Fall Break 2015

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~Romans 15:13 (NIV)
My mom and I went to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for my Fall Break. I'm writing this "review" post of the places we went to. I'm not writing this to brag about what I got to do. I'm writing this to inform people about great things that people can do in another state. There are pictures on the blog's Facebook page and on my Instagram page (@itsbrandirose).
The first thing we did was go to the Island in Pigeon Forge, TN. This place is amazing! It has everything from an arcade to a Margaritaville restaurant. Some family friends met us at the Island and we played on the tight-ropes course for a good two or three hours. It was so much fun and we made a lot of good memories. We also rode the Smokey Mountain Wheel during sunset and it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen! The shopping was fun and the buildings were beautiful! I suggest everyone, who can, goes to the Island in Pigeon Forge.
The next day, Mom and I found a pancake house we had never been to. We ate brunch there and the food was amazing! The waitresses were so nice and made sure everything was good. The pancake house was small and had a homey feel to it. The inside of the pancake house reminded one of a log cabin. The funny thing is, the pancake house is called Log Cabin Pancake House. This is a place to eat breakfast at if you're in Pigeon Forge!
We went to the Book-Warehouse next. This store has the Moonpie General store in it. There are tons of books for a cheaper price than what you would pay in another bookstore. I bought three books for about twenty-six dollars and got another book for free. Two of those books were Karen Kingsbury books too! A person can find great, original Smokey Mountain keepsakes.
Finally, Mom and I went to a dinner show at the Biblical Times Theater. We watched the show "The Days of Elijah." The food and service were great. The acting and singing were amazing and the play followed the Bible. The play also helped me understand parts of the Bible better! I suggest everyone go see a show at this theater!
Last but not least, Mom and I went to The Christmas Place. They have great ornaments and it's like you've been transported to a Christmas Wonderland! It is worth just walking around in.
I hope that this "review" of places in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee helps you if you ever want to take a vacation there. It's a great place and is still a family-friendly place.

Hello There!

   

"We start by holding on...To each other. To this moment. To every day God gives us." ~From Return by Karen Kingsbury.

So I haven't been able to post like I have wanted to on here. I've been busy with trying to get the house in order before I go back to college. I've been trying to figure out what classes I'm going to take this semester.
I've also been working on reading The Cinderella Rule: A Young Woman's Guide To Happily Ever After. I've only got two chapters read, but it is a wonderful book so far. Bethany Jett tells her personal story of meeting her husband and learning to wait on God's timing. There are study guides in the back of the book that you can do after each chapter and they are very helpful. I can't wait to read more of it!
While focusing on Cinderella, I came to the conclusion that another set of books that I am reading go along with the idea of being like Cinderella and being a Princess of God in general. These books are by Sheri Rose and they are called the His Princess books. They are a great devotional.
I will be posting more in July and I am sorry I haven't been posting every week. I hope all of you are having a great summer.

Voice for the Voiceless- Part 4

"It's estimated that there are more than 5,000 brothels disguised as massage parlors nationwide." - Polaris Project

"Sin causes a madness which makes sick souls dream that Fifty shades of... No Waythey are in sound health." - Charles Spurgeon

"50% of all Christian Men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography." -ChristiaNet Poll, 2006

I start off with these quotes from the 31 Days of Freedom Bible study because I want to talk about how our social media and our culture have fooled us into believing forms of Human Trafficking are okay. 

First, let's think about what clothes look like these days. As a young Christian woman I feel that every summer shorts are getting shorter and shorter and tops are getting lower and lower. There is also the whole legging issue. Now, I am a fan of leggings. They keep you warm when you wear a dress during the cold months. They also come in different patterns and colors that pants don't. However, leggings are NOT pants and when I see a girl who wears leggings as pants, I honestly think it just looks trashy. You can see underwear lines when you wear leggings and they leave nothing to the imagination. No wonder when we see a young girl on the street corner in a short, almost see through dress we just turn the other way! It's what we girls would put on or have seen our friends wear! Wake up people! We are making it harder to tell the difference between a girl in prostitution to a girl who is just out shopping!

