DREAMS AND SPAGHETTI-O'S

Crif Dogs

2012-02-10T17:13:00.000-05:00

Day #10

Wednesday night I met up with some friends for dinner at the oh so trendy crif dogs in the East Village. The hot dogs are amazing and the best part is the oh so secretive phone booth that leads to a hidden bar.

The 4 of us have become a little dinner club meeting on a regular basis for dinner at fun restaurants around the city.

so thankful for them!

The coolest fountain machine ever

2012-02-09T14:00:00.001-05:00

Day #9

The McDonalds on Amsterdam and 71st just got 4 of these oh so cool soda machines.

I am totally in love. Now I don't have to run to terminal A everytime I fly through Atlanta just to get a fountain drink out of these cool machines at Chick-Fil-A. the UWS is moving on up.

Best part of this new maching.......I had multiple friends text me about it when they first saw it because they knew I would be excited. Now that is when you know you have some good friends in this city!

An Alexander Day

2012-02-08T13:23:00.001-05:00

Day #8

I've had a really rough day. I think I might call it an Alexander day if you know what that is.

I overslept

got stuck in elevator in my building

was yelled at by a man at the post office

called my eye doctor to make an appointment (because i am freaking out that my vision is getting worse) only to find out they have lost my records and tried to convince me I was not a patient...even though I actually have been a patient for 2+ years.

And there is this really really annoying not stop noise going on outside my office window.

You get the idea!

So in the midst of my busy work day I stopped read some Oswald Chambers, prayed, listened to some worship music on Pandora and reminded myself that God is with me in this life. I feel really alone today, but HE is with me. I feel like I am being swallowed by this massive city today, but HE is near and HE Loves me. Simple truths bring me great peace

And then I ordered some of these cute notepads, because they are my favorite! I love note pads. I love Kate Spade. it's the perfect combination and it just made my day a little bit brighter!

Here's to hoping today gets a little bit better!

Monday Night

2012-02-07T22:57:00.000-05:00

Day #7

a relaxing night in 9A with a little bible study action and watching the premier of "SMASH"

Colorful Kitchen

2012-02-06T15:00:00.002-05:00

Day #6
I love West Elm. I went last week while doing some shopping in Chelsea and I found this display.

I really love color. And I really love a colorful kitchen.

Although my kitchen now has some color, when you have 4 roommates with a small NYC kitchen you definitely get a hodgepodge of kitchenware.

I would love to one day have my own kitchen with colorful dishes like this.

One day I may hav to let go of this desire, but for now I think I will keep dreaming a litle bit longer.

Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-05T23:27:00.001-05:00

Day #5

made the trek to Brooklyn tonight to watch the superbowl with Hannah, her brooklyn boy, and a few other friends

great food, great company, and the Giants won!

New York is a happy place tonight!

Sweet Girls

2012-02-04T22:14:00.000-05:00

Day #3 and 4

I have spent a lot of time with these 3 little girls this weekend so it only seem appropriate that they be my photo of the day.

These 3 girls bring so much joy and laughter to my NYC life.

First page of H's book she wanted to make about us. "We care about each other"

Favorite Moments as of late:

I bought the giraffe pictred above for Abby while I was in Africa. She took it for show and tell at school. I happened to pick her up from school the day she took it and she so proudly told me that she told her whole class that I went to Africa JUST so I could buy her that giraffe! I told her that was one expensive giraffe:-)
When I showed Hannah on the map where Africa was (before I left) she very matter of factly said "so your telling me you're going to have to leave the neighborhood!" I said "yes Hannah"! She then went on to say "Well you better pack up then and make sure you take some hairspray and sunglasses" (fashion is always first in her mind!)
I told Hannah she was my favorite 4 year old. She quickly replied "well you are my favorite 10 year old"! Who knew that I was 10 years old!
Margaret is obsessed with my iphone and at 3 years old is better than me at some of the games. It's the first thing she ask for when I walk in the door!
Hannah told me tonight that maybe she should save up enough tokens (what she gets for doing chores, etc) to save up for a cell phone. She is 4 going on 16!

And if you want to watch a REALLY good video you should click HERE. I promise you won't be sorry! If only every American could articulate MLK Jr so clearly!

Thank You

2012-02-02T14:00:00.001-05:00

Day 2!

Ok this isn't a picture, but it is something I love! I really do love my church. it's where I work and where I worship and has been an incredibly huge part of my life here in NYC!

Tim Keller and the 3 lead congregant pastors put togethter this little video!

Thank You from Redeemer Video on Vimeo.

Pictures of Love

2012-02-01T23:26:00.000-05:00

For the month of February I am going to try to post 1 picture a day. I don't think I will have much time to blog this month, but I really do love scrapbooking my life here. Since all you anonymous blog readers seem to enjoy hearing about the adventures of life in Manhattan I'm going to try to share it through a picture from my day!

And since it's the month of love why not post some pics of things that I really love!

Let's start with Febrauary 1 shall we?

Yes this is a screen shot from my trusty Iphone, but can you believe it?

I read today that by February 1 last year we had already had 56 inches of snow. I think New Yorkers were in complete shock today. I personally am just in complete joy. 40's might seem chilly for you southerners, but on this coldy windy island these temps are like a giant breath of fresh warm air!

Very Very Soon....

2012-01-30T21:23:00.000-05:00

Work has been so crazy busy

and you can see in these pictures why I would say this.

For months and months I have been working on designing out Children's classroms and ordering lots and lots of furniture and supplies.

It is almost all here now and soon the doors will be open

Building a church is a big deal anywhere, but in NYC well I don't even know how to describe what a big deal it is. Having YOUR OWN space in this city is almost non existent. Yet in the Lord's great mercy, he has allowed Redeemer to raise the millions of dollars needed to build our very own ministry space!

And very very soon these pews will be filled with people. People who are here to learn about our great God. I can't help but think of the words to the Shane and Shane song, "You said ask and I'll give the nations to you Oh Lord, thats the cry of my heart". I first wanted to move to the city when I heard a Tim keller sermon while in Africa. He talked about the nations being reached through the cities and I knew then I wanted to move to the city and be an ambassador for him. I could never have guessed then how the Lord would use me here in this city, but what a priviledge it is to play a role in the building of Redeemer's very first ministry space.

Very very soon these classrooms will be filled with little people eager to come to church and learn about the Lord

Very very soon these halls will be filled the footsteps of children and parents coming to church.

Very very soon these walls will be filled with paintings of the city and pictures of some of the beautiful faces that live in this city. (must give a little shout-out to my boss and co-worker Tracy and Amy for posing for me. I was actually trying to get pictures more for measurement purposes to give to an artist who will be painting for us)

And very very soon the doors of this church on West 83rd Street will be open for broken and needy hearts who so desperately need the Gospel of Christ.

I did not know what I was getting in to when I took on the task of getting so many classrooms furnished and ready for our children in this new building. It has been a long, tiring, and complicated process with many many decision. But I can honestly say I really have enjoyed it. I feel like I am gaining loads of experience that will go with me in the years to come. I am growing as a person and an employee through this process and really learning so so much. This next month will probably be the busiest work month for me that I have ever experineced as we get ready for our March 4th opening date, but when those doors open and the sounds of little and big feet fill the floors I really think it will be so incrdibly rewarding.

To God Be the Glory

God Knows What You Need

2012-01-29T23:34:00.000-05:00

I knew when I opened my bulletin at church tonight and saw TK was preaching a sermon on Spiritual Warfare and Rozz Morehead was singing the offortory it was going to be a good service.

After the the week I have had, The Lord knew what I needed to hear tonight. He's funny like that. I felt like I couldn't write notes fast enough and need to go back and listen to the sermon again. I think my favorite thing about Tim's preaching is that he says things that I have heard repeatedly, but he says them in a way that just makes so much sense. And then after a very heavy sermon on the Devils Schemes, tempation, and accusations, he so beautifully unfolds the gospel and makes sure we know that In Christ we are so deeply loved and forgiven. I could write out on here all that I took from the sermon, but really I would just recommend going HERE and downloading it for yourself. The sermon title is called "Spiritual Warfare" and will be available by the end of the day tomorrow(Monday)

At the end of the sermon Rozz brought the house down with this song. I love the words

STAND
What do you do
when you've done all you can
And it seems like it's never enough?
And what do you say
when your friends turn away,
you're all alone?
Tell me, what do you give
When you've given your all,
and seems like
you can't make it through?

Stand and be sure
Be not entangled in that bondage again
You just stand, and be sure.
God has a purpose.
Yes, God has a plan.

Tell me what do you do
when you've done all you can
And it seems like you can't make it through
Child you just stand
You just stand
Stand
Don't you give up
Through the storm , through the rain
Through the hurt , through the pain

Well, you just stand
When there's nothing left to do
You just stand
Watch the Lord see you through
Yes, after you've done all you can
You just stand

Don't you bow, don't bend
Don't give up, don't give in
Hold on, just be strong
God will step in and it won't be long

Tell me,
how do you handle the guilt of your past?
Tell me, how do you deal with the shame?
And how can you smile
when your heart is broken
and filled with pain?
Tell me what do you give
when you've given your all
Seems like you can't make it through?

After you've done all you can
After you've gone through the hurt
After you've gone through the pain
After you've gone through the storm
After you've gone through the rain
Prayed and cried,you've prayed and cried
Prayed and cried, prayed and cried
After you've done all you can, you just stand.

Child you just stand,
when there's nothing left to do
You just stand
Watch the Lord see you through
Yes, after you've done all you can
You just stand.
(Donnie McClurkin)

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. Galations 5:1

On a Foggy Day in the Mountains

2012-01-24T23:11:00.002-05:00

I took these photos over the holidays while taking a morning walk with my dad.

I love the peacefulness and simplicity of these photos.

Let all creation sing the Glory of God

A Movie Review

2012-01-23T18:45:00.000-05:00

You might remember me first blogging about this movie HERE when I gained my first glimpse of Tom Hanks as they filmed a scene at Barney Greengrass down the street from my apt

Actually several scenes were filmed in this old well-known diner in the neighborhood.

It is a very unique and intense movie, but I would definitely recommend it.

I have noticed here that New Yorkers have mixed emotions about the movie. In many ways I think it is hard for those who were in the city on 911 to re-live that day in any way, shape, or form. I can't blame them at all.

If you do go see it make sure to bring some tissues!

It's Here! It's Here! It's Here!

2012-01-21T14:19:00.000-05:00

The Jesus Storybook Bible Curriculum is finally here!!

This curriculum has been in the works for a long time.

Although I played a teeny, weeny, tiny part in this curriculum I loved the moments I was involved. I loved the days Sam and Sally would work together on it in the office and I could overhear their funny british accent conversations, I loved the day that Sam had our team edit lessons and told us Zondervan was going to give the person who found the most mistakes $50(sadly I did not win), I loved seeing God overcome so many obsticles and challenges that are involved when curriculum is written. It was a huge undertaking for all involved at Redeemer, but what a priviledge to produce such Gospel Centered, bible-based, age appropriate, fun curriculum for elementary age children!

