tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66621170343454014542024-03-13T19:37:10.518-07:00A Little Bit of EverythingMaggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-36331848638270263602013-03-22T18:41:00.000-07:002013-03-22T18:41:21.682-07:00A quick post to get me back in the mode of updating this blog - maybe!Long time no blogging ~ I have got to get better at this.<br />
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Anyway, here is my first attempt at making a photobook - a promocode to my inbox was too good not to give it a try. Hopefully the link will let you go take a look!<br />
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<a href="http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Acs2bJszcMWzj4&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET">http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Acs2bJszcMWzj4&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET</a><br />
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Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-1347115055019174512012-05-03T06:31:00.002-07:002012-05-03T06:31:58.835-07:00The stitches are out! The stitches are out!Well, the day finally arrived - Friday, April 30, and Dr. Lee removed the stitches. The cornea has healed and the stitches were removed. It didn't really even hurt - thanks to the numbing drops. It was a bit weird though. I was hoping for another miracle of perfect vision (or at least what I had prior to the accident - which was pretty close to perfect in my opinion). At this time, I can see just as good as I could with the stitches - maybe a little better at times and a little worse at other times. It is like my brain is trying to figure out what has changed. Hopefully the brain is up for the challenge! I go back in one month for the final decision - the doctor will see what the eye can be corrected to with lenses and/or a cornea transplant. Either way will be fine and this journey will come to an end - which is okay with me.<br />
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I had posted in the past about job hunting and how it wasn't as easy as I had hoped. Again God has a plan. God provided me an opportunity with the CWJC to teach a basic computer class for 10 weeks from February to May. I just finished the class and 9 wonderful ladies completed the course and will be continuing the rest of the mentoring program throughout the summer. My life will be changed forever by those 10 weeks and 11 ladies (including Ms. Pat and Ms. Cris). I was so blessed to be a part of the program and hope to do it again some day. If you are looking for a great place to serve the Lord - check out CWJC (<a href="http://cwjc.net/">http://cwjc.net/</a>) to learn more.<br />
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As I said above, God has a plan. It continued with another job opportunity that I actually start today. I will begin a part time job in the IT field. A new field to me - so I have lots to learn. I look forward to starting this new endeavor and learning lots of new things. The hours are while the girls are in school! God's blessings are amazing and I am so thankful for the opportunities He has given me to stay home with the girls for so many years now. I'll try to be a better blogger and keep you all updated. Thanks for your continued prayers and I'm off to work!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-91949652676967365202012-01-04T09:23:00.000-08:002012-01-04T09:23:10.760-08:00Looking Good - Wait for HealingOn Tuesday, December 27th I had two more eye doctor appointments. The first one was with Dr. Lee (cornea specialist) and he said everything was healing good as far as the cut and stitches go - so we get to wait and see how the healing goes and if the vision will improve. Good news - and off to the next appointment. The second one was with Dr. Saunders (retina specialist) and he also said everything was healing good and keep using the drops as prescribed by Dr. Lee and wait for the healing. So I will continue with the steriod drops, 4 times a day for the next month. I will see Dr. Lee in one month, and Dr. Saunders in two months. And the wait/healing time is still 5 more months away. So I will remember this verse - Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against these things there is no law. <br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" class="stLframe" frameborder="0" height="350" id="stLframe" name="stLframe" scrolling="no" src="" style="left: 0px; top: 0px;" width="353"></iframe></div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-32498083777308270362011-12-16T06:45:00.000-08:002011-12-16T06:45:24.959-08:00When our plans changeFor I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. Our plans for Thursday - go for a CT Scan @ 12:15 and then to a retina specialist @ 1:30 just a few blocks away. We didn't plan on all the rest and it is amazing how we (with lots of help from friends) actually accomplished it all. <br />
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It started Wednesday when my van decided not to work - it would start but wouldn't stay started. So as I am trying to get to Sydney's Christmas party at school, I was able to call a friend and she came to my rescue and took me to school (thanks Ginger!). So after the party, I try the van again - still no luck, so I call another friend for help with the little girls after school (thanks Lori!). We had church parties on Wednesday night and Mike was able to get home from work and his much needed chiropractor appointment in time to get us all to church for all the fun - thankful for his new truck that runs great! When we arrived at home after seeing many friends at church who are praying for me - thanks Capshaw friends, I opened the sweet gifts from some of the Merge 54 children. A gift card, a beautiful ornament, a yummy bag of goodies, and a beautiful cross night light. This is God's way of showing me his humor. For those of you who know - it was a night light that started this journey and we just had to laugh at the irony of the precious gift. God knows all, He knew my accident was going to happen and He knew this young man (and his mom) would pick this gift. AMAZING!<br />
