Strawberry pickin’ time! June 8, 2008

Hector and I both love strawberries. So, I just had to let you see the amazing strawberries we picked about a week ago. Just about 10 minutes from our house is a strawberry patch. We wanted to go last summer really bad, but kept putting it off. Well, this year we made it a priority, and man was it worth it! The strawberries were so ripe and tasted SO good! Although it was hot, we had fun. We went with our sweet friends Pam and Cliff. After we picked some beautiful berries, we paid for them and got some homemade strawberry ice cream. Wow! The best ice cream I’ve had in a long. It was a perfect way to usher in Summer.

Cruisin’ the Gulf May 29, 2008

Last week we were blessed to be able to go on the Music Boat Cruise 2008. A music cruise has been an annual thing for Casting Crowns and I can’t say I can complain. Although a cruise wouldn’t be the way we would choose to vacation…it is still nice to do! I have learned to enjoy relaxing as I get older and appreciate time to not do anything! And a cruise is the perfect place for that. We left on a Sunday night and drove to Miami on two very packed buses. We arrived in Miami in time for us all to hit Denny’s for breakfast and then head to the port to board the boat. We were grateful for the special treatment as we were “with the band” and were able to speed through check-in and get to our room rather quickly. We left Miami around 4:30 p.m. and sailed to Key West. That night we met up with some friends…the guys from Leeland and our production manager and good friend Chris. It was SO nice to know we had the cruise to look forward to after the tour was over. Hector, Mike and Jake (from Leeland) searched the boat from one end to the other looking for a place to play soccer. Much to their dismay their wasn’t anywhere.

We spent Tuesday just hanging on the boat. We weren’t too interested in Key West so we laid by the pool for a little while and ROASTED! Oh my goodness it was hot! Casting Crowns only had to play on Tuesday, which was really nice. So, the rest of the day they had sound check and played two concerts. For those of you who have been on a cruise there is always a formal night at dinner. Well, Tuesday happened to be that night and the guys weren’t able to eat in the dining room because of the show. That left Amanda (Chris’ wife) and I to eat dinner together…and that we did. Don’t feel bad for the guys though…they were served steak in a private dining room. After dinner we watched their show (as if we’d never seen it).

Wednesday was Hector and I’s anniversary and our day in Mexico. We visited an ecological park…Xcaret…which was fun. All the music industry guests were invited to a resort for a free lunch and use of all the pools and beach. We were able to have some time together at the park and also spend some time at the resort.

The big draw to the park was that they had underground rivers that you could swim through. So, that was our big activity for the day. It was really awesome and kinda creepy at the same time. Later that night we ate dinner at a great place in the park. It was a rather pricey but good Mexican buffet. Hector was in heaven!

After dinner we watched a Mexican horse show for a few minutes before heading back to the boat. It was so nice to take a shower that night and feel clean after a hot, sticky day on the beach. I must say it was a good anniversary…expensive but good!

Thursday was a “fun day at sea.” We laid by the pool for a while and watched a few concerts throughout the day. I actually took about an hour and listened to Candace Cameron Bure (D.J. from Full House) talk about being a godly wife. She was great! Kinda strange to see her grown up and talk about her husband and three kids. God is using her platform in a huge way!

Well, that about sums up our trip. Not too eventful, but very relaxing!  It is always strange being on a boat with about 2,000 people who love Christian music and paid to be on the boat so they could “hang out” with the artists. We were sensitive to that, but appreciative of our time together! It was a great chance to hang out with some friends we may not see for a while also. I guess it feels like the tour is officially over now. Kinda sad!

Family Vacation at the beach May 25, 2008

I know it’s been a while since we have blogged and for that I apologize! We have been gone for about two weeks enjoying our time off!! After relaxing for about a week at home we re-packed our suitcases and headed to Tybee Island, GA for a week vacation with my family.

My parents rented a condo on the beach for the week and my brothers met us there with their families. I had been looking forward to this for quite some time. We arrived in Tybee around 5 p.m. on a Saturday night. We stayed through the next Saturday. The week was filled with lots of laying by the pool and the beach, reading, eating, playing the Wii and playing with my niece Abbie. She is the only child in the family so far, so you can imagine how bored she was from time to time. We tried to keep her busy with coloring, puzzles and swimming of course. She was a good sport!

It was a great week as we don’t get to see my brothers very much because they live in Florida. Holidays are more complicated these days, so we often miss each other for them also. The condo we rented was perfect! Every couple had their own bedroom and bathroom, it had a huge living room and kitchen, two great porches, and a small private pool. It was just across the street from the beach, so it was low maintenance to make the trip to the beach. It was so nice to have no agenda and be able to read and lay in the sun as much as I wanted. The guys played golf twice; once Hector tagged along for some comic relief. (He’s not a golfer for those of you who don’t know). We also drove into Savannah a couple times for dinner. It was beautiful! We ate lots of good seafood and enjoyed just being together. I’m so thankful for the time we had together and look forward to doing it again! Check out our photos page for more pictures of the trip.

