God's Special Friends

Don't Look Down . . . .

2010-08-20T14:29:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!!! Check out the new post over on my updated blog site - here is the link:"Don't Look Down . . . "

Also, to sign up and link the blog to you fb page, go ahead and click on this link: Crossroads Church God's Special Friends

Trusting God . . .

2010-08-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Just posted a new blog about Trusting God . . . Go and check it out at the Blogs New Location!!!!!

click here

NEW BLOG LOCATION!!!!!

2010-07-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

HEY EVERYONE!!!!! GODS SPECIAL FRIENDS HAS A NEW LOCATION - PLEASE VISIT THE NEW LOCATION AND JOIN IT - ALL MY BLOGS FOR IT ARE BEING PUBLISHED THROUGH THE NEW ADDRESS - HERE IS THE ACTUAL BLOG ADDRESS: CLICK HERE and HERE IS THE LINK TO CONNECT IT THROUGH FACE BOOK: CLICK HERE

FACE BOOK: http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/crossroads_church_gods_special_friends/
BLOG ADDRESS: http://www.crossroadschurch.com/gsf/

BLESSINGS- Jennifer

NEW LOCATION

2010-07-17T21:22:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, my blog has moved over to a new location and so I won't be posting through here any longer - please follow the link below if you are a follower and begin to follow my blog in this new location - and if you are not a current follower of the blog, I would like to personally invite you to join - currently, according to Disable World, Disability and Health News, about 10% of the worlds population, which equates to about 650 million people, live with some form of disability. Furthermore, according to the United States Census Bureau, approximately 1 out of 5 people over the age of 5 are faced some with form of disability. Considering these statistics, most people at some point or another, if not affected by a disability, will know someone who is. Therefore, I would like to encourage you all to take a step of action and follow this blog and begin to see what we here at Crossroads are doing. Crossroads is an amazing church doing amazing things for people within this community and I am so grateful to be able to be a part of it.

blog address:
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/gsf/

follow on fb network blogs: http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/crossroads_church_gods_special_friends/

Answered Prayer!!!!!

2010-07-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Pastor Chuck preached on what it means to truly pray. Well, the McGlynn family, who is also a part of our Crossroads family, is a family that prays. And because of various circumstances, they began praying for a new van in order to be able to transport their son Justin at a level that he requires. They had no idea how God would answer this prayer, but God did, and over the course of just a few weeks, the right people were put into the right place, and just yesterday, Walt, Holly, and Justin received the kind of van that suited their needs. Additionally, the person who donated this van to them, was Stephen Murray, a Gold Medalist BMX Rider from the X Games, who as a result of an accident, is now a complete quadriplegic himself. The way this all came about, was that Stephen was provided a new van from his sponsor RockStar, and because of the blessing he received from them, he wanted to keep the blessing going and donate his old van to a family in need, which then turned out to be the McGlynn Family. This special occasion was held at 777 church in Riverside, where church goers, family, and friends all took part. It was truly a God moment, and I was completely blessed to be invited, and be a part of it all coming together!!!!

To Know God is to Know Love

2010-07-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have often times just been amazed at the level and amount of love that all of the participants have for others. Although they each experience limitations of some sort, they seem to more often times than not, function and move about in this thing called life much more freely than the rest of us. And in the book The Shack, I just read a part that said, "humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image". What a beautiful statement that is. All humans have limitations at some level, and thank God it is not the limitations that define us. What defines us is the reality that we have been created in the image of God, and what is important is what He has planned for us. I guess if we were all to truly recognize that it is not about our will or our might, but about His, we would then truly become like little children in our faith, just as our participants already have, and we would know what it means to love as God loves, for we would truly Know God.

Stepping Up

2010-07-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was an amazing day for the Deaf Ministry. The team stepped out in faith and stepped up to serve in an incredible way. With Jessica stepping up to sign worship, Reyna stepping up to sign the National Anthem, and then Ruth stepping up to sign/interpret the sermon, all with less than a 72 hour notice. The biggest victory though came with Ruth, who for the first time was going to interpret the sermon. The preparation was intense and required an enormous amount of faith and trust in God. Because with every door that I seemed to try and go through in order to secure another answer for the team concerning the interpretation of Sunday's message, each and every one of them continued to shut. And on top of that, Tony was preaching, who by nature is a very high impact passionate speaker. It was almost like the perfect storm. The wonderful thing about it though, was that instead of being consumed by fear, the entire team embraced the unknown, trusting fully in God that he had it all in hand, and stepped up to assure all aspects of the service would be interpreted. It was definitely a wonderful experience to be a part of. Seeing God move and be glorified all the more through the team, and their desire, willingness, and passion to just serve and trust in him and his provision for them, was an absolute joy!!!

Trusting God

2010-07-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Trusting God in all things can sometimes be challenging, especially when it requires us to let go. It seems as though with each and every day that passes, many of us seek to have or maintain some kind of control, even when in reality, we have none. And that is where I am at right now, completely powerless. With this weekend being a holiday weekend, and many people having Sunday plans with it actually being the 4th of July, there are some holes that need to be filled. The exciting thing though, is that as I am continuing to pray through this, I am also getting excited to see just how God is going to work it all out. Because it is in times like these, that we get to experience His power and glory all the more. He cares about everyone and will care for everyone's needs, as I have continuously seen here within the ministry. Therefore, we just have to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-27, to not worry and keep trusting in HIm, for He truly does care about all things -

Experiencing Community!!!!

