A CHRISTmas Prayer

I pray that I would seek after Christ as the wisemen sought after their long awaited for Messiah.I pray that as the shepherds felt the glory of God in the heavenly host all about them,I would feel Christ's real presence around me.And I pray that to me,Christ would become as precious as he was to Mary,a girl who was simply willing to present herself a living sacrafice to her God and Redeemer.

(By the way these pictures I took of our live nativity scene at church! Every year my church does this. We have a prerecorded tape (yes I said tape. thats how long my church as been doing it!), have 30 mins of the story of Jesus' birth, and music. I have been an angel for as long as I can remember (even a wiseman a time or too). Its a great way to share Jesus' birth to the community since we are on a main road!)

She's in Love

What a beautiful smile; A radiant girl

Fell in love first time I saw her; She stays on my mind

I'd give anything; To know everything about her

There's light in her eyes; And I know it's all for Him

She carries on and on; Like He was her best friend

She's in love; It's not hard to see

But I would like to believe it was with me

Someone got a hold of her heart

And He won't let go

And I know; She's in love

She looks to the sky; When she talks about Him.

She beileves He hung the moon; Said He had to go away

She waits for His return; Says He's coming for her soon

How can this be fair?

This guy can walk on water

Don't guess I've got a prayer

He's written love letters to reach her

She worships the ground He walks on

She just smiles when she says His name

It's a match made in Heaven

I can't compete with the Kings of Kings!

-Taken from Leslie Ludy's book Answering the Guy Questions

Revelation

I have been taking New Testament survey through Appalachian Bible College . It been challenging but kind of fun too (shhh don’t tell my mom). Anywho I had to write about Revelation and found the topic interesting.

Jesus Christ is the key person in the book of Revelation. Revelation depicts Jesus as the glorified Son of God (1:10), “the faithful witness, first born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (1:5), “the Alpha and the Omega” (1:8), the one “who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty (1:8), a son of man (1:13), the one who was dead but is alive forevermore (1:18), the Son of God (2:18), holy and true (3:7), “the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God” (3:14), the Lion of the tribe of Judea (5:5), the Messiah who will reign forever (11:15), the Word of God (19:13), the majestic King of kings and Lord of lords, returning in glorious splendor to conquer His foes (19:11), and “the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (22:16). “Revelation” refers to what was once hidden becoming visible.

There are so many Judgments happening in the book that its hard to understand them all and what is going to happen. Here is a chronological map of the judgments in the book of Revelation.

Seals Judgment: (6:1- 7:17)
1) White Horse –world peace (6:2)
2) Red Horse –world-wide war (6:4)
3) Black Horse- world-wide famine (6:5)
4) Pale Horse- Death to 25% of population (6:8)
5) Saints prayers and martyrs (end of the first 3 ½ years) (6:9)
6) Overpowering fear (start of the day of the Lord) (6:12)
7) Begins the Trumpet Judgments (8:1-6)
~
Trumpet Judgments (8:1- 9:21)
1) Hail and fire mixed with blood (3rd of the earth is burned) (8:7)
2) 3rd of the Sea becomes blood (8:8)
3) A great star fell and will destroy a 3rd of the waters (8:10)
4) A 3rd of the sun, moon, and stars were darkened (8:12)
5) Angelic being opens bottomless pit and the locust will torment (9:1 -12)
6) Four angels will be released and kill a 3rd of mankind (9:13-21)
7) Begins the Seven Bowls (11:15)

~

Bowls of Judgment (against unbelievers) (15:1-16:21)
1) Sores (16:21)
2) Sea becomes blood & everything in it dies (16:3)
3) River and springs of water turns to blood (16:4)
4) Fierce heat (16:8)
5) Darkness begins (16:10)
6) Euphrates River dries up (16:12)
7) Completes God’s wrath (devastating earthquake) (16:17)

~ Heal the Wound ~

My prayer lately..

