tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20424563798685001842024-03-05T21:38:25.766-06:00Me and Mrs. and Misses JonesSenecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.comBlogger480125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-45952070323931280752013-07-13T08:45:00.002-05:002013-07-13T08:45:29.933-05:00Alpha Pig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our son LOVES Super Why. He watches it religiously. Truth be told, this is how he's learned all of his alphabets. From A to Z, he's gotten them all down.....even by site. Our favorite letter is 'W' because he pronounces it, 'gurgle gurgle yoo'. Ha! Hilarious. And of course, his favorite character is no other than 'Alpha Pig'....well because he's the character that's all about 'abc's'. <br />
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Super Why is also very good when we need breaks in 30 minute increments. I have a good feeling that his love love for letters will also turn into a genuine love for reading...Smart boy!Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-90751059729413955592013-07-13T08:38:00.003-05:002013-07-13T08:38:51.102-05:00What I've Been Up ToWe've been super busy as of late. We've been blessed to meet some pretty cool families and document what we hope are some very special moments in times for these wonderful people. Needless to say, I haven't had much time at all to blog here on this page. So, when you don't see much going on here, feel free to go on over to my website. <a href="http://www.maddiegracephotography.com/">MaddieGracePhotography.com</a>. Who knew that running your own business would take so much time?<br />
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Here are some of the latest portraits and headshots that I've recently taken.<br />
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<br />Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-22289376384843370792013-05-26T17:57:00.002-05:002013-05-26T17:57:59.108-05:00Sun Bitten: Severe Sun Burn:: Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My good buddy at work took off for a few days to go and climb mountains again in Colorado. Before he left, he talked to me about some cool gear that he was about to purchase to ensure he didn't get frostbitten. One of these items was a thermal mask he was going to pull over his head. <br />
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So fast forward a little bit. He comes back into the office and this is what we get. A Freddie Krueger lite version of himself. Everyone that stopped by yelled some version of , "Whoa! dude, what happened to you?" Well, he said that it was much warmer as they approached the summit of the mountain that he had expected and he decided to go without with headcovering he'd purchased. However, the sun was nice and bright. So it was still pretty cold up there, but he still got sunburned. Worse case I've ever seen with my own eyes. As you can see, there are all this big crackly chunks of skin just waiting to peel off. Reminds me of that part in Austin Powers: Goldmember where Goldmember pulls this nasty chunk of skin off of his face and says, "That's a keeper!" as he placed the skin in a keep-safe receptacle for a nice snack at a later time. <br />
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I decided to take a picture each day as his face healed. Crazy Stuff Right?Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-88796573106676580682013-05-19T18:51:00.002-05:002013-05-19T18:51:56.144-05:00Nikon D60: Dead Shutter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The camera, my Nikon D60, which was my first in the world of DSLR photography took a turn for the worst. At the very end of a portfolio building headshot session, it went out like a light. It was very strange because the shutter sounded like it was struggling for a few shots, kinda like I was shooting at a really slow shutter speed; say 1 full second. But I was at a shutter speed of 1/80th of a second. Then I pressed the shutter one last time and the whole thing froze up and I got an error message on my screen. <br />
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I went online to see if anyone else experienced thins locking up of sorts and it was a pretty common problem. I followed some instructions to oil up the gears that allow the shutter mechanism to operate smoothly, but there was nothing I could do for it. So at some point I need to get it repaired. Yet, I'm grateful. I learned a very valuable lesson that day that I'm glad I didn't learn in front of a paying client. You MUST have a backup camera in the event that something like this happens. <br />
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So soon I'll be getting the D60 repaired and it will be my backup camera. In the meantime this seemed to be the perfect time to upgrade to a non-entry level camera. I was so excited when I got this box in the mail I could barely contain myself. More bells and whistles and gadgets, but I knew it would take me at least 2 weeks to get used to the thing. Learning to adjust the Aperture and ISO on this thing took some time. Dare I say I had to read the manual to figure out how to manually select a single autofocus point. Who know that switch was also a button. One thing I also know for sure is that a better camera does not make a better photographer. Actually, a better lens does more to make better images than a "better camera". A better camera just lets you do some things faster. Well a better camera does let you capture sharper, higher shutter speed images in low light with less noise. It might let you take images at faster shutter speeds too. But it won't necessarily let you take more interesting photos. <br />
