From today’s worship set … inspiring, beautiful, and profound. I love Sunday worship.
It was my cross You bore
So I could live in the freedom You died for
And now my life is Yours
And I will sing of Your goodness forevermore
<Chorus>
I just returned from an extended weekend in western North Carolina with my best bud Carl. Among the many other great things about the trip, it reminded me how much I value and miss my small town roots. Small towns often do the important things in a big way! I witness this incredible example on my route home. Sylva, NC is a vibrant small town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and its historic courthouse is amazing. Checkout the flags raised in honor of Memorial Day and the fallen. I happened to meet a local during my stop who told me they “sell” sponsorships for these flags, not only for the community to honor the importance of Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Veterans Day, but also as a means of community outreach. He said 200 flags represents around $10K of “sponsorships,” 100% of which goes to a large number of needs within the community. This year they’ve raised $18K so far.
I hope we all remember and are thankful today for the resurrection, the true meaning and reason for Easter!
From “What A Beautiful Name” ~ Hillsong Worship
Death could not hold You, the veil tore before You
You silenced the boast, of sin and grave
The heavens are roaring, the praise of Your glory
For You are raised to life again
Big city architecture is always an allure to me, but more gems can often be found by venturing off the main path into nearby neighborhoods. I wandered into Sweet Auburn and the area where Martin Luther King, Jr. lived and pastored on a Saturday walk about. There’s so much history there, of course. But, it is still a living neighborhood combing both preservation of history and families living their lives. Upon rounding a corner just 2 blocks from the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church, I found this and fell in love with the color and creativity.
Atlanta has pockets of great architecture, and several downtown hotels highlight this. I’ve photographed and posted images from the Marriott Marquis (Marriott Marquis Atlanta). The Hyatt Regency has similarities and is equally compelling. This should be no surprise since John C. Portman is the architect of both (as well as SunTrust, the subject of my prior post).
This statin is full of history and architecure! The terminal was finished in 1909, accommodated up to 50 trains per day in its “hay day,” and its design won an architectural design award in Paris that year. Original known as Terminal Station, it is now the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. The hotel property includes the famous locomotive for which the song was named, as well as a number of turn-of-the-century train cars used as guest rooms.
Two of my favorite small cities are Chattanooga and Asheville. Each has a small city feel with tons to offer, including an eclectic flare for the arts and creativity.
This small alley in Chattanooga, called “Passages 2.0”, is an example of how the city continues to transform old, historical architecture into new and vibrant creations. I find something new each time I visit these two unique southern cities.