crystalrenaud's Xanga

Fight Mad Church Disease

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:03:48 GMT

My dear friend, Anne Jackson is the beginning stages of writing a book. Yes, a book with the working title of Mad Church Disease. Intriguing, huh?

Mad Church Disease will discuss the epidemic of ministry burnout in today's contemporary church. Currently, anonymous surveys are being conducted at MadChurchDisease.com for those who are on any church staff, those who are family of church staff and those who are volunteers in ministry. By analyzing these surveys, as well as conducting interviews with pastors, families and volunteers world-wide, Anne hopes to bring this touchy subject to light using real-life stories of not only tragedy, but redemption and healing for those who have been affected by this disease.

I wouldn't be telling you this if I wasn't 100% in support and passionate about this project. Having personally walked with Anne for several years in ministry and some of those, her hardest times, I couldn't be more proud and excited to see her follow through on the dream of writing this book. A book that will no doubt inspire men and women currently serving in ministry, considering ministry and who have never even stepped foot in the church. God has definitely used Anne and her experiences in my life. I've seen the fall-out. I've seen the burn-out. I've experienced for myself. I know the magnitude of impact this book carries. I look forward to seeing how God uses this book and Anne's story to impact the lives of many.

SO...

How can you help fight Mad Church Disease?

1. Take a survey here.

2. Email all your friends, your staff, your small group and the people you volunteer with to encourage them to take a survey as well.

3. Fight by helping spread the cure! Post a link to the surveys on your blog, myspace or any form of virtual communication of your choosing. You can find graphics with code, etc. here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you will take one or two steps further by participating in the surveys and directing other people like you to MadChurchDisease.com.

If you have any questions at all please let me know.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:55:26 GMT

the more i think about my trip, the more excited i get. the nerves are fading and i am getting PUMPED!! i want to capture as many memories as i can so i have a request for you to help me to do just that.

although i have a digital camera for still-shots with plenty of disk space (1G), i want to be able to film and capture my own video. but alas, i don't have a small, decent video camera. nor can i afford to buy even a crappy one.

i know this a BIG ask... but is there anyone out here who would be willing to loan me their video camera? or do you have friends with connections? perhaps you can repost about this?

even though having a video camera or not having one - won't make or break my trip - i would appreciate any help i can get in hopes of getting one. to be able to capture in real-life motion, this opportunity i may never have again in my life... would be amazing.

if you have a small, decent video camera or able to locate one you'd be willing to let me borrow... contact me ASAP at design@crystalrenaud.com. i will pay for overnight or next-day shipping, etc.

THANKS!!

originally posted at pinkhairedgirl.net
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Thursday, February 08, 2007

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 07:52:40 GMT

originally posted at pinkhairedgirl.net

FUNK

it is 2:30am and i am fighting back tears. just SUPER emotional. and i am not sure where it is all coming from. work has been UBER busy for my department over the last couple weeks so i am hoping my busyness and working late, etc. is contributing to my overly-emotional take on life but it is just strong tonight.

i am a woman and an artist so realistically, i am allowed to be just a hair more dramatic than "normal". all i know is that i don't like this side of dramatic. nope, not at all. not a bit. the sad/angry/frustrated side of dramatic. basically i feel like i am being attacked. which would make sense. God is trying to prepare me for the mission-field and all i am doing is allowing the enemy to distract me with DRAMA. welcome to my life though.

when will i learn that i don't have to be a doormap for drama?

that i don't have to over-analyze everything. that sometimes perfectly, wonderful friendships have off-days. that sometimes people will treat me different than other days. that i will be busier today than others days. that some days i will be granted acknowledgement and affirmation and some days i will be invisible and be given no credit. and that some times, some things are just how they are and i can't change them. and it's ok.

not sure i will ever get there.

thoughts? advice? anything?

---------------------------------------------------

latest random news:

i love diet cranberry limeades from SONIC
i only have $415 left to raise for my mission (out of $3000... wow!)
i am doing a lot better with my sciatica symptoms. i went to my genius chiropractor and started doing pilates again.

i ran across this passage from the book "Captivating" again... it still moves me, no matter how many times i read it. i am reminded that i was created to be a woman and that i am an intentional creation of God. makes me feel pretty darn powerful in a world that makes me feel, at times, powerless.

"She is the crescendo, the final, astonishing work of God. Woman. In one last flourish creation comes to a finish not with Adam, but with Eve. She is the Master's finishing touch...Given the way that creation unfolds, how it builds to ever higher and higher works of art, can there be any doubt that Eve is the crown of creation?" ... "She is God's final touch, his 'piece de resistance.' She fills a place in the world nothing and no one else can fill. Step to a window, ladies, if you can. Better still, find some place with a view. Look out across the earth and say to yourselves, 'The whole, vast world is incomplete without me. Creation reached its zenith in me'." - Captivating, Stasi Eldredge

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Monday, January 08, 2007

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 02:05:49 GMT

this blog has moved

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 09:47:50 GMT

one year after…

January 3, 2006 is has now become January 3, 2007 ... and marks 1 year since we lost Brandon to Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. a milestone. 365 days have past and i am still not the same and i probably never will be. it has been a year of dusting ourselves off. a year of learning to walk strong again. a year of rebuilding. a year of complete change in so many lives. in so many ways.