Thank you Sam and Sally for investing your heart and time so that more children can grasp the Gospel of Christ and experience the "never stopping, nevergiving up, unbreaking, always and forever love"

Buy your curriculum set today!

The Kittels

2012-01-15T18:00:00.001-05:00

While in Greenville it was so fun to spend time with the Kittels. Colette has been influential in my life since my freshman year in college. After college we were on CO staff together for a little bit and lived together! We have been tight friends from the beginning! We prayed for a husband and a baby for her and now she has a sweet little family. I blogged about her wedding here and now I have the opportunity to share pics of her little girl, Anneliese.

It was a fun little photoshoot

New Years Weekend!

2012-01-12T22:58:00.000-05:00

For New Years Weekend I traveled to Greenville, SC because somebody got ENGAGED!

Can you see the excitement on Katherine's face?

Kiki is one of my dearest friends from CO beach project days. The Lord has taken us through a windy path together since and she has always been a steady friend for me. we are the kind of friends who can be real with one another and know it's ok to say what we really think even when it's ugly and messy. She is also the friend I can be totally crazy with. It's nice to have those kind of friends!

I put together a few little gifts for the occasion

Since it was the holidays, most of Kiki and Josh's friends were out of town, but that didn't stop a few of us who could make it to get together to have a "screaming party" with Katherine. If you know her...... this totally makes sense!

It was so fun to get to spend time with Frances and Colette as well. These 3 girls are some of my most favorite people ever!

and I got to meet Frances's 4th child, Sophie!

I was so thankful I was already going to be in the south and was able to be here for this special night!

On New Years Eve day Katherine and I did some wedding shopping and I also got to have some quality time with Colette!

That night we celebrated big time with some crazy hats I bought off the street in the apple (and yes they lit up! it was awesome)

We popped some champaign with the Kittels, watched a movie, and of course had to watch my little city celebrate with the ball drop.

It was a great weekend and so fun to be with old friends!

You will probably hear more about this wedding and others on the blog during 2012. It is definitely going to be the year of weddings for my friends.

Happy 3 Months

2012-01-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

Mary Blake, the Blakester, chubby cheeks

call her what you will, but is she not the cutest thing ever?

I secretly love that she has the cutest little roly poly body!

and I love ever more that she prefers to always have the tongue out. It's the fashionable way to be when you are 3 months old!

sorry for the grainy iphone pic

12 Prayers for 2012

2012-01-10T18:57:00.001-05:00

On New Years Eve I posted 11 highlights for 2011. As I reflected on last years highlights I also wanted to think through specifc prayer for 2012. So here are 12 prayers for 2012. Although I have journaled through specifics in depth and plan on writing out the 12 topics on on index cards to pray through regularly, I am only posting the heading/broad request on my blog.

1) That I would daily surrender to the Lord. My plans, my desires, my dreams.
2) That I would experience rich blessing that comes with surrender. I would see blessings in the path the Lord leads me down this year and look back on 2012 as a year of blessing.
3) That I would know where to spend my time this year. That I would be intential with my time and would be an impact and blessing to those around me. I want to be an ambassador for the Lord and give my life away this year.
4) That I would experience deep friendships. As people come and go, the Lord would continue to provide like-minded people for me in this city.
5) The Lord would bring my husband in my life this year. That His hand would be evident in this.
6) Wisdom and direction for my future.
7) Spiritual Disciplines. I want to be in the word daily, memorizing scripture, and praying. I want to be engulfed in this so that the things of this world would become dimmer as my focus is on the Lord.
8) Family. wisdom and guidance for my parents in this chapter of their lives. For my sis, bro-in-law, and niece as they began life as a family of 3.
9) For Redeemer as we decentralize into 3 congregations
10) My Job at Redeemer.
11) My Apt. my living situation has changed so much in the 3 years with different apts and roommates coming and going. Praying for a year without too much change in this area. That my apt would continue to feel like a home to me.
12) That I would be clay in the Redeemer's hands. That whatever path the Lord leads me down for 2012 that I would be teachable and humble and trust Him. I would continue to be molded in to the person God wants me. That He would fill me with himself and this year would be used for his glory.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Psalm 138:8

Surrender

2012-01-09T12:00:00.002-05:00

For the last 2 years I have picked a "theme" word for my year. in 2010 it was Contentment and in 2011 it was Hope. Although I have a long ways to go in understanding those words, I do believe the Lord has taught me so much and changed me in living out thse 2 important things
As I have prayed and thought through what my word for this year should be, the word "Surrender" continues to come to my mind. When I spoke at the PCA womens conference in October, they asked me the question "When do you think your joy in Christ is most visible"? As I prayed through this answer, it basically boiled down to "When I am believing in the Lord's promises, trusting in Him, and surrendering my desires to Him b/c He surrendered his life for me" I think about Jesus prayer in the Garden of Gethseme. He didn't want to be crucified, but he surrendered to his father, saying "not my will but your will be done". He did it for the joy set before Him. Because he surrendered to his father, eternal life is given. That one simple yet incrdibly difficult act changed the course of this world forever. Thankfully the greatest act of surrender was paid for me, yet because I was crucified with Christ my life is not my own. When I gave my life to the Lord I immediately was saying my life is not about me anymore. And so I handed it to Christ and said "not my will but your will be done".
Although I ultimately handed my life to God, I still have sticky fingers every single day. I often say I have surrendered my desires, but really I am holding on begging God to give me what I want. I know I will struggle with this for the rest of my life, but I really do want this to be a year where I learn deeply what it means to surrender.
I know deep down that when I surrender my day, my desires, my hopes to the Lord that he does give me joy. That he does bless me and that ultimately I want his way more that my own.
As I was praying this word for my life last week I began to cry. I struggle so much with the fact that this is not the life I thought I would have and not understanding why God made me the way he did, yet wrote this story line for my life. And I know that if I surrender I am letting go of the story line I wanted and had hoped. I am not saying he hasn't written me (and continues to write) a better one for my life, but honestly for me and it is hard to see,understand, and make sense of it all. In my tears I opened up God's word and this was the first passage that my eyes rested on, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways", declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my way higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" Isaiah 55:8-9. I didn't plan on reading this passage or even look for it. God just gave it to me, because he knew I needed it. I really do believe these words to be true and want to pray them for my life. I want to trust the God who created me and who has written my story.
And so my word for 2012 is surrender. I want to lay my life at the foot of the cross and say as Laura Story beautifully wrote, "I open my hands trusting your plan to make something beautiful" I know that a life with God is so much better than a life without Him. As hard as it's going to be and as much as I am struggling with it, deep down I want what he wants. Much of the time I think I often just wonder what that is. So I pray and I surrender and continue to walk in faith and asking the Lord to have his way with me and write His story for my life!

It's ok to not be ok

2012-01-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

I have spent a lot of time this week reading through my journal from last year, evaluating, and praying for 2012. As I read through specifc prayers I prayed last year I was overcome with how the Lord has blessed so many people around me. I am thankful for the rejoicing of people around me. For the new relationships, engagements, marriages, babies, new jobs and just overall answered prayer of so many people who are close to me. It has been a sweet reminder that the Lord really does answer prayer in his timing. He is a God who blesses his children with sweet gifts. At the same time though, It has been difficult for me as I go before the Lord in wonder of what he has for me. He has blessed me tremendously this year, yet I still feel like the specifc things I prayed for myself as I prayed for others is still unfulfilled. I want to be a friend who rejoices with those who rejoice, but I can't help but wonder if I will ever be the one who is being rejoiced over. It is hard in the midst of so much rejoicing to not feel a smidge of forgotness and wonder of what the Lord is up to.
As I have had these thoughts this week I came across this blog post. This post hit home with me. People always tell me that I am a very even-kill person (i guess you would call it that) I have always been the steady one even when things feel hard. Although I would say this is true, I was reminded over the last few weeks how hard it is to be honest with people. When people ask you how you are, it is so natural to say, "good how are you" When people ask me how I am or what is new for me, I often just jump to the easy and quick answer that I think people want to hear or is just easier for me. The truth is though, it is not always an accurate answer. I think I feel (like many people probaby do) that we are just supposed to be ok. I am scared to tell people how I really am, because I fear they won't understand or they will tell me to just "trust God" or worse look at me funny and say nothing at all. The post that I read in some ways felt like freedom to me. It really is ok to not be ok. I needed to read this, to hear this, to soak it in.
I was in a store recently where a lady (who I don't know) said something to me that in her eyes was very innocent, but to me it struck me like a knife. My eyes immediately welled up with tears and I felt like having a crying meltdown right there. Her comment to me was a reminder of unfulfilled dreams, desires, fears I have, and a sense of hopelessness. Yet I didn't cry because I didn't felt like I could. Now I know it's probably not appropriate to have crying meltdowns in stores, but I could have told the person I was with or called a friend and asked for prayer. But instead I pulled myself together and tried to pretend nothing was bothering me at all.
I think this is one of the reasons why I like the show Grey's Anatomy. I know there are so many morally wrong things in this show and it is probably not the best show on tv, BUT I will say they write people's emotions and relationshps really well. They would not say this, but they potray a fallen world quite well. They speak how they feel, they show emotions, they meltdown when life feels out of control. They say in so many ways that it is ok to not be ok. The characters on this show face the effects of a fallen world everyday and they deal with it in a way that many of us probably want to all the time. I appreciate that and actually at times learn from these characters. The one big difference though (besides that is actually not real life!) is that I have a savior, a redeemer. I serve a God who is perfectly in control of everything that feels out of control!
As I put 3 of my favorite little girls to bed last night, Hannah looked up at me from her bed and said "bethany we can't go to bed yet, we haven't sung the Redeemer song" You see, I have sung "There is a Redeemer" with these sweet girls for the last 3 years every time I am over there and put them to bed. I began singing this song with Hannah when she was a baby and now it is a tradition. It is our song and she along with her sisters know all the words. When we finished singing together I whispered to these little girls, "Aren't you so thankful we have a Redeemer because I am so thankful". In the midst of feeling dissapointed, and wondering what the Lord has ordained for my life I know I have a Redeemer who is in my heart. He will complete the good work he has begun in me and he has promised to be faithful to me through the ups and downs of life. I want to cling to Him right now. I want to trust him. I want to learn to be ok with where I am right now and know how to live fully as His child in this season. Praying for the Lord's grace, mercy, patience, and blessing as He leads me through this time.

Holiday in the South

2012-01-03T22:16:00.000-05:00

I'm back from 2 very relaxing weeks in the south filled with lots of time with family and friends.

After spending a few days in Alabama celebrating Mary Blake's adoption, helping Cat organize the nursery, and hanging out with the fam I headed north with my parents.

My dear friends Kelli and PD were visitng family in Georgia and I was able to meet them for lunch at our favorite place, Chick-Fil-A! It was so great to see them and meet their baby, Claire!

