Christmas update letter

Christmas Greetings, friends and family! I have been long overdue in updating you as to the goings-on in my life so I again apologize. For those who have been reading my blog (http://morrepic.blogspot.com), you may have seen my entry concerning being laid off. I was, in fact, abruptly laid off from WeatherBug on October 23rd. The company went through a huge round of cutbacks due to the economic environment and all 4 full-time and 2 part-time QC/Alerts Meteorologists were let go as the program we had been working on was drastically slashed. Two weeks before my layoff, I had been offered and turned down a job offer from Booz Allen Hamilton in Southern Maryland. A few days after the layoff, I called up the recruiter at Booz Allen and asked about employment opportunities, not even expecting to be able to get the same offer from them. I went on a personal retreat to a farm in Pennsylvania (http://www.mountaindale.net) for a few days and during that time received a call from the recruiter. Booz Allen had been able to jump the necessary hurdles and the exact offer I had turned down before was reopened to me. How amazing is God's provision! The acceptance of that offer with a start date of December 1st threw my life into a mini-whirlwind for a period of time. I arrived back in Germantown from PA on November 13th and immediately began to pack and make arrangements. Thankfully, I was renting a basement in a private home so my roommate was very gracious in allowing me to leave my lease early, having previously been laid off herself. On November 22nd, two good friends (Thank you Allie and Dan!) and my family converged on the townhouse to pack my belongings for the long trip back to St. Mary's. It was bittersweet as I left behind good friends and colleagues that I would miss but looked forward to a new start back home. I started my new job as a Researcher at Booz Allen on December 1st. So far, most of my work has consisted of training, reading, and working with map symbols as I await authorization for access to the 2 military bases I will be working on (Patuxent River and Indian Head). Please pray as it seems this is being held up much longer than anyone anticipated. With less than one week to Christmas, we are looking forward to celebrating with Chelse and my grandmother, Darline, from California. Chelse has now been in our custody since early spring. However, St. Mary's county has done their best to slow the adoption process down. The personnel in California are waiting to push the paperwork through quickly but that paperwork has lingered for months on the desks of those in St. Mary's. Please pray as we attempt to move the process along a little faster and pray for those hands the paperwork will go through, that they will understand the need for expediency in this matter. Also, be in prayer for the Miller family from our church in Leonardtown. About two short weeks ago, their oldest daughter, Victoria, was diagnosed with leukemia. It has all happened so fast and she is currently at Children's Hospital in DC going through her first round of chemo. However, praise the Lord, recently her tests have come back negative for leukemia cells. Her most recent lumbar puncture (spinal tap) results from Tuesday were completely negative. She will have one more today and we are fervently praying that it is also negative. You can find updates at her CarePage on the Children's Hopital site: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/UpheldByHim. I pray that in the midst of hard times this Christmas, you will remember the true reason for the season and His provision in every circumstance. May the God of all peace be with you as we celebrate the birth of His Son! Soli Deo Gloria! Meghan

Economy hits home...

For those who have not heard, I was laid off in a round of company cutbacks last Thursday. It came as quite a shock as all the QC Mets were let go without any forewarning. I would covet your prayers as I search for a new job. If at all possible, I'd like to stay where I am but we'll see what God has in store. I know He has a plan in all of this but sometimes it's hard to see when you're in the midst of it. I have already submitted a few resumes and will be getting in touch with some people this week. To those who are also being affected by the economy, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Take care! "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Soli Deo Gloria, Meghan

Are you 'Fireproof'?

