Family Cruise for Mom and Dad's 45th Anniversary

This is the Salarium on the boat. Best place for grown ups to hang out and relax by the pool!

This is the crazy pool where there were masses of craxy people and great music! Very fun!

First stop was Key West then we were off to Cozamel Mexico! Beautiful time to travel!

Royal Carribbean was a great cruise line! We all had such a fun time together!

Freshman Orientation at Mandarin HS

For the first time in over 10 years Student Venture has made its dramatic debut at Mandarin High School to the Freshman class of 2010-2011

The excitement in the cafeteria was incredible! Students from last year's Christian Club came to help represent and are full of faith that this year Student Venture is going to have a big impact!

Just this morning I was reminded that it's not anything we can do by ourselves as Zeph 4:6 says, "Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty"

We not only met several new incoming freshmen, but also parents who are so grateful to hear there are other Christian students with morals and values who will be a positive influence for their kids!

Many of the parents I met were transferring their kids from private Christian or Catholic schools to attend public school for the first time. The fear and concern on their faces was undeniable! I'm so grateful Student Venture is here not only to reach out to the lost kids who have no spiritual influence in their life, but also to help those who do have a relationship with God and want to continue growing in their walk with God!

Our after school meeting will give Christian students an opportunity to lead others to the Lord and be a positive example to their peers. We will have weekly discussion groups for students to interact, share prayer requests and pray for each other. We will create a safe and welcoming environment where they will be accepted and loved unconditionally with the grace and forgiveness that Christ offers all of us!

Please pray for the first day of school, August 23rd, that God leads us to the teacher and classroom where we will be holding our weekly meetings.

First Year in Jacksonville....Happy Anniversary to US!

August 6 was our one year Anniversary since we moved to our home in Jacksonville. We went out to eat to celebrate the night before Steve had to go to Washington DC for business trip. It's been a great year! When I returned from my mission trip to Venezuela in July, I was a little bummed because I had such a wonderful living with and working beside a team of 18 people for 18 days! When I returned, I was a bit lonely since everyone I knew was out and about busy as usual.

But the good news is I have found a women's Bible study that is still meeting every other Tuesday night that I used to meet with last fall. They are doing a Beth Moore study together now. I was with another church ladies group doing the exact same Beth Moore study in the spring but missed the second half because of my travels in June and July. So, this other group is exactly at week 7 where I left off and they are letting me join with them to finish the study together! Yeah! This is meeting such a big need in my life!

Another blessing is a Thursday group of ladies that meet at Panera at 11am. I met with them when I could throughout the year. They have continued to meet over the summer and it's been such a treat to reconnect with them. We have all grown and changed over the year and its such an encouragement to share our highs and lows with each other!

I also found out about a local BSF group starting in September on Wednesday mornings. I plan to join with them to study Isaiah for nine months. Steve is going to take the same BSF class with men on Monday nights. WE will get to study the Word of God and share with each other our thoughts and process things with each other! Yeah!

So, that's the latest with us. We are still renting out our home in Deltona and renting the same place in Mandarin. It's all we can do for now. I wish we could bring our Deltona home up here. We miss it so darn much, but not Deltona!

Jaguar Game live!

Turkey Bowl Outreach

I'm on campuses doing field ministry again. Reaching out to a new school called Mandarin HS in Jacksonville, FL. The kids are awesome and it's been such a God thing to watch them catch the vision each week. They represent at least 4 different churches and already have a heart for God but now they are getting equipped to reach their campus for Christ. Today we did a Turkey Bowl and 12 new kids came and heard the Gospel to add to the 20 that already come every week. A freshman girl named Jessica accepted Christ today. She is pictured here on the left with red hair. Praise God for our new sister in Christ!

Halloween and Wedding

Crazy Candy Lady....had to dress up to pass out candy to make it more fun. Why should kids have all the fun?! We need to make a baby soon cuz I'm going crazy! November 1st I went to Orlando to see my folks and take my mom to a wedding with me. I had to see my friend Karen marry her best friend Tim.

Karen led me to Christ almost 17 years ago. I was starting my senior year at UCF and she just moved to Orlando to work with Campus Crusade for Christ. She shared the 4Laws booklet with me and I accepted Christ on January 12, 1993. She continued to disciple me for months after as she led a Bible study for college girls. We even became roommates for a year back in 1998 before she moved to Paris where she lived and ministered for five years. God answered her prayers for a godly husband! So excited for them both! Such a beautiful family! God's answer to many prayers!

Wednesday Ministry Update

It's been a busy week already and it's only Wednesday. I'm waiting for Michelle Beckman to come over after her meeting with Ken. We all had lunch together at some Italian restuarant today with a SV boardmember named Mike. Great time of sharing!

We have an outreach to the JV Football Team from Bartrum Trails HS later today. We will pick the boys up after practice, yes, all sweaty and smelly from practice (good thing I was a football trainer my senior year of HS so I'm used to the odor). We will go to a students home where pizza, games, and a student testimony will lead into Justin sharing the Gospel to the whole team. I live for this kind of stuff! We typically see 10% of the kids accept Christ who have not heard a clear presentation of the Gospel before. Then we offer a follow up Bible study led by Ken and older students for the whole team to attend every week so they can grow in their faith and understanding of what Christ did for them on the cross.

Please pray for these young men. This is the foundation of our ministry. By reaching the young football players early in thier HS education, we have 4 years to help mold and shape them into the godly men God created them to be. Even though I am not the one discipling them personally, I still have a role in influencing their lives for Christ. The interaction we share at the conferences we go to, the weekly SV meetings, and the pizza pub we go to after is all part of building relationship and showing them what being a Christ follower is all about.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for these young students. If God had not called me to serve here in Jacksonville, I would not be apart of where He is at work in their lives. I trust that God has something big planned for reaching these campuses for His Glory!