JoelandFaith.com - Past Updates

April 4, 2008
The "more-often-than-expected" updates continue! While nothing has been anywhere near overhauled (thankfully it doesn't need to be), each and every web page on our site has been slightly modified to correct a minor display issue, as well as to provide room for future updates, such as the addition of the "News" listings on the right-hand side of each page. Those links - to worthwhile articles and web sites we feel led to share - will be updated semi-regularly. Other new attractions are a couple new listings ("Fall 2007" and "Other Photos") on Seth's web page, along with a new picture for Ma's assorted photos. As time allows we'll continue to add new content (including more monthly photos of Joy).

March 27, 2008
We're on a roll this month, as we've now made even more updates to our web site. A "Joy Monthly Photos" page has been added to our family web page. In addition, we've finally created long-overdue web pages for "Parkin" and "Wright" on our extended family web page (more photos have been added to the "Shoemaker" page within that area as well). Lastly, links to various noteworthy online articles and web sites have been added on the right-hand side of each page (more will be added over time). We (again) hope everyone enjoys this new and updated content.

March 17, 2008
We've finally added a good number of new pictures to our photo gallery. These "much anticipated" additions have been placed in three separate albums: Winter 2008 (Joy), Gatlinburg 2008 (Vacations), and Christmas 2007 (Holidays). We hope you enjoy them all!

March 14, 2008
This is a brief "news bulletin" to make note of our updated main navigational menu (located on the left-hand side of each web page). While the menu options themselves remain pretty much unchanged (with the only noticeable modification being the consolidation of links previously posted under "Miscellaneous", "Sports", and "Work" under what is now the "Other" button), the look and functionality of the menu is much improved. Most notably, the new Flash-based menu works under Internet Explorer 7.

We hope to soon be adding new photos of Joy and the rest of our family taken from around Christmas and during the time since, so check back very shortly!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13
January 23, 2008
Hello again! It's been awhile, but yes, we're still here. Needless to say we've been quite busy and it's been hard to find time to update our web site. Rest assured we'll (hopefully) be doing more updates in the near future, including adding more family and friends photos, in addition to other extra content here and there. In the meantime, with Joy turning 5 months old tomorrow, we thought we would post some new photos of her within our photo gallery (see the "Fall and Winter 2007" album). Maybe, just maybe, some Christmas season photos will soon be available as well. Check back soon!

October 24, 2007
Our Joy is two months old today! We're so very thankful that God has taken such good care of her (she has been healthy-as-can-be and is growing quite noticeably, particularly length-wise). The Lord has been using her to bless her mommy and daddy everyday, whether it be through big smiles, little grins, interesting actions and movements, or even while she's sleeping (especially on the more challenging days).

To celebrate her two-month birthday (so to speak) we've added some more photos of Joy in our photo gallery (check out the "Blossoming Baby" and "Camping" albums). As you enjoy the pictures, please consider saying a prayer for the three of us. It is through answered prayer and God's grace alone that we are able to take care of Joy and each other (as well as get everything else done) during these busy times. Thank you and may God bless you!

August 24, 2007
Our baby girl is here! Joy Lorine Shoemaker was born at 9:55 PM today in Lawrenceville, GA. She is 8 lbs. 5 ounces in weight and 20 1/2 inches long. God has blessed us so much with this precious little gift and we are so very thankful and humbled. Please be sure and take a look at Joy's first pictures posted within our photo gallery by clicking here (more will be added in the future, so be sure to keep checking back).

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psalm 127:3
August 16, 2007
Well, it's been quite awhile (a little over 5 months) since our last noteworthy site update. While we've found enough time to add a few more photos to our photo gallery, for the most part we've simply been too busy preparing our home for our soon-to-arrive baby (due just 6 days from now) to do much else.

One thing we want to make our visitors aware of is that we've found that our drop-down navigation menu located on the left side of each page does not work correctly when browsed with Internet Explorer 7 (the menu will not expand to show the options within). (Unfortunately, the same problem exists on our church web site, as it uses a very similar menu.) Rest assured we're working on getting the problem fixed and will post word once it has been. In the meantime, if you have already upgraded to Internet Explorer 7 (which usually means you cannot go back to IE version 6), please try using the Mozilla web browser instead.

