Management Positions Available

I am currently in the unfortunate situation of having to find a replacement for my assistant manager and I've always been looking for good part-time manager help. My assistant will NOT be easy to replace AT ALL!

Anyway, here are some questions I get from people interested in work...mind you, this is for a management postition:

1. What does management do?
2. What is retail?
3. What is a keyholder?
4. What does "prior experience" mean?

*rolls eyes* If one has to ask these questions, why are they applying for this position?

Today I answered one young man's question "what does management do?" by listing things like "inventory management, loss prevention, human resources, training, merchandising, etc." He looked at me like I was speaking an entirely different language and then said "oh, I don't think I'm ready for that." I said "probably not".

UGH!

Update on Holly 01/31/06 Midday

Holly's head trauma has officially been updated to an 11! That is good news!

Jeanie reports that Holly opened her eyes for a "significant" amount of time this morning, a few moments, and that Jeanie asked "are you in pain" and Jeanie says Holly weakly "nodded" a "yes" with a strained expression on her beaten and bruised and stitched up face. It was only a moment, but it was a moment that offered some hope.

The pain meds she is on is probably keeping her pretty sedated too. It was encouraging news that Holly apparantly heard and responded to verbal stimuli. They are going to try to sit her up later today.

Katie did get in to see Holly today. She said Holly is pretty cut up and stitched up on one side of her face, but nothing that will make her look disfigured or anything. Katie said even in the shape she is in, she looks so beautiful.

Praise the Lord for this report!

Update on Holly 01/31/06 AM

There really isn't much to report. Holly's condition has not changed, it is just a waiting game now. The family is exhausted and Dave and Jeanie did go home last night and are now forcing their energies on getting life into some type of normalcy again, a "new normalcy". There are two siblings at home to consider here as well, and Marie (13) and David (14) need mom and dad. Madeleine, the eldest daughter is married and currently residing in Florida.

I thought I'd post a picture of Holly so you can put a face to the name you are praying for. Also, you can visit Holly's Xanga or her Myspace and learn a bit more about who you are praying for. Holly is a very special young woman, and I can't help but think God has a plan for her even through this. This all has been shocking to those of us who know the Gushee's, but none of this is a surprise to God.

It seems David (14) is dealing ok, although he has always kept to himself, so it is hard to tell how he is coping. Marie is having a difficult time because of the attention given to her. She is experiencing the phenomenon of everyone now wanting to be her friend and her true friends are having to be "crowd control" at school. Marie keeps trying to "rest" her mind by thinking about things other than her sister, but with everyone meaning well and coming to her to offer "support", they just keep reminding her of the situation and her mind doesn't have a chance to rest. At school yesterday, apparently Marie got to the breaking point, plugged her ears and screamed for people to get away.

This kind of reminds me of Miss JoAnn Roe a woman in our church experienced the sudden death of her adult son in a car accident late last summer/early fall. JoAnn was in SaLT group a few days later and when we asked what we could do she responded "I want everyone to ignore me." We told her we would, and we did, but that we were praying for her. I think Marie needs people to just ignore her and pray for her and her family right now.

Tiffany and Marie are like sisters. They have basically been growing up together since the Gushee's entered Katie's life five years ago. The Gushee's are amazing people and this is one of those situations where you can't help wonder "Why, God, why? Why them?"

Five years ago the Gushee's committed to taking Katie's kids every other weekend to give the kids an opportunity to experience healthy family living. They remained committed to that until recently when lives in both families just got too busy, but as a result, Katie and her kids are like family with the Gushee's. Dave Gushee has been Katie's counselor through her divorce and that family has just been an amazing support system for Katie.

Marie and Tiffany have always been the best of friends, you know the kind of friend that you are so close with, yet can fight with like a sister!

