Saturday, September 30, 2006

Little Things



I worked for KMPS today at the East Pierce Fire Department's Open House in Bonney Lake. It was this huge deal with Medi-Vacs landing, McChords Bomb Robot, Fire Hoses, Fire Engines, and so much more. Well, BeBe and Glitterbugz, two clowns that were painting faces came and brought me to their stand and gave me the cute flowers on my face. It was fun to have my face painted like the little kids do!



When I got home tonight, Charlie told me there was something on the table for me!! Yeah...I love surprises....what was it? This brand new totally cute straw cowboy hat. He knows how much I love my cowboy hats (this makes number 4), and knew that I didn't have just a plain straw hat. It has a cute heart button tied to the front with rafia.....I LOVE IT!!!!!

Now I need somewhere country to go!

Friday, September 29, 2006

Lack of Sleep

My work calendar tremendously slowed down this week. I got called in for half a day subbing on Monday afternoon, and had to do a mortgage signing on Monday night (I am a notary and do signings on the side for extra cash). The rest of the week has been me going to bed extremely late...no earlier than 2am each night, and not getting up before 9:30am (and actually not really getting ready for the day until after 11am). I needed the week to rest and get things done.

So I really wasn't expecting to get called into school today, so of course I was up until 2am reading a book! Low and behold my phone rang at 5:15 this morning to sub at the high school...needing to be there at 7am....needing to leave my house no later than 6:40am. I thought about going back to bed for a half hour or so, but knew that if I chanced it I might not get back up to get to work.

Soooo....I am awfully tired right now! And I've learned my lesson! In bed before Midnight unless it is the weekend!!!!!

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Vision Forum Contest

This sounded like fun...found it via Karen Engstrom's site

Win $700 in product from Vision Forum at Vision Forum Contest

It looks like a great contest and a great catalog!

Second Blog

Ok...so I am trying to be more accountable with my devotions. I figure I am in front of the computer a lot, so I am going to do my daily journaling in the form of a blog. Our church has a mechanism called S.O.A.P., which means scripture, observation, application and prayer.

Please feel free to ask me if I am keeping up with this! I haven't been the most faithful...doesn't it feel good to be honest with yourself and everyone else? I mean I am a good Christian in that I don't do "wrong" things; however, we get so wrapped in daily living that we, and I mean I, forget to focus on what means the most. Getting to know God, His Son, the Holy Spirit and the Word better!

It is really affecting me in that I am feel as if I am floundering right now. I feel as if I don't have a true place to belong...and I know I shouldn't base things off of feelings. Is God moving me a new direction? Am I ready? I honestly don't know....and I haven't been asking God enough to know. So if you know me (Marcie, Jess) bless keep me accountable. I am working through things right now and trying to make some sound decisions with my life. I want to get settled where I am supposed to be long term; I want to go back to school; I want to be involved with ministry; I want to be married....however, I know there is a time and place for everything.


Anyways....visit my daily devotions at Rachel's Soap Page

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

The Ocean

Last Thursday our MC staff took our second year students (we have six this year) up to Moclips, WA...which is just above Pacific Beach (somewhat close to Ocean Shores). We start our second year students off we a retreat every year to relax, build relationships and get before God as we go into a new season of MC.

Thursday night Shannon gave a great teaching, and God showed up dealing with hearts and giving a new refreshing of the Holy Spirit. It was wonderful to just have the opportunity to get close to God!!


On Friday we went over to Westport and set sail on a three hour tour...on board a tall ship the "Hawaiin Chieftain". Yes we sailed a tall ship in Grays Harbor. All the mates on board wore somewhat authentic clothing and were great sailors, climbing the masts and everything. Quite a few people helped with the ropes and rigging...I got to hold onto a rope for a brief moment...don't think I was actually helping with anything though!!!

We then had dinner out, went back to the house we rented sat by the fire and worshipped...we got to sing "Amazing Grace" to the accompianment of bagpipes!! We then had smores and finished the night by playing MAFIA! If you have never played Mafia...you should it is great fun!

Everyone went home Saturday except myself and one family...we just hung out and relaxed. Went down to the beach and I got to fly a kite (and not the kind I used to get in my Easter basket every year). It was a blast....then I walked into the water for a bit. Cold water!!

This is me just hanging out on the beach. Isn't it amazing how the Bible says that he holds the oceans in the palm of his hands? It just seems so unfathomable, because to our mind the oceans are so huge!

Monday, September 18, 2006

My Weekend!

I had a wonderful Birthday! And unlike a friend of mine (um...Shannon Kapp) I have no problem getting older. Yeah! I'm 32! "Let's give 'em something to talk about...she's 32"!

Even though I saw none of family...which was really sad!, I still had a great weekend. Started off by going to see Wynonna in concert, like I said earlier she was absolute magnificent.

