Hello

Ok I know I haven't posted in a while but as I said before our computers are not cooperating. Well I guess the first topic should be VLB service last Wednesday. I was told it went well. I was really nervous at first but started feeling more comfortable after I got started. I spoke a little on Deliverance since that is the VLB theme this year. I took it from a little differant perspective. I focused on how to avoid coming under bondage in the first place. I used the "taking thoughts captive" concept from the Basic Seminar and the "mailbox" visual aid from the Children's Institute. I related all this to deliverance by showing that when we accept one of the lies (bad thoughts) of the enemy we are actually choosing to believe that lie. When we choose to believe the lie of the enemy we open ourselves up to more lies. The more lies we believe the greater the "stronghold" the enemy has in our life and the more we find ourselves bound. I tied Zach up with a rope to show how we are bound. We are saved so much trouble and heartache if we only choose to believe the Truth of God's Word in the first place. To avoid being bound we must fill our hearts and minds with God's Word. God's Word is also a big part of our deliverance. I ended the service with a challenge for our young people to memorize at least 2 scripture verses a week. If we fill our minds with good things we will automatically reject the bad. That is just a quick overview of my first VLB service. Friday night we squashed 7 people into little car and drove up to the Cooper's house for Lynchburg's fall festival. We had a lot of fun. Mom and Dad got home early Sunday morning. They couldn't stop talking about how much they enjoyed their trip. Most of what they talked about was the the fun they had with the Cox's. They said we would really have enjoyed it. We all wished we could go but that would defeat the purpose of their getting away from us kids wouldn't it? Maybe another time. We had a guest speaker at Farmville Sunday morning and evening. Brother Taylor came over and spoke. Sunday morning we just started our first song when a lady runs to the altar from the 2nd or 3rd pew from the back. She just wept and wept and when she got up she had been gloriously saved! Praise theLord! It was a a wonderful thing to see. Yesterday night Mama, Pappaw, and I drove up to Roanoke for their revival. It was worth the drive. Brother "Arkansas" Smith was the evangelist. There was a sweet spirit there. I really enjoyed it. Oh yes one more thing. I have a serious conundrum! Thanksgiving is on Fast Day! What do we do? I have a feeling we are just going to fast another day instead. We are supposed to be going to VA Beach to my Aunt Darlene's for Thanksgiving. They really wanted us to come up this year so that's what our plans are. Well I have got to go. I'll catch up with the rest of blogland later when I get a chance!

Details

Hey everybody! I was recently asked why my last post was only four sentances long. My reply was as follows, "Both of the computers are not working right." One of them will go on the internet but then turn off right in the middle of what you are attempting to do. GRRR Right now I am sitting at the library using one of the library computers. The library is a full block from my house. :-p I'm grateful that it's no farther. But anyway, about that retreat. Ladies Retreat was wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Dawn got to go. She really got her victory on Friday night I hadn't seen her face so radiant in a long time! I roomed with Chelsey and Katlin. We had a great time. Katlin didn't really know me that well before the retreat. Now she knows me all too well and thinks I'm crazy! I have news for her, I think the same thing about her! Well Saturday we had classes and TAP groups. That's Ladies Retreat lingo for Talk And Pray groups. I really enjoyed my hideaway time on Saturday afternoon. I went out in the middle of a bunch of trees and found my own little spot to sit and pray. Then it started to rain and I had to run for cover. That night we had a great move of the Spirit. I think all of us ladies had gotten prayed up so we were ready for God to move. There was a wonderful prescence of the lord there. You could feel it even before service started. I had been feeling burdened down over differant things that are happening in the Church and some family situations. Most of you know that besides my immediate family and my grandparents none of my family is in the Church. I've really been feeling a burden for them. Well Praise the Lord I got the Victory! God is gonna move in His Time and there is absolutely nothing that any man, woman, or child can do to stop Him! A lot of people got really good blessings on Saturday night. We were in service for over three hours! Isn't God good? Not only did we have a great time spiritually we also had a lot of fun. We had so much chocolate at retreat that Chelsey, who is a chocolate lover and has frequently told me that there is no such thing as too much chocolate, told Katlin and I that she'd had too much chocolate! I can't tell you all about a lot of the stuff that happened. Hey I have to protect the innocent! But I will say that Sister Bishop is a riot! She is very funny and also a lot of fun. But she can preach! Well I'm back home now and back at my school. Mom and Dad are in the Bahamas. They went on a cruise for dad's 50th. Aunt Debbie is staying with us youngins. We are having a good time. Pray for me on Wednesday. It's my first VLB service and I'm super nervous. I'm working on the service and I think I'm doing ok so far don't know quite how I'll do in front of an audience though. Lord Help Me!!!!!!!! I'll let ya'll know all about it after it's over an done with. Oh yeah I read what I had written the other day about being the new VLB leader and thought I had better make it more clear. Dawn and John did a wonderful job. The only reason they aren't doing it anymore is there work schedules are really hectic and thay can't get to Wednesday night service. Well that's about it except next Friday night is Lynchburg's fall festival and we get to go! Aunt Debbie is going to take us. Mom and Dad will be in Florida at the Cox's that night. They're not coming home till the next day or perhaps I should say really really late the next night maybe even so late as early Sunday morning. :-) Well I need to get out of here Beth is waiting for me.

