8 IS GREAT!

The Eleutherio team is now down to 8 members, but a small number doesn't necessarily mean small outcomes. Eight is actually the number of people God saved during the time of the flood, it's also the number of gold medals Michael Phelps won in the olympics this year, so if you ask me, the number eight is destined for greatness! (and besides that it's my favorite number!) There has however, been a lot of growth physically and mentally as well as in our relationships with God and with one another. This team is more than a team, its a family, a unit, a group of people where if one falls, the others are there to catch, where words of encouragement have become a part of our daily vocabulary, and where love and laughter is so evident, you notice it a mile away. This is my life...i get to wake up every morning and praise God for so many things, i get to physically train because i am blessed to have legs and healthy lungs to do so, i get to dig into the bible with other adults whose passion is to pour into ME! I get to hang out with some of the most passionate people i've ever met, this is my life and i thank God for it everyday.
Today was fun during team time! We all headed to Chucky Cheese's for some pizza and arcade games. Spencer and i found a deal or no deal game that quickly took all of our money, but for a few minutes we actually felt like we were on the game show. Our team took pictures on the blue screen and danced for the television cameras, one of our all time favorite things to do! Our "corner office" is now decorated for the holidays and picture frames are filling up fast! Manna time was fun today as we've been working through the book of Matthew, but Ron never lets me read as much as i would like to. Kristin brought in some amazing homeade christmas cookies so an afternoon of coffee and cookies put a smile on all of our faces!
Movie day tomorrow and our Christmas party is right around the corner!!

Back to the bubble

WELL TWENTYFOURSEVEN JUST GOT BACK FROM THIER FIRST OFFICIAL BREAK FROM ONE ANOTHER, AND COMING BACK INTO THE BUBBLE WAS A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT THEN EXPECTED. I THINK WE ALL MISSED OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY A LOT MORE THEN WHAT WE THOUGHT, AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, OUR DEAR FRIEND JOHN FROM COLORADO LEFT US TO RETURN BACK HOME. HOWEVER, I THINK OF IT LIKE THIS, WHEN A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE ALL IN A CIRCLE WITH THIER ARMS AROUND EACH OTHER AND A FEW PEOPLE LEAVE THE CIRCLE, WHAT HAPPENS? THOSE LEFT IN THE CIRCLE GET CLOSER, THE CIRLCE BECOMES TIGHTER, AND THATS EXACTLY WHAT GOD WILL HAVE HAPPEN WITH US. HE CAN MAKE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN OUT OF THE TOUGHEST SITUATIONS...I KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCES. THERE ARE ONLY A COUPLE MORE WEEKS BEFORE OUR CHRISTMAS BREAK, I CAN ONLY PRAY THAT HE GIVES US THE STRENGTH TO STICK WITH THIS PROGRAM. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN AMAZING, SO EYE OPENING, AND FULL OF GODLY MOMENTS! I COULDNT IMAGINE DOING ANYTHING ELSE!! I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT THE REST OF THIS YEAR HOLDS!! GOD IS SO BIG!!

A NoTe~

Psalm 139:14 says "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" but how many of us truly belive that? How many times do we find ourselves saying, "I cant" "I am not good enough" I am not strong enough" "That's not for me" "It's too hard" without ever really trying, let alone diving right in? It is so easy for us as humans to look in the mirror and without hesitation, see directly into our faults, our weaknesses and our shortcomings. We bypass all the amazing features and characteristics that belong solely to us, created by the hand of our Almighty God. 2 Timothy 1:7 states "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." We are creatures hand carved by the one true and perfect God, why would he leave anything out? The truth is, he didn't! He equips us with everything we need for every challenge we face throughout our lives including courage, power, wisdom, strength, and endurance. The problem is us. We allow our eyes to lead us because we depend on the things we can see and grasp, instead of letting our hearts lead us by faith and trust in the Lord. God is patiently waiting on us. Waiting on us to simply belive; to belive that within us lies more than enough. More than enough strength to fight our battles; more than enough courage to stand up for what we believe; more than enough power to fight our temptations; more than enough wisdom to make the right choices; and more than enough endurance to finish our race! He never gives us more than we can handle, and when we hit the point where we can't take it anymore, he shows us the way out. Thats the kind of God we belong to! One who's love is so deep, we can drown in it! He will never leave us and that gives us every reason to embrace the butterflies and dive in!

