Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Hmmm...

Now is the time for all good people to talk about their trip...

My story starts much earlier, so I'm gonna do it out of order. It's better that way.

Smokies--gonna have to wait a bit more.

I'd just gotten in from camping the day before. Needless to say, I was a little slow-going, but managed to get off at off at 2:30.

About an hour into the trip--Sam called. And tells me Aly's flight's not coming in 'till 8 PM. Sooo....

I call my mom. (AKA Mama--) She informs me my brand, spankin'new laptop has just come in. I think about turning around. I don't, and continue the foray into Atlanta traffic.
(Which is notoriously awful, by the way...)

I meet up with Sam--and eventually Sharon and Renee. We go to the craziest Southern restaurant. Decorated none too tastefully with 50's memorobilia. The food was good, and s-l-o-w. Just like the stereotypical South--and not like Atlanta. Next time-- I think we'll try something else...ya think?

We go to meet Aly's (now) 10 PM flight, and stand in the HOT parking garage for an hour, talking. Sam and I are headed in the same direction, so we proceed along 75/85 for about 30 minutes--until we stop at the Ghetto gas station--where the girls are amazed that I remain (by all appearances) unafraid of the loud and obnoxious humanity that frequent the place. Aly gets her first taste of bad Southern culture--amd lives to (not) talk about it...

Aly goes off with Sam, leaving me to nearly fall asleep--and keep myself awake by listening to LOUD, sing-along-able Black gospel, while shaking myself every few minutes...lol...'till Sam's exit. It's now 2:30 AM. 12 hours after I'd left home.

Aly and I treck on to home away from home, and arrive at 7:30 AM. Just in time to meet an awesome girl named Rachel, and get ready for church!
So, to church we will go.

In all honesty, this is where most of the sillyness ends, and the awesomeness begins. It was so incredibly silly to drive all night to make it to Jeffersonville, but I really believe we were blessed for it. The service at the Tabernacle that Sunday morning was Wonderful--the Holy Spirit came down, and blessed us all. The evening service was wonderful too.
And for all y'all that walked along the bridge, and endured our many stops for photo op's--lol--God bless you for it!


I could remember that the statues at the end of the bridges were significant, but I didn't remember what about it was... It was good to remember.
--The ax is laid to the root of the tree.


Monday:

I'm overusing the word, but once again, we were blessed to be at VOG.
Then--the Ohioh River off Spring Street, and Shimph's
(which we almost missed, 'cause we were talkin' too much!)


We went in the Boy Scout store so I could stare at the Nalgenes--and the Carabiners--lol--and the star charts--and the Badges...

Then we went to visit Bro. Branham's grave.


After that, we walked around noticing all the believers around our prophet.
I especially love Sis. Bryant's grave:


and then went over to Becca's and watched the Princess Bride--
Aly'd never seen it before, so it was important!


Tuesday:
We started out by going to Tunnel Mill:


Where I fell on my rear in the mud. Really, it was funny! Shoulda known to bring my tevas...



Vacation is not complete without a foot picture...



After I got cleaned up, we went shopping.
Green was the color of the day for me--
3 green skirts, a green purse, a green tote bag, a green hair band, a green scarf....

too bad I'm not. kidding.


Finally, after MANY detours and wrong turns (lol, Rachel!) we made it over to Bro. Trevor's. I don't have any pic's, but a great time was had by all! Thanks for having us over, Bro!

My last evening. I wasn't ready to go. So, we stayed up 'till 4. Talking. Laughing.
Eating ice cream sundays, and drinking marvelous tea.
And watching a movie.

I got 3 hours of sleep.

But, you know. My God is so good. I hardly felt the hours going back. No mishaps (other than Asheville, Heather--lol--and that was my fault!)

Got in just in time for a wonderful service at my church-the start of the anual meetings.

My God is so good to me.

And His Bride is so kind.

God bless everyone in Jeff!

I think part of my heart's still there.

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Friday, June 23, 2006

My God is real...

And he knows what I need, each and every day, to be able to stand.

He knows the battles we must face to become his image.

He knows when to give the victory cry.

And through his tender care, I grow.

I slowly become what He wishes.

Through his word, I stand correction.

Through his power, I am lifted.

Through his mercy, I have the joy only He gives.



Services have been wonderful--we've been having our annual June meetings--but tonight, the Lord did something so special. The Holy Ghost came down--in both his Power, and his Presence--and filled the room, and we were blessed and strengthened. New christians recieved the Holy Ghost, and older ones got filled again. And His presence--oh, I feel I've kissed His feet.

It seems cheap to put it into finite words. Our God is a consuming fire--one that heals and delivers just as much as he burns sin out.

Praise His Name.

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Monday, June 19, 2006

Having an Awesome time in Jeff...

But my eyes are about to close... 'cause I'm tired.

I'm sounding rather Aussie-Southern at the moment.

So...

I bid you goodnight with the fond wish that you will--also-- have a great evening.

God Bless!

From Marie--and Rachel-- (and Aly)

Friday, June 16, 2006

When God looks through the precious blood of Jesus...

He sees me there; I feel unworthy... Had a great time in the Smokies--I'll post on that later.