I would like to take a break from the Values Voters posts to encourage you to see a new movie coming out this weekend. "Fireproof" is the third movie made by the film ministry at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA. The first two movies were "Flywheel" and "Facing the Giants". (Notice a pattern?) "Fireproof" stars Kirk Cameron as firefighter Caleb Holt and the movie is causing a stir nationwide with increased publicity this week. Kirk Cameron was on the Today Show Tuesday morning to talk about the movie and some behind the scenes information (videos available on Today Show website). Focus on the Family ran a 2-part interview with Cameron, the Kendrick brothers (co-writers and pastors at Sherwood), and Pastor McBride from Sherwood Baptist Church. On Thursday, Kirk Cameron along with Alex Kendrick and Michael Catt will appear on Dr. Phil for "Fireproof Your Marriage". "Fireproof" is also gaining recognition online as it topped the Fandango 5 (the 5 most popular/purchased) as the hottest ticket. You can also catch interviews with Kirk Cameron Wednesday morning on the Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends at 9:05am and then on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet at 9:40am. What I would really like to do is encourage you to go out and see "Fireproof" this weekend. This movie is well worth it. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was able to see a pre-release screening at the Values Voters Summit. I can think of no more important message that is needed in the world today than the sanctity and permanency of marriage. "Fireproof" is a well-crafted, quality, and entertaining movie. I was brought to tears several times (girls, remember the tissues!) but the weight of the issues addressed were balanced with some levity. Guys, don't worry, there are action and peril scenes for you too. ;) This is about a firefighter after all. For some of you, this may require a bit of sacrifice. "Fireproof" is opening in 850 theaters nationwide...almost double the number that "Facing the Giants" opened in. But there are still some areas where you might not have the convenience of going to your local theater to see it. I urge you to find the closest theater where "Fireproof" is opening and go see it, even if it means having to travel a little further. Make a date night of it and go to dinner before the show. :) All I can say is that you couldn't be doing it for a better movie. "Fireproof doesn't mean that a fire will never come, but that when it comes, you'll be able to withstand it."