2010-06-28T09:27:00.001-07:00

This last Saturday was our annual Pizza and Bowling Event, and there was approximately 60 people in attendance, plus volunteers. I am often times just amazed at the love that they have for one another, the willingness that they all have to assist each other, and the community that they just enjoy experiencing. All of this often times just leaves me in awe, and wondering just how much we could really learn from all of them. Their happiness, their joy, and all of their smiles, I believe just speaks for itself. And truly, I have yet to meet a person who comes to volunteer, who doesn't actually leave feeling more blessed, than they did when they first arrived.

The Launch of R.I.S.E.

2010-06-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

What an exciting week this has been for our disAbilities Ministry here at Crossroads. This past Monday was our launch of the Monday Warriors Bible Study Group, who was also able to experience worship with the Generate Junior High Group as well. And now today is the official launch of R.I.S.E. , which is actually happening right now!!!! We have 3 individuals, along with 1 job coach, who arrived promptly at the church this morning at 9:30 to volunteer 2 hours of their time helping with various tasks around campus. They are scheduled to be on church grounds volunteering every Thursday and Friday morning for two hours each. The overall purpose of this is to provide volunteer opportunities for individuals who have varying forms of disabilities, that is centered upon their ability, while also sharing with them the love of Christ. So if you happen to pass by any one of them, please be sure to say hello, and give them a warm Crossroads welcome!!!

A Step of Faith

2010-06-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

One area of our ministry that many may not even realize we have is our Deaf Ministry. The Deaf Ministry began its journey about 3 years ago with a beginning ASL Class. Today the growth that the ministry has experienced is a true blessing. One person from the ministry I would like to take a moment and highlight is Reyna. Reyna joined the Deaf Ministry about a year ago through one of the beginning ASL Classes that was being offered. Her commitment to Christ and to the Ministry has been amazing, and to watch her skill level grow with learning ASL has been a privilege, which made today even sweeter. The picture above I believe really truly says it all. Today was Reyna's first time up on stage signing worship, and although her nerves were restless, she trusted God, and took a step of faith in order to be the voice of worship for the deaf. We are so blessed to be here at such a time as this. To not only share with others, but to be able to experience the growth in the lives of others as well is truly a blessing from God.

R.I.S.E.

2010-06-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting things that I just love about the God that we serve, is the many doors that he just seems to continuously open for us. Since I have been involved here, our focus has been based upon the abilities of the people we serve and not their disability. Well, the ministry of R.I.S.E. within the disAbilities Ministry is stepping out in faith and trusting that God will take this to an entirely new level. R.I.S.E. is a Community Outreach Ministry and stands for, Reaching, Inspiring, and Spiritually Embracing those with disAbilities. Its primary purpose is to provide volunteer opportunities for individuals with varying forms of disabilities in order to increase self-esteem, enhance social skills, and share the love Christ. I am really excited about this area of our ministry. For the last month we have already had one person volunteering in the office about three times a week helping with various tasks, and this next week we are officially launching R.I.S.E. and adding 3 more who will be volunteering two days a week for two hours each. WOW!!!!! God is so Good and I just can't wait to see where He takes us from here . . .

Kung Fu Christians

2010-06-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

One of the many events that we are so privileged to be able to do is camp. Once a year we have a day camp and once a year we have a three day camp. Well, this last Day Camp was off the hook amazing and based upon the initial preparations for our 3 Day Camp coming up in October, I honestly know and believe in my heart that the 3 Day Camp is going to be off the charts amazing as well. The theme for this years 3 Day Camp is "Kung Fu Christians and the Search for Truth", and the scriptural theme will be from Micah 6:8, which says, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". We serve an Awesome God and this years 3 day camp He is going to show up in an Amazing way. We are going to learn not just about his truth, but also about key disciplines that will enable us to put his truth into action within the lives of each person who attends. So be on the look out for flyers with all the info, and registration and consent forms. Spots will be limited!!!!!

Adding a Little Spice

2010-06-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes adding a little spice to a dish can enhance the whole meal, therefore, taking it to a brand new level that would have otherwise never been possible. That my friends is what is happening within the disABILITY Ministry at Crossroads. First, I hope you all like the new face of my blog. I believe it was definitely in need of a little spicing up. Second, the Tuesday Night Friendship Club has been going on for years, but because of some changes happening around us, it too needed a little bit of spice added to it. Therefore, June 15th will be the last day of Tuesday Night Friendship Club in order to roll out the red carpet for the Monday Warriors Group that will begin on June 21st from 6:30 - 8 pm. This new group will be based upon Ephesians 6:10-18 and putting on the Full Armor of God as we begin each week. I am real excited about these changes and look forward to seeing how God continues to move within the lives of all of those involved within the ministry. This is an exciting time for us!!!!!!

