It was about an hour walk, but we did get to pass out a lot of flyers for our Extreme Week camp in August. After the parade, we drove to Granada to watch my cousin and some friends play for a picnic. They did so great! When that was done off we went to the Doral park to pass out more FRC and Extreme Week flyers.
We had a great time meeting families and kids. I had this bean bag toss game and it was a hit! I have to give props or recognition to my husband, number one, for helping me and supporting me and to TWO special little girls that just rocked my world. Mia and Vicky- they are my little missionary girls. Mia is going into 2nd grade and Vicky is going into 4th grade and they passed out flyers and talked to kids with no fear and with such passion. Watching them share their faith by inviting a child to Extreme Week and church through a flyer was so encouraging.
The remainder of the day, we quickly packed up all our things to run to our car before the rain caught us. The ugliest storm brewed up- with purple lightning and grey clouds. We didn't see fireworks, but we did get to pass out lots of flyers and God's love and go home to shower and sleep.

On another note, I leave to Lima, Peru this Friday to do some training and meeting our Lima team. We had our meeting today and it is going to be so much fun. I am very excited to meet the team and work and grow with them. I also get to stay one extra day to see my family. Yayyyayayya!!! I am so happy and grateful for this opportunity. That's all for now.

Desert Song...

Watch.

WALLE...5 STARS...

Saturday night Heredes, my brother Gabriel, and I went and watched the new Disney/Pixar film, Walle. It was BRILLIANT! If you haven't seen it yet, it's a must. 5 Stars for sure. From the beginning of the film it just brought you in and welcomed you to connect with this little garbage collector. And can I tell you that alot of what we learn from our Ethos at FRC, well I was able to see the importance of them by watching this movie. Gramling family you need to watch it! :)

It's cool to have blogged about this movie about a year ago and finally get to watch it. Don't miss!

My Mii..

This is the best I could do to replicate myself as a Mii.  What do you think?  Thanks to my husband you can go here and create your Mii.

New Hillsong Album...

Just read up on the first services at Hillsong Cape Town (which had 5 services, 3,000 in attendance, & 200 salvations) and Hillsong Australia's new album, This is our God. I can't wait to listen to the album and watch the live dvd. To view a little bit of how their live worship night went, please go here. You will be so moved and touched. This week God has really been sitting me down and showing me some simple, powerful things. Loving people. Being loved by Him. And seeing this video- watching a passionate Christ follower singing to his Healer- just made me say Thank you Jesus for the Cross. Please just watch it. People's stories are so powerful and encouraging because you see God being at work. He always is, just sometimes our view is a little blurry and we miss those moments. I'm rambling now- I just had to share this because it was powerful to my heart, hope it is to yours.

Show #2: S&S...

If you missed Sirens and Sealions' first show at Churchill's, no worries because you can see them at PS14 on July 5th. Check out the flyer and go support. You can even enjoy some Vegan chili. (wow) To hear there stuff, again, you can visit their Myspace here.