PD and Kelli are one of my favorite couples!! I love that I was friends with them separately and then they got married! PD was my date to my first sorority formal (totally as friends!) We all spent a summer in Africa together (where I totally thought Kelli was crushing on PD) and we were all on staff with CO together. All that to say we have a lot of fun (and maybe not so fun) memories together! Now PD is in seminary at Covenant and they have a baby! Man does life change.

After a pit stop at the Chick and maybe a little shopping at the outlets, I headed to the mountains of North Carolina!

My dad and I took hikes almost every morning

Winnie came home with us and had a little vacation until her parents, C and G came for Christmas!

I spent lots of time sitting by the Christmas tree and watching those cheesy Christmas movies. You gotta love those oh so predictable movies that come on during the 25 days of Christmas! Yes, I'm a sucker for those I will admit!

On Christmas day the Blakester made her first trip to the mountains to visit Mack Daddy and GG

Aunt B introduced her to the beautiful mountains. I think she was impressed

We opened stockings and presents

And Mary Blake opened her gifts. Can you tell she is super excited about the addapearl necklace she got from her grandparents. (My grandmother started a necklace for my sister and I when we were babies and added a pearl a year until she died. I still treasure it. Now MB has one!)

I think her first Christmas tired her out, b/c before too long she got a little mad!

So we celebrated the rest of Christmas while she slept.

Dad was excited about the Neil Diamond tickets we got him

And mom was excited about her new kindle fire.

I made my mom a book of her life for Christmas. I did this for my dad for his 60th birthday and had gret intentions of making one for my mom on her 60th. It's a 1 year late, but finally I finished it and she loved it!

The rest of the vacation we just hung out and played with this munchkin

and smiled at everything she did!

Her cheeks are just so squishy. I think her parents love her!

People told me that being an aunt is great, but I didn't know I would love it as much as I do. I am totally in love with this girl

We introduced MB to our 2 favorite restaurants in the mountains, Binions and Rockys. A trip to the mountains is never complete without a visit to these 2 restaurants. Judging by the way this girl likes to eat, I think she will like these restaurants very much when she gets older

And of course the grandparents bought her a onesie from Rockys

We also took her for her first trip to OP Taylor's Toy Store. Cat and I grew up going to this store.

Colette and Jonathan came over one night to hang out. They have a new baby too, who I got to meet for the first time. Colette is one of my best friends from college. Her baby Annaliese and Mary Blake are one month a part, so they got to have a little play date. You can see they both look thrilled about it!

And Mack Daddy soaked up time with his frist grand-daughter.

It was such a relaxing week in the mountains and a wonderful Christmas holiday!

11 Highlights from 2011

2011-12-31T10:00:00.001-05:00

As we say good-bye to 2011 and say hello to 2012 I can't help but reflect on the last year and all that it brought. It was a year of ups and downs as most years probably are. It was a year filled with moving apts and all the change that brings, a year of a new relationship and also an end to that relationship, a year of many changes in my church and my job, a year of becoming an aunt and the excitement that comes with, a year of growing closer to the Lord as I learn more and more what it means to surrender my daily life to Him.

As I was thinking through the last 12 months and all that life brought I decided to do a blog post with my 11 highlights from 2011

1) For the last couple years I have chosen a word to really pray for and be a theme word for my year. The word for 2011 was HOPE. It was a fitting word as the Lord really did teach me so much about what it means to hope in the Lord and the supernatural peace that comes with hope. Flowing from hope I learned much about surrender. "Not my ways but your ways oh Lord" was a prayer that I prayed often thisy year. I struggled daily with this, but the Lord really has been patient with me and his presence was near this year even when I often felt that it was not. I am thankful I have a loving Father who is near to me through the ups and downs up life. He was a constant in a year of many changes, sadness, and joy.

2) Moving Apartments. After almost 3 year years in my old apt, I think I really needed a change. Although it was hard to leave a great roommate (thankfully she is still one of my greatest friends in the city!) and a familiar space, I am thankful the Lord gave me my new apt. The space my apt offors is a rare find on the island of Manhattan. I feel really blessed that the Lord gave it to me and that it feels like a home to me, a treasure for this single girl who lives in NYC.

3) South Africa. I really debated whether to go to SA or not this year, but the Lord knew I needed this trip. I am so thankful I had the opportunity and that it was such an amazing trip. I feel like I learned so much and was challenged in specific areas that I needed to be challenged in. Prayerfully I hope I was also a blessing to others while I was there.

4) My fellowship group. This group of girls continue to be a blessing to me. After being in this group for 3 years, I feel like I saw the most growth in the last 6 months. I love the consistency of Tuesday nights with these girls and living life in NYC with them.

5) Along with the fellowship group, I have felt so much thankfulness and joy in friendships this year. I really struggle to let people get close to me and know me, but the Lord has blessed me with some really great friends in NYC. For so long everything in life felt so new in NYC, but after 3.5 years I feel like I am starting to have some history with people which is so great. Deep friendships are such an essential part of life, so I am thankful for the sweet friends I have!

6) Becoming an Aunt. I really love being an aunt. I still look at Mary Blake and can't believe she is here! She is an answer to a long time of prayers and I love that the Lord chose to answer our prayers in 2011

7) My job! Redeemer is going through a lot of changes right now. Some hard and some exciting. With the many changes my job also has changed some. The changes in my job and Redeemer as a whole continues to teach me that change is hard even when it is good change. One specifc that was a highlight was having a majority of my job split between 2 people. I love focusing on the west side congregation of Redeemer and having fewer people to oversee. It definitely makes my job feel more manageable. I also continue to be thankful for my staff team and that we work so well together. I cannot imagine doing my job without the staff team I have!

8) Photography. I really love taking pictures and capturing moments. I took 2 nine week photography classes this year which I loved. I did a few photography sessions for people and hope to do more in 2012. I really enjoy photography as a hobby and hope that I will continue to improve in my skills and that it will remain a part of my life.

9) Faces of Grace. I was asked to be a part of the "face of grace" session at the national PCA womens conference this year. It was a great weekend and I felt really humbled to be asked to be a part of this session. I feel like I walked away probably gaining more than I gave. As my story was being told to 2000 women while pictures of my life flashed across the screen, I was reminded how incredibly faithful the Lord has been to me.

10) Sweet time with old friends. Sometimes I feel like I miss out on so much by living far from all of my family and many of my friends. I know this is part of life and part of the decision I made when I moved to NYC, but it does not make it easier. I am always thankful for the time I do have and have learned to make the most of snippets of time here and there. I am thankful for the trips my family has made to see me in the apple this year ( my sis once, my dad once, and my mom 3 times), Heather came to see me, I was able to spend the weekend at the beach with Katherine and Erin. I was able to see Samm at the beach, I was able to see Kelli, PD, Katherine, Colette,Jonathan, and Frances while at home over the holidays, I was able to go to Philidelphia to see Kim. My mom, sis and I were able to have two girl weekends this year (one in NYC and one in Atlanta at the womens conference). I was able to fly home to meet Mary Blake and then see her again over the holidays. I know i am leaving out other people, but really I am just thankful for all the time I had with friends and family this year!

11) NYC feeling a little bit more like home. As I watched a movie tonight that took place in NYC I was again struck that the massive city on the screen is my home. When I see the city on tv I don't just see a bunch of skyscrapers and people, I see the sidewalks that I walk down, the buildings that I pass daily, the park that I take jogs in, place that I call home. NYC is so different than anywhere else in America and I learn that more and more each day. I love the crazy melting pot that it is even though life there can be hard and demanding. The city makes laugh and makes me cry, but it has taught me so much. I am not the same person I was when I moved there 3.5 years ago. It has changed me and grown more than I think I could have imagined. I can't remember the naem but there is a movie where the actress talks about the city becoming a part of you, a part of you that will never leave. I totally get that. No matter where life takes me next, NYC will always be a part of me. The city has worked it's way in to my heart and I think it is there to stay.

So those are just a few highlights from 2011. I think I am ready for 2012 and what the Lord has in store!

Happy New Years!

Family Photography

2011-12-28T21:55:00.000-05:00

In the last couple months I have done some photography sessions for a few families. Although I still feel like I have SO much to learn, I enjoyed snapping pictures of these sweet families. Here are a few pics from a couple of the families. All pictures were taken in Central Park.

If you are interested in having pictures taken please e-mail me at bethanygriffith@gmail.com

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T13:00:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas

from ME to YOU

"Christmas means God went to infinite measures to be near to you".
Tim Keller

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Chris the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

Luke 2:11-12

The Best Christas Present Ever

2011-12-24T00:24:00.000-05:00

"For this Child I prayed"

This child was prayed for, and longed for, and waited for. Sometimes with patience, sometimes with tears but in all times knowing it is the Lord who gives all good and precisous gifts. Mary Blake is a gift from the Lord.

Mary Blake was born on October 11th, was brought home on October 31st and was declared officially adopted by the State of Alabama on December 19th.

This sweet adoption ceremony was a family affair.

When we walked in to the judges chambers Cat and Gary first took an oath.

The judge and lawyer spoke a few words and then Mary Blake was announced to be Catherine and Gary's child. If you know their story, you know this was a true answer to prayer and a very emotional moment

They are now officially a family of 3. As the lawyer said, "this day is like a new birth day. She is yours forever"

I love this baby and I love being an aunt!

mommy and daughter

We went to lunch afterwards to celebrate. When we told the lady at the table next to us what we were celebrating she said, "now that's a good Christmas present" She is right indeed!

Waiting is hard, but one thing (of many) I have learned in waiting is that I think you appreciate something so much more when you wait on it. It does not make the waiting easier, but it does make you thankful. We are treasuring this gift of a little girl. God ordained the steps of this story and He picked Mary Blake long ago to be Cat and Gary's daughter. She was his perfect pick and for that we are thankful.

Through another friend's story, I was reminded today of Isaiah 43:10 "you are my witnesses" declares the Lord "and my servant whom I have chosen that you may know and believe and understand that I am he". Cat and Gary's story has, is, and will continue to be used for the glory of God in the lives of others. The Lord has purpose in all things and his purpose is greater than ours. I pray that not only will their story continue to be a encouragement to others, but that Mary Blake's life will be a blessing to others.

The Lord has a plan for this baby girl. I am thankful that I am her aunt and prayerfully I will always be a part of her little life.

"To God Be the Glory"

FInal Thoughts on Cape Town

2011-12-23T00:24:00.000-05:00

After weeks of posting, I think I am finished sharing about my Cape Town trip. I have shared the pictures I wanted to share and I have written the things I wanted to remember.

As I process this misson's trip I am continually reminded that this was not maybe the "typical" trip. We didn't stay in a hut in the middle of the jungle, we didn't build a house for someone or lead a vbs all week. This was very much an explortatory trip or a visionary trip. The pastor at Point Community, Jacques came to the Redeemer City to City church planting training several years ago. As his church is under the Redeemer umbrella he began talking to a staff member about a team coming to partner with his church. After much conversating and planning this was the year a team was able to go. Because we were the first team from Redeemer to go to Cape Town and we were the first team Point Community was hosting, our team was the "guinea pigs" in many ways.

