Susan and Jason.blogspot.com

Hey Francis Chan, we need to talk!

2010-05-02T16:47:00.001-05:00

Hey Francis Chan, last November my Pastor felt what seems to be what your talking about in this video. Maybe what's happening at Imagine Fellowship and the calling your feeling is something we need to talk about. If you get this message, please go here and send us a message

Scentsy - We Make Perfect Scents!

2010-04-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

Don't forget that Mothers Day is just around the corner!

Get Mom something that not only looks good, but smells good too!

Scentsy - We Make Perfect Scents!

2010-04-05T20:39:00.004-05:00

Via: Cell Phones

My Thoughts On Health Care Reform… :: Perry Noble | Leadership, Vision & Creativity

2010-03-31T09:16:00.000-05:00

This is a great post by Perry Noble

My Thoughts On Health Care Reform… :: Perry Noble | Leadership, Vision & Creativity

Don't Cause Humpty to Fall

2010-03-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

During our last First Sunday Service at Imagine Fellowship, I noticed something that Susan did that made me very proud to be her husband.

As she leaned over to pick something up off the floor, she held her shirt in place. (I shouldn't have to tell you why)

This says a ton about the person and Christian she has become. One thing it said to me was that she values our marriage.

The next thing it said to me, was that she was very conscious about her actions, and made sure that she didn't cause another person to think inappropriately about her or to have an inappropriate thought at all!

As a Christian, all of our actions matter. Sure, we will lose it from time to time and end up looking the fool. That is just human nature. But it still doesn't change the fact that we should always be very aware of how we are conducting ourselves.

Here is some scripture from the Bible to go with this "So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live - for I don't want to cause another believer to stumble" 1 Corinthians 8:10

There is a lot I need to work on in this area of my life. To many times, I let my emotions or decisions not reflect how much I love Jesus Christ.

Where do you need to start?

Glory Through Grief

2010-03-03T20:02:00.003-06:00

"Emilia was in a car accident, she didn't make it"

The day I heard these words I was having as close to a perfect Sunday as anyone could have.

Just three days before this, I had a distinct calling to get up and go help demolish a building that would eventually become Bay Area Fellowships "5 Points Campus"

The voice I heard was very clear, "go help them". I called Susan and told her "your going to think I'm crazy but,,,,". She didn't even flinch. After a few calls, I was able to round up two friends and my Mom graciously pitched in to cover any expenses that would be incurred during this day trip.

Fast forward to the end of this day; of being men and tearing out the guts of a warehouse. My two buddies and I are headed home, fresh on the high of having helped a new church get started. There was a point during this drive that I began to feel at peace about my sisters death from four years back. Little did I know that at the same time my daughter would be killed.

It took about 14 hours for the news of Emilia's death to reach me. To this day I've held a small grudge for not being told sooner. But what I've come to realize is that God was first glorified through His work the day before. He made sure my two friends and I were able to share what He had us do the previous day, then He allowed me to grieve.

Where Are We?

2010-03-01T09:46:00.006-06:00

It's been a while since I updated all of you of whats going on in our life and church where we now serve at.

To recap for those of you who are new to our life, in July 2009 we moved away from College Station, Tx to join an incredible God planted church called Imagine Fellowship in San Antonio, Tx. Since we have moved, we have truly experienced what its like to give all of our life up to God.

First, just to let everyone know, all of us are doing very well. Our health is great, we eat, and all of our bills are paid.

- Today Susan starts a temporary position with USAA. She will be working in the call center, she is both excited and nervous at the same time.

- I continue to stay home with Gabe. The time that I have been allowed to spend with him is a huge blessing. To be able to watch him grow and learn has been an amazing experience.

- Both Victoria and Franny are both doing very well. They both sing in the choir at school. Victoria also participated with a drill team, and she had a lot of fun doing that.

- As a means to supplement our income, we have decided to start selling Scentsy Wickless Candles. We had our first Scentsy Party yesterday and had a great time not only socializing with family and friends, but making a few extra bucks in the process! You can see our web page here.

At Imagine Fellowship, things have been totally flipped upside down in a God way! Last November, Kevin Joyce (he is our Lead Life Changer) came to our congregation and let us know that we will not being doing church as we once were and begin focusing on building intentional relationships.

The transition into doing this has not come without some uncomfortable situations. It has challenged all of us to focus not only on those outside of our church but also on our relationship with God.

To give you a basic overview of what we have been transitioning into since November,

- We now only gather corporately once a month.