Bittersweet Ending May 2, 2008

So, it’s our last weekend of the tour. I have said it a hundred times, but this weekend is bittersweet! Bitter because Hector and I have made so many good friendships, and sweet because we are ready for some time off and the beach! As I think back over this tour, I cannot even begin to count the many ways I have been blessed and the fun I have had. Yes, there have been hard days, but overall it’s been a great experience and so much fun. I could name all the crew members and how they have been encouraging, helpful, and just fun…but it would take forever. They have been incredible. Not to mention my wonderful husband who has supported and loved me every step of the way; patient with my rantings and understanding of my responsibilities. I will forever be grateful for this time with him and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world!

Well, my real reason for writing is that not only is this weekend hard because we are parting ways with great friends, but it is also my last weekend on the road with Casting Crowns…for now. I realized I had not shared that with many of you. After praying and seeking God on this summer, I have decided He is calling me to stay home. I will admit this was a hard decision and an even harder reality as it approaches. My time with the band has been rewarding, challenging, exciting, fulfilling, and an absolute privilege! I believe God is calling me to this for several reasons. I believe it will be best for our crew as we scale back to 4 crew guys to load, set-up, run the show, tear down and load out each show. We are adding some elements to the show this summer that really calls for another multi-skilled crew member. (Skills which I don’t have). However, our two buses are packed FULL. God began laying this on my heart several months ago and challenged me to trust him and to “do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4) Now, let me clarify, this verse is SO tough, but it was so clear, that I just have to proceed on faith and trust He is in control and if I’m supposed to travel again He will make provisions for that. I truly believe by me staying home, the crew will be more effective and the days will run smoother. I have loved my job and working with Melanie! She has been such a blessing by training and teaching me the ways of the road and just giving me the opportunity to be a part of this ministry.

In addition to this challenge, God has also been working on my heart and giving me a desire to be home…home with our student ministry and home with our incredible friends who love and support us. I’m excited to watch God use me in Rome in ways I haven’t been able to be used while traveling. It is refreshing to know God not only calls us to something but he equips us and if we “delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desire of our hearts.” And I believe he changes those desires as he prepares us for what’s next. I’m sorry this is sappy and long, but please be in prayer for us as we finish up and transition into me being home again. Fear still creeps up and clouds my faith, but I continually have to lay it before the Lord and claim His promise to protect and provide my every need. I covet your prayers! Thank you for being such incredible prayer warriors and traveling this wonderful journey with us.

My Bride April 27, 2008

I’m going to apologize for the sappiness of this post up front. I know I could probably just go into the production office where she works diligently all day and give her a little encouragement, but she’s probably busy and those bums whom I will call Chris F. and Jeff C. would probably laugh and ruin a perfectly tender moment. Jerks.

I’ve always been amazed at the person Christy is. For as long as I’ve known her she’s loved the Lord and shown Him to me and others in the way she lives. But, I think that this tour has made me appreciate her all the more. Not only seeing the way she has handled herself in the many frustrations that come in working with a sixty some person tour and all their demands, but even watching people share a laugh with her because she’s so easy to get along with. I was a pretty nervous husband at the beginning of this tour knowing that I wanted to protect her and stand up for her but there would be certain lines I couldn’t cross. To a point, I guess I know now what it’s like to have a wife that works. Gentlemen, my heart goes out to you. But again, God has proven himself faithful. He loves and cares more about my wife than I do. After all, she’s His bride first. Through prayer, circumstances, His Word and His people I’ve been reaffirmed that she’s the right woman for the job. I’ve said before that I wish I could just bottle up all the compliments that people have come up to me and said about her. I can go on, but to sum it up, I’m proud to have Christy as my bride and as my best friend. It doesn’t hurt that she’s freaking hot too. I love you baby!

Sad reminder April 27, 2008

This will be short, but I want to encourage you to visit this blog. I spent about an hour today reading the story of Todd and Angie’s (Todd sings in Selah) sweet baby girl that only lived about 2 1/2 hours. It was a precious reminder to be thankful for the life God has given me. Angie is a great writer…mainly because she’s real and writes from her heart. If you have some time, go to the link to read the beginning of the story and then read through her journey with her family and the Lord! We met them a couple years ago at the Dove awards and sat in front of them 2 years in a row. I was struck by her authenticity from the moment I met her. I believe God will bless and challenge you if you take the time to read through this. I know God has blessed her for her transparency and vulnerability for the cause of Christ! Be sure you have some tissues nearby.

All the extra work payed off… April 24, 2008

Well, I must agree with Hector’s blog and compliment him on his creativity. I could never write with such wit and humor. I just wanted to show off the fruits of our labor (above picture.) Our beautiful pink dogwood is now in full bloom standing proudly in our front yard. Although putting garbage bags over its limbs for 3 nights was annoying, I think it did help to protect those precious pink flowers. We planted this tree last year and it was finished blooming already so to see it bloom this year was exciting. We didn’t want to take any chances on the blooms freezing. Ok, so I’m thinking maybe you are sick of hearing about our gardening adventures. Thanks for reading anyway. It truly is exciting to come home each week and see what new plant is blooming. We have been blessed with a great spring so far.

