This Sunday!

The Journey will be setting up a table at all services, to invite new people to come visit Fuel on our next Open House night (May 2nd), and offer information about the group to everyone 18-29 that attends Centerpoint Church. Any Journey members who are available to help out, please do so! Unfortunately, I won't be there because Rex and I are going out of town to celebrate our anniversary. Please let me know by e-mail, or if you are at Fuel tomorrow night, I will be gathering a list of volunteers. I would really appreciate anyone who can help out!

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Rex and I, along with many other Journey members went and saw Ben Stein's "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" after Fuel this evening. It was very interesting and informative. I was quite surprised by much of what I learned. I definitely recommend it to other people. Fair warning: Be prepared to be amazed by the ignorance of many of the people Ben Stein interviewed. One thing I suggest is to not go see it after 9:30, unless you enjoy documentaries! You might accidentally fall asleep, like I almost did. It wasn't that the movie was boring (because it wasn't), there were just some slow spots, and I was exhausted! I honestly enjoyed myself, and it gave many of us something to think about and debate about on the way back to the church (since we all carpooled). Go see the movie! Trust me, you'll be surprised at how "stupid" some of these "intelligent" people are. No joke. You'll have to see it to believe it.

Fuel Focus for this month.........

This month's focus at Fuel, is Where is Your Heart? It's about ways for us to honor God with our money. On April 4, Pastor Shawn's message was about asking "Where is Your Heart". On April 11, the message was about "Tithing- Giving to the Church & it's Servants". To hear these messages, go to www.towardtruth.com and listen to them on our podcast.

Tonight, April 18, Pastor Shawn is speaking about "Budgeting- Keep Track of Your Money". Come join us at 7pm in the Student Ministries Building for worship and Shawn's message. Or you can come early for dinner at 6pm. Childcare is provided. Also, after tonight's service, many Journey members are going to see "Expelled" by Ben Stein, at Edward's Ontario Palace Stadium 22. At tonight's service, we will have more information about what time the movie is showing.

Next Friday, April 25, the message will be about "Generosity- Being Open to the Lord's Leading". We will have a guest speaker- Tunde and his wife Titi, who will be speaking about Tunde and friends, and the mission to Nigeria. Come join us at 7pm and learn more about Tunde, Titi, their group, and how we can all help make a difference!

For additional information about Fuel, or anything about The Journey, visit our website. To read some thoughts and input from some of our Journey leaders, go to http://thejourneyie.blogspot.com. There are new posts frequently, so come by and check our blog out!

I'm graduating!

I just found out yesterday that I am cleared to walk in the graduation ceremony on May 3rd at CBU! My degree doesn't actually post until August, but I get to walk! My name will be announced with the other ADCP graduates! I think they just run down the list of all the graduates alphabetically, but I'm not 100% sure. I don't think they announce the names by educational programs. I guess we'll see, won't we? All Journey members are invited! All or my other friends are invited to! Everyone I love is invited! I expect to see most if not all of you there! I can't believe it! I'm going to be a college graduate! The first one in my immediate family! Yahoo me! Yippee! I can't believe it! I didn't think it was possible this quickly! I thought it was out of my reach for at least 5-10 years. Thanks to Cal Baptist, I was able to do it in two years! Two years! Thanks to Rex for talking me into attending CBU, and for supporting me the entire way. And more than anything, I give my thanks to God for giving me the strength and perseverance to make it through.

We're moved!

Rex and I are in our new place. We're settling in and getting unpacked. It's actually starting to look like we live here!. The only room that is still unorganized, is the dining room. The bedroom is 90% completed, the living room is 95% completed, and the kitchen is 80% completed. We hope to have everything done by this weekend, but we'll see. There are a lot of books and glassware that have to be unpacked. We just have to decide where to put all of those things. It's all a process, but we have to be patient and take our time. If we rush things, we'll hate where we put everything, and have twice as much work to do later. We still need the keys to our front door, screens on our front windows and balcony door, our heater unit in the dining room, the range hood above our stove, and curtains on all our windows. Despite all those things, we still love our new home! We hope to be able to have Journey members over for dinner and host some of the gatherings that we have throughout the year. We can even invite members over after Fuel on Fridays, Remix service on Sundays, and Thru the Bible on Wednesdays. We'll see how things go! The Journey is such a huge part of our lives and we're happy to finally have the opportunity to give back to the group. It truly is a blessing for us to be so close to the church. We look forward to having Journey members visit our home.