- Our Connect Groups gather once a week to discuss our weekly Video Teaching and also to intentionally meet each others needs. Ive had the honor of being a part of this weeks teaching.

- We have developed a One on One process that brings about true authenticity between a mentor and men tee.

- One of the most talked about aspects of our change is that we now gather corporately to perform monthly community service projects. For example, on March 20th, we will be building a home with Habitat for Humanity. If you would like to join us, just click here and sign up!

The toughest part about all of this, is that it is still in transition. But the spiritual growth that we are experiencing is phenomenal. During this time, our marriage has grown and our spiritual walk together has grown leaps and bounds.

As you can tell, God continues to keep things less than dull for us. For those of you who have prayed and continue to pray for us, thank you so much. God never fails to provide for my family.

What Do You Want Me To Do?

2009-09-09T21:21:00.003-05:00

Ever decide to do something that people just don't get?

They may tell you, "wow, that is awesome", but inside they are thinking, "I don't think I could ever do that"

Well, this is what is happening with us right now. Believe it or not, most of the time, were wondering what the heck is going on too!

To those of you who know Susan and I, you already know we have moved to join another church. Yes, thats right, we opened the back door of our former church and walked out.

What you might not know, is that we walked out of our church, out of our jobs, out of our community and smack dab into a situation that only God can pull us through. Even now, we totally rely on God to pull us through each and every day.

Ever wonder where your next dollar is going to come from? Yah, we go through that too (almost every day as a matter of fact). That is when God goes "hey, I got 'yo back". Want to know what happens next? Well you find out how awesome He is when you find your plate still full of food and a freezer stocked to the brim. And no matter how much you eat, no matter how much you drive, you don't run out of food or gas. That is how God operates. He takes care of you, so you can take care of others.

So a question I have for you is "how far are you willing to step out for God?".

Maybe your right where your supposed to be, but if for any reason your wondering, "I think God has more in store for me", maybe it's time for you to start thinking about walking out the back door of your church, your job, and maybe your community.

Maybe its not that extreme. Maybe God just wants you start believing in Him when he tells you that "He has your back".

But be forewarned, extreme moves come with extreme situations. You might find yourself with no money, maybe family and friends who question your moves, and sometimes a lot of stress. (Oh yah, Satan loves it when you stress too. It means your not giving up everything to God)

Here is the beautiful part of making the extreme move, everyone gets to see how powerful God is. They get to see that He is the ultimate provider, and that He doesn't let those who serve Him faithfully down.

So how about it, what if you ask God right now "what do you want me to do?". Trust me, what He has to say is going to blow your mind.

5 Business We Believe In

2009-06-13T09:19:00.007-05:00

Here are five businesses my family believes you personally or your organization can benefit from.

Casey J Fine Properties www.caseyj.com
Don't let the name fool you. Casey J and his team are some of the finest people that Susan and I know. They are ready to sell your home no matter its size or shape. During this struggling economy, our house sold in six week.

Member Hub www.memberhub.com
Co-Founder Matt Harrell, along with his father have created an online group management system that is awesome! While leading two small groups, Member Hub has proven to be the tool needed to keep my groups organized and informed.

Pak Mail www.pakmail.com
Pak Mail is your "one stop shop" when it comes to shipping and receiving. No package or item (ie. car, refridgerator, painting)is to big or small. Need a post office box? Most locations offer one of those too! Big plus is that they use all major carriers to give you the best possible value.

Sales By 5 www.salesby5.com
There is only one reason we believe in this company, and that reason is Nan Palmero. Nan is all about making you a better person and a better business. Personally, he has helped me make some important decisions as my family makes the transition from College Station to San Antonio.

Tasty Trailers www.tastytrailers.com
Tasty Trailers is the brain child of Brien Wiggins. Tasty Trailers is ready to deliver a trailer that you can either sell and serve from during your special event. You can rent these trailers from one day to an entire month!

Shhhh, Stop, Listen

2009-05-31T15:08:00.003-05:00

I had a dream the other night.

Obviously, most dreams are usually pretty weird, and never make sense.

But this time, this dream really shook me.

It totally changed how I felt about everything.

I'm not going to take the time to tell you about it, other than let you know, that I really felt like this dream had meaning. That for once, I finally felt God trying to tell me something.

So why am I bothering to even let you know any of this? Its because its important for all of us to stand still, be quiet and listen. You could be missing an opportunity to hear or see something that God intends for you to take notice of. You may not understand it at first, but trust me, it's going to rock your world.