Tonight we are in Ames, IA…the first of five shows in a row this week. Please pray for us! The guys are coming off GMA week…which equates to exhaustion…and now having to run into a 5 day week. We rarely ever do this many shows in a row. As you can imagine, five, 17 or 18 hour days in a row is enough to kill you…or at least me! Please pray that the Lord will sustain our energy and help us maintain good attitudes. (By the way…if you haven’t heard, Casting Crowns was blessed to win quite a few awards at the Dove’s last night. They are thankful and had a good time.)

You will probably hear from us again this weekend. Thanks for reading!

Spring is here!…wait..no it’s not…YES!…oh no…now? April 14, 2008

You know…I love Winter. Once that cold crisp breeze first whips in, I know that Christmas is right around the corner. I feel like a child again just counting down the days. There’s only one problem with getting that joyous holiday cheer. IT’S STINKING APRIL! Maybe you Georgians can explain this phenomenon to me. Does Winter have it out for Spring? Did the beautiful blossoms of Spring do something to offend winter? Did Spring say something about Winter’s Mom? I don’t understand. I overheard two Robins talking today in the yard and one of them was so mad he said he’s moving down to Florida permanently because Georgia can’t make up it’s mind. He used a few choice words that I can’t say because I love Jesus, but you get the point. Along with all the frustrations of getting ready for spring and then forgetting spring was coming at all, we’ve developed a kind of tradition here at the Cervantes household. To begin, we go out to Lowe’s or Home Depot and purchase many flowers and all sorts of yard decor until our little hearts are content, then, for the next 2 or 3 days we dig, plant and mulch all over the front and back yard, THEN, we watch them die quickly and painfully within a week or so! What fun! We opted to do this routine over flushing our money down the toilet or throwing money to the wind although the decision was hard. All are quite enticing as I’m sure you all agree. Anyway, I think you get the point. I’m done with winter. Winter, if you’re reading this, please, don’t be selfish. Give spring a chance. We’d love to have you back around Thanksgiving, but for now I think it’s time you were on your way. No offense.

Extra “stuff” April 12, 2008

So, I found out Tuesday of this week that our Tour Manager (my boss) Denny wouldn’t be going out with us this weekend because he had some health issues and had to spend some time in the hospital. He is ok, but the doctors felt it necessary for him to not travel. What does that mean for me? I thought…it would be easy and like normal…I was wrong. On the contrary…I have had extra things to do to keep me busy all day. I finally got a shower today after my plans were frustrated last night, therefore it has been a good day. My extra responsibilities haven’t been major, but let’s just say I’ll be glad when he’s back with us. I ran the signing line last night so Melanie could settle the show…and I don’t miss that! I like being on the bus…showered with glasses on by the time the band gets on the bus. I guess that means I’m a little spoiled. But hey..my day begins about 3-4 hours before theirs. It’s o.k. if mine ends 30 minutes before theirs. Right? Well, I am anxious to be home and for Denny to be back next weekend!

Texas…again! April 4, 2008

This weekend is going really well. We were in Nacogdoches, TX last night and we are in Austin, TX tonight. We have had nice venues both places, which always makes for a better day. We only had 2 days home last week so it feels like forever since we haven’t been home for very long. I am anxious for this week’s time at home, that’s for sure. Last night we were able to see our former pastor, Glynn, and his wife and some friends for a little while. Visiting with them is always refreshing! We really miss them being in Rome! Then tonight we got to see another former staff member…Moe and Jamie Bomer. We are actually on the University of Texas campus where he serves as the BSU director. They said to say hello to everyone at West Rome Baptist Church by the way! We are so blessed to be able to travel and see people who have moved away.

We have also escaped some bad weather and been blessed with some great weather! Yesterday and today ended up being sunny and in the upper 60s. The guys have continued their soccer tradition. It has evolved into teams and pretty intense competition. I have to admit I am jealous of Hector’s tan. I know he’s Mexican and tans really easy…but still I have to work twice as hard, and he’s getting a jump start. I am glad he gets a chance to play with the guys though!

Well, our production manager sent me these pictures today and I had to share them! We have about 6 kids that travel with the tour every week, so we try to have a “family room” at each venue. This enables them to roll in their case that is filled with toys, diapers, wipes, and a t.v. It transforms even the worst of rooms into a place for the kids to play. This particular day last week…Juan was sucked in by Laurie Berkner’s “Buzz Buzz” song and felt it necessary to sit in the pink princess chair! Priceless! That picture is followed by one of the cutest and sweetest girls in the world! Sweet Lilly….how I love her! (Megan’s daughter.)