My Story

When I was nineteen, I moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex from Central Texas in November 1999.  My parents are believers, but we did not have a church home.  After moving to the metroplex, I started attending Prestonwood Baptist with a past boyfriend and was also baptized.

• Jeff and I married October 21, 2002 at First UMC in Coppell, TX
• Jakob was born February 1, 2005
• I resigned from GameStop in April 2005 to finish my degree.
• Jeff resigned from GameStop in August 2007 to finish his degree.
• Jeff finished his Bachelor's Degree from University of North Texas in December 2007.
• Jeff started working for Southwest Airlines in January 2008.
• I finished my Bachelor's Degree from the University of North Texas in May 2008.
• I was hired by Denton ISD at Navo Middle School in August 2009.
• Purchased and moved to Little Elm, TX after purchasing our first home together in 2009.
• I place the above bullet points, because I know now this was part of the process to get us where we needed to be.  God's prevenient grace.
  

Good friends of ours invited us to attend a Saturday service at Grace Avenue UMC summer of 2011 prior to Ashlyn, our second child, being born.  We learned about Cross Way UMC, a daughter church being started along the 380 corridor.  Jeff, Jakob, and I began attending the preview services and we started feeling connected.

The Yost family have been in our lives since before Ashlyn was born!  Pastor Chris Yost and Melissa Yost came over to visit along with getting to know us on July 18, 2011 before she was born.  Prior to leaving, he blessed her room and Melissa asked if we had anyone to come over in case she decided to come overnight.  Ashlyn was born overnight (July 19th) at 3:11AM and Melissa came over to stay with Jakob until our parents arrived from out of town.  

After she was born, the members of Cross Way UMC set up to have dinners delivered to us.  From this point on, the Yost family was always there for us along with other members of the congregation.  We were amazed by the generosity of all of them and were so thankful.   

In the last six years, I have grown in my faith.  I am more actively reading my bible, attending different classes, am involved with life groups, and prefer Christian music over other genres.  My husband and I both agree with John Wesley's quote, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."  Pastor Chris always stated, "Church is a verb, not a noun.  Go be the church."

3 General Rules:

1. Do no harm

2. Do all the good you can in all the places you can and all the ways you can.

3. Stay in love with God.

Through my experience at Cross Way UMC, I have learned how God as a Trinity, three persons in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  I believe in salvation through Jesus Christ.  His life, death, and resurrection demonstrate God's redeeming love.  The Holy Spirit is God's present activity in our midst.  John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, describes God's grace.  Grace is a gift from God, undeserved, but God loves me.  Everything always starts with God.  Looking back, Jeff and I always discuss did we find Cross Way UMC or did Cross Way UMC find us?  Overall, I am thankful because our lives have been forever changed.