"Because I Love Her"

"I made her. She is different. She is unique. With love I formed her in her mother's womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember with pleasure the days I created her. To me she is beautiful. I love her. I love her smile. I love her ways. I love to hear her laugh and see the silly things she does. She is herself and no one else. This is how I made her.

I made her pretty, but not beautiful, because I know her heart, and I know that she would be vain. I wanted her to search her heart, and learn that in me she would be beautiful. It would be my spirit that would draw people to her.

I made her in such a way that she would need me. I made her a little more lonesome than she would like to be, because I want her to turn to me in her loneliness. I want her to depend on me.

I know her heart. I know that if I had not made her like this she would go her own chosen way, and forget me, her creator. I have given her many good and happy things, because I love her. I have seen her broken heart, and the tears that she has cried alone. I have been with her and had a broken heart too.

Many times she has stumbled and fallen, because she would not take my hand. She has learned from hard lessons, because she would not listen to my voice. So many times, I have sadly watched her go her own way, alone.

And now she is mine again. I made her and then bought her. I paid a high price for her, because I love her. I have had to reshape and remold her, renewing her for my plan. It has not been easy for her or for me. I want her to be conformed to my image. This goal I have for set for her...

Because I love her!!!"

Credit:Krissy Flora's sister got it from a camp that she went to a couple years ago.
.

Just because they are the cutest thing EVER!!

"So Why Don't We Just Dance?"

Mike Rowe: America Must Return to Dirty Jobs to Solve Unemployment - US News and World Report

This is a MUST read article. Most people these days want a clean-sit-behind-a-desk job. Mike Rowe has a show called "Dirty Jobs". In it he goes to different places, meeting people who have well dirty jobs. Rowe doesnt just interview them and call it a day, he gets in there and does the job too. Like a intern. Read the article....

Mike Rowe: America Must Return to Dirty Jobs to Solve Unemployment - US News and World Report

P.S. My brother is actually writing a speech about this very topic at Maranatha Baptist Bible College

The One Who Makes The Moon Reflect the Sun.

The moon has no light except what is reflected off the sun.

We have no light except what is reflected of f the Son!

This song says it so perfectly I had to add it.

Starry Night by Chris August

From the birds that sing
In the tallest trees
To the human life
Of you and me.
From the desert sands
To the place we stand.
He is God of all
He is everything.

(Chorus)
I'm giving my life to the only one
Who makes the moon reflect the sun.
Every Starry Night,
That was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only son,
Who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, 'cause he is everything
'Cause he is everything

From the autumn leaves,
That will ride the breeze
To the Faith it takes,
To pray and sing
From the Painted sky,
To my plank filled eye
He is God of all, He is everything

I'm giving my life to the only one
Who makes the moon reflect the sun.
Every Starry Night,
That was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only son,
Who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, 'cause he is everything
'Cause he is everything

Ohhhhhhh (everything)

Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah
I believe
Ohhh
Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah
I believe

I'm giving my life to the only one
Who makes the Moon reflect the sun
On that Starry Night,
He changed my life.
I'm giving it all to the only son
Who gave me hope when I had none.
So let the praises ring,
Ohhhh Let the Praises Ring

I'm giving my life to the only one
Who makes the Moon reflect the sun.
Every Starry Night,
That was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only son,
Who was and is and yet to come
Let the Angels sing,
That He is Heavenly

So let the Praises ring
'Cause he everything

That right there just says it more perfectly then I ever could.

Love Never Fails

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Today I was reading someone's facebook page. They had this verse as there status and it was what I needed to hear tonight. Today, I went through some emotional stuff and it reminded me to be patient and wait for His timing.
Just a little post about what God taught me today!

A Room Without Books Is Like a Body Without a Soul.