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We decided to deal with the van Thursday morning. Thursday morning arrives and Ashlie is sick (not part of the plan) - fever, aches, pains, sore throat, and lots and lots of congestion - she was perfectly fine Wednesday. So I call the doctor and we get a 9:50 appointment. I also call the car place to get the van towed and diagnosed (again, not part of the plan). The tow truck arrives around 9:30 - van in tow. Mike and I are able to take Ashlie to the doctor - go straight back and a few tests later - Ashlie has strep. We all know that is good - because she can get medicine to hopefully fix her quickly. Next stop - take Ashlie and I home and Mike is off to get the medicine. Now we need another friend to help - Ashlie is home (remember - not part of the plan). We call Dick and Nancy - our go to, practically adopted grandparents for help. Dick has an appointment to go to - but he can bring sweet Mrs. Nancy over on his way out of town to sit with Ashlie. So now I am clorox wiping down everything to make sure Mrs. Nancy doesn't catch strep from Ashlie. Ashlie is to stay on one side of the room and Mrs. Nancy on the other! Mike and I are finally off to accomplish the plan. We get to the CT scan office in time and wait a little before I am called back and begin the IV process - ouch! First stick - fails! Second stick - the technician uses a "very small needle" and it works - not in the best location - but at least it was only two sticks. I lay on the machine and it begins to not work properly. She needs to re-boot. Okay - several re-boots later and another person into help and the machine still doesn't work. Remember the plan - 2nd doctor appointment @ 1:30 right down the street, I have to leave. So with IV thing in hand - wrapped tightly (ouch!), I am off to the next appointment with a new plan to come back here to try the CT scan again.<br />
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Now we are at the retina doctor, not too bad of a wait - but I am starving by this point (I forgot to mention I couldn't eat or drink prior to the CT scan). I finally get back for part one of the appointment. More eye tests and I could actually see pretty good with the injured eye through the thing with the small holes - this is good. Then lots of drops were put both eyes and eventually my eyes were dialated (my eyes are watering just thinking about this). Then after waiting for all this stuff to work, I see the specialist and he does all this looking with special things and calls out all this information about lots of stuff. Some interesting things I learned, the cut is from 7:00 to 2:00 and is ~ 3/4 the diameter of the cornea. The reason I can't see very well is the location of the cut. The repair looks excellent and we get to wait and see how well it heals, which is a slow process (months) due to no blood vessels in the cornea. He did determine that the retina and lense and other stuff behind the cornea all look good - this is great news! I go see him again after Christmas to dialate the left eye again and compare just to make sure there is no change. I keep doing the drops as prescribed to ensure no infection. So this appointment was long, but we learned a lot of good things and now we get to go back to try to get the CT scan.<br />
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Back at the CT scan office, they send me right back, the machine is working, she is able to use the IV thing - YEA! She does the first scan, puts the dye in very slowly (remember the very small needle), and she does the second scan and we are finished. She removes the IV things. Now we are able to go home. The CT scan was performed to ensure there are no foreign bodies floating around in the eye - we will know these results next week. I'm still hungry - but if we get straight home now we can actually get the van that had been diagnosed and repaired by this time.<br />
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We call for some more help to take Mike to get the van and a friend can pick him up after he returns from work in a little while (thanks Wade for his willingness to help!). Meanwhile, Dick arrives back at our house earlier than we had thought, so he is able to take Mike on over to get the van. The timing allowed Mike to get Katie from BJHS soccer conditioning (so we didn't have to call Karen - who had left us a message graciously offering to help as needed with Katie!).<br />
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Just in case you are still reading this - Ashlie is home with Nancy, Dick, and Maggie. Katie and Mike arrive home from soccer in the repaired van. Lori arrives a little while later with Sydney who had went to her house after school, hung out with Lori during Kaylee's first dance class and then Lori got Sydney to her class and brought her home after dance (thanks again Lori!).<br />
