:: Sisters' Weblog: It Bloggles the Mind! ::

Sue's blogchalk:
United States, Tennessee, Humboldt, English, Susan, Female, 36-40, Christianity, Bible Study, church, music, trumpet, CD's.

Katie's blogchalk:
United States, Tennessee, Humboldt, English, Katie, Female, 30-35, Christianity, Bible Study, church, mom with two kids, full-time student.

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:: Saturday, May 03, 2003 ::

"What a Difference a Day Makes!"

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding...." (Prov. 3:5)

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER! WOOOHOOOO!!!!! Now maybe I can blog more! Today, I was wondering what to blog about. I couldn't come up with anything. Earlier, I got a phone call from my daughter who spent the night with a new friend. They are going to a birthday party together today and Tiff needed some money to get a present. I had already spent 2 hours talking with Tiff's friend's mom last night when dropping Tiff off. What a wonderful lady she is! She told me this awesome Cinderella story about how she and her husband came together. I didn't get alot of details because both of us are talkers and we have a tendency to go off on a tangent that leads someplace else so we never really finished any particular subject. That's okay though because I know at some point we will go off on a tangent from another discussion that will finish the ones that were unfinished in that discussion. Does that make any sense? LOL I LOVE IT! Anyhow, today, I met this lady's husband. He is a professor at the college I attend. I had seen him before but, I don't think we ever spoke. What a charming person he is! Wow! I feel so optomistic about life while talking to them. They both have children from previous marriages and the ages of their children are from 30 down to age 4 or 5! They are the most fascinating people! I hated leaving both times I have been over there. I would love to have an entire day just to sit and chat with this awesome couple.

He (the husband) had such awesome uplifting, encouraging words to say. One thing he said that really made an impact was right after I told him that I really messed my life up in the past and have been known to be a poor judge of character. He said that one thing he says often and lives by is that it's not important who you were (for better or worse). It's who you are now and where you are going that counts. He used the example of a man who was a football star in highschool and brags about it........has been replaced by another star now. What is important is that that man is doing something good with his life today. It makes sense. The past really DOESN'T matter! The only time I should look to the past is when I want to learn from the mistakes I made and know what NOT to do today.

I mentioned to this couple that since I had been a poor judge of character in the past I have learned not to trust in my own decisions, but to let God guide me in my decisions today and every day. He told me that I needed to surround myself with new people and meet my friends at church (in opposition to night clubs and bars) and perhaps attend a symphony. It was like a confirmation that I am making good choices these days. (To God be the glory!) God has given me an awesome church family full of healthy people ( and many of them enjoy symphonies). I haven't had the opportunity to attend a symphony but it has been a desire in my heart for a very long time! So, I have a short term goal to attend the symphony before the end of this year. Well, my first goal is to get some form of income generating. My long term goals.......stability for my family, education, career, writing a book....??? I have many. I am so happy simply because I have goals....reachable goals that I know, with God's help, I can achieve.

I struggle with forgiving myself for the ways I messed up my life. I find that I repeatedly have to forgive myself. I still suffer the consequences of my poor choices. But, the day is coming when those consequences will have no affect on me anymore. With God's help, I will have rebuilt my life and reached beyond the consequences of my past. I think the most important thing to do every day is to pray for God's guidance and ask daily for His wisdom and discernment in all my choices. It's important to involve God in everything I do every day. I don't think it is a funny coincidence that I have met this family. (Any more than meeting Sue was a coincidence). I am so blessed! I believe with all my heart that God is doing another awesome work in my life and that these people are tools that He will use to mold me and who knows? Maybe He will even use me in their life somehow.

When visiting with this couple, I mentioned the fact that I want to write a book at some point in my life...one that will be a helpful tool that will allow me to contribute to society after I am gone. I don't think the husband realized that I heard him when he said, "Just one?" (That's a blog for another day).

Today, I rejoice that God has opened the door to yet another adventure in my life. I don't think these people realize the impact they made on my life today. Even if I never see them again, I will ponder our conversation and the words we shared will make a difference in the rest of my life. It's not like the words they said were new news to me. It's not like I haven't heard anything like this before.......it's the timing, the presentation, and the heart of the person behind the words that make a difference. It served as a reminder and confimation to things already pondered and perhaps even discussed. I have to remember to trust Him. It also has made such an impact because of where God has me in life today. I can trust Him in my personal struggles. He is with me! He always has been, and always will be.......even to the ends of the earth!