So books are one of my favorite things. Unfortunately, lately I have not had the time to get lost in a good book. But I have made a list of all the ones I have read (and read and read.. because they are just that good). I personally am always looking for a new book to fall in love with. I hope you find one in my list that intrigues you enough to go to your library or bookstore and get it. These ones are worth it (or I wouldnt have read them so many times.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fountain Creek Chronicles

by Tamara Alexander

Rekindled, Revealved, and Remembered

~~~~~~~~~

Timber Ridge Reflections

by Tamara Alexander

From a Distance, Beyond this Moment, (and third one is coming out soon!)

~~~~~~~~~

The Inheritance

by Tamara Alexander

~~~~~~~~~
Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

(this would not be a book list with out this one)

~~~~~~~~~

Horse Dreams Series

by Stephen Bly

Memories of a Dirt Road Town, The Mustang Breaker, Wish I'd Known You Tears Ago

~~~~~~~~~

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

~~~~~~~~~

Wyoming

by Collen Coble

(this is one of those four in one books)

~~~~~~~~~

Lonestar Series

by Collen Coble

Lonestar Sanctuary, Lonestar Secrets, and Lonestar Homecoming

~~~~~~~~~~

Men of the Saddle Series

by Lori Copeland

The Peacemaker, The Drifter, The Marvick, and The Plainsmen

~~~~~~~~~

Brides of the West

by Lori Copeland

Faith, Hope, Patience, Ruth, June, Glory

~~~~~~~~~~

Stranded in Paradise

by Lori Copeland

~~~~~~~~~~

Letter Perfect, Whirlwind, Fancy Pants, That Certain Spark

by Cathy Marie Hake

~~~~~~~~~

Do Hard Things

by Alex and Brett Harris

~~~~~~~~~

Before I Wake

by Dee Henderson

~~~~~~~~~

The O'Malley Series

by Dee Henderson

Danger in the Shadows (Prequel), The Negotiator, The Guardian, The Truth Seeker, The Protector, The Healer, The Rescuer

~~~~~~~~~

Along Came a Cowboy

by Christine Lynxwiler

~~~~~~~~~

NCIS Series

(not to get mixed up with the show, different people. still amazing series)

by Mel Odom

Paid in Blood, Blood Evidence, and Blood Lines

~~~~~~~~~

The Guy I'm Not Dating

by Trish Perry

~~~~~~~~~

First Impressions

by Debra White Smith

(she does a modern twist to the classic Pride and Prejudice)

~~~~~~~~~

Lord of the Rings Series

by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King

~~~~~~~~~

Happily Ever After, Tying the Knot, The Perfect Match

by Susan May Warren

~~~~~~~~~

Noble Legacy

by Susan May Warren

Reclaiming Nick, Taming Rafe, Finding Stefanie

~~~~~~~~~

Tailor-made Bride

by Karen Whitemeyer

~~~~~~~~~

Bamboo and Lace

by Lori Wick

~~~~~~~~~

Yellow Rose Series

by Lori Wick

Every Little Thing About You, A Texas Sky, City Girl

~~~~~~~~~

Big Sky Dreams Series

by Lori Wick

Cassidy, Sabrina, Jessie

