Decisions, decisions...

I recently posted on my blog some pointers for job interviews and that I was looking for a job....

Well.....I have a new JOB!!  :)  

I am now a working girl again!

 I interviewed last Thursday and I started today!  It is a nice job.....but I received notification today that another company wants to interview me for a second time!

When I went to Bible Study Fellowship last week, I mentioned during introduction that I am looking for a job.  Not too worried about it that I am trusting the Lord.

Afterwards, one of the ladies came to me and explained that she is a bank manager.  She asked if I would be interested in mortgage lending since I have the experience in real estate.  She gave me the information of the contacts needed to pursue if interested.

My goodness, when it rains, it pours!!  :)

Showers of blessings!

(....Also literally.... received the much desired rain in my area that I was yearning for!!)

Now....decisions, decisions to be made!

What do I want to be when I grow up??

Hugs, Carolyn

Psalm 28:7

Rain, Rain....Sweet Memories of Rain

Doesn't this little

village

with

RAIN

look

like a

sweet

dream?

I will be dreaming sweet dreams tonight... of someday being blessed with rain.

We had rain today for 2 minutes...that's it...2 minutes.

*sigh*  ...We have not had rain for 2 months!  :(

May your night be blessed with sweet dreams....good-night!

Hugs, Carolyn

Psalm 28:7



Sparrows

"His Eye is on the Sparrow"

Verse 1:

Why should I feel discouraged,

Why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart be lonely

And long for Heav'n and home,

When Jesus is my portion?

My constant Friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

Refrain:

I sing because I'm happy,

I sing because I'm free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

Verse 2:

"Let not your heart be troubled,"

His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness,

I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth

But one step I may see:

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

Verse 3:

Whenever I am tempted,
Whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing,

When hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to Him,

From care He sets me free:

I sing because I'm happy,
 I sing because I'm free 
His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

I enjoyed putting this post together and finding the sweet little pictures.  I love this song, His Eye is on The Sparrow.  I remember the first time I heard it as a young mother; I was at a Women's Seminar and we had an excellent speaker.  I remember thinking how loving God is....He cares so much for the sparrows.  One of the smallest, and used to be one of the least favorite birds because of the damage they can do.  But God cares for them.....and if He cares so much for them...you KNOW He cares for you!!!  What an encouraging song!  Puts a song in your heart!  :D

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Please join the other folks over at Spiritual Sunday and be truly blessed!

Hugs, Carolyn

Psalm 28:7

Cottage Musing

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.

Elizabeth Kubler Ross

May the light within you be the Light of Jesus!

You must visit the other gals over at Tracey's for more words of wisdom!
Hugs, Carolyn
Psalm 28:7

Blogland Giveaway!

Girls!  There is a wonderful giveaway that you just HAvE to check out! 

Garden of Daisies

is the place to go!!  Hope you win..

..or maybe even better, I hope I win!

  LOL!

  Only being honest!  :)  Either way it is fun!!!  Now HURRY and go sign up!

Hugs to you!

Carolyn

Psalm 28:7

Bloggy Friends! :D

If you are passing through today, I would like to share with you one of the loveliest blogs in blogland!  :) 
My sweet friend, Rebecca at A Gathering of Thoughts is one of my favorite people & places to visit!
She offers inspiration, funny stories, tutorials, beautiful music....
AND BEAUTIFUL, hand-made items she sells in her on-line gift boutique!

I probably should warn you....often times in your visits, you will find yourself shedding a tear or two! 
So pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee and go for a visit! (Probably should take a Kleenex along too!)  :)

Hugs & Blessings to you!
Carolyn
Psalm 28:7

Bird Fun!

I love birds!  I enjoy watching them...they put a song in my heart and smile on face! 

But there was one day....well, let's just say I was not so fond of them.

Let me tell you a funny story....learning to do a man's work.

My husband and I had just divorced months earlier.

Yard work had always been my husband's responsibility....and he did a fantastic job.  I was so appreciative of his hard work.  I took care of the flower beds while he kept the grass perfect.  We had the most beautiful lawn of the neighborhood, with his outstanding care.  I never mowed the grass....ever.  I would occasionally watch him.  But, nope!  That wasn't my job.