**EDIT**
Sharon's already posted about the trip--go to her blog
to see what she had to say!

**end of edit**

But this is a thought that's been going through my brain lately--

As a teacher, my purpose is to stretch my students' minds in whatever direction I'm teaching--to teach them to think and work more intensely than they've been able to before. Not that I'm always able to accomplish my goal--but that's it.

I have plenty of students who have no desire to learn. Instead, their goal is to float through school, doing the least they can in order to pass my class. So, my job as a teacher is to make my activities towards learning interesting enough--to "stretch myself" in order to meet my students needs.

In this game of life, I was the bad student, and my Lord, the teacher. I was the one who didn't pay attention in class, trying to get by--until God snapped my attention towards him by his amazing grace. He stretched himself--for me.

GREATER.THAN.SOLOMON.title HOT.SPRINGS.AR V-20 N-11 63-0628E
197 078 God came to the earth in the form of Man, and--and--and unfolded Himself, stretched His tent, from being Jehovah God to become Man to stand the shame and curse. Little Jehovah God in a manger, under a pile of manure, down there crying in a manger; God, the Creator of heavens and earth, standing there in human flesh to take the death of--of your sins upon Himself, that He might free you to be a more of a Christian than what that deer was a mother. How can you reject such matchless love? Then, besides that, He wrote His Word. That's enough. You couldn't take my word, you have to... It'd be all right, but not Him. He ascended on High and give gifts back to men. He come back in the form of the Holy Spirit, same God to open your heart, by the atoning Blood.

GREATER.THAN.SOLOMON.title HOT.SPRINGS.AR V-20 N-11 63-0628E
198 079 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as Your Father in heaven is perfect. None of us can be that. I don't look at what I am. I--I'm not worthy. You're not worthy. Who is worthy? I don't look at what I am; I look to what He is. He's the One that was looked at. He is my Sacrifice. I'm not worthy to stand here as a minister. If I counted my worthiness, I'd--I'd be in hell; so would you. But we don't look to what we are.
You say, "I couldn't do that. I couldn't call. I couldn't touch--touch God's garment. I couldn't do this."
Oh, you can. Look what happened. He died in order that you could do it, that you could be saved. That's genuine. Would you like to be like that, and like to be remembered in prayer? Raise your hand, say, "I would, Brother Branham."

But He sees pure white, By His grace, I am-- I cannot claim my own worth.

Posted via web from marielenora's posterous

When God looks through the precious blood of Jesus...

He sees me there; I feel unworthy... Had a great time in the Smokies--I'll post on that later.

**EDIT**
Sharon's already posted about the trip--go to her blog
to see what she had to say!

**end of edit**

But this is a thought that's been going through my brain lately--

As a teacher, my purpose is to stretch my students' minds in whatever direction I'm teaching--to teach them to think and work more intensely than they've been able to before. Not that I'm always able to accomplish my goal--but that's it.

I have plenty of students who have no desire to learn. Instead, their goal is to float through school, doing the least they can in order to pass my class. So, my job as a teacher is to make my activities towards learning interesting enough--to "stretch myself" in order to meet my students needs.

In this game of life, I was the bad student, and my Lord, the teacher. I was the one who didn't pay attention in class, trying to get by--until God snapped my attention towards him by his amazing grace. He stretched himself--for me.

GREATER.THAN.SOLOMON.title HOT.SPRINGS.AR V-20 N-11 63-0628E
197 078 God came to the earth in the form of Man, and--and--and unfolded Himself, stretched His tent, from being Jehovah God to become Man to stand the shame and curse. Little Jehovah God in a manger, under a pile of manure, down there crying in a manger; God, the Creator of heavens and earth, standing there in human flesh to take the death of--of your sins upon Himself, that He might free you to be a more of a Christian than what that deer was a mother. How can you reject such matchless love? Then, besides that, He wrote His Word. That's enough. You couldn't take my word, you have to... It'd be all right, but not Him. He ascended on High and give gifts back to men. He come back in the form of the Holy Spirit, same God to open your heart, by the atoning Blood.

GREATER.THAN.SOLOMON.title HOT.SPRINGS.AR V-20 N-11 63-0628E
198 079 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as Your Father in heaven is perfect. None of us can be that. I don't look at what I am. I--I'm not worthy. You're not worthy. Who is worthy? I don't look at what I am; I look to what He is. He's the One that was looked at. He is my Sacrifice. I'm not worthy to stand here as a minister. If I counted my worthiness, I'd--I'd be in hell; so would you. But we don't look to what we are.
You say, "I couldn't do that. I couldn't call. I couldn't touch--touch God's garment. I couldn't do this."
Oh, you can. Look what happened. He died in order that you could do it, that you could be saved. That's genuine. Would you like to be like that, and like to be remembered in prayer? Raise your hand, say, "I would, Brother Branham."

But He sees pure white, By His grace, I am-- I cannot claim my own worth.

Posted via web from marielenora's posterous

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

As soon as I posted it...

...they changed it. Instead of a reviews section link at the top, we now have a photos link.

Interesting how that works, hmm?

All I've really got on there is a pic of my bike, some pic's of Cumberland Island, and also some from the Smokeys last year.
Oh, and some pics from the Grand Canyon when I was 18.

Speaking of the Smokies, my family's headed up there--once again--for (almost) a week. As much as my father dislikes camping, he's very obliging to the rest of us happy campers.

No screen houses this year. Heaven forbid.

lol!

(go check out the pic's to see what I'm talking about)

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