:: Katie 5/3/2003 01:53:02 PM ** ** [+] ::
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Labor Pains

I am allowed 220 labor hours per week. In those 220 hours I am to get between 2500 and 3000 pieces of product out onto the sales floor. That takes approximately 16 labor hours (I'm underestimating) This particular week was also an ad change which means we change sale pricing and merchandising. That takes about 15 hours. I still need to get the price change done which was for 1100 pieces. That takes about 10 hours I'd say, again I'm underestimating. I also need time to alphebetize the store which I schedule people before opening to do that on some shifts which amounts to about 14 hours per week (which in NOT enough to keep the store in shape since the installation of the LVS, which allows people to scan and listen to most any cd in the store. Cds end up anywhere!) We also use an hour before opening and a half hour after closing to do normal opening/closing operational stuff. That is 10.5 hours, but I'll make in an even 10 hours. (I am grossly underestimating store operations because I myself work about 7 hours in the store during the time it is closed)

This leaves me with 170 hours to use while the store is open and we are dealing with customers. The store is open 72 hours a week. I am open 11 hours a day, except for Sunday which I am open 6. According to my figures that allows me to schedule on average 24 labor hours per day that can focus on customers. That is three employees working an 8 hour day. That is a lot of floor not being covered! If two people need to open and two people need to close can someone please explain how to do that with only 3 people scheduled in a day??????????????

I am so frustrated. There is more work to do than can possibly get done. I try to do all I can, but I hate leaving things undone and being so far behind.

:: Susan 5/2/2003 11:42:22 PM ** ** [+] ::
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National Day of Prayer Events

I've never participated in the events of the National Day of Prayer. Katie was all excited to hear about an event planned for the evening out at a small ampitheater at Casey Jones Village, a quaint tourist attraction in Jackson. We decided to go and hope for a nice evening.

The event was billed as "'A Call to Come'" A Citywide Night of Prayer, Worship, & Encouragement from local speakers of all denominations" We were under the impression that the evening was going to be packed full of praise and worship music and a time to lift up prayers for our lives, our community, and our nation. The evening did bring together many people from all different denominations. It was a blessing to see all sorts of people and experience different forms of worship all in the same place. The speaker who started off the evening laid the "ground rules". She said that God calls us to worship and worship comes in many different forms. She asked people to respect the ways in which other people worship. "Some people shout, others are quiet, some will dance, some will simply tap their toes, some will raise hands, some will be still. As you worship we ask that you are respectful of those around you. If you choose to dance or use flags or banners, please move off into the areas set to the side to worship there. If you see others worshipping in ways that are different to you, we are asking you to respect that. Worship is for the Lord, so those of you who are not here to worship God, you may be offended by what you see. We are asking that everyone 'get over it'". At this time we were told to look to the person next to us and say "I'm over it" and this was used as a reminder throughout the evening that this time of worship was for the Lord and not some display for ourselves. I thought that was cool.

Next we heard from the band that provided the music for the evening. They played some popular praise and worship tunes that people seemed to really enjoy. Many people did choose to wave banners and worship God in that way and I had never seen that before. It was beautiful. Some danced, some shouted and all of it was pleasing to God I'm sure. These were brothers and sisters enjoying being in the presence of God.

The first speaker shared the testimony about how this night got put together and it was rather interesting to hear about the visions she was given years ago. She shared about the different steps that were taken, not only by her, but by others God had obviously guided through His Will to bring the community together for a "Prayer Center". Jackson now has a "Prayer Center" and it is "opening tonight" for all to "come". The ultimate goal of this prayer center is to eventually have Christians in Jackson praying for the needs of the people and the community and the nation 24/7. Starting now, on Wednesdays, the Prayer Center will be open to go to an to be prayed for or to pray with others who come. I think it is a great thing and it is not to be denominationally divided...it is simply a place to pray. No labels other than "child of God". Since Wednesdays are my and Katie's "God day" we may have to go check it out.

