Meet our First Friday bloggers
Cristen Hixson
When Cristen’s baby girl was born on Valentine’s Day in 2010, her whole world shifted. A life that was once career-focused changed to God-focused. After being called to stay at home, but maintaining that itch to work and try new things, she’s still learning to be a good wife and mother. She’s the office manager at Hope C3 Church and also the social media guru for First Friday. In 2005, her mother committed suicide, after being diagnosed with Bipolar-Type 2 depressive disorder the previous year. After an awesome couple invited her to sing in church choir and introduced her to God — and then her angel baby Evelyn came into this world — she now pursues a relationship with the Father with all her mind, body and soul.
Marti Estrada Quisling
Marti was born in San Antonio a really, really long time ago. She is a middle child born to a family of five kids, four of whom are now post-menopausal women and a brother who is manopausal. Tired of the daily grind, she started Turnkey Marketing Solutions four years ago after spending 25-plus years in executive level marketing positions in hospitals across Texas. Marti is now divorced. Never had kids, so there won’t be anybody to take care of her when she hits her 80s. She scuba dives, plays a miserable round of golf, plays canasta weekly with the girls and volunteers (actually “voluntold”) on various boards. Her only claim to fame is that she and Victorya Rogers do the amateur monthly video for First Friday hoping one day to be discovered!
Holly Taylor
Holly loves God, her family and her friends. She has been married to Rick for 37 years, and they have two children, 27 & 23. She lives in Keller and is currently working as a front-desk coordinator for a wonderful dentist in Southlake. Her passion is serving as a prayer partner for First Friday. She enjoys Bible studies, family gatherings, going on dates with her husband, having lunch with friends, cooking, baking and planning trips. She adopted a cat named Mandy, but there’s a long story there!
Susan Hixson
Susan has been married to Chuck for 31 years, an ever-loving man always capable of making her laugh. Proud mother of three adult children, her family has expanded to include two grandbabies. Moving often because of her husband’s job, she’s lived in St. Louis, Omaha, Des Moines, New Orleans and now Southlake for the past 10 years. She’s learned to bloom where you are planted — if God has you there, he is going to use your gifts there … so enjoy the view! After becoming a widow at 24, it was losing her husband that brought her to God. His Power and presence was there for her, as it has been for 32 years, including the years she struggled with infertility. She’s learned women need other women and that God created women as encouragers.
Karen Boyd
Karen is a true Texan, having lived her entire life in the Dallas area. In November 1999, God grab her broken soul and transformed her life forever on the deathbed of her beloved brother-in-law, Rick. Karen is married to a truly wonderful man, Randall, and has a joyous 10-year-old son at home and a 22-year-old stepdaughter chasing her dreams in Austin. Karen loves to spend time with her family fishing, going to baseball games and touring national parks. She is passionate about pursuing an intimate relationship with Christ and currently attends Dallas Theological Seminary, where she is working on master’s in Christian Education. Karen wants to use her degree to empower parents through resources to bring faith back into the home.
Lisa Rose
Lisa founded First Friday in 2008. Her great joy is to provide venues where people can connect with the One who loves them most. After God and her family, her passion is to see people discover who God is, who He created them to be and what His purpose is for their lives. For 15 years, Lisa has been ministering to women and equipping women for leadership; but it was through Laurie Beth Jones’ “The Path” experience that she established her life’s mission is to impart, ignite and promote connection with God in herself and others. For Lisa, this means taking women’s ministry to the community and using her background in marketing for this purpose. Lisa and husband, Matt, live in Westlake, have two adult children, and a scoundrel Yorkie, Toby.
Cathy Sanders
Cathy, also known as “Chatty Cathy,” is actually three years older than the original pre-Barbie doll. Instead of saying phrases such as ” I love you,” “May I have a cookie” or “Please take me with you!”, this Cathy blurts out “The world may not, but God loves you,” “Where’s the vanilla Blue Bell” or “It is what it is.” In college, she was a news reporter and weekend anchor for a local Indiana station. Cathy also hosted a morning talk show, where her gift of gab strengthened. After studying communications and nursing, she moved to California, where she spent most of her years in Labor & Delivery — coaching, comforting and counseling. Now an empty-nester, with incredible husband, family and friends, she continues comforting, counseling and the incessant chattiness!
Kim Williams
Kim believes it is supremely important to tell the truth in who she is and through all she does. God’s story (HIStory) is being told through all of us — it is an amazing story — and He has ordained us to transparently share it in such a way that it touches others and provides an avenue for transformation. She considers it a blessing to have lived and learned from wonderful friends and diverse cultures in four continents and multiple countries during her 27 years of marriage to the love of her life. Kim and her husband have enjoyed raising five children, and they recently became grandparents. As she and her husband approach an “empty nest,” they are each embarking on new career paths. She wants to hear how God is telling His truths through you!
Lynn Fann
Lynn was raised by her widowed Mom and Granny in Tennessee. When she married, she moved to Texas and raised three kids in Grapevine. Lynn loves the freedom of spirit and open hearts in Texas. Being a wife and stay-at-home mom for 32 years was a gift from God. Girlfriends and laughter have filled her journey with the Lord! Now single again, she is starting over with God as her partner. Lynn loves to travel, especially to Italy where her oldest daughter and her Italian husband live! She just started selling Silpada Jewelry to support that habit! Her other daughter lives in Dallas and teaches in Southlake, and her son lives and works in Houston. Being part of First Friday is one of her greatest joys!
Victorya Rogers
Victorya is a California girl who left her longtime Hollywood agent career for love and marriage to her man-worth-keeping in 1998, happily ending up in Southlake with her young family in 2006. Her passion is helping women make better choices in love and in life so they can finally live the life God created them for to live. It was shortly after receiving her master’s in theology that Victorya changed from Hollywood agent to Life & Love Coach, authoring four books, and appearing on and in national TV, radio, and print — from MTV to Focus on the Family, Cosmopolitan to Woman’s World. Victorya’s joy in life is her family — husband Will, and kids Matthew, 10, and Katie, 9. She loves being a part of First Friday and knows, indeed, life can be hard, but God is always good!
Diane Browne
Diane has been married to Clete, love of her life, for 25 years. She didn’t marry until nearly her 42nd birthday and spent years with an intense longing to be married. Along the way she lost focus on God’s plan for her life, which resulted in heartache and sin. Through this, she learned the meaning of His grace and forgiveness, restoration and new beginnings. After graduating college, Diane taught elementary school for six years. She went on to be a flight attendant for 17+ years. She always wanted to be a mom, but that wasn’t the path God chose for her. However, Diane now has two wonderful stepchildren and three adorable grandchildren. She loves traveling, serving on the FF prayer team and doing Bible studies and sharing God’s faithfulness with others.
Julie Blair
Born and raised in Iowa (Go Hawkeyes!), Julie came to Texas kicking and screaming 15 years ago and now wouldn’t leave for a million bucks. She met her husband, John, on a blind date in Chicago 25 years ago. They have two sons now off at college. Julie was blessed to be a stay at home mother and has been an active volunteer in the community. She loves facilitating bible study for women and being a part of the FF team. Recently adding “empty nester” to her repertoire, she and John look forward to lots of quality time and fun travel together. Julie is passionate about her friends and her doggies, Annie and Cooper.