The Melting Pot

2010-06-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

For the last couple months it has been requested that we begin a Parent/Guardian/Care-Provider Support group for those who have adolescents and/or adult children with a disability. Well, we all began praying about this and the direction God would have us go with putting it into motion. But one thing was certain, we knew that in general, we can all feel at times as though we are drowning, which is why we chose the name, The Melting Pot. But another thing that we knew, was that we would need to have a person who would be willing to not only facilitate the group, but would also be able to relate to the people coming in a very personal way. Well, I am excited to share with you all, God answered our prayers in a very clear way - He brought a person would has not only the willingness, but an over surmounting amount of experience with all of the different challenges that one faces when not only having a child with a disability, but the challenges that are presented as the child grows up, and eventually lands in the adolescent and adult years of life. We are so blessed and I just know from the bottom of my heart that what the people will receive out of this new group is Love, Support, Fellowship, Community, and Encouragement. It is scheduled to begin the last Friday of July and will continue the last Friday of each month after. So if you or anyone you may know has an adolescent or adult child with any form of disability and are looking for a safe place to be able to share with and learn from others, this is the place. For more information about this group or anything else that the disABILILIES Ministry offers, please feel free to contact me directly at jenniferf@crossroadschurch.com.

Beyond the Eyes and the Ears, God Speaks to the Heart!!!!

2010-06-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

God moved in such an amazing way this last weekend - but then again, really, would we expect any less from GOD!!!!! So many times without even realizing it, many us probably take so much for granted. Things like being able to pick up a fork in order to eat, scratch our nose, watch tv, or listen to our favorite song on the radio. But in reality, there are thousands and thousands of people who are faced with these kinds of challenges and many more each and every day. That is why I just thank God for the people that He has equipped and sent in order to display and communicate His love specifically for them. For His LOVE is not any less for them than it is for any one of us. It just needs to be communicated in a different kind of way, and that is what makes the Deaf Ministry here at Crossroads such an amazing ministry. This ministry is filled with signers and interpreters who love God, love Jesus, and desire to communicate HIS Message of Love and Salvation to the people within the Deaf Community, so that they too may hear His Message in their own language and be saved. And what made this last Sunday so special, was as Pastor Chuck was delivering the invitation for people who would like to accept Christ, which he does every week, a woman who was also deaf, went forward and accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. Seeing this moment was so special. She was crying, the signers were crying, as they all walked forward. In addition to that, as if that wasn't enough, during the evening service, a lady who was also blind made a decision to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. I mean really, God is so good, and His Message of Love and Salvation is not one that is only meant to be audible or visual, but so much more, for HIS MESSAGE truly does reach to the core of who we are, and speaks to the heart!!!!!!

Around the World in 40 Days Day Camp!!!!!

2010-04-29T14:26:00.001-07:00

WOW!!!!! What an AMAZING day our Day Camp was this year. The level of volunteers we had, their heart to serve, and the level of excellence that was sought after, just speaks so much into who Crossroads is as a church family. I often feel privileged, blessed, and humbled by what God has allowed me to be a part of over these last several years. But on this particular day, various ministries stepped up in a very special way in order to show and pour out the love of Christ onto all of our participants. These ministries include, Impact (the 5th and 6th grade ministry), Mens, Community, Global Outreach, Generate Interns, and people such as Charlotte Chambers, who is Pastor of Involvement, to do our Bible Lesson, David Robbins who is a key volunteer on our church Worship Team, to lead Worship, Pat Barnes, who works in Tender Care, who oversaw the craft area for us, as well as the Puppet Team, who made an incredible appearance for us. Then, not to forget, the absolutely incredible tethered hot air balloon ride that everyone who had consent was able to experience. I mean really, the entire day was just off the charts incredible. Many of the volunteers arrived at 5 am on Saturday Morning, and yes, that is early, but being as committed as they all are, wanted to join together to make sure this day was a day for our participants in the disABILITIES Ministry to remember. Other people who shared their talents with us include, 3 nurses, Carol Reddy, Jaymie, and Terrissa, and then some avid scrap bookers, such as Pam Booher, Terise Seits, Leann Noaba, and Crystal Simiolie, who stepped up to make 75 scrapbooks by the end of the day - not to mention, one very pregnant Tina Hawkins who oversaw the printing of all of the photos for the scrapbooks - I mean really, WOW!!! This was truly incredible. And this is only a few of the ministries and people who devoted their time and energy into making this day a huge success. So from the bottom of my heart, I am truly blessed and feel it is with great privilege that God has allowed me to be here for such a time as this, and to see how Christ's love is radiated in such an amazing way and poured out onto the lives of all of our participants. So it is with great honor, that I would personally like to say, "Thank You" so much for everyone who volunteered on this day, at all levels - for without each and every one of you, this day could not have been anywhere close to where it was -

Down to the Wire

2010-04-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, we are just a couple days away from one of our biggest events of the year. This Saturday is our Around the World in 40 Days Day Camp and I couldn't be more excited to see how God is going to move through out the day. We have had months of planning and preparation, and it is really hard to believe that the day is now really just right around the corner. But with not wanting to give too much away, my request for the week is that everyone pray for everyone who is involved, as we are in these final days, and pray God's protection, and Blessing upon each and every participant who attends, along with all the volunteers. Currently, we have about 75 participants, and about 30-40 volunteers, not including Impact, Mens, and Community Ministries who will be serving through out various portions of the day - I am getting so excited I can hardly contain myself - there will be so much to share next week - :))

