THE RESCUE on CNN

ARC ALL Acess 09: Ed Young Jr.

• 7:36 PM: countrycuban Falwell is speaking before Ed Young Jr. comes up. He wants to leave us with a verse... 2 Corinth 5:14. The love of Christ should be ALL that compels us.


• 7:43 PM: countrycuban Topic is: The Local Church


• 7:43 PM: countrycuban Ministry is brutiful. Brutal side to ministry, but also a very beautiful side to ministry. What an awesome oppurtunity we have in the ministry to point people to Jesus.


• 7:48 PM: countrycuban Subject is on betrayal. Betrayal is brutiful. If you're in the ministry, betrayal happens. The Bible is a book of betrayal. Look at Adam and Eve.. that's where it all started.
  


• 7:50 PM: countrycuban You can't get betrayed by your enemies... THAT's what messes you up. Only can the people you bring into your life, betray you. That's why it hurts so much. We all fall into one of three categories... 1-Getting ready to get betrayed. 2. Midst of betrayal. 3. Coming out of betrayal. BETRAYAL HAPPENS.


• 7:52 PM: countrycuban Genesis 37. Betrayal occurs during defining moments. It happens during crucial situations.


• 7:52 PM: countrycuban We all have a "crazar". A craziness radar. LOL


• 7:56 PM: countrycuban Technology can become the tail of a Pitbull the Are you blogging or bragging? Are you twittering or littering? Technology can give us a sense of arrogance and importance if we don't use it correctly!


• 7:57 PM: countrycuban Betrayal comes from those closest to us. The people who betrayed Joseph, were his brothers. There is ALWAYS a Judas at your table. And he is usually close enough to kiss you, then diss you. Be very, very careful!


• 7:59 PM: countrycuban In ministry, there are 3 types of people... 1. People who are "with you". 2. Those who are "for you". 3. Those who "use you".


• 8:00 PM: countrycuban Betrayal is fueled/engineered by envy and jealousy. Jealousy has the word lousy in it. Someone who is envious is on the edge of the ledge of BETRAYING you!


• 8:01 PM: countrycuban Gen 37.4, "they". Who is your "they." Who do you surround yourself with?


• 8:03 PM: countrycuban How do you react when someone is blessed? How do you react when someone has God's favor? In the ministry... pastors and leader tend to struggle with pride more than anyone. When pride walks on the stage, God walks off. Church leaders also tend to struggle with envy when they see the point person in charge or look at other churches.


• 8:04 PM: countrycuban People who betray, don't realize they're betrayers. Usually they have been betrayed themselves, and want others to feel the same level of betrayal... they are confused so they don't realize they are betraying.


• 8:05 PM: countrycuban Gen. 37:14-15. The bigger the dream, the bigger the betrayal.


• 8:06 PM: countrycuban "God gave you eyes, plagarize." -Ed Young LOL


• 8:08 PM: countrycuban Envy is the only one of the deadly sins that does not start off with some promise. All the other sins start off with some promise. All the other sins start off "fun"... besides envy. It starts off ugly, and ends up ugly. We need to learn to rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep w/ those who weep.


• 8:09 PM: countrycuban Gen. 37:23-24. They stripped him of his robe, but they didn't realize that they were stripping the Kimbo Slice of faith. Joseph was ready for the faith fight.


• 8:10 PM: countrycuban Listen... PIT HAPPENS! That pit wasn't empty, it was full of anger, resentment, envy, mistrust, pain. It was PITiful. When someone pushes you in the pit... WHOA! It's a full pit, not an empty one.


• 8:12 PM: countrycuban (Sidenote) Pastor Ed Young Jr. is hilarious! He should have a comedy tour! LOL


• 8:17 PM: countrycuban Betrayal can lead to a total breakdown, or breakout. When you're in the pit, if you become pitiful... you have the oppurtunity to never again give your heart to someone and to stay grumpy.


• 8:18 PM: countrycuban Down in the pit there are some pit vipers... some negative people, don't let them bite you with that negative venom. There are the adders, or the ladders. The ladders encourage you and help you OUT of the pit.


• 8:19 PM: countrycuban When you're in the pit don't ask, "why me?" Ask, "what now?"


• 8:20 PM: countrycuban Potipher's wife was Hotipher. LOL


• 8:21 PM: countrycuban Only three in the Bible who were ripped. David, Solomon, and Joseph. Only them three were described as handsome and well-built.


• 8:22 PM: countrycuban Joseph in the pit for 10 years... was loyal. Get UNDER the authoriy structure that God has put in your life. If you wanna go UP... ya gotta go UNDER. Pit promotion numbero uno!


• 8:24 PM: countrycuban When someone is a betrayer, it's always followed by a bunch of lies, and a bunch of people believing the lies of the betrayer. Watch out for those people! Some people wanna believe the negative stuff about their leaders! The gossssip, the ssssslander, the liesssss, the blogsssss... all the "snakey" stuff!


• 8:25 PM: countrycuban We want over-night sucess, but we are all enrolled in the U. of C. The university of character. God will mold you and shape you, when you get under.


• 8:40 PM: countrycuban Sometimes what a betrayer can mean for evil... God can use for good!


• 8:41 PM: countrycuban Betrayal can bring a staff together.


• 8:42 PM: countrycuban Betrayal can separate the players from the posers. When you get kicked into a pit, turn around and if someone's got a ladder... HIRE them! They've got your back!


• 8:42 PM: countrycuban If you have a Biblical church structure, you can survive betrayal. Have a structure that promotes leadership. Allow the leaders to lead.


• 8:44 PM: countrycuban Bylaws don't matter 'till they matter. When you go through betrayal, they matter!