Before our baby is born we wanted to try and share a few more photos within our gallery, knowing full well we probably will not have the time or energy to do so once our little one gets here. So, hope you enjoy the updates! Check them out here.

March 12, 2007
Welcome back! So far so good with our redesigned web site. All pages, as well as the new forum, appear to be loading and working properly. There are some slight anomalies that may appear when viewing this site with web browsers other than Internet Explorer 6 or later, but Mozilla Firefox (the best alternative to IE) still works fairly well (both on Macs and PCs; just make sure you have the latest version).

There have been only a couple modifications to our site since the overall changes were put into place a few weeks ago. Along with the consolidation of the "Sports" button sub-options into sport-specific links (versus individual season listings), the most notable add-on to our site is the addition of a Photo Gallery. This new photo gallery will house any number of pictures and images from a wide array of occasions and happenings. Most will pertain to our family, but there will be photos of our extended family and friends, too.

At this point we're not 100% sure if the photo gallery will completely replace the method we've used up until now to share photos (that is, placing them within individual web pages themselves). Perhaps, since anyone can access the photo gallery (no registration is required), we'll do a combination of the two, posting links on the web pages to the appropriate album within the gallery. We'll post details on this once a final decision has been made and implemented.

In the meantime, please check out our Photo Gallery by clicking on the "Family" button at left, then choosing "Photo Gallery" from the drop-down menu. Please if you encounter any problems whatsoever. Thanks again for stopping by!

February 26, 2007
Welcome to our revamped web site!! As you can tell, there has been nearly a complete overhaul of all our web pages. Not only has all of the existing content been modified to fit the new design and layout, additional sections and pages have been added as well.

Notice the new vertical navigation menu shown on the left-hand side of every page. When/if new areas and/or pages are added, you'll be able to locate them there. In addition, the automatically refreshing quotes and Bible verses noted in the December 1 news has been added to the right-hand side of each page. As you move from page to page a new Scripture verse or godly quote should appear. Note also that our existing "Family" web page has been split into three separate ones: Our Family, Extended Family, and Friends.

Lastly, and of particular importance to those visiting here for Mac and PC network support, a brand new Forum has been opened to allow us to hopefully better help those needing computer-related assistance. While the old forums are still online and existing posts can be read, no new member registrations are possible (though existing members can still post new messages and replies; it would be preferred, however, that from this point forward all users only post in the new forum). A new account must be created within the new forum in order to post a message (though just like with the old forums, anyone can read any posted message without having to register).

We're currently working on copying existing posts from the old forums to the new one, but that is rather time consuming, so please be sure and look through and search both forums prior to posting a new message in the new forum. I know I personally much prefer the look and functionality of the new forum as compared to the old, and with spamming becoming more and more of a problem within the old forums, a move to a newer and more secure forum setup was a must.

Please take some time to look around and then what you think (please especially be sure and send us a note if you find any problems with tne updated site). As always, thank you for dropping by. May the Lord bless you!

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret,
and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was
none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto
me, O God! how great is the sum of them! - Psalm 139:14-17
January 15, 2007
Thought you might enjoy a couple pictures of the newest little Shoemaker! They were taken just this morning during our first doctor visit. We were actually able to hear his/her heartbeat, too! The baby is 8 weeks and 5 days old, currently measures in at just over 2 centimeters in length, and all is perfectly well and normal for both mother and child thus far. The projected due date is August 22.

Click on a picture to view a full-size copy
So you have some reference, the baby’s head is on the left, with its little arm buds beneath, and its rear end on the right.

We are so thankful the Lord has blessed us with this little one. Please remember all three of us in your prayers!

December 1, 2006
It's hard to believe this year is already just about over. There has been so much that has gone on since the last update (granted, that's no surprise since it has been nearly eight months since the last change was made) I won't even begin to try and cover all that has happened. The most important thing is that God hasn't changed (Malachi 3:6).

One thing that hopefully will change in the near future is the design of this site. While the current layout is adequate, I would like to update it and refine it a bit more. I'll probably be putting together a modified version of the design currently used for the AFBC web site, with the main modification being (hopefully) a rearrangement of things behind the scenes so that web page updates can be done more quickly and easily.