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I am truly thankful for my little D60. It has taken me from a novice who took snapshots of my firstborn to competent professional, who still has a ton to learn. Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-4340456462935591672013-05-18T22:10:00.001-05:002013-05-18T22:10:34.845-05:00Quick Fridge Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think it's always nice when my wife who sometimes spends quite a bit of time on Pinterest actually implements an idea. This is pretty cool in my opinion. She went to Target...I think and found a bunch of clearanced plastic table mats and cut them to size to fit each shelf in the fridge. When it comes time to clean up, you just pull them out, wash them up and put them back it. It sure does beat taking the whole shelf out. Plus on top of that, I thinks it adds a bit of style. Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-37273324156339237342013-05-13T18:02:00.000-05:002013-05-13T18:02:07.528-05:00Mustachless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you can tell, I didn't have anything else to blog about on this particular day other than the fact that I needed a haircut and I decided to start my mustache over. <br />
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See i have this nervous thing that i do where i curl the corners of my mustache. As a result, I end up pulling a good chunk of my whiskers out which causes my mustache to be a bit thin in a couple of areas. Well I got tired of it and decided to just start the whole thing over. My wife is never happy when I do this. She gives me a hard time and tells me that i look crazy. Probably it's because I have so much space between my nose and my upper lip. <br />
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So, after taking about 40 or so images with my remote, I settled in on the best image that I took of myself. Hey, when I don't have anyone else around to practice on, I just use myself. It's hard because I can't, of course, see myself in the viewfinder. Especially, when the intent if to make sure that I get sharp focus on my eyes. <br />
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Anyway, so feel free to tell me. Do i look crazy to you? Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-43177068457231485222013-05-12T13:47:00.000-05:002013-05-12T13:47:00.404-05:00Kids at the Doctor's Office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tess had a Dr's appointment, so I got off work to so I could hang out with the kids. After about 20 minutes of sitting in the wait area, it was TIME TO GO. The 2 year old can only sit still for about 10 minutes before it's On and Popping. He's way to rambunctious to sit for long periods of time. So, off to the hall we went. Thankfully, right outside the office door is this long hall that seems to have quite a few vacant offices. Boy, did these to run up and down that hall. They sat in the hall, screamed at times in the hall. Straight up, wore me out.<br />
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It's always funny how people walk by your kids and smile and say, "They're so precious!". At this moment, I was thinking, "That's because they aren't yours!". After the 2 year old, who didn't walk very well at the time, fell for the 10th time and climbed on every chair he could find, Tess FINALLY comes walking out of the office door, when he decided that he wanted to attempt to dart into an elevator that was going up instead of down. I think he should have been born while we were still in our 20's. God Bless people who have children closer to 40. Especially boys and the occasional tomboy.Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-16696410613012846782013-05-12T13:36:00.000-05:002013-05-12T13:36:05.490-05:00God's Word is a Treasure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Bible talks about how the Word of God is like a treasure that a man finds in a field. Then he hides it and goes back to the field to purchase it. Honestly, I'm finding that as much of this treasure that I THINK i know I have, I end of finding out that there's still so much more of the treasure that I have yet to uncover. <br />
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During school, on this particular day, Handful is learning a very valuable lesson pretty early. God's Word is definitely a treasure, and when you find it, hide it in your heart.. then share it with everyone willing to receive it.Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-59612663180549179952013-04-06T21:17:00.001-05:002013-04-06T21:19:37.651-05:00Surprised and Grateful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In January, I did corporate headshots for a large team in Frisco. On the 2nd day of the shoot I was met with a kind token of appreciation. I find it amazing when people go out of their way to do something that they don't have to do. It reminds me that God is real and moves me to make sure that I "Pay it Forward". It makes me think about how if we all did more stuff like this, we might have less violence in the world. I'm moved and inspired. <br />
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Here are a few images from the shoot.<br />
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Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-84174276578419586162013-04-05T22:09:00.001-05:002013-04-05T22:09:12.907-05:00Fevers and Colds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For a few days back in January, Gumz was getting hit left and right with a runny nose. One good thing is he has no qualms about taking medicine....of any kind. When children are under the age of 2, the most you can give them is some pain medication for fevers or benadryl (Target Brand) when they have a runny nose.<br />
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Since then, we are battling colds every 2 to 3 weeks after we've been to church. Is that too often for kids to get sick?Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-61771824351699095152013-04-03T20:45:00.000-05:002013-04-03T20:45:57.505-05:00New Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before the year ended, we found out that our good ol' Honda Accord needed to be repaired. Uncertain as to how extensive the repairs would be, we tossed around the idea of trading our car in for a newer more reliable one. So, we took our car into the dealership and I believe they came back with about $1,500 in repairs. Well we had about 100,000 miles on that thing and we figured we could use it for a down payment on a gently used new car......New to us that is. <br />