For months after being asked to lead this trip, we really had no idea what our time in Cape Town would look like. Because of this, we spent much time talking to our team about being flexible and open to whatever may come our way while in Cape Town. I think our team really grapsed on to this idea, because flexibility was a huge strength on this Cape Town team. Everyday looked a little different and everyday our team was ready and joyful to do whatever came our way. I can't say enough how pleasant it is to be on a team that views a missions trip this way!

Because Point Community is still a very small church there wasn't too much for us to do during the week while we were there. Although we spent a great deal of time with the people, we also partnered with organizations with their denomination, and gained exposure to the largest township in SA and the work being done there.

We walked away having learned so much and excited for Redeemer to dive in a little deeper in a specific place and way in the future missions trips to Cape Town.

I think in some ways our team felt a little guilty during our trip, because it felt like we weren't doing much to help and we were gaining more than we are giving, yet I know this trip was so good for us on many levels. We built wonderful relationships with other members in the kingdom who live across the world, we were able to share our faith with people on the street and places we went, we were able to learn what it means to be a team and to labor so tightly with individuals who are very different than you, we were able to serve in small ways at u turn and arise, we were able to give financially to those we were with. Most of all we were able to learn what it means for God to use his sinful children for his Glory.

We walked away so blessed by the people of Cape Town. I walked way challenged by the joy of Christ I saw in others and the way I saw people making sacrifices for the Lord. It has affected my life in specific ways as I make decisions about my finances, my community, my future, the way I want to live my life. Although I won't dump all that out on my blog, I will say that I know God sent me to Cape Town for a reason. He knew I needed this trip. This trip will be a part of my story and I am thankful for that.

I would challenge you who read this blog to make foreign missions a part of your life. I know that you can do missions right where you are. Your neighbors need the Lord just as much as people across the word, but I will say there is something to the Lord taking you out of your comfort zone and travling to a foreign Land for HIM. Many people are fearful of foreign missions, don't think they can afford it, say they have to work or have too many responsibilities at home. Yes those are obsticles, but those should not be barriers. If God wants you to go he will provide for you. I have seen that time and again. Although I have always walked in to a missions trip a little uncertain the Lord always blows me away with his provision and plan. I think this is an area where we all need to be a little more open-handed

I didn't deserve this trip to Cape Town, but I am so incredibly thankful the Lord chose me to go. That he provided for me, stretched me, guided me, and used me.

I will look back on these 2 weeks with great fondness and blessing.

2 weeks after returning to NYC my team had a reunion/debrief. I loved how excited everyone was to see each other. It was a sweet time as a team. We prayed, we sang, we shared, we laughed, we dreamed for the team who will go next year.

I love that I live in the same city as these people!

For those who are tired of reading about my Cape Town adventures, I promise (well I think) I am done! I am sure I will stilll journal some about it and will eventually get my pics on facebook, but I think the blog is maxed out with Cape Town. I will get back to blogging about my ~~boring~~ crazy life in the big apple soon enough!

The Team

2011-12-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

A few more pictures of the Cape Town team....

Amy and I co-led this trip. It was so great leading with her. We have worked together so much that I think we have our partnership almost down pat:-)

Some of the girls before dinner one night

All the guys on our team: Jeff, David, Ricky, Harrison, and Scott

All the girls on our team: Amy, Katherine, Me, Joanna, Erin, Lindy, Perryn, Leah, Adriana, Liz, and Kara.

Leah and Harrison acting crazy at dinner

Perryn, Erin, and Me

Me, Amy, and Adriana

We went to a traditional Ethiopean restaurant for dinner one night.

Jacques and his wife Lindy. Jacques is the pastor at Point Community and was our host all week! We had such a great time spending the week with him

This pic cracks me up. The wind in Cape Town was a little strong if you can't tell.:-)

This is a random photo, but I have to add this in my blog post about Cape Town.

NOGII bars are really good protein bars that Elisabeth Hasselbeck put out. She very graciously donated a TON to our team to donate and eat for snacks. When I talked to her about it, I was expecting maybe she would donate a box or 2, but in her generousity she donated many more than that! Anyways, it kind of became a theme for our trip. we took nogii bars EVERYWHERE we went. we ate them daily, we handed them out to every homeless person we passed, we gave them to kids on the street, we gave them to kids at Arise. By the end of the trip we felt like every person in Cape Town had received a nogi bar sometime in the week(not really. ha!) It was such a blessing to have these bars with us all week to eat and give away. We joke that the slogan for our trip should be "got nogii?" Thank you Elisabeth for donating so many bars!

Our last days in Cape Town

2011-12-20T16:52:00.000-05:00

Saturday was our last full day in Cape Town. It was a busy one, but another great day!

We spent the entire day at Point Community doing outreach and helping do some things around the church.

A few of us helped finish painting the nursery. Two women in the church are expecting babies, which means Point Community will have their first children in the church!

Jaques and some other members decided to surprise these 2 women with a very adorable nursery/mother's room.

Most of the work was done(there are some amazing artists at Point), but we added some finishing touches!

Lea, a member of Point Community painting some animals

After finished the painting, we moved the furniture in and added a few toys. The big reveal was the next morning at Church. I think the women LOVED it!

We also worked on Christmas shoe boxes for kids at Arise. We each brought 1 bag of donated toys and suplies from NYC. It was so great to be able to pack up these boxes for children in need.

We also spent the afternoon prepping for a big evangelistic event that Point Community was hosting as well as going out in the neighborhood to talk to people and share Christ with them. Doing outreach is always intimidating, but I think our team really learned so much from it and prayerfully we planted some seeds!

After the day at Point Community we had a time of debrief and prayer as a team. It was a sweet time of sharing the things we had learned and specific ways the Lord had used this trip to impact our lives. At the end we prayed for our re-entry back to life in NYC, as well as for Point Community and the work being done in and through this church.

We also gave Jacques some fun NYC souveneirs to remember us by!

And since Lea was a honorary member of our team much of the week, we gave her a few fun souveniers!

Sunday was a special day for our team as we had the opportunity to lead most of the service. It was so cool to have our team members use their gifts in the service. David led the order of worship. Scott, Harrison, Jeff, and Amy led worship. Jeff and Lindy did the offortory piece. Erin did prayers for the people. Joanna read scripture. And Ricky gave his testimony. The only part our team did not do was the sermon, which Jacques preached! It was a great sermon. It was a really rich worship service.

After the church service, we had our final time of fellowship and lunch with Point Community!

One of the fellowship groups at Redeemer donated a bunch of Tim's books to bring to Pont. We layed them out for people to grab. you can never have too many of TK's books!

This is Point Community's prayer board. If you look on the bottom left, Redeemer is on the board. This meant a lot to us that the community of Point had been praying for our team for so many months!

My fellowship group girls with a random person. I have no idea who this guy is, but he came to church and wanted to be in our picture.:-)

Group Picture: Point Community and Redeemer!

After our lunch and good-byes it was time to pack up the cumbies and head to the airport. We really enjoyed being with Point Community all week. It was hard to say good-bye and leave the people and scenery of Cape Town!

Thanksgiving in Cape Town

2011-12-19T21:41:00.001-05:00

I have to admit I wondered what it would be like to spend Thanksgiving Day in South Africa, away from family and no turkey dinner!

Well, it was awesome! We started the day off super early with a "Turkey Trot" up Table Mountain.

I think we all looked at this mountain and wondered how we were going to get up it. Everyone we talked to described the hike as "strenuous"....and well it was. We literally climbed up the side of it, one step after another. It was definitely the most difficult hike I think I have ever done (completely up hill) but it was totally worth it!

We stopped along the way to take in the view and marvel at God's creation

With Adrianna, Kara, and Ricky as we approached the top

The path we climbed

Lion's Head

The big round structure is the stadium that was built for the world Cup. the hostel we stayed in all week was across the street from this stadium

Looking down at the city of Cape Town from the mountain

I think I might have mentioned this before, but 5 of us from my fellowship group went on this trip. It was so great to partner with these girls. We have been in a group together for a long time, but I feel like our relationships grew so much deeper during this trip. So incredibly thankful for these girls!

Amy, Joanna, Katherine, Me, and Erin

The Team when we got to the top (minus David, Lindy, and Liz who didn't cimb)! Unfortunately it was super cold and windy at the top so we didn't stay long, but we did manage to snap a few pics! We also spent some time praying for Cape Town as we looked down on the city.

The plan all along was to climb up the mountain and then take the cable car down. When we got almost to the top we were informed by another climber that the cable card had been shut down due to strong winds. Guess this meant we were climbing down! But we made it and it was so worth it. My legs felt like jello for hours after it, but we survied! and now we can say we climbed one of the 7 wonders of the world.

After conquering the climb, we went down to the market to do some shopping. I didn't take many pictures (due to the stress attack I was having from all the vendors trying to get me to buy stuff) but I did snap a pic of these girls doing some African dancing!

Even though I was a little ball of stress at the end, I did walk away with some good market finds for my family and friends.

After the market we had a couple hours of free time before our next scheduled event so Leah, Perryn, Katherine, and I hit up the beach. Gotta soak up as much of this beautiful place as possible!

We decided that since we were missing Thanksgiving dinner with our families, we would do something special with our South Africa family!

Thus we decided to do a big South African Braai with Point Community!

A Braai is similar to what a bbq is in America, but they have some variety of meat and cook it in a little bit different way. They also always serve Pap at braais, which is a starch you eat with your hands.

It was so great to connect with the Point Community congregation and celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday with them!

We also celebrated Perryn and Lindy's birthday

With Joanna at the Braai

With Amy and Perryn

Although it was a very different type of Thanksgiving, I really think it might have been one of my favorites! We went to bed that night exhausted from a full day and with hearts full of thanksgiving. We all said this would be a Thanksgiving we would never forget.

The Holidays

2011-12-19T00:37:00.000-05:00

In the midst of wanting so badly to blog through my Cape Town trip, I feel like I am leaving out so many other things I want to blog about. I mean the Christmas season has been in full swing with so many Christmasy things happening. One of them was the UWS Womens Fellowship group Christmas party we had last week at my sweet friends, the Taylor family home! It was such a great night with lots of food, wine, a little secret/dirty santa action and lots of good conversations. Perryn beat me to blogging about it, so I am going to just let you check out her cute little blog to read all about it. I really love these girls. The longer I live in NYC, the more thankful I am for such amazing community! It's a rare treasure in a big city!

And guess who is sleeping across the hall from me right now?????

to give you a hint. she is 2 months old, has the chubbiest cheeks ever, and might be the cutest baby in the world to me right now.

Yes I am home for the HOLIDAYS!

2 weeks in the deep south.

Thanks to a very gracious boss, I was able to fly south a little early and work from here so that I could be here for a very special day tomorrow!(more on that later!)