Open House at Fuel!

Come one, come all! Tonight, The Journey is holding our monthly Open House, for any and all 18 to 20-somethings in the Inland Empire! Regardless of where your home church is, you are welcome here at Fuel! We are here to offer a supplemental experience to all of our Church family. All new people are welcome, as well as our faithful attendees! Worship starts at 7pm (Childcare is offered), or join us early for dinner at 6pm. We hope to see you there!

Losing my mind!

This whole moving thing is INSANE!!!! We have 90% of our stuff packed, and we're moving TOMORROW!! I will be taking a short break from the packing, by going to Fuel. (Tonight is our Open House, so bring a friend!) Rex isn't feeling well, so he's going to stay home and try to get some packing done. He said he's probably going to have to take a lot of breaks, because he doesn't have a lot of energy. Hopefully, he doesn't overwork himself! After Fuel, I have to come home and help Rex finish packing whatever is left over! yay.........I'll probably be up late, trying to finish everything. The fun part is, everybody that is helping us move will start showing up by 9:30 a.m! So I probably won't get much sleep! Again.........yay.......of course, none of this would have happened, if we had actually started packing things a month ago. Oh well, this is what you get went you put everything off until the last minute.........Procrastinators of the world unite (not really, because we'll never get around to having a meeting)!

Great news!

Rex and I had been looking for an apartment for the past month. We wanted to find a place in either San Bernardino, Colton, or Redlands, so we could be closer to church and Rex's work. We looked at several apartments that were way out of our price range. We didn't give up hope but just kept on looking. We found one in Colton, and applied for a credit check. We weren't approved because Rex is the only one working right now, and our income wasn't 2 1/2 times the rent. So we were bummed, but we kept looking.

We were seriously starting to get discouraged, until our friend Gloria mentioned an apartment she spotted in Colton. Individually, Rex and I went to check it out. We both fell in love with the place. It was being renovated and wasn't completed, but we saw so much potential in the place. With Gloria's prodding, I got the landlord's phone number, and set up a time to meet him. Rex and I prayed about it, and decided we were going to apply for this place, too. So we did, and had to wait a few days.

While we were waiting, we began to get nervous, because the date for us to move out of our current apartment was creeping closer. While we were waiting to hear back about the Colton apartment, we got a tip from Evan about an apartment in Redlands. The rent was way reasonable, especially for a two bedroom apartment. We went by, and checked it out. We liked the layout, so I contacted the landlord and found out he didn't take cats. Again, another disappointment, because we weren't going to get rid of our cat.

Then, I heard back from the landlord of the Colton apartment. He had been trying to get a hold of our current management office. We had to give them permission to give out our information. A couple of days later, we received a call back telling us we were approved! We couldn't believe it! We were so excited, because we loved that apartment the minute we saw it! Of course, when we found out what the move-in was, we became discouraged again. The amount was way more than we could afford on our own, so we knew it was up to God.

God had supplied us the apartment, so we believed that he would provide the funds. It was really hard for us to sit back and just wait for the money to be made available. We prayed, asked all our friends pray, and even asked our Bible Study group to pray that God would provide for us yet again. I think we were starting to feel like we were demanding too much. Of course, we found out that all we had to do was ask. God made the funds available almost immediately! So, I called the landlord and set up a time for us to meet him and give him part of the money. (We plan on giving him the rest of the money when we move in.)

