01-26-2014 "GIG" Alert

Thank you for your continued support! View this email in your browser RSQUARED "GIG ALERT" Week of January 26th, 2014 New GIG Alert Design After sending out the GIG Alert for almost two years, we decided it was time to spice things up! This new layout will help make the message more exciting and give us new ways to share information. A few more changes and updates will happen over the coming weeks, and we hope you like them :)    Happy Happy Birthday! So this past Monday I had planned to spend my night studying away, but somehow ended up at McDonalds, in the tubes of all places! Let me explain.  Adrianna turned the BIG number 9 on Monday. That day, she and her mom Kathy were supposed to have their nails painted (Adrianna loves anything girly, especially the color purple!). Sadly, that morning Kathy received a phone call saying she had to leave for work early. That afternoon, Adrianna called me bummed out because she didn't get her nails painted, she was bored, and her mom had to leave for work early on her birthday (Kathy had to work until 11PM that night).  So I said, how about we go get ice-cream later and without skipping a beat, Adrianna answered YES! That afternoon I called Rashel and asked if she and her younger brother Elijah, who is Adrianna's age, would like to go with us. They agreed to join and our chosen destination for the evening was McDonald's (at this point, I should have just started anticipating the tubes). We got there, walked, inside, and the first question out of Adrianna's mouth was not if she could have ice-cream or chicken nuggets or french fries, but if she and Elijah could go to the playhouse! So we ordered food and went to the playroom. She and Elijah started playing tag, and by the end of the night I was climbing tubes, sliding slides, running from a 9 year old, and doing back flips (okay maybe not backflips, but it sure did feel like it Tuesday morning).Check out the pictures below from Monday night!   As I sit here typing, I can hear the wind howling outside! Stay warm everyone and have a wonderful week!!!  -Tim Upcoming Events 1. Muffins with Jesus Date:  Saturday, Feb 31st Time:  8:30 - 10:00AM  Location: Jaclyn Durst Home Connect If you have not subscribed to our text messages, text RSQUAREDevents to 40404. Want to request a SAXOGRAM for that special event? Please visit our saxogram page HERE Prayer Corner 1. Healing for Adrianna after her surgery this past Wednesday due to complications post-chemo treatment.  2. Spiritual protection for the Leadership Team as we continue planning for the vision of Rsquared in 2014.    Quote of the Week A rich man once said "the most valuable thing in this life is gold" to which the wise man said the same but added this. "As gold is precious so is friendship that which I wouldn't trade for anything in the world". Annonymous Copyright © 2014 RSquared, All rights reserved.   You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the RSquared Weekly GIG Alerts. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

"GIG" Alert 01/19/14

___________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

R SQUARED "GIG ALERT"

Week of January 19th, 2014

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Week in WRAP 

1. THREE Year Anniversary

 This past Friday night we had an amazing time gathering with Rsquared friends and celebrating our three year anniversary! The night started out with the Leadership Team sharing the history of Rsquared and watching the 2011, 2012, and new 2013 video. From there, we unveiled the 2014 TSHIRT design on a cake!!! The design was put together by the one and only, Tyler Neyens :) To close out the night, we shared Domino's Pizza, delicious blue and neon green cake, and watched the movie Peaceful Warrior. I wanted to share a quote that spoke to me from the movie:

"There is no need to search; achievement leads to nowhere. It makes no difference at all, so just be happy now! Love is the only reality of the world, because it is all One, you see. And the only laws are paradox, humor and change. There is no problem, never was, and never will be. Release your struggle, let go of your mind, throw away your concerns, and relax into the world. No need to resist life, just do your best. Open your eyes and see that you are far more than you imagine. You are the world, you are the universe; you are yourself and everyone else, too! It's all the marvelous Play of God. Wake up, regain your humor. Don't worry, just be happy. You are already free!"

Especially this past week, school started and I began the wonderful balance of life, school, work, family, friends, did I mention life? So often I get caught up living in the past or the future, but this past year I learned I need to take a step back and focus on the now, this present moment that God has blessed me with. I often try to think of what God's purpose is for my life and what He wants me to be doing and a thousand other thoughts that fly through my mind, but after talking with a professor at school I recently realized, God's purpose for us is the Now, I am supposed to be sitting at my desk at 8:12PM typing the GIG Alert. If you are reading this, God's purpose is for you to be reading the GIG Alert :) This is a new idea I'm continuing to explore, but Peaceful Warrior helped bring the idea to life and remind me that no matter what life/culture/the world may throw at us, we can live in the now, let go of our ego/mind, and be at peace.

Have a SUPER fantastic start to your week! Oh, and be sure to check out the attached group picture and picture of our cake with the 2014 TSHIRT design!