• 8:46 PM: countrycuban The brutal part of betrayal, hurts the heart. But there is SUCH a beautiful side to it. It will solidify your church and see who is with you, who is for you, and who is against you. God can use the PIT to get to a whole 'nutha level. You can look the devil right in the face when he is trying to strip you, and say, "I'm like Kimbo Slice! I am ready for the pit. Because it's not gonna be a breadown, but a breakout!"

THE RESCUE: MIAMI RECAP

One of the best experiences I've ever had. I didn't sleep through a revolution, and you shouldn't either. Learn more at www.invisiblechildren.com


The Rescue: Miami from countrycuban on Vimeo.

Shift 09-Kara Powell

• 9:45 AM: countrycuban "Transformation That Sticks"


• 9:53 AM: countrycuban After a conference, are you gonna end up suprised... how long you can go without thinking about God? It's possible, and sadly, it happens so often.


• 9:55 AM: countrycuban Sometimes we have so many good things in our lives, that we let it distract us from God. Don't let hours go by without thinking about God... not even minutes! We need Him to be the center of our lives, yet we push Him to the sidelines.


• 9:56 AM: countrycuban If we go an hour or more without thinking about God, how long do today's teens go without thinking about Him? Days, hours, weeks? This is why there is a CANYON b/w youth and youth workers.


• 9:58 AM: countrycuban Take care of your Seniors in your Youth Group. What happens when they get to college? 50 percent of seniors in youth group after they gradaute (18 months later)... will be struggling with their faith, and probably ending up leaving it.


• 10:00 AM: countrycuban Parents and everyone else must understand that trajectories are established before the Senior year of high school. The launching is merely the ritual. This is NOT the college ministries problem, this is the youth ministies problem.


• 10:02 AM: countrycuban Are your students going to have a faith that sticks? When it's 4.20 (National Pot Smoking Day)... is their faith gonna stick? When they get invited to party on Thursday night... will it stick? When they see their first round of beer pong... will it stick? When they get tempted to go to the bedroom... will it stick? When the Philosophy professor is BASHING their faith... will it stick? Will their faith stick?


• 10:02 AM: countrycuban 1. Relationship we build with kids and the philosophy of our ministry.


• 10:05 AM: countrycuban When asked what Seniors liked about youth group... they didn't say their friends. They said their youth leader! Building a relational ministry is important, but when the seniors said that the youth leader is their favorite part... what happens when they go off to college and you're not there? What happens when you need to pay attention now to all your other students? They now feel abandoned, and end up shelving their faith.


• 10:05 AM: countrycuban 10 percent of Seniors wish their youth leader could've come to college with them. Are we making them too co-dependent. Jesus needs to be the center of focus in their lives, not you or me as a youth leader.


• 10:06 AM: countrycuban 1 Corinth 11:1 . The number one mistake we do, is we don't talk enough about God. Quit acting like they need to follow you... they don't!


• 10:08 AM: countrycuban 2. Seniors want more time for deep conversations in youth group. For 7th graders, games is fun... not for Seniors. Second was mission trips. Third was service oppurtunities. They want Kingdom-Centered Justice. Service is giving someone a glass of cold water, when they're thirsty. Justice is asking what couldn't they get it themselves, let me help them get it, let me put a system in place so they could have no problem getting cold water again. Don't build codependency!


• 10:09 AM: countrycuban Youth ministry and missions trips is not an event... it's a process. Money and Medical releases is your prep for missions trips. What happens after? Maybe a video for your youth ministry? That does nothing... that is NOT stick faith. The effects of the trip will not, will NOT stick! Before trips, teach them about cross-cultural relations, and team dynamics. During, give time for reflection. After, expand the circle of impact for your students.
  


• 10:14 AM: countrycuban They did a poverty simulation. WOW. That is so amazing. They will NEVER look at an underprivileged person again.


• 10:16 AM: countrycuban Videos have a powerful impact on students. If you need to get your youth group on a cause, start at Human Trafficking. There are 900,000 people trafficked yearly. About 103 every hour. 11 every 5 minutes. 17,000 are trafficked in the USA.
  


• 10:21 AM: countrycuban NY TIMES wrote an article that MTV is starting to incorporate shows and interviews that profile student activism (justice) b/c reality shows are not having an effect anymore. Shouldn't the Church be leading the way for this movement? Not stinkin' MTV!


• 10:24 AM: countrycuban 3. Innergenerational Youth Ministry. In our churches there's the student worship, the adult worship. The youth pastor, the adult pastor. Balance is something we swing through on our way to the other extreme. We have SEGREGATED the youth from the rest of the Church. It is causing them to shelve their faith. The more high school seniors are involved in adult worship services, sermons, and mentoring... they have higher church maturity.


• 10:27 AM: countrycuban Don't have the students segregated from the main church! When you involve the students it'll change the students, and it sure as heck is going to change the whole church! When we see students come together with the main congregation.. that's what generates sticky faith.


• 10:30 AM: countrycuban 4. Early Preparation. Seniors when asked how well the youth group prepared them for college... only 15 percent said they were prepared well. 85 percent felt the youth group FAILED. When it comes to preparation, it's never too early, and it's never too late. Start prepping junior year or even earlier... not at the end of senior year.


• 10:31 AM: countrycuban Do the students you work with, know your story or testimony? How can you expect the students to share, if you never have? You grill them, but they don't even know how you became a Christian! Share your experiences, share your ups and down in your faith... be real.


• 10:34 AM: countrycuban Put effort with the Seniors, and help them find a local church and ministry. 90 percent wished that their youth leaders would've helped them find a church. www.liveabove.com .
  
  Youth Transitional Network helps with that.
  

Dave Ramsey-Town Hall of Hope

• 8:32 PM: countrycuban Listening to Dave Ramsey @ Town Hall for Hope.


• 8:32 PM: countrycuban If failure is chasing you, then it will RUN you towards excellence!