FLABAMA IN TEXICO

Just returned home after a long and exhausting 2 week mission trip! 24/7 Florida teamed up with 24/7 Alabama and became the 2008 Flabama Mission Team! We had a good time our first week in Texas staying at an Indian Reservation where we worked together cleaning up a beautiful Indian Campground. We gathered scattered logs, random branches, and even chainsawed our own 40 ft pine tree down!! We created several burn piles where flames reached to the tree tops, don't worry we were careful ;) Watching an enormous blaze created by a single spark, reminded me of how we can be in Gods kingdom. Sometimes the smallest spark, a prayer or a good deed, can spread and catch an entire community on fire for Christ. Although we didn't get a lot of one on one time with the locals, we were able to communicate the love of Jesus through our actions. "Preach the gospel always, and when necessary, use words." All eyes on Flabama when we attended church Wednesday night and were asked to sing hymnals in front of the entire congregation!~ It didn't take too long to realize that singing was not our forte!

Friday was awesome as we got to celebrate my b-day!! After an early morning of crazy surprises, a long afternoon of intense dramas, lunch performance by Chad, Chelsea and the gang, and learning fun Indian dances, we got the opportunity to play some volleyball into the late night hours!! Afterwards, we celebrated some more with ice cream and cake! Turning 26 was a day i will never forget!!

Off to Victoria Mexico on Monday! After 17 hours of driving and 3 hours at customs we arrived!! Most mornings started off at 5 am for prayer and worship. Afternoons we were able to spend time with our mission teams, explore the surrounding area, hike to the river and swim, play card games, converse, and read, and spend some good old quality time with God! Afterwards, we would walk to the orphanage and play with the children! What an amazing time! We were so blessed to have such incredible contacts and meet some incredible people! The Flabama team even got the chance to redeem ourselves as we sang a few songs for the bible students one morning, a few they even knew in Spanish!

This trip was definitely one to be remembered! I learned that when it feels like God isn't speaking to you, sometimes you just may be missing the small things. His promise is that he never leaves us or forsakes us, and just like with Elijah, he won't be found in the wind, the fire, or the earthquake, but rather in a still small whisper.

MISSION TRAINING!!

24/7 first years from florida and alabama united this weekend as we adventured into something that when at the end of it, would change us for a lifetime! This week was the week of mission training! For three days straight, our teams were challenged more spiritually, physically, and mentally then i ever thought was possible. Our Team endured meals of duck embrios, cow stomach, oatmeal and crickets, duck feet, pigs feet, and even goat meat...(poor cusko), little sleep in freezing cold weather, and times spent alone that left us falling on our faces...literally! With God, through prayer, and the constant encouragement from one another, we all finished the race with our helds held high...that was until we fell to our knees with tears thankful that it was over. twentyfourseven is an amazing program, and through this training my relationship with God has become even more intimate! He is amazing, so big and so powerful with so much love you can find yourself drowning in it! I've learned that he equips his children with the strength and courage to face any challenge that may come thier way, and even though it seems God is distant, he's not...he is always near. This event has caused the rope that has been tied around our team to be pulled even tighter, we will not fall if we all stand together. In the midst of every challenge when it seemed that it couldn't get much worse, knowing my team was right there with me made it possible! i love these people, and i am thankful that the good lord placed them in my life!! I have a feeling our three weeks in Mexico is going to be AWESOME!! i cant wait!