I'm Back!!!!!

I don't have alot of time so I'm just letting everyone know I'm back. I'll let you know all about Ladies Retreat as soon as possible. Sorry this is short but I'm tired. And with good reason too!

Picking up from where I left off...

Last Wednesday night we were supposed to have VLB service but our VLB leaders weren't able to be there. They haven't been able to be there that often on Wednesdays since they moved. So our pastor just spoke for a while. He's good at coming up with a message on short notice. Or maybe I should say God's good at giving him a message on short notice. :-) Well anyway Pappaw said he's going to appoint new VLB leaders. He wants Zach and I to take over. I hate speaking in front of people. I would rather just write everything down on paper. It's so much easier. But unfortunately I have a pastor who has a firm belief that I can handle any responsibility he wants to give me. I guess "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I've been praying about it and I've got an idea for next Wednesday. This Wednesday is WMB service. Mom wants me to come up with a skit for her service. I've been kinda thinking of several differant ideas I'm not sure how it's going to end up. You know how I thought I was going to have this weekend free? Well I was wrong. I had to work Saturday. Then this coming weekend is Ladies Retreat. So I still haven't had a free weekend since September. Oh well. :-) It's not to terribly bad. I don't mind being busy. It's part of growing up. I do mind growing up. :-( I wanted to a stay a kid forever. The scary thing is that I'll be an adult next year. I know growing up is one of the 10 unchangeable things that God designed but I can't believe that I'm already 17. Well today is Monday. I had school and piano and chores to do. As you can tell I'm done. When I finish this I'm going to go clean up the supper dishes and work on that skit. :-) Maybe I'll have some hot tea while I work on the skit. That sounds good. Sorry for rambling so much but I haven't had alot to write about. Besides I'm not in joking mood tonight. And it is my blog isn't it? Shouldn't I be allowed to ramble on my blog?

Conquerors of Countries, Damsels in Distress, and Goober Peas.

As you guys can see I have three topics today. I can have some fun with this! Conquerors of Countries? "What's that about?" you ask. Simply this Dad and the boys pulled out our Risk game. Risk is actually pretty interesting. My brothers, and perhaps I should say, the majority of guys I know have minds that delight in Strategy. Don't ask me why. (I don't really know.) Perhaps it dates back to the times when they had to fight for their countries as knights and crusaders and generals. Who knows. All I know is that alot of guys like strategy. Although I have to admit that some prefer using brute force. Well anyway I don't like strategy I'm no good at it. Maybe that's why I always lose at Risk. Except once. One time I actually won and beat 3 guys to boot! That must have been a freak accident. You have all heard of Damsels in Distress and Knights in Shining Armor well Bethany has met her knight. She was in the kitchen getting some milk out for breakfst when the rest of us heard a loud, piercing, terrified, scream. Needless to say she was the damsel in distress. Enter, Knight. Micah bravely rushed to her rescue. When he got to the kitchen he saw a humongous spider heading directly towards Beth. He quickly grabbed a fly swatter, chased the spider down, and smacked it until it died. When the spider was dead they took a closer look at it. It was a poisonous Black Widow. We were all a little shook up. It's not fun to have a Black Widow in your house. Now for the goober peas. I trust all of you know what goober peas are. But just in case their are Yankee lurkers around I will explain. Goober peas are peanuts. Our neighbor brought us some fresh peanuts still in their shells. We enjoyed them immensely. :-) There's just something about Virginia goober peas that can't be beat. I have really been enjoying the beautiful fall weather. Fall is my favorite time of year. There are dozens of reasons why. My favorite is the colors and the nippy but not cold weather. More news later, when I have something interesting to say!