An Incredible Moment in Time

2010-03-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

In Mark 2:3-5 a paralytic man was being carried by four men in order to meet Jesus. The crowd however, being so large, made his experience even more of a challenge. The men carrying him however, being committed in an extra ordinary way so that this man could have his encounter with the Messiah, did the unthinkable, and made an opening in the roof above Jesus, and after digging through it, lowered the mat that the paralyzed man was laying on in order to overcome that obstacle and meet Jesus. This past Sunday, which was Palm Sunday, served to be a similar moment, in that not only were there hundreds of people coming forward, accepting Jesus, and immediately being baptized, 3 of the people that came forward were in wheel chairs. This was an incredible moment at Crossroads, where some of the men, seeing the challenge, but committed in an extra ordinary way, so that these individuals could have and experience this special moment, lifted each of them into the air, lowered their bodies down into the water, and baptized them in the same way as any other person would desire, upon making a decision to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life. Now do I believe that Jesus loved them anyways, absolutely without a shadow of a doubt, yes. But for them to not be able to experience baptism because of their physical limitation, is something that our church family does not accept or embrace. Therefore, as I stood and watched as each of these individual's were baptized, with tears running down my face, I looked up and praised our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for being so privileged as to witness such a moment as this. This experience gave me a much deeper perspective of just how much our church family here at Crossroads, is committed to one another, and committed to changing the world for Christ.

A Need for Change!!!!!

2010-03-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Thinking about the last few years, it is quit amazing to see where all God has taken the disABILITY Ministry. We have so much going on and I am always filled with so much joy every time I get to be around our participants within the ministry. Reflecting upon this, I began considering how our Friday Night Live Bible Study has truly evolved. It started off with about five volunteers and maybe two or three participants who would come regularly, and when there were more, we were all so excited. Each week, we would serve dinner for a small donation to offset the cost of the pizza, then do a light Bible Study, that would go from 6:30 - 8:30. Well, just last night, as I was standing back watching the dynamics of the evening flow, I just felt the presence of God ever so clearly within our room. God has taken us from a room of maybe 3 participants each week to now over 20, and about five to six volunteers who each week give of their time and poor into the lives our guys. But more amazingly, is that because of the level of growth, and the fact that a couple years ago we were burned out on pizza and began doing the cooking ourselves, time has become our greatest challenge. By the time we worship with Impact and get everyone back into the room and fed, the time left for Bible Study is definitely left wanting. Therefore, we have decided because learning God's Word should not be something that just gets squeezed in, starting in April, we are going to extend our study and go until 9 pm. I am so excited for this change and can't wait to see how God continues to move within our midst each week. And of course, I am definitely praying for a cooking team to be put together soon - LOL

The Planning of Events

2010-03-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of most all of our volunteers from last years Pirates for Praise Day Camp for the disABILITIES Ministry. What an amazing day that day was. Many of us dressed up and interacted with the participants in such a fun way as they moved about the campus doing crafts, singing praise songs, and learning about Jesus. But one of the things that just gets me so excited is the planning of the day. And this year is no different. I am just so excited about the new level that God is taking us to in order to provide amazing events for such an amazing group of people. With each day that goes by, God reveals more and more of what we are able to do in order to shower His love upon each and every one of the participants that come. And not only that, the volunteer team for this event has grown so much, that it is hard to believe that I now have to have a waiting list for the volunteers. I mean really . . . what a great problem to have. That rather than running from an area that the world would typically have us do, here at Crossroads, people are flocking to it in order to serve. The hearts that people have here is amazing and I just stand in awe as they each continue to serve at such a level, in order shine God's Light, God's Hand, and God's Love, upon the ministry as a whole, and the events that we are so privileged to be a part of. So when we hear how much better it is to give than it is to receive, coming into this ministry truly reveals the fine truth to just how real that statement is.

Dance Dance Dance

2010-02-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

What an amazing day this last Saturday was for our Matinee Dance. The day began with an out pouring of volunteers arriving early in order to assure a good time be had by all. To start it off, Rudy and Don arrived at the church at about 9 am to begin making approximately 140 ham and turkey hoagie sandwiches, along with a boat load of mac n cheese and baked beans, along with the other items being served. Other volunteers then began arriving at about 11 am to begin the set up and decoration process, with Wendy bringing the lovely assortment of table decor, and Barry and Diane overseeing the photography area, which the final pictures for it are soon to come. Veda, just loving to see our guys dance, came to serve although just having a recent surgery - and as she printed pictures during the dance, the participants anxiously waited. But the the highlight of the day, was watching them all dance, and WOW!!!! can they dance. The enjoyment that they each have is enormous and what a true blessing it is to be able to serve in such a way that would provide a safe environment for them to be able to do that which they all love doing - DANCE DANCE DANCE . . .

A Brand New Journey

2010-02-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

The Word of God is just so dynamic, and no matter how long or how much one studies it, the wealth of information that it provides for us is endless, and I am just so excited about this brand new journey that the Tuesday Night Friendship Club has just begun. But even before this, they actually amazed me when they completed a study on the entire book of Acts. I mean WOW!!!! What an accomplishment. And now, because we don't believe in letting too much grass grow underneath our feet, we are on an even greater adventure now. We have just begun to study the missionary journeys of Paul, and my hope is that as we travel with Paul and study where he went, we are also going to study the epistles in a very unique way. That is, when Paul wrote an epistle, we are going to stop where Paul stopped, and study the epistle that he wrote. This will include not only just reading it, but seeking to understand why he wrote it, where he was when he wrote it, and how the challenges that he was addressing apply to us even today. Then, once we are done with the epistle, we will pick back up with Paul, and continue traveling with him. This study has me so excited that in order to keep it interactive for our participants, I am creating passports for each of them, so that as we travel, their passport will be stamped each week. We are also hanging up an entire world map, along with a then and now map, that charts out Paul's travels. Overall, I think I might be so excited about this study that I just might have to create a passport for myself. I love learning, and even more so, I love seeing our participants learn. The only thing, is that learning can and ought to be a dynamic experiences that touches on all of our five senses, which helps for every one to learn in the way that God created them to best learn. I am thinking though, that this study may just take us over a year to complete . . . But I know our Tuesday Night Group is up for the challenge, and we are going to have an amazing time through out the entire process - :))

A Servant's Heart!!!!

