" In The Spotlight "

Cruz Casas

Born on May 3, 1948 in Thorndale, TX to Grorio and Lola Ortiz. Sis. Cruz comes from a small family... she has 1 brother and 3 sisters. Her brother is Raymond and her sisters are Teresa, Mary, and Stella. She also has 5 children.. 4 boys and only 1 girl.. Her sons are Jerry, David, Andrew and Victor. Her only daughter is Esther. She also has 7 wonderful grandchildren who she loves so very much!

Sis. Cruz grew up in Thorndale, TX lived there several years.. she worked out in the fields to help support her family... back then it was something that just had to be done to help the family... In 1968 she moved to Dallas, TX... where she has lived here since... she later met her husband. In 1992 she was happily married to Francisco Casas to whom she is now widowed.


" Favorite Memories "

In 1974 Sis. Cruz was invited from Sis. Lucy Gilbert to the First UPC Church in Grand Prairie. She attended this church and also made it her home church... she was involved in teaching Sunday School for the 2-3 year old children. It has been about seven years since she was teaching. She enjoyed every bit of her time spent with the little ones.

" Through the Years "

She is a faithful member of our church and is currently involved in the Outreach ministry, and enjoys the opportunity to witness to others about giving their lives to GOD. She is a witness to others at outreach and has been faithful to her ministry. She is also in charge of our Sunday morning breakfast crew. She cooks and cleans and makes sure that all of our children and our community kids have a good breakfast before sunday school. She is very motherly to all of the children. We appreciate everything she does in our church. She does great works for the Lord... we love you Sis. Cruz!!


Love you guys,
Jessica M. Vazquez

Chicken Mole with Mexican Rice

1 pack of Chicken (Breast, legs, thighs or Whole-cut)

1 Jar of Mole (he always buys "Rogelio" Bueno)

1 Regular Jar of Peanut Butter

3-4 tbsp of Garlic Powder

3-4 tbsp of Onion Powder

Rice (your choice as to how much)

1 small can of Tomato Sauce


Chicken

Boil chicken til chicken meat is tender or falling off of bones, leave boiled water and chicken in pot.

Water should be about 1/2 inch just above the chicken.

Use tablespoon to scoop out Mole and drop scoop in water, Mole should be dissolved by you completely. (Should you find an easier way for this part of having the Mole dissolve, please let me know! I can let him know!)

Use tablespoon to scoop out Peanut Butter. (Peanut Butter dissolves pretty easily, and amount of Peanut Butter is up to you. He usually uses like 3/4 of the Jar)


Rice (you can cook the rice @ the same time you start boiling the chicken)

Take pan add oil then take Rice add your seasoning of choice.
Stir Rice around we want Rice to be "browned" a little.
Pour in tomato sauce - stir
Add water to rice, stir and then let cook for 10-20 minutes (if needed add water)
Rice should be soft when you bite into it

Then serve rice on plate top with chicken Mole!



P.S. My husband Frank (he) shared this recipe with me. He's really the cook of the family and ask those in the family that have tasted it they'll say it's really delicious!

E N J O Y!!!
Sis Jovita

Life at GPUPC

Hello, All!

Hope you all are having a great Monday. I thought I would post some pictures of different things that have been happening around the church this past month. We are a busy people. I found myself on Saturday night trying to remember what I needed to bring for a fundraiser or youth event on Sunday. I think it was the first time in about four months that we didn't have a pre or after-service event. :)

Block Party

Last Saturday was a great block party! Pastor said he thinks it's the best one we have had and I agree. It was wonderful! Thanks for all who came out to minister to the community.
























Upstairs Remodeling

As many of you know, we are out of space upstairs. We started an extensive remodeling project that will give us more room for every class. Thanks to all who have been working so hard!

















Fundraisers

We have had many fundraisers to send out youth to Youth Congress, kids to Camp, and now for the family life center. Whew! Fun at the church....




