Saturday morning (my actual birthday) Barb, Charlie and I went out to breakfast at Mrs. Turner's in Puyallup (Barb and Charlie are the wonderful people who let me stay with them)...it was yummy! Then we headed up to Macy's to do a little shopping. WoW~I have a new respect for Macy's. I always just thought of them as expensive...which they are...however, when you get in on their 50% off clearance and the days that they do 40% off on top of that you get some great deals. I got the cutest skirt and matching shirt set (brown with colored flowers) for only $26!! And a pair of Alfani Capris for less than $10 (originally $80...who pays $80 for Capris?). It was fun shopping...I haven't been in forever as I seldom have extra money.

Then I went out to dinner with my friends Holly & Rodney (and Carter..he's a cute 2 year old) and Barb & Charlie to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma. Amazing how a plate of noodles with Mizithra cheese can tast so good! That is the only thing I ever get from OSF...ask Susana I think that is what I got in Nashville too!

Then we went and saw the movie "Invincible" with Mark Wahlberg....great movie. I definitely recommend this one to everyone. It was a great movie because it focused on a lot of the supporting characters and how they were feeling and what they were gong through instead of just focusing on the main character. Plus the fact that the backside of Mark Wahlberg is lookin' mighty fine these days! :)

Then it was back to usual life on Sunday....I had to work 10am to 10pm...long day. Our Masters Commission is headed up to Moclips (Ocean Shores area) with our 2nd year students on Thursday for a couple of days...so we will get a nice little break this weekend!

Thanks to all who sent me birthday wishes...it was great!

Friday, September 15, 2006

Wynonna


Wow! Got to go see Lady Wynonna in concert tonight (sorry Jess!). She was performing in Olympia for a benefit concert. She is absolutely amazing. God definitely blessed her with a gift...and she knows that it comes from God. Her encore tonight was "How Great Thou Art". Amazing!

She did rock songs, Elvis, and of course classic Judds songs....one of my favorites being "Grandpa". She is, in my opinion, one of the greatest female singers.

All in all, it was fun!

It's My BIRTHDAY!!!

Did you know it is my 32nd birthday tomorrow...September 16th? It is!!

I am so grateful that I serve a God who has seen me through so many twists and turns throughout my 32 years. More importantly, I give thanks that God saved my life 32 years ago! Let me tell you how...

....for those of you who don't know, I am adopted! I was adopted at three days old to wonderful parents...Art and Connie! I love my parents. My biological parents were young students and not married. During the time that my biological mother was pregnant with me, the Roe v. Wade trial decisions concerning abortion were placed into affect. Simply said...abortion became legal. I firmly believe that my mother had a choice, and she made a choice for me to have life. I don't know if God spoke to her or she just didn't believe in abortion...but I am here today living and breathing and serving my God.

God placed me in a very loving home...I think I was a bit spoiled by aunts and Grandma Pat as I was the first Granddaughter on my Mom's side. We didn't grow up in a Christian household (we starting attending Christian churches when I was a pre-teen), but once I got ahold of Christianity I stuck with it (although I did go through some very tumultous times in regards to my relationship with God). I was blessed with two sisters...one who is only 8 months younger than me!!! My mom was pregnant while going through my adoption. And my baby sister who is 8 years younger.

I went through a vicous cycle of feeling unwanted, unloved and unworthy because of the rejection I felt from my biological mom; however, God has delivered me from this and I stand here today totally confident in who I am in the Lord. I pray a lot that my biological parents feel no guilt in putting me up for adoption. I pray that they know the Lord, and that somehow they know that I am ok. I want them to know that I support their decision and feel confident that they made the right choice. I don't want them to be plagued with guilt and confusion, but peace!

Do I want to know who they are? There is this part of me that does want to know...I don't want to hurt feelings by pursuing a search, but there is always this part that just wants to know a bit more information. I think that the biggest thing that I would like to know is, who do I look like and take after? Growing up with my sisters, I definitely don't fit the mold of our family. I don't look anything like anyone, but I still feel as a part of my family. I just want to know..."where do my distinctive looking blue eyes come from?" "who has the red hair in my family?" "where are my family roots from?" I think I also want to meet my biological parents just so that I can tell them that God gave me a wonderful family...a Mom, a Dad, two sisters and a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Are they thinking about me tomorrow? Only God knows...but I hope they do, and I hope the feel as if they made the right decision. I do know who is thinking about me though...and that is my Mom Connie!! Even though I don't say it enough...I Love You! Thanks for being my Mom!


PS...Happy Birthday to James (Marcie's husband) as well...his birthday is the same day

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

T-Shirt Slogans

So, a person has a lot of time to people watch when spending more than 10 hours at the fair! And in that time, I see lots of T-Shirts (some quite inappropriate)...but I saw this one, and thought it was hilarious. Enjoy!

"Your shirt says Princess....Your face says Troll!"

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Montgomery Gentry

And this is what I do at night (at the fair)....work at the KMPS booth. Tonight's concert was Montgomery Gentry (Troy Montgomery and Eddie Gentry). Our promotions coordinator Erica was very gracious and let me go back stage with her tonight and meet the boys!

Wooo---Hooo! It was great fun.



I didn't have anything for them to sign, so I had them sign my name badge...going into the scrapbook for sure!