I Love You, I Really Do (from a church volunteer)

2009-05-28T12:22:00.007-05:00

- Jesus should be the focus of everything

- watching people who are members and regular attenders treat Sunday as a social hour bugs the hell out of me

- get out of my way, I'm here to serve and make sure the lost are treated like royalty.

- why don't more people volunteer? you talk about how much you love your church. well I'm telling you right now, your church should not be going through a recession just because you are. Trust God if you really are a Jesus Freak.

- Just because you don't know how to do something, doesn't mean you shouldn't when asked.

- See that person standing against the wall? Believe it or not, he has never been to your church. Go up to them, say hi, introduce yourself, then walk off. That's all it takes.

- In case you forgot, Jesus should be the focus of everything.

- Stop feeling like you aren't appreciated for what you do. It's not about you.

- Oh yeah, the volunteer thing, see that person standing alone serving coffee or opening a door? They don't want to be standing there alone. But they are standing there because they know they are making a difference to probably that "one person"

- Do you really think the church staff enjoyed taking a pay-cut? Yet, they work harder and smile harder than anyone else. All you have to provide is an hour or two more out of your day.

- Notice I said an 'hour', that's sixty minutes. Not fifteen minutes. Church usually last for an hour, not fifteen.

Your probably thinking I'm talking about you. Yeah, I am, but if you know me, you already know how these things burn me up.

Oh, yes, I'm a church volunteer. Are you? No really, are you serving in your church?

In the end, its all about Jesus, if you do your part, then He can do His by placing souls in front of you who are about to go through a serious life change.

But if you don't do your part, how can we expect Him to do His?

I Love You, I really do, but get off your ass.

God Brought You To Me

2009-05-28T07:01:00.005-05:00

Dear Susan,

God brought you to me, so I could find my way back to Him.

God brought you to me, so that I could make it through the toughest times of my life.

God brought you to me, so that I could experience living life to the fullest.

God brought you to me, so that He could bring an awesome little man into both of our lives.

God brought you to me, so that every morning, I find myself laying next to the most beautiful woman in the world.

Susan, thank you for being such an awesome Godly woman. Thank You for trusting in Him to lead our marriage down the path it should be taking.

These first four years of our marriage have been nothing short of amazing and inspiring.

Happy Anniversary Baby!

I Love You.

Thank You God for Susan!

I Love You.

Why I'm Burning Up!

2009-05-27T07:09:00.010-05:00

What an awesome night last night!

Words cannot express how blessed I feel to be a part of Men on Fire. God has put together a group of men that are awesome!

MoF meets every week on Tuesday, and we never get tired of getting together and worshiping our awesome Lord together.

These are real men with real lives. We share "stuff" that we might not even share with our own family.

Last night was no exception, for the first time, we went beyond the four walls we normally hole ourselves up in, and we did some awesome community service for a woman that is totally deserving of it. Not one man shied away from the work that needed to be done. Gutters had to be cleaned, and land had to be cleared. We were like a finely tuned engine with all cylinders firing perfectly.

Even with all this work, a new guy began meeting with us, and he totally tore it up!

What I am getting at, is that this group of men was totally put together by God. It was a dream that was stored up inside of me. Once I finally got to share this dream with two other, God put the wheels in motion to put the rest together.

I'm going to miss this bunch of fellas when we move, but God has plans for this bunch that outweigh anything I have visioned.

If you live in the Brazos Valley, I encourage you to check out this bunch of men. They will praise God with you when things are awesome, and they will lift you up and encourage you when the shit has hit the fan. I know, Ive seen it. These men are awesome!

Don't know God? Don't worry, you don't need to, to be a part of this bunch of guys. Maybe you just want to be a part of a positive bunch of guys that are doing their damnedest to live life to the fullest, all the while, giving all the glory (good or bad) to God.

Dear @kevinnewman

2009-03-08T16:21:00.004-05:00

Dear Kevin,

Ever since you posted for me to give you some insight, I locked up. I had no idea what to say or do. Because honestly, I felt that whatever I had to say would not be worth your time to hear or read. To me, you seem to just have it all together. To me, your strength and love for Jesus surly outweighed mine. I came to the conclusion that thinking like that was selfish, and that I was only depriving God of what He wanted to say to you and to anyone else who needs to hear this.