 

-Tim

______________________________________

Upcoming Events

There will be no "official" Rsquared event this week. The band has a PEP-BAND game Friday and Saturday evening. If we do decide to plan something, we will post via Facebook and our weekly text message. If you have not subscribed to our text messages, text 40404 to RSQUAREDevents

Want to request a SAXOGRAM for that special event? Please visit our saxogram page HERE

______________________________________

R SQUARED

Email | Website | Calendar | Facebook | Twitter 

Quote of the Week:  

Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. -Martin Luther King Jr

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

We hope that you have found this message to be useful.  However, if you'd rather not receive future e-mails of this kind from R SQUARED, please reply to this message here: rsquared2011@gmail.com, and include "unsubscribe from e-mail list" in your subject.

--------------------------
End of Message.

"GIG" Alert 01-12-2014

___________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

R SQUARED "GIG ALERT"

Week of January 12th, 2014

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Week in WRAP 

1. GIG Alerts Return!

 Well, I have to say its been almost one year since the last Rsquared GIG Alert was sent out. With this being the first official week in 2014, I really wanted to re-start the weekly emails to keep everyone up to date on Rsquared activities and how God is at work in the group. So much has happened since the last GIG Alert was sent, but to share everything I would be here typing all night (and my first day of class is tomorrow!). So, I would like to highlight a few events from 2013 and share our 2014 Rsquared vision in this first, super exciting January edition!

2. 2013 Summer Symposium

In 2012 Noah was thinking of an idea for his Eagle Scout project. Long story short, he decided to lead a Summer Symposium at the Neighborhood House in Peoria, teaching the kids there how to play the recorder. Every Friday in July we would take a group of high school students to act as tutors, teaching the kids how to play the recorder. During the last week in July we would host a concert for the kids, inviting their family, friends, and Neighborhood House staff. The event made such an impact in 2012, the Neighborhood House asked if Noah would return in 2013 for another symposium. Check out this news article about the 2013 concert. As of now, we plan to return in 2014 for our third annual symposium!

3. 2013 Light the Night

In 2011, Noah and I hosted the first Light the Night event where we find a person from the community to sponsor and make it their very own, special night. Light the Night is continuing to evolve each year, but at each event we make sure to have cookies, hot chocolate, music, and Santa! Through out the night we decorate a tree for the sponsor and his/her family, then at the end of the night have a tree dedication ceremony where the sponsor puts an angle on top of the tree. Our list of past sponsors include Sophie Schneblin (Jingle Bell Run honorary for 2011, has Rheumatoid Arthritis), Adrianna Brown (ST Jude Patient diagnosed with Leukemia), and for 2013 we sponsored Alexa Wesley. Just like Sophie, Alexa was the 2013 Jingle Bell Run honorary and has Rheumatoid Arthritis. Amazing how God connects stories and brings people together!! Check out the attached picture of the Rsquared Leadership Team with Alexa and Adrianna at LTN 2013.

3. Adrianna's Last Chemo!

Like I said above, we sponsored Adrianna Brown for Light the Night 2012. She was diagnosed with Leukemia on March 29th, 2011 and her treatment included 120 weeks of chemo therapy. This past November, she had her 120th chemo treatment!!! Praise God! Her mom Kathy invited me to go with them to ST Jude in Memphis for her last treatment. I have to say, it is one thing to see the pictures of ST Jude patients, but another to be at the hospital and see the children with their families. While on the hospital campus, you develop this special feeling where time seems to stop and only the important things in life seem to matter. At the end of our trip, we received the amazing news that all of her tests came back negative and she is officially in remission, AMEN! Please continue to keep Adrianna and Kathy in your prayers as Adrianna is having a few complications from the chemo and will be having surgery January 22nd. I will keep everyone updated on how she is doing and how you can be praying for her. Check out the attached picture of Adrianna, her mom Kathy, her ST Jude doctor, and myself from the November Memphis trip.

4. Cora's Cross

In the month of December, God put a special girl on our heart named Cora Peters. Cora was diagnosed at the age of 14 with synovial sarcoma. She went through treatment, into remission, then back out of remission. She had exhausted every means of medical treatment and lost her battle to cancer on December 30th, 2013 at the age of 18. Cora was a fighter, as she has her very own Facebook page that is titled Cora's Crew: Fighting Cancer Like a Boss, and like a Boss did she fight! God had put Cora on our hearts, and we wanted to do something special for her. We were scheduled to deliver a meal to her family at the hospital on New Years Eve, but sadly Cora passed away the day before. In honor of Cora, we formed a Candlelight Cross in the parking lot across from the Children's Hospital New Years Eve night. The Cross was not only in honor of Cora, but was there to give hope to all the kids in the hospital and that is exactly what Cora would have wanted, she was always reaching out to other children. That night, she had the best view of the Cross from Heaven. News 25 came New Years Eve to help shine Cora's light to our community. Check out the story here.

