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Friday, February 12, 2010

October 2009: Memphis Living Proof Live

"Walking in Memphis, Walking with my feet 10 feet off of Beale" Beale Street!

My Memphis Bed

Beth Moore Living Proof Live Memphis, TN 10/10/09



This post will be sooooo much shorter than Siesta Fiesta because I was only in Memphis for about 24 hours. I would've loved to have stayed longer, but it was a very last minute trip... plus my friend, Kathy, was only staying for one night. I think I bought my plane tickets 2 weeks before I left.

Back at Siesta Fiesta, Kathy (kathypinkbicyclearkansas on the blog) and I looked at the program and asked each other which Living Proof Lives we thought we'd be able to attend in 2009. None of them were close by to me, but I had been to Gatlinburg, TN. So I said I might be able to go to Memphis. She said Memphis was pretty close to her so she'll more than likely be going. When I got back home from Texas I looked up on Mapquest how far Memphis is from Charleston, SC. And I found out it is a whopping 10 hours. What?! I was hoping to drive. I went to the Simulcast in September and it made me want to go to an event so badly! I'm so thankful for the simulcasts but it's a million times better to actually be there. Well, as time got closer I didn't know if I'd actually be able to make it. It turned out that I did indeed have that weekend off- I was so lucky it was a free weekend! Since going to San Antonio, flying seemed attainable. Before then, I would've just said I have to fly- no way! I'm so glad I don't think like that anymore. So I found a good price and emailed Kathy. She said I could stay with her and her friends.


So I convinced my parents to drive me to the Charleston airport early. I think my flight was around 6. I was kind of nervous flying by myself but not really. I made them stopped at the ATM on the way. They were like, what?!, you haven't gotten all that taken care of yet. Whoops. My dad let my mom and me out at the airport (it's pretty tiny) and I heard them calling to board my flight as soon as I got up to security. I went through it quickly and went straight onto the plane. I had my little bookbag so I was able to stuff it under the seat in front of me which was pretty convenient. I asked the lady I sat beside as we were in the terminal where she was headed. She said she was going to Maryland to judge a dog show. I thought that was pretty cool. Our flight to Atlanta was on time. I have been helping with a 12th grade girls Bible study so while I was waiting for my next flight, I started working on our Believing God study. I went up to go to the bathroom but did not want to lose my seat. So I left my study book in my seat and decided if someone stole it, they needed it more than I did. When I got back, the ladies (who looked to me like they might be the type to go to the Living Proof Live conference) asked me if I was going to Memphis to see Beth Moore. I said yes! Are you Siestas? Do you read her blog? Well, they didn't know who Siestas were but they did say they were going to Living Proof Live. And they ended up sitting behind me on the plane! Unfortunately, our flight to Memphis took much longer than planned due to the thunderstorm. Our plane had to stop in Huntsville, Alabama to refuel. I watched as many passengers started freaking out about being late. Well, I decided as long as I was there 30 minutes before 7pm I'd be ok. I was planning on catching a ride so nobody was waiting for me at the airport. One guy was mad bc he had a business meeting. I don't know why another guy wanted to get off the plane so badly but he would not quit harassing our very nice flight attendant. She said, "Do you really want to get off this plane? Bc I can have you escorted by blue flashing lights." That was pretty funny. I just sat there and did my Believing God study on my little tray. I had called Kathy at takeoff and she hadn't left her sister's house for Memphis yet. When we landed in Alabama, she was already in Memphis. I was so jealous. I called my mom too and she said, if you're stuck, then Beth Moore is probably stuck too. I said no way, I'm sure she left last night (I was wrong...).


We landed around 2:00. I saw a huge FedEx plane station on our way down. I had this master plan to catch a shuttle of a hotel nearby. I had routed out the hotels closest to mine. Of course, the first ride I tried to catch the shuttle driver was rude. So I gave in bc I hadn't had lunch yet! I was planning on riding the bus but it was awhile before it would be there. So I went to get some lunch... wow I can remember this lady being all impatient with the girl at Backyard Burgers and me going back to ask for ketchup and everything. Oh, little details. So I came back out and studied the bus schedule again- I had read the wrong one. I missed it! So I was so mad I just got a cab. Poor guy. On the way there the traffic going the opposite way was terrible. His eyes got so big! I hated that he had to get back in it. I had planned to go see the Peabody Ducks and Graceland but I got there about 5 hours after I had planned so there was no time. I wanted to enjoy Memphis. But I ended up getting him to drop me off at our nice hotel.