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So as the verse said at the beginning - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. God has blessed us with many friends and yesterday's plan could not have been accomplished without many of them. THANKS FRIENDS!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-14157033094651394992011-12-13T09:43:00.000-08:002011-12-13T09:43:28.025-08:00Back to the eye doctorI have had a really good week. I am so thankful for the prayers and comments from so many friends and family. My eye is much better than last week physically, but my sight is really about the same. So keep praying for restored sight if that is part of God's plan for me.<br />
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I went to the eye doctor yesterday and the eye looks good. Dr. Lee did an ultrasound yesterday and is sending me to a retina doctor tomorrow and for a CT scan with dye this week as well. The nurse told us these are very standard things for eye injuries such as mine and not to worry. I return to Dr. Lee in two weeks to discuss any findings from these other appointments. Dr. Lee was able to answer several questions I had. I can begin easy exercise (no heavy lifting or straining type exercises), I don't have to wear the shield at night (so no more sticky tape residue to remove each morning), and the stitches get to stay in place for 6 months (I was really hoping this timeframe would be shortened - but it wasn't).<br />
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So I will continue to pray for healing and know that the Lord is in control. Many of you have commented on my facebook and I am so thankful for your encouraging thoughts and prayers. And one scripture was posted to my wall that I am thankful for after yesterday's visit is, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10".<br />
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<br />Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-64655236083966979362011-12-07T06:30:00.001-08:002011-12-07T10:01:05.806-08:00A light bulb momentMondays at my house are usually filled with straightening the house from the weekend and doing laundry. This Monday was much the same with a little bit of finalizing the Christmas decor added into the fun. I had straightened some, laundered some, and began sorting through one of the piles of papers that was cluttering the office. So a very normal Monday. <br />
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As I walking from one task to the next, I noticed the hall night light wasn't working - so I decided to change the bulb. So I took the light with me and tried the bulbs to make sure they weren't working - and they weren't.
I went to our light box and got a new pack of bulbs and put one in and decided to try it in the kitchen first to make sure it works when it exploded and part of the bulb hit me in my left eye. That was my light bulb moment. It was not part of the plan but who really does the planning? "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.<br />
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At the next moment, I thought my eye was probably injured and I had a piece of glass stuck in it. So I found my way to the phone, and had to decide, to call Mike or 911. Mike is ~ 20 minutes away and the new HEMSI station is ~ 3 minutes away - I called 911. They called Mike for me, Mike called Col. Dick on his way, HEMSI came quickly and they didn't see anything in my eye. But they flushed it with saline and my neighbor from across the street (who is a nurse) came and held my hand and called Mike again to give him a little more info - he only knew that I was hurt and had asked that he come home. Col. Dick arrived to help and another neighbor did too.<br />
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This all started a little before noon on Monday. Once Mike arrived he called his eye doctor and they were able to see me immediatley. Thanks Dr. Walters and Dr. St. Peter for seeing my in my time of need. Once they saw me, we knew the problem was a little more serious than we thought, hoped, and prayed. They told me the cornea was cut (lacerated) and it was a pretty significant cut (all the way through). I didn't know much about the human eye - but I could tell this wasn't good. They recommended we go to a cornea specialist and called Dr. Lee's office for us and informed them of the situation and off we went to Huntsville to see the specialist. We arrived there around 1:15 and we waited just a little before being seen by the nurse and then the doctor who told us again that the cornea was cut all the way through and would require surgery. I think Mike and I both thought this might be the case - but didn't realize that meant Dr. Lee (the surgeon) would move me to another room and do the surgery right then. So sometime around 3:00 Dr. Lee carefully stitched my cornea while I was awake. I did have sedation in the eye, so it didn't hurt that much, but it was really creepy. So I have 5 stitches in my cornea. The Dr. explained that the repair went well and that after it heals (in months) he will see if the vision can be corrected with glasses. And if not, I will probably be a candidate for a cornea transplant. So we are praying for healing and ask that you join us.<br />
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During this process, I prayed and prayed. I prayed Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.". I prayed John 1:1-4. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men." I learned these 4 verses in John when our big girls were in the AWANA program at church. I am so glad because as I would say them over and over in my head it just made the whole situation ok. God made my eye. God is in control. God knows the plans he has for me and he can use this for his good. Even now as I have to cover my injured eye to make sure of no typos - God is in control and hopefully one of the reasons this happened is so I will rely on him more and more and tell others about him and their need for a savior.