• 8:32 PM: countrycuban If there is no chance you can fail, there is NO reason for you to do your best! Failure must be an option!


• 8:32 PM: countrycuban Whining is not a little known form of prayer. Take responsibility of your mess. If you hold on to lemons, you'll never get lemonade.


• 8:33 PM: countrycuban Work like it all depends on us. Pray like it all depends on God.


• 8:34 PM: countrycuban You can work while you're praying.


• 8:35 PM: countrycuban The children of the Great Depression were forever changed, and MUCH more careful with their money.


• 8:35 PM: countrycuban The children of the Great Depression were forever changed, and MUCH more careful with their money.Unemployment was 25 percent in G.D. The market dropped 89 percent. Stock Market lost 90 percent of its value. We've only lost 57 percent.


• 8:36 PM: countrycuban Unemployment is only at 8.5. percent. This is NOT the worst recession we've had since the Great Depression.


• 8:36 PM: countrycuban Fear is false evidence, appearing real.


• 8:40 PM: countrycuban What do I invest in? Not in fear! It's gonna be ok. Put money in the stock market. Where there is no vision the people will perish!


• 8:41 PM: countrycuban 100% of stock market investments with a 15 yr history have made money.


• 8:42 PM: countrycuban Economic forecasters, are there to give weather forecasters credibility. LOL


• 8:42 PM: countrycuban He who lives by the crystal ball.... eats glass.


• 8:44 PM: countrycuban (Sidenote) Why in the world, when journalists mention Twitter on the air, they always make fun of it? (a.k.a. - "Those crazy kids on Twitter!")


• 8:46 PM: countrycuban 35 counties represent 50 percent of the foreclosures. They are fairly localized.


• 8:48 PM: countrycuban When you buy a house, make sure your cousin Murphy doesn't move in, in the spare bedroom and brings his 3 brothers... broke, desperate, and stupid. LOL


• 8:49 PM: countrycuban 52 percent of single moms live under the poverty level. If you wanna help someone... there's someone you can help.


• 8:50 PM: countrycuban 60 percent of foreclosures were in 5 states.


• 8:53 PM: countrycuban A Congressman can make a drunken sailor, look normal when spending. They're out of control!


• 8:53 PM: countrycuban Big banks have no soul. Local banks, you can get yourr hands around them if something goes wrong; local banks use their brains & are more stable.


• 8:55 PM: countrycuban When the President starts firing CEO's, you know who is in charge of things.... trust local banks!


• 8:55 PM: countrycuban Gold is the SNUGGIE of investments. It's sold on midnight cable, and if you buy it... it'll make you look stupid! LOL


• 8:56 PM: countrycuban Receptionist should be the director of First Impressions. Service with a real person is important.


• 8:58 PM: countrycuban Goods and services are what has value in a completely decimated economy. In Katrina, they were not trading gold. But you could have traded a piece of tarp or water bottle for just about anything. Gold is a crummy investment.


• 9:00 PM: countrycuban Learn to think for yourself. We the people, are the healing agent for this economy.


• 9:05 PM: countrycuban The biggest & best businesses were started during or following a time of economic recession.


• 9:07 PM: countrycuban Hobby Lobby sales went up 5% during the recession of the early 70's. It was a business started in a garage at the beginning of the recession in 1972.


• 9:07 PM: countrycuban I read the book the Tortoise and the Hare as a kid, and everytime I read it... the Tortoise wins. Be slow and steady.


• 9:09 PM: countrycuban Dave Ramsey is having a lot of technical difficulties, probably find a government employee out there with his hand on switch.


• 9:11 PM: countrycuban Creating jobs is not going to cause the economy to go up. Unemployment is a symptom of the recession, not the cause or the problem. Jobs are going to be made up, as this thing heals itself. Fixing the economy, will fix jobs!


• 9:11 PM: countrycuban Don't be an Eeyore during this economy. Don't whine, take responsibility! Don't wait for the economy to fix your life... go out there and take a college class...or look at your career track... go after it yourself!


• 9:13 PM: countrycuban When you get pushed out of the nest, you can hit the cliff wall on the way down... or spread your wings, baby! Maybe you need a push b/c you're an Eagle... but you've been acting like a Buzzard!


• 9:14 PM: countrycuban Stop speculating about the End Times. The Bible says no one knows the time, so anyone that predicts it's coming... is wrong. The Bible says that while you're here, no matter when the end is... those who plow, should do so... in HOPE!


• 9:15 PM: countrycuban 3 things to do if you're struggling w/ Hope.....


• 9:16 PM: countrycuban 1. Get up. Take action. Get moving! When you get moving, and install yourself into the situation. Don't stay at home watching Oprah re-runs on the couch! Your best chance at success, is you! If you wait for Washington to fix your life... you're gonna be waiting for a LONG time!


• 9:17 PM: countrycuban There's a great place to go when you're broke.... to work!


• 9:17 PM: countrycuban It's all about the attitude. What's your attitude like?


• 9:18 PM: countrycuban The number one habit of sucessful people, is being proactive


• 9:19 PM: countrycuban 2. Don't participate in "loser-talk." If you spend time with losers... you're gonna become a LOSER! Your income will be within 10 percent of your 10 closest friends. Don't let people hinder your potential! Don't let Eeyore rub off on you.


• 9:20 PM: countrycuban Don't you tell your kids not to date certain people, b/c they are losers in your eyes? Then when you're adults... you go out and hang with them all the time?


• 9:20 PM: countrycuban A friend of Dave Ramsey's reads the Bible and the newspaper every morning... that way he knows what both sides are doing. LOL


• 9:22 PM: countrycuban 5 years from today, you will be the same person, except for the books you've read... and the people you meet. An average millionare can't tell you who got voted off the Island, or who went home on a dating show. He spends his time on important things. What do we do with our time?


