Act of God

Just heard this at the end of a movie on Lifetime. The movie is called "Baby for Sale" and is about a couple who tried to adopt a baby privately only to be caught up in a baby for sale scam. This couple triumphed in the end, getting the so called "baby broker" sent to jail and getting the little girl. This quote is soooo true:

"Childbirth is an act of nature,

but adoption is an act of God."

New Camera

My old camera needed to be replaced in the worst way. I have had the Kodak digital point & shoot for so long I forgot when I bought it!! It is the type that has a (very small) digital display screen but you had to press a button to turn it "on," so could also take a pic by looking through the viewfinder, reminiscent of the 35mm cameras!! The last few times I used it, I would press the shutter button and it would freeze, and sometimes take the pic, sometimes not, depending on what type of mood it was in.

So it was time to treat myself to a new camera!! And this is what I got, right down to the color and everything!!It is really turning out to be a great camera, takes some great pics!! The old camera was 4.0 megapixels, the Sony is 14.1 megapixels with a Carl Zeiss lens, which I really don't know much about but I should learn!!

Here is a pic taken with the new camera:







What a difference from what pics I took used to look like!! I am very happy with this new purchase!!

Fundraiser for a GREAT CAUSE!

Even though my own adoption dreams and plans are on hold (perhaps indefinitely), I am so thankful that there are many out there working to bring home children who so desperately need loving homes and families more than anything else in this world!!

One such family, and I can't remember how I found their blog, is working hard to raise the funds to bring Kasidi Joy home from China soon. They have hosted several fundraiser giveaways and the latest prize is a $500 gift card for Wal*Mart. And the best thing is the winner will have this GC in hand before Black Friday.... how cool is that???

Would you consider helping? The details of the giveaway can be found here:

http://k6comehome.blogspot.com/2010/11/gift-card-fundraisergiveaway.html

THE DEADLINE FOR ENTERING IS 3:30 P.M. CST TODAY... THAT'S 4:30 P.M. FOR THOSE OF US ON THE EAST COAST!!!

Good News!

I know it's been a while since I have posted anything on here! I seem, like many other bloggers, to do more on Facebook than anywhere else these days.

I do have good news to share... no, it is not on the adoption front, although I wish it were. Sad to say, at this point in time I have no idea if that will ever take place. Life has dealt me some tough blows in the last few years.

Yet... I still have good news!! As you know, I have not worked since the end of May... well, save for one day spent subbing in May, I believe but I just cannot recall. I have been searching and searching for months and I will not lie to you - it has been scary and has felt at times like it would never happen. I interviewed a couple of times this summer for teaching positions and felt in both instances like I had nailed it and the job was mine only to discover that dreaded "Dear John" type letter in my mailbox a few days later. I have searched for both teaching and non-teaching jobs as I could not concentrate my efforts in just one area.

So, last week I interviewed for a job that was actually advertised at the beginning of August but not slated to start until October due to the fact that it is a brand new position. I actually clicked on the company website and saw the posting, e-mailed my resume, and when I went back about 2 days later to reread the posting, the ad was GONE, meaning I got in just under the wire for the recruitment effort.

To make a long story short........... I GOT THE JOB!! I cannot tell you how it felt to receive a phone call offering me the position... I had become resigned to the fact that I was the one to receive the thank you but not thank you letters.

I start on October 1st... I will be working for a college, it's a well known local college that has it's own sports teams and everything (no, it's not ODU) in the education department. I am not sure yet all of what the position entails - it is a new position, after all!! But I will be working with teacher education students and still be in the field that I love.

Have I completely given up on teaching?? Absolutely not!!! But this is what God has in store for me now so I will take it.

Seasons of Change

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

Lately, this verse has been playing such a major role in my life. There are so many seasons to ones life.

So why is this verse playing such a major role in my life? I am going through a season of change. You will recall in October when the previous franchise owner of my company abruptly closed our doors. Then within two weeks, our parent company had secured a new franchise owner and we were again open for business. That was a very tough time. Although I was only out of work for 2 weeks, I was never able to collect any unemployment and then was rehired at a low hourly rate at first. The even tougher time was the fallout from the parents of the various students we provided services for. I had to deal with a lot of that fallout as the Center Director but since I had established a very good relationship with the parents it went pretty well. We did have our angry parents but I took that with a grain of salt. The point is I cared enough to appease the parents to let them know that we were going to stay in business and take care of the agreements we had entered into with them under the previous franchise. Maybe I cared too much... I don't know.

My new season of change is that I have again fallen victim to this recessional economy we are living in. On March 31st, I was laid off yet again. Twice in 5 months is two times too many in my book. The company is still open, the decision was simply made that my job could be handled for a while in a different fashion since we weren't bringing in the amount of money our goals required. I have no idea what the budget was to keep the center running, I was not privy to that information... although I should have been. Nothing I can do about that now.