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The rest of the story is several phone calls and text messages were sent to friends to ask for prayer and they prayed and told a few others to pray and our church family and friends were praying and helping as needed and are continuing to do so. Our friend Amanda came to Dr. Lee's office and was waiting for us when the surgery was finished. The Lord has blessed us with wonderful friends and we are so fortunate to have all of them. Our friend and neighbor Lori became the caretaker for the two little girls and the big girl came home to an empty house with a text to call Dad. Our friend Amanda came to Dr. Lee's office and was waiting for us when the surgery was finished. The Lord has blessed us with wonderful friends and we are so fortunate to have all of them. Before we can get home and let others know about this - the word had spread and the prayers were happening.
I thank all of you for your prayers for healing according to the Lord's will for my left eye. And if you don't pray very often, maybe this will be just the beginning for you. <br />
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Another thing I remembered was to pray for others that have more needs than yourself. So as the Dr. was stitching my left eye I was able to pray for those who have no sight - our vision is such a precious thing. My right eye is fine and my left eye may get better in the months to come. But either way, I am going to focus on another verse that keeps me thinking positive thoughts - "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-75034453010931797642011-11-21T17:47:00.001-08:002011-12-07T06:07:02.624-08:00CES Fun Run 2011 and going the extra mileEach year I try to go to the Fun Run and get pictures of our girls. And this year was a beautiful fall day for a run and I was able to get lots of pictures of both girls and many extras that tell a great story.<br />
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Now for the extra part and a few definitions.<br />
Principal (ˈprɪnsɪp ə l)
— adj
1. first in importance, rank, value, etc; chief
— n
3. a person who is first in importance or directs some event, action, organization, etc
6. the head of a school or other educational institution
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Teach·er
[tee-cher]
noun
a person who teaches or instructs, especially as a profession; instructor.
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These are some definitions I found on dictionary.com and no where in these do I see anything that defines what I saw at the fun run. The principal, the teachers, and the helpers were all helping some very special children participate in the fun run.
The slideshow isn't working - so click on the picture below and it should take you to the web album and then you can click on slideshow there - sorry about that - something has changed and I'm still trying to learn what to do to fix it.
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/mnmsoup/20111121?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPOd_taOpbH0oQE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-v2MAn14N9mc/Tsr-YMAyakE/AAAAAAAANoM/_JaNKYioQ00/s160-c/20111121.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/mnmsoup/20111121?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPOd_taOpbH0oQE&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">2011-11-21</a></td></tr></table>
The children were running, walking, skipping, jumping, dancing or simply riding along - but all were enjoying the outdoors and having fun together. I hope these pictures can help tell the story that unfolded for me and maybe you will be touched as well. And if you see a teacher, helper and even a principal doing something that is not part of their defined role - try and let them know you appreciate their going the extra mile for the children!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-89765076347633870532011-11-18T07:16:00.001-08:002011-11-18T07:23:48.240-08:00Job Hunting 101 - this may take a whileWell this job hunting thing is going to take a little longer than I thought. There are lots of resumes floating around and I am hopeful mine will eventually fall into just the right hands. I have sent another resume today to a company that has an ad in the paper and more listings on the website so we will see - my hope at this point is just for someone to at least have enough interest from my resume to at least get a phone call. I am continuing to pray for God's will in this search and know that when and if I get a job (or not) - it is because it is part of God's plan for my life for this season. I am continuing to read through the Bible chronologically and read this morning in
2 Kings 4:1-7 New International Version (NIV)
The Widow’s Olive Oil
1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
After reading this I was wowed! Elisha's kind deed demonstrates that God wants us to go beyond simply keeping the law. Sometimes in the old testament it is easy to focus on God's harsh judgement of the rebellious and to minimize his care for those who love and serve him. To see him at work here (providing for one of his followers) helps us keep his justice toward the rebellious in proper perspective. Not only did God provide, but he did so according to their faith. He only provided oil for the jars they had collected - what if they had more faith and had collected more jars - I believe God would have filled every last one. God can do so much more than I can even imagine. And I am thankful for his word and especially this morning as it helps me to realize I just need to be faithful and continue to send resumes and he will do the rest.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-14209216283356601592011-11-01T07:03:00.000-07:002011-11-01T07:04:02.942-07:00Job Hunting 101 - updates complete and resume sent (again)Okay - I have made updates from several friends now and sent the hopefully better (since it is updated) resume out again to the friends. And I have sent the updated version to another friend at another company. So were are up to having the resume in the hands of 4 friends and 1 to a company without any contacts. I hope to send a few more of those out this week - so let the praying continue and let's see what God has in store! Happy Tuesday - off to CWJC for a little computer class and math tutoring!