But then he was gone.  Hmmmm....I guess I better get the ol' lawnmower out and get to work....the grass was getting longer and longer that first spring without him.  All you have to do is pull on that string...right?  Well, so I did ....again, and again....and again.  Nothing.  What am I doing wrong?  I was getting so frustrated.....and why isn't anyone walking by or driving by, helping this lady in distress?? 

Wait, I do remember him tinkering with something as he would get the lawn mower started.  He would bend over and touch something or pull or something!  So I did the same....I would touch and pull and push on this and that.  And then I saw this little rubber bulb....I squeezed it.  Uhhh...that seemed to feel right.  I stood back up and pulled on the string again!   Yiiiipppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!  It started up!  I was worn out and sweaty at this point...and I still haven't done anything yet
 but the mower was running!  :)

So up and down the lawn I went, feeling quite victorious!
  I am woman, hear me roar!!! :D
  As I was pushing along feeling quite smug about my independence...

PLOP!!!

Oh my!  What was that!  I felt something wet and cold on my head!  Yup!  You are right!

I reached up and touched the top of my head and I was just blessed by a bird flying overhead!

OH GROSS!  ick!  ooooo! gag!! :(

But I did not dare stop because it took me so so long to get the stupid good ol' lawnmower started and I had the longest grass in the neighborhood and if I stopped at this point and could not get it started again, what a ridiculous mess of a yard that would be!

So......I didn't stop until the grass was all cut....looking like a complete idiot with this pile of poop bird dropping on top of my head!

Haha!  I am woman, hear me roar!!

I will never forget that incident!  It has been difficult learning to do everything on my own...
but if there is a will, there is a way!!  :D

Hugs to you and have a wonderful day!

Carolyn

Psalm 28:7

BTW, I still love birds!  They still put a song in my heart and a smile on my face!

Book Crazy

Do you like to read? 

As we go into the cooler seasons, it gives more opportunity to snuggle up with a book!

I just finished a great book that I would highly recommend!  I discovered the author this summer.  Her name is Karen Kingsbury and she is an exceptional writer.

The book I just finished is

"Shades of Blue" -- it is a must read!

I am still hanging on to this horrible head cold!!  It has really stolen so much of my time!

I feel too crummy to do much of anything else but read and sleep....

so I will go back to my books!  :)

Stay well and I will see you again soon!

Hugs,

Carolyn

Psalm 28:7

Having a Pity Party...

Under the Weather....


I am already suffering from a horrible head cold and we are not even in the "cold" season yet!  :(

I will be taking it easy this evening...maybe read a book...
 and hopefully, tomorrow I will be feeling better because tomorrow is my
 daughter's birthday! 

I want to celebrate and have a good time with all!


Have a wonderful weekend!
I will see you again Monday!  :)

Hugs and blessings to you!
Carolyn
Psalm 28:7

TGIF « Marketplace Leaders

TGIF « Marketplace Leaders


Today as I was strolling around in Blogland...I came across a friend that is really hurting. Seems life keeps delivering loads of tough struggles her way. Her struggles made me think of my quiet time this morning in God's Word.



I am going to share with you what the Lord showed me this morning. If you are feeling overwhelmed with difficulty and feel hopeless at times...and possibly feel at times you just don't understand all the hardships that come your way, I believe this might be of help!



I was reading a devotional that I received today which I receive every day in my email. It is from a wonderful teacher, Os Hillman, called "The Way of God". If you look at the attachment, it has the complete devotional from this morning.  There is also a place to receive these words of wisdom every morning in your own email.

Hugs, Carolyn
Psalm 28:7

I also would like to insert a link to an awesome, classic example of a loving Father who allows us to go through hardships---carries us through them....but has a blessing for us if we remain hopeful in Him.  We may be in the furnace and He is removing all the impurities, but He won't leave us there....there is a plan in all He does. The link I am going to insert here is from Marty from "A Stroll Thru Life" and once you read it, you will understand exactly what I mean and why I would love to include it in this post.  I am sure many of you have already read this beautiful post, but I also know there are many who might not have.

Circle of Friends Cookbook-Free Downloads-Gooseberry Patch

Circle of Friends Cookbook-Free Downloads-Gooseberry Patch

Girls, I know how you all love love to bake!! Welllll....Gooseberry Patch just made their free choc chip cookie cook-book available!! It is that time of the year to light up your oven!! :D

Happy baking!

