Funny things.....

I am in a shoe store. I see a cute pair of flats....I ask the lady if I could get them in a 9. When the nine doesn't fit I ask for a 9.5. She then tells me that they only carry up to a size 9. I then continue to look. I pick up another pair ask for a 9. She then states we only carry that in a size 10.

After dropping Brailey off at school my coffee was cold. Not liking it I thought I am just going to dump it out. I roll down my window to attempt to dump it out. Not thinking that I am going 45 mph so now the coffee just blew all over me and everything in the car.

I am leaving a store. The lady calls out to me "Thank you, have a good day." I reply "Yes you too and do come back!"

Get the kids to bed decide that I am going to change out the greenery on top of my cabinets. I get up there and decide to just jump on down instead of using the step stool....That would be way to safe after all....My cargo pocket pants hang on the handle to the cabinets. The cabinet door swings open as I sit suspended in the air. I then fall.....

The thing I am best at is loosing my keys. It is the facts. While driving down the road the other day I go into a panic of where I could have put my keys. I begin to dig through my purse while driving only to find I can't find them. I then check to see if my car door is unlocked...IT IS how did I get in here??? I then realize that I am turning into my driveway and the keys were in it all along....

While walking down an aisle at Wal-Mart I feel something working its way down my pants. Thinking it is a dryer sheet I ignore it. It keeps going down....I look down and on top of my shoe is a pair of my underwear! Ohhh dear!! Dryer sheets just got added to the list.

April Simons is doing a dress rehearsal for her Chik Nite. She asks me to run through her part for her. She comes through a curtain with a rockin' guitar. I am thinking "I so got this". So she goes to the audience to watch. Music starts. I come through curtain with guitar....I bring down the whole piece of the curtain because it got stuck on the guitar!

I just have to laugh at myself. There are never dull moments in my life. I like to call these "Dork moments". What are your dork moments?

Crystal Sparks

One busy week!

My precious baby boy Rylan. For those of you that now us know that this is my bear bear. He is the sweetest, funniest, easy going kid I have ever seen. I don't think that it is just because I am his mommy either....

Since December 1st we have been battling ear infections. He as of this point has been on 6 rounds of antibiotics since then. He literally has gone from one ear infection to another. So our pediatrician finally referred us to a ENT to see about getting tubes. Sure enough he is going to have to get them.

So next Friday we will be in Rockwall getting this procedure done. It is really emotional for me to think about I think because ever since he was born it has been a battle for his health. From getting ill right after birth, almost having to have his tonsils removed to now having to have ear tubes. It is really heart breaking to hear him scream when we walk into a doctor's office.

I know that God is going to do big things in Rylan's life. I know that everything is going to be ok. There is just a part of my heart that is a little sad about him having to go through all of this.

So why am I telling you all of this?

I am telling you because I just want you to be thinking of Bear. Be praying for total healing in his ear, be standing with us that everything is going to go great with this procedure, that there will be all of the good results that we are hoping to happen.

Isn't this the cutest cake ever!

On top of all of this we had a big birthday bash for Mrs. Sue West at our church! It was her 70th birthday party! I must say that it was amazing! She is such an incredible woman of God! She was so surprised!

This is what Patti made for Mrs. Sue

With birthday parties, doctor appointment, and getting back in the swing of school after spring break it has been a pretty busy week!



Crystal

Train up a child in the way......

Have you ever sat and thought about what a precious gift it is that we have children?

How special they are. From the moment I conceived my children I began to pray for them. There are a lot of things that I have and do pray for in their lives. The number one thing is that they come to know the Lord at a young age.

Brailey has always been hungry for the things of God. When worship music is going she really begins to worship the Lord. She has done this since she was about a year. She so feels the presence of the Lord that it really touches mine and Bryan's hearts.

She has been asking a lot of questions about Jesus lately. The other day she asked me "How does Jesus walk mommy?" I told her "With power and authority!!" She smiled from ear to ear and said "WOW I want to walk like that!!" I look back at her and tell her "You will honey!!"

So yesterday morning as I got ready for the day she started asking about how does Jesus wash away our sins? There was a lot of things she wanted to know about with heaven. Bryan and I talked to her about it all. Then we asked her if she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart.

