Days 4 & 5 of 150 among SSMTC Highlights

So here's the skinny (I've tried to do this before and it was tooooo long and didn't go well) of my trip.

Friday:

I went to the airport and Scott, my brother, helped me check in but the ticket wouldn't register so I got in line (he left). The airline clerk came over saw I was going to Houston by way of Memphis, TN then asked, “You want a direct flight?”


“Sure!”


“Do you have any luggage that needs to be checked in or do you just have the one carry on?” as he is switching my flight.


“Carry-on only.”


I walked up to the waiting area; then immediately they started boarding. It was like they were waiting just for me...


So on the plane I did my next Psalms.

on 1-22-10

Psalm 4

1Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
2O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah.
3But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself;
The LORD hears when I call to Him.
4Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the LORD.
6Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?"
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD!
7You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
8In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

V1 'relieved my distress' Thank You Lord for the direct flight


V2 Caution of corruption


V3 You have me Lord


V4 I will Meditate (Beth's challenge)


V5 my sacrifice: all I have

V6 Let me be Your light (at the very instant I read ' Lift up the light' the sun shown through the tiny window of the plane illuminating the Word in front of me)


V7 My heart over flows


V8 I am safe with You, Father


Then I stepped off the plane in Houston 5 hrs early. I frantically started texting everyone:

Kelli and Lori,

who I was suppose to meet at the airport, my family to let them know I was there and safe (this was my 2nd time ever to fly...the 1st I was 10 going to Disney World with my family...this time- solo), and Cindy, who was already in Houston. Kelli and Lori I felt gave me the ok to go ahead with out them. I prayed for them to find a Siesta to fill my spot on the shuttle. (Tell ya more about this later.)

So I go to the

luxurious OMNI

by way of SuperShuttle with a couple of other Siestas. Checked in then headed out to meet Cindy at the Galleria.


Boy was that an adventure! Entered through Tiffany's, grab some sushi and such from

Famous Wok,

then met with Cindy in front of the ice-rink, had the polish on my thumb only removed by a vendor, had another undo my do, swore I was going to stop stopping to talk to people though I was raised better, and bought some

.souvenirs
(this is all of them from the trip, mind you!)

But the best part...the absolute best part...was just walking the mall chatting with a fellow Lady of Christ and that fact that she was a fellow Mississippian well that was just icing. Then we headed back to the hotel. I excused myself while Cindy got settled in her room to go freshen up a bet before the conference.


(Barbara, Becky, Lu, and Cindy)

Met Cindy & Becky, who roomed together for the night, and Lu in the lobby while checking on Kelli and Lori, who thankfully didn't listen to me about coming to the hotel first. Lu drove Cindy, Becky, and I to the church. We were able to grab enough seats for us plus Kelli, Lori, Barbara (we switched places...I'll explain promise!), and another Siesta (sorry I don't remember your name) near the front.








I had a God filled, blessed


time worshiping God,

thanking and praising Him. I'm in tears now just thinking on how wonderful He is to the undeserving me. Then Beth spoke on Psalm 119.



Ps 119: longest Ps, 176 verses

89-104-appear to be after an exile


Most elaborate alpha acrostic-22 sections of 8


What's it about? Love of Revelation of God's will

He is so willing to reveal His will to us.
God goes out of His way for me...for me!


1-3 in 3rd person “they” 4-176 in 1st person- intimate


8 words for Revelation


Testimony 19x
Precepts 20x
Statues (didn't get it cause it's found in Duet 11:1 along with the next two, which is my 1st verse)
Commandments 22x
Judgments, Decisions (was anticipating the word 'charge')
Word 22x
Words, Promises, Sayings 20x
*Torah=Law 24x
teachings, instructions
One of these is found in 173 out of 176 verses.


I live to hear Him.
We are the people of God...because we can hear Him!


Praises, lamentations, rants, full on course of every emotion one will experience when with God, from A to Z.


1)I'm a resident alien...(17-24, 19)
a long time to not be @ home (1 Pet 2:11)
we're the strangers who are strange
(57) You are my portion=inheritance -talking like a Levite


2)...seeking direction, (105-112)
God will actually direct you!
Move with God
When it's time we will be able to see the next step!
The grace of God will sustain
If we knew {what the outcome was} we wouldn't {feel like we} need Him
(34, 73, 125, 144, 169) discernment
to understand (Luke 24:45)
(66) good taste in
trendy minus context equals FREAKY


3)...in deep want of wonder,
(18) nothing is too wonderful for my God!!!
Love delight, joy, wonder type of relationship


Then we had cake and coffee bar (which I plan on asking my church to start doing). Kelli, Barbara, and I went to dinner at

,

a Tex-Mex place Kelli's dad suggested. It was great! But here again the best part was the fellowshipping.


Ok here's the Paul Harvey, “Rest-of-the-story” about Barbara and I: Barbara's morning flight was canceled, so she got a later one. She was suppose to meet up with Lu, which is why Lu had room in her rent-a-car for me to ride to the church Friday night. Kelli had already paid for my spot on the shuttle (I was to reimburse her once we met.) So when my flight was early that made room for Barbara, who's flight came in when mine should have (so she reimbursed Kelli). God just had this all worked out and interwoven it's not even funny... it hilarious.