• 9:29 PM: countrycuban 3. Learn to give again. We talk about giving, but we need to do more of it. If you're broke, go serve soup at a soup kitchen. You'll get your eyes off of your hopelessness and see you do have hope. Go talk to an old man at a nursing home who hasn't had a family member visit them since they dropped him off, twenty years ago. You'll get your eyes off of your hopelessness and see you do have hope.


• 9:29 PM: countrycuban Not all giving is of money. Why is giving important?| Because, when your eyes are off of yourself, you ALWAYS have more hope.


• 9:29 PM: countrycuban Hope doesn't come from Washington.. Hope comes from you and me. Hope comes from the nail-scarred hands of Jesus.

Shift 09-Francis Chan Notes

• 10:10 AM: countrycuban Francis Chan speaking #Shift09 here: www.tangle.com !


• 11:30 AM: countrycuban The church needs a radical shift. Youth ministry needs a radical shift. Everytime he reads the book of Acts, he doesn't put the Bible down and says, hey... that's just like us?!


• 11:31 AM: countrycuban The book of Acts just shows this unstoppable force of Christians who were on FIRE! Why is that so different from the church today?


• 11:32 AM: countrycuban Why are churches today so stoppable unlike the church in Acts that was so unstoppable.


• 11:34 AM: countrycuban We just resovle ourselves that Acts was just so different b/c well, times are different now. Why can't we believe that could happen today?


• 11:34 AM: countrycuban Acts 4:13. Boldness. Peter and John were common and uneducated men, but people were astonished by their boldness and passion.


• 11:37 AM: countrycuban We know WAY more than the apostles did, but we go, "no, we could NEVER talk to our neighbor about Jesus." Why can't we have that boldnesss?!


• 11:38 AM: countrycuban Jesus got the 11 apostles to reach the world with no internet access (lol). And yet, we can't get 11 friends to reach a few square miles? And it's the same Holy Spirit... what's the problem?


• 11:39 AM: countrycuban Revelation 2... have we forgotten our first love?


• 11:40 AM: countrycuban Sometimes we put our confidence in our new knowledge and education, instead of our Saviour.


• 11:41 AM: countrycuban Be careful not to turn your experiences into principles. - Oswald Chambers


• 11:44 AM: countrycuban You don't want to stand in front of the throne and have God tell you, " You knew what I wanted you to do, but you got scared. Why didn't you do what I told you, why didn't you go through with the thoughts and vision I gave you?"


• 11:47 AM: countrycuban You might not be as educated as Hybels or Piper, but you're more educated than the apostles, and they did pretty good huh? They believed in the power of the Holy Spirit... that makes all the difference.


• 11:49 AM: countrycuban You can lose that first love, you can lose that boldness, you can lose that belief in the Holy Spirit... when you feel complacency in systems.


• 11:51 AM: countrycuban Can you be filled with the Holy Spirit and be bored at the same time? There's NO WAY!


• 11:53 AM: countrycuban 1 Kings 18. Elijah just called upon God , and fire of the Lord fell. When the people saw that, the people fell on their faces, and started saying, "The Lord is God." The unbelievers, now believed. Does that happen in your church, or in your youth group?


• 11:54 AM: countrycuban Sometimes at our gatherings, we look more like the prophets of baal, instead of Elijah.


• 11:55 AM: countrycuban James 5:17. Elijah was a man, just like us. We've got that same Holy Spirit.


• 11:56 AM: countrycuban The life change, what we see in the book of Acts, we can't manipulate that. That's real.


• 12:00 PM: countrycuban John 6:63. The flesh is of NO help... the SPIRIT is what gives life. It all rises and falls on the Holy Spirit. That's what causes us to to be crazy in love with God.


• 12:02 PM: countrycuban There's only one way you can go from Hoochie to Holy... and that's with the Holy Spirit!


• 12:04 PM: countrycuban People need to be attracted to God, BY God... not by speakers or programs.


• 12:05 PM: countrycuban There is so much pressure to build an amazing youth ministry, but at the end of the day, it's about God's Spirit.


• 12:08 PM: countrycuban Great message. I seriously needed to hear that. :)

It's Been a Year...

It's been a year.

A year of tears. A year of missed phone calls. A year of missed talks. A year of missed laughter and jokes. A year of missed birthdays. A year of missed holidays. A year of missed hairstyles. A year of missed dinners. A year of missed family member's salvations. A year of missed family member's baptisms. A year of sadness. A year of happiness. A year of growing. A year of faith. A year of clinging to the promises of the Lord. A year of talking daily to my Heavenly Father. A year of sensing the urgency to reach the lost. A year of having the peace that surpasses all understanding. A year since my grandmother went to be with the Lord.

An ETERNITY we will some day, get to spend together.

"You Wouldn't Cry" by Mandisa

"I Will Fall at Your Feet, and I Will Worship You Here"

"And I will fall at Your feet. And I will worship You here."

- That is just simply one line from the song, "This is Our God" by Hillsong. I've done a blog about this song before, but it's still one of my favorite songs. That line. It just stops me every single time I hear it. I mean, c'mon! Talk about painting a beautiful and majestic picture. To think that the wretch that I am, will one day fall at His feet and just worship a pefect, holy, and almighty God? I can't think of something more beautiful than that. I can't think of something more beautiful that God would let me do. I am not worthy. He is worthy. I am prove to depravity. He is divinity. And yet, I will one day fall at His feet on my face, and just worship Him. Beautiful. Simply Beautiful.

FRC Hallandale Collaboration

Ethos-Collaboration (HB) from Marc Millan on Vimeo.

At Flamingo Road Church, we have 7 ethos (principles). Pastor Troy asked FRC Hallandale to make a video about one of the ethos (Collaboration).

Look for my mom in the beginning, my dad in the middle, and me at the end.