This is a side photo (off my camera) so it kind of sucks...oh well. I will be getting a good photo sent to me soon.

Meet Mabel

Just thought I'd show you the typical day in the life of Rachel at the Puyallup Fair. I am working mornings over in the Dairy Barn, in Mabel's Stable. This is a fun little interactive for kids of all ages. Mabel is a very docile (shhh....don't let her hear me, but she is plastic) cow that the kids get to "milk". She is also on a diet, so her milk looks like water right now!

Needless to say, it was fairly slow today...so I took a few shots for you all.



Yes, this is me milking Mabel. If you come and milk Mabel, you will get a coloring page to take home that says, "I milked Mabel in her stable at the Puyallup Fair!"



And this is our lovely Mabel....isn't she a beaut?

Kenny Rogers


Look who I got to meet yesterday at the Fair! The Gambler himself, Kenny Rogers. He was cool...kinda old, but cool. Can you believe that he is 68 years old and father to twin 2-year old boys! Wow! Amazingly enough, his show was the second highest selling show of the fair. He sold more tickets than even Montgomery Gentry....weird!

Ok...so how is it that I am working two jobs, and really only come home to sleep, and yet I am still able to blog? Come on my blogging friends....get out your keyboards and start typing! :)

Friday, September 08, 2006

Do the Puyallup!


Ferris Wheels.......Cotton Candy.......Earthquake Burgers.......Roller Coasters.......Doo Dah Birds.......Carnival Games!

Yeah, it's that time of year again...the Puyallup Fair started today! Even though I will be there most of the 17 days of the fair, I had to go early and just cruise around the fair.

This fair has such fond memories...going with my Mom and Dad when we were kids...being dropped off with friends when in Jr. High and running around till Dad picked us up...having my whole MC class come after we graduated from MC...going with my nieces and nephews (like a good aunt, I would let them skip school)...going with friends and doing the circuit eating...and today just walking around by myself soaking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the Fair! There just isn't anything else like it.

If you get the chance come out and enjoy the fair! Bring the kids, bring moms and dads, bring your appetite and your wallet! See if you can find me at the fair too...sometimes I am in Mabel's Stable in the dairy barn helping kids milk...and the rest of the time I am at the KMPS booth right inside the Gold gate...I'm always looking for someone to visit with!!

By the way...did you know that the Puyallup Fair is one of the top five largest fairs in the US? Pretty impressive if you ask me!

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Let's Go Shopping!

Girls, get some friends together and go shopping!!! Why do I say this? The SuperMall in Auburn is hosting their annual Magical Night of Giving on Sunday, November 5, 2006 from 7--11pm. And the only way into the mall that night is by purchasing a ticket for $5 that local non-profit organizations are selling.

Our Masters Commission is selling tickets for this event...only $5 gets you in the door and entered into drawings for great prizes. There are one night only discounts, door prizes, family entertainment and FREE gift wrapping of all your Christmas presents!

Our group gets 100% of all the monies made from the fundraiser, and we in turn are using this money to send our group to India and Thailand. If you are interested in buying tickets, let me know...email me at mc@p4square.com! I will send your tickets to you in the mail! What better way to support non-profit groups, get your Christmas shopping done, and have a fun time shopping with girlfriends or your husbands!!!!!

Monday, September 04, 2006

To all those born before 1980!!

This was sent to me today, and I thought it was appropriate since I was born in 1974!!! Yep, I will be 32 in a week or so...YEAH!!!!!!!!!


Congratulations

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags (yes, this is how I got the scar on my head!).

Doctors and Dentist never wore latax gloves.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat (ah, those wonderful summer days...!).

We drank water from a pump or the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on or before dark. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our soap box cars or go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes (Thanks Tony for driving into the back of your dad's pick-up with me in the go-cart with you...that hurt like Hell!). After running into the bushes or a ditch a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes (although Atari was pretty cool), no video games at all,no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays (even the girls did...I actually received a bow and arrow one year), made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them (or just walked right into their house)!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

PS -The big type is because your eyes are shot at your age!!

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Please Pray

Good Morning! Please pray for my church, Puyallup Foursquare, today. Our pastoral staff is holding an emergency business meeting this afternoon after service to impart some very devastating news. You understand that I can not go into details about the situation; however, it is a very delicate issue that is going to affect a lot of people. My heart has been very heavy since Thursday, when I found out the news.

Some specific prayer requests:

1. Wisdom for our pastoral staff in dealing with the news and telling it to our congregation

2. This is potential news that could affect church goers who are on the fringe of making a decision for Christ...and we never want to see a person get so upset that they never come back to church or make Christ their Savior

3. Those people that are in the middle of this situation

4. Peace over our churches (it does involve another church...so please pray for them as well...I won't say who though)

Thank you so much! It is so hard to be a position where you see the enemy moving and trying to destroy churches, families, individuals, and simply anyone who desires to know more of God and do His will. I know that I have some amazing prayer warrior friends out there that will take this to Heaven's gates.

Thank you all again....many blessings!