I am so sorry you had to lose your daughter the way you did. Nothing pains me more, than to think that someone else has to feel like I do right now.

My daughters name is Ema. She was 15 when she was killed in a car accident, May 10, 2008, in Alvin, Tx. I didn't even learn of her death until the day after it happened.

Where was I when it did happen? I was at a building that was being turned into a church. I was doing work, that only four days earlier, felt called by God to leave and go help with, over 200 miles away from my own home.

She died on a Saturday, that Sunday, I was at my own home church, doing the work that I always do. Work that I love doing. The entire Saturday night before, and the entire Sunday morning, I had no idea she had died. I had no idea, that my ex-wife and two daughters (Franny and Victoria) were feeling the unimaginable pain, of knowing that their oldest sister had died.

As my wife, son and I left church, we had just turned on to the main road when my phone rang. It was my ex-wife, she told me that Ema had been in a car accident, and that "she didn't make it". Thankfully, I wasn't driving, and I started screaming at my wife (Susan) to park the car.

Kevin, at that moment I asked God "why?"

I asked Him why now.

I asked Him "why?", because only just 3 1/2 years earlier, my youngest sister Regina had been killed in a car accident.

I asked Him "why?", because only just that night before on my way back from Corpus Christi, Tx, I had told one of the men with me, that at that very moment, I felt "OK" with my sisters death.

Fast Forward to now. I had no idea how God was already working in the background. How right now, our house is for sale, so we can move to San Antonio, and simply serve at another church (@imaginechurch). I had no idea, that the day he took my daughter to finally live with Him, he was in the background preparing a new relationship I would have with the staff at Imagine Fellowship.

Right now, He has done nothing but create moments in my life where I have to have total faith in Him. Total faith that our home will sell, that we will find jobs, that all of our needs will be taken care of.

Truthfully, I thought I was living a radical life, just because I wore sandals and jeans to church. That was only the tip of the iceberg. The real radicalness happened when He opened up an opportunity for my family to sell everything and follow Him.

Kevin, my daughters death breathed new life into mine. It has strengthened my marriage, and it has strengthened my relationship with my daughters and ex-wife.

By no means has the hurt left, and I don't think it ever will. She was my daughter, and I'm going to miss her and what might have been. She had given me so much to be proud of her about. She was in the JrROTC and had possible aspirations of being in the military. She was growing up, and ready to start driving.

But God has chosen us to walk with Him in a different way. I would not change what has happened or going on. Our life has life has entered a true adventure status now.

Kevin, I know this letter to you really doesn't provide insight, but what I want you to know there is an adventure that God is about to put you on. One that you never thought possible. I am a firm believer that what we perceive as great tragedies are also great possibilities of things to come.

Revolution Church is about to go Whole Nutha Level, because God is going to use you in such an awesome way.

Gary is very blessed to have you there to serve along side him.

Know that someone you don't know, that lives in another town totally has your back, and supports you through prayer.

Jason Arredondo

Were Moving To San Antonio!

2009-02-03T08:00:00.006-06:00

Your reaction to that might be, "WHAT???"

Yes, were moving to San Antonio.

Your question might be, "Why?"

Were moving, because we feel totally led by God to make this decision.

There is a new church plant called Imagine Fellowship, who's Pastor is Keven Joyce. We feel totally led to partner with this church and do whatever is asked of us.

Your next question might be "When are you moving?"

Our target date to be out of College Station is June 1st.

Your next question might be "What about your job?"

We don't have job's lined up in San Antonio at this time. But we know without a shadow of doubt that God already has work lined up for us. Remember, we don't leave until June 1st.

Your next question might be "What about the girls?"

The amount of time I get to spend with them will not change.

Your next question might be "Are you selling the house?"

Yes, by the time you read this, our house will have been on the market since Feb. 2nd.

Now, what we need from you.

We need your support through prayer.

We might need your help in moving too!

To all of our awesome friends in College Station, we love you, and we will miss you.

In Mark 10: 17-21, Jesus tells the rich man to sell everything and follow Him.

While we obviously wont be selling all of our belongings, we will be leaving the comfortable settings that make up our life here in College Station.

We honestly believe this is the next step God intends for us to take in following His awesome son Jesus.

This post isn't written without shedding some tears.

Without God leading us to Brazos Fellowship, we would not be where we are today. God has used all of you Jesus Freaks to point us the direction that we need to go.