So, we met with the landlord on Monday and signed all the paperwork. We move in on April 5th! That's this Saturday! It's perfect, because we need to be out of our current apartment by the 7th! Anyone who would like to help is more than welcome! We welcome any and all of our friends! God works wonders! I am absolutely amazed! We are truly blessed! One of the best parts about this apartment, is that it's 5 1/2 blocks from the church! We can walk to and from church! We can have more get-togethers for the young adults, and they won't have to travel too far! It's also much closer to Rex's work, so it will no longer take 20 minutes to an hour for him to get there! Praise God!

Last night........

Rex made his debut at Family Stuf!

Every Wednesday, the Children's Department at Centerpoint Church, has Family Stuf, which is a service that lets children (ages 5-12) interact with their parents, and offers different activities and stories. Often times, they also have a drama, which tells a story about their virtue for the week. (This week's was Courage, next week's is Joy, etc....)

Well, about a month ago, Ellie asked Rex if he would be willing to become part of the drama team for Family Stuf. He agreed, and last week, he got his first script. It was a little difficult for him to learn his lines, since they weren't able to have rehearsal on Sunday (Easter). But with a little perseverance, and help from God, he remembered his lines!

His performance was a hit! Everyone loved his character, Herbert. He was so convincing as a 13 yr-old "nerd". He made everyone laugh, and after the service, several people came up to him and told him he did a great job. I was so proud of him! All his years of drama training paid off. I thought he was the best performer up there (but of course I'm a little biased).

Rex will be part of the drama again next week, so if anyone wants to check it out, come by at 6:30. Family Stuf takes place in the main Sanctuary at Centerpoint Church. For more information about Centerpoint Church, Family Stuf, and all other services, go to www.centerpointcolton.com. If you're looking for Journey (Young Adult, ages 18-29) information, you can either link from Centerpoint's website, or you can do directly to www.towardtruth.com.

The Good Friday Service..........

It was a hit! We had 130 adults/teens, and 15 children (2-12)! That's the largest amount of people we've ever had in the High School room in the Student Ministries Building (at least as far as I now). It was the highest attendance for a Journey service, at least. (Our Friday night Fuel Service usually averages about 15 people.)

The set-up went pretty smoothly, since G.P. showed up real early, and started setting up chairs. Rex and I got there fairly early, and started setting up the sound equipment and decorations. Little by little, everyone else started showing up, and we were putting things together. We were doing fine, until people started showing up EARLY! We weren't expecting people until 6:30, and they started showing up around 6! We started running around, trying to finish setting up. We finished as quickly as possible.

Then, more people started showing up. The only problem was, we didn't have the bulletins to hand out as they walked through the door. We greeted everyone, and directed them into the High School room. As soon as we received the bulletins, we made sure everyone was handed one, even the people who had already been seated. Shortly after, things started calming down, and the service started on time!

It was a beautiful service. We basically had a funeral service for Jesus. Andre took on the role of John, and gave the eulogy. It was very moving. The music Jess played was lovely. There were several positive comments made during the service and worship. It all went fairly smoothly. In fact, the service ended early! Fuel NEVER ends early! We're usually run late, or end right on time. It was a nice change of pace to end early. Everyone there seemed to appreciate what the service had to offer. Even Pastor Dane had a lot of positive things to say.

And since we had dessert available, many people stayed around, and had fellowship. Several people went up to different Journey members, and complimented our efforts. They were impressed by how well we ran everything. We hope that the Good Friday Service gives everyone who attended a better idea of what The Journey is, and what our goals are for young adults in the Inland Empire. We hope that they see us in a new light, and that more young adults at Centerpoint Church will want to attend our Journey services and meetings.

For more information about the Journey, and to hear the recording on our podcast, go to www.towardtruth.com.

This Week....

Monday night's St. Patrick's Day party was a blast! We had good food, good friends, and lots of fun! Everyone was in an "Irish" state of mind. I think there was only one or two people who weren't wearing green (party poopers! just kidding!) They were welcome, too. It was nice seeing so many Journey members in the same place, at the same time.