2010-02-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest joys within the disABILITIES Ministry is being able to see how God moves within the lives of each and every one of our participants. One person in particular that I would like to take a moment and high light on is Judah. When I first met met Judah, not only was it difficult to understand him because of his limitations with speech, he was the "class clown" who through humor, would down play his disability. He never made mention of it, but I am certain that because of his limitation with speech, his self-esteem and confidence level were compromised as well. He wouldn't raise his hand in class and participate, he wouldn't want to read, and often times he would just sit there. Today however, that is not Judah. God has done amazing things within his life, and because of the patience and love that all of our volunteers have poured into him, he has grown immeasurably in all areas. He is often times now the first person to raise his hand and want to pray, he finds it absolute joy now to read, although limited, it is no longer a barrier, but a well received challenge. Other areas that Judah has grown in is in his heart. He has a servant's heart that often times just blows my mind. On Sunday mornings he is in charge of making and cleaning up coffee for everyone. He also assists on Friday night's with what ever task needs to be done. Whether it is in the setting up or cleaning up, Judah is always right there willing to assist. But the one thing that really tugged on my heart string was this last Sunday. After Judah had already made coffee, gotten his cup, and sat down, he immediately got up when Frank, who is in a wheel chair, came in, in order to poor Frank a cup a coffee. And then, without any mention, about fifteen minutes later, noticing that Frank had finished his coffee, Judah got up and poured him another cup. I was just amazed and humbled by the amount of willingness that Judah had to serve another person in such a simple way. Because of that, and through speaking with other volunteers, Judah is going to begin receiving some help with his speech each week with a volunteer who is also a professional speech therapist. We have also decided, that because of his heart, willingness to serve, and abilities that God has placed within him, Judah is now not only going to be considered a "participant," but he is now going to be considered a "assistant volunteer." Judah is truly an amazing person, a blessing to be around, and an absolute asset to the disABILITIES Ministry.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2010-01-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

It really is hard to believe that it has been ten years since the y2k dilemma, and even more so, that another year has past. The one thing however that truly hit me over this Christmas Season was how much I truly missed seeing and being around our Special Friends. That is because Christmas and New Years landed on a Friday Night, we didn't meet. And then because the church office was closed between Christmas and New Years, our Tuesday Night group didn't meet either. The nail that then drove it really in, was that because I had a wedding to attend in Vegas on the Sunday after Christmas, I missed the Sunday Morning Study as well. Now, the volunteer team we have is amazing and everything last Sunday was covered. I also did have the chance to visit another church, but really, when I consider that there is no place like home, being away from my church family at Crossroads and away from our Special Friends within the ministry, my heart ached and longed for when I would return. I think it was about Tuesday or Wednesday then when I really began counting down the days until I would see them. Two weeks doesn't seem to be that long of a time span until you realize just how important the people and the relationships that God has truly allowed you to have are. I am blessed beyond measure within the ministry and am so thankful that today was the day that I was able to be back home and around these wonderful people. My only longing now, is to see all the beautiful faces on Tuesday Night and then on Friday Night. A vacation is sometimes nice and necessary, but being connected is really what keeps me grounded and keeps me going. And so in this time away, experiencing the absence of all of our participants has truly caused my heart to grow even fonder and miss everything about who they are . . . their innocence, their smiles, and the amount of unconditional love that they each have and unconditionally share with those around them-:))

