I am still a registered republican, though sometimes I'm not sure why since it seems there are as many things that I disagree with the party on as there are areas I agree with them. But since there isn't a political party that is perfect, I've kept my registration republican. So I decided to attend the caucus last Saturday just to see what this was all about. I was really glad I did, as it was kind of fun to be a part of the process. I made a little clip for those of you who did not attend (shame on you!). I arrived a little before nine and the line was already wrapped around Century 2 and down to main street. Everything was really well organized though, so the line moved quickly and once I got in, I was fortunate enough to be ushered to seat near the front in the very last section to fill up. I happened to have my camera with me and thought I would have a little fun making some video clips.
I'm not endorsing any of the speakers in the video. Some I agree with, some I don't agree with, and some I just thought were really funny. It starts off with the representative who was there to speak on behalf of Huckabee, then moves through several other speakers, ending with Tiahrt, who was just there to encourage the process but not to endorse any one in particular. In the middle there is a guy who was there to speak on behalf of Alan Keyes (who I didn't even realize was running) and I'm not sure I got enough of him speaking to make his point understandable, so let me summarize it quickly: he stated that Keyes was running for vice president and that we should vote for him because America wants an african american in the white house and Keyes is the man. He states that Obama's popularity is soley based on his skin color, but that he is wrong man for the job, and Keyes is a much better choice (for VP) to represent the race. Or something like that. My comment on that is....no comment.
But I do want to say thanks to all the organizers. Several friends from church were instrumental in this and worked really hard and I thought it was a great event for my first ever caucus.
February 10, 2008
January 29, 2008
New Year Blessing and The Year Of Prayer
I am very grateful for the abundance of good friends that God has sent my way. In the various places I have lived I've always found good friends and have been able to keep in touch with many of them even after I moved on to new jobs in new states. One of those friends, the focus of my blog post today, is my friend Rachel. Rachel and her husband Jason grew up in Hillsboro, Kansas, but we actually met when we both lived in Naperville, Illinois.
I had been working as a Director of Children's Ministries at a church in Naperville for a couple of years when I found out we would be getting a new Worship Pastor, a young couple who were coming from Phoenix. Not only did I enjoy working at the church with Jason as our new Worship guy, but I found out that his wife was quite witty and fun also. And it was a bonus when I found out that they grew up in Hillsboro! (Side note: one day when talking about high school shootings with Rachel, we discovered that Rachel's college roommate in Phoenix married a friend of mine from my high school youth group.....we seem to have lots of those "it's a small world" stories!)
Eventually I moved back to Kansas, while Jason and Rachel and their kids stayed in Naperville for a few more years. I still saw them occasionally when I went to IL for visits, or they were home in KS for visits, but I was really excited when they finally decided to move back to Kansas. After a few years in Hillsboro, Jason recently took a job with a church in Salina where they now live. I haven't been to visit them in Salina, but I hope to soon! It's been too long....
Last week I received a really cool card from Rachel. It was a New Years Blessing card and on the inside of the card (next a photo of their adorable kids) they had written this:
What a cool idea! And how blessed do I feel for being fortunate enough to make it on their list of people they are committing to pray for this year (even after I didn't send out any Christmas cards this year). Thanks Rachel! This gift means more than you know!
I had been working as a Director of Children's Ministries at a church in Naperville for a couple of years when I found out we would be getting a new Worship Pastor, a young couple who were coming from Phoenix. Not only did I enjoy working at the church with Jason as our new Worship guy, but I found out that his wife was quite witty and fun also. And it was a bonus when I found out that they grew up in Hillsboro! (Side note: one day when talking about high school shootings with Rachel, we discovered that Rachel's college roommate in Phoenix married a friend of mine from my high school youth group.....we seem to have lots of those "it's a small world" stories!)
Eventually I moved back to Kansas, while Jason and Rachel and their kids stayed in Naperville for a few more years. I still saw them occasionally when I went to IL for visits, or they were home in KS for visits, but I was really excited when they finally decided to move back to Kansas. After a few years in Hillsboro, Jason recently took a job with a church in Salina where they now live. I haven't been to visit them in Salina, but I hope to soon! It's been too long....
Last week I received a really cool card from Rachel. It was a New Years Blessing card and on the inside of the card (next a photo of their adorable kids) they had written this:
"We have designated 2008 as a year of prayer for our family...practicing it, studying it, and prioritizing it. As we received Christmas cards this holiday season, we began filling in a calendar with names. Yes we added in some extras - you know who you are! We would love to hear any specific ways in which we can uplift your family this year, so please feel free to email us. We are committing to pray for you on the 21st of each month, as well as any other time we know of your needs. May God abundantly bless you, and others through you!"