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We ended up shopping just a little bit and found that Honda was running their annual end of year sales to make room for the new years fleet of cars. The dealership already shared with us that they were knocking 4K off the price of their newer vehicles. I really didn't care as long as we stayed at or close to our current car payment. <br />
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So after about 2 hours I was ready to go and so was Gumz (By the way, I really need to change his name. This kid has had a full set of teeth for almost a year now) So they did haggle with us a few times, but we didn't have what they were asking for. We weren't even playing the game, and plus I'm not that much of a bargain dealer either. So after about 6 hours (does it really have to take that long..I mean, really?) we walked out with a new car...(New to anybody actually) for only 20 more dollars a month than we were paying before. <br />
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Needless to say, we all slept a bit better that night. Us, because we won't have to worry about car repairs anytime in the near future and our kiddos because they were pooped at the end of the day.Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-14172639512467324232013-03-31T01:18:00.002-05:002013-03-31T01:18:44.395-05:00Coming Back Again!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know, it's been a while. December 22nd to be exact. I have a backlog of posts that I'll be posting. There's quite a bit to catch up on. The kids, marriage, my job, the photography business (www.MaddieGracePhotography.com) and everything else in between. Who knew it would be so hard to blog after the birth of our second child....Almost 2 years ago. Hope you guys enjoy the upcoming posts. LaterSenecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-48862355912053103922012-12-22T16:40:00.001-06:002012-12-22T16:57:01.880-06:00Gall Bladder Surgery and the Christmas Holiday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We celebrated Christmas a couple of weeks early this year. (Will post pictures here soon). Well about 2 weeks ago, we got the results from Tess' HIDA scan that proved that she would need to have her gall bladder removed. Knowing this well ahead of time, we decided to have Christmas before her surgery. So on this past Thursday, I took her to the hospital to have this malfunctioning organ removed. Surprisingly, this was a pretty quick procedure. Within an hour, she was out of surgery and in recovery. Today she's still in good spirits, but feeling more of the pain than in the two previous days. Hopefully, she'll be feeling better on Christmas day.</div>
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I already had the week of Christmas scheduled off from my job. I went ahead and scheduled the week of New Year's off as well. Since the Boss is out of commission, I'll be taking on the full duties of at home mom and nurse. If you remember, back in 2010, she had to take care of me after my super crazy <a href="http://sensjavablog.blogspot.com/2010/02/hallelujah-im-back.html" target="_blank">back surgery</a>. Funny thing is, Handful was about the same age as Gumz is now. </div>
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Another thing that I'm doing, that I haven't really done before, take a 100% vacation from work. In the past, I've probably pulled open the laptop about 20 to 50% of my vacation. If you take a look at the picture above, you can already tell that I'm passing on my workaholism to my son. I work hard like I do, not because I'm uber-ambitious or feel the need to be important by working long hours, I do it because in a way, I feel like I have to. In my role, people are relying on me to keep things organized, on task and for timely communication. And when you're managing multiple projects, there's never a good time to take a 2 week vacation. This is even moreso the case during the holidays as people are in and out of the office and dates can slip if you aren't keeping up with who's in or out of the office. </div>
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But this year, the premium is on my family. My wife is recovering and my children refuse to be ignored. I'd like to finally honor them with my undivided attention. We say it all the time, work will be there when you get back. That's true, but you also have to be prepared for people's attitudes if something really important comes up while you're out and you willfully don't respond as you've created a plan to respect your own time. I guess that just comes with the territory. </div>
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In the meantime, I'm kinda giddy that we've already celebrated Christmas early and the actual is still left to come. Even though we would have had all the hoopla out of the way, I still can't wait for the day to get here as Jesus continues to make himself Bigger in our lives. </div>
Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-73106818322363624852012-12-05T20:54:00.001-06:002012-12-05T20:57:54.893-06:00Maddie Grace Photography Session<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/6262/goughfamily7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="485" src="http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/6262/goughfamily7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've been blessed to start picking up a little bit of extra business. A couple of weeks ago, I had a session with this really cool family of four with children around the same ages as ours. Above is one of my favorite images from our session. Michele and her husband Andy are real people who love each other and their kids. It's always interesting to interact with people are are pretty much in the same stage of life as yourself. </div>