In the meantime, a preview of a part of the new web site design can be seen below. Each time this web page is refreshed, the text in red below will change to another Scripture verse or quote from The Daily Walk Bible. This nifty little feature has been a long time coming, but I finally got things sorted out on the back-end and the auto-changing quotes and verses should be working just fine now. Once the modified web site is put into place these rotating words will be placed in a more prominent and fixed place. A thank you goes to Scott at Clark Consulting for originally contacting me about getting this type of option up-and-running.

No one can be called mature who does not learn from his own mistakes. - The Daily Walk Bible

April 17, 2006
Hello again! Hope you had a great Easter weekend!! All is well here at the Shoemaker home, with plenty going on in our church, at work, and around the house to keep us busy.

I wanted to post a note that the move to our new domain name - joelandfaith.com - seems to be going well. Just in case there is anyone still accessing our very soon to be "old" web address - joelshoemaker.com - I've gone ahead and renewed that domain name for another year, which should allow any and all comers to either domain to end up in the right place (right here). In addition, email sent to me at either web address should end up in my mailbox as well. Please if you encounter any problems with either domain.

For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth,
(as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God,
the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. - 1 Corinthians 8:5-6
January 21, 2006
Happy New Year! A new year usually means a few changes, and one of the more notable ones (at least around these parts) is the upcoming move to a new domain name (web address).

If all goes as planned, sometime just before Valentines day, joelshoemaker.com will become joelandfaith.com. With the exception of Jesus Christ, my wife Faith is the most important part of my life now. So, just like with the rest of our lives, our marriage is having a (positive) effect on this web site, too!

Along with the new web site address will be a change of email address, as well as the renaming of some things (including my forums). Please note that I'm going to do my best to ensure that anyone accessing joelshoemaker.com (or emailing me) for up to a couple months after the move ends up in the right place. Through early-to-mid April, everyone and everything should be redirected to joelandfaith.com. I'll keep you posted as things progress over the next month.

November 8, 2005
It has, yet again, been awhile between updates, but rest assured that we are still here. You can have even more confidence in the fact that God continues to be faithful and good, and He has certainly been watching over and blessing us.

The Lord has carried Faith and I through a number of different circumstances over the last couple months, including a tonsillectomy (Faith), a new church membership (Joel; see Auburn First Baptist link at left), multiple washing machine and dishwasher issues, a failing alternator, and the challenge of teaching our first Sunday school class together. In every instance God has been gracious: Faith has recovered, I've joined a loving family of believers, all water and car-related issues are well on their way to being resolved, and our first couples class outing was better than we could have hoped.

We are very grateful for the Lord and His provision. We are certainly excited to see what He has in store for us next!

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7
August 28, 2005
In case you were wondering, the June 9 news posting was no joke: our wedding went off without a hitch and Faith and I are now married and living in our "new" home. Everything is going wonderfully well; we are so blessed; and so thankful for all that the Lord has done for us. Again, God is so good, faithful, and full of grace. We truly hope and pray that anyone and everyone who happens across this web site (which may soon be a husband and wife web site; stay tuned) will come to know the Lord better and fully experience the love, peace, and true life He has to offer.

For those who would like to take a look, we've posted a number of our wedding photos online. Click on the link below to check them out:

Our Wedding
June 9, 2005
Well, a lot has happened in my life over the past three months. First, as I posted on my forums a few weeks ago, I got engaged a little less than a month ago on May 14. Faith is her name and she is truly a blessing from the Lord. The love He has given us for one another is something we have both been waiting for all our lives. It is so amazing that God has not only blessed us with one another, but He is also bringing each of us closer to Him through one another.

Faith and I are getting married on July 16, and we just found out today that we should be able to close on a house of our own a week before the wedding day. God is so good and we are so thankful for His mercy and grace.

I'm going to do my best to stay on top of things relating to my web site, but I do need to ask for your patience as we tend to both our wedding and our home-to-be. May the Lord bless you!

March 13, 2005
I would like to bring attention to a new page I have added to my web site: God is Good (a link has been added to the navigation and "Quicklink" menus at left). When you have a moment, please take time to look it over and read what is being shared there. I hope to update the page fairly often, for I'm certain the Lord will give me ample opportunity and reason to do so. I pray that you are blessed and He is glorified in it.