Tuesday night's College Age Group was wonderful. Like we would expect anything less, from Evan and Adda! They are truly a blessing to those who attend those meetings. I look forward to stopping by sometime, to meet any "kids" I don't know yet. It is my duty, as Personal Relationships Liaison, to become acquainted with all Journey members! It's great!

Wednesday night's Thru the Bible went through without a hitch (or so I heard). The only problem was, Kevin (our worship leader) was not feeling well, and couldn't be there to add his special touch to the worship songs. He was dearly missed, and we hope he gets well soon. Pastor Dane's message was educational, as usual.

Tomorrow night: Good Friday Service! The Journey is hosting. It starts at 7pm, in the Student ministries Building. We will be having worship, prayer, and a message from Pastor Shawn. We will be offering childcare, so all you parents can attend! It will be a beautiful service, offered in remembrance of Jesus Christ, and what He sacrificed for us. Everyone is welcome! People of all ages! Come one, come all! We look forward to seeing you.

For more information about The Journey and all our groups or services, feel free to check out our website at www.towardtruth.com.

It's been too long!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've blogged! I've been busy looking for a job, and Rex and I are trying to find an apartment, since our current lease is up next month. So, I've been turning in my resume to everyone I can find, and trying to pack up our apartment all at the same time! So much has happened since I blogged last! Okay, let's see if I remember everything in order.......

I started a new class, which I mentioned in a previous blog: Comparative Religions.

Rex and I joined a new bible study. It's on Thursday nights at Ed and Nancy Boyd's house in Grand Terrace. The nice thing about it, is the fact that we already knew 80% of the people who attend! Some of them are even part of The Journey: Evan and Adda Dahlke (College-Age Leaders), Kat Newhouse (College-Age Group and Fuel attendee), and Kat's boyfriend, Chris Nunez (Fuel Childcare Leader). We enjoyed reading and fellowshipping with everyone who was there.

I discovered that one of the young ladies that used to work with me at The Avenue passed away. We're not exactly sure what happened, but I attended her funeral on Wednesday. Please pray for peace and comfort for her family.

Rex and I applied for an apartment in Colton, and we got denied for the credit check because our income was too low. Please pray that we find the home that God has waiting for us, because we need to be out of this apartment by April 7th.

Rex will soon have a running car! A friend of ours had a 1998 Ford ZX2, that was just sitting in her apartment complex. She needed to have it removed, or her landlord was going to tow it. She told us there were some transmission issues, but we were welcome to it, since she wanted the car to have a loving home, and not be junked. We picked it up Tuesday night, he drove it home, and now we just have to wait to get the pink slip from her on Saturday, so Rex can start getting everything taken care of, and changed over into his name. Praise God that this car was provided for us.......we didn't have to pay for anything, except a new battery and possibly some transmission work! Amen!

I received a call from a marketing company, and I have an interview set up for Monday afternoon! Please pray that everything goes well.

My mother-in-law had yet another surgery on her eye this morning, and she called this afternoon to say that her doctor said everything went well. He's confident that this time, everything should heal normally. Praise God that my mother-in-law has such promising news! Thank you Lord for making everything go as planned!

Rex and I are attending the "I Love You More" workshop at our church, to help us continue to make our marriage stronger, and become more centered around God. I will let everyone know how it went!

We have Fuel as usual tonight, at 7pm. come join us early for dinner at 6pm! Childcare is provided. Pastor Shawn will be continuing this month's series, "What if there is no God?" Join us to see what God will reveal to us, through Shawn's message.

Sunday is Palm Sunday, and I will be setting up an information table at my church, about The Journey. If you have any questions, come by the table, and see me or one of the other volunteers! (We will be announcing the Good Friday Service- for more information about that, go to The Journey's website at www.towardtruth.com).

and just in case I don't make it back on here over the weekend:

Monday night is The Journey's St. Patrick's Day party! Anyone who wishes, come join us at 6pm. It will be in Rialto, at Ellie and C.J. Clark's house. For anybody who doesn't know how to get there, I believe there are directions or a contact number on The Journey's website, as well. If you come by, Don't forget to wear green!