The 2 weeks will be filled with 3 states, some work, lots of family time, seeing some of my greatest friends, rest, fun, soaking up as much time with chubby cheeks, and lots of Christmasy things!

These Girls

2011-12-17T19:54:00.000-05:00

I will be back to blogging about Cape Town tomorrow, but I wanted to post this picture. These are the girls I mentor through a program called Kids with a Promise

I have been spending time with these girls for 2.5 years. As you probably alll know, Mentor/mentee relationships can take time to build, especially when investing in youth. I am thankful for the way my relationship with these girls has grown and that I get to spend time with them on a fairly regular basis.

Today we had our big KWAP Christmas party which included an Elf Scavenger hunt. It was awesome! We basically hit up the places Elf did in the movie. You know, the North Pole at Macys, The Empire State Building, The tree at Rockefeller Center. We also built a gingerbread house together! It was a very Christmasy day and such a fun day with these girls!

The Public School

2011-12-16T13:00:00.002-05:00

Friday we went back to spend the day at Arise, but on this day we had the most unique opportunity! We had the priviledge of spending the morning at a Public School. Bridgette, who is over the kids club at Arise goes to the neighorhood public school every Friday to teach the kids a bible lesson. Since our team was there, we were able to take over and do 2 school assemblys for the kids. Our team was in shock that we were able to walk into a public school and share the gospel with all the kids. There is no separation of church and state in SA which in many ways is amazing!

We had one assembly for Kindergarten-2nd graders and one assembly for 3rd-5th grade. We sangs songs, performed a skit, and taught a bible lesson to them. We were able to present a clear Gospel presentation, which was just so cool. The kids seemed to really love it all!

We did the song, "Ha la la la" with them over and over again. The kids at Redeemer LOVE this song and the kids in Africa LOVED this song!
One of the teammates made a coloring sheet with a bible verse and "Jesus Loves Me" on it. All the kids took the coloring sheet to their classroom with them and colored it in class. I mean can you imagine that happening in the USA? It was really encouraging. One of the teachers is Muslim, but she was still all about us teaching about Jesus to these kids!

These faces are just incredibly beautiul to me.

We did a skit that included the South African flag, which the kids loved!

We had so much fun with these sweet children.

At the end of each assembly Bridgette stood up and talked to the kids about safety. It was heartbreaking to hear her tell the kids that they need to take care of themselves because their were people out there who would hurt them. She tallked to them about kidnapping, alcohol, abuse and sexual molestation. She talked openly with these kids about this, because in this community these things are happening ALL THE TIME. These kids were getting ready to go on their summer hoiliday (it is summer in SA) and for them this is a risky time. Most of these kids do not have parents who are looking out for them and taking care of them. Even at 6 years old many of them are fending for themselves.

It was hard to not want to stick some of these kids in our suitcases and bring them back with us, but thankfully they have people like Bridgette (and many others) who is doing all she can to help these children.

In the afternoon we did another kids club at Arise. This time we did a program for 6th-8th graders. We were able to have a really cool worship time with them where we sang both an African song and several of our worship songs. We did the same with them as we did on Wednesday where we met in small groups and talked through the Gospel. It was a really sweet time with these children.

One funny thing: 2 of the girls were OBSESSED with my hair. Many of them are never really around white people and they thought my hair was so soft and unique. They pretty much wanted to play with it the whole time I was with them.

I really loved our time at Arise and am so thankful we were able to partner with them!

Arise

2011-12-15T21:49:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday we spent the day at Arise. Arise is a Gospel-Centered ministry for vulnerable children in Cape Town. It is affliated with the same denomination as Point Community, The Church of England in South Africa.

We spent the morning preparing for a kids club we were in charge of that aternoon.

The theme verse for our time was Matthew 13:44

We had about 50 kids (Kindergarten -5th grade) come from the surrounding neighborhood and township. They come to Arise one day a week for kids club. We sang songs with them, performed a skit, and taught a bible lesson. We divided the kids up into small groups and were able to talk through the gospel with them. It was so neat to talk with them and share Christ with them.

In this picture we are showing them pictures of where we were from. It's fun to be from a place that so many around the world are familiar with. we bought lots of NYC souveniers and were able to give each child something from the big apple! They were so EXCITED to have something from NYC!

We also played lots of games with the kids. We bought this huge parachute for them which they LOVED. It was huge and so fun! One of the things I loved the most is how simplistic these kids are. They don't have all the entertainment and technology that our kids in the USA have. Instead they entertain themselves with all kinds of made-up games, which they loved teaching us!

Unfortunately Arise policy does not allow us to post pictures of the kids online, so I can't show you any of their cute faces. It was a great day spending time with these children. SO many of them come from very broken homes and need lots of love. Even though it was only one day, I was thankful our team could love on these kids and share the love of Christ with them!

Khayelitsha

2011-12-15T00:50:00.002-05:00

Our team had the great priviledge of spending Tuesday afternoon at Khayelitisha. This is the largest township in South Africa, with an estimated 2 million people residing.

This was a picture I took from the road as we were driving in. Can you see just one "house" next to the other?

We met with the pastor of Mandela Park Church, Phumezo. This pastor was amazing. Such a huge heart for the Lord and really seeking to make a difference in this very large township. He so graciously invited our whole team into his home to meet his family. This was his little 2 year old boy. He was so stinkin cute!

Phumezo took us up to the top of an overlook to see the township. He shared his heart with us and dreams for these people. There is so many poverty, abuse, alcoholism, withccraft, rape, neglect in the townships. It was so neat to hear a man who lives in the midst of it with his family seeking to be a light and slowly making a difference in a very broken place

This is another picture taken from the road. A lot of the houses have pieces of tin or tarps covering them to make a roof

We also had the opportunity to go inside his church with him. They are in the process of opening a school at their church, which is so cool!

Some cute little boys found us when we were at the overlook and somehow talked some of our guys in to racing them up this sandy hill. I think they all had a blast!

There were so many interesting sites in this township. I thought this barbershop was interesting, especially the name

Some of the homes

The Produce Stand

Our Team with Phumezo (and the cute little boys) at the overlook. It was so interesting to me that these boys had no adult supervision. They were just wandering around alone. This sadly is very normal in these areas

and another pic of Phumez little boy

Wherever we went in this township people waved at us and stared at us. When we got out at Phumezo's house, kids flocked to us! Within 5 minutes the whole driveway area was filled with kids from the township

We joined hands and sang and prayed today. Such a special time!

One of our teammaes, Lindy had her nails done with the SA flag. The children loved this!

We had so much fun playing with some cute kids!

When it was time for us to leave they all went out to the road and waved to us!

They followed us all the way down the street

This little boy literally ran beside our cumbie for as long as he could keep up. It was so sweet!

We had such a great afternoon with the people in Khayelitsha. We really wanted our team to have exposure to a township and the work being done there. It was cool to visit a church that Point Community is already seeking to partner with. This was one place our team really walked away wanting to spend more time at. We would love to see a team partner more diectly with this church. The need is great in this township, but the Lord is at work! Hearing Phumezo's heart was really impactful for me. In the worlds eyes he has so little, yet he really has everything! He radiates Christ. I loved the simplicity of his life and that He is seeking to serve Christ above all else. I love that joy fills his heart and all that are around him can see that. I want to be like that!

Robben Island

2011-12-14T00:16:00.000-05:00

2 Things:

1) Last night we had our Cape Town Debrief meeting and it was AMAZING. So much fun, so much laughter, so much sharing, so much singing, so much worshiping. It really is a gift when 16 people bond like we did. So thankful for our time together. We were able to all share nuggets of specific ways we have been impacted. It was so encouraging to hear from each other and dream for the future.

2) I am going to divide this post (Tuesday) in to 2 post. Too many pictures to fit in one!

So Tuesday was, I think, one of my favorite days.

We took a ferry bright and early Tuesday morning to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.

It was a beautiful island and full of so much meaning and history.

This is a view of Table Mountain and Cape Town from the island

One of the coolest things about the tour was that a man who was in prison with Mandella was the guide. He shared so much history and was just amazing.

This picture below was a cell where 60 men would stay. It was super small to fit so many men

He took us all over the jail and shared with us specifc facts of his and Mandella's time there. This man was in prison for 5 years. He was put in prison when he stood up for his rights to not only learn the Afrikans language in the schools. He thought he and the others who stood up would be heard, but instead they were attacked with tear gas and put in prison. when asked how long he was in prison he replied with an answer like, "5 years that felt like 5 minutes when you are fighting for freedom." He and the other prisoners really fought to keep their perspective on what they were fighting for even during the long prison days. Staying focued made it worth it and made the years spent much more barable.

This is Joanna, Amy, and I on the island. Go CM Team! Love these two

And another view of the beautiful ocean and mountains from the island. I mean the beauty of this place totally captivated me!

And this below was Nelson Mandella's private cell. He spent 18 years in this tiny cell.

I read The Long Walk to Freedom before spending a summer in Pretoria in 2004, but honestly I have forgotten so much of the book. Going to Robben Island really made me want to read it again. There is so much rich history in South Africa with Mandela and others who are fought for equality and the ending of the apartheid. It really was such a educational and impactful morning touring this island and learning from our guide.

This picture just really makes me laugh. When you get on the ferry they take your picture. A group of us got in one shot together. So when you get off the ferry you have the option to buy. Of course all were cheap and didn't buy the picture.........even though it was only about $2. So what did Adriana do??? She took a picture of the picture and sent it to us. Maybe this is not the best thing to do, but I don't think anyone there really cared. and now we have a low quality image of us!

I love this picture of our team. You see the African couple in the pic with us? The guy saw our group and REALLY wanted a picture with us. so sweet! We were already posed like this to take a team picture and they just jumped right it. Love it!

Robben Island was only half of our day on Tuesday. I will blog about the rest of our day in the next post!

A Few Thoughts and Pictures

2011-12-12T13:00:00.003-05:00

I am going to get back to the Cape Town blogging, but i'm pausing for this post. I have gotten in such a habbit of this blog being my journal and scrapbook that I don't want to leave out anything, so I am going to blog this.

9A hosted a Christmas Party Saturday night. It was such a fun night with a revolving door of people! I love how parties can bring together so many different people who you don't get to see all the time. With 4 roommates and 4 (mostly) different groups of friends, the apt was full!

I didn't take a single picture while the actual party was going on, but we did snap a few roommate shots before people arrived. I love living and hosting parties with these 3!

and this is completely random, but awhile ago I posted pictures of my room. I was still in the decorating process at the time and so I thought I would post some updated pics!

and you might remember the green piece of furniture from this post

And the living room before the party! I think Christmas trees are just the best.

Christmas time is such a busy season and it goes by so quickly!

Sometimes I wish I could soak it all in a little bit more.

on Saturday I wrapped gifts at HFNY His Toy Store. It is basically a free toy store set up in different locations around the city in neighborhoods of great need where parents can come get toys for their children for Christmas. I know it is more blessed to give than to receive, but I experienced it again on Saturday. I loved the joy and excitment on the faces of many of the parents as they picked out brand new toys for their children. It was one of my top 5 favorite things I have done since moving to this city.