Marie and Tiffany have always been the best of friends, you know the kind of friend that you are so close with, yet can fight with like a sister! LOL They are like sisters, so this situation with Holly is affecting Tiffany pretty hard, all the while she is trying to help Marie cope. Holly is Marie's hero, and Holly is just the kind of sister to admire. Katie is trying hard to gauge if Tiffany is around too much. Katie and Jeanie are close friends and meet for tea often, maybe twice a month to just chat about life and enjoy their friendship. This whole thing is hurting Katie because she knows it is hurting one of her best friends so much. I have to say, Dave and Jeanie are coping and are dealing with the situation at hand very well, although they are exhausted. It is just so hard to know what to do to help the ones you love sometimes.

There will probably be nothing new to report until Holly wakes up, and from all indications, it might be awhile yet.

Keep on praying please.

Update on Holly 01/30/06 PM

I'm providing updates on a young woman, Holly Gushee,18, who was involved in a car accident last Saturday. For details on that you can read the original post here. She has suffered severe head trauma and has not been awake since the accident which was 51 hours ago.

Apparantly there is/was some bleeding on the brain, involving the sheathing. The family has been told that in most cases like these, the people who awaken from this are not the same as you remember them. Recovery will most likely be six months or so.

It seems the news is getting worse each day. Prayer is needed and requested by the family...they've got it too!

Update on Holly 01/29/06 PM

Scratch that upgrade to an 11, that was misinformation that was given to me. From her mom this evening we heard that the last time the doctor upgraded Holly, he said between a 9 and a 10 probably.

Holly is still not awake. It has been over 26 hours.

Let's Go Out For Some Coffee

Katie just asked "do you want to do something?"

I said "yes".

"What?" she asked.

"Let's go out for some coffee."

Then I was reminded that coffee doesn't do well in Katie's digestive system when she winced and looked at me with this pathetic, sick look on her face, while "holding" her stomach and replied "I'll go out for some Sprite!"

LOL

Who goes out for Sprite???

Evil

We had a great message delivered at Northbrook Church today. It was all about evil. Evil is here. Like it or not, evil is here.

The passage was from Daniel 7:1-28 and packed a powerful punch. David dreamed of evil. Evil took the form of beasts in his dream, beasts that were like a lion, a bear, and a leopard. All of these are beasts of prey that roam around waiting to attack and kill.

Listening to the message today really had me pondering some things that bloggled my mind.

Evil is here and always roaming, waiting to attack and kill. The attacking and killing take place in the spiritual realm, in the unseen world, not our physical one.

Many times we don't even see the evil until we are attacked by it and then we have to react. Reacting puts us on the defensive immediately.

Christians should always have on their spiritual armor as Ephesians 6 states:

13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Christians "fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace" should never be caught off-guard. We should not ever need to react to an attack of the evil one, we should be ready and armed for battle at all times!

We know evil lurks waiting to devour. We should not be surprised when the attack occurs!

This is where I got to thinking...what do you do when evil confronts you face to face? When you are standing there with evil staring you in the face? Looking you in the eye? At that moment when evil attacks, what do you do?

YOU STARE EVIL IN THE FACE, LOOK IT IN THE EYE, AND SAY GET BEHIND ME SATAN!

Evil is here, yes, but we already have the victory. The war has already been won. There are battles raging, those are the "attacks" I speak of, but the war is won. What makes evil that much more frightening is that the evil one knows that the war for him is already lost, so why not pull out all the stops? It's a game for him. A taunting game, with the goal to keep people from knowing God. If he can ruin the testimony of one, it can effect the souls of many.

If he can ruin the testimony of one, it can effect the souls of many.

But, the war is already won. God is in control. Jesus Christ looked evil in the eye, even as He hung dying on a tree. He died and was buried, but then took his life back up again, and in essence said, "GET BEHIND ME SATAN!" as he emerged from his tomb. Death, evil, has no power over Christ. God is the winner! God rules!

Jesus never turns his back on us, sometimes he may look away from our sin, but never, NEVER, has his back turned toward us. That means we stand, bow, lay prostrate before Him, we are IN FRONT of Him. He stands and looks at us.

If we are in front of Him, where is satan? Satan is BEHIND HIM! Satan has no authority over Jesus Christ, over the Son of Man, over the Ancient of Days!

God wins and God rules the world!