Let me know what you think. I love my FRC Family! :)

Praying for Stellan... HUGE PRAYER REQUEST

Please head over to www.mycharmingkids.net

Baby Stellan (aka McMuffin) was diagnosed with a heart condition in the womb, but when he was born, was compeletly healthy. However, this last week, he has been in the hospital, with the heart condition he was diagnosed with.

Click the little "Praying for Stellan" web button below, and post it in your own blog to spread the word to pray!




Explore the website, and learn more about this little MckMiracle.


Below, is the photograph/banner I made for the Stellan Name Gallery....

MOVEMENT and REACTION

Something moves all of us. Something motivates us. Something keeps us going when we want to give up. Something makes our heart beat.

For me, that is Youth Ministry. Youth ministry is my heart beat. It keeps me going when ministry gets rough. It keeps me tossing and turning at night. It consumes my thoughts daily. I go to sleep thinking about Youth. I wake up thinking about Youth. I'm in class, thinking about Youth. As I'm buying a book, I'm thinking about Youth. While I'm eating a lovely Lean Pocket, I am thinking about Youth. When I am praying, I am thinking about Youth. When I'm sitting in a restaurant, I'm thinking about Youth. When I am just staring at the ceiling before I fall asleep, I am thinking about Youth.

The state of this generation consumes my thoughts and actions daily. MY generation is falling apart, and the only glue is God. MY generation is asking questions, and the only answer is God. MY generation is crying out, and the ulimate Comforter is the God.

In Nehemiah 1:1-4, Nehemiah finds out about what has happened to the remnants of God's city. He is MOVED and starts to weep. Not only does he weep, but he REACTS. Why was Nehemiah weeping? He saw a need, one that deeply moved him. The city of the Lord was in absolute ruins and disarray. The walls were all messed up and in disrepair. Not only that, but there is now no wall, which means that Jerusalem is now not safe from the enemy. He started to weep because he realized that unless that wall was rebuilt, the city had no hope. The wall was no longer anything of worth. It showed what God's glory once WAS instead of what it WAS, IS, and will always BE. The wall was a terrible and sad reflection of the mighty God that he served.

Makes me think about the US a bit doesn't it. Are we being moved to tears as we look at the world around us? Are we crying when we look at our neighborhood and there's a great chance that they're heading straight to Hell? In fact, do you even know your neighbor? Have you met your neighbor? It's hard to pray or be moved to tears for your neighbor if you have never taken the time to get to know them.

When I look around it does bring me to tears but like I said earlier, especially Youth. When I hear a teen who grew up in a Christian school blatantly deny God and curse His name and His believers, my heart aches. When I sit at Denny's and hear a teenager describe her boyfriend and what happened the night before, my heart aches. When I hear a teen describe the abuse they have had to endure by family members, my heart aches. When I hear a teen describe just exactly how their dad committed suicide right in front of them with a handgun and blamed them for wanting to commit suicide, I weep. I WEEP. I am MOVED. The statistics for my generation are staggering.

Here a few statistics about teenagers aged 13-19:

-1/3 have been drunk in the last month
-40 percent have inflicted self injury
-1 in 4 use illegal drugs
-1 million get pregnant a year (340,000 get abortions)
-1 in 10 have been raped
-9 out of 10 have seen porn online
-50 percent are no longer virgins
-1 in 5 have comtemplated suicide ( over 1,500 kill themselves each year)

Do you see where I'm getting?! Does it keep you up at night that Miami is the 2nd most unchurched city in the US? I don't know if this will keep you up at night, but COUNTLESS nights, this has kept me up. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have wept over my generation. I pray that you would take the time to find out what it is that MOVES you but not only that, you need to REACT. Nehemiah was MOVED and REACTED. Church, we need to step up. Take a look around. I encourage you to take a walk around your neighborhood and observe the people around you. Get to know them, pray for them, love them, weep for them.

We can do this, and change these statistics DRASTICALLY, if we just were to allow God to MOVE in our lives which would in turn, cause us to REACT.

WHATEVER You Do, Do it to the Glory of the Lord

Song of the Day: "Lifesong" by Casting Crowns



Man, if there is something that I am really passionate about, it is doing WHATEVER we do, to HIS glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

WHATEVER we do, God instructs us to do it to HIS glory. A lot of things that I have heard amongst many Christians drive me pretty crazy. Many of us Christians, think that unless we are not preaching up on a stage, we are not important. Unless we are doing the altar calls, we are not significant. That is a LIE, that Satan wants us to believe. We are the body of Christ, and we all have a significant purpose. Whether it is greeting, media, changing diapers, or even preaching, we are wired differently, and the Lord has called us to do different things. So many times I hear, "Oh, I'm just a greeter." Or, "Oh, I just take care of the babies in the nursery." Or, "I'm just Student Pastor." What in the world is the matter with y'all?!

I know that I used to feel the same way. I started off serving by just setting up and tearing down the old church I used to attend because we used to meet in a school. I didn't feel I was doing something significant, but the Lord showed me otherwise. WHATEVER we do, we are to do it to HIS glory. Whether it means that I am changing a diaper in the nursery or shaking a hand, I am to be doing that to HIS glory. Don't EVER think that what you do to serve Christ or others is not significant.

My passion, is student ministry. The Lord has given me that passion, and I just absolutely love high school students. But sadly, so many times when I hear people being asked where it is they serve, I hear, "Oh, I just serve with the youth." Or " I just help with the high school students." But why is it like that? What is with the word "just" in there? Student ministry along with every other ministry is SUPER important. In my opinion, it's one if not THE most important! This is the future generation that you have the ability to train up and impact and so many times people are bashful to admit it. Are us teenagers that embarrassing? The worst is when someone says, "Oh, I'm just a Student Pastor." Listen, you Student Pastors, the Lord has called you to help rear up this next generation. This next generation that statistics show that every 3 in 100 will be Christ-Followers. You have a task that the Lord has entrusted you with. Be PROUD!