So that night in my wonderful more than I would have ever experienced with out Godly people doing Godly things

(I received a scholarship room and with my brother's frequent flyer miles from work was able to make it... here again Thank You God!)

God serenaded me and since I couldn't find a Christians station (not saying there ain't one...I just didn't come across one) He used secular songs. I love when God loves on me with music.


1.I need You by Leann Rimes -this is more how I feel toward Him so this was Him just reading my heart to me.


2.Vogue by Madonna -If God didn't love for me to dance He wouldn't have given me this much rhythm.


3.Go where ever You go by The Calling -ok so I didn't know the name of the band for this song until I tried to post the other day...WoW...ok God, thank You for Your awesomeness that You just pour-out for me all the time.


Then the next day I woke early to read my next Ps.

on 1-23-10

Ps 5

1Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my groaning.
2Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to You I pray.
3In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
5The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.
6You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
7But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,
At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.
8O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes;
Make Your way straight before me.
9There is nothing reliable in what they say;
Their inward part is destruction itself
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold them guilty, O God;
By their own devices let them fall!
In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out,
For they are rebellious against You.
11But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You.
12For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.

V1-2 Considering prayer-for it's to You I pray


V3 it is morning {or it was at the time}- I had my order in by 6am


V4-6 a warning-His observation


V7 At Your holy temple in Houston's First Baptist Church


V8 Lord, lead me-make Your way straight before me


V9-10 More warnings of ppeople who aren't with God


V11 Let me forever sing for joy in You


V12 When I saw 'shelter' in verse 11 I thought 'shield' then read it here awesome!!!


Father I will watch for You please be visible all day to each that truly want to be as You will Thank You for this blesses trip in Jesus name amen.


I met up with

the ladies

and we went back to the church for part two of Beth's teachings on Ps 119. We had breakfast at the church before the meeting...yay more bonding with Christ's Ladies!!!


ok so Did anyone else notice how the first meeting when the 5 min countdown started we didn't get past 3 before Beth was on the stage... as if we cheered her there and she was powerless to resist? But on Saturday morning we seem to savior ever possible second out of that countdown...like we took that as a final countdown to the time we had together (which I guess it kinda was)?



Raw before God! (Ps 78:13-17)


1.{When others confide in us} If they can't trust us then shame on us


2.You can't talk about God behind His back, unless He turns His back on you which He don't do to His.


119- an outpouring of intensity, exhilaration, and devastation


1 Cor 15 – the last foe of Jesus.


4)… in peril and need … (25, 28, 107)
freed to lament
70 different prayer request
(65, 58) be good to me according to Your word! (113)
(1) happy=blessed 'happy are those who walk in the way'


5)… troubled by humanity … (81-88, 118-119, 126)
Ps 139
Ez 33:10


6)… especially my own – (9-11)
we can repent and get back to Him
blamelessness (Ps 19:12-13)
rule over me=dominion
(133) any addiction can have dominion over us
Like 8
Hold it, press it in-don't pass it until its planted.


7)… knowing that to follow is the only free road … (30-32)
praying was meant to relieve us (Ph 4 & 6)
we're not God to people


8)… for a straying sheep longing to be found. (169-176, 20-21)

I'm a resident alien seeking direction in deep want of wonder, in peril and need troubled by humanity especially my own – knowing that to follow is the only free road for a straying sheep longing to be found.

We paired off to recite at least 10 of our 24 verses; Cindy and I teamed up. It was great! I had to peek a lot especially there at the end. I'm so glad Beth said we could... I was almost sick to my stomach over not being able to go the full way as Beth was leading us to go. But when she allowed for that leeway...I have a learning disability... reciting verbatim is one of my weaknesses, but I could elaborate all day long on conceptually what they each mean... particularly what I see God saying to me...that's what mine ended up turning into...ain't that right Cindy? Sorry...LoL.


We came back together for some Q&A. Then we worshiped until no one wanted to leave, but we had to...while standing out front waiting for our shuttle to whisk us back to the airport from whence we came, Cindy and I noticed Amanda and Melissa standing outside by the front door. We got in line to say hello and thank you and get them to jot a few words if they didn't mind on my program as a keep sake. But things didn't work out for any of that to happen. Then we noticed Beth was inside taking picture with Siestas. So we rushed inside in hopes to be one of them...

God is so gracious, yall.

I was going to attempt to speak, but I personally could see that the event was beginning to tax our Siesta Mama. So I laid my hand on her shoulder and lifted her up in silent prayer for endurance, healing, and protection from harm.


Then just before leaving I slipped into the chaple, knelt at the alter and prayed only two words about 50 times...Thank You!!!!


Once on the shuttle I began to get anxious about the trip home...but here again God was with me. Where the shuttle dropped me off was right around the corner and down the hall a ways from where I needed to wait to board. Then in Memphis (yes I had the non-direct flight back!) the same thing. I was dropped off on the level I needed to be and just walked around the corner to get to the terminal. We had a slight delay; at about 15 min after we were scheduled to board they extended the wait another 30 min longer. I sent out a text requesting prayer and 5 min later we were on the plane. God truly does hear us!


That flight was the scariest with a foggy landing, but it was also the only one I had someone sitting right beside me ...like God knew I would need it. And who He put was a helicopter pilot from Oregon who was going to of all places Wiggins, where I live! Unfortunately, I didn't get his name.

(I know terrible pic, but it's real)