CHILLIPEPPER 2010


CHILLIPEPPER: THE COOLEST WAY TO GET FIRED UP!

I'm back from Chillipepper 2010. It was an amazing time...everyone including myself enjoyed our time spent at Chillipepper so much! I couldn't possibly tell you everything about my going to, and chaperoning for EHBC while at Chillipepper. I will however lay out this past weekends happenings as best I can...without being too wordy and detailed. :)

{Friday:}
We left EHBC (Jared's church) Friday afternoon and made our way towards Tennessee. We arrived at the hotel, got our luggage out and up to our rooms in the hotel, settled in and spent time talking to (for me getting acquainted with them) our roomies. I roomed with Anna (EHBC's Youth Pastor's Wife), Kelsey and Yasmin (two lovely young girls from EHBC.)

Anna & Sarah
Friday night
was the kickoff for Chillipepper 2010. Bean & Bailey (a Christian Comedian Duo Act) started the evening off and boy were they FUNNY! The band 'Rush of Fools' lead us in worship that night playing some of their songs such as "Undo." Rush of Fools was a wonderful band! Derwin Gray was our speaker that night.

Bean & Bailey
{Saturday:}
We got up, ate breakfast all together at the hotel, and then we headed off to the Miracle Theater for our 2nd day of Chillipepper. That morning Bean & Bailey hit the stage again, as well as Derwin Gray...and then 'Stellar Kart' lead us in worship...they also did a really funny punk-rock-rendition of "I Can Show You The World" from Disney's ' movie 'Aladdin.'
Stellar Kart
Saturday afternoon
we all headed out to the outlet malls together as a group, although some of us split up and went to go to the go kart place instead of shopping. Some of us stuck together for a while, and then Jared (my boyfriend), Patrick (my dear 'twisted' friend) and I went window shopping.....and to play around and be goofy in all of the different stores. We went into the sunglasses store...trying on numerous pairs of sunglasses...Pat started dancing and beat-boxing...it was GREAT! Jared, Patrick and myself wanted some fudge...so...the crazy silly trio in need of something sweet headed towards the' Fudgery.' Pat and I started singing out loud "We want the fudge...gotta have that fudge" loud and proud for all to hear. THAT WAS SOME YUMMIFUL FUDGE...LEMME TELL YA!!! We also did the sideways crab walk...okay well, Jared and Pat did the sideways crab walk...through the store, and right outside of the Payless shoe store.

Jared, Patrick & Sarah
A.K.A. J-Rad, Saint-Pat & Sadie
Saturday evening...
Bean & Bailey...funny as usual. Jeffrey Dean was the speaker that night, and he was REALLY GREAT!!! He spoke on beauty, living our lives for God alone because we are not our own, and surrender. Then the worship/rock band FEE hit the stage to lead us into the presence of the Lord, and indeed they did! FEE WAS AMAZING!!! Pat, Jared, Me, Fabian and LaTravis all got our picture taken together with FEE!
Some of the EHBC members with Fee
{Sunday:}
Sunday...was our last day at Chillipepper. Bean & Bailey...a given at this point...and as entertaining as ever! :) Jeffrey Dean spoke again...wonderful message. Then Stellar Kart closed the show out in our 'wondyful concert series of Christian Bands!!!'
The ride back home was LONG...we got turned around and that cost us an hour...there were tornado warnings in the area that we were driving through...it was pouring monsoon like rain...and yet God blessed us with a wonderful weekend...all of us together glorifying HIM...and a safe return back home! GOD IS AMAZING! AMEN!!! AMEN!!!

-Daughter of the King

Walking With The Wildlife

Well, today was quite interesting. I went for a walk with my grandma this morning...and it only got better from there on out! As Grandma and I were walking and talking as we moved along, glancing all around and taking in the beauty of the blue mountains standing in the distance; we had two little puppies follow us and stake claim on grandma and I both as part of their walking posse. They were very sweet little puppies.