Kathy told me the room number so I went up there and knocked. Someone I didn't know answered the door. So I said are you Kathy's sister? It was kind of awkward. But fortunately she was! Susie said come in bc Kathy was asleep on the couch. I was so envious they had gotten there in enough time to take naps. I really could've used a nap. The room was a little different. A bedroom with the bathroom had half of a wall around it (the top was open). Then the living room with a fold out couch and kitchen was on the other side. Kathy told me more about her friends who were going to join us. Shortly after, with the Tyra Banks show in the background (makeover show! yay!), Willie and Belinda showed up. Kathy told me Willie is her childhood best friend's mother but now Willie is Kathy's best friend. They sing together in the choir. And Belinda is Willie's friend. I'm pretty sure I was at least 25 years younger than all of my roommates. And 50 years younger than one of them. So we sat around and talked for a little while. Normally, I would've been itching to go sit outside of the door to wait for a great seat. But I decided spending time with Kathy was more important and I was too tired to move. So when we decided to go Willie got the valet to pull her gorgeous BMW around. I volunteered to be squished in the middle since I was the lucky one getting to hang out with these ladies on such short notice. We parked and walked to the FedEx Forum arena.


We were really hot when we got inside... I guess bc there were so many people on the outside of the arena. So we went and got some seats in the nosebleeds. And then Kathy and I went to et the pretty pink "I Am Living Proof" shirts bc we were hot. She was so cute in her little pink shirt. I told her the whole weekend she is so cute bc she's tiny! I am definitely not tiny. We saw Fran. We wanted to talk to her, but I got really shy. So I ended up not talking to her. Fran is cool and since I didn't know her very well I was a little nervous to talk to her. But at least I saw her! She was talking with a circle of friends.


Kathy went to get some nachos and ended up missing the first couple songs- oh no! So I held her nachos for her when she squeezed back to her seat. I told her "don't worry, I won't eat them... all!" The night was fun, but I felt like I was watching TV, being so high up in the arena.


Before Beth came on stage, they had a slideshow. Oh, how I wish I could find it... ahh! I found it! http://vimeo.com/7043704 The end was so amazing in that giant area.

I was so exhausted from my trip, the only notes I took Friday were:


1.God abounds in love.
2. God guards His love. Proverbs 4:23
Guard love, blessing witheld
Beth Moore told us that she barely made it to the conference. It was stormy in Houston and in Memphis. She told the story so well. Poor thing. That was definitely stressful. Satan tried to keep us from getting a Word!
On our way back to the hotel that night, we went to turn on another street so we could park on the right side. She accidentally turned on a Trolley Road. Fortunately there was no trolley coming. So she went to turn around and ended up on the sidewalk. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone walking on the sidewalk. Bc nothing bad happened, we thought it was so funny. And laughed hard! Later that night, we had microwaved pizza from the hotel and they made me a bed out of couch cushions and pillows. After everyone got in bed, I heard our driver start laughing and she said to the lady next to her "Just thinking about the sidewalk!" And they busted out laughing. I laughed too but for some reason I was trying to hide my laugh.

I set my alarm for 5 the next morning. Bc I'm crazy! No, I wanted to be sure I got a good seat. Even though I was very tired. I left before my roommates. But before I went Willie made me promise to take a cab if I didn't see anyone to walk with... so I called a cab. I ended up paying him $10 for a 3 minute, $3 cab drive. But dang it, I was safe. There were about 10 people lined up at the door. I was wearing flip flops. It was pretty cold in the dark! It was fun to listen to the ladies talking. I just love the people who attend these conferences. Then I ran and got a seat on the second row that jutted out so it was like I was on the front row.

My notes from Saturday:
3. God teems with compassion.
Psalm 147:3
deep hurt, little healing
Psalm 38:5, Isaiah 1:6
"you are significant
Hebrew asab-wound idol-root
Idol of pain
worship=attention
4. Exodus 34:6-7 God is scandalously forgiving.
Ephesians 4:32- Forgive
5. God is inconceivably gracious.
6. God is abounding in faithfulness.
emet-faithfulness and truth
7. God is slow to anger.

After the conference, we said goodbye to Belinda and Willie. Then Kathy and Susie and I jumped in Kathy's Altima (which ended up being the car I got a few weeks later) and went to The Spaghetti Warehouse, which was really cool. It's like a train station inside. A wedding party even came through as we were eating. Then Kathy was so sweet to drive me by Graceland so I could at least see the outside. Thanks for driving me to the airport! Wow, what a quick trip.

I got to the airport early and decided to fly from Memphis early bc the airport in Atlanta is much more entertaining. It's huge and full of people! Then I flew to Charleston. No problems going back. I'm so proud of myself for going on a solo trip!