~~~~~~~~~

Sophie's Heart

by Lori Wick

~~~~~~~~~

Every Storm

by Lori Wick

~~~~~~~~~

Along Came Jones

by Linda Windsor

~~~~~~~~~

Talk of the Town

by Lisa Wingate

(There are two other books in the series but I have yet to read them. Word Gets Around and Never Say Never.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Louie Giglio - Laminin

We watched this at STEP. It is truly an amazing message!

God even shows us His love by how He made us!

El Elyon

Today I read about El Elyon, God most High. One thing that stuck out to me was when the Author, Ken Hemphill said "If God can make heavens and the earth, he can provide the necessities of life." A simple truth that I for one seem to forget all the time. I know I should trust Him with my major for college ( no matter how much I may like another one and think its perfect for me, hehe). Why do we struggle with trusting him with our finances? I for one do not have a steady paying job. I babysitt for families ( I did one last night for a family with three kids, we played hide and go seek. We had soooooo much fun!) in my church and dogsitt too. That all depends it could be really good like this month or it could be really bad like the last couple of months. God our creator who breathed into us life will provide and able us to live victoriously for Him. The Psalmist assures us readers that God can meet our every need. Solely on the fact that He is El Elyon.

Psalm 115:15 "May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth."

Psalm 121:2 (my personal favorite of these!)

My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth."

Psalm 124:8 "Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

Psalm 134:3 "May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth."

The power of our Creator is the main focus on each of these references. Your needs will never be met by the world, only by the most High, El Elyon!

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM A JIGSAW PUZZLE

Don't force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will
come together naturally.

...When things aren't going so well, take a break. Everything
will look different when you return.

Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the
little pieces only leads to frustration.

Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went
together bit by bit, piece by piece.

I Love You in 100 Languages

English - I love you
Afrikaans - Ek het jou lief
Albanian - Te dua
Arabic - Ana behibak (to male)
Arabic - Ana behibek (to female)
Armenian - Yes kez sirumem
Bambara - M'bi fe
Bengali - Ami tomake bhalobashi (pronounced: Amee toe-ma-kee bhalo-bashee)
Belarusian - Ya tabe kahayu
Bisaya - Nahigugma ako kanimo
Bulgarian - Obicham te
Cambodian - Soro lahn nhee ah
Catalan - T'estimo
Cherokee - Tsi ge yu i
Cheyenne - Ne mohotatse
Chichewa - Ndimakukonda
Chinese
Cantonese - Ngo oiy ney a
Mandarin - Wo ai ni
Comanche - U kamakutu nu
(pronounced oo----ka-ma-koo-too-----nu) -- Thx Tony
Corsican - Ti tengu caru (to male)
Cree - Kisakihitin
Creol - Mi aime jou
Croatian - Volim te
Czech - Miluji te
Danish - Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch - Ik hou van jou
Elvish - Amin mela lle (from The Lord of The Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Esperanto - Mi amas vin
Estonian - Ma armastan sind
Ethiopian - Afgreki'
Faroese - Eg elski teg
Farsi - Doset daram
Filipino - Mahal kita
Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua
French - Je t'aime, Je t'adore
Frisian - Ik hald fan dy
Gaelic - Ta gra agam ort
Georgian - Mikvarhar
German - Ich liebe dich
Greek - S'agapo
Gujarati - Hoo thunay prem karoo choo
Hiligaynon - Palangga ko ikaw
Hawaiian - Aloha Au Ia`oe
Hebrew
To female - "ani ohev otach" (said by male) "ohevet Otach" (said by female)
To male - "ani ohev otcha" (said by male) "Ohevet ot'cha" (said by female)
Hiligaynon - Guina higugma ko ikaw
Hindi - Hum Tumhe Pyar Karte hae
Hmong - Kuv hlub koj
Hopi - Nu' umi unangwa'ta
Hungarian - Szeretlek
Icelandic - Eg elska tig
Ilonggo - Palangga ko ikaw
Indonesian - Saya cinta padamu
Inuit - Negligevapse
Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
Italian - Ti amo
Japanese - Aishiteru or Anata ga daisuki desu
Kannada - Naanu ninna preetisuttene
Kapampangan - Kaluguran daka
Kiswahili - Nakupenda
Konkani - Tu magel moga cho
Korean - Sarang Heyo or Nanun tangshinul sarang hamnida
Latin - Te amo
Latvian - Es tevi miilu
Lebanese - Bahibak
Lithuanian - Tave myliu
Luxembourgeois - Ech hun dech gaer
Macedonian - Te Sakam
Malay - Saya cintakan mu / Aku cinta padamu