Values Voters Summit, Part 2, Friday Afternoon

On with the festivities :) Here is the lineup for the rest of Friday. Kicking off the rest of Friday was talk show host and film critic Michael Medved. His new book is titled "The Ten Big Lies About America" and he detailed 3 of these lies directed specifically at religious conservatives (RC's) in his speech. They are 1) RC's hate women and women hate them, 2) RC's hate sex, and 3) RC's are depressed, defeated, and divided. He addressed the first lie by pointing to Sarah Palin but also looking at the abortion issue and pointing out poll results showing that women are more likely to be pro-life than men. For the 2nd lie he pointed us towards each party's presidential ticket and noted that the Obama/Biden ticket has 5 children while McCain/Palin has 12 children, 3 of which were adopted. His nod to the implications got a chuckle from the crowd. On the 3rd lie, he pointed not only to the enthusiasm of those in attendance but of how the 2 parties differed in going about writing their platforms and ideas. As a side note to his speech, he mentioned speaking to a friend in Israel (Medved is Jewish) that told him, "There is only country in the world where the McCain/Palin ticket is more popular than in America...Israel." Stephen Baldwin followed with his testimony and a message about our culture. He spoke of his wife's faith and its influence on him as well as his brothers' criticism and how it drives him to pray for them. Then he warned us that evil is terrorizing our culture and that we're not doing enough to combat it. He pointed out how a recent TV show used poor reviews of its show in the advertising to mock those who would speak against it. It was a sobering point. He told a story of a town in France that was accidentally bombed. As they rebuilt the town, they had their sculptor recreate the statue at the center of town. At the unveiling, the statue of Christ had no hands as they could not be repaired. The new inscription? "I have no hands but yours." Next, Bishop Martyn Minns spoke of how what most people think is not always right and that there are universal core values that are non-negotiable in our world. He also spoke of the shift towards "global Christianity", where the center of Christianity has shifted to the global south. Next was our panel for the afternoon session, "Spin Cycle: How the Media is Hanging Conservatives Out to Dry". Participants included Ramesh Ponnuru, Senior Editor, National Review; Kate O'Beirne, President, National Review Institute; and Roger Hedgecock, radio talk show host (pictured). They first spoke of how the nomination of Sarah Palin "disrupted media's planned coronation for Obama". They also brought a warning about how the mainstream media has adopted the terminology of social liberalism. They offered this advice: bypass the mainstream media and go to other sources, be civil and give feedback to local media to get them to fly straight, and research the facts. I think this last piece of advice is often overlooked by the American public in general who have counted on the media for too long to look up the facts for them. The importance of and need for school choice was the topic of Ken Blackwell's time with us. He spoke on how students need equal access to opportunity and said that the 21st century version of reservations and plantations is forced school districts that trap students in failing schools with no choice to go somewhere else. He also tackled two myths that have been perpetuated about school choice. The first is that it only benefits private and parochial schools. However, in reality, freedom of choice and competition enhance the quality and performance of all schools. The second myth is that school choice would be a radical change, but Blackwell pointed out that it works for higher education where students can choose which college to attend so it's not too far of a stretch to bring it to elementary and secondary education as well. Rev. Jonathan Falwell spoke on how we must stand our ground in the battles and stand in the gap for our country. Using Judges 6:2 and the story of Gideon, he pointed out how the Israelites had been hiding in mountain caves from those who opposed them and admonished that "we must never go back to the caves again". He then moved to Ezekiel 13:1ff to warn us of the need to stand in the breaks in the wall around the country and protect her from harm. Probably the most important point made was that God doesn't call us to be popular, He calls us to be faithful. Star Parker was outspoken from the beginning, pausing when she reached the podium (seen here) to apply lipstick before starting her speech. :) She proceeded to lay out 3 steps for how to not be poor: fear God, work diligently, and manage your money. Then she discussed how what we really need is not equality (same outcomes) but equity (same opportunities). She pointed out how socialism is rooted in covetousness and that the top 3 social challenges in the U.S. find their basis in sexual sin. Star Parker was the last speaker before the evening break. Governor Mitt Romney addressed the crowd Friday evening at the Values Voters Summit. After starting with a McCain/Obama joke that involved ice fishing, he moved on to state that "the best ally peace has ever known is a strong America." He focused mainly on economic models and compared the behavior of countries to that of companies in vying for economic dominance. He then detailed the 4 major economic models in the world: 1) Free Enterprise + Freedoms (United States) 2) Free Enterprise + No Freedoms (China) 3) Energy Dominance + Authoritarianism (Russia) 4) Collapse all other economies + Be the last one standing (Jihad) He pointed out that, in these 4 models, culture makes all the difference. Friday was capped by the Court Jester awards. The awards are given out for blatant and ludicrous acts of judicial tyranny. The 4 awards handed out were the "Out of Order!" award given to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the "Invisible Ink" award given to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, the "See No Evil" award given to the Supreme Court of the United States, and the "Lifetime Achievement" Award also given to the Supreme Court. Phyllis Schlafly, who accepted the 1st award for the 9th Circuit had this to say, which I loved: "The Constitution did not make our federal judiciary commander-in-chief." I was able to attend a screening of the movie "Fireproof," coming out September 26th, but would like to devote an entire blog entry to that after all the VVS blogs are up. I encourage everyone to check to see where "Fireproof" will be in your area and go see this movie opening weekend. Their website is www.fireproofthemovie.com. For now, I will simply state that it was amazing, very well done, and moving. That about wraps up everything for Friday. :) Again, I highly recommend that you listen to any speaker you might be interested in on the FRC Action web page (directions for this are in the 9/11 blog post). I have only been able to provide a summary of each 20 minute speech so I hope you will take advantage of the videos to hear them in their entirety. Soli Deo Gloria! Meghan

