Memphis

What a great weekend we had in Memphis! Visiting good friends, exploring a new city, good food, and a great sermon to wrap it all up. 

Wes and I left Friday evening for the 3 hr drive with a very excited puppy. We loaded up on energy drinks and candy at our first and only stop along the way and off we went. We got to Scott and Kim's house around 10:30 still pretty hyped up on sugar and introduced Amare to their Boston Terrier, Forrest. Which I must say was one hilarious interaction... for time's sake you'll have to ask me about that one personally!

The next day we woke up late and had a lovely breakfast of fresh blueberry pancakes and bacon and, of course, a morning coffee! 

 

After breakfast we headed out to do some exploring through the Stax Museum. Here are a few pictures from me and the trusty Internet. The museum was really cool so I wanted to spend my time reading the history instead of taking pictures :)

 

 

After Stax we headed home for a little relaxing and checking on the pups. 

Then it was on to our evening adventures. First stop iChiwawa for an appetizer of chips, cheese dip, and guac in Midtown. This was a cute little area with tons of restaurants and shops lining the streets. Parking is easily accessible which made it a very pedestrian friendly area, which proved similar to most of Memphis. 

Next we drove to the riverfront to see the Mighty Mississippi. The area has great sidewalks, parks, and beautiful views. It was a fabulous place for an afternoon walk. 

 

 

 

After the riverfront we walked into downtown to eat our main course at South of Beale! Wes and I split the Shrimp and Grits and it was awesome. They also brought us a little appetizer of cinnamon popcorn which I couldn't stay away from.

 

After dinner we walked down to the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Such a somber place to visit having seen video earlier that day of the rioting a violence that took place in Memphis during that time. Thinking back on society then it is amazing to think of how far we have come since those days. There is a lot of room for improvement, yes, but much has been improved upon.

 

 

 

Next we continued on our culinary adventure to our last stop, The Cheesecake Corner! What better dessert to wrap up the evening of food than a White Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake. It was phenomenal!

 

We ended the night with a quick walk through of Beale Street which reminded me a lot of New Orleans culture! Another photo courtesy of the internet because the people watching was way too much fun for photos. There were street performers, vendors, and concerts as we walked down the street.

 

We thought the excitement of the night would end with our trolley ride back to our car at the riverfront but we were mistaken!  Once we got to the car and took our time checking out the nighttime atmosphere of the Mississippi we realized we were locked in the parking lot. Evidently the gates close at a specific time which is not noted on any entrance. However, the little tiny corolla made a daring get away when we watched a few other cars bravely jump the curve. The key was hitting it at an angle which Wes did beautifully as I closed my eyes and held on for dear life in the back seat :)

 

 

Sunday morning we went to church at First Baptist Memphis to hear our friend Scott preach! The congregation was so welcoming and we really enjoyed the time of worship. I wish my photo could do this facility justice. With stained glass windows in the sanctuary, gorgeous organ and pipes, and soaring ceilings... it really was beautiful! Scott did an amazing job sharing the story of Martha and Mary from the view of Martha. It was a new take on the story as most of us think of Martha as the angry sister who missed out on enjoying Jesus and Mary as the sister who did everything right. As Scott pointed out, do we really know if Martha wouldn't have been the one praised for her goodness if her attitude had been in the right place? Do we really know if Jesus didn't think Mary should have been using her time to serve others or if Jesus saw her as a younger sibling who would grow into that as Martha had? Martha's actions weren't wrong, it was her attitude that Jesus gently rebuked. We find ourselves in Martha in this story and other stories in the Bible, as the one in need of that gentle rebuking from Christ so our attitudes meet our actions and we learn to serve gladly, lovingly, and willingly!

 

All in all we had a wonderful time visiting friends and a new city and we can't wait to visit again and show them around Nashville one day soon!