March 4, 2005
While I'm still due to make the aforementioned remaining updates to my computer-related pages (thanks for your patience), I did want to make brief note of the addition of a 'Vacation' section to my web site. Though at the moment there are only pictures from my family's recent trip to Pigeon Forge, TN, if we are blessed to be able to go on future outings, I'll be sure to add them as well.

For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy
toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west,
[so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us. - Psalm 103:11-12
February 12, 2005
Though I still have a couple more content additions to make, those that have been implemented so far are on each of my Mac OS X to Windows (all three versions) file sharing pages. They are the linking to of an Apple KBase article regarding creating aliases to Windows shares, including using your Keychain to save your Windows connection login information. Also added is a "Connect Using AppleScript" link (under the "Additional info." section on each page) that offers instructions on utilizing AppleScript rather than aliases and a keychain as a method to more conveniently connect to shared Windows volumes/folders.

I hope these extra bits of information prove useful. I'll try and get the remaining two updates in place in the near future.

January 30, 2005
Since I haven't posted any news in a while, I thought I'd go ahead and let it be known that there are a few updates to various pages that I will hopefully be able to make in the next week or two. While the changes will be minor, mostly consisting of additional content - in particular extra tips and information on my file sharing pages - they are definitely worth noting. I'll be sure and post another update pointing out the specific updates once they are in place.

In the meantime, if you have any suggestions and/or comments about any portion of my site, feel free to .

Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is
of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:
but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. - 1 John 2:15-17
December 25, 2004

Merry Christmas!
December 9, 2004
During the past week I made some changes to my domain that accidentally resulted in my being unable to receive email at my joel@joelshoemaker.com address. While I have now corrected that problem, I have not received any messages sent to me at that email address over the last 7-10.

That being the case, if you have attempted to email me since the first of December, please re-send your email and I will respond as quickly as possible. I apologize for anyone whose email I may have lost.

October 19, 2004
If you're reading this having visited my site in the past, I'm sure you cannot help but notice the aesthetic changes made to this and other pages on my web site (and I'm still contemplating further updates as well). I hope that the "refined" design is more pleasing to the eye (as well as, perhaps, easier on your eyes). New content may be following in the near future, too. Please keep dropping by and "enjoying the view!"

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
for I [am] God, and [there is] none else. - Isaiah 45:22
September 15, 2004
Though I'm still hosting my own web site (and my previous network is for the most part still intact), due to a change in living quarters I have had to setup an additional LAN: a wireless one!

That being the case, I thought I would put together a diagram of that new home network as well. You can access it here or via the "WiFiLAN" link accessible on the left-hand side of this page (as well as within the Quicklink menu). If you have any thoughts or questions regarding my wireless LAN, feel free to send an email my way.

July 20, 2004
Over the past few days I have updated the design of my forums to what I hope will be a better-looking layout, with perhaps slightly improved functionality as well. If you have just a couple minutes to spare, please drop by and check out the boards. Be sure to let your opinion be known while you're there.

Hopefully I'll still have time to make modifications to this and my other web pages as well. Come back again soon, keeping an eye out for what I plan on being somewhat consistent updates over the coming days and weeks.

Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking,
and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.
For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds.
And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. - Matthew 7:7-8
July 9, 2004
Even sooner than expected, I'm back to hosting my own web site again as of today. As mentioned a few days ago, that should mean better overall site response and availability, as well as getting my forum back online again. More frequent updates may occur as well, possibly including improvement (or at least modification of) of various web page design.

Thank you as always for visiting; feel free to continue doing so in the future!

July 4, 2004
Happy Independence Day!!!

Along with celebrating the birth of the USA, I am also enjoying the ability to share with you the good news that I will soon be hosting my own web site again! Within the next week to ten days I'm planning on having my server back online again, which will hopefully not only mean better site response and page loading times, but even more importantly the return of my forums! As soon as I have everything up-and-running again I'll post news here.

On a related note, I'd like to again thank forums member OakCliff for his offering to host my forums during this time when I've been unable to host it myself. Though I was never able to fully take him up on his offer, I sincerely appreciate his kindness and generosity.