5. 2014 Vision & Anniversary Celebration

Rsquared's vision for 2013 was Shine Your Light. Amazing how God works, because on the last day of 2013 we were shining God's light and Cora's light at the Children's Hospital. After much time in prayer and thinking about where God is leading our group, our vision for 2014 is Building Disciples to Bring the Kingdom. Everytime we host an Rsquared event, we want to create a small piece of Heaven on earth where high school students and people of all ages can come experience God's love and community. Our first event for 2014 will be the Rsquared Anniversary Celebration this Friday January 17th @ 6:00PM! We will be meeting at CrossPoint Church to hear the Rsquared history story and watch the 2011, 2012 and NEW 2013 video. We will then be unveiling our 2014 T-Shirt design similar to our 2013 unveiling, on a cake! To end the night, we will watch Peaceful Warrior and enjoy fellowship among pizza and the 2014 T-Shirt cake. Everyone is invited to join us for this special night :)

In closing, I am super excited the GIG Alerts are starting up again. I promise, the future ones will not be this long (unless something super fantasticlly awesome happens). If for some reason you would like to unsubscribe, just respond to this e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject. If you know of someone who would like to be added to the e-mail list, respond to this e-mail with their address. In next week's GIG Alert, I will include a picture of the 2014 T-Shirt design. Until then, have a wonderful week!  

-Tim

______________________________________

Upcoming Events

OFFICIAL Rsquared Anniversary
Date: Tuesday January 14th
The celebration will be held on Friday. 

3 Year Anniversary Celebration
Date: Friday, January 17th
Time: 6:00-10:00PM 
Location: CrossPoint Church (MAP) 

The night will include stories/videos about the history of Rsquared, 2014 T-Shirt unveiling, watching Peaceful Warrior, and pizza! 

Want to request a SAXOGRAM for that special event? Please visit our saxogram page HERE

______________________________________

R SQUARED

Email | Website | Calendar | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter 

Quote of the Week:  

Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

We hope that you have found this message to be useful.  However, if you'd rather not receive future e-mails of this kind from R SQUARED, please reply to this message here: rsquared2011@gmail.com, and include "unsubscribe from e-mail list" in your subject.

--------------------------
End of Message.

"GIG" Alert 02-10-2013

Week in WRAP

1. Friday Night Bible Study

This past Friday night, RSQAURED hosted our first Movie/Bible study night! We watched the movie Fireproof and had great discussion about love/relationships. We read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 which is one of my favorite descriptions of love from the bible:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

After watching Fireproof, we talked about truly experiencing God's love. With Valentines day approaching, it is easy for us to forget that we have a Father up above who loves each of us unconditionally, no matter what our relationship status! Check out the attached picture of our group from Friday night

2. ELITE Pancake Dinner

Looking for plans this Tuesday evening?! Join the Elite Jazz Band and RSQAURED as we merge to perform at ST. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Peoria from 6:00 - 6:30PM. The pancake dinner will be served by the Men's Group from 5:00 - 7:00PM and a free offering will be taken for the dinner. Carnival Activities will be available from 5:30 - 7:30 PM and include games, balloon art, cake walk, a craft show and more! Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Here is a LINK for directions!

3. RSQAURED Culver's Night

At our two year anniversary, we revealed RSQAURED's new theme for this year, Shine Your Light! To support us in our mission to help others shine their own light, we would like to invite you to our Culver's Night on Tuesday, February 19th from 4:00 - 8:00PM. There will be delicious food, ice-cream (or should I say custard!), volunteers wearing BRIGHT lime green shirts, and live music! Come out for an amazing night of fellowship and share a meal among friends and family. It is because of you that RSQAURED is where we are today, thank you for your support! 

Have a wonderful Valentines Day everyone, and don't eat too many candy hearts :) 

-Tim

______________________________________

Upcoming Events

ELITE Ensemble Pancake Dinner
Date: Tuesday, February 12th
Time: 5:00 - 7:30PM
Location: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Peoria (MAP)

RSQAURED Culver's Night
Date: Tuesday, February 19th
Time: 4:00 - 8:00PM
Location: Culver's, East Peoria (MAP)

Want to request a SAXOGRAM for that special event? Please visit our saxogram page HERE

______________________________________

R SQUARED

Email | Website | Calendar | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter 

Quote of the Week:  

I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. -Robert Frost

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

We hope that you have found this message to be useful.  However, if you'd rather not receive future e-mails of this kind from R SQUARED, please reply to this message here: rsquared2011@gmail.com, and include "unsubscribe from e-mail list" in your subject.

--------------------------
End of Message.