brandon died just 72 days after i was a bridesmaid in his wedding. and the day of his death is probably the hardest day i’ve lived in my short 22 years. the pain of hearing those words from karen mees on the phone, “crystal, brandon just passed away" … i can hear so clearly even still. it was 12:27pm. i remember beginning to cry uncontrollably on the phone at my desk... and karen asking if i was ok... anne walked out of her office to hold me - knowing right away what i was hearing on the phone without having to ask … pastor jim and pastor dave coming up and holding me too. then sitting on the cold tile floor in the back stairway of the church admin office... to make the calls megan requested. calling sarah… calling jennifer and having to leave the news on her voice-mail ... calling kate… then calling a number of others. leaving work without telling anyone. just going home to grieve. then cleaning up my face so i could head over to meg’s mom’s house. waiting for meg to wake up from a much-needed nap. sitting on the floor with her and our lifegroup. making fun of her ugly dog. sharing our love for brandon and just holding each other. praying. crying. laughing. waiting with her until her parents got back into town. then leaving her in her mother’s arms. a vision i will never forget.

i can’t imagine the pain megan was feeling that day but reliving that time right now just makes me weep … weeping in such a hard, full-bodied way. i haven’t cried in such a way over the loss of my friend since one year ago. but thinking back to those events... it is evident that the pain is so great… even still. still so raw. but through the questions of why, the pain, bitterness, sadness, anger... i can still find joy. joy in knowing he's home with the Father and is no longer in pain. the cancer cannot get him there. it cannot defeat the eternity we have with Christ. and in that i find joy.

miss you friend. you've been gone longer than i knew you on earth but even in that short time you forever changed my life. you changed the lives of everyone you touched. and the impact is still seen. what a legacy and a life lived. i am honored to have known you personally and to have been your friend. thank you for loving megs.... thank you for loving us. we love you. we miss you. later, B.

brandon's eulogy

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Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 08:15:23 GMT

one final move…

i am currently working on one final blog move to a permanent location. as soon as i figure out how to work with it and get everything transferred - i will let you know the offical move date. in the mean time... just stay tuned.

new domain will be - http://www.pinkhairedgirl.net

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Sunday, December 31, 2006

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 07:52:40 GMT

a year in review

January 2006
random vacation to St. Louis for New Year's 2006
my dear friend Brandon died of cancer just 3 days later and is truly missed
went to the young republicans "ball"
went to colorado

February 2006
new life entered the world through the birth of my nephew, Jackson

March 2006
made the move from xanga to typepad and affectionately started referring to myself as pinkhairedgirl
finally saw Cirque Du Soleil when it came through Kansas City
a freak March thunderstorm allowed me to see an actual tornado form in my own backyard - but it never landed.
Anne Jackson left me for another megachurch in texas
booked a flight to Dallas to visit Anne (yes before she moved)

April 2006
my parents went to australia - i had the house to myself for 2 weeks... glorious!
discovered Invisible Children and i haven't been the same since
cadbury creme eggs - enough said

May 2006
visit Anne and Chris in Dallas
got my first tattoo (yes first - i am getting another)

June 2006
revamped my bathroom
we moved to our new church building
moved from typepad to wordpress... yes another blog move
had one hilariously weird dream - i totally forgot about this!!!

August 2006
camp continued
read captivating
my friend's dad ran for ks governor in the primary. didn't win. bummer. next time!!!!!

September 2006
Light the Night Walk for Brandon and other cancer victims and survivors
went on a cruise with jennifer - first real vacation ever!!!
auditioned and made the worship team!

October 2006
saw 4 woodpecker birds
went on strike from blogging because of ragamuffin
first ever video blog
got my macbook pro!!!!
wore fake eyelashes to work

November 2006
got fired up about voting
admitted i am an internet addict
turned 22 years old
anne came up to visit for thanksgiving
adopted a family for christmas (raised over $1000 - WOW!!!)

December 2006
made the incredible out of my comfort zone decision to go to AFRICA!!!
performed in a Charlie Brown Christmas skit
freaking out about raising the $$$$ for Africa
partying it up 2007 style for the new year!!!!

I'm exhausted.
HOW DID YOUR YEAR LOOK?
check back monday for new year's post of my resolutions... goals... etc.

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Saturday, December 30, 2006

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 02:43:30 GMT

Charlie Brown Skit - the video

here's the charlie brown skit we did for christmas services. it isn't our best run through but you'll get the idea. happy new year!!

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 03:50:52 GMT

christmas recap

here's a Christmas video blog as well as a plethora of pictures... i am hoping to have actual video footage of the charlie brown skit some time this week. so... how was your Christmas?

"And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid ... And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord."

"And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men."

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." - Linus

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Saturday, December 23, 2006

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 05:27:30 GMT

just want to say...

oh also - i am singing and am in a Christmas sketch all weekend beginning Saturday night. but i am fighting the beginnings of a cold. although i feel ok and have been doing all i can to lessen the severity of the symptoms - my throat is scratchy. just lift up a prayer that i can bring God my best, be filled with energy and ability and that i would feel well.

thanks and merry Christmas!!!!!!
Crystal

question to stimulate discussion:
Do you think it right to encourage the believability of Santa Claus with children?

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