Our trip to the Mary Kay Headquarters

This weekend my husband was sweet enough to allow me to go on an over night trip Friday-Saturday to Dallas to go to my first Go Give Seminar for Mary Kay.  My dear friend Kathryn has been selling MK on the side for about 7 years. Her full time profession is a nurse at a local hospital here but she was finally able to conceive their sweet Paige 3 years ago and she is wanting to be able to stay home with her more, so she has decided to try to make MK her full time job.   

I have had someone trying to get me to sell MK since I was 18 (I have always worn make-up so I think they thought I would be good at it) but it was never the right time until now.   Kathryn approached me about a month ago about wanting to grow her team and wanted to know if I would come aboard as a team member.   I prayed about it and thought why not, I love and use the products already and could get them at a discount and maybe make some extra money at the same time. I am excited about the opportunity it offers, so we will see what happens.

Paula-Me-Kathryn (who I signed up under to sell Mary Kay with) on our way to the Mary Kay Headquarters in
Dallas Texas

This weekend there was a Go Give Training Seminar in Dallas (the headquarters for MK) and since we live only about 3 1/2 hours away we went.  Kathryn had a friend who had bought a ticket before I joined and then couldn't go so I bought her ticket.  We stayed with our Director who lives in Dallas in a beautiful home.  We had such a blessed time of fellowship.  God is always so good to do that for us.  I thought after meeting Helen and staying in her home that even if my time in MK never amounts to more than getting my own make-up at a great deal, meeting Helen and being able not not only call her a friend but sister in Christ was such a blessing.  She is an amazing women of God.  I was so blessed in her home.

                                        Kathryn-Helen and Paula (all beautiful women of God)

One of the reasons I decided to sign up with MK was because their belief in God First, Family Second, Career Third and that was so evident at this seminar this weekend.  It was really an uplifting experience, I was truly blessed.

Inside the Mary Kay building-it is really beautiful.

Me-Kathryn and Paula (she actually was at Women of Joy two weeks ago when I was there which was really neat too) in front of the walls of photos of the National Sales Directors-maybe we will be there one day too. :)

Kathryn outside the MK building.

Paula-outside the MK building

Me being silly outside the MK building-I could almost touch the flag pole top-they were teasing me-always the tall one.

The outside of the front of the MK building-it was gorgeous. Paula and Kathryn

The outside of the front of the MK building-it was gorgeous. Paula and Me

A picture of the whole building from the highway-it is really pretty.

We really had a great time.  I am looking forward to learning and selling more of Mary Kay-they have a great program and great products.  So, if you are interested in anything let me know. :)

It was a great weekend, full of God's blessings, fun, fellowship and yes great food too. (sigh-I wish I didn't like that part so much. :)

On this Pathway-

Jill

In the Season of Waiting

Waiting certainly plays an enormous role in the unfolding story of God's relationship to man.  It is God's oft-repeated way of teaching us that His power is real and that He can answer our prayers without interference and manipulation from us.


But we have such trouble getting our will, our time schedules out of the way.  Much of the time we act like a child who brings a broken toy to his father to be mended.  The father gladly takes the toy and begins to work.  Then after a while, childlike impatience takes over.  Why is it taking so long?


The child stands by, getting his hands in the father's way, offering a lot of meaningless advice and some rather silly criticism.  Finally in desperation, he snatches the toy from the father's hands and walks off with it, saying rather bitterly that he hadn't really thought his father could fix it anyway.


Perhaps, it isn't even "his will" to mend toys.


On the other hand, whenever we are trustful enough to leave our "broken toy" with the Father, not only do we eventually get it back gloriously restored, but we are also handed a surprising plus.  We find ourselves what the saints and mystics affirm, that during the dark waiting period when self-effort had ceased, a spurt of astonishing spiritual growth took place in us.  Afterwards, we have qualities like more patience, more love for the Lord and those around us, more ability to hear His voice, greater willingness to obey.


( Catherine Marshall-Adventures in Prayer)


We had another appointment for Brandon at Cook's Children's Hospital last Wednesday, the 12th, to check on the results of the procedure he had done the end of July.  We really had a good appointment over all, she does think that there is the start of some bone growth in the area where the new cyst had come back.  Praise God!  


The down side was that his good leg is now growing faster than the bad leg (some of it due to the cysts being so near the growth plate and some due to the fact he still has the rods and screws in there) it is a fraction longer by looking at it but the Dr. sent us on to the hospital that day to have a special scan done on his wrists and legs.  It takes an more accurate measurement and can tell us just how much they are off and it can somehow tell from his wrists about how big they think he will get.  
Sitting there she explained how we can do this scan and then we will have a base line to compare it to so in a year or two we can do another and see the difference and in another two years do another and in another two years yet another and if things are getting too different we will have to look into slowing the growth in the good leg. 


I knew that this was not going to be something that we would be done with in a year or two, he would be "fixed up" and be able to be a normal little boy, but hearing her say those words, in two years and another two years, and another two years, I almost broke down in the office crying-the reality of this situation and what it meant for his childhood hit me like a ton of bricks. 


I had to hold it together and just pray in my head while she was speaking "Lord, I don't know if I can do this-please make me strong, please help me to trust you with this Lord, help me to trust your plan, your will for Brandon's life, please help me I can't do this alone."  My baby will probably never get to play any sports, may walk with a limp, with special shoes to make one leg longer than the other, may have hip replacement surgery at some point.  We really don't know at this point.  I have really struggled with this for a week now, trying to give it over, but in reality holding on to it, leaving at the throne every time I prayed only to turn around and pick it up and walk away again.  


