Gentlewoman, Andrea Gutierrez

This week’s gentlewoman is Andrea Gutierrez who happens to be a Rita Mireles’ sister.  Rita Mireles was was one of my very first interviews, so I’m so excited that they are both on my blog!  Andrea, or as she is more commonly known as Dre, has literally bloomed right in front of my eyes.  Of course, I would see her at family functions and she was always as sweet as can be, but it took her coming to Fellowship and attending the weekly Flavour gatherings for me to truly get to know her.  Dre started coming to Fellowship in October and I can tell you in just a matter of a couple of months, this young lady has blossomed into my sister from the same mister – God! 

During this time, I have gotten to know Dre and I have seen her progress of bettering herself.  To see her sweet smile every week is a true pleasure.  I think what captured my heart in wanting to feature Dre was her resilience and her openness to trying something new, falling in love and grabbing hold of the love she had for God and now the love she has for herself.  To see someone “get it” to actually understand that God loves us no matter what  is one of the best things I have witnessed.  I am so excited for you to read her story and to see how she now understands the true power of faith, love and church and how it's changed her.

1.       For those people who don’t know you, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

First off I want to say that I’m not much of a writer, but here goes nothing.  My name is Andrea Gutierrez. Most people know me as Dre but you can call me Drea. I am a single mom of two wonderful kids. I have three wonderful siblings who are my best friends.  I have a great mom that I love dearly and I also have two wonderful nieces.  I work for Metro Tex which is an association for realtors. I have been there for a little over 3 yrs. On my spare time I love to cook. I wish I had someone to cook for all the time!! I also love to sing.  I might not be the best, but I still love it. I am quiet when you first meet me but when I open up, it’s like I’ve known you for years. I am a kid at heart and I love to make people laugh. You will know when I get comfortable around you because I will act like a big dork.

2.       You have two children, a boy and girl.  Can you tell me a little bit about them?

My son, Adrian, is 11 years old; he is sweet, loving, caring, and funny and is changing every day. He is my little mini me! He looks just like me and acts like me.  This year he was accepted into a predatory school and attends 6^th grade there.  When he’s not playing Xbox or basketball, you can find him watching out for other kids around him. That boy definitely has a great big heart!! My daughter Alyssa, is 10 years old and she is in 4^thgrade.  She is my little princess/diva. She is very sweet, loving, strong and very daring. She is the one who keeps me on my toes for sure!  Alyssa is the type of girl that is so girly but can also take care of herself (I love that about her). I can see her working in fashion one day or maybe even being “The Boss” somewhere! Oh and yes she loves One Direction!! I don’t know where I would be without them in my life! I try my best to raise them to have respect for others and give 100% in all they do. I just pray that it shows in them.

3.       You recently joined your sister Rita (who I featured on my blog as well) and me at Fellowship Church.  How long have you been attending and can you recap how and why you started coming to Fellowship and what you think of the church?

The first time I came to Fellowship Church (home) was on October 6. One day my sister Rita asked if I would come to church and I said yes. Normally I would say “Let me think about it.” or “Maybe one day I’ll go.” I didn’t hesitate, I just said yes. That was the best “Yes” I have ever said in my life. I have always wanted to find the right church for myself and my kids. I have always wanted to be that person that is true to the word. I would always say “But I pray every night” and thought that was good enough but it wasn’t. I never felt the way I feel now which is real love from our God. I love Fellowship Church and the people that are there. No judgment, no worries, just love and support. I can use that in my life.

4.       I get to see you every Sunday at church and I also get to see you every Wednesday during Fellowship’s Flavour Sisterhood gathering.  For me, Flavour has been my rescue from bad weeks and has reassured me that we as women CAN be our biggest support system.  I always feel this sense of empowerment from my sisters and I wish all of my girlfriends outside of Fellowship could experience this.  Can you give my readers your take on Flavour Sisterhood?

Where to begin with Flavour Sisterhood? Well the name speaks for itself. Flavour, because there are so many woman from different cultures who attend. Sisterhood because from the first time you enter the room you already feel like you are part of the family. Everyone there has their own story good or bad, but no one judges you and when you open up about what life has thrown at you, you can feel the support. I haven’t been there as long as others but I feel as if I was meant to be there, and I thank God everyday that I told Rita “Yes”.

5.       Recently in our Flavour weekly gatherings, we have been talking about leaving old baggage and knowing that God doesn’t care about what has happened to us, what choices we made a year ago or two seconds ago.  God loves us just as we are and he is ready to start doing miraculous things in our lives if we just accept Him and put Him first.  What has happened to you since you realized God was the missing piece of the puzzle of your life?

I have accepted God in my life. As a human being, I still struggle everyday with my life and some of the decisions that I have made and do make.  However, learning that God loves me unconditionally, regardless of those choices, makes me feel better about myself because I know HE forgives. Before, when I made a bad decision I would beat myself up thinking why would God ever forgive me?  But now, I know better. He is the reason why I feel good about myself every day.  He is the reason why I feel confident. I realize now that through God, I have no boundaries and that He is by my side and loves me unconditionally.

With him all things are possible!

6.       What do you think women in our generation need to hear?

I believe every woman needs to hear that she is beautiful inside and out. Never give up on yourself because God will never give up on you.  Always remember no matter what situation you are in, you will get through it.  Remember to always put your faith in God because He is the answer to it all. Oh, and sometimes it’s good to pat yourself on the back and say “Good Job”!

7.       Who inspires you and why?

 There are so many people including the Man upstairs who inspire me. I can’t name them all, but if they are a part of my circle, then they inspire me to be a better person inside and out. There is one person in particular that has inspired me the most. This person raised me to be the best person that I can be.  He was my best friend and my everything.  He was the best Grandfather in the whole world.  His name is Abraham S. Gutierrez “Popo”.  He was the sweetest man you could have ever met. He would give you the shirt off his back and the rest of the money in his pocket if you needed it. He was a great husband, uncle, brother but most of all an amazing grandfather. He worked hard for his family and did it with a smile. He took care of me and my kids when we didn’t have anything. He would always be there to love us unconditionally and he never judged me for my faults.

When I was at my lowest and felt like I had no one in the world that understood how depressed I was at the time, he was there to pick me up and tell me that he loved me and that everything was going to be alright.  My grandfather inspired me to be the best mother, sister, daughter, and friend I could be. He taught me to stand up for myself and to work hard for what I want and need. Every time I would say thank you to him he would say “Don’t thank me, thank Jesus”.  So I thank Jesus for allowing me to have had an amazing grandfather.  He was the only dad I ever knew. I know realize how fortunate I am for that!

  

8.       What are your dreams?

I have dreams that my children fulfill all their hopes and dreams. I also want to own a food truck!! Oh the things I could make in my own food truck!!  I even have some secret recipes!   My dreams also include the ability to be able to provide for my family and to one day meet my better half.

9.       What are you most proud of?

Everyone knows that I’m proud to be a mom and I’m proud of my family, but I’m especially proud to attend church every Sunday.  And to tell you the truth, I don’t think I’ve really ever said that I am proud of myself. Now after attending Fellowship, I have to say that YES, I am proud of myself. I have done so many things in my life that I’m not proud of, but I still move forward every day and try to make things better.

   

10.   If you could share any piece of advice, what would it be?

No matter how hard things get, remember God is right there with you every step of the way. He will get you through anything.