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Anyway, go ahead and click --><span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://www.maddiegracephotography.com/2012/12/01/backyard-fun-with-the-gough-family/" target="_blank">here</a></span> to see more images from the session. Also, feel free to visit my <span style="color: lime;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaddieGracePhotography" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a></span> and click the 'Like' link if you dig my work.</div>
Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-52715402896795568742012-11-21T23:05:00.002-06:002012-11-21T23:05:32.700-06:00Happy Thanksgiving 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year for our annual Thanksgiving Day photo, I decided to do something different. Usually, I try to get the family together in front of the camera and run back and forth to the camera in hopes that we get a decent shot with everybody smiling facing the camera. You can see what we've done for previous years <a href="http://sensjavablog.blogspot.com/2011/11/thangsiving-2011.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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So, again this day beckons the things that I am personally thankful for over the past year. <br />
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<li>I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit for teaching me new things about being a servant of others.</li>
<li>I am thankful for the unexpected inconveniences of life. I have begun to look at these times as God's way of protecting me from unforeseen events that could negatively impact my life.</li>
<li>I'm thankful that I have a wife who loves me unconditionally and loves our children to life.</li>
<li>I am thankful for my job and having good people around me that are so easy to work with.</li>
<li>I am thankful for old friends like the Shepherds who love us.</li>
<li>I am thankful for new friends like the Weseman's and the Burks. </li>
<li>I am thankful for fresh ideas and new opportunities.</li>
<li>And finally, I am thankful for a healthy family.</li>
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My prayer is that on this day, you would take he time to think about and SHARE with others, the very things that you are thankful for. <br />
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God Bless and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-41394488817582726742012-10-24T20:33:00.004-05:002012-10-24T20:33:32.511-05:00MGP: Corporate Headshots #1<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.maddiegracephotography.com/">www.MaddieGracePhotography.com</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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Facebook: <a href="http://facebook.com/MaddieGracePhotography">facebook.com/MaddieGracePhotography</a></div>
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<br />I wanted to share the corporate eadshots that I shot at my job a few months back. Let me know what you think. If you like my style and know of anybody requiring headshots for the business. Please visit either of the links above and shoot me an email or give me a call. </div>
Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-43484669225483094282012-10-13T15:36:00.000-05:002012-10-13T15:36:01.360-05:00Remembering: What God Has Done!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When times are tight like they are now, I must look back over my life and remember what God has done.<br />
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<li>Like the time when I was 19 and I didn't have any money for lunch and I found a bag of potato chips under the drivers seat in my car.</li>
<li>Like the time when I was driving on I-30 to church with my cousin in the car and we started to slide across the freeway......in the rain....with nothing but grass and a ditch to the right of us and the median stopped the car.</li>
<li>Like when the Dr's told Tess that she couldn't have children and now we've been blessed with 2.</li>
<li>Like how He provided a little bit extra for us each time the children were born</li>
<li>Like how He provided me with a permanent place of employment right before my severance ran out.</li>
<li>Like how that tumor that ate through my sacrum was found to be benign.</li>
<li>Like the times that He shielded our home the night that we went to bed to find the next morning that I front door was possibly hanging wide open all night long.</li>
<li>And how in spite of ourselves and tons of shortcomings, he still had enough grace in his heart to bless us with so much. </li>
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Today, I'm grateful for God's mercy and grace. <br />
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Let me explain more. See a couple of months ago we noticed that we were living just above water..just like so many others are today. At that same time, we decided that it was time to honor God with our FULL tithe. As a result, we are operating the Jones household with a financial deficit. <br />
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We are prepared to accept whatever outcome God has for our lives in order to be obedient to Him in this area of our life. I'm not gonna lie. This is hard sometimes. There are things that we need to take care of RIGHT NOW and it can be easy to take back what we feel belongs to God and use it for our immediate needs. <br />
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But what I really know in my heart is that since he's made a way and provided for us before, then he can do it again. And if there's a lesson to be taught through this experience, we're open to accept whatever His will is. So we ask for peace right now and patience to ride out this time. Please pray for us. It could be much worse....but we still must know that we are still much more wealthy that almost everyone else in this world. <br />