Values Voters Summit, Part 1, Friday morning

So much happened at the Values Voters Summit this past weekend that I'm going to break down my blog posts by day. I tried to take notes on every speaker and ended up with some highlights. I also ordered the complete conference on CD so I look forward to listening to each speaker again and hopefully learning more when I'm not so sleep-deprived. ;) Our first speaker was Lou Dobbs of CNN. Dobbs spoke of his change of heart towards religion in the public policy and how FRC President Tony Perkins contributed to that change by "talking long enough and making enough sense." He also spoke on how the fundamental principle of democracy is the rule of majority and that the violation of this principle is one of our biggest challenges. Next up was THE Joe Gibbs. :) While I knew him only as the legendary Redskins coach who came out of retirement to coach again, it was incredible to hear him speak. Gibbs is well spoken and passionate. His message centered around how life is like a game...specifically, football. :) What else? He spoke about how God is our head coach in the game of life and that when we follow His game plan, we win. The message ended with a presentation of the gospel and the invitation to accept Christ as Savior and Lord. Definitely a memorable time that morning. Following Joe Gibbs was someone else who is familiar to those from the DC beltway, former MD Lieutenant-Governor Michael Steele. Steele challenged the audience, asking us what we were prepared to do. He stated that what we need are people of principle who understand what's at stake. To paraphrase one of his points: "Movements aren't started on their own and they are not sustained on their own." Each session included a panel discussion and Friday morning's panel was "The Truth Behind Capitol Hill's Leading Ladies" featuring (from left to right in photo): Representative , Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Connie Mackey, Senior Vice President, FRC Action as moderator, and Michele Bachmann of Minnesota (whose first child, born recently, has Down Syndrome). The three major topics the ladies touched on included Stem Cell research, the so-called "Fairness Doctrine", and the need to defund Planned Parenthood. Up next was conservative activist and President of the Eagle Forum, Phyllis Schlafly. Schlafly pointed out how far we've come since 2004's election by doing a side-by-side comparison of many important points in the Republican Party platform. She also discussed how the Republican and Democratic platforms are polar opposites, especially on issues of concern to values voters. She ended by encouraging us with the fact that this year's platform is the most pro-life and pro-family platform in recent history. Following Phyllis Schlafly was Focus on the Family President and CEO Jim Daly. After explaining how America has become like a "big, alcoholic family" (as described by Glenn Beck) since there are things we can't talk about ("politically incorrect"), Daly explained how what's at stake drives Focus on the Family to become involved in the public square. He discussed how the number one contributor to poverty is broken homes/marriages. Also discussed was how we shouldn't be ashamed at being perceived as "single-issue driven" and that we can't just speak the words but need to put them into action. He also praised Palin as a "woman's woman" (in his wife's words). In probably one of the more serious and chilling talks, Don Feder spoke on the topic of the new documentary "Demographic Winter: the decline of the human family". You may have seen the banner at the top of the page. I highly recommend checking out the web page and the trailer. The discussion was about how falling birthrates worldwide are leading to population decline in many countries while the United States hovers just at the replacement rate (2.1 births/woman). I bought the DVD while at the VVS if you would like to borrow it (after I watch it, of course). :) The final speaker of the morning was former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. Gingrich brought us back to U.S. history to show how previous presidents have brought their faith into the public arena. He talked about Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural, engraved on the Lincoln Monument, that is only a little over 700 words and mentions God 14 times and quotes the Bible twice. He talked about FDR's D-Day radio broadcast that included a 6.5 minute prayer. Gingrich also spoke of our record in warfare, how we are the only country worldwide that has never taken land in military conquest in other countries. "If you look at the record of human warfare, we have a pretty good record of trying to do the right thing." (As close of a quote as I could catch writing fast.) So to catch you up, this was only the first half of Friday. I was able to attend the Focus on the Family Action luncheon where the Grassroots activist awards were given out to the heads of family policy councils in California, Arizona, and Florida. If you are interested in listening to any of the speeches, the website for streaming video (provided in the previous post) now has video of each speaker. In several of the videos, they pan to the audience and you might be able to catch a glimpse of me. ;) (For example, in the Sean Hannity video, look for the white satin headband in the front row.) Since this post was longer than I thought, I'm going to try to break up the conference in half-days. Look for the rest of Friday coming soon. :) Soli Deo Gloria, Meghan