Today during my devotional time and bible reading, I read the lesson above and it struck me, "Jill, will you trust me with this "broken toy" let me "fix" it, I created it to begin with you know, will you allow me to reveal myself to you, Brandon, the Dr.s, and every one else I have planned to touch through this?  Or will you pick it up and walk away, struggling daily, worried of what "might be" what "could happen" or what "won't be" because you are not trusting MY WILL?"


While waiting, I am going to praise God for the solution I know He has for Brandon's situation-for the growth for both of us through this, for the lives He will touch, praying that I am open and ready to be used where ever and when ever He wants me, for strength to trust His will for my sweet Brandon's life. Today, I am choosing to focus on God's love and care for us instead of the problem.


Thank you for your prayers.  I know that they held me up during our visit-Mike could not go again this time and so those visit are always harder on me because I have to take in all the information alone and process it all and remember it all to come home and tell him all that happened.  It is always an emotionally draining day for me.  I appreciate your love and prayers, they hold me together and make me ever thankful for the body of Christ.


Today I am choosing to believe that the One who turned a stick into a scepter,  a pebble into a missile and saliva and mud into a balm for the blind, is the same One that is in control of my Brandon's hip and leg and He will "fix" the "broken toy" in His time and in His way.

Love you all~Thankful for each of you!


On This Pathway


Jill

Pumpkin Patch Time

 This last weekend we went to the Disability Resource Center to their annual Pumpkin Patch.  It was a beautiful day and our daddy had to be out of town on a trip to Seattle for four days to learn more about trying to get the Art Department accredited for a BFA (right now they just have a MFA program) so we were wanting something to keep us busy while he was gone. So, we took a trip for a few hours to get some photos and pumpkins.  We will have to take a run out their this weekend too because I love the color and need pictures with our daddy in them too. :)

My four sweet blessings @ the Pumpkin Patch.

My boys chillin on the swing there.  It was a beautiful day to do that.

Waiting for the hayride.

My littlest pumpkin holding her little pumpkin.  She had a blast looking for just the right one.

The timer and tripod came in handy for group shots without daddy their to help take them!

My girls-our swing time.

Just being silly-I love this silly girl.

Derek taking pictures with my camera-he does pretty good for 9!

I do wish I new what to do with my camera though-I have a Cannon digital SLR and it seems with group shots especially if we aren't right next to each other that some people come out fuzzy- I have read the whole manual and tried different things and I can't figure it out-it didn't used to seem to do that so I don't know if I am doing something wrong or what-any suggestions?  I am hoping it is not a problem with the camera- (not cheap) and it seems ok with everything else-just group shots.  Not sure what to do-I would love any ideas you might have!

Happy Fall-I love this time of year-our high is only supposed to be in the 70's today!!! Finally-I am so excited about that.

On this Pathway-

Jill

Please Keep the Ross Family In Your Prayers

This is the Ross family-a family that we knew from our old church.  This is Kris (mom) and her two sons Halden and Lane and her daughter Sloane on a trip to Hawaii just a couple of weeks ago.  Kris was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago-she had been in remission for a little over two years when a new lump showed up in her neck.  The cancer had returned with a vengeance this time-they have been fighting it for months now with radiation and many kinds of chemo.  She became extremely ill and from all the chemo doing heart and lung damage, she was put in the ICU last week.  I learned early this morning that Kris went home to be with Jesus last night about 9pm.
My heart is very heavy and saddened this morning-not for sweet Kris, she is dancing on the streets of Heaven I think with long flowing hair and hugging her daddy that went home about 5 years ago.  I can imagine them embracing in a huge hug right now and that makes my heart smile, but I am very sad for the wonderful husband and these three precious children of theirs, left behind without their mama and wife.  The grief they are feeling and trying to deal with today and making all of the plans that will happen in the next few days for her "celebration of life"  that will take place soon.
I ask that you would uplift this precious family in prayer, not only will this week be one of the hardest times of their lives, but once everything has settled and life must go on, the every day things like games for the sports they are involved in, Sloane maturing into a young women with her mom their to help her, school events, awards, graduation, weddings, all those things that you want your mama their for, skinned knees, fever, upset bellies, hard days with friends, all those things that even as an adult, I am glad I can call my mom and talk to her about.
Heaven gained a precious soul today, our hearts are heavy because we no longer have her body here with us, but rejoicing that she is beholding the face of Jesus today and hearing "well done my good and faithful servant"  and she is no longer in pain or sick with a terrible illness called cancer.
Please pray that God will comfort this family, wrap His arms around them and hold them close, that they would live with wonderful memories of their wonderful mother.  She loved them with an unconditional love-she was an awesome mama.
Thank you for lifting them and Todd (her husband) and Martha (her mom) up this week before the throne of the One who loves us with a love we can not even fathom.  I know your prayers will sustain them during this very difficult time.

Love you all-thank you for allowing me to come to you and ask for your prayers for a family you have never even met but that God has connected us with through Him.

On this Pathway, heavy hearted but ever grateful for His love and mercy-

Jill

Pink Skies in the Morning-Sailors Take Warning

I woke up to this this morning!  It was absolutely beautiful.  It was really windy and a bit chilly for how warm it still has been in TX.

It will be interesting to see if the old saying "Pink Skies at night-a Sailor's Delight-Pink Skies in the Morning, Sailors take warning.   As I was out there taking these photos this morning the wind began to pick up and the sky began to get darker-and so we are praying for rain.  We really need it-things are so dry and the fires continue just about an hour from us.  I don't think I have ever lived anywhere that is has gotten this dry.

This sure was a nice way to wake up today- like a painting from God.

On this Pathway-

Jill