Tis the Season

2009-12-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

There are many things that I love about the Christmas Season, but one thing that has grown to be one of my favorites is seeing how God moves within the Christmas Events within our disABILITY Ministry. For instance, this last Friday Night our Friday Night Live Bible Study performed their rendition of the Nativity Scene for the Impact Ministry. And WOW!!!! Was it amazing. With only a few weeks of practice and minimal planning for costumes, I have to admit, many of us were over the top nervous with how it was all going to go. Boy did God put us all in check with our lack of faith here. God moved from beginning to end. Pastor Tim Booher who heads up the Impact Ministry began by introducing me, and then I had the privilege to thank Impact for their love towards our guys and then introduce, Sharon, who was to be our volunteer director for this skit. As Sharon began introducing each segment of people, as they were walking up the audience began to clap. I was thrilled. And then, as if it couldn't get any better, after ever person said his or her line, the audience clapped, whistled, and shouted out with love, encouragement, and support for our guys. And it didn't even end there, once the skit was complete and all of our participants had taken a bow and began exiting the stage, the audience stood, giving them all a standing ovations. My heart was so touched in that moment that it took all I had to hold back the tears, and as we all made our way back into our room to begin our study, the over powering emotions of our participants with enjoying themselves so much, wanted to go back out and perform it again. The night from beginning to end was nothing but God filled and Holy Spirit led.
Now, one might think that just that would make the weekend great. And yes, everything about it was great. However, we still had a Dinner and Dance to make our way through for many more of our participants on Saturday evening. The volunteer team that stepped up to make this happen was more than what I could ever ask for. I am just so grateful to be surrounded by such amazing people. And although there were several glitches, none of us were going to allow it to ruin the day or the event. For example, our regular Volunteer Santa Claus ended up with the flu on Saturday morning and had to cancel. But God being so good, provided us with another Volunteer who willingly accepted the position. And then, as the rain was coming down, myself and Sharon were getting ready to head out to go and purchase all of the food which other volunteers were going to prepare. Now this would not have been so challenging had I not backed up in a not so perfect way and therefore remove my passenger side front bumper. I mean, this was truly a bummer. But what was I going to do. The bumper was gone, my passenger side door unable to open, and the clock was still ticking, we still needed to get the food, and the event was still going to begin on time. So not allowing this to ruin the day, we happily carried on, thanking God for every passing moment. The tech area had a few glitches, but me know a bit about tech and having God in my corner, was able to get that all working. All of this happening while other volunteers were diligently decorating the Plex, setting up Puppets, and making room F look like an amazing Winter Wonderland, and room G transformed into a portrait studio for pictures with Santa. It was amazing!!!!!!! And as everyone arrived, they were greeted by volunteers, and then moved into room G, greeted by a couple of elves in order to get their picture with Santa, then steered into room F in order to experience the amazing Winter Wonderland Scene, while being surrounded by Christmas Trees, Snow, Snowman, Stockings, and much more. Upon existing room F, they were then greeted by a couple other volunteers where they received a hot cup of cocoa and escorted to a seat. Once all this was finished, an amazing Chicken Dinner was served, and after Dinner, and amazing Puppet Show performed, and then by about 7:15, the Music and Dancing began and went until about 9:00 pm. I mean WOW!!!! What an evening, and then by about 9:30 or so the room was cleared out and everyone who came to experience the evening was headed home. At this time though, there was still so much to do. We still had to now, Clean Up!!!! And what an adventure that was. It was still raining cats and dogs outside and the wind was howling, and between about 9:45 and 10:30, the power went out about four times, and on the last one, it stayed out. Therefore, we had to complete the clean up process in the dark using only our cell phones as flash lights. In the end though, although many of us were just overly exhausted, we were all filled also with an abundance amount of joy.
Sunday then proved to be an even more amazing day as many of us, although still tired, came to church to hear a GREAT message on "Miracles". And I don't believe that any one of us who took part in the events on Friday Evening or on Saturday within the disABILITIES Ministry was anything less than wonderful little Miracles that God seems to always work and do within our midst while we are serving these wonderful joyous people!!!!

The Perfect Storm

2009-11-30T10:20:00.001-08:00

Does anyone ever feel like Murphy has taken over and anything that could happen does happen, and it all seems to happen at once. Well, that is what yesterday morning felt like. We are always saying to expected the unexpected and if it could happen, it probably will. That I would say describes what our experience was yesterday in our Sunday Servants Bible Study. It began really like any other Sunday morning. I arrived in the class to be greeted by some of our guys, such as Melvin, Gene, Debbie, Gary, and many others. The coffee was almost ready to be made. That is, Debbie had put the water in in order to help out and so all I had to do was put in the filter, the coffee, and push start. Once the coffee had been made, I refocused my attention onto how many donut holes each participant was taking. We have a limit of two per person. Tina and Sharon had both already arrived in the room and were greeting everyone as well. We then had a new person arrive named Jeremy. He seemed to be quit intimidated by all of the people and so Sharon began speaking with his aunt and introduced me to them both. As we were speaking with them, another one of our participants in a split moment, became ill. It was so all of a sudden and the look on his face was instant fear. He was apologetic and couldn't believe himself what had just happened. Suzy who was sitting next to him although didn't catch much, did catch enough to where we had her take off her jacket. Everyone at his point was amazingly calm and Judah being the person he is, stepped in and began helping with the clean up, and right away, Arturo offered to help as well. It was like some of them although are considered participants, are also amazing volunteers at the same time and willing to do anything to just be of service, even more so than some of the actual volunteers. I then had moved out of the room in order to phone Anthony's care provider and facilities. Things seemed to calm down if only for a moment, because then arrived Andrew, our 17 year old autistic boy. Now, this would not have been such a hectic thing except as I was on the phone speaking with Anthony's care provider, the person Jeremy and his aunt were still at the entrance of the room and so Sharon had refocused her attention on reassuring Jeremy that everything would be ok. And then, within just a blink of an eye, Tina quickly noticed that Andrew had made a bee line into the classroom and quickly made his way to the box of donut holes. She yelled out, "Andrew is at the donuts". Sharon and I both looked over and already Andrew had more donut holes in his mouth than we could count. I mean "WOW"!!!! Another intense moment. Sharon without even thinking, quickly ran over to Andrew and grabbing him by his sweatshirt, was able to pull him away from the donuts and get him back out into the plex. At that point, my phone conversation with Anthony's care provider had finally ended, I was able to phone facilities to come and help finish cleaning what we were unable to, and Sharon and I then were able to completely focus our attention on Andrew. It was probably about 9:30 by this time and all of this had taken place within maybe about 10 minutes. It was a pretty crazy morning but all in all, Anthony was picked up by his care provider and taken home to rest, the mess was cleaned, the bible lesson taught to the rest of the class, and Sharon and I had a pretty surprising easy rest of the time with Andrew. Now, after reading all of this, some might wonder how it is we do what we do and completely enjoy it all from start to finish. Well, for me it is easy, Jesus said that anything we do for the least of these you did for me, and anything that you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me. Now, the one thing that I believe many get confused about, is the context of what the "least" means. We do not in any way consider our guys to be even remotely less than any one of us. We are completely equal with them. We all just have different abilities. Therefore, they are much like children in the since that as a child is unable to independently care for themselves, so are our guys, and because of that, it is our responsibility to do for them as we would for a child. And when we seek to serve, we are blessed, because in the grand scheme of things, when we give and when we serve unselfishly, even in the midst of challenges such as these, we are doing it all ultimately for the Lord, and that I believe is what keeps us coming back. The smiles, the joy, and the blessings that Christ allows us to have in season and out of season, in the good times, and even while in the midst of the "Perfect Storm".

