ATL - Day 3

January 22, 2012

Leaving our room at 7am...SO EARLY

We woke up at 6am so we could leave Atlanta by 7am. We head downstairs to get some starbucks and kept the cashier quite entertained at 7:15am. Jesse is ordering her coffee while I'm looking at items and singing, "This is how we do it."

We get the car out of valet and I don't even know how we started a conversation about child support but we did. The two male valet men don't agree with how much crazy money the women of famous men get paid millions per month for child support. I had zero interest in the conversation though I did add that if he cheats, she deserves it all. Jesse was debating back and forth about it and let's just say we left winning the argument and free parking the next time we're in ATL.
When he told us about the free valet, we both looked and each other and said "we'll be back next weekend" ahaha

As we just hit the road to head to Orlando, Jesse asks "Did you check in?" and I look at her and ask, "On facebook?" when I knew she meant my airline. She gave me the best look. That is actually one of the reasons I'm getting rid of facebook because I constantly am checking it and need to be focused on everything else but updating my status.

Pumping gas in Ocala!

We made it to Ocala y'all! Felt good being in the sunshine state though I was only there for less than 5 hours.

Jesus is everywhere :) Much love

We stopped for some columbian burgers. I've been craving one for months now and I finally got my fix.

This picture had to stay up just because of Jesse's awesome face

Garlic sauce and the green hot sauce are THE BEST!

Such fond memories here after 2am

They even painted!

We headed to World of Beer for some Framboise and to enjoy the atmosphere. Victoria, Craig and Elyssa stopped by so that was fun seeing more familiar faces.

My experience flying out of Orlando was by far an interesting one. I get to the airport around 6pm and my flight is at 8pm. I have a boot on my foot and I go through the metal detector (just as I did in Vegas) but it beeps SO the security guy tells me I'll have to have a "pat down" and get my boot x-rayed. So he calls a woman over to do it and she explains the process then asks me if I'd like to go in a room or stay out where I was, in the middle of security, for the pat down. Um, I'd rather get felt up by a woman in front of witnesses than a private room, thanks. So I'm literally just standing there with my arms up looking at everyone look at me whilst I'm being "patted down" - thanks for the memories Orlando security. THEN I have to go to this room so they can take 5 x-rays of my boot. 15 minutes later, I'm finally allowed to go to my gate.

As I'm about to board and have my ticket scanned, this lady in front of me asks or actually states to the employee about to scan her ticket (handsome black man) and says, "Is this plane going to be waiting in ATL on the plane for an hour because the flight that's in ATL now has been sitting on the runway with all passengers on for an hour just waiting" - he looks at her like "crazy white woman" and says, "ma'am, I have no idea". I walk up to get my ticket scanned and look at him with a hilarious smirk because of how ridiculous she was being.

THEN as we're boarding the plane, she holds up the line to say the exact same thing to this flight attendant (a gay black man - I only say what ethnicity he is because it makes the story that much better when I go on) and he has the same look of "are you serious right now?" on his face and he starts saying, "Well let's not be negative nancy and let's be more of a positive Paula" (again, his ethnicity and all makes that statement that much better) and she is still running her mouth and not walking about AS we're trying to board the plane but he just talks over her so she finally keeps walking down the isle to be seated. I turn around to look at him and the rest of the passengers waiting behind me, "I'm not sitting next to her" and everyone laughs as we all take our seats.

So our flight boarded on time but we had to wait 15 minutes extra on the runway because of the bad weather in Atlanta. We arrive in Atlanta around 9:45pm and I don't get off the plane until 10:10pm and my connecting flight to Vegas was boarding at 10:05pm. 

Anyways, I get off the plane and the employee tells me I'm at C22 but my plane probably already left since it was leaving on time. I choose to ignore that and hobble myself through this large airport to gate C22. Everyone around me is running and I can't because of my boot but I definitely felt like I was in Home Alone 2 when everyone is racing to their gate. Everyone on my flight had a connecting flight. 