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-20009546184734449602011-10-31T06:58:00.001-07:002011-10-31T07:03:22.711-07:00Job Hunting 101 - shorter and more bulletsThis morning I have been revising the resume. I have some very nice friends who have jobs with companies here in town that might have a job for me someday. I have sent resumes and received feedback from friends and the input is less is more. So this morning I have updated with less information and more bullets (save something to talk about in the interview right)? So hopefully as the Lord sees fit for this next adventure a job interview will be in my future (because He knows I need the practice). And now to the present job of stay-at-home mom - laundry, make costume for big girl, hopefully get some clothes ready for new consignment shop in town, and clean the weekend mess, and roast some pumpkin seeds, and - oh that's definitely enough for today! Happy Halloween!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-48619948757753147492011-10-28T10:20:00.000-07:002011-10-28T10:20:25.967-07:00Job hunting 101 continuesThe job hunting continues. I have sent 3 letters and resumes to friends at companies with potential job opportunities. And today I sent a letter and resume via e-mail to a company in town with a potential opening - so no contact there, so we'll see how well the letter and resume stand on their own. I know the Lord is in control and am relying on Him to find just the right job for me and for my family. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Jeremiah 29:11Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-37056697446920734052011-10-27T07:50:00.001-07:002011-10-27T07:50:26.719-07:00Pumpkins and Fall PhotosI have been trying for weeks now to take the girls to the WHBC pumpkin patch. Our best (most open) afternoon is Wednesday and it has rained and/or been damp and cold for the last 2 or 3 Wednesdays. Well yesterday was beautiful and we were able to squeeze in a quick trip. We now have pumpkins and photos and even a quick collage to share!
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-udLsbBt1f5U/TqltHsyUptI/AAAAAAAANd0/eFXg-zSrLpE/s1600/2011-10-27.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-udLsbBt1f5U/TqltHsyUptI/AAAAAAAANd0/eFXg-zSrLpE/s320/2011-10-27.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668181585071220434" /></a>
And an update on the job hunt. First resume and cover letter was sent for review by my dear friend. She reviewed and commented and I updated and returned it to her and she has forwarded it onto the company. So one resume is complete. Second and third resumes and cover letters have been sent to two more friends for review and I am waiting on responses. So the process continues!
Happy Fall!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-60207386104457237882011-10-26T06:43:00.000-07:002011-10-26T06:46:46.718-07:00Job hunting 101This week I am going to send out a few resumes to see about getting back into the workforce. If I write it down then it helps to hold me accountable to actually follow through. I have sent my first resume to a friend who recently started a new job that has openings that I am interested in and I hope her contstructive criticism will come quickly so I can actually, really, I mean for real - send it in. Stay tuned for the going back to work updates to hopefully follow soon!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-65779867817481485002010-12-15T06:38:00.000-08:002010-12-15T07:02:41.074-08:00Recognizing Jesus @ WorkI have neglected the blog for oh so long - where has 2010 gone? <br /><br />2010 has brought me to a new understanding of my need for learning more about the love of Jesus and more about His word and what His plan for my life really is. I know that Jesus loves me and he died for me and I will someday get to see him in heaven - but what about here and now on earth? What does he want me to do? He wants me to be in constant communication with Him - i.e. pray and read/study his word. He wants me to listen to Him - i.e. pray and read/study his word. He wants me to love and serve him - i.e. pray and apply his word. <br /><br />I know Jesus is alive and at work right this very moment and I want to always be aware of this fact. I want to be able to recognize when God is working in my life. I want to thank Him for the blessings that He continually pours out on me and my family.<br /><br />I want to remember one Saturday morning when our church encourager ministry meeting was scheduled and I hadn't committed to going because I actually was going to get to have a free morning. I never committed to going because something would probably come up and fill the morning and then I would have to de-commit. Friday night came and my morning was still free - GREAT! I felt I should consider going to the training. Saturday morning - time slot still open - I go to the training. The Lord prompted me to go and I responded with the right answer. The training was going good and an older lady shows up at church looking for a Sunday School Christmas party. I had met this lady last fall at Bible Study. I remembered her last name and was able to talk with her - she doesn't know very many people at church (she is fairly new) and she doesn't hear as well as most. She hangs out with me in the class and I decide to leave and make a phone call or two to see if I can find out where this party is located. I notice a van pull up at the Senior building while I am on the phone and head across the parking lot to see if maybe she was just a little early and now someone else has actually arrived for the party. When I reach the building (after avoiding 3 little neighborhood dogs) I talk to a dear sweet lady who knows about the party and knows this new lady. But here is the cool part! She was at the Senior building for just a few minutes to meet someone to ride to a funeral together and she planned on returning later in the day for the party. It was 11:00 in the morning and the party wasn't until 5:00 that evening. I returned to the other building (again avoiding the little dogs) and was able to tell the lady about the time for the party - so she went home with this new information and did in fact return to the party later that night.