Malayalam - Njan Ninne Premikunnu
Maltese - Inhobbok
Marathi - Me tula prem karto
Mohawk - Kanbhik
Moroccan - Ana moajaba bik
Nahuatl - Ni mits neki
Navaho - Ayor anosh'ni
Ndebele - Niyakutanda
Norwegian
Bokmaal - Jeg elsker deg
Nyonrsk - Eg elskar deg
Pandacan - Syota na kita!!
Pangasinan - Inaru Taka
Papiamento - Mi ta stimabo
Persian - Doo-set daaram
Pig Latin - Iay ovlay ouyay
Polish - Kocham Ciebie
Portuguese - Eu te amo
Romanian - Te iubesc
Russian - Ya tebya liubliu
Scot Gaelic - Tha gra\dh agam ort
Serbian - Volim te
Setswana - Ke a go rata
Sign Language - ,\,,/ (represents position of fingers when signing 'I Love You')
Sindhi - Maa tokhe pyar kendo ahyan
Sioux - Techihhila
Slovak - Lu`bim ta
Slovenian - Ljubim te
Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo
Swahili - Ninapenda wewe
Swedish - Jag alskar dig
Swiss-German - Ich lieb Di
Surinam - Mi lobi joe
Tagalog - Mahal kita
Taiwanese - Wa ga ei li
Tahitian - Ua Here Vau Ia Oe
Tamil - Nan unnai kathalikaraen
Telugu - Nenu ninnu premistunnanu
Thai
To female - Phom rak khun
To male - Chan rak khun
Informal - Rak te
Tunisian - Ha eh bak
Turkish - Seni Seviyorum
Ukrainian - Ya tebe kahayu
Urdu - mai aap say pyaar karta hoo
Vietnamese
To female - Anh ye^u em
To male - Em ye^u anh
Welsh - 'Rwy'n dy garu di
Yiddish - Ikh hob dikh
Yoruba - Mo ni fe
Zazi - Ezhele hezdege
Zuni - Tom ho' ichema

Fun quiz

Pretty fun they didnt have some suggestions that I wish they did.. no cowboy boots or baasketball shorts :( lol

Rebecca's Result: Your Style is Sporty! on quiz: What's Your Clothing Personality? Click here to find out how to define and improve your sporty fashion style. Quiz School Take this quiz & get your result

What s Your Clothing Personality? » make online tests

Kenny Chesney - The Boys of Fall

This song is like AMAZING!!! I love the talk the coach gives to his players b4 the game it totally made me cry esp when he talked to the Seniors :'(

Necklace Holder

I made this necklace holder one day, because I had all these pretty necklaces that you couldnt see in a box! All you need is a nails, hammar and a shelf! You can also use a piece of wood and just paint it, I have seen some people use a frame and take out the glass! Be creative!

"A man without a horse is like a man without legs" -Man from Snowy River

The lady I use to take English riding lessons from as some beautiful horses

This is lightfoot aka baby.. Arabian=gorgeous!!

Baby again, the one on the right w/ just his head in the shot is Cassy the one I rode sweetheart but very touchy on the bit
The black I cant remember his name is a mustang she rescued

Foggy morning

Jr/Sr

In case you didnt know it, thats me.. yeah im wearing a fancy dress, yes thats a first lol

Probally my favorite picture from the entire night Jr's (NOW SENIORS!!!!!) we are a very interesting class never a dull moment haha

Ross and me went together.. we have known each other since nursery lol (yes he got me a corsage and I got him boutonnieres, both of our mothers orders haha)

Sheri and me

Told you they are interesting :D
haha this is a tradition with us lol (yes and i did change into a under armor shirt and khaki pants the minute i could haha)
The Juniors had to decorate the bus. I think we did a awesome job!
Even a red carpet

Maybe Beccause I Just Have this Undying Love for Sports

You run like a girl. You jump like a girl. You serve 165 km/h in their faces. Like a girl."
-Australian Female Volleyball

Volleyball is the sport through which I am able to express my God-given talents of being an athlete. It is a sport which involves relating, pushing, and encouraging your teammates. It has helped evolve me into the person I am today.
-David Beard

The setter, a hard working TALENTED volleyball player who receives NO GLORY!
-Author Unknown

Somewhere behind the athlete you've become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back.. play for her! -Mia Hamm

"When you talk about an injury and the kind of depression you go through, it's not just because you're out of shape and you can't go out and play. You're missing a part of you. That's what's painful. That's what hurts." -Jamila Wideman

"Wear your battle scars as medals of honor."
-Unknown

"Playing your favorite sport is like being able to get candy when you're at the store with your mom. Being on the field and having all your problems drift away for the two hours you play is like the most relaxing thing I can think of."
-Danielle Ballentine

"A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood."
-George Patton