Dear Jesus, Merry Christmas

2008-12-22T07:30:00.000-06:00

Dear God,

As I am writing this, I am surrounded and comforted by the family you have blessed me with.

On the other hand, my family is also minus a piece, and that is my daughter Emilia. On May 10th, 2008, you decided that it was her turn to join you in heaven.

I was so scared at first, because I never really knew if she went to you, or if she went to the enemy.

After a lot of discussions with friends, and then finally with Franny, I came to the solid conclusion that she went to be with You.

When you took Emilia, the moments leading up to her death were growing moments that Emilia and I shared. One of the best things is that she and I left nothing unsaid or untouched. I had so much to be proud of about her. She had learned discipline, compassion and allowed me to finally be her father.

You taking her felt like loss, and what I failed to realize at that very moment is that it was your gain, and that is how we should always recognize it.

I guess what I am getting at, is that while you already have your present, I never took the time to wrap it for you. I am sorry for that.

So in front of the whole world, I'm letting you know that my life and my families life is all yours. We will do our part, however it is you ask of us.

Thank You for allowing me to be Emilia's father, and also for allowing me to continue being a husband and father to the family you have blessed me with.

Merry Christmas Jesus.

Our Christmas Dance

2008-12-21T21:26:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

2008-10-25T16:39:00.001-05:00

Wants all concerned parties to know that Gabe will be going on his first date tonight! Shes 21. THATS MY BOY!

--
==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T

Great Weekend

2008-10-23T17:39:00.002-05:00

Man what a great weekend!

First we picked up the girls in Cypress, then headed straight to Seguin to visit and spend the night with my Tia Licha. Ohhhhh she cooked us some awesome enchiladas, and chicken and rice.

We got to spend some really great quality time with her and my cousin Lisa and her two kids.

Once we woke up, we went to IHOP and had an awesome breakfast, then moved on to San Antonio and celebrated my youngest half brothers birthday. His name is Carlos. Guess what we ate??? Yes, more enchiladas! I tell you what, before that weekend, I was craving some great Tex-Mex. The craving was satisfied, needless to say.

That evening we met some great friends that are part of a church plant called Imagine Fellowship. They are such awesome people with a passion to bring people to Christ that is out of this world! Sunday we went to IF and even had dinner with these same awesome Jesus Freaks.

The weekend was full of a lot of driving. But I wouldn't have traded it for anything. As a family, we have not spent that much time together in a very long time, and we needed it.

Thank You God for this awesome weekend!

Emilia's Birthday

2008-10-16T16:43:00.004-05:00

This Sunday is Emilia's birthday. She would have been 16.

It's still hard to beleive she is gone. I still expect her to come with her sisters when we pick them up from their mother. For all of us, I am not sure we will ever get over her dying and not being around. There is always something that happens that reminds us of her.

Even since that day I received the phone call that she was killed, a lot of good things have been able to come of it. But even so, what I wouldnt give to have another hug from her, and to hear her say "I Love you Daddy".

In our garage, there are four shileds that have been painted on the floor, because of a project she had done for school. I remember when that happened, I wondered how we were going to be able to scrub them off. Now I hope they never disappear. On the door to her room, there is still a post it that says "E.R." (Ema's Room).

Ya we miss her so much.

10,000 Balloons

2008-10-11T07:35:00.001-05:00

This is what the teens at our church did last Wednesday!

Twitter in Plain English

2008-10-08T06:47:00.001-05:00

This is what Susan and Jason get from being on twitter.

2008-10-06T11:11:00.001-05:00

Redbox free MONDAY rental. CHECK OUT WITH COUPON CODE DGM314. Expires at midnight 10-06-08

--
==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T

Bad, Good, and Great Weekend

2008-10-06T06:11:00.002-05:00

Bad weekend = Susan is not feeling good.

Good weekend = Was able to get "off call" for Sunday

Great weekend = Had the whole family together.

The girls were in town. Unfortunately, Susan is not feeling great, but she is getting better.

We had a great time at Abbey Starks birthday party, she is getting so big.

Yesterday I met a church planter from Ames, Iowa. His name is Nate Liston and he is planting a church called Freedom Ridge Church. Great man, very genuine. He is a mans man.

Man, church is getting to be big! The construction at the building was finished last week. The place looks awesome. Looks like staff just needs to get all their furniture in and what not. Man Brazos Fellowship is such an awesome place. So many lives are being changed.

Gabe goes bananas

2008-09-20T21:26:00.001-05:00

Gabe being his usual wild self!!!