I also must, of course, thank the Lord for stabilizing my financial situation enough so that I could even begin to look into serving my own web site again. His faithful and merciful blessings (monetarily and otherwise) are simply too numerous to count. Praise unto Him!

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. - Isaiah 53:6
June 14, 2004
Just a couple of quick notes: first, I've gone through and updated the "dead" links that were on my Panther and Windows file sharing page (Apple had changed the knowledge base article numbers). I added an extra link to a newer article there as well.

Second, getting my forums back online is still very much in the works. I'm definitely still planning on trying to get them back online at the previously mentioned new location, but I simply haven't had the time to do so yet. Hopefully over the next week or two that will change and I'll be able to make my forums available again.

Lastly, a general note about my email address: while I can always be reached at joel@joelshoemaker.com, for the time being the address that I will be writing back from will be my AOL address (PwrMacTNT; note that that also appears in my temporary web address). So, if you send an email my way, be sure not to filter out a reply coming back from PwrMacTNT@aol.com.

May 25, 2004
Not much has been going on with my site as of late, though that may soon be changing.

One minor update, along with the regular updating of my church's softball page, has been the shrinking in size of all the reference .PDF files available for download on each of my file sharing pages. On average, the file size has been taken down to less than 30% of what it had previously been. So, don't hesitate to get a more permanent copy of the instructions given on each of my file sharing pages (viewable with Mac OS X's Preview app or Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Another potential major happening may be the upcoming re-opening of my forums. Thanks to a very generous and kind offer by forums member OakCliff, I may soon have my forums available online again. I'm in the process of working out the quirks with the forums' new location, and as soon as I can (hopefully) get everything functional, I'll post news here.

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away,
so will be the coming of the Son of man. - Matthew 24:38-39
May 3, 2004
FYI: The web site "move" has been completed. To my knowledge, everything that was previously publicly available at joelshoemaker.com is still accessible at that address (only difference being that the files are actually hosted on AOL's servers rather than my own computer). If you happen across any dead links or missing pages/graphics, please let me know. Hopefully the site response time will be roughly the same, with the only noticeable difference being the AOL Hometown bar across the top of each page (sorry).

Thank you for sticking with me through this situation. Hopefully, eventually (perhaps by the end of Summer) I'll be able to revert things back to how they were, including getting my forums back online.

April 27, 2004
Due to various reasons, I'm having to relocate my web site to the following web address:
http://hometown.aol.com/pwrmactnt/joelshoemaker/
One unfortunate side effect of the move (which will be for the foreseeable future) is the temporary discontinuation of my forums. Also, until I have a chance to upload all files to the new online location, there may be pages and/or graphics/files missing for a few days. I'll be sure and post news back here once everything is back online (again, minus the forums) at the above new URL.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus. - 1 Timothy 2:5

March 17, 2004
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm making a couple updates to my web site today, most notably the addition of a web page covering the progress of one my church's Spring softball teams (the one I'm on, of course). A few minor changes have also been made to my resume page, as well as the "QuickLink" option on all pages where that is available.

On a computer-related note, I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to register and post a message to my forum. Thus far everything concerning the board has functioned well and I feel sure that over time the information shared there by myself - and more importantly others - will prove helpful for any and all who take the time to drop by and browse through the messages. Feel free to do so yourself!

March 1, 2004
A new month brings a "new" home page! I'm still in the process of both "tweaking" the updated design on this page, as well as adding the same sort of changes to other pages, too. For the most part, though, content will remain unchanged, but of course updated on a regular basis as usual. I hope the new appearance is a little more appealing to the eye, better organized, and functionally sound.

On a personal note, I would like to recommend to one and all that you do each of the following: watch "The Passion of the Christ" movie and read the book The Purpose Driven Life. Whether you are a Christian or not, if you open you heart and allow God to speak to you through them, both will be a blessing unto you, possibly even life-changing. I just finished the 40 days of "Purpose" reading last Friday, then saw "The Passion" movie the next day, and I cannot begin to describe to you the difference in my thinking, my attitude, and my life as a whole the two have made together. Please, take a moment to consider experiencing both.