And lastly, The Lord reminded me of this sermon by TK today.

Christmas means God Understands. Oh how I love that. I really needed the reminder this weekend as I struggle to believe God really does know me and that I really am cared for.

In a city of many jewish and people who don't believe in Jesus Christ, I am thankful to celebrate Christmas and the real meaning of this holiday

2 Months

2011-12-11T23:04:00.001-05:00

Mary Blake is 2 months old!

I still can't believe I have a niece.

I don't know her very well, but I'm excited to spend more time with her over the holidays.

and I will definitely be squeezing those squishy cheeks!

U-Turn

2011-12-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

On Monday we spent the entire day at a homeless ministry, called UTURN. This ministry is connected to the denomination of Point Community. They focus on meeting not only the immediate needs (food, clothes, etc) of the homeless in South Africa, but also the long-term needs (permanent housing, employment, etc).

We spent our day helping organize the clothing store that they offer to the homeless in the area. This is a unique store in the sense that the homeless and needy can earn clothing vouchers by doing some type of small job. Once they earn a voucher they can come in to the store and "purchase" clothing.

We walked in to this room of clothes.....

and spent the rest of the day dumping out bags, organizing, folding, and setting up the store.

we got to work right away carrying boxes and bags and setting up work stations

I can not tell you how many article of clothes we sorted and folded, but it was a lot!

We actually made it really fun. It was a great bonding day for our team and we laughed a lot while we worked!

We also found many interesting articles of clothing. Sometimes some of us just couldn't resisit trying something on. Ricky's sporting what some might call a bathing suit....and you can see me laughing hysterically in the background.

At the end of the day the volunteer coordinator at UTurn, Sean (pictured in the back with us in the group photo) told us that we did the same amount of work in 1 day that would take their team 1 year to do. We were so thankful to be able to serve this ministry and help set up a clothing store for them.

After a long day of work we decided to take the team to Camps Bay for dinner

Perryn, Joanna, myself and Amy. We all roomed together (plus Erin who is not pictured) while in Cape Town. we had such a fun time living together!

The two team leaders!

Team devotions in my room! We lived in a hostel all week, so we stayed in very nice dorm type rooms. I felt like I was back in college! I loved our nights of devotions together.

The Team Arrives!

2011-12-10T00:58:00.001-05:00

Saturday morning the "real" trip began! We went to the airport to rent our two vehicles and then waited for the team to arrive! We had lots of time to wait so I managed to make a sign for every peron on our team. I mean after a 16 flight across the world you do deserve a sign with your name on it!

We were pumped to welcome the team to this beautiful country. Sadly when we got to the arrival area we realized that their flight from Joburg to Cape Town had been cancelled. ugh! Good news though! they were on the next flight and it would arrive only 1 hour later. Good job SA airways!

This gave us time to go eat lunch at Wimpys burger joint and be back with our signs to welcome the team!

It was so fun welcoming the team, but for their sake I spared them on pictures. I mean who wants their picture made when you've been traveling for 24 hours. We went back to our home for our stay, Atlantic Point (in Green Point) and got settled. It was so fun and exciting to have everyone together in South Africa. We had been planning for months, so it was such a cool reality to finally be here!

We decided for our first dinner together to walk down to the water front and eat outside in the warm and beautiful Cape Town weather. Although some of us knew each other well, some of us were new friends. It was great to be together and begin getting to know each other better

It was such a great first night out as a team until we came home to this...

We had been told Cape Town was not a safe place. I guess this was a good reality check for us. Thankfully we had insurance and the rental car company was great! What was not so great was Dria and I driving down the interstate in a car like this when we had to get it back to the rental company. Thankfully this was our only theft issue during our trip!

Sunday was a great day of getting oriented to Point Community and the work we would be doing. It was such a priviledge and delight to worship with this amazing church plant Sunday morning. This was the beginning of a wonderful week with these sweet people. We started the morning off by standing outside the church talking to people on the street and inviting them to church and ended the morning off with a picnic lunch with the all those who attended church.

My favorite moment on Sunday was when we sang 2 zulu songs that my team had sung so often when I was in SA in 2004. It brought back such great memories of my summer in SA and made me really excited and thankful to be back in this beautiful country 7 years later!

The afternoon was filled with a orientation meeting and hearing Jacques testimony (which was one of the most powerful testimonys I think I have ever heard! such an example of the Lord's grace, mercy and faithfulness) His testimony was another example to me of how much bigger God is than us. He has the complete power to change lives. It is not about what we have to offer, but the Lord using his sinful children to further his kingdom. We ended the day with a short tour around Cape Town, a trip to the grocery store, and dinner as a team.

How to Survive your First NYC Fire

2011-12-07T21:55:00.001-05:00

Last night was a scary and exciting night at 9A

It all started when I couldn't sleep and was laying in bed watching tv. I was starting to doze off around 1AM when I heard lots and lots of sirens. This is no big deal when you live in NYC, but normally I don't hear loud sirens from where my bedroom is located. I stuck my head out my window and realized I was hearing an alarm. I ran to the living room to look out the front window to see what was happening. When I lookd down all I could see were firetrucks, ambulances, and lots and lots of lights. At this point I realized that the alarm was coming from our building hallway and our apt had smoke coming in!

I will let you jump over to my roommate Hannah's blog to read the rest of the story.....

The adventures in NYC continue on. I think I would be ok to never have an adventure like last nights again!

Beach Days

2011-12-07T00:16:00.000-05:00

The Thursday and Friday before the team arrived was very relaxing. Amy, Dria, and I spent a good portion of the two days relaxing at the beautiful beach in Camps Bay!

We had lots of entertainment. These guys reminded me of all the street performers in NYC that I try to ignore. Somehow it's more fun watching the performance when you are the tourist:-)

We also made lots of friends! Meet Frank...

Frank was one of the many people who walked up to us to sell us something (you know, artwork, jewelry, etc) We were easy targets I admit. Anyways, we had good conversations with many of them and Frank and I became friends. We went to Camps Bay for one reason or another several times during our 2 week stay and each time Frank found me. It made me laugh how many times I ran in to him. He was a sweet little friend in Cape Town!

on Thursday night we followed my friend Maggie's recommendation again and drove to Franschhoek, a small French winelands town outside of Cape Town.

As we were driving out of the city, Table Mountain had the largest cloud ever covering the top. They call this is in Cape Town the table cloth for Table Mountain. Evidently it is common for a cloud to sit on the top like this. I thought it looked so interesting!

The Sunset was unbelievably beautiful. And again this was the only way I could take the picture. Side mirrors come in handy for photography:-)

We ate dinner at a really cute french restaurant called Le Coq. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was trendy, yet homey.

On Friday night we went down to the water front. This is a really cool area with lots of outdoor restaurants and a big mall. I (along with my sister) am totally obsessed with cotton candy. I saw some and had to buy it! I was interested if it would taste differently, but i guess cotton candy is cotton candy! I felt like I was at a fair in small town America!

And did you notice how sun burned I am in the picture? ouch! My skin hadn't seen the sun for a couple months and was quite the adjustment. Just so you know, I used much more sunscreen the rest of the trip!

Friday night we went to bed rested and relaxed and ready for our team to arrive the next day!!! Let the real mission's trip begin....

Christmas Time!

2011-12-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

I will be back to my Cape Town blogging tomorrow, but I thought i would share this fun little post my roommate Hannah wrote on buying a Christmas tree in Manhattan.

Our pretty tree will be making it's holiday debut Saturday night at 9A's Christmas Party!

Christmas season is in full swing on this little island. The tree at Rockefeller Center is all lit, the storefronts at Macys are alive, Santas are on every corner, the holiday markets are up in their regular locations, the street musicians are playing a variety of Christmas music, lights are everywhere, and the magic of it all is as delightful as ever.

I love Christmas time in New York City!

The Beauty of Cape Town

2011-12-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

As we descended in to Cape Town on Tuesday the 15th, I snapped this picture. After 16 hours of flying, we finally saw Table Mountain and it was beautiful!

Months before the trip Amy, Adriana, and I decided to travel to Cape Town a few days earlier than the team. The reason for this was to have a little vacation before we actually began the mission's trip. Although it was incredibly restful and fun, Amy and I were so thankful we came a few days early to do some planning. We were able to meet with Jacques (the Pastor of Point Community), work out logistics for our team, get our schedule finalized, and learn our way around the area. This was incredibly helfpul before leading a team of 14 others in a foreign land! Other than doing all those things, we had an amazing time enjoying this beautiful city!

On Wednesday after meeting with Jacques at Amy and my favorite South African cofffee shop, Mugg and Bean(we each spent a summer in Africa separately, but both love this place!), we took a little day trip down the coast to Cape Point! I will let the pictures speak for themselves, but I just have to say that I have never seen beauty like this. I knew pictures would not truly capture it, but that did not stop me from snapping away. We would drive a little bit and then pull off to enjoy the beauty. The further we drove down the Cape, the more beautiful it seemed to get

We saw these baboons signs everywhere, but never saw a baboon. Maybe we were crazy, but we were really hoping to see one.

The water was chilly, but it felt amazing to run in the soft sand and put my feet in the crystal clear water.

If you know me, you know my all-time favorite place on earth is the beach. I love everything about it. Being in the sand and the waves is worshipful for me. You can imagine that the beauty of this beach was a truly worshipful experience for me

We finally made our way to Cape Point National Park and took the cable car up to the top of the peak

This point is the very southern tip and where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean meet. Although there is no clear line, this was my first time seeing the Indian Ocean.

What a sweet sign reminding us how far away New York was! A little piece of home in a far far away place!

We drove around the national park for a bit and saw some pretty ostriches just walking around on the road

We made a stop at Cape Of Good Hope - the southwestern most tip of Africa. How cool is that?

As we headed back towards Cape Town we watched the sun begin to go down over the mountains. Although this picture does not capture it at all, it was beautiful. I had forgotten how amazing African sunsets are. Since we were on the highway, this was the only way I could snap it! ha

After a long day of driving and taking in beautiful scenery, we stopped in Camps Bay for a nice dinner at Cod Father. My friend Maggie recommended it and it was such a cool place. They have no menues but only fish in a clear fridge. You literally walk up and pick out the fish you want to eat and then they cook it for you! Now that is fresh seafood! They also had a revolving sushi bar which was also the first for us. And last but not least they had the best mints ever! Seriously Amy and I became addicted to them and bought them regularly at the grocery store. They are called Endearments and go right up there with Jelly Tots in the favorites list for African candy!