<br /><br />This training was scheduled by God for this day and time. My schedule remained clear so I could respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting me to attend. This lady arrived early and there were people at church (not a normal Saturday morning activity). I was able to leave the training at just the right time to find another lady who had all the answers. I am so thankful that I was able to see God's hand at work in all of these events.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-32343803120137703632009-10-17T15:12:00.001-07:002009-10-17T15:38:15.327-07:00Learn something new everydayIt has been way too long and there are so many pictures that tell so many stories - but this post is simply about me learning new ways to add pictures to this blog (in easier and faster ways - picasa seems to be the method of choice). And I am also playing with google sites for creating a website - again the most time consuming part so far is dealing with pictures and again picasa seems to be very helpful - not surprising since both are google driven.<br /><br />So let's try to use picasa to add a slideshow of some uploaded photos now.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmnmsoup%2Falbumid%2F5393688287157698385%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />Okay this is working and it really is pretty simple.<br /><br />So I created a new web album on picasa and uploaded small images (to help with loadin speed - for here and the webpage). And then I went to the album, clicked on link to this album and then the embed slideshow link appears and from there the code above appears in a window for cutting and pasting into the blog/webpage.<br /><br />Oh - but why the title. Well, I am on a mission to try and learn something new as often as possible. So today was a good day and I learned something new. So hopefully, I will continue to learn new things that will make the posts to the blog as easy as possible and hopefully with a little more creativity along the way.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-8341289744309405522009-07-24T10:18:00.000-07:002009-07-24T13:17:12.679-07:00Centri-Kid Camp - June 2009Better late than never I say. So flip the calendar back to June 2009 and let's pretend we just returned from camp. Katie and Ashlie both took their friends - Harmony and Grace. And I was able to go this year - Katie's last year and Ashlie's first year! The pictures tell the story ~<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-f3.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=3098476543655640819&site=widget-f3.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3098476543655640819&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-f3.slide.com/p1/3098476543655640819/bb_t017_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3098476543655640819&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-f3.slide.com/p2/3098476543655640819/bb_t017_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3098476543655640819&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-f3.slide.com/p4/3098476543655640819/bb_t017_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div><br /><br />An extra special part of Centri-Kid camp for me ... was a visit from my college roommate and her daughters.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VdTZY3C2CxI/SmoVFHD5qII/AAAAAAAAAD0/of8Tu6JddhE/s1600-h/2009_0616Image0080.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VdTZY3C2CxI/SmoVFHD5qII/AAAAAAAAAD0/of8Tu6JddhE/s200/2009_0616Image0080.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362121483876935810" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VdTZY3C2CxI/SmoVnuTSx0I/AAAAAAAAAD8/oWHIYCvfjVA/s1600-h/2009_0616Image0081.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VdTZY3C2CxI/SmoVnuTSx0I/AAAAAAAAAD8/oWHIYCvfjVA/s200/2009_0616Image0081.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362122078526031682" /></a>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-2881056134627201852009-04-10T11:48:00.000-07:002009-04-11T09:13:42.479-07:00Picking up sticks ~ turns into playing in puddles!Katie stayed home from school with allergies and ear infection - and after visiting the doctor is feeling well enough to help Sydney with a little project. Sydney and I were planning to go to pick up sticks (so Katie joined us). Sydney always wants to pick up sticks every time we go to church and we won't let her (trying to keep her clean). Well today was her day to pick up some sticks - and she did pick up a few. But quickly she found mud and I (being the older and wiser of the two of us) sent her to the "clean" puddle to get the mud off her shoes. And the pictures tell the rest of the story!<br /><div><embed src="http://widget-85.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=3242591731721737349&site=widget-85.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3242591731721737349&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-85.slide.com/p1/3242591731721737349/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3242591731721737349&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-85.slide.com/p2/3242591731721737349/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3242591731721737349&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-85.slide.com/p4/3242591731721737349/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-58080158911665906682009-02-12T12:36:00.000-08:002009-02-13T17:30:18.164-08:00Can you really tell the difference?Last night the 5th and 6th grade girls participated in an m&m taste test ~ can you really tell the difference between the colors? Well, after our test - I think that some can and most can't. And the moral of this story was ~ it's what's inside that's so good - CHOCOLATE! And when using this to make a biblical comparison - we need to remember that God made us all and he made us all different - and we need to make sure we don't judge others by what we see on the outside. We need to get to know people on the inside.