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People is what Really Matter (gr?). Stuff is Secondary! Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-54375068855134978022012-10-06T21:48:00.001-05:002012-10-06T21:48:20.200-05:00Mrs. Jones & HandfulIt's been a while since my wife and I took pictures with the kids. So this morning, Mrs. Jones and handful were getting ready to head out the door this morning and Gumz was still in bed. So it was a perfect opportunity to get a few quick snaps in before they headed out the door. Now I'm not done editing them, but I couldn't wait to share them.<br />
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Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-67161066541324093342012-10-04T21:05:00.003-05:002012-10-04T21:05:41.570-05:00Handful's 4th Birthday....PartyA couple of weeks ago we fought the sickies to celebrate Handful's 4th Birthday. We invited an assortment of family, old friends and some new. Below are the posts for her previous birthday. Oh my how she has grown up. <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://sensjavablog.blogspot.com/2011/09/happy-3rd-birthday-misses-jones.html" target="_blank">3rd Birthday</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sensjavablog.blogspot.com/2010/09/happy-birthday-2-misses-jones.html" target="_blank">2nd Birthday</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sensjavablog.blogspot.com/2009/09/birthday-party.html" target="_blank">1st Birthday</a></li>
</ul>
All year long since her last birthday, we have to hear about the next one. Finally, the day had come and she was just as excited. The only thing is, we had one major issue. Everybody in the house was super sick all week long. That is, until The day before her party. She perked up somehow and our thoughts of cancelling the party altogether got put away. So, her mom and I pushed through to make sure she enjoyed her day....and boy did she ever!<br />
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Mrs. Jones put her Pinterest surfing to good use on this day. She decided to go with an artists theme instead of Hello Kitty. This four year old didn't seem to care as long as she was having fun with her friends and family. </div>
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So, we started off the festivities with a little bit of canvas painting. Here's handful with her new friend Boyd. For having never met before today, they hit it off from the moment they met. <img border="0" height="443" src="http://imageshack.us/a/img849/9601/s4th7.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="http://imageshack.us/a/img20/7048/s4th9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">And a little bit of finger painting<img border="0" height="267" src="http://imageshack.us/a/img20/7048/s4th9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And then we went on to some Sand Art. Well, I'm noticing that I put these pictures our out of order and I don't feel like going back to organize them. Sand Art was the third art/craft that we did.</div>
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Here she is with her cousin Koko, as she calls her and her new friend Kierra.</div>
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Oh, I forgot! The guests also made their own suckers too.</div>
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I saved this picture for last because of it's significance. Sometimes you never know how God finds a way to connect people. Tess met our good friend Nicolle and her son Boyd through their blogs....about 3 years ago. And guess what? This was our very first time meeting each other in person. Please visit her blog here at <a href="http://boydscrazymama.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Boyd's Crazy Mama</a>. She and her energetic 4 year old are awesome, genuinely loving people who really love people. She was everything we thought she'd be. Thanks Nicolle for traveling way out here to hang with us on this special day.<br />
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Now on to next year!!! Wondering just how much she will have grown between now and then. <br />
<br />Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-10159899647832866432012-09-30T00:04:00.000-05:002012-09-30T00:04:34.145-05:00My Interview with Plexent!About a month ago, I shared a very special document recoginizing the team members of a project that I recently managed. I was thinking about outside the box ideas to let my team members know what a great job they did and I wanted to make sure that the rest of our employees got a chance to see it.<br />
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So, I was able to convince everyone to allow me to take their photos and I was write a couple of lines about each team members contribution to the project. The couple of lines was easy, but needless to say, getting everyone to take an individual portrait required a bit of teeth pulling. First, I gave everyone the option to use their corporate directory photo if they so chose to. The only thing about that is, it's the photo that the company takes of you on your first day of employment with the company. Most of us hate our company photos. Secondly, the image is pretty small.<br />
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Once I was able to share with the folks some of the images that I had already taken of the other team members, it wasn't hard to convince them otherwise. They, sometimes reluctantly gave me permission to do their photo....Some requesting that I do major touch-ups....even when they weren't required.<br />
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Moving along. After the document was published on our company's internal version of Facebook, it instantly became a big hit. I think more than anything it proved that many of our people are starving to be recognized for the hard work that they put it. Maybe it's something that we, like a lot of other company's don't do well. Of course, we have the Employee of the Year type of awards, but I think that there's something to smaller, more frequent types of recognition that's visible to our peers and managers.<br />
<br />