Guys, the Lord has called you to something and you need to stinkin' do it to HIS glory! Stop acting like you are above HIS calling because HE will be quick to humble you. I learned that the hard way. I used to think I was above certain things in the Church and you know what? Mark 10:45 reads, "That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage." The Lord came to serve, HE brought Himself down here and served. If the Lord has called you to change diapers, you change them for HIS glory. If He has called you to play a guitar on stage, you play and sing for HIS glory. If He has called you to push buttons on a sound board, you push them for HIS glory. If He has called you to change the coffee and brew some fresh coffee for the next service, you brew for HIS glory. If he has called you to be a mentor to teenagers in the student ministry, you need to mentor for HIS glory. If He has called you to shake hands and smile as a greeter, you smile and shake for HIS glory. If He has called you to preach on stage, then you preach for His glory. Do you see a pattern here? If he has called you to be a teacher, plumber, barista, trainer, bag-boy, WHATEVER it might be, do it to HIS GLORY. You never know how God wants to use you, or why you are in the situation that you are in.

25 Deep Questions Survey

25 DEEP QUESTIONS SURVEY

1. What is more difficult: looking into someones eyes when telling how you feel, or looking into someones eyes when they tell you how they feel?

-Looking into someone's eyes as I tell them how I feel

2. Think of the last time you were angry. Why were you angry?

-I don't get mad often. But, I got mad earlier this week because I saw someone who was being taken advantage of by someone because they didn't know better on a certain subject.

3. You will die in three minutes. Last call?

-My unsaved family and friends.

4. If you could do anything OR wish anything, what would it be?

-Reach Miami. Make an impact in my short life.

5. You can have one of the following two things: trust or love.

- You can't have one without the other, as far as I'm concerned.

6. You are walking to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss told you if you are late one more time youre fired. Do you save the dog?

- I'd try to save the dog. But I'm a bad swimmer, maybe I'll need some saving too! LOL

7. Would you or have you ever blackmailed someone?

- No, that really stinks! I couldn't do that to anyone.

8. Think of the last person who you know that died. You have the chance to give them 1 hour of life back, but you have to give one year of your life. Do you do it?

- Nope, I would not do it. Not because I don't love or miss her, but just because she's in Heaven, and there's no way I'd pluck her out of there, for my selfish desires. We'll meet up again one day... and we'll be together for ALL eternity.

9. Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend?

- I sure would hope so. I try to be the best friend that I could possibly be.

10. What is your favorite type of music to listen to and why?

- I love to listen to Christian music. Recently, I gave up all the music of mine, that wasn't Christian. The other music was taking a hold of me, and my thoughts. I wanna have Christ on my mind all the time.

11. Are you old fashioned?

- In some things, absolutely. In others, I'm extremely contemporary. Especially, when it comes to reaching people... you can't really be old fashioned if you wanna reach people in Miami.

12. Do you want to get married or date?

- Yes, I want to do both. But, I am not rushing, God has someone out there for me, and I pray every night for him.

13. What would be harder for you, to tell someone you love them or that you do not love them back?

- I think it would be harder to say I don't love them back.

14. What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up?

- The ability to hope and dream. It drives me. It is the thing that keeps me passionate.

15. Romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you loved them?

- Shoot, romantically? Never!

16. If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you have "no regrets" what would you change?

- Didn't live out my faith enough. I would love to be able to reach Heaven and for my Father to tell me, "Well done, My good and faithful servant."

17. Imagine. It is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside, you hear someone walking around outside your window. WHO do you wish was there with you?

- Someone who is not a stinkin' fraidy cat like me. Or someone with a gun. Well, I would only want someone with a gun next to me that I know, so they can protect me from the person outside my window.

18. Would you give a homeless person CPR if they were dying?

- Actually yes. I do know CPR, and all that good stuff. A human life is worth it.

19. You have to spend your life in only one place for the reast of your life. Where is it?

- Honestly, I would love to be in the middle of Hickville, USA wherever there are more cows than people. BUT, cows ain't going to Heaven. I'd have to stay put here in Miami where 98 percent of people are going to Hell if an atomic bomb was dropped and everyone died. Crappy percentage eh?

20. When and how was the last time you told someone how you REALLY feel?

- Hmmmm.... well, I corrected a few of my previous wrongs on facebook today. Feels great to have that off my chest.


21.If You had three months to live:

- I would try to witness to as many people as possible and make a big of a Kingdom impact as I could. I love my family and friends, but they're saved. I've gotta go make a Kingdom impact with other people.


22. Do you tell anyone or everyone you are going to die?

- I don't. But, I have that thought with me wherever I go. Tomorrow is not promised. Our life, is but a vapor.

23. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?

- I do. I think God has a plan for my life, and there is a reason that certain things happen. That, that don't kill us, only makes us stronger. God will never allow anything to happen to us, that He doesn't believe we can handle.

24. Fill in the blank. I love:

- I love my enemies. Not always easy, but it is always right.

25. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

- I want people to know me as the type of person who never let anything stop her from achieving what God called her to do. I want to be known as the girl that who when God asked me to go somewhere, I dropped everything and attended to it. I want to be known for the difference I made in a person's life. I want to be known as the girl who wiped the tears off of people's faces, and put a smile on them again. I want to be known as the girl who lived her life so that others would know the Truth and what He did for me. I want to live life, so that God will tell me, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

How Many Twitters Can a Twitter Tweet?

Soooo, I finally gave into peer pressure after about a year of people telling me to get a Twitter. Basically, Twitter is like a glorified Facebook status update where you can see what people are doing and respond to them. It's pretty cool, I really like it. My Twitter URL is: www.twitter.com/countrycuban


Come, Follow Me and then put your Twitter URL in the comment box so I can follow you! Hope to see you soon!