Hugs, Carolyn
Psalm 28:7

Looking for a Job?

Good Morning to you!

I have some pointers for you if you have some interviews coming up in your future! I am looking for a job! Yes, I am! I have been in real estate for a while but with the economy being as it is....real estate is not the place to be! And you know what, I am really fine with that! It has taken me two years now to accept leaving the real estate industry from when the economic meltdown happened back in September of 2008.

To honest with you, I am excited for what is around the corner! I have been on careerbuilder.com and I have to say there are quite a few jobs listed and new ones every day! I had an interview yesterday! It went really well! It was a phone interview which I have never experienced that before ....a little nerve wrecking! I am more comfortable meeting someone face to face so I can read their face and also they can see mine. But surprisingly, it went really well! :)

Before the interview, I wanted to prepare myself....I would like to share with you some things that I have found and learned for that preparation. We are competing for jobs like we have never before in this economy. Before when I wanted a job, I always got it! Well, that is not necessarily true anymore. It will be a little more difficult today with all of the competition. Hopefully, these hints that I pass on to you, will be beneficial for you, as well!

How to Prepare
• Know yourself – your goals, your skills and your plans.
• Know your resumé and be prepared to discuss your past experiences in detail. Spend some time before the interview recalling your past accomplishments and contributions.
• Take some time to recall relevant work experiences so you’re prepared to talk about them.
• Come prepared with a list of any questions you have about the position and our company.
• Dress professionally if it is a face to face interview.
• Practice, practice, practice! Review the information on your resumé and recall as many professional experiences as you can – projects you’ve led or been a part of, contributions you’ve made, successes and achievements of which you’re especially proud. Be prepared to discuss specific work situations, including actions you took and the end results of those actions. Think of the interview as your chance to tell them stories about your work experiences.
• Arrive on time for your interview. Make sure that if you don’t know the way you call ahead and get directions ahead of time.

You need to expect questions of examples or scenarios of cases where you handled a specific situation from your past employments. I did some research on these questions to help prepare myself and have some scenarios on the top of my head ready to answer. I did not want to fish from my memory and then take up time not only to talk excessively but talking in circles. This is what I found:
http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/questions/interview-questions.asp

Not only does this site have lots of examples of the questions you should expect but it also has a lot of great information to help you succeed. The main thing is to really know your resume, as well as, really brain storm for examples of past experience and success as they will ask for examples.

I hope this has been helpful! :) As I was doing my research and preparation yesterday, I thought of sharing this with others. Unemployment is prevalent today and I thought surely someone else could use this information or know someone else who could and to pass it on.

I am sure with each interview, I will improve....and eventually get an awesome job! :D God is good and I know He will provide!

Hugs, Carolyn

Psalm 28:7

You are ALL Invited!! :)

Do you like to get together with other women and have a delightful, lively conversation on a subject that will never cease or run dry? Then I have a fellowship for you in your very own area that you will LOVE! It is called Bible Study Fellowship! It is an awesome, non-denominational study of the Bible that gives you an opportunity to study the Word and then get back together to discuss it! It all started many years ago by one little lady with her small, small group of ladies willing to learn! And today it is world-wide and loved by everyone! Do you have a Bible stuffed in a drawer or on a shelf gathering dust? Why not open it up and glean from God's wisdom and love? And the best way to do that is to gather with other beautiful women and talk, giggle, share, and maybe even shed a tear or two.... and well, as women, we do that well, don't we? :)

Don't wait until a tragedy touches your life to learn His powerful Word. You might be too devastated to draw much strength from it.....prepare today. We will all suffer at some point in our lives and usually for most of us, suffering arrives at our doorstep more than once in our journey in life. It is wise to learn who this Father is and His character before that day of pain arrives....usually it sneaks up behind you and throws you for a loop and knocks the wind out of you. Then it is too painful to do anything but cry. I have learned that it is critical to KNOW this source of strength before that dreadful day comes. Life is fragile, you know. When my father passed away in 1994, I was devastated because it was a tragic death. No good-byes...no special final words to depart with him. My sister gave me a pretty little wall hanging with the words, "Life is fragile, Handle with care"....not anything super clever until you do go through a dark valley, and then you realize how profound those words are. I have reflected on the words many times since his death. We are fragile human beings and it is important to have an anchor that we can cling to and trust. And, my friend, I want you to know that I don't know how I would have made it in life without my Anchor to cling to and carry me. There is power in his Word....but you can't draw from that source of strength if you don't open your Bible and learn who He is! :)

LOL! I have gone on and on this morning! :) As I had my quiet time this morning with my Father, I had an overwhelming desire to share my excitement for BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) starting up soon (it runs just like a school year, starting in the fall and stopping in the spring...and if you have children, don't let that stop you, as there is a children's program as well). Oh and don't worry that you can't understand the Bible or have never opened it up before to know what it is all about....there are many ladies who are in the same boat. The women who are more familiar with the Word are very helpful too.