Giving Thanks

2009-11-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

One of the many blessings that I have received from the lives of the people within the disABILITY Ministry is their natural ability to continuously find happiness and joy in all things, and it just warms my heart each and every time I am around them. For example, it was about two and a half years ago that myself and about five volunteers decided to begin a Friday Night Live Bible Study, and I remember in the beginning stages of it, aside from us, we would have about 3-4 participants, and sometimes 5 or 6 if we were lucky. But I also remember the commitment that everyone had to seeing how God would move within the group and within the lives of the people who came. And now today to see the group averaging about twenty participants, about eight volunteers, and the passion that each person has for God and for one another warms my heart beyond measure. And when I think about how we can't out give God, I also think about how God values and uses each and ever person for His glory and this last Friday night was no different. It was the Friday before Thanksgiving and because we all decided to take the Friday after Thanksgiving off, we planned on having a Friday Night Live Thanksgiving Feast. A time where we would worship God, share in a meal with one another in community, and give thanks for everything that Christ has done and is doing within our individual lives and within the group as a whole. What an amazing time we all had. It was a pot luck meal where I was to bring the turkey and ham, and everyone else would bring the sides. This was an interesting experience for me in that because of circumstances, I ended up cooking two turkeys back to back on the Thursday before, and then heating up the ham about 2 hours before on Friday, and although it was work and required hours of my time, the moment I walked into room G in the plex with the food, I knew the presence of God was in the room. And then as people began arriving, Betty with green bean casserole and corn, Tina and Maria's group with mash potatoes, Trevor with rolls, Anthony with more corn, and Sharon and Rickie with the pies, we were definitely going to have a feast. And just one of the beauties of how this evening came together, was although some forgot to bring their food, and others did not know to bring some, there was more than enough to go around. But the biggest blessing of all, was that as there was plenty for all of us, the participants also brought bags of food in order to donate to the food pantry at Crossroads so that not only could the group experience the blessings of God, but so that they could be a blessing as well. And that is just what these folks are all about, from the Tuesday night, to the Friday night, to the Sunday morning, they might not have much to give according the standards of the world, but what they do have, they give, and what they give, goes beyond measure and God not only blesses them, but he moves through them so that they can experience what it means to also be a blessing to others, and for me to be able to see and experience just a fraction of that, I give thanks.

An Accessible Church Presents to Persons with disABILITIES an Accessible God!

2009-11-03T11:01:00.001-08:00

I was reading an article yesterday evening that really placed a new perspective on how I view church, God, and people with disabilities. The article opened up with a question that stated, "do you have many disabled persons attending your church? If not, why not?" After meditating upon this question and how I would answer it, I began to broaden my scope of thinking beyond just the walls of Crossroads and think about the church in general. And what I began thinking was how affective are we as a church reaching and ministering to people with disabilities and how that is translated into whether God is or is not accessible. I mean, yes, Crossroads as a whole has truly embraced the importance of accepting people with all forms of disabilities and really making it a place for all people to come. Unfortunately, that is not the norm. Most churches do not have an interpreter for the deaf, or a braille bible for the blind, or a class for the developmentally challenged. All they typically will have is a few parking spaces and if it is a new building, a larger bathroom stall. But as I read this article, it presented me with the two extremes that have gone from the Old Testament to the New Testament with regard to attitude regarding disabilities. For example Lev 21:17-23 displaying exclusion while Jesus in Luke 14:12 reminding us of the importance of inclusion. So when considering the church at large, what attitude or what position ought we embrace. Well, of coarse for many of us we would say inclusion - but when we see a person with any form of a disability and we choose to do nothing or nothing more, then which one have we truly taken? You see, as this article presented to me, the amount of accessibility that a church provides for the disabled will often times be translated into how accessible God is. The writer of this article then ended with this statement, which caused me to think a little differently: "persons with disabilities have a lot to teach able-bodied persons about living their faith. Many of us have overcome lifelong obstacles that most of you will only face in the final few years of your life. God makes his presence known through his church. He makes his church's presence known through his people; all his people! An accessible church presents to persons with disabilities an accessible God." So my prayer is that we never take on the attitude that what we are doing is enough - let's continue to pray and have a longing to do more in order to love more and reach more, all for the sake and the glory of Jesus Christ!!!!