So I'm looking again... OK, I've really been looking since January. I am currently in the running for 3 different positions and am at different points in the interview process for all three. I am praying hard that one of these works out.

Seasons of change.... I am hoping and praying that this new season of change has not completely dashed my adoption plans. How can I even begin the adoption process without a steady source of employment? I always knew I wasn't going to stay with the small business... the benefits just weren't there. I just didn't think, plan, or know that this was going to happen.

And how addicted are you?

58%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

iPod Tag... lots of fun! (Who Knew... read on, to see what this means)

If you are reading this post... please scroll down and also read the post I made yesterday!!

I saw this posted on another blog and thought it looked like a lot of fun!! I actually did what is asked last night but didn't feel like posting it. Some of it is kind of silly and truly doesn't apply to me but I had a lot of fun!! It also gives away my extremely ecclectic taste in music... my iPod contains songs from the many CDs I own as well as those I haved ownloaded from iTunes.

Here it is:

1. Put your iPod (or MP3 player) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag friends who might enjoy doing this.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Above All………. Michael W. Smith

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Live Like You Were Dying……. Tim McGraw

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Jesus is Life………… Steven Curtis Chapman

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Breathe……….. Michael W. Smith (Wow… what a song to play for this one!)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
I’m Alright……………. Jo Dee Messina

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
I Will Survive…………… Gloria Gaynor

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Angel Eyes……… The Jeff Healey Band

WHAT IS 2+2?
Live Out Loud……… Steven Curtis Chapman

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing………… Aerosmith

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Even God Must Get the Blues……. JoDee Messina

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
I Don’t Want to Wait…….. Paula Cole

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Butterfly…………. Mariah Carey

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Lessons Learned….. Carrie Underwood (Ha! Ha!)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
With Arms Wide Open……….. Creed

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Inside Your Heaven………. Carrie Underwood

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Who Says You Can’t Go Home……. Bon Jovi & Jennifer Nettles

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Big Girls Don’t Cry……………. Fergie

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Steady On………….. Point of Grace

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
You Dropped a Bomb on Me………… The Gap Band

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
8th World Wonder………. Kimberly Locke

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Anyway…………………. Martina McBride

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
100 Years……….. Five for Fighting

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
When Love Takes You In…….. Steven Curtis Chapman (how appropriate… a song about adoption)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
A Broken Wing…………….. Martina McBride (Hmmmmmmm...)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Shadow………. Ashlee Simpson

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Tears in Heaven……… Eric Clapton

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
You and Me………….. Lifehouse

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Every Day………… Rascal Flatts

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Who Knew………. Pink

Basically, if you read my blog, consider yourself tagged!! I don't do things like this very often, but I really needed some good fun and a laugh.

Fight FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act)

Edited on Jan. 29th.... I was finally able to watch the video on the website and all I can say is.... Wow. Please, please... sign this petition.

A friend of mine forwarded me an e-mail this evening. Here is the text of this e-mail:

Please take a few minutes to read about the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) that President-elect Obama has promised to sign into law. This Act would undo thirty years of pro-life legislation at the state and federal levels. It would allow partial-birth abortion and would force faith-based and other private hospitals and doctors to perform abortions. It would undo parental notification laws as well. You can sign the petition against FOCA at the website below. It's very easy and takes about 15 seconds. Also there's a brief video of Mr. Obama on the right at a Planned Parenthood meeting.

I have visited this site and have signed the petition. If you believe that extinguishing the lives of the unborn is not the way of God, I urge you to do the same. Simply click on the button I have placed here, and it is now in my side bar as well.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let is Snow

So we are expecting snow tonight and into tomorrow. I've lived here my whole life so have learned to never believe it until there is accumulation... not that we ever get that much accumulation anyway!!

We do get snow. The biggest snowstorm that has happened in my lifetime that I can recall was in 1980. We had huge snowdrifts, the entire city was practically paralyzed. The hospitals were taking to the news stations to call on all people with 4 wheel drive vehicles to help get medical personnel to work. I was 13 years old at the time and we lived in a ground floor apartment. The unit above us was occupied by a lady with 2 teenage sons that my sisters and I were friends with. We had fun jumping off their balcony into the snowdrifts!! I cannot remember how much school we missed. One of the biggest news stories surrounding this particular storm is that the circus was in town and people actually had to spend the night at Norfolk Scope because the authorities would not let anyone leave.

Mary... you'll love this!! (if you don't know who Mary is, she's one of my blogging buddies and lives in Wisconsin). We are expecting maybe 3 or 4 inches and it is all over the news like crazy!!

ETA.... sorry for such a boring post but I"m really trying hard for more than 31 posts in 2009!!!

Praying for Abby...

Won't you join me?? See the button in my sidebar, it will link you to her family's blog. This precious little girl needs our prayers.