Now this is where the evening started to lose me. Hearing the testimony of how it all came about and seeing this "Prayer Center" idea was all pretty neat. Then we had someone stand and basically try to convince us about why this is important. Christians know prayer is important and those seeking God can see the happenings in the world and how bad things can get. We were given statistics about sexual abuse, about divorce, etc., and they were being used to persuade us to "come to the prayer center". Then we had a prayer that asked God to reveal his will and open the hearts of people to allow them to hear the call." It started to sound like what I call a "pray-fomercial". Maybe my heart is too critical.

We heard from the band again and about this time it was getting late, after all it is a school night and Katie's kids were with us. Many people started to leave, and we decided too as well. I have no idea how much longer the praise and worship continued and how much longer the event lasted. I thought the evening started out well and I hope that there are more opportunities for the entire community to come together to praise God for the awesome work he is doing in our lives and in our community. God is calling us to inherit this land! He is calling us to take it back from the thieves, the abusers, the wicked! We do need to pray! If we pray...He will move and we will hear Him! He will use us and He will do mighty things. We will get our families back! We will get our neighborhoods back! We will get our cities back! We will get our nation back! It starts when His people pray.

:: Susan 5/2/2003 11:10:18 AM ** ** [+] ::
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A Funny Thing Happened...

Katie made some brownies...and mmmmmmmmmmm they smell so good! I stood up to go snatch one from the still warm pan and in the middle of the pan where a brownie should be there was a gaping hole. How could this be? I wasn't the first one to the brownies! Hmpf! I thought it quite bizarre that the middle brownie was missing so I inquired of Katie "what happened here?" and she said "I baked 'em and that's the one I wanted!" LOL

As we sat on the backyard swing today pondering God's creation and how our friendship has evolved, we reminded each other of some funny things that have happened during the past few years. One story Katie reminded me of was of one night when we were doing bible study at her house and her boy Justin, then about 11 years old asked if he could play "Intendo". I told him that the proper pronunciation is "Nintendo", there is an "N" in front. He said that he knew and just preferred to say Intendo. Ok, ok. I asked him how he would like it if we left the "N" of of his name and just called him "Justi". LOL He went off into his room and played "Intendo". For a while after that Katie and I rattled off different words with silent "N"s. The funny one was my own name! Susan Prince becomes Sue's a priss! LOL

:: Susan 4/30/2003 04:52:51 PM ** ** [+] ::
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What happened to Blog Hot or Not? Was it not hot?

:: Susan 4/30/2003 10:35:41 AM ** ** [+] ::
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Music Review

I wrote a review on the new Seventh Day Slumber CD over at Crimson Light Music. Jake invited me to write some reviews. I'd like to see the database over at Crimson Light grow to include a lot more titles so Christians will be able to go to a place that will have honest and forthright and non-biased reviews. Check it out!

:: Susan 4/29/2003 07:28:13 PM ** ** [+] ::
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Truepath...Woooohooooooo!!!

If you found me...YAY! (Don't forget to bookmark me at this new URL) It took me awhile to figure all this new stuff out, but perserverance paid off! (and a phone call to TruePath tech support). It's probably going to take me awhile to get all my website pages moved over to this new server, but I wanted to at least get my blog page up and running. I ran into some difficulty getting my web files and directory files sorted out so when I published from Blogger it would actually publish. I resorted to a phone call to tech support after I exhausted all my tries and my patience.

I must say that the young man that answered was very polite and had my problem solved quickly and efficiently. It must be difficult for those tech experts to decipher what we non-techies are talking about when trying to describe a problem to them. I am a bit more versed than some "webmasters" I'm sure, but no where near the level of the experts. Of course it was a simple matter of typing the correct ftp path in the settings configuration at blogger. Really simple. But, when I check my blog page...the updates weren't there. I had forgot to hit "publish"....duh. It's like I racked my brain all morning trying to figure things out and must have burned some brain cells in the process.

Well, I'm glad you found me. Now I have to go edit a few more things.

:: Susan 4/29/2003 01:06:24 PM ** ** [+] ::
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PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINK TO THIS URL, IT HAS CHANGED

http://susanlprince.truepath.com/blogger.html

Sisters' Weblog: It Bloggles the Mind!

:: Susan 4/29/2003 08:07:40 AM ** ** [+] ::
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