Somehow this unique recognition piece got outside of our company's walls and IT consulting and training company reached out to me to do an interview with me as well as share a little bit of my recognition document with the rest of the world on their company blog.<br />
<br />
This is an extreme honor and I think it's pretty neat stuff. I think it just goes to show that whether on an individual or corporate level, people should always be our first priority and with hard work and an ample does of encouragement, people can reach the next level.<br />
<br />
So, please check out the blog here:<br />
<div class="title">
<a href="http://www.plexent.com/blog/bid/87412/IT-Value-Using-Team-Recognition-for-Better-IT-Performance" target="_blank">IT Value: Using Team Recognition for Better IT Performance,</a></div>
and if you are a member of Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, please share or Like the article. Share with your company, friend and/or colleagues.<br />
<br />
Thanks<br />
<br />
<br />Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-50126550896236606232012-09-02T21:08:00.003-05:002012-09-02T21:08:34.990-05:00Who Really Wants to Be a Servant?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Here lately, I've been reflecting a lot on what I want out of life. One thing that I've thought a lot about are times when I was sure that I deserved something, sure that I would see it happen, just for it to not happen.... Or at least not the same way that I thought it would. <br />
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If your a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that about a year and a half ago, I transferred into a new role at my job. After I was offered the job, it took nearly 2 months before I actually started working in the new role. The hold up was compensation. I felt like the Lord was working out a way that I could get an increase of about 15%. Heck, I had already calculated how much extra I would see in each paycheck. Then I was told that because this move would be lateral, then my pay grade and salary would stay the same. Something I was so sure that God was behind the scenes orchestrating for MY good came to a screeching halt. Oh yeah, I was happy to be moving on to something more fulfilling and challenging, but I was still pretty sour about not getting the increase.<br />
<br />
So what was the problem? How did this happen? Did I not have enough faith? Was I not obedient enough? Or was there a lesson that I needed to learn? <br />
<br />
Over the next 6 months, I would learn a ton that I never knew about managing projects. I was hired to be a business analyst, but was thrust into project management. Then I got a new boss because we went through a corporate re-org. For the next 8 months, I had the challenge of doing the best that I could to manage my work life with my home life. At times I worked upwards of 16 hours a day. I was always tired, sometimes things would inevitably fall through the cracks at work and the Mrs. was missing me. I was at the end of my rope praying for some type of relief. It was just about time to start looking for another job that would help me regain some semblance of balance in my life. Then it happened. The last step for my position happened rather swiftly and all the PM's in my company were centralized. Now we could spread the wealth across the company and not be tied down to managing projects for 1 product. Work is finally peaceful again. Now time to get to the point.<br />
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Sometimes, we're seemingly overlooked for things that we THINK we deserve. I deserve a raise. I deserve a promotion. I deserve a better house. I deserve to have children, but honestly, apart from the Grace of God, I truly deserve death, which is something that I should respect more. <br />
<br />
Just when we think we have a descent understanding of how God operates, we find out how much we really don't know. Even if by human standards you are the most qualified, the most deserving of something, it may not always pan out that way. Check this out from Ecclesiastes 9.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I have seen something else under the sun: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.</span></blockquote>
For some reason I thought that this scripture said something about how the race isn't given to the swift or the strong, but to the ones who endure til the end. Guess I heard it in a song or something. But what it really talks about is how nothing tied to your own human ability is guaranteed. Sometimes what you want to happen or the way that you want it to happen may not be part of God's plan for your life. Somewhere inside of this thick head of mine, I know this, but nevertheless, I still get disappointed when things don't go according to My plan.<br />
<br />
Which leads me to this? More money, Bigger Position, More Visibility has the potential to lead to Less God. Why do I deSERVE anything if I haven't even begun to master the commandment to be a servant? Why am I so concerned about being Great among men when there is NO scriptural value for such a man?<br />
<br />
Yet, Mark 10: 42-45 says this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">And Jesus called to them and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your SERVant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be SERVEd but to SERVE, and to give his life as a ransom for many."</span></blockquote>
Jesus' first job while on this earth was not display his Majesty as King, yet it was and IS to love and SERVE people. This is a problem. I would think that when it comes to serving others, we are WAY out of balance. We probably spend less than 5% of our free time truly serving others. Then we wonder why the world is in the condition that it is. Probably because we spend so little time doing the most basic thing that Jesus commands us to do. Maybe it's because serving others is not a always a glamorous job. Most opportunities to serve present themselves during a time when no one is around to see your good deed or there's no one there to team-up with to give you the encouragement to do the right thing. Sure, we THINK that God wants us to be the one's that own the business, not the one who cleans it up after everyone goes home for the day. God easily favors the Servants of the world over the CEO's. <br />
