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Karla Ramos
The Media Newbie - Sound and
Video
I've known the Lord since I was a little girl. Since
then it's been an amazing adventure. What melts my heart is
to see God's
loving kindness looking after me. I see how He
faithfully and patiently waits for me to learn a lesson and
grow!
All I can say is that knowing God is the greatest treasure
that I have. I thank Him because I've been able to taste and
see that the Lord is good. That
blessed is the
man who seeks refuge in Him. I pray you will be one
of them too!
God bless you.
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Chanté
McCormick
Lead Contributor & Blogger
My first ‘light bulb moment’
occurred at the tender age of 4. Alone in my
bedroom, a thought suddenly hit me: Every grownup
has a job. Someday I’ll need one too.
What will I do? My head hurt as I pondered
what profession, what area of expertise, which
daily
devotion would bring meaning to my life.
Tears flowed. Enter my eldest sister:
Natalie: What’s wrong,
Chanté?
Chanté: I don’t know
what I’m going to be when I grow up!
Natalie: (laughs, then
comforts with hugs & kisses) Don’t cry! You have a
long time to figure that out!
Fast forward to the present
day. Older and wiser, I peel back the layers of
that memory to uncover what’s remarkable. At four,
I was already asking “What is my purpose in this world?”
This question has incessantly tapped upon the shoulder
of every human, nudging to be answered.
Who is Chanté? An
actress-singer-dancer that hails from
Chicago
but has been spotted parading around
Los
Angeles. Chanté is cracking
Hollywood
while staying true to her faith. (Holywood,
anyone?) She's often found twirling at a
dance
studio. Neighbors probably think she sings
too loud. As you read this, she's probably behind
on housecleaning. She's somebody's “sister”,
“daughter”, “Auntie”, “friend”.
But most important is my
identity as a Christian. It dictates how I live
out each day. I'm called to spread the
gospel of
Jesus Christ, a responsibility I share with every
Christian. This job has unlimited possibilities!
In times of economic downturn, isn't it nice to know you
arrived on earth with a job built-in?
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Jimmy
Rannik
The Media 'Go-To' Guy - Sound and
Video
Whether it's helping us with the technical details of Cords
of 3, or providing
lighting and
sound for major musical and social events for
Houston's First Baptist, you'll always find Jimmy Rannik
behind the scenes, working tirelessly and joyfully to the
Glory of God.
This thirty-something technical genius answered the call of
the Lord to provide the kind of help that today's modern
ministry needs, and for him, life is an incredible
adventure. When he's not volunteering, he works at
Rice
University as a computer specialist.
Aside from the gifts of technical service, Jimmy also has a
very good understanding of the
Word of God
and how to use it in everyday life. Recently, God did an
amazing work of setting him free from spiritual bondages
that plagued him for most of his life. As a result, the
spark of his life of service and devotion to God has
blossomed into a roaring flame of fiery passion!
As Jimmy would say, Doxio Deo, or To God be the Glory!
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Karen & Dwight Cook
Sound/Production - Expert Advice
[www.Soundworks.com]
Karen is still madly in love with her
husband “Shotgun” of 31 years and has 2 daughters; Christin,
a musician and make-up artist in Nashville Tennessee, and
Rebecca who attends
Baylor
University.
In the 70’s, with the advent of my
all-time favorite dance music, disco, I became the first
female disco DJ, spinning vinyl and dancing the night away.
Along with that dubious honor, came lots of rotten
decisions. But God had a plan. Three of the most
amazing things happened -almost simultaneously. I met
a famous radio
disc jockey, “Shotgun” Cook, who I married 3 months
later and Immediately, God showed up on our radar. We found
Him in a home bible study. True to 70’s tradition we were
baptized, together in a Jacuzzi hot tub.
At
Houston’s
First Baptist Church, I have been involved for years
as a teacher in student ministry and have the joy of
counseling people answering the call on their lives as new
believers as well as mentoring young women. I delight
in finding ways to allow young people who are sometimes
overlooked, to develop and use their Spiritual gifts. I love
Facebook,
where I have been able to continue those relationships. What
a great joy!
All that to say that I feel I can look
back on my life and see God’s mighty hand. I hope I
can inspire and encourage others to see the
Hand of God
in their lives and help them to move from where they are to
where God wants them to be.
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Belinda Moreno
Contributor
Belinda is single, and still lives at
home with her mother. In her words, “It does not get any
better that that.” She has 7 brothers and sister, and 10
nieces and nephews. She also has a long extended family.
Not sure where life was leading “ME”
growing up, Belinda was true to form and took the road most
traveled. It came at a price filled with disappointments,
disillusionments and dissatisfaction. But
on that journey was a” knock” that had grown in my heart put
there with the help of my parents and being raised in a
Catholic home. I would eventually make it down the road to
answer God’s Will and made a decision to accept Jesus into
my life.
Now seven years into a redeveloped life
with Christ, I am a member of Houston’s First Baptist
Church. I am a grand believer that God
uses us all; in fact I am used weekly to “hit” the recording
button in my Bible study class. But God has called me to
come out of my comfort zone and has “gently” placed me in
prison ministry. And I pray to serve him well not only to
incarcerated women, but to those I relate to much
more….those of us that imprison our own lives daily. Ladies,
don’t think for a minute more that HE cannot set you free.
Matthew 25:35-36, “For I was hungry and
you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you
looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
I have been all the above spiritually
and HE has fed me, clothed me into a new
life with HIM, healed me, and HE has NEVER; not even then,
left me.
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Kelley Kirby
Host & Behind the Scenes
Looking back at my life, I can clearly see the hand of
God covering me even before I was aware of His protection. The hardest thing about walking with Christ
has been the tearing down of walls that I've had standing
for so long as a way to protect myself. In addition, being a
strong, single woman has made it difficult to rely on His strength versus
my own. However, after 10 years of God prying my fingers
loose, I'm beginning to see and walk in the beauty of a life totally surrendered
to the Lord! Having tired of settling for my own plans, I
look forward to following His plans and living my life in
Plan A mode!
When not working or volunteering with Cords of 3, I love to
spend time with my family, especially my twin nieces. As I
grow older, I have come to cherish my family and friends and
the time I get to spend alongside them. Gone are the desires
for clubs and chaos, and in its place is the desire for
coffee shops and friends' couches. There's nothing as
comforting as the smile of a loved one.
The dog you see with me is my best friend of 14 years,
Sheridan! She has been through life with me and has taught
me the meaning of loyalty. We love the outdoors: walking,
camping, kayaking, hiking and such. I would say she
shares my love of volleyball and soccer, but she mostly
barks while I play :-)
All in all, if you want to understand me, you would have to
know my King! The Lord Jesus Christ is my Redeemer,
Counselor, Friend, Advocate, Strength, Peace, Banner,
Intercessor, My Joy, My Beginning & My End, My Dance Partner &
Friend!
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Cords of 3
Family |
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Proverbs 18:24 A man of
many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who
sticks closer than a brother.
Ministries We Support:
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Live4Christ
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Child Evangelism Fellowship
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Prison Fellowship
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