As you are getting ready for your kids to go back to school, consider putting in a family devotional time each morning. Our national youth secretary was saying that growing up his family read a chapter of the Bible together each morning before leaving for school. He said by the time he graduated, he had heard the entire Word of God many times.

I am very much enjoying all of the blogs this month. Keep up the good work! "Heels in the Kitchen" has changed to September 1st. More to come....Secret Sisters also coming soon.

Love to all!
Sis. D.

" In The Spotlight "

Hazel Inez Stubblefield

Born on June 7,1921 in Charleston, Texas to Paul and Maggie Slakey. She came from a very small family. She had 2 brothers and 2 sisters.


" Childhood Memories "

On March 17, 1936 her boyfriend named Olen Stubblefield went to her school and said "Let's go get married" and that is what they did without even telling her parents. Her friend from school went and told Hazel's mother that she left school to go get married. When they went back to her house her mother said "you could have at least told us that you were going to get married." They had 2 boys and then when the boys were 14 and 17 they had a daughter.

" Through the Years "

When the boys were very small her husband went into the army and served in WWII. In the early 50's they decided to move to Dallas for better jobs, and in 1953 they moved to Grand Prairie and built them a house. While trying to build their house they were also building the first Pentecostal church in Grand Prairie, They had been having services in a tent.

She worked for Erlangers Sewing Factory, which mainly made mens suits, until her little girl decided to throw a fit and beat her back to the car while trying to drop her off at the babysitters house. So she just went back home and called her job and told them she wouldn't be back. She then started sewing from her home and had several people that she sewed for. She made all of her own clothes and also made all of her daughters clothes, even the coats for winter, until her daughter became a teenager and decided she wanted bought clothes. Then when her granddaughter came along she made alot of her clothes. She has made lots of baby quilts and has given them away for baby shower gifts. She has even had people to want to buy them to save for when they had grandchildren before she got rid of all them and couldn't make anymore. She also served as a church secretary for several years.

She was a very good cook and had the best tea to drink ever. On suday mornings she would get up really early and cook her Sunday Dinner before church. When church was over there would always be someone coming over for dinner. Her boys were always telling their friends they could eat with them and their was always plenty. On Christmas and Thanksgiving if someone at church did not have family to be with they were always invited to dinner. Bro. Craig Warren would come by and bring his own glass just to get a glass of tea. It has been said that when you come thru Sis. Stubblefields back door it would say eat because there was always something sitting their to eat on. Her complaint now is that her daughter can not and will not cook or sew like she did. She was a second generation Pentecostal and now has great grandchildren that are 5th generation Pentecostals. She has 8 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren and one on the way, She has always loved the last one just as much as she did the first one and has helped raise most of them. Wonderful lady, loving and caring to everyone.

Love you guys,
Jessica M. Vazquez

We Are Measured by Gods Pattern

God is a God of formulas and patterns. Everything accomplished in scripture was thru a pattern or a formula designed by God.
Example in the structure of the tabernacle and in today church is also design in a pattern for redemption and salvation today.

The book of Acts is the church of today. The book of Acts is where the church begins and where it stayed. Acts is where God laid out the plan of salvation. It is the complete story of redemption for humanity. The message is still as powerful as when it was written. When God measures me (notice I said God, not my friends) …. I say God Measure me according to the book of acts. The Acts message is not worn out. We are not a book of Mathew Church or a book of Mark Church we are the book of Acts church.
We can’t make it with good singing or good theological education or an organization or with charisma ….
Where are the sons of Levi with the power of unction flowing out of them?
We need to get to the place where we say I don’t care what people say or what you think. I want to be measured by the book of Acts. There is power in the Holy Ghost …We are standing in the greatest hour the apostolic church has ever seen. God is calling people to him. We are anointed by God! I pray God give me a hunger for apostolic anointing.
I thank God for our pastor and his wife they are the measures in my life. We all need a Godly measure influence in our lives. Someone who when you get confused or don’t know which way to go have the authority to direct us. We need to go to them and say measure me... check my prayer life keep me straight. Don’t be afraid of going to them. God has placed them in our lives to guide us. Our pastor is our Sheppard and he will help guide us threw. When you feel like giving up or throwing in the towel get in the word of God and get down on you knees and seek his face. Surround your self with Godly influence. Get involved in your church reach out to the lost souls. There are so many people that are hungry for the book of Acts experience. I have such a heavy burden to spread the good news to people in Grand Prairie.
I must tell people that there is a formula there is a pattern we must follow to get to heaven. We must follow the book of Acts.