The view from dinner

As we spent the day taking in the beauty of this country, I really felt like I was in a state of true worship. I kept thinking of the Laura Story song "Indescribable" From the heighest of heights to the depths of the sea Creation's revealing your majesty. I saw the majesty of the Lord revealed in all that we saw. I just continued to think how indescribable it was , and yet the God who loves me and cares for me created it all! I thought of Isaiah 40 "who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand" That all that we saw is held in the palm of our God's hand! As I processed through this day, I thought about how much I have struggled with doubt and trust latey. I feel so foolish for doubting a God this big, and yet I do it so often. He knows the grains of sand that we saw, these majestic oceans bow at his feet, the mountains are weighed on a scale. This is the same God. He created it all, he holds it all, and he knows it all!

I felt so priviledged as we made this drive. I know that I don't deserve to have experienced such indescribable beauty. It was a sweet gift from the Lord to give me this day. I soaked it in and experienced the richness and majesty of the Lord.

Day 1 down and many more days to share....

Stay tuned!

Starting Somewhere

2011-12-02T17:43:00.001-05:00

I feel overwhelmed by the 1000+ pictures I took during my 2 week stay in Cape Town. I will get to organizing them, but until then I stole a few pictures from one of my teammates, Adriana. Let me first just say that this week was beyond rough for me. I don't know if it was the extreme jet lag, being a little sick, or just getting back to the reality of life (thinking it was a combo of all 3), but I could barely keep my head above water. All that to say, I wanted to begin my updates days ago. Oh well!

I will also say that these pictures are complete randomness. I will post some for real pictures and updates soon, but until then enjoy the craziness and beauty!

Ok first things first: We all took 2 big pieces of luggage with us. one bag of personal stuff and 1 bag of donations. Amy, Dria, and I went 5 days earlier than the rest of the team (more on that later) and between us we had 6 large suitcases and 3 carry-ons. Somehow we thought we could fit all this in one cab to get to JFK. I'm not sure i've ever been so squished in my life. 3 people in the backseat, plus 2 suitcases on the floor, and one across our laps.....not including the cab driver in the front with more luggage and a trunk full of luggage! It was the longest 45 minute taxi ride of my life, but definitely caused some great laughs and memories!

Feeling good before our 16 hour flight!

Being ridiculous with Dria's hurt ankle ( the ankle did cause us to experience a South African hospital....and it was nice!)

The Sunsets of Cape Town were beautiful. This picture does not capture it, but oh how they were amazing.

Meet my crazy team at the top of Table Mountain (minus the 3 who didn't make it up)

Enjoying the beach! Did I mention it was summer there.....and beautiful???

We took a day trip to Cape of Good Hope before the team arrived. It was indescribable beauty. I will do a whole other post on this!

This picture makes me laugh! No, Kara did not fall off the cliff, but it looks like she might. Pictured below: Jacques (pastor of Point Community), Ricky, Kara, and myself.

If you want to check out a snippet of our trip from the pastor of Point Community (the church we partnered with) you should check it out HERE. He did a great job summarizing our time there.

Tonight I am missing Jelly tots, Marcels Yogurt, the ocean, Table Mountain, the people of Point Community, the kids at Arise, and my amazing and funny teammates!

More updates to come soon!

Back to Reality

2011-11-28T19:54:00.003-05:00

It was two AMAZING weeks in South Africa.

I am tired and jet-lagged, but my heart is full.

The two weeks were refreshing, encouraging, challenging, life-giving, eye-opening, stretching, beautiful, fun, busy, and truly life-changing.

I am missing my team, the people of South Afirca, and the beautiful surroundings of Cape Town, but I am slowly re-orienting myself back to reality.

I am planning on using my blog as a photo journal for my trip.

Stay tuned for daily blog entries as I re-cap the beautiful days of the last 2 weeks.

2 Weeks

2011-11-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

"And a girl got on a plane for 2 weeks in Africa"

I'll be back in two weeks with stories to share.

thank you Caedmon's Call for the song "2 weeks in Africa"

Birthday Shout-outs

2011-11-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Amy!!!

we work together, we lead a fellowship group together, we are leading a missions trip together, we basically over-lap in every area of our life in NYC. And she has become a very dear friend!

Fun Fact about A2 and me: 1 year before Amy and I moved to NYC (we moved 6 months apart) we both were on staff with Campus Outreach in different regions and both attended a CO womens conference. We took a group picture and were standing right next to each other! We don't think we talked and neither one of us remember the other (Amy found the picture recently and noticed this fact). who knew that within a year we would meet again in NYC and soon be doing life together!

Amy calls me her surprise friend.

I prayed for one special friend in NYC. Although God has given me many friends, Amy and I joke that we speak the same language. It is so nice to have a friend in this city who "speaks your language". I am so thankful the Lord answered my prayer with her!

AND

Happy Early Birthday to this lady!

Once again, I will not be able to be with my mom on her birthday. I am so thankful for her and will be celebrating for her across the world! This year she will be spending her birthday with her new grandbaby, so I am thinking she won't be missing me too much!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Cape Town

2011-11-12T13:31:00.001-05:00

On Monday I will fly across the Atlantic Ocean and land in Cape Town, South Africa. I will spend 2 weeks in Cape Town, and I couldn't be more excited about it. We have been praying, thinking, and planning for this trip since January. Amy and I recruited a team of 16 people and together we have been working hard to get ready for this trip. Every team member raised $3000 of personal support and then as a team we had 2 rather large fundraisers. It's been a long road, but it's almost time to go! Last week we had a packing party where we packed 16 suitcases full of toys, supplies, food, and books that we wil donate to the orphanges where we will be volunteering.

We are partnering with another city church, Point Community. The Pastor came to Redeemer for church planting training and walked away desiring a team from Redeemer to come work with his church. 2 years later it is finally happening! I am so excited and thankful to be co-leading this team. We will be spending a good bit of time with the church serving them in various ways: leading 2 worship services, speaking at their community groups, helping them get ready for a large Christmas evangelistic event, and going out on the beach to share our faith and tell people about the church. We will also be spending several days at 2 different orphanges: playing with the children,loving on them, leading school assemblys, and helping with the after school program. One day will be spent at a homeless shelter: serving food, talking with the residents, and doing projects around the grounds. The rest of our time will be spent touring Cape Town, and gaining a glimpse of God's work that is occuring across the world.

I love mission's. New York City is definitely a mission field of it's own, but I am thankful for the opportunity to take the Gospel to another country. I am thankful for the opportunity to partner with such a great team, to visit a city I have never been to before, to be taken out of my comfort zone and to learn and grow and be challenged. I do not know what the next 2 weeks holds, but I am excited to find out.

I would appreciate your prayers. It is great comfort to know that the Lord has gone before us. He is in control and He has promised to take care of us. My prayer on this trip is that His will would be done.

I look forward to sharing all about the trip ony my blog when I return!

Today

2011-11-11T23:09:00.000-05:00

Happy One Month Birthday!

Sorry for the blurry Iphone pic (sent to me by my sister)

P..S. Today was 11.11.11 so cool!

P.P.S. I was in Central Park today for 1 hour and saw about 10 weddings. I guess getting married on 11.11.11 is quite popular.

Thankful

2011-11-11T00:06:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving is around the corner. It will be a very different Thanksgiving for me this year and since I won't be able to blog on the day, I thought I would do a little thankfulness post ahead of time.

Just a few of the things I am thankful for......in no particular order

My family.They love the Lord and they love me
Tuesday nights with my fellowship group. Can't imagine my life in NYC without these girls.
My Church and my pastor. what a Priviledge it is to sit under the teaching of Tim Keller
My Apt. It's big, it's nice, there is laundry in the building and an elevator.
My Staff Team. They make my job fun and doable
My boss. She knows my strengths and my weaknesses and seeks to foster both of these to develop me as an employee and as a child of God
My community. Not sure how you do life in NYC without a solid community
My roommates.
Not having a car. I really love that I don't own a car. No oil changes, no gas, no flat tires. It makes life so much easier
My health. I don't think about this often, but I want to be more thankful for this
Airplanes. It makes traveling doable
Central Park. My refuge in this city and I love it
Mr Constant. He's my constant in this city
Friends (the tv show) I am totally still obsessed with this show. It does not matter how bad my day is this show will make me laugh
Life in NYC. It's crazy and hard, but it is also exciting and fun.
Fountain Drinks. My love for fountian drinks is still going strong.
The supers in my building. They are just so helpful and so great
The Hudson River. It's beutiful especially at sunset. I love that I live 2 blocks from water.
The Families at Redeemer. They are just great and so encouraging to me.
A mentor. I needed this and God gave me one
My college friends. We don't see each other often, but they are there for me and I love them!
Pandora. It just makes the work day so much better. ecspecially when you work in a loud office!
Squagels from Cosi. My favorite morning breakfast treat
Broadway. I love Broadway and I live in the city of it! .
My Parent's mountain house. It's a beautiful and quiet place to escape to when I am able to go home
Chineese Body Works
Cheap Manicures and Pedicures on every block
Trader Joes. I love this grocery store and now that there is one in the UWS it's been so nice!
My Iphone. I love this phone!
My job. There are many without one and I have one I love!
Mary Blake! She is such a blessing.

I want to have a heart of thanksigiving. I deserve nothing yet the Lord has giving me so incredibly much. I know there are things I left off, but these are some things at the front of my mind. Most importantly I am thankful for Jesus Christ. That he chose me, that he loves me, that his mercy and grace pour down in my life. He bought me at a price and I am his. My hope does not have be in this world, because I have a greater hope, a great purpose. And day I will live eternity with Him in Heaven. For that I am most thankful!

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness"

Colossians 2:6-7

It was Joyous

2011-11-07T00:35:00.002-05:00

Meeting Mary Blake for the first time

How do you capture meeting your niece for the first time? How do you express the rejoicing that occurs when you wait for something for so long and then the Lord blesses you with such a sweet gift? I don't have the words, but I do have some sweet pictures. These are just a few of the ones captured last week. Thanks to a wonderful boss and Delta skymiles I was able to spend a few days getting to know my new niece.

The first night G's mom led us in a time of sharing and praying together. It was a sweet time as a family of praising God and being reminded together that we serve a faithful God. The rest of my short trip I spent as much time as I could feeding and cuddling with Mary Blake. She's a sweet one!

I am already counting down the days until I see her at Christmas. Until then, I am thinking she and I will have many face time dates on the Iphone!

"Don't stop praying until the mountain has moved" - John Piper

The Lord HEARD and He ANSWERED

2011-10-31T23:59:00.000-04:00

Mary Blake Noah.

She is 2 weeks old and came home today.

After many prayers and a long wait, the Lord gave my sister and brother-in-law a baby.

you might remember me asking you to pray HERE.

It is such a testimony of the Lord's faithfulness.

I pray that the Lord would continue to use Cat and Gary's story as a testimony of the Lord. That HE really does know your desires and HE is a faithful God!