"The glory of sport is born at the moment when the game and the person become one, when all the complexity of one's life finds a moment to emerge in the game." -Timothy Shriver, Ph.D.

"A race is not well-run unless you've crossed the finish line knowing that you couldn't have kept going for one more step. If you could have, then you didn't give it everything you had."
-Jackie Dugall

"When you are out there on the soccer field playing, nothing else matters at the time. It's like the whole world has disappeared, and you and your teammates are all that matters."
-Amber Massey

“My potential is great - I compete with the confidence of the champion… point after point…. game after game." - Unknown

"To achieve in sports you first have to have a dream, and then you must act on that dream. The best athletes are those who truly enjoy what they are doing and display a tremendous amount of work ethic. They continue to persevere in spite of setbacks and never lose sight of their ultimate goal."
-Dianne Holum

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.
-Lance Armstrong

The best feeling in the world
is walking into an athletic atmosphere and knowing
the other athletes are scared to death to compete against you.
-Matt Hurst

The vision of a champion is someone
who is bent over, drenched in sweat,
at the point of exhaustion when no one else is watching.
-Anson Dorrance

I remember the last season I played. I went home after a ballgame one day,
lay down on my bed, and tears came to my eyes. How can you explain that?
It's like crying for your mother after she's gone. You cry because you love her.
I cried, I guess, because I loved baseball, and I knew I had to leave it.
-Willie Mays

Do you know what my favorite part of the game is?
The opportunity to play.
-Mike Singletary

The medals don't mean anything and the glory doesn't last.
It's all about your happiness. The rewards are going to come,
but my happiness is just loving the sport and having fun performing.
-Jackie Joyner Kersee

I was a tomboy who liked to play rough just like my two older brothers. That's probably why I liked the athletic part of skating - especially the jumping!
-Nancy Kerrigan

I hated every minute of training, but I said, "Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."
Muhammad Ali

Seek My Face - Richard Owen Roberts

Journal Entry

June 1st

Its 5:09! Who in the world gets up at 5:09? Oh wait I am for the next month...

Anyways strength what does that mean? Well alot of people think of strength they think of Mr High and mighty, the tough guy, the one with muscles on every square inch of there body. Thats all great and wonderful their in shape (I love working out). Mark Lowry (He is hilarious, look him up on You Tube) said "yall jocks that got muscles in your earlobes this too shall pass." Anyways the strength I'm talking about is in the Lord. I dont know about you but I get really sick on a plane, headaches, nausea, that sorta thing. So flying from little ol Hampton, Va to "Everything is bigger in Texas" (especially the heat) was really not my favorite thing. But with the Lord's strength I made it! Exodus 15:2 says "The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God; and I will prepare him a habitation, my father's God, and I will exalt him." They fitted alot into this verse, but I love the first part "The Lord is my strength and song." Such a manly yet soft thing to have right next to each other. It just shows how great a God we serve. In Ephesians 6:10 it says "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." There is the power of the Lord again . My favorite one is Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." Well if that didnt hit the bull's eye I don't know what will. My ankle was hurting pretty badly yesterday afternoon, but with the Lord's strength I got through the day.

God Bless the USA

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I'd worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I'd thank my God above
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can't take that away.

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I'm proud to be and American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

Harper's Ferry

Many people don't know about Harper's Ferry located in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. My family and I went a couple weeks ago, and my relatives from New York came down. We had a fun weekend catching up and seeing the beautiful old town. (I Found some history about the quaint little town and posted it in with the pictures.)