What a cool idea! And how blessed do I feel for being fortunate enough to make it on their list of people they are committing to pray for this year (even after I didn't send out any Christmas cards this year). Thanks Rachel! This gift means more than you know!
January 16, 2008
New Job
I have a new job. Same company, but new responsibilities and new title. I am now the Training Director. I'm excited, and more than a little overwhelmed at what I need to get done asap. Here are some of the things that are occupying me this month:
1. We are considering a move to a new LMS (Learning Management System) for our online learning program. There is a problem though. I need Consumer Reports to do some comparison shopping for me and lay out all the pros and cons for the top LMS systems out there. There is no time to search the internet to find out about all the different systems, test them out, talk to other users, figure out if it meets our needs etc. And now to complicate things, there are all these open source programs to consider too. I've been meaning to check out Moodle for a couple of months now, but everytime I go to their website, I get overwhelmed trying to figure out what I am looking for. Anyone have a good, affordable, LMS to reccommend?
2. We are going through our accreditation visit this summer. We go through this every three years or so, and I've been through it twice before, so I know what's coming and it's going to require a lot of work, though in the end it's always a good experience. As the new Training Director I need to make sure we are meeting all of the standards for training that are required. I have six months to accomplish this. In some cases, this is probably going to require developing some trainings, getting our 200+ staff across the state trained in them, and pulling reports showing that everyone has received the training. Sounds fun, right! I love a good challenge, especially when it involves systems building. And if it involves a database, then it's even more fun. Seriously- I'm really looking forward to figuring this challenge out!
3. And in between figuring that stuff out I'll keep my other job duties which includes teaching online courses until I can hire someone to take over that part of my job, managing a collaborative grant with several local partners, providing oversight to our trainings for foster parents across the state, and attending a lot of meetings.
I think I'm going to have a panic attack.
1. We are considering a move to a new LMS (Learning Management System) for our online learning program. There is a problem though. I need Consumer Reports to do some comparison shopping for me and lay out all the pros and cons for the top LMS systems out there. There is no time to search the internet to find out about all the different systems, test them out, talk to other users, figure out if it meets our needs etc. And now to complicate things, there are all these open source programs to consider too. I've been meaning to check out Moodle for a couple of months now, but everytime I go to their website, I get overwhelmed trying to figure out what I am looking for. Anyone have a good, affordable, LMS to reccommend?
2. We are going through our accreditation visit this summer. We go through this every three years or so, and I've been through it twice before, so I know what's coming and it's going to require a lot of work, though in the end it's always a good experience. As the new Training Director I need to make sure we are meeting all of the standards for training that are required. I have six months to accomplish this. In some cases, this is probably going to require developing some trainings, getting our 200+ staff across the state trained in them, and pulling reports showing that everyone has received the training. Sounds fun, right! I love a good challenge, especially when it involves systems building. And if it involves a database, then it's even more fun. Seriously- I'm really looking forward to figuring this challenge out!
3. And in between figuring that stuff out I'll keep my other job duties which includes teaching online courses until I can hire someone to take over that part of my job, managing a collaborative grant with several local partners, providing oversight to our trainings for foster parents across the state, and attending a lot of meetings.
I think I'm going to have a panic attack.
December 27, 2007
Books, books, and more books!
Well...the last thing I need is more books, but my favorite gift to receive is....books! I received a nice sampling of new books for Christmas and here they are, the latest additions to my library!
I decided this one looked interesting (Oprah's book club....) and my brother wanted to read it too, so we decided he would buy it for me for Christmas then I would loan it to him when I was done. The only problem is, my dad decided he should get to read it first since I have other new books I can read, so he borrowed it from me before we even got home. So...hopefully my dad is enjoying my first new book.
Okay, I have to confess that this is the book I started reading first. I love to read about how I can be better organized and I spotted this one at the Franklin Covey store a few months ago and have wanted it ever since. I read the first three chapters on Christmas Day and will probably finish it over this next weekend. I have to be ready to implement my new organizing strategy for the new year!
I was so excited when I opened this book that my parents gave me! It was written by
my dear friend Tracey, who has always been my go to friend for wise advice and better understanding about what the Bible says, so it only makes sense that she would write this book. I think she wrote it so I would quit asking her questions. Especially the biblical questions that I was supposed to have learned in Bible college. Even though we were in all the same classes, somehow she came out a lot smarter than I did! Although, I can still read maps better than she can. Just not the Bible.
And this is the book that I have stayed up late reading the last two nights. I have always been very interested in genealogy and in this book the author, John Sedgwick, researches his famous family to gain a better understanding into his depression and how it has played out in his family over generations. It's probably not the most upbeat of stories, but it's very interesting. I don't remember where I first hear about it, but I've been wanting to read this book for awhile and was anxious to jump right in. Especially since my dad stole the novel.
I decided this one looked interesting (Oprah's book club....) and my brother wanted to read it too, so we decided he would buy it for me for Christmas then I would loan it to him when I was done. The only problem is, my dad decided he should get to read it first since I have other new books I can read, so he borrowed it from me before we even got home. So...hopefully my dad is enjoying my first new book.
This summer I read "Girl Meets God" by Lauren Winner while I was on vacation in New York. I really liked her writing a lot and was anxious to read more from her, so I added this to my amazon wish list and was thrilled to receive it from some dear friends. I read just a little bit, but am saving this one for later. I might read it during lent, but probably I won't be able to wait that long.
Okay, I have to confess that this is the book I started reading first. I love to read about how I can be better organized and I spotted this one at the Franklin Covey store a few months ago and have wanted it ever since. I read the first three chapters on Christmas Day and will probably finish it over this next weekend. I have to be ready to implement my new organizing strategy for the new year!I was so excited when I opened this book that my parents gave me! It was written by
my dear friend Tracey, who has always been my go to friend for wise advice and better understanding about what the Bible says, so it only makes sense that she would write this book. I think she wrote it so I would quit asking her questions. Especially the biblical questions that I was supposed to have learned in Bible college. Even though we were in all the same classes, somehow she came out a lot smarter than I did! Although, I can still read maps better than she can. Just not the Bible.
And this is the book that I have stayed up late reading the last two nights. I have always been very interested in genealogy and in this book the author, John Sedgwick, researches his famous family to gain a better understanding into his depression and how it has played out in his family over generations. It's probably not the most upbeat of stories, but it's very interesting. I don't remember where I first hear about it, but I've been wanting to read this book for awhile and was anxious to jump right in. Especially since my dad stole the novel.December 24, 2007
A sad world...
This past week has been full of a lot of sad news. Last weekend I spent time babysitting, painting, cleaning, etc. helping my friend Lesa get ready to move. Somehow she got everything done and left town on Wednesday. I’m excited for her new adventure overseas, but am quite sad to see her and her family leave Wichita.
Monday at work I found out that two ladies I serve on a statewide committee with had terrible tragedies in their lives. One had a son who was paralysed in a car accident, and the other had a son killed in a senseless hunting accident. So sad!
Monday at work I found out that two ladies I serve on a statewide committee with had terrible tragedies in their lives. One had a son who was paralysed in a car accident, and the other had a son killed in a senseless hunting accident. So sad!
Tuesday my sister in law had back surgery. This was planned surgery and went really well. She’s home recovering now, and seems to be doing well. This was actually the best news of the week!
Wednesday my closest friend called with news that her father’s cancer had returned and he has to have surgery on the 26th. Having already lost her mother to cancer, this is especially upsetting news.
My niece has been sick this week also. After a couple trips to the doctor, she’s gonna be fine, but it wasn’t a pleasant week for her. She’s enrolled in classes at WSU for second semester, and I’m really hoping it will be a good semester for her. First semester was kind of rough.
I’ve been on a cleaning kick at work and at home and tonight I was going through a pile of old mail that I had been avoiding. As I was reading an old church newsletter, I saw that one of the teenage girls who used to be in a small group I helped with recently lost her mother to cancer. I had only met her mother a few times, but she was the same age I am and had 5 kids that she was homeschooling, young kids. A super nice lady! My heart breaks for that family, and especially the young girl who was in my small group.
November 14, 2007
November 4, 2007
Denver part 2
I had a great trip to Denver this week to visit my friend Tracey. This video is from Rush Hour, which is the children's worship service at Rocky Mountain Christian Church. Tracey's brother Kevin puts these services together each week and they are designed for parents and kids to attend together. There's lots of high energy music, skits, video clips, readings from the Bible, etc. It was quite an impressive event!
While I was in Denver I had a little time to relax (which I spent sleeping and getting caught up on work emails). The main purpose of my trip was to see Tracey's son Jack, who, as is evidenced by the photo here, is adorable! But as a bonus I also got to see some other friends while I was there. Friday night Tracey and I drove down to Parker to visit Ron and Rebecca, our college friends. Here's a photo with their kids:
Then Saturday we went to the Denver Zoo where I met up with the Feehan's who were middle school youth sponsors with me when I lived in Naperville, Illinois. We walked the zoo, went to the 16th Street mall in downtown denver for lunch, and ended the day at the Tattered Cover bookstore where I spent about 45 minutes looking at planners. I'm currently in search of the perfect planner, but have yet to find it. Here's a photo of the Nora, Audra, and Brent at the zoo.
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