Without any hesitation she exclaimed "YES I LOVE JESUS SO MUCH!!"

I knelt down there on my kitchen floor and began to weep uncontrollably as her little hand was in mine. Bryan had to compose himself before he could lead her in the prayer. It was the most precious moment in my life. Hearing her repeat those words was so precious. After we were done I said "Brailey how do you walk now?" She jumped and screamed "With power and authority!!!"

The word says in

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the

way he should go, and when he is old he won't depart from it.

We use this as a guideline to raise our children. There is such a hunger in their hearts for Jesus and the things of God that just makes me so excited that we are raising up a generation that will impact the world for Jesus. You see from the very beginning Brailey has always been the Lord's she is a gift that God gave us to take care of. There on that kitchen floor she gave herself to the Lord. To be a part of that moment....there is no words to describe it. I always prayed that Bryan and I would get to be there when she prayed that prayer, and God let us be there for it. How thankful I am for that!! I know that she will accomplish great things in her life. There are no limits to what she will accomplish!

Crystal Sparks

Chik Conference 2009

Is this the cutest thing in the whole entire world!!!

To say I am excited about Chik conference is an understatement. I am so superly excited can't stand still jumping up and down kind of excited!!

We finally settled on a theme....

Ohhh yea it is going to be a good ole' fashioned country three day thing girls! We are so excited about all of the fun we will be having!

With speakers like:

Misty Westlund

April Simons

& welll errrr.....me

How can it not be fun?? The Chik Team is working like crazy getting everything ready for lots of "Chik" fun! So you might be asking "How can I be a part of this?"

Well mail $25.00 with all of your information:

name address e-mail phone number. Also if you need childcare

please note that with your child's ages to....

Family Life Church

1400 Loop 301

Sulphur Springs, TX 75482

Conference is June 11-13 spots are filling quickly so reserve your spot today.

If you have any questions comment me and I will back with you on it! I am really excited about conference I hope all of you are too!!

Fight the good fight!

1 Timothy 1:18-19 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

1 Timothy 6: 11-12 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses

Paul is trying to get something across to us in these two verses.....

FIGHT

Life is a fight. Fight for what God wants for you in your life and against what the enemy wants to do to keep you from God's plan.

This week has been a huge fight for me. I guess I have been fighting discouragement a lot this week. Sometimes it is really easy to look at what is going wrong and not what is going right.

Bryan (my hubby) has been youth pastoring for 9 years now. There has been a lot of kids come through our youth group in those 9 years. Each kid that we have had we have loved them like they were one of our own children. We pour into them the whole time they are in youth...then there comes a time where they have to choose what kind of life they are going to live.

For the first time ever we had youth tell us that they didn't want to go to camp this year. That really broke my heart. You see last year we had it prophesied that we would have a youth group of 1,200 youth. Since then our youth have over doubled in size. So when this happened it really broke my heart. On top of all that we have several youth that have just totally walked away from the Lord this year......This breaks both of our hearts.

So long story short we reached out to several youth that said they didn't want to go to camp 4 of them changed their mind and are now going to come. This made me so happy.

I then thought about this verse. You see we are supposed to fight. Paul tells us to never give up. Lay hold of the words that have been spoken. It is all about our faith at these points. We can't give up. The worst thing we can do is lay down and stop. Paul also says the there are ones that have given up and shipwrecked their faith. How true that is those people are all around us all of the time.

About two years ago the Lord had shown me that I had focused too much on the youth and people that walked away from God, and not focusing on the ones that have been changed.

You see I know that all of you are not youth pastor's. You have different problems. Maybe marriage, children, finances, depression, health or whatever it is that you are batteling. I just want to encourage you to FIGHT. Don't ever give up. Don't ever let the enemy make you think that you are not gaining ground. I love what it says in Ephesians "having done all else stand and stand therefore"

Girls you stand in the face of your problems and know that God is on your side you stand and stand tall and watch God do BIG things on your behalf. Don't ever let the enemy make you think what you are doing is for nothing.

You see I know the visions in my heart. I see my husband preaching to hundreds of youth although we only have around 25 right now. I see kids coming up and getting delivered from drugs when my husband prays for them. Even though right now some of our youth are addicted to drugs. I see myself preaching to hundreds of women...even though the biggest I have preached at is around 80 ladies thus far. You see you have to go with the what you see in your heart.