Now for media. I have seen previews for a new TV show called Satisfaction. The preview shows that a man comes home one day to catch his wife cheating on him. He hunts the guy his wife was with down and learns that the wife has been paying, yes you read right PAYING, this man to sleep with her. So the husband, trying to save his marriage, starts selling himself for sex so it will keep their marriage interesting! Where do I even start on how wrong this show sounds and looks?! People are practically paying their TV bills to watch male prostitution! No wonder more brothels are popping up around the world and more people are disappearing into the life of prostitution!

Finally, let's talk about "50 Shades of Grey", the book and the movie. Now I have not read the book and I never will read the book. But, I did watch the movie trailer and right away a person can tell it is just going to be about sex and different things you can try. This has to do with Human Trafficking because in the documentary Whore's Glory that I watched the men would honestly admit the reason they would pay for a woman was because they would do and try anything they wanted. Sounds like what the book "50 Shades of Grey" is about to me.

"We can only end slavery by partnering together. It's too big of a problem for any one organization to handle alone." -Stacia Freeman, Abolition International

Meet Mr. Grey, NO WAY! Fifty shades of... No way

Summer, here I come!

Well, Summer is offically herr! So, HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!! I hope everyone who reqds this has great summer days and adventures!

I've started some new things for this summer. First, I am training for a 5k, so I need A LOT of prayers please! My aunt always runs 5k's so she's kind of training me. It's been really hot here in North Carolina so I haven't got to train like I would like to. One of mybest friends will goto the gym to wotkout together also. So, this is a fun, new adventure to be on!
I'm also cutting back on how much soda I drink. Anyone who enjoys a soda or two knows how addicting they can be! I've substituted the Naked Juice and the Raaw juice for my sweet tasting drinks. I also enjoy green tea and at least two cups of water a day.
Another thing i have changed, is that I have been limiting myself to how many hours of TV I. Canwatch. I'm down to four or fjve hours. This is a lot better than how much I was watching when summer started! I have replaced some of those hours by sitting outside and reading. I'm a book nerd so having all this time to read is great! Also studying my Bible and just spend time outside appreciating God's beautiful creation!
I thought I would just givr a personal updateon this post and I hope you enjoy reading it. God bless you & you all are in my prayers!
XOXO, Brandi;💛💙

You're Gonna Hear Me Roar

Wow! This month has been filled with adventure, and it's not even over yet! I made it through my first year in college! I feel excited for next semester to start because I feel I will be more prepared. For Mother's Day my friend and I took our moms to the spa and just had a good girls' day. I've spent a lot of time with family and friends. I've also been working at the pregnancy center and reading books on my summer book list.

Then, on May 10th, my Papaw had a stroke and we had to take him to the hospital. The stroke affected both sides of his brain and he had to go into a nursing home for a couple of weeks. My grandmother has been cleaning the house and making it "walker proof" like crazy. My papaw will be home on Thursday, but this isn't going to be an easy road. Prayers are very appreciated!

 

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. A lot of people will be having cook-outs and be with friends and family. I did some research, and did you know that Memorial Day use to be called "Decoration Day"? It is a national holiday. It is for the remembrance of Soldiers who have died. It started after the end of the American Civil War. It also marks the beginning of Summer. Some things you could do to give back are:

*Decorate a Soldiers grave

*Give to the Wounded Warrior Project

*Donate a Bible at Family Christian Bookstore

*Take food to a family who recently lost someone to war

*Pray and be thankful!

 

For my Summer I've been spending time with my dog Titus. I got him from Brother Wolf almost two years ago and he is the sweetest dog! He's spoiled rotten and I love him so much! About a week ago, we added a new addition to our pet family. A cat someone had thrown out on the side of the road had found refuge under the porch. She is very friendly and has been letting me take care of her. I've named her Esther and she is expecting kittens soon. I'm not going to be able to keep her, so I am taking her to a no kill shelter. I've grown attached to her and it's going to be hard to give her up, but it's best for her. If you are interested in adopting an animal, here is the link to Brother Wolf

I recomend checking out The American Bible Challenge on The Game Show Network. It's a great show!

 

These guys who call themselves Rhymz with Grace were on it and I love this music video they did:

 Lastly, please continue to pray for Nigeria. The government is very corrupt there and the schoolgirls still have not been found. There has also been bombings. The Prayer Warriors need to unite and really be praying for this country!