Down Syndrome, Society, and the Heart of God

2009-10-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks I have been doing a lot of reading about disabilities, the church, and how we can become more effective at reaching out to not only the people who have a disability, but to also their families and the people close to them as well. Through the coarse of my reading however my heart has become deeply saddened as I have read about the statistics of what is happening within the arena of Down Syndrome. According to the National Down Syndrome Society there are over 400,000 people living with Down Syndrome. Unfortunately now because woman are able to have a test done to determine whether or not their unborn child will have Down Syndrome, 90% who test positive are choosing to abort. This statistic just broke my heart in that as I already believe abortion to be absolutely wrong, doing so because the unborn child is seen as less than perfect because of a test that suggests him or her as such is a tragedy. It causes me to reflect on people within our ministry such as Arturo, Mike, Trevor, Calano, Laura, or Debbie, all whom have Down Syndrome but also have amazing personalities and are filled with an over abundance amount of love and joy. They bring so much blessings to the ministry that I couldn't imagine them not being here. So my prayer is that God will reveal to me His Will and the direction He would have for me, the ministry, and our church, with regard to what is happening within our society and the unborn children with Down Syndrome. We as Christians who represent the voice of God, need to advocate for them, so that rather than being seen as a burden or a tragedy, they will each be seen as a blessing whose value is no less than any other unborn child. I mean, just look at the faces below - they are priceless and truly have and display the heart of God.

The Blessings that come from Serving

2009-10-19T10:50:00.001-07:00

One of the most important aspects regarding people who have any form of a disability is that they are a person first. They, just like any one of us have been created in the image of God and are of no less value than any one else. Unfortunately, so many elements within our society is causing an inequality for people who are affected with a disability. But for us as Christians, and us as a Church, we are not to fall into or even step remotely into this arena of inequality. We are to see all people as being valued by God, created by God, and specifically made for a purpose. And when we look at the Bible and what Jesus had to say about how we are to treat people with disabilities, I was reminded of Luke 14:12-14 where Jesus said the following, "when you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blinds, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous".

Wow!!! Jesus really knows how to hit at the heart of what matters. It is so easy for any of us to be drawn towards only doing for or hanging out with those that we are most comfortable and know how to communicate with. But taking the time to get to know and hang out with those who may not have much, as the world defines much, and hang out and get to know them, the blessings are endless. They more often times than not give more than what I could have ever imagined, and I would even go so far as to say that most people who volunteer or have volunteered within the disability ministry at Crossroads feel the same way.

In fact, just yesterday, I and a key volunteer, Sharon Bautista, were able to spend time with the autistic boy that we were with the previous week. Only this time we were able to have him in the plex. The beauty of this time however, was that four people from Generate, who are also volunteering on the concierge team came and volunteered as well. Therefore, we had 3 girls in the classroom assisting within our 2 classes, and the one male, assisting Sharon and I in the plex with the autistic boy. What a blessing, to not only be able to give unselfishly of ourselves, but to have a few new people come in and not only give of their time as well, but to fall in love with it so much, that they all said that they would be back next week to help again. That is the kind of blessings that many of us have received within the disability ministry. Where we receive so much more than what we are able to give, and can't help but have desire to come back and serve again!!

One of God's Special Friends

2009-10-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I love about Crossroads is the extra distance that people will go and do in order to serve others. This past Sunday was one of those moments, where I had the privilege to be a part of it. I, and a key volunteer, Sharon Bautista, had gone to introduce ourselves to a mother of a 17 year old autistic boy, who often times hasn't been able to fully enjoy the Sunday Service because of having to tend to her son. But on this particular day, after introducing ourselves, we offered to stay with her son so that she could quietly enjoy service. This experience although challenging for us, I know from her response, blessed her abundantly, as well as the two of us. And it is definitely in moments like these, where we are truly able to see, feel, and experience God's unconditional love for all people.

Calendar

2009-10-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Blessings are meant to be shared, and here in the disABILITIES Ministry, blessings just seem to come regularly. Therefore, in order to help keep everyone up to date as to what is happening within the ministry, i have added a calendar link to the right with everything going on over the next few months. So if anyone would like to come and volunteer for any of these events, please just shoot me a message or email letting me know. The volunteer door is always open and we would love to be able to share in the blessings that so many of us are already receiving.

Friday Night Live

2009-10-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am forever amazed by the amount of love that comes from within our Friday Night Live disABILITIES Group. A couple Fridays ago I was out of town, and one of the volunteers, Veda, had a great idea for the group. They decided that rather than be a group who is viewed as taking, they decided that they wanted to be a group that gives. Therefore, they all decided that the following Friday they would all bring in non perishable food for our Food Pantry ministry at Crossroads. When I heard about the idea and the decision, I was thrilled. Then, this last Friday night I was even more thrilled as each person walked in with a bag of food and the excitement that they each had with being able to give. And then, as if it couldn't get any better, they had also decided that out of the donation money that they give to help offset the cost of our Friday night meal, 1 dollar would be taken out, and whatever was collected a gift card would be purchased as well to give to the food ministry. We collected 25 dollars and just today I went to Vons and purchased the card, and now look forward to going in tomorrow morning and bringing in all that the disABILITIES Friday Night Live group gave in order to bless others. God's presence is definitely moving withint this group and I am so thankful to be just a small part of it-:))