Because on the great side since I have been in ministry I have seen so many youth saved, radically delivered, lives healed, marriages totally restored. So the enemy still has a few. I am just believing God that those kids (who most aren't kids anymore) are going to come back as the protical son did.

Fight girls fight, with everything you have. Your miracle may be closer than you thought. Never give up!! When I look at these pictures I don't just see people I see people that God has changed their lives forever! I know that some of them I am still believing God that their lives will be changed. I just stand on the word & know that they too will be changed it is just a matter of time!

I am a winner!!!

I know this sounds totally silly, but when I first started blogging I couldn't think of why or even who would want to read my blog. I mean really I was never a writer in school. I am sure it is apparent that my grammar isn't always perfect.

So why did I start blogging?

I had asked Joyce Meyer "How do you recommend me getting my name out there to start getting more preaching jobs?"

Her reply to my question "Start blogging. It makes you study and put messages together like you are already at your goal in life. With you doing that people will start reading like you and before you know it you will be getting invites to preach."

So I started.

Now I get sometimes 40 plus hits in a day! That is so amazing! So not only do you precious Chiks read my blog but Laurie Anna gave me this award on top of it all! How much that blesses my heart I can't quiet say! :D

This award (Originally written in the Portuguese language of Isabel at Maison Douce) focuses not on the glory and fanfare of blogging, but in the PROXIMITY to one another through this on-line world. Here's the definition of the award:

"Blogs who receive this award are 'exceedingly charming' say its authors. This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

How sweet is that definition??? That she thought of me really blesses me!

So now for my people that are receiving the award from me:

1. Family Life Church: Even though we don't have a "blog" on our church site my Pastors are the reason that I even have this blog! Stop by our church site listen to the messages and grow in the Lord. If you are looking to make a change in your life this is your best first step!

2. CHIK TEAM: These girls are the reason that Chik is as amazing as it is! How wonderful my life is because each one of them are in it!

3. RuthAnn: She is the most amazing inspiring blogger out there! She is reaching women like no tomorrow, and is so down to earth! From the first time I read her blog I felt like I had known her all my life. Then when she e-mailed me I knew she was my long lost girlfriend! I love you my girlfriend!

4. Carrie: This is a lady that has been through so much in her life. Her love for Jesus radiates everywhere she goes. There are some people it doesn't matter how long it has been since you last saw each other, you just pick right up where you left off! You ROCK girl!

5. Leslie: Even though she is new to the bloggy world she is doing an AMAZING job! Stop over and fall in love with her! She is a mommy of two beautiful babies and she just is real about life!

6. Benny Perez: I met Pastor Benny when at YFN a few years back. The way Pastor Benny ministers and operates in the things of the spirit always stir me up for more of God and push me to grow more in the Lord.

7. Counting your Blessings: Wheather she is writing a word of inspiration or just showing cute pictures of her latest pictures of what she has going on you will always leave her blog with a smile on your face!

8. Patti V: This lady will blow you away with her creativity. She never ceases to amaze me with the things she comes up with and does! She is one of the most out of the box people I have ever met! (I say that in a great way)

So Chiks take a few moments and check out these blogs! You will love love love all of them!

Hope your day is warm and peaceful!

Crystal Sparks

Peace in any time

My most favortist (I know this isn't a "real" word but it is to me) pair of heels...........Awhhh every girl has them! You know the pair that fits just right. The kind that goes with so many outfits.

My favorite heels. They are the brown ones. My dog has chewed half of the bow off. I have worn them so much the gold on the inside is completely rubbed off. The rubber on the bottom of the shoe is completely coming off. I know they look rough but with the right pair of jeans they still got the look!

I love these brown heels

Then there are my new heels. They are cute also and comfort they are ok. But the blisters! Ohhh glory do they ever leave a blister on the toe right by my pinky toe. Hurts so bad!

I was looking in my closet the other day. I was looking at my favorite pair of worn heels and the new. The Lord spoke to my heart to look at

Ephesians 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

The Lord then told me.

There is a peace that I want my children to walk in that never wears out.