THE HISTORY OF HARPERS FERRY HAS FEW PARALLELS IN THE AMERICAN DRAMA. It is more than one event, one date, or one individual. It is multi-layered – involving a diverse number of people and events that influenced the course of our nation's history. Harpers Ferry witnessed the first successful application of interchangeable manufacture, the arrival of the first successful American railroad, John Brown's attack on slavery, the largest surrender of Federal troops during the Civil War, and the education of former slaves in one of the earliest integrated schools in the United States.

John Brown's Raid
John Brown believed he could free the slaves, and he selected Harpers Ferry as his starting point. Determined to seize the 100,000 weapons at the Arsenal and to use the Blue Ridge Mountains for guerrilla warfare, abolitionist Brown launched his raid on Sunday evening, October 16, 1859. His 21-man "army of liberation" seized the Armory and several other strategic points. Thirty-six hours after the raid begun, with most of his men killed or wounded, Brown was captured in the Armory fire enginehouse (now known as "John Brown's Fort") when U.S. Marines stormed the building.

Brought to trial at nearby Charles Town, Brown was found guilty of treason, of conspiring with slaves to rebel, and murder. He was hanged on December 2, 1859. John Brown's short-lived raid failed, but his trial and execution focused the nation's attention on the moral issue of slavery and headed the country toward civil war.

Today John Brown's Fort and the Arsenal ruins are part of the legacy of our nation's struggle with slavery.

The Civil War
The Civil War had a profound and disastrous effect on Harpers Ferry, leaving a path of destruction that wrecked the town's economy and forced many residents to depart forever. Because of the town's strategic location on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley, Union and Confederate troops moved through Harpers Ferry frequently. The town changed hands eight times between 1861 and 1865.

On April 18, 1861, less than 24 hours after Virginia seceded from the Union, Federal soldiers set fire to the Armory and Arsenal to keep them out of Confederate hands. The Arsenal and 15,000 weapons were destroyed, but the Armory flames were extinguished and the weapons-making equipment was shipped south. When the Confederates abandoned the town two months later, they burned most of the factory buildings and blew up the railroad bridge.

Federal forces re-occupied Harpers Ferry in 1862. During the Confederacy's first invasion of the North, on September 15, 1862, Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson surrounded and captured the 12,500-man Union garrison stationed here. When the Federals returned to Harpers Ferry after the Battle of Antietam, they began transforming the surrounding heights into fortified encampments to protect both the town and the railroad. In 1864, Union Gen. Philip H. Sheridan used Harpers Ferry as his base of operations against Confederate troops in the Shenandoah Valley.

African-American History
African-Americans have been a part of the Harpers Ferry story since before the American Revolution. The first black arrived here in the mid-1700s as a slave to Robert Harper. By the time of John Brown's Raid in 1859, about ten percent of the town's residents were black. The town's 150 slaves, considered property, could be rented out, sold, used as collateral for business transactions, or given away. Another 150 "free" blacks often worked as laborers or teamsters, but some prospered as skilled masons, plasterers, butchers, and blacksmiths.
During the Civil War, Harpers Ferry became one of many Union garrison towns where runaway slaves, or "contraband," sought refuge. Following the Civil War, New England Freewill Baptist missionaries acquired several vacant Armory buildings on Camp Hill and, in 1867, started Storer College, an integrated school designed primarily to educate former slaves but open to students of all races and both genders. Frederick Douglass served as a trustee of the college, and delivered a memorable oration on the subject of John Brown here in 1881.

By the end of the 19th century, the promise of freedom and equality for blacks had been buried by Jim Crow laws and legal segregation. To combat these injustices, Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois and other leading African-Americans created the Niagara Movement, which held its second conference on the campus of Storer College in 1906. The Niagara Movement was a forerunner to the NAACP.