I finally get to my gate and see it's completely empty but the lady is behind the counter and sees me and tells me to "come on" so I hand her my ticket and board my plane! I was literally....the very last person to board. I get on the plane and every single seat is full and of course my seat is in the very back and a window seat. 

I was SO thankful they waited. The captain knew flights were behind due to weather so they waited.

As I say "excuse me" to the nice couple that had to get out of their seats to let me in, I hand him my purse and am all "can you hold this please" so I could put my bag in the overhead bin. I don't know him but he was nice. HAHA

Oh, and of course the couples in front of me and beside me are staying at the Palms resort. They were from Charlotte and we actually talked quite a bit about traveling, etc. I always get into traveling conversations with people. They also gave me advice to not get married because that's forever...haha - I've been keeping that advice in my memory bank thanks. 

Flying out of Orlando

 This is my new home and when I saw this sign, I simply exhaled and was so happy to be home...

The trip was more than I could have asked for. Jesse and I laughed SO much which we always do regardless but what an awesome trip. It's such a blessing to have good people in my life.

Next trip will be in April to Nicaragua!

SOCIALLY INEPT?

Technologically has made this society socially inept.

Oh don't think I'm not admitting to being a part of this society because I'm certainly guilty. 

I'll put myself on blast before I go talking about everything that irks me.

I used to LOVE talking on the phone...now I'll only text or skype. Skype is nice because I'd rather look at the person because it's almost like they'e there. Texting is simply convenient when you need a quick response, if it's not vital to know right then, or you simply don't want to hear someone's voice. (oh stop, it sounds harsh but if I'm watching a movie or lounging at home, I'd rather text)

The extremely bad thing with texting and/or emailing is that we use those purposely to not have to show our true emotions. You don't know anyone's tone in a text. So you don't know when someone is joking, being sarcastic..etc. (Tons of fights happen via text just because of the way its perceived...just a mess) Anyways, we then rely on typing a message instead of approaching someone about something. It's awful and will only worsen.

Let's go back to the basics and use our words

(not via text, email or letters either) - FACE TO FACE!

THE RESULTS OF SIN

The act of disobeying God is called sin. One definition of sin is to "miss the mark," as when you fail to hit the target in a sporting event.

Obviously the Bible's understanding of sin is much more serious than that. In fact, Scripture has a couple different ways of expressing this idea. Sin is sometimes described as a "trespass," something that involves crossing forbidden lines or boundaries that God sets up for our protection.

The concept of "iniquity" speaks of sin's most troubling and destructive result: to twist and pervert our inner nature. This is gravely serious because the Bible says God's nature is "holy" -- that is, completely free from evil or defect, absolutely pure in love and goodness.

1. What state does the Bible describe us as being in? Ephesians 2:1 -- Dead

2. Why ultimately is our sin so serious to God? Leviticus 11:44 -- Because he is holy

3. What does iniquity do to our relationship with God? Isaiah 59:1-2 -- Separates you from God

4. Describe sinful humanity's desperate condition. Romans 3:9-20, 23 -- The law revels that the world is guilty before God. Shows how sinful we are.

5. Describe the impact sin has on our heart. Jeremiah 17:9 -- The heart is the most deceitful

6. What are the "wages" of sin? Romans 6:23 -- Death

7. What does the Bible say happens after we die? Hebrews 9:27 -- Judgement Day

8. How does the Bible describe eternal judgement?
    Matthew 25:41 -- Eternal fire w/ the devil & demons
    Revelation 20:11-15 -- Lake of fire for anyone's name not in the book of life
    Revelation 21:8 -- Fiery lake of burning sulfur

9. What does Paul, the writer of Romans, call himself? Romans 7:24 -- A miserable person

In Romans 7, Paul describe's his own state and cries out on behalf of all humanity with the most important question ever asked: "Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Humanity's deepest need is for salvation -- not just from the evil in the world, but from the evil in our own hearts. 

Obviously God takes sin very seriously. What about you? What do you think you deserve for your sin?

(The Purple Book by Rice Broocks and Steve Murrell - Chapter 1 - Lesson 2 - P.14)