You see the children when they were in the wilderness wandered out there for 40 years. They never had to have new clothing or shoes. That no matter what growing their children did the clothes would supernaturally adjust to fit. No matter what weather conditions they were faced with the shoes and clothing never weathered.

Can you imagine 40 years without a new pair of your favorite jeans or shoes! Ohhh glory! That would be kinda tough I must say!

You see girls we are living in times that the world is in distress. It doesn't have to be that way for us. Sure the economy looks bad, sure there are lots of layoffs, and peoples values on their homes are significantly less than ever before. BUT we are children of GOD! Our financial situation doesn't have to be tied to this world it is tied to God's economy. Last time I checked God isn't on a budget with streets paved with gold. The word says that all our needs are met by HIS riches and glory Philippians 4:19

There is a peace when you begin to trust that will come upon your life. You will begin to realize that what you see is only half of the truth. That God is working on your behalf. It doesn't matter what your checkbooks says, because all your needs are met by HIS riches and glory.

Like I always say the word is either true or it isn't. I am going to take God at his word and let His peace come upon me. The peace that never changes, a peace that is constantly being renewed in my life. What about you?

Crystal Sparks

How to know that you are super sleepy!

So with this being Chik week things are always upside down. There is always last minute strings that need fixing. We had conference brochures that came in that were all wrong.

It was a day of just doors being slammed in my face of things not going right.

So I spent the entire morning on Wednesday trying to find a business that could print a large amount of cards at a reasonable price and have them ready by Friday. I did find one...

Thank you Jesus!

So then there was dress rehearsal for Chik Nite which went really well. Youth group that night to get ready for etc. So we had no groceries in our house. After two weeks of not going to the grocery store we had no food. My hubby ever so sweetly looked in the cabinets to see that it was day 6 and still no bread. So after church was over kids were in bed I slipped on some clothes to head to wal-mart with my best friend CD.

I am walking in and I am so sleepy every step is a miracle (have you ever been there?) It was almost 11 p.m. and my body was exhausted from the long long day. So I am walking up to the store when CD starts cracking up laughing. I ask her what is so funny she tells me to look at my feet.....................

It took me a long time. I was like what is so funny about my feet??

Then I realized I had a purple shoe and a brown one........

Ohhh my goodness I just had to laugh! The sad est thing is if she hadn't have said anything I would have never even noticed. I made her take a picture because I wanted to share this with all of you! I know that all of you have had a crazy moment when the day was super long and you just did something not even thinking right?

So....we got the stage set up today for Chik Nite. Can I even begin to tell you how much I love it? No it isn't possible tooo much for words. I can tell you that Saturday will be a post of all of the cute pictures from tomorrow night. BUT don't wait for pictures come out and have a great time 7p.m. Family Life Church 1400 East Loop 301!

At that I am going to get busy on some work for Chik Nite! I love you Chiks!

Peep Peep little Chiks

Getting ready for Chik Nite

So this Chik Nite we wanted to do something to get the word out about Chik Nite this Friday. So we got the great idea of getting Chik peeps and tying them up with bows and putting our Chik info on them and then passing them out in the community!

So 163 boxes of Chik peeps later we are done!

*sigh that is a lot*

There is just something about them that just makes my heart smile! If you got one of these Chik peeps and that is how you got on our blog today welcome! We hope that you are coming to Chik nite Friday!!!

So on to other things that are going on with us Chiks.

We have a new member to our Chik Team! We all feel like she is going to be a great addition to the team. I know that she will bring fresh new ideas and perspective.

Mrs. Patti! Click here to read her blog!

So I got to go preach at High Point Church's M.O.P.S group this week. It was amazing! The Lord really ministered to the ladies there. I preached the message that I am going to be doing at this Chik Nite. I know that God will really move in your heart this Friday!

Along with going to Arlington and preaching and getting ready for Chik nite there is just regular mom stuff. School, cooking cleaning, and ohhhh yea my daughter decided to cut her hair. Not just a little but a lot. It really broke my heart. I told my friend it is one of those things you always say my kid won't do that. Then you walk in the bathroom and see a huge pile of hair. So I am a little sad about that. At the same time it makes me just say "WOW parenting never does have a dull moment does it girls?"

I hope all of you had an amazing weekend!

Crystal Sparks