I almost tripped over the little black and white girl pup, as she decided to station herself to my right flank, moving over from my left side under my feet...and then I noticed that she had quite a few large burs stuck in her hair on her face, and behind her ears. (Of course I know if you talk to a dog that is following you, or show kindness with gestures or words the dog will usually follow you around "like a lost pup.") I could not leave that animal there, burs stuck all in her face and ears...just couldn't do it. So, I knelt down on the side of the road, next to the cow pasture, and began to pluck the spiky little brown spheres out of her fur. "Dixie" as I affectionately like to think of her being named...yes I know that you are NOT supposed to name critters, because then you become attached to them...well anyway, she thanked me after I had removed all of the burs from her head by kissing me on the palm.


Cow Pasture seen on our walk together..."Dixie," a border collie/mix, ran under the barbed wire fence to chase the cows around...and she succeeded in doing so, she had those poor cows running all over that field!


I think that this old house is so beautiful...I often wonder about the family that once inhabited the old broken down home...every time we pass this house it makes me want to think up a story...


Well, we just couldn't seem to get rid of "Dixie" and "Cody." I even went up to someone's house, who I assumed to be the owner of the puppies...well it wasn't...luckily the woman was very gracious with me for bothering her.


My feet started hurting right about the time we made it to our road...so yes I am wearing shorts in January, and yes, I also took my shoes off...looks like I need a pedicure! :P


"Cody" & "Dixie"

Chillipepper, and Random Rantings

More likely than not, I will not have much of a chance to post on my blog between now and next week sometime. I will be heading out to see my boyfriend, Jared, on Thursday afternoon (please pray for safe travels on the way there!) Friday-Sunday I will be going to 'Chillipepper,' which is an event held yearly for church groups. I will be in Tennessee, at the BIG EVENT chaperoning alongside Jared, for his church, Eastern Hills Baptist Church.

I am very excited to be going to Chillipepper; this will be my first year attending the *so I hear it is...well a very awesome time I am gonna have* event. If you are interested, in learning more about the event I will be attending this coming weekend (in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee,) please visit the following website: http://www.concoxions.com/Site/Chillipepper.html

Tomorrow is going to be great...I've made my mind up that it will be already! God has my day in His plans already, and that is good enough for me!

Tmrw goes like this...although God always does re-writes!!! :
  • Reading my Bible, meditating and praying.
  • Going for a long walk/hike with my Grandma! Perhaps I will remember to take my camera with me this time, so as to snap a few pics of our beautiful mountain scenery in the distance! Who knows I might even post a pic. diary of our walk on here on Wednesday...
  • MAYBE get around to doing some Yoga and Rhythym Boxing.
  • I am going to be babysitting for the Naskov Family, in the evening.
  • YEAH! More reading after I put the children to bed!!!
  • Then there is the driving foot towards Home...after work of course.
  • I had better get some sleep... so I will be prepared to run errands, and pack on Wednesday for my busy-hectic-long awaited weekend (which starts early, on Thursday!)


I know I have been rambling blog readers...sorry about that! I have nothing much more to say today, and so I will leave you all with this:
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

I hope you all have an abundantly blessed week!
-Daughter of the King

Still Still Still...


{In this picture: Lynette S.}
Sitting still has never been easy for me. I am not 100% sure.......but I could have ADD. 'I don't have AD- PURPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!' :) My attention span is short, unless however, I am learning about something of which I am heavily impassioned about, or curious about...then you have my full attention and might stand a chance at intriguing me. I am a wild tangent thinker....the proverbial rabbit hole/trail runner!

This morning I had to purpose myself to sit still, to pray, and to commune with my Heavenly Father in devotion. It was not easy for me to simply sit, letting all of my scattered thoughts, and my fears go...easing my mind so as to spend time with God alone, and not let anything of this world turn my thoughts and heart away from Him. Distractions always hit when you purpose yourself to sit still and just BE WITH GOD...voices, odd sounds, seeing my messy disorganized room which needs to be in order for me to think straight out of the corner of my wandering eye, thinking about what will happen next in my life (seen in cartoon/scenarios) within my cloudy headed mind.

The moment I decided to sit still and spend some quality devotion time with Him this morning, opening my devotional book, I was going to read January 11th...well I read the page and the 'power verse' for the day was: "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3.) Only after prayer, thinking on the verse(s) I had read I realized that I had read February 11th instead of January 11th's daily devotion! God had a plan...and He knew that I would be so scatter-brained like I typically am, so as to not pay attention enough to notice that I had read out of February instead of January....and within that devotion held the exact message I needed to hear, and hold close in my heart today.

God is mysterious, wonderful, unfathomable, timely, leading, moving.......on and on.....endlessly seeking after my heart daily! This daughter loves her King mightily and endlessly!!!

In the stillness...
-Daughter of the King

Northanger Abbey


I just recently watched 'Northanger Abbey.' I happened to receive the Masterpiece Theater version of the film (which was released in 2007) from Netflix. Netflix is so very wonderful for having all of these period piece dvd's! It was such a lovely sweet film. I suggest, if you haven't done so already...watching this movie. Other than a few immodest bodices it is very much so scatheless. Catherine Moreland, the story's heroine, and I have quite a lot in common. We are dreamers who love to read, spend time with our family...and going for long walks...especially when in the company of our dearly beloved. Henry...well he is just rather dashing isn't he? Please watch it...curl up with a knitting project in hand, a quilt to hand sew, a sister to laugh and cry with or even better yet watch with your momma and breathe it all in at once together basking in all the propriety, dresses, speech and dancing. I will warn you: prepare to be charmed entirely! Now I am off to watch a very similar movie...at least in it's literary styling and theme, 'North & South' which a friend of mine, Jennifer C., has so kindly lent me to borrow and watch...off I go to watch...good night my blog readers!

Until we meet again!
-Daughter of the King
P.S. - You young men should watch this movie too...with a girlfriend, sister or your mother...

The Wine Press (Revisited)

You've gently carried me and set me down, into the wine press. Now the wine can begin to flow.

I am still not through being pressed, but I no longer feel in duress when You push and press me harder.

You have a plan that is greater than I. The sword of one's self is called to be tempered in the fire. The tempering will come, though I will not be alone...always alongside me you will be. Oh Lord...the wine of life is You! Temper and press me on...harder and harder.

The wine grows darker, but then becomes somehow sweeter...it is You pouring through into the wine. Your sweet spirit and saving grace are bleeding through.

Open up Your floodgates and pour down Your wine upon me. Please prevent evil from attacking my vineyard and vine...be with me for all of time. Keep pressing down on me Lord.

Fill my cup and set my sword ablaze. Let the wine of life flow out from within me...and let the sword of myself sing in the sun eternally.

~Malachi 3:10-11~

Visiting With The Fisher Family In Asheville

I had so much fun this past week visiting with Jared's family in Asheville. Jared's family is really great! They made me feel so welcomed, at home and loved! Pastor Robin and Jared picked me up last Sunday afternoon and then we made our way to the Fisher Grandparents' house in Asheville. When I got there I was able to meet Jared's Pappaw, Mammaw, one of his aunts, Susan, two of his uncles, Keith and Tony, and some of his cousins, Lori, Eric, Kylie and Lacie.

Monday we all woke up and were greeted with a good old fashioned country mountain breakfast which Mammaw had prepared. Then Jared, Seth, his Grandmother and I headed out to the Grove Park Inn to see the National Gingerbread House Gallery. It was SO COLD when we arrived at the Grove Park Inn....a frigid 23 degrees with the wind blowing too...luckily I had a boyfriend to walk alongside me and to hold my hand while blocking the wind from me. Creativity at it's finest....fondant...shredded wheat cereal for a 'hay look' on top of the gingerbread house roofs...it was all so finely crafted...and looked well.....yummy! After we finished looking at the delectable gingerbread houses, and walking around the lovely GPI we headed out for lunch. After lunch at Wendy's, Seth, Jared and I were dropped off at the Asheville Mall for a few hours...were we proceeded to go to the Game Stop, Barnes & Noble, the F.Y.E. store where we goofed off for a really long time...and many various shoe stores. Seth has a thing for cute baby shoes...oh wait...did I say that on here? Sorry Seth...I love ya! haha Strangely enough this young lady, yes, me of course....bought NOTHING at the mall! Jared and Seth were the only ones who bought something. We got picked up from the Asheville Mall just in time for dinner...so we headed to Jared's Aunt (Rosalind/Rosalyn not sure which name it is exactly?) and Uncle Keith's house to have dinner with them...and of course Jared's cousins Kylie and Lacie too! During dinner Jared pretended to be asleep...head on the table...and I had to use 'crank keys' to try to wake him up...and then I resorted to putting ketchup and mustard on a fork and then I smeared it all over Jared's nose to wake him up...and then Kylie and Lacie said a kiss on his cheek was the only thing that would wake him up! Oh Jared... 'my sir sleeping handsome!' haha :) I got to see Jared's lil cousin's room...Lacie was more than happy to show me her pretty purple room. And Kylie had a really cute UNC blue colored room. Then Lacie and I went and played kitchen, and I read to her aloud upstairs while Jared and Seth played on the Wii. I believe I have a new little friend: Lacie!

Well the rest of the time was awesome...I had nothing to be nervous about...really! I also got to meet Jared's other set of grandparent's, the Bradley's...and miss Tricia's sister and her daughter Emily. I had such a wonderful time in Asheville with my boyfriend...honestly I cannot wait to go back!


L-R Seth, Jared, Lori & Sarah

Seth, Jared, Sarah, Lori & Lacie

Jared opening his gift from my momma, daddy and sister

Jared opening his gift from me: HIS QUILT!



I just finished opening my gifts from Jared, Pastor Robin, Miss Tricia and Seth

These are from my love...
It's a 'Jack Skellington' pillow and I got a Needtobreathe CD!!!

This is what I got from The Fisher Family: a willow tree figurine 'remember', some bath and body works stuff, and a beautiful pink scarf! All of the things I love...wow am I the luckiest girl alive EVER! I have Jared...and everything else I could ever want! :)

Here starts the Gingerbread houses at the Grove Park Inn...

Seth, Mammaw and Jared

Pretty Stained Glass Church

The Nutcracker Ballet

Seth n Jared again...

I love this one!

A bird cage...with birds inside



Jared's mosque! hehe

Old record player...

I was having Farmville withdrawals...so I had to get a pic of this one...haha!

Another version of the nutcracker

Cool Castle...with the beanstalk...



Picture Spot...'nough said

The coolest one ever: THE GRINCH



Sonic the Hedgehog? My dear you are in fact a dorkasaurus! (goofing in the Mall at F.Y.E.)

Seth in his Ballin' Elmo Hat!

Seth 'n' Sarah...ballin' gangsta's in da makin'!

Christmas 2009


My Cousin Kayla, and my 2nd Cousin Elizabeth "Buffy"

Mary

Momma

Kayla & Buffy

Kayla, Buffy, and my cousin in law Emily

Papaw & Mary

My cousins...Trey, Jackson & Buffy

2nd cousins...Buffy & Jackman

Kayla in her tweety bird pj's

Sarah (Me) & Trey

Playing with my lil cousins on the floor...



Uncle Steve & Kayla

The unwrapping gift chaos ensues!!! Pictured: Uncle Steve, Aunt B, Emily, Trey, Kayla & Jackson

My cousin Patrick, and his daughter, my 2nd cousin 'Buffy'

Momma finished the quilt that Grandma Gay had started, and gave it to Mamaw as a Christmas present

L-R: Alex (My cousin Nat's BF,) Buffy and Natalie
Okay so I like pretty ribbons...and I attached it to my hand...where it stayed for the rest of the day! I love ribbons....especially the sparkleh ones!!! :)