Go here to check out more for your area: Bible Study Fellowship

Have a beautiful blessed day! :)
Hugs, Carolyn
Psalm 28:7

Doris Day- A bushel and a peck

Don't you just love love love Doris Day! She was so beautiful with fresh pretty skin and sparkling blue eyes! I remember as a little girl getting my first record player and the first album was Doris Day's recordings and another one of Dean Martin. To this day, I love to hear both of them sing!!
My mother used to say to me whenever I would kiss her good-bye to leave the house, "I love you, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!" :) I did not realize where this little saying originated from....just thought my mom made it up, I heard it for so long. But one day a couple of months ago, I was searching the you-tube for Doris Day songs and came across this little clip! It is so precious to me....I would love to hear my mom say again...."I love you, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!" Just one more time! Well, Doris, you are just going to have to do! Doris does put a smile on my face though! I loved that era when she was a "movie star"...everything was so wholesome then!
Sweet memories! Do you have a special memory of the way your mother said good-bye to you as you left the house when you still lived at home? No matter what comes, you will always have your memories!
Hugs, Carolyn
Psalm 28:7
****Be sure and pause the Playlist music at bottom of page before watching the video****

Stopping to say "HELLO!" :)

Hello everyone! I have been away for awhile spending time with my two daughters and two granddaughters ....and loving every minute of it!!! I also have had a chance to get to know my daughter's "b-ooiiii-y-friend"...I really like him a lot! He is a very nice guy! You know, as a mother you are always concerned who your children will marry as you will be spending a lot of time with that person ....always at family functions, always a part of your grandchildren's lives and their upbringing (that is HUGE!). It is a huge decision for your child and you really don't have a lot of say in it. BUT we can PRAY! ;) There is comfort in knowing that you can do that! :)

I just wanted to stop in and say hello! We have had a very very hot summer and very dry! My grass is brown and my flowers have given up and the hostas are not lush and green at alllll! We have had over 100 temps for so many weeks which is not the norm for this area. I am used to just having a couple of 100 temp days for the whole entire summer. BUT yesterday we had an incredibly delicious cool down and today the temps are just a tad bit chilly.....it feels wonderful! It is nice to throw open those windows and let the wind dance throughout the house! Time to start thinking about autumn!!! YAAAYYYY! Love that time of the year!!! Yummy hot cocoa, roasting marshmallows over a toasty campfire (just did that last weekend with my daughter, her husband, and my two grandchildren), cozy evenings wrapped in a blanket, baking banana bread and then spreading the butter on thick to eat as you are sipping on a big mug of coffee, pumpkins displayed throughout the home, taking drives in the country to enjoy the fall foliage.......on my! that wonderful list goes on and on, doesn't it? :)

Most of all, it is a time to reflect on our many blessings. So rich is God's favor on us and often there is so much we take for granted!

~

I have peeked in on so many of you over the summer ....I knew I couldn't stay away! LOL! :) But many of you had no idea that I was peeking! :) Sneaky, sneaky! I love your blogs ...they are all so beautiful and you all have so much wisdom and talent that it blesses my heart! What a wonderful discovery when I stumbled on blogs one day almost a year ago now! I had to tell my heart to be still! There are so many beautiful women across the land who share the same interests that I have and we have the same personalities that I was almost shocked to know there were so many kindred spirits out there! I sometimes felt very alone with my old-fashioned love for old things and old ways.. and vintage things and antiques...ha! not anymore! There are a ton of us women! :) Thank you too for all the sweet comments of wishing me well and missing me!

I will stop in again soon but until then, may God watch over you and keep you! :D Happy Fall!

~

Hugs, Carolyn

Psalm 28:7