<br />
So, I'm working to change a few things and step my game up a notch. Working on doing a better job of being first a servant at home to my wife and children, and then a servant of the people. That doesn't mean that I won't continue to work hard to be a provider for my family, but my identity will be that of a blessed servant. I will work to be more conscious of serving those that I work with. I will work to be more mindful of my surroundings and LOOK for ways to be of service. It could be as simple as buying dinner for the guy at work who just lost his wife and having a hard time making ends meet...or helping that pregnant lady put her groceries in the car. <br />
<br />
I challenge you to do the same. <br />
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Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-54328922562286648452012-08-31T19:33:00.001-05:002012-08-31T19:33:29.213-05:00He's Growing So Much<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
He's growing so much. As every parent does, you wait for the time when they give you kisses, hugs and them telling you "I Love You!" <br />
<br />
Well, we're finally getting all of that and then some. <br />
<br />
His kisses were more nibbles before. He would basically try to bite your lips off. <br />
His Hugs are more like consolations. He does what he's doing in the above photo and pats you on the back as if you need some type of comforting. <br />
Currently, we only occasionally get I Love You's when he feels like it. Most of the time it comes out sounding like 'Wuwoo!'.<br />
<br />
He's finally starting to walk. Took a couple of steps about 3 weeks ago. Think he took about 8 steps the other day. I'll get around to posting video when he's probably a teenager. Ha!<br />
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Other than that, he thinks he's everybody's father. He seems to know when I'm about to leave for work in the morning. Most of the time I get him pointing his finger at the door telling me, "Go!". <br />
<br />
His baby gibberish is all original. None of that ma-ma da-da stuff. It's more like someone gargling mouthwash..lol <br />
<br />
Thank You God for such a loving, ACTIVE little boy.Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-73423345036785204242012-08-28T22:40:00.002-05:002012-08-28T22:40:25.295-05:00I've Been A Confused Christian: What is The Will of GodMy wife and I were up talking last night about how hard and confusing at times it is to be a Christian. Oftentimes, we hear about fellow believes who hear the voice of God. Personally, I haven't had that experience, but I am in no way claiming that their experience is invalid. But, I have in fact been led by the Holy Spirit. The problem that I have is that too often I've not followed through on my end of the deal when I feel His leading.<br />
<br />
Which leads me to the confusion that I've felt about what God's plan is for my life. <br />
<br />
To some degree I have gotten caught up in the "Godly" pursuit of prosperity, thinking that going to church as a family, reading God's Word, living comfortably, having a descent job and a few nice things represents godliness. Yes, I know that this list isn't the full essence of what life as a Christian should be, but sometimes, it's easy to fool yourself into thinking that it's okay to think this way. <br />
<br />
I've been wrong.<br />
<br />
Let me explain. I've fallen victim of basically, telling God what I want to do, feeling like He placed the desire there, then asking him to lead and bless the effort. And when things don't turn out like I hoped/prayed that they would OR they take longer than I'd like to materialize, I end up confused and frustrated. Why?<br />
<br />
Because I've confused the Will of God for the Will of Me.<br />
<br />
Truth is...I want to be wealthy. Yeah, I say I want to be in a position to be able to help others and donate in a larger way to causes that are important to me, but if I'm being totally honest, I'd like to be more comfortable. I don't think I'm a flashy person, but I do struggle with resting easy in the care of God's provision. I worry a lot about things I can't control, especially since I feel responsible for taking care of my family.<br />
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The problem is that sometimes we (I) want to hear a special word from the Lord regarding the next step in my life. What exactly, Lord should I be doing? Surely, if I'm doing that thing, then a window of heaven will open up and pour me out a blessing too big too receive. There seem to be others who live in this abundance who are seemingly less deserving than myself. <br />
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Truth is... I deserve nothing at all. But by the grace of God, He loves me. He gives me enough of his grace everyday to do His will, not mine. Sure, I might be naturally gifted to achieve certain things, but that does not equate with being in the Will of God.<br />
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If you (I) want to know the Will of God, I need to look no further than His Word. Seek first the Kingdom of God...(Matthew 6:33). Love God. Love Your Neighbor. Feed the Homeless. Care for the Widows. Repent. Accept Christ's loving sacrifice. Speak Words of Encouragement to Others. Think the Best. Hope for the Best. Keep Good Company. Be Good Company. Serve Others. ETC.... Teach Your Children as Well as others how to do all of the above.<br />
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These are just some of the characteristics of a disciple of Christ, doing the Will of God. If God never said an audible Word to me, doing the above would be just fine. The thing about all that stuff up there is that none of it has anything to do with YOU. It's all about everybody else. Serving others. <br />