lessons along the way

Although 24/7 has been jam packed with a lot of laughs, it definitely hasn't been all fun and games. There are hard lessons to be learned in this program and they come at the most unexpected times. This program, this team, this season in my life, has led God to do some incredible reconstruction and transformation inside of me. He has exposed wounds i never knew i had, softened my heart, and has led me to fall to my knees out of complete humility. I have learned that no matter how legit you think your excuse is, it's never good enough, it's still just an excuse! He has used others to point out my blind spots and changing because of it, rather than becoming upset with it, has been challenging to say the least, but i remain grateful. Grateful because God has created an environment for my team where we can all fail safely, without being scarred or bruised. We all fall short of the glory of God, and i am incredibly thankful for the support, encouragement, and love that pours out of every single one of my teammates! God is so awesome and there is nothing that he can't do! He continues to ROCK MY WORLD!

Vision

these past couple of weeks have been so great! It seems the more i go after God and the more passionate i become about knowing his heart, the more he speaks to me. i feel he is speaking to me more clearly then he ever has before. Its made me realize, how often i got caught up in daily routines before 24/7..just kind of talking to God when i found the time. But since this program started, i've been freed from all of that and ive been able to seek him without distraction and hes blowing me away!!

our team went to the beach for worship the other day and i really just started thanking God for all the tiny details he had been taking care of in my life. It seemed like the small prayers i was sending up to him were being answerd, so then i began praying about bigger things. i specifically asked him about the vision he had for me, my purpose in life. and only moments later he answered me. I cant reveal what it was, but its a day i will never forget. All i can say is that when God calls you to do something, whether it be praying for another individual, speaking out or standing up, BE OBEDIANT...IT CHANGES LIVES!!! IT CHANGES THE WORLD!! God looks for those who are going to be obediant to his calling, and if you don't do it, he will find someone who will. take a chance and be a blessing to someone else. be brave. be bold. and be couragous. he will never let you fall!

ScAvEnGeR hUnT!~*

Team juice box (Spencer, Courtney and I) dominated in our first 24/7 scavenger hunt...in a matter of 45 minutes we raced (OK only 10 mph over the speed limit) across town to ask an elderly couple to make out before Spencer dropped to one knee in order to propose to the nice lady ;) just to hop back in the car and hit up walmart where i dressed like a thug (black bandanna, baggy pants and all) while Spencer rode a tricycle, and Courtney desperately searched for the "lost list!" (hmmm....what do you know q-tips for 2.47! ha!!) Looking for a roll of toilet paper, i sprinted to the women's bathroom, where much to my surprise, there on the garbage can was an old roll just waiting for me to snatch it up! After only a few minutes in wally world we drove onto Cortez (hit every green light...i think God was on our side) to find a McDonald's with a play place, snap a picture and head over to Whitney's where we gathered for team time! i love you Eluetheros...never a dull moment here in 24/7! ya'll make me laugh!!

BACK FROM TEXAS

Just returned home after a long and exhausting week and 1/2 in Texas City, Texas. For those of you who don't watch the news, Hurricane Ike swept through Texas a little under three weeks ago, leaving it a complete disaster. Our 24/7 team arrived at Fellowship Church last Wednesday and got right to work preparing hot meals for citizens in the surrounding cities who were still without power. We tore it up doing what we love to do...making Jesus famous!! Throughout the week our team split up into groups and traveled to several different homes and buisnesses helping the owners clean up and clear out. It's heavy on the heart watching people take everything they have ever worked for, and tossing it to the curb. Block after block was nothing but piles of warped and molded trash, although one mans trash is another mans treasure as our own Ron found a nice cowboy hat laying along side the road:) Along the way we met an amazing couple, Elijah and Kori, who although lost everything they had, still remained hopeful with their eyes locked upon the Lord. It was an amazing oppportunity to help them out, encourage them, and pray for them as well.Whitney and I were blessed with the opportunity to pray for several families as they lined up at the church for a hot meal and a bag of groceries. Its such a moving experience realizing that some people just needed a simple prayer in order to restore lost hope. I love when God works through us in life changing ways! Although we worked until our fingers bled, we didnt let that stop us from having a little fun. We ended most nights with an enormous game of hide and seek, a movie on the big screen, and even some putt putt golf! To end the trip Pastor Justin and Stefanie took us to Houston to attend Joel Olsteens church! It was pretty amazing!! I am so proud of our team! Through this trip we were stretched some, we grew some, we laughed some and we cried some but all in all we got to see the hands and feet of God at work, and nothing can beat that!!

