Since it is upon us

Ten surprising facts about July 4.

1. Independence Day commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, it was not declared a legal holiday until 1941.
2. Fireworks were made in China as early as the 11th century. The Chinese used their pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.
3. Uncle Sam was first popularized during the War of 1812, when the term appeared on supply containers. Believe it or not, the U. S. Congress didn’t adopt him as a national symbol until 1961.
4. There are many precise rules for taking care of the American flag. And speaking of flag traditions, we’re sorry to report that contrary to legend, historical research has failed to confirm that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.
5. Not all members of the Continental Congress supported a formal Declaration of Independence, but those who did were passionate about it. One representative rode 80 miles by horseback to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence.
6. The first two versions of the Liberty Bell were defective and had to be melted down and recast. The third version rang every Fourth of July from 1778 to 1835, when, according to tradition, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Chief Justice John Marshall.
7. The American national anthem, the “Star-Spangled Banner,” is set to the tune of an English drinking song (“To Anacreon in Heaven”).
8. The iron framework of the Statue of Liberty was devised by French engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel*, who also built the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
9. The patriotic poem “America the Beautiful” was published on July 4, 1895 by Wellesley College professor Katharine Lee Bates.
10. Father of the country and architect of independence George Washington held his first public office at the tender age of 17. He continued in public service until his death in 1799.

Atkins update

I didn’t weigh on the scales until Saturday night. I weighed again tonight and i have lost 7 pounds in two days! YAY!

3rd Sunday after Trinity

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Give me your pork, your fish, your chicken.

My mom and step-dad have been on the Atkins diet since the beginning of the year (Matt you wouldn’t recognize Mama Phyllis) and have encourged me to get on it with them. I started yesterday and can say that the headache associated with the beginning of the induction period is horendous. It feels like a sinus headache and will never go away. I’ve been tired too. I’m just glad the end result will be worth it.

Happy Birthday Jarrod!

2nd Sunday After Trinity

I could not do without Thee
O Savior of the lost,
Whose precious blood redeemed me
At such tremendous cost.
Thy righteousness, thy pardon
Thy precious blood, must be
My only hope and comfort,
My glory and my plea.

I could not do without Thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
No wisdom of my own;
But Thou, beloved Savior,
Art all in all to me,
And weakness will be power
If leaning hard on Thee.

I could not do without Thee,
For, oh, the way is long,
And I am often weary,
And sigh replaces song:
How could I do without Thee?
I do not know the way;
Thou knowest, and Thou leadest,
And wilt not let me stray.

I could not do without Thee,
O Jesus, Savior dear;
E’en when my eyes are holden,
I know that Thou art near.
How dreary and how lonely
This changeful life would be,
Without the sweet communion,
The secret rest with Thee!

I could not do without Thee;
No other friend can read
The spirit’s strange deep longings,
Interpreting its need;
No human heart could enter
Each dim recess of mine,
And soothe, and hush, and calm it,
O blessèd Lord, but Thine.

I could not do without Thee,
For years are fleeting fast,
And soon in solemn oneness
The river must be passed;
But Thou wilt never leave me,
And though the waves roll high,
I know Thou wilt be near me,
And whisper, “It is I.”

Do you remember…

the guy that wanted to go into space so he paid the Russians millions of dollars to go with them? Well, now there’s something called SpaceShipOne that goes up to 62 miles above sea level – the internationally recognized boundary of outerspace. And for only about $100,000! Step right up!

Mark one off the list

I went and saw The Terminal by myself today. I was going to eat dinner with my grandmother over in Monroe and thought, “Why not?” It was good, though not a Hanks or Speilberg best. Parts were slow, but for the most part, entertaining. His reason for being in the Big Apple was really neat, subplots made the movie speed up a bit. “I wait” became his motto of sorts I guess. Catherine Zeta Jones seems to be to be overrated, and I didn’t like her very much in this one. Grade? B+

More summer movies on my to-see wish list in random order

The Terminal See post below
Raising Helen Ever since that movie with Matthew McConaughey, I’ve loved her
The Stepford Wives Bette Midler playing a Stepford? come on it’ll be a hoot
Shrek 2 I’ve heard great things but I might wait till it comes out on DVD
Mean Girls A must-see for any mean girl or victim of them; is it still out?
Spiderman 2 If you like the first one why not go see the sequel, even if it’s a given that it won’t be as good It was that good
Anchorman 2 words: Will Ferrell
A Cinderella Story Teeny-bop flick of the summer
White Chicks 2 more words: Wayans Brothers
Princess Diaries 2 The continuation of Princess Mia’s life journey

That’s the list for now. Maybe more later.

Update: Adrienne reminded me of The Notebook. Looks like a Klennex bringer.

An urban legend comes to the big screen

I want to go see the upcoming movie The Terminal. The first time i saw a preview/trailer I automatically thought of a real “urban legend” I had heard about on tv months and months ago and was fascinated with it. The real story follows.

BTW, my fav line so far…”Where can I buy the Nike shoe?”

Too……something

I usually have this thing about posting something that somebody has already said/linked to/whatever on their blog, no matter how funny/sick/sad it is. But I think enough time has passed that I can safely post this. I found it on Pastor Jeff Meyers’ Blog

Enjoy

Disgruntlement

I was at the monkey today & overheard a disc-jockey from a local Christian radio station say, “I’m tired of praise and worship music…They’re 7-11 songs. The same 7 verses sung 11 times.”

Do you agree?

1st Sunday After Trinity

O GOD, the strength of all those who put their trust in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers; and because, through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Murphy’s Law

My older sister told me today to watch the Reagan funeral and stuff to see if I could see our cousin, Steven, who is in the Navy. I watch several hours of footage this morning leading up to the funeral and then the funeral itself. After she got home from work, she was watching a little bit of it while she was cleaning the bathroom and saw him! I watch over 3 hours this morning, and she watches for about 5 mintues. I told her that our grandmother had said he was in D.C. Her reply? Oh, he lives in D.C., but he’s in California right now. From what she told me, he was in the honor guard next to Air Force One when they were preparing to take him to the library for the final ceremony of what has probably been a very long ordeal for the family. God bless, Mr. President. We’ll miss you.

Yay for a good weekend

Saturday I didn’t have anything to do except spend the evening with Sophie, Mattie and Clara, which was a delight. I hope my kids are as well behaved and those three at their ages.
On Sunday I participated in a wonderful worship service at Knox and then partying at the Steel’s pool and watching a movie with Rhea till late.
Y’all have a good week!