Don't Get Comfortable

I don't wanna ever get comfortable in my Christian faith. I don't ever want to go to church, and everything be routine. I don't ever want to not crack open my Bible, because I've already read the whole Bible twice. I don't ever wanna raise my hands in worship because that's the part I always raise my hands in worship too and so does everybody else. Do you see a pattern? I don't EVER want to get comfortable in my Christian faith, because I've done it before and it was terrible. I don't think God ever wants us to get comfortable either. In a city where 98 PERCENT of people would go to HELL if an atomic bomb was dropped, we CANNOT afford to EVER be comfortable Christians.

"Don't Get Comfortable" by Brandon Heath

Comfortable, don't get comfortable.
I am gonna' move this mountain
Then I'm gonna move you in.

Yesterday, this is not yesterday.
You were standing on my shoulders now;
You're standing on the edge.
You've been looking for a sign all this time.

I am gonna show you what I mean
I am gonna love like you've never seen
You are gonna live like you used to dream
This is your new song

So afraid but you don't have to be afraid
Even if you make mistakes
You know that I'll remain

You've been looking for a sign all this time.
If you seek you'll find me every time.

So I am gonna show you what I mean
I am gonna' love like you've never seen
You are gonna live like you used to dream
THIS IS YOUR NEW SONG

Can you feel the call of love?
Is it moving you to be a child of God of love?
Is it reaching you?
It's everywhere the call of love.

I just want to show you what I mean
I just want to love like you've never seen
Do you want to live like you used to dream?
Then I've got a song for you

Cuz I am gonna show you what I mean
I am gonna' love like you've never seen
You are gonna live like you used to dream
This is your new song



VIDEO OF IT:

This is Our God

I love watching people get baptized. I was privileged enough to shoot my old Church's baptism in September and it was such an amazing thing to see. There were over 100 people I believe that decided to take the next step in their relationship with God, and I was so stoked that I got to be a small part in some of those people's lives. Their expressions were so awesome, and all of them were on fire. They realized just how amazing our God is. They realized that God took the step of sending His son down to us to die for us, so they took the step to accept the gift and get baptized. Baptism is such a beautiful thing. The shot above is one of my favorites that I took that day.

Song of the Day: "This is Our God" by Hillsong United

Your grace is enough
More than I need
And your word I will believe
I wait for you
Draw near again
And your spirit make me new
And i will fall at your feet
I will fall at your feet
And i will worship you here

Your presence in me
Jesus light the way
By the power of your word
I am restored
I am redeemed
By your spirit i am free
And i will fall at your feet
I will fall at your feet
And i will worship you here

Freely you gave it all for us
Surrendered your life upon that cross
Great is your love
Poured out for all
This is our God

Lifted on high from death to life
Forever our God is glorified
Sovereign king
Rescued the world
This is our God

And i will fall at your feet
I will fall at your feet
And i will worship you here

And i will fall at your feet
I will fall at your feet
And i will worship you here

Freely you gave it all for us
S urrendered your life upon that cross
Great is your love
Poured out for all
This is our God

Lifted on high from death to life
Forever out God is glorified
Sovereign king
Rescued the world
This is our God


Video of It:

The Road Less Traveled

I strongly believe that what is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right. That's why I'm such a big fan of this poem by Robert Frost.


"Road Less Traveled" by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference


OH, and the photo above was taken at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.

Crazy Technological Facts

Now, I'm a big techie which translates into the fact that I'm a big nerd. I love technology and am so intrigued with everything about it. Here's a crazy video that I found on a site that you don't have to be as big a nerd as me to understand. These are some crazy facts and part of the reason that Media is so important.




Let me know your thoughts on it!

Day at the Park

Just a picinic with some of my friends. By the way, all images posted on this blog, are actually taken and edited by me. :)








"Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family."
-Proverbs 18:24

"The Greatest Enemy of Intimicy With God is Service for God."

So, I was reading "Leadership" Magazine from Bill Hybels which I absolutely love and I'm sure that some of you who read my blog, also get in the mail. I was reading the article in which it was comparing mega churches to Monasteries. As I was reading that quote, it struck a chord in me. The quote couldn't be any more true in my mind to be completely. Service for God does NOT equal intimicy with Him. I've been serving in a church since I was 12 almost non stop. And let me be completely honest with you, I have not been intimate with Him the whole time. In fact some of my dry seasons in my faith have definitely come into play into some of the years that I have been serving a lot.

I honestly think that is sometimes a big problem in the emerging and existing churches. We equate serving Him with spending time with Him when they are both very different. For example, I am a techie. I am a nerd, so I serve in Media. Now, I may hear the message ninety six different times during the weekend, but that does not mean that I have spent time with God. Yes, I spent time in His presence, yes I spent time with fellow believers, but no, I did not get intimate with Him. Sometimes we get so busy serving that we forget Who it is that we are serving. Now, I'm not saying to stop serving by ANY means, but in addition to serving, I think we all need to set apart some time in the morning or during the day to spend time with God.

Just look at the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible. Now, it's in Luke 10:38-42. The translation I'm going to put is from The Message because I love how simple and raw it puts it.

38-40"As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."
41-42The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."


I think sometimes we truly forget how personal our God truly is. We tend to talk AT Him instead of TO Him. We tend to COMMAND Him to do something, rather than ASK Him to do something. We tend to make prayer an AFTERTHOUGHT, rather than making it a PRIORITY. We tend to serve out of HABIT, instead of serving out of LOVE. Do you see where this is going? We need to crack open our Bibles and spend time in His Word, ESPECIALLY if we are serving.

We need to be like Mary sometimes and just savor the presence of the Almighty God. Because the greatest enemy of intimacy with God, is truly sometimes serving Him if you're not careful. Like the REVEAL research that Bill Hybels did showed, it is possible to be growing in Christ, but not have Him as the center of your life. And THAT makes ALL the difference.

"If the Preacher Will Burn, Others Will Come to See the Fire"

Whenever we see others doing something with a bunch of passion what does that usually do? That causes curiosity. All of a sudden, we kind of stop to see what is going on exactly. Why is this person so on fire for whatever it is that they're on fire for.

Well, we shouldn't be any different for our fire for God. If we aren't stoked about God or about what He has done in our lives how can we expect anyone else to be? If we aren't just so on fire and passionate about what our Saviour did for us, how can we expect Non-Christians to ever be? If they pass by you or I, will they just continue walking by and live their life as though they had never passed us by? OR, will they pass us by and say, "What in the heck is going on in this person's life that they are so happy all the time. Why are they so passionate about God? I gotta check this out." I don't know about you, but I live my life trying to do the latter.
I have been to places before where people who I have known for a couple months have literally asked me, "Why are you so different than me. What do you know that I don't." I always reply, "It's not what I know. It's WHO I know. Let me tell you about them." People are always searching, always curious. Opportunities like this are an amazing way to witness or invite people to Church.

IN fact, let me share some experiences with you.

Probably one of the crazier experiences I've had with this is a visit to Starbucks about three months or so ago. It was around 10am so there weren't that many people there. I had just finished ordering my drink and had a big smile on my face just because I'm always a cheery person. There was only one other person in the store and it was the lady behind me who was ordering her drink (A Caramel Macchiatto if I remember correctly). I was just standing there and the lady (about 31) turns to me and says, "You are different. I can tell there is just something different about you. I can't put my finger on it, but there's just something." I grabbed my drink, pulled her to the side, and told her the reason I must've been different is because of Christ. I pulled out a card, gave it to her and she said she would check it out. Well, about a week ago, I see her again and I was like ooooooh, snap. She tells me, "Hey, I went to this church you told me about. Guess what? I'm different too now." I haven't seen her again, I haven't ever gotten her name, but you know what she saw the fire in me.. and was curious.

This next one happened in a hair salon about two or so years ago. I was sitting there getting my hair done and I saw this lady there. I started talking to her and invited her to the church that I was going to at that time. She seemed really interested and extremely curious probably because when I talk about God, I tend to get rather excited. She told me she'd go check it out and I didn't see her for a while. Well, I saw her about five months later and she told me, "I didn't check out the church you gave me the card for, but I felt like I needed to get my life back on track and went to this church called Flamingo Road Church. I love it there, everyone and everything is so amazing. Thank you so much for inviting me." I see her all the time now at Starbucks or back in that hair place, and everytime she thanks me for inviting her to go to church. I'd mention her name but she is pretty darn involved in FRC and some of you reading my blog might even know her. She shows me everytime, the card that I gave her to go to church because she has it in her wallet. Not only that but everytime I see her, she's picking up some different family member to go to church.

Just remember what Wesley L. Duewel said in "Ablaze for God." If the preacher will burn, others will come to see the fire.

I am a firm believer in that.

I am a Heroine and I am a Dreamer

Wow, Pastor Troy preached an AWESOME message tonight. I mean, I've heard him preach a bunch of sermons before, but I would definitely say that this was one of his best. He was laying it all down on the floor and I definitely feel that God is gonna bless FRC. I definitely feel that there are some BIG things coming to FRC, and I can't wait till it happens.

I'm gonna do what Troy said and go into my closet and get my cape. I'm not gonna listen to what the world tells me, or what they might call me. I am a heroine... that is who I am. Not because of who I am though, but because of the I AM who created me with a purpose not just for 2009, but for all of my life. I'm not on this earth by accident, I was put here for a purpose. For His purpose. For me to reach my God potential. What a journey it's gonna be and I can't wait to share it with some very special people.

I have a dream, I am a dreamer. I might be called crazy, but God was crazy enough about me and YOU to send His son to die for us. I will not be afraid to dream, I refuse to be.

Word of God Speak, Would You Pour Down Like Rain?

So, all of MercyMe's songs are amazing. However, the one that has really been on my mind these last few days has been "Word of God Speak". I mean, when you dissect the song, it is just so stinkin' powerful! I have been a Christian for a while, and I've definitely had my dry seasons in my faith. However, since I came back from the CFDT missions trip, I am at a high. A high in my faith that I haven't been at in easily a couple years. I find myself saying a lot of the same things that are being said in this song.

If you know me, then you know that I like to talk. Not much leaves me speechless. But being in the presence of God, definitely does. Like the song says, " I'm finding myself at a loss for words, and the funny thing is it's okay." I'm totally ok with being speechless in the presence of God. He has said it all, how could I ever possibly say anything in His presence besides just coming before Him in awestruck wonder? How could I possibly do anything else but just sing, "Holy, Holy, HOLY, is the Lord God Almighty"?

The closer I've gotten to God these last few weeks, I've realized that my heart has been singing, "Word of God speak, and pour down like rain." Why? Because I don't want to speak. I need to shut my mouth and let the Lord speak to me. I want His Word to speak to me. To guide me. To instruct me. To impact me. To move me. To leave me speechless. Beyond all the music I listen to, beyond all the noise that is in my life, all I want to do is hear Him. I want to hear His Word speak. I want to dive into His Word like I've never done.

So here I stand before God just singing, "Word of God speak, won't you pour down like rain? Please let me stay and rest in Your holiness."

Howdy, Howdy Everyone.

Well, it's a new season in my life, so it's time for a new method of social networking! I decided to get a blog. Now, I can't promise I'll be blogging everyday, but I've made it a point to at least try and blog a few times a week. After all it seems like the cool thing to do at FRC is have a blog, so hopefully I'm cool now. ;)