Oh God hear us from heaven hear our cry touch our city we are your people crying out in desperation. God measure me….do I witness like I should? God do I Love Like I should? God do I give like I should? My prayer is Lord make me a vessel, Lord a vessel you can use. In Jesus Name.

Love you guys,
Jenna

Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Good Morning!

Pray all is going well with ya'll! This recipe is very, very easy.
I for one, love the Alfredo taste! A co-worker and good friend brought it to a potluck and I just had to have the recipe.


You'll need:

Boneless chicken (your choice I usually get about 1 ½ - 2 pounds)

2- Jars of Alfredo Sauce ( I use Ragu Creamy Cheesy alfredo)

Italian Seasoning

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Pasta Noodles (your preference)

1tbsp Butter


Bring noodles to boil, add about a spoonful of butter and half a spoon of salt to the water before I add the noodles.

After chicken has boiled cut the chicken breast into small pieces or small cubes
you then take a pan add olive oil and let pan heat up, sprinkle Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder to the chicken breast pieces and place them in the pan with olive oil. Stir til chicken has browned a little.

Drain your pasta, add your chicken and then your alfredo sauce, stir until the alfredo sauce is distributed evenly.

Put back on stovetop to heat a little more and it’s ready to serve.



Hope ya'll will enjoy it as much as I do!




Hope ya'll don't mind but I'm going to add another favorite email


As you know, we need food to feed our spiritual body, and
that food is the Word of God. It should help you plan
a 5 course meal, and it is titled........

Soul Food

I love the taste of T-bone steak,
Delicious every bite,
But there's nothing like the Word of God,
For my spiritual appetite.

The Word of God has milk and meat,
And even ice cream and cake.
Take a slice of the Bread of Life,
And coffee to keep us awake.

Open your Bible and turn to Psalms,
For David's famous buffet.
You can drink all the wine of the word you want,
And still feel fine the next day.

There's enough of the Word for everyone,
And no one has to cheat.
The Word of God is a smorgasbord,
So take all you are able to eat.

Let's have a little long suffering,
Job gives the recipe.
Patience is the main ingredient,
Self denial is the fee.

Wrap that up in temperance,
It may not make much sense,
Cover that with contentment,
Then add some joy for strength.

Let's have love for dessert,
Jesus made this dish,
Cream of joy and peace together,
Sift out all selfishness.

Add some deeds of righteousness,
Enough to make it sweet.
Humility is the frosting,
That makes the dish complete.

Or are you on a diet,
Cause the race seems hard to run.
For a weight losing menu,
Try Hebrews 12 and 1.

Are you suffering from malnutrition,
And don't know what to do?
Your spiritual growth! seems hindered,
Try I. Peter 2 and 2.

If when every time you battle,
the enemy always wins,
Try some Holy Ghost Protein,
And spiritual vitamins.

God's Word can feed millions,
And still have plenty left.
Because the Word of God is Soul Food,
Sent from the World's Greatest CHEF.


Until next time....and with much, much LOVE!!! :)

School Supply Update!

Here is an update I have received about the school supply donations.

Sis. D has purchased all the rulers, spiral notebooks, and glue.

Sis. Julie has purchased 5 boxes of crayons, 5 boxes of map pencils, 5 reams of Notebook paper, and 15 glue sticks.

So for all you late shoppers here is the list of what we still need:

25 boxes of crayons

25 reams of notebook paper

15 glue sticks

and since Sis. Julie was one of those rebellious ones who bought something that was not on the list we could use more map pencils.

Love You Guys!