week 2 comes to a close

Another rockin week of 24/7!!! God has really been speaking volumes into my life latlely and one thing that he's brought to my attention, is just a fresh reminder of how absolutley, unfathombly big He really is. Our team sat on the beach last week in silence, and just listened to Gods voice. Sitting there in awe of the beauty that surrounded me i was reminded of how God tells us in Psalms 46:10 to "Be still and know that I am God." No matter how hard i try, no matter which words i use, i cannot accuratly explain just how enormous our God is. The one who made heaven and earth, and yet loves me and provides for me...how can one not be in awe?? He's just so beautiful!!
Our team will be traveling to Texas on Tuesday for hurricane relief! I am really excited as this will be our first road trip together. Pray that God works in us and through us during this trip!
God Bless!!

24/7 ropes course

Team 24/7 ROCKED THE HIZ-OUSE today as we battled our way through our first day of ropes course!! Each course called for specific strategies that stretched us physically as well as mentally. We managed to maneuver our way on top of a slippery log, crawling and stepping over one anothers heads in order to line our team up in the order of our birthdays...without falling off or saying one word to each other. We also teamed up to conquer a 30 foot plus ladder suspended by two cables where each step became farther and farther apart. With the help of our teammates on the other side holding our suspension cables we were able to climb, push, pull, straddle, balance and brace ourselves up the entire wall! I'll admit that after 45 minutes of trial and error i was ready to give up, but because of the encouragement of my amazing teammates i was able to push through the pain of a pulled muscle and complete the obstacle course! and why? BECAUSE 24/7 NEVER QUITS!! The day ended with a balancing act as we teeter-tottered back and forth on top of a large platform moving our teammates from one end of the dock to the other without letting the platform touch the ground. Although these courses seemed to take an eternity, the fact of the matter is, we finished and we finished strong! We were all able to walk away today with something to add to our spiritual journey and see one another in a whole new light. I am really proud of this team...this family! IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US! GO ELEUTHEROS!!! i love ya'll!

24/7 is EXHAUSTING!!! today is saturday and im more than happy to have a little break in between workout and church! we got to play a little flag football today, but instead of having fun i did situps the whole time due to a pulled muscle!! ouch!! on a brighter note, God showed up today during worship and let me just say, HE IS AWESOME!!! i am in awe of how huge he really is!!!

24/7 week one

Genesis, also known for "New Beginnnings" this would be the two words to best describe this amazing new season in my life. I have recently begun a new and refreshing journey toward God, toward a new way of life and i have never been more satisfied, and yet hungrier then ever!!

For those of you reading this who arent aware, i have recently begun a leadership academy through Bayside Community Church called 24/7. This program is designed to enrich students and prepare them for a life in ministry. God first, others before self, character, humility, camaradare, discipline, and excellence in everything we do are our top focuses! Through prayer, intense workouts, biblical studies, and mission trips our team is going all out to form a closer relationship with our amazing heavenly Father! Our team, also known as Euletheros (Greek for Freedom/Liberation) has been hand picked by God himself and is made up of 6 first year students, 2 cadres (second year students) and 3 amazing leaders whos hearts are focused on nothing but Gods' will for our lives. Although we are only in our first week, i can honestly say that our team is already family and my faith has been strengthened and stretched beyond measure. Jeremiah 29:11 states, "I know the plans i have for you" declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." I believe God has a plan and purpose for each one of us, and i believe that through this program, mine will be revealed.