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<br />And about the history of the blue m&m? Over 10 million people voted to add blue to the color mix in 1995! And if you really want to learn more about the history of the m&m - go <a href="http://us.mms.com/us/about/mmshistory/">here</a>.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-22279228890497511572009-01-12T14:42:00.001-08:002009-01-12T14:52:07.710-08:00Giving thanks ~ Even for the little thingsA typical Monday, clean the house that gets so messy over the weekend. Do laundry - is it ever really done? And even look through the entire house, garage, and van for the missing church bag and library book (you know I don't want to buy a book we can't even find)! Pray for a friend having a medical procedure today. Well, it was a good day. The house is on it's way to being clean (at least for a little while) and the laundry is almost done (close enough) and we found the missing church bag at church of all places and the library book was found on the bookshelf (a good place for books you own - not library books) after bribing the girls to help look one more time with ice cream and oreos! So the girls are eating their reward and for this Monday full of events I am thankful. And our dear friend, Nancy's procedure is over and she is at home feeling fine and is awaiting the results - so we will continue to pray for her health and healing.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-23592258381311832962009-01-09T20:32:00.000-08:002009-01-09T20:44:11.302-08:00A New Year - 2009 - WOW!It seems like yesterday is was just 1999 and now it's 10 years later. Thanksgiving came and went, Christmas came and went and January 2009 is here and going so fast. We were able to visit with lots of family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was really great seeing everyone and spending time together. The big girls performed in our church Christmas musical and they did an awesome job and Sydney sang her songs while dressed as a cute little cow. It was fun having all 3 girls in a performance together and it was sad to know that it will probably be the last as Katie will be moving up to the youth next year leaving little sisters behind. Well they do say - time flies when you are having fun - so we are having way too much!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-88917511417688639042008-11-10T16:02:00.000-08:002008-11-10T16:21:16.230-08:00Where did September and October Go?Soccer - that's where! The soccer season is over and the fall leaves are turning and they are beautiful again this year. Katie played her last year at U12 and Ashlie played her 2nd year at U10. Both girls had lots of fun and Katie stopped many goals and Ashlie scored many goals. Hopefully life can slow down a bit before the holiday season gets into full swing and we can enjoy a few Saturdays at home!<br /><br />Our church is in revival this week and we have really enjoyed listening to <a href="http://www.ronniehill.com">Ronnie Hill</a> and his AMAZING <a href="http://www.threeminutestory.com">story</a>. I know that I am here for a reason and at least one reason is to make sure I tell people about the love of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />In October, I had an opportunity to talk with a painter about Jesus and he had so many questions that I couldn't answer. I realize now that I did all I could to let him know about the love of Jesus - it is up to him to accept or reject it. I am thankful for Ronnie's message and his encouragement to believers to keep telling the story of the love of Jesus and lives will be changed.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-12122776222991807002008-08-10T05:32:00.000-07:002008-08-10T05:52:20.359-07:00A New Chapter or TwoMamaw is visiting around to all the children and appears to be doing well even though she still misses Papaw. Last week she stayed with us and it was a good visit. We were able to take her to visit her half-sister one day. And she helped watch Miss Sydney while I worked in the yard several days. And this weekend, she was able to go home for a few days and Mike was able to work in the yard at the farm (a bit more yard than at home)! So for Mamaw ~ life is moving on and the sadness is getting better each day.<br /><br />The big girls are back at school. A 3rd grader and a 6th grader. Wow! Soccer started last week and the weather was mostly pleasant - a rainy Thursday cancelled one practice, but it also helped bring some milder weather for the rest of the week and weekend! Girl Scouts will start next week and dance the next (so we are slowly getting back into the full fall schedule).<br /><br /><a href="http://capshaw.org">Church</a> will begin a new chapter today ~ Pastor Brandon will lead us in worship beginning today. The girls and I had were able to help out at church over the weekend and Katie saw Pastor Brandon out the window and she was so excited that she was going to get to meet him and know him better. And I know we all will experience worship at church in a whole new way thanks to his preparation and prayer.