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Our peace and contentment is being zapped away because we are way too consumed with the material outcome of our lives and our personal goals of self satisfaction. We were created to praise God, serve others and have a little fun along the way til we get to Forever with Him. <br />
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And no, I'm not saying that you must subject yourself to a life of poverty. If God wants me to be financially wealthy, then I will be, through hard work without sacrificing my the balance to love and serve others. God will equip you to fulfill His Will. Whether you're a multi-millionaire or a janitor, we all have the capacity to serve.<br />
<br />
So I am on a new journey to Seek first His Kingdom to do his perfect will and by Faith, he will give me whatever he predestined for me to have to do my part in this world for His glory, and hopefully, once I get out of the way, He'll see fit to give me some special instructions, just for me along the way.Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-28735229560181281182012-08-06T12:10:00.002-05:002012-08-06T12:10:50.763-05:00"Right Before I Live I Have To Die" - Kirk Franklin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
<a class="bibleref" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A24-25&version=ESV">Matthew 16:24-25</a>
<span class="note">
ESV / 5 helpful votes </span>
</h3>
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will
find it.<br />
<br />
The first thought that comes to mind when reading this scripture is Kirk Franklin's song 'Before I Die'. Some of the lyrics go like this:<br />
<br />
RIGHT BEFORE I DIE I GOTTA, live out my dreams<br />
so I can be what He planned for me<br />
not just for me, but so they can see<br />
much more of Him and less of (me)<br /><br />
RIGHT BEFORE I DIE I GOTTA, Love my enemies,<br />
forgive the past
and set 'em free<br />
so I can free,
free up the things<br />
every blessing God has for me<br />
see it's for me, not just for you<br />
I had to learn from what I've been through<br />
I can't go through that way again<br />
be hurt by you that way again<br />
It's not the end<br />
<br />
I used to be afraid to die<br />
I used to be afraid to try<br />
cause I was too afraid of knowing
what failing looked like<br />
but the Son came to give me life<br />
now I feel like I can touch the sky<br />
I'm ready if you're ready<br />
Get up and live right now <br />
<br />
BECOMING SELF AWARE - That's what today's goal is. Attempting to understand what drives me. What my goals are. What my passions are. How I think and process my surroundings, my environment and my circumstances. Being introspective and honestly taking an inventory of my strengths and weaknesses. This takes and ample amount of honesty and humility. <br />
<br />
The truth is, i'm not as good as I think I am at times. I'm probably more materialistic than I think I am. Maybe materialistic isn't the word, but I am a cheapie...lol. I worry too much about money or lack thereof, which says to God how I don't trust Him in that area of my life. Oftentimes, I find that my ambitions in life are misplaced and lead to nothing more than serving myself. I focus way to much on the immediacy of life as opposed to listening to the Holy Spirit by allowing him to lead my by faith...one step at a time. I'm fairly insecure in my abilities. Yeah, I believe that I am smart, but don't necessarily feel so smart when I'm in a room full of what I think are smart people. My head a lot of the times is a jumbled mess, trying to figure out EVERYTHING. I'm much too nosey, always trying to figure out the minute details of what God is up to. <br />
<br />
But, I also understand that the way that I am also helps me to love and have empathy for others and have compassion for my fellow man. I don't beat myself up much because I believe that I understand God's grace and mercy, yet because of this is have to always be on the lookout for pride and complacency.<br />
<br />
I'm just reassessing where I am and where I should be going. I'm choosing yet again, to <b>DIE</b>.Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2042456379868500184.post-22400650397680547682012-07-19T23:08:00.001-05:002012-07-19T23:08:11.095-05:00Gumz' New Hairdo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We get tons a flack from our family members about Gumz' hair. Admittedly, his afro is a bit unruly. It's crazy thick and he absolutely hates for us to comb it out. It's a necessary evil. But, honestly, I'm ready to trim it down, but I'm so sure he is not going to go for any clippers touching his head. Mom is quite attached to his curly hair, afraid that his 'five-head' will really stand out....and I'm sure it would. <br />
<br />
My mom came out for a spell to relieve us to have a much needed date. As we were heading back home, we got a rather surprising photo text with his noggin looking like this. <br />
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We cracked up laughing. <br />
<br />
Mr. Gumz, you get our day going....every morning. We love the crazy things you do at the breakfast table. You absolutely love to talk...and fuss....and argue...with everyone. It seemed like you were slimming down there for a minute, but it looks like you're thickening back up. It's time for somebody to start walking soon. You crack us up all the time. Like when you pretend to cough and grab our hands to pat you on the back. Or when your sister gets in trouble, you lecture her and we have to constantly remind you that YOU ARE NOT HER DADDY. We think it's funny how you lay in your bed and talk alone for hours at a time. You are truly one of a kind and we look forward to seeing more of you personality come to life. <br />
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Thanks God for sharing this gift with us. We can't imagine our family without him.Senecahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645483491681080191noreply@blogger.com1