Values Voters Summit

I am very excited for this weekend's Values Voters Summit in Washington, DC. It will be a chance to learn more about how we as values voters can impact this fall's election. Speakers include a diverse group of men and women from Joe Gibbs and Sean Hannity to Chuck Colson and Newt Gingrich. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to listen and learn from these speakers this weekend. However, just because you may be unable to attend the conference doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the great sessions this weekend. The Family Research Council has announced that the American Family Association will be broadcasting the Values Voters Summit online for free. You must register to participate but everything is free. The registration website is: http://www.afa.net/vvs_2008/. If you would like to view the schedule of events and when each speaker will be on, you can go here. The webcast will cover Friday morning to Saturday evening. I hope some of you will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in "the largest pro-family, social conservative event of the year". I look forward to telling you all about the summit when I get and will hopefully have some photos as well. :) Have a great weekend! Soli Deo Gloria, Meghan

No end in sight...

Okay now, who flipped the switch? Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen 4 named storms together on the map before...it's kind of crazy. We have Gustav, Hanna, Ike and Josephine all lined up and ready to go. :) This is as of the 8pm update from the National Hurricane Center. You can visit their website for updates at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.

A piece of advice...

Hard surfaces and knees do not mix. Of course, neither do slippery surfaces and cute boots. It was overcast and a little rainy all day today. Coming into work this evening, I made it all the way to the elevators, across almost all the tile, before my feet decided to betray me. I almost twisted my right ankle and overcompensated, heading too far left. Needless to say, I ended up on the ground and in some weird way, managed to bruise my left leg on the outside below my knee. No broken bones, I'll just be stiff for a bit and have a nice bruise to show for my gracelessness. :) At least there were no witnesses to the actual incident, just the aftermath. So the moral of our story? Slick tile floors and wet shoes don't mix. That is all. Update: So I may not have twisted my ankle, but I did tweak it a little bit at least. And the bruise is turning a nice shade of purple too. :)

New Update, August 28, 2008

Greetings everyone! And thank you to everyone who passed along birthday wishes. My 23rd birthday, while filled with work, was very restful. I was able to celebrate last week with my family while I was home which was a blessing.

So this is what 12-hour, overnight shifts lead to...actually remembering that I have a list of people I need to e-mail an update to. :) And yes, you read that correctly. This next week of work is going to be crazy. I'm working every single overnight until Labor Day except for one and several of those are 12 hour shifts. I could certainly use your prayers (and lots of caffeine) to make it through them.

While I'm on the topic of work, the last 2 of my 3 articles were published to our website earlier this month. You can reach them by following the URLs below.

Hurricane Alicia <-- This story went through 3 rounds of editing and the title was changed at the last minute when it was published. I guess I made it sound too much like a hurricane drought was a bad thing and a land-falling hurricane was a good thing. :)

Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs <--The Going Green section of our website has other tips for saving energy as well.

I recently had the opportunity to travel back to Colorado Springs for the Focus on the Family Institute Reunion. For the two years after we graduate, we will have a yearly reunion. After that, there is a reunion every 5 years for everyone who has ever attended the Institute. My roommate Bethany met me in Denver and we traveled to the Springs for the 4 days of the reunion. The trip was amazing and I had a wonderful time getting to see old friends and meeting people from other classes. If you would like to see pictures from my trip, you can find them here.

My next trip will be a little more local as I travel to DC September 12-14 for the Values Voters Summit, sponsored by FRC Action and Focus Action. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to hear some of the speakers that will be there to address the issues that are affecting us today. I'm also really excited to attend the Saturday evening gala event where Chuck Colson will be honored. If you're interested in learning more about the summit, you can visit their website here.

Otherwise, life has been continuing as usual. Things have been quiet around the townhouse as my roommate and I are on almost completely opposite schedules. I'm actually thinking of getting a fish but probably not until I get back from the Values Voters Summit in September. I'm kind of excited to have a pet of my own and personalize my space even more.

I hope everything has been going well for you. For those who have gone back to school or have kids in school, I hope your transition was smooth and safe. Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Meghan Orr

Overdue update from June 1st

Sorry about being delayed in getting this up. :) This update was originally sent out on June 1st. Enjoy!

So it's been awhile since my last update again...I think I need to leave reminders for myself to do these. :) Maybe then they'll actually be more frequent.

Work has been going well. I'm slowly adapting to the shift rotations. Starting this weekend, I will be working the 4th and final shift rotation (Th-Su, 1pm-Mid) before going back to the graveyard shift in July. My first article as an official meteorologist was published on the WeatherBug website which was a very exciting moment for me. You can find it here. My bio was also added to our website which you can find here. I have a few other articles in the works and will make sure to pass those along as well when they're published out.

Otherwise, life has taken a fairly sedate pace. I have found a church where I can get plugged in and get to know some of the people. So far I've mostly only met those in my Sunday School, but I've only been there for a short time and with crazy hours I can't always make other events at the church. Hopefully in the weeks to come God will open up opportunities to meet other members of the church. I've also been able to do a lot of pleasure reading, which I love. I'm almost through the entire Chronicles of Narnia currently and plan on finishing The Screwtape Letters next.

On a technical note: I will not be as available online as I usually am. I returned to Germantown after spending Memorial Day weekend at home to find the AC adapter for my laptop had inexplicably failed and my laptop had run on battery for as long as it could. Since it may be awhile before I get it replaced, I will only be accessing the internet at work and at the library so my reponse times may be longer. I apologize for any inconvenience. If you need to reach me, my work IM is MegWxBug or feel free to call on the cell.

I hope you have all had a lovely Sabbath and a good weekend.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Meghan

Long Overdue Update

So an update is looooong overdue...just in case you hadn't noticed. :) Below is the update e-mail I sent out recently. I hope to be updating more often now that I'm getting into the swing of things so remember to check back! Enjoy! I hope this e-mail finds everyone doing well. It has now been over 3 months since I arrived back in Maryland from my experience at the Focus on the Family Institute. This e-mail has been long overdue and I apologize for that. Graduation at FFI went very well. We were actually concerned for a while that we wouldn't be able to hold because of a snow storm that was heading our way. Fortunately, we were able to have graduation and it was a wonderful time of celebration but also bittersweet as we said good-bye to amazing friends and teachers. I am excited to return at the end of July for our reunion and reconnect with my friends and roommates again. Christmas and New Year's came and went before I realized it. My cousin, Chelse, whom we are trying to adopt, spent three weeks with us over the holidays. She has returned for two weeks now for Easter. My family is hoping that, with all the paperwork done on our end, the system will move as swiftly as possible to bring Chelse to our home permanently. Please continue to pray for her as we work towards this transition. Since I have been back in Maryland, I was hired full-time back at Weatherbug in Germantown, MD. I worked here part-time over the summer in the same capacity. I found a townhouse basement to rent less than 5 miles from work with a nice Chinese woman. I've had a lot of fun so far exploring the area and finding out where things are. I'm on the overnight shift right now during the week. We rotate each month so next month I'll be on some afternoon/evenings and on weekend overnights. It's taken some getting used to but it's going really well and I enjoy being at work, especially in my field of interest. If you'd like to get in touch with me at work, my e-mail is morr (at) weatherbug (dot) com, IM is MegWxBug, and phone is 301-250-4036. I will attempt to continue updating my blog and may continue sending out an e-mail once a month or so on my life's happenings. Again, my apologies for such a long delay in updating you on everything going on. :) I hope you had a happy Easter. God bless! Soli Deo Gloria, Meghan