<br /><br />This week AWANA begins at church and little Miss Sydney will begin Cubbies and the big girls will be in their first and last years of T&T. I will be moving from Sparks to T&T to be with Katie in her last year. May the Lord continue to bless this ministry at Capshaw and all who attend.<br /><br />Next Sunday our church will vote to make a very Godly lady a full-time director of preschool and children. I thank God for her and for her willingness to let others come along side her and help as the Lord leads. I will be praying for her and the vote this week.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-89450830403571918392008-07-14T06:02:00.001-07:002008-07-14T06:18:11.369-07:00Really ~ a little bit of everythingThe days have passed and during this time we've had ups and downs and are beginning a new phase of life. The month of May found us getting ready for Vacation Bible School at church. The team came together and all the leader slots were filled and in June the week was here and it was great. Our new pastor used one of his many talents by leading the children in worship each day - it was awesome. Our new youth pastor led the 5th and 6th graders and they had a great week. And missions came back in full force and the children responded well. The whole team worked together to make for a great week. I can't wait until next year. As the VBS week came to an end so did the life of a family member ~ he fought a good fight and died a peaceful death. His family was with him and soon the whole family would be together to celebrate the end of a life here on earth and the beginning of a new life in heaven with Jesus. The big girls were very sad and cried many tears and the little girl kept praying for her Papaw to get better and come back. In July, Mamaw came and visited with us for a week and she will be able to do that again soon. The girls really enjoyed having Mamaw to play with whenever they wanted ~ especially the little girl. She wanted her all to herself whenever possible. Later in July, our big girl went to church camp with her very dear friend and they had a great time and we will never ask her to call home again! And our middle girl went to back handspring class for 3 days and is flipping forward and backward now! The trampoline is her practice field. And our church has filled another slot - a great young man and his lovely family led us in worship yesterday and it was awesome. I look so forward to August 10 when he begins his new journey at Capshaw.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-54723598998613870892008-05-19T05:50:00.001-07:002008-05-19T06:16:41.499-07:00An Awesome Sunday in MayEverything was normal about yesterday, get up, hurry up, get ready for church, and make it there just in time. The weather was great, well except for a little rain. And our pastor shared an awesome message. The message was R U Sure ~ with two questions, am I unchanged? am I unchallenged? At the end of the message he asked for anyone who needed to know Jesus and be changed and/or be challenged to come forward and talk with a pastor ~ and many did! Some of our old friends were re-visiting our church and both of their teenage children came forward to make public decisions for Jesus and to learn more about baptism. I don't think when they were getting ready for church yesterday that their morning was much different from ours, but it turned out to be a "God was there" day for them and for all of us. Another lady who came forward had met a church member the day before at her yard sale. She is new to the area and had simply been invited to come to our church and she too had a "God was there" day. There were couples and a senior lady who joined our church yesterday. Husbands, wives, teenagers and one sweet little girl who made decisions. I know "<strong>God was there</strong>" with us yesterday at Capshaw and I look forward to getting back next week to see what else he has in store for our church.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6662117034345401454.post-22786950509406034012008-03-31T10:20:00.000-07:002008-03-31T10:35:11.985-07:00Time Goes By So FastIt seems like just yesterday I was writing about a birthday and that was more than a month ago! Yesterday marked the end of a year with an interim pastor at our church. The last sermon was "Giving Your Best to the Master". Wow - do I give my best in anything or do I simply do most things just to get them done? I am really going to remember this final message and work harder at doing my best in all things.<br /><br />Our new pastor starts this Sunday and I am so excited. A new chapter begins for Capshaw Baptist Church and I am truly blessed to be a part of such a great church. I look forward to learning more and more each week and making sure that I make the best use of my time here on earth by serving the Lord and giving Him my best.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17320408263539054572noreply@blogger.com0