In 1954, legal segregation was finally ended by the landmark school desegregation decision handed down by the Supreme Court in Brown v. The Board of Education. A year later Storer College closed its doors. Today the National Park Service continues the college's educational mission by using part of the old campus as a training facility.

Industry
The United States Armory and Arsenal, established here in 1799, transformed Harpers Ferry from a remote village into an industrial center. Between 1801 and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the Armory produced more than 600,000 muskets, rifles, and pistols, and employed, at times, over 400 workers. Inventor John H. Hall pioneered interchangeable firearms manufacture at his Rifle Works between 1820-1840, and helped lead the change from craft-based production to manufacture by machine.

Before the Civil War, Virginius Island boasted a number of private industries, including a sawmill, flour mill, machine shop, two cotton mills, tannery, and iron foundry. Lewis Wernwag, a noted bridgebuilder from Philadelphia, was one of the island's first entrepreneurs. Following the war, two water-powered pulp mills were erected along the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. Today only ruins remain of Harpers Ferry's 19th-century industrial heyday.

Transportation
The convergence here of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the Winchester & Potomac Railroad, and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal in the mid-1830s inaugurated an era of economic and industrial growth that lasted until the Civil War. Trains and boats reduced travel time from days to hours and served as avenues for local commerce. German and Irish laborers who helped to build the railroad and canal later settled in the area and diversified the local culture. The ferry service operated by Robert Harper in the mid-1700s became obsolete as bridges spanned the rivers. Even George Washington promoted commerce in the region as first president of the Patowmack Company, which was formed in 1785 to permit boats of "shallow draft" to navigate the Potomac River. Today, only the railroad remains as an active reminder of the town's rich transportation heritage.

Natural Heritage
The Harpers Ferry water gap has attracted human attention for centuries. Native Americans, early settlers, railroad and canal used the gap in the Blue Ridge as an avenue of travel and transport. The rivers that carved the gap also produced power for the town's mills and factories. Hardwoods from the mountains provided charcoal for industry and fuel for stoves. Harpers shale afforded excellent building material. Although severe floods have sometimes ravaged what human hands have built, the land here has proven resilient.

Today, wetlands fill abandoned canals and plants and animals use old ruins as homes. Throughout years of human alteration and natural reclamation, the picturesque landscape has remained a constant – inspiring writers, artists, and millions of visitors. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, described the scene here as "worth a voyage across the Atlantic" in his Notes on the State of Virginia.

God's Love

Did you feel God's love right when the alarm went off this morning? Maybe? Be glad His love and truth don't rely on our feelings to be real!

Mirror by Barlowgirl

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Have I got it?
'Cause Mirror you've always told me who I am
I'm finding it's not easy to be perfect
So sorry you won't define me
Sorry you don't own me

Who are you to tell me
That I'm less than what I should be?
Who are you? Who are you?
I don't need to listen
To the list of things I should do
I won't try, I won't try

Mirror I am seeing a new reflection
I'm looking into the eyes
of He who made me
And to Him I have beauty beyond compare

I know He defines me

Who are you tell me
that I'm less than what I should be
Who are you?
Who are you? (Yeah)
I don't need to listen
To the list of things I should do
I won't try, no, I won't try

You don't define me (You don't define me)

Who are you to tell me
That I'm less than what I should be
Who are you?
Who are you?
Yeah!
I don't need to listen
To the list of things I should do
I won't try, no, I won't try
Yeah

Who are you to tell me
That I'm less than what I should be
Who are you?
Who are you?
Yeah
I don't need to listen
To the list of things I should do
I won't try, no, I won't try

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever"