New Website!

Ocean Park now has it's own website. It's still VERY skeletal, but it is up and running. I have posted a link to the right for it as well as Russell's very own blog site. So now he gets to post all his own thoughts and happenings. I won't send out a link for those each time he posts, so bookmark it and check back often. Enjoy!!!!

OceanParkBaptist.com

Pastor's Blog

Sam's Ladybug Shower

Yesterday we all got together and celebrated Sam as she and Marc prepare for the coming of baby Chloe. Her nursery theme is Ladybugs and boy did Emily and I have fun with that one!
Sam and I - doesn't she look great?


My Ladybug cake! How fun was that?


Emily's diaper cake - how cute!



Me & Sam with Emily

I just can't wait for little Chloe to arrive! I'm going to be an Aunt!!!! God is just so good! Until next time.......

Newspaper Article and Busy Lives

I can't believe it's been nearly 2 weeks since I last made an entry. We are flying a mile a minute and it's hard to keep up. It is temporary and we love our new lives but it is taking some adjusting for me. Our house has not rented yet, so we are making the commute to the beach. Russ is out there 5 days a week, I have me down to 3. With both vehicles going back and forth, it's eating a lot of gas and time spent in traffic - but the Lord knows and His timing is perfect, so we'll keep at it. Amazing how willing I am now to rent my house and move! Only 6 months ago, I was pouting! God is so good.

So, basically we all go together on Sunday and stay at the beach all day. It's silly to drive there and back twice in the same day. So, we usually eat lunch out, go back to the office and I get a jump start on my office work until the evening service. Then we trek home. Russ goes Monday through Thursday. I go in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It works out really well and gives me a few days at home. I am not used to being gone so much and am having to adjust everything about my life. I do enjoy the work though. It involves creativity and organization and I really enjoy that. I'm keeping up with my Calligraphy business as well. Fortunately this is not my crazy time with weddings so I do have some evenings off.

Russ has been doing such an excellent job. He enjoys it so much - he is right where he is supposed to be and I haven't seen him this content and at peace in a long time. Seems the restlessness is gone. I continue to post his sermons online each week so feel free to check them out whenever you would like. There is a link under our photo here on the blog or you can click here.

As you can see by the photo above, the local paper at Jacksonville Beach came by and interviewed the new pastor in town. We were thrilled! Although you can't read it very well, we were pleased with how they wrote everything up.

Please continue to pray that our house rents. School is starting in a month and we really want to be able to have the kids start at the beach. I don't want to transfer them in the middle of the year. I already have Anne enrolled in a PreK out at the beach - so that will mean commuting every day if we don't get moved. A lot can happen in a month and I'm trusting God's timing.

On a different note - it won't be much longer before I'm an Aunt! Marc and Sam's baby girl will be making her appearance some time in the next month. Sam is due Aug. 17th and I'm so excited! (As are they!) We are hosting a shower for her this weekend so I'll have photos next time. Thanks again for your continued prayers and notes of encouragement - they are appreciated more than you know!

Jarod & Anne

I took the kids to get their pictures done today and thought I would share them with you. As you can see, I had a tough time choosing. Enjoy!

Youth Mission Training Camp 2009

Our family just spent the week at Lake Yale in Leesburg, FL. Ocean Park took over 50 teenagers plus chaperons for a time of Mission Training and drawing closer to God. What an awesome time we had! Russ grew up going to this camp every year - and even surrendered to the ministry in the chapel at Lake Yale when He was 16. He took his own Youth Groups there as well. It has been over 8 years since we were last there - it was so good to be back and to have Jarod and Anne there as well.


Anne made friends quickly! She's scaring me! This is Blake. Blake and his twin brother are 6 and they fought for Anne's attention all week. Blake announced he was going to marry Anne when he grew up. Better watch out, Leif! Anne decided she can have more than one boyfriend. We are in for it! This particular morning when I was doing her hair - she asked, "Are you doing pigtails?" I told her I was and she said, "Oh good! Blake likes my pigtails!" So I asked her how she knew that and she said, "He told me so." She's 4!!!!! She found him shortly afterwards and slipped her hand into his. Please pray for us!


Our fearless leader, Jane! She is the Youth Director at Ocean Park and our wonderful friend! We just love Jane! She helped camp go so smoothly.

How high can we go? They came splashing down shortly after this!


Russ took the kids canoeing! What fun!

Russ' parents came down for a few hours. They had dinner with us and stayed for chapel service. Carl is one of the men who started this camp over 40 years ago. It was during camp in 1968 that they called to tell him Helen was going to the hospital to have Russell!

Three generations of campers!

The camp emphasis this year was Mission Training. We trained the students in different areas so that they can take their gifts and tallents on mission trips. I got to break out the puppets. I had so much fun! The teens did a great job!

Of course Russ and Perry did their infamous "Peanut Butter Deodorant" Skit! All of the Ocean Park people got a taste of the crazy side of Russell Franklin! Everyone kept looking at me expecting me to be shocked! I know better! The stories will fly come Sunday morning!

Eewwwwe!!!!!! How gross! Of course I have to tell you, he dips bread in it and eats it! UGH!

Of course, Perry gets right in there too and this time they dipped Freetos in it! The teens go absolutely crazy! Talk about loud!


Jarod played a part in his cabin's skit. He did a great job!


As part of his Mission Training, Jarod took the Guitar class. They learned and played "Pharoh, Pharoh" This is Thursday night - you can see how tired he is!

Russ taught a Bible Study all week and took part in the Dr. Seuss devotionals each night. He taught a devotional about the Sneetches and used it to illustrate how we are all unique for a reason and that God loves us just the way we are. He really encouraged the girls not to buy into the media and what they tell us we should look like, but to be happy with who we are.

To go along with the Dr. Seuss theme, my cabin all made our own T-Shirts with different characters from the books! It was fun!

Lot's of memories from this week! We are tired and I have a ton of laundry to do. But it was worth it. We were able to be around people from our new church and get to know them better. And, they got to know us as well. Teens were saved and many surrendered their lives to say "Yes" to whatever God asks of them. It was an awesome week! Until next time......

Check out our Anne Girl!!!!

I had Anne's photo taken at JCPenneys on her 2nd birthday. They liked this one so much, they had me sign a release for it. I'd been watching for it and after a while, I'd forgotten about it. This postcard showed up in my girlfriends mail last week! How cool is that?????

Uncle Marc came by today to mow the lawn and Anne thought she would hop on for a ride. It didn't last too long though - she thought it was too loud!

We leave for Youth Camp on Sunday after church. We will be gone until Friday. We thought it would be a wonderful way to get to know the teenagers in our church better - besides, Russ and I will always have a heart for young people. I'm doing a workshop on puppets this week and Russ will be doing a Bible Study. Jarod and Anne just get to be there and have fun. Pray that lives will be changed and relationships will be made. Continue to pray for our house to rent - the commute is getting old - and expensive! Until next time......

Russell's Sermons

Okay - it's only taken all week. But I finally had the time to upload Russell's sermons from last Sunday. I have created a link under our photo to the right called "Russell's Sermons" and you should be able to click on there each week and hear both his Sunday morning and Sunday evening sermon. Once we get a church website up and running, Russ is also going to create his own Pastor's Blog and we will link everything together there as well. Until then, click here to listen or download the latest. Enjoy!