Here is what I want to remember about TODAY.....

seeing the words "daughter" on my sisters's fb page for the first time.
typing and saying the words AUNT for the first time
seeing her picture for the first time
getting the pictures of the pumpkins and learning what her name is!
face timing with my family twice
Having almost all of my friends tear up when they found out about Mary Blake
Having it slowly soak in that Cat and Gary are parents

It still amazes me how God ordained this story. That He hand picked this sweet little girl for them. I can not wait to see what He has in store for her and for Cat and Gary as her parents! This is a new chapter for them. The pages have been written and now they get to experience it all!

I am sure Mary Blake will be a regular on the blog. I will meet her in person on Wednesday and I cannot wait. I went tonight and bought her some NYC gear. I want to go ahead and start her love for this city at a young age:)

Have I mentioned that I am so thankful for this little girl!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above" James 1:16

Where Has the Week Gone?

2011-10-29T21:43:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's already Saturday?!?

It's been a busy and fun week with my mom here!

We started her time off with tickets to "Live with Regis and Kelly". It was such a fun show. Regis only has a few shows left, so it was great to be able to get tickets. I honestly coud not get over how friendly Regis was with the audience. I also could not get over how small the studio was. Think teeny tiny small!

While I was at work my mom hung out and did some projects for me around my apt (which was awsome!!) I had Friday and Saturday off (my work week is Sun-Thurs) so we took full advantage to do lots of things! We ran a ton of errands all over the city. Literally, I drug my mom all over Manhattan:-) but she was a great sport and we accomplished a lot. Last night we went to see "Sister Act" on Broadway. It was the 2nd time I've seen it, but I loved it just as much. It really is a great show! We also managed to hang out with some of my friends throughout the week. It was nice for her to see my life here and be a part of it for a few days.

Today it snowed. Yes SNOWED! Serisouly not happy about this, but it is what it is!

After a very wet outing to go to brunch and run a couple errands (Including a stop at TJ Max where I bought the cutest lamp shade ever) we came home to paint.

I found this red piece of furntiure on the street a couple months ago and thought it would make the perfect bedside table for my room. After talking through colors with my talented roommate Hannah we decided to go with a bright green!

I still think I might add some fun finishing touches on it, but for now it it is finished! It really is true that one mans junk is another mans treasure. you gotta love street merch! I will take a picture of it in my room and post that soon.

I feel like I got so many "to do" things accomplished this week.

Thanks mom for coming!!

My Life in Bullets....

2011-10-24T23:10:00.001-04:00

Fall is such a busy season. I forget that, but it is
I leave for Africa 3 weeks from today. To say I am excited would be an understatement, but man is there alot to do between now and then!
I am cooking dinner for my Fellowship Group tomorrow night. I am so bad at cooking, but thankfully my mom will be here to help.....which brings me to my next point.
My mom is coming tomorrow.....because
We got VIP tickets to the Regis and Kelly show on Wednesday.....sooooo
you should watch Live with Regis and Kelly on Wednesday and look for my mom and I.
And speaking of TV, my roommate Hannah has her 2nd Nate Berkus segment airing on Thursday. You should watch it!
My mom and I have tickets to Sister Act on broadway this weekend. My mom has been begging to see this show since it opened, so I am excited she will finally get her wish!
the weather in NYC has been beautiful. I mean picture perfect feel like I am walking in a movie scene. You know the movie "You've Got Mail"? It's been like that. I have to admit it is nice. But don't be jealous. I'll be hard core complaining about the weather before you know it.
And speaking of weather, I never had anxiety about weather until moving to NYC. As much as I love fall, that means winter is next. I just really don't like winter in NYC. I'm pretty sure that will never change.
Work is so busy right now. Maybe it's always like that, but it feels extra busy.
I might start dreaming about tables and chairs and children's furniture before too long, because I am spending my fair share of time working on it. I never knew what all went in to designing so many classrooms for a new building, but it is a task. A very fun task, but quite a large one. It will be so rewarding when this building opens, but my head is spinning in it right now.
Have you guys been keeping up with Occupy Wall Street? I personally think it's a bit crazy, but we do live in a free country. They marched down Broadway the other night from the UWS and marched past my apt. The sirens woke me up and it was a bit annoying.
I am going through Gospel in Life with the UWS Redeemer community this fall. This is the 2nd time I've gone through this study, and I am reminded just how rich it is. I am thankful that TK is my pastor and I get to hear his preaching weekly. I would recommend this study if you are ever looking for a small group study that will challenge your socks off.
Ok I think that might be it. I'm going to go make my "while mom is here" list. You know, all those things that only moms know how to do. Since we live far apart, I save up my little domestic projects for her visits. I think she secretly loves it:-)

Fall Photos

2011-10-22T18:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my friend Misty and I took the little boy she nannies to Central Park for a morning stroll. It was a beautiful crisp fall day in NYC and a perfect day to do a little photo shoot!

Photography 2 Exposition

2011-10-21T09:00:00.002-04:00

I have been taking my 2nd photography class for the last 9 weeks. Along with my Photography 1 class this has been one of my most favorite things I have done while living in NYC. It has become a really fun hobby for me and hopefully something I will use for years to come!

I shared last week about the documentary project I was working on. And now I wanted to share my Photography exposition with you.

It was really fun to display my work and invite friends to come!

All of my roommates came, which really meant so much to me!

I also had some other friends make an appearance. Pictured below are Meghan, Amy, and Maggie. Emily, Matt, and Mike also came, but I didn't get a picture of them! It really meant the world to me that my friends care enough to come down to Union Square on a Thursday night to see my amateur work. Thanks Friends!

My classmates all chose different projects and it was displayed for all to see!

I ended up being really happy with how my project turned out. Although you can't see the photos well at all in this picture they all have purpose behind them. The first one in my story is of Poet's Walk. It is meant to give you an idea of where Mr. Constant stands. you can't see him here, but he is actually in the far right of the picture. Quite a small piece in a large scene. The 2nd picture is him with the images of people framed in his saxophone. They are blurry in the background but they are there and his presence is much larger. The 3rd picture I think is my favorite. it is a very crisp picture of his mouth blowing in to his instrument. I love the way his face is expressed in this image. The 4th picture is a close-up of his saxophone and hand. My goal in this picture was to capture the ruggedness of his hands and the wear and tear on his instrument. It represents his age and the number of years he has been standing in this same spot playing. The 5th picture is nothing really special, but just another more full body image of him playing his saxophone, and finally the 6th picture probably has the most meaning to me. you cannot see it here, but as Mr. Constant plays his saxophone, 2 ghostly images are walking in front of him. I purposely captured this image to represent his presence always being there as people come and go. Although compositionally is not such great work, I wanted to include it in the set because of the meaning behind it.

I think more than anything this class helped me see the specific area of photography I want to focus on. I still have so much to learn, but I am enjoying developing this skill.

And if any of you need photos taken feel free to call me! I am looking for people to be my practice subjects. Any takers?

A Prayer for my Sister

2011-10-19T08:00:00.003-04:00

I know I say this all the time, but this blog is like one big scrapbook for me. Honestly if not one person read this thing, I would still be so thankful that I have kept this online scrapbook of my life the last 3 years. I do know though (even though you people don't comment) that I have a blog following crowd, I try to be somewhat vulnerable as I write about my life and what I am learning and I do pray that it would minister and encourage those who do read. That being said, I try to be very careful about writing things on here that are not my story alone to share. Honestly some of the biggest things I have been learning the last 6 months have been through hard things going on in my relationships with others and things going on in the lives of those around me. Sometimes I want to share those things because it is part of my story, but I also want to protect those involved and be honoring to my friends and family!

That being said, meet my sister!

Today is my big sister Catherine's birthday.

For the last couple years on Cat's birthday I have prayed that the Lord would give her and her husband G a baby. Each year I think this will be the year that they become parents! And now another year rolls around. And although I will admit my faith is often weak, I pray again on this year that the Lord would give Cat and G a baby!

I say this because as I have watched my sister pray and wait and pray and wait I have seen her cling to the Lord in a new way. The last 6 months specifically I have watched her and G get soooooo close a couple different times to adopting a baby and then for one reason or another get the dreaded call from the social worker saying that this would not be their baby after all. There is great pain in this.

It it so hard to understand God's ways and understand why this is their story, yet we put our trust in a sovereign God who is perfect in all his ways.

I write all this on her birthday because I think I have grown to respect my big sister even more this past year as I have watched her walk with God through not the easiest of days. She is an example to me of a woman who is putting her hope in the Lord and being faithful to Him. I think it is so cool that many people have come to know their story and I know that she and G both have ministered to many around them in their waiting and trusting.

Although Catherine and I are in different seasons of life we are both learning what it means to surrender our desires to the Lord and wait on him. Waiting is a form of suffering and I never realized that until recently. There is pain in waiting, but ultimately there is purpose and joy and such an amazing opportunity to know the Lord in a deeper way. I pray that we will both look back on this season of waiting with thankfulness knowing that God's timing really was perfect!

And because I know that the "prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" and "God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" I would love it if you would pray with me for my sister!

Happy Birthday Catherine!

Amazing Grace 360

2011-10-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

Back in December my mom and her very good friend Druid were both in Hawaii and the subject of the PCA Global Womens Conference came up in conversation. It was at this time that they both decided they wanted to bring their daughters to this conference and have one big ole mother/daughter weekend. Although all 6 of us (mothers and daughters) live in 6 different locations and have 6 very busy schedules we somehow made it work, and 10 months later here we are!

It was so fun to be here all together and attend such a wonderful conference! They Joyners have been family friends for a long time, so it was very fun to spend the weekend with them! And can I just say that the daughters must have heard the mothers say at least 15 times while we were there, " we just can't believe we made this work" ha!

The teaching was so incredibly rich. The speakers were all wonderful and Indelible Grace and Laura Story led worship. For so many reasons I walked away from this conference challenged, encouraged, and re-vived to come back to the apple and do life and ministry here.

The coolest part of the conference for me was the great privilege I had to be a part of the Saturday night session. They decided to do something a little different at this conference and instead of having a main speaker Saturday night, they asked 8 women to to be a "face of grace". All 8 women were different ages and in different seasons of life and we all had very different stories. Over the summer we were all asked to turn in answers to questions they gave us and pictures to go along with it. They took our answers and pictures and had a lady narrate our stories. It was so weird to sit on stage in front of 2000 women and watch and listen to my story being shared. After each of our stories were shared we were then asked another question and we answered that in front of everyone. I am not one who likes to be in front of so many people let alone have to open my mouth, but I do have to say it was a really cool opportunity.

The 3 things I think I walked away the most humbled and encouraged by were:

1) God really has been so faithful to me. When I live life I forget this so easily, but when you hear your life being shared to so many people you see your own life in a different light. make sense?

2) The lady who sat beside me on stage and went before me was 90 years old. It was so cool to sit beside her on stage, hear her story, and listen to her speak. When asked when the Joy of christ was most visible in her, she sweetly remarked, "I hope people always see the joy of Jesus in me". I want to be like her. I want to be walking with the Lord when I am 90 years old and seeking to be a light to others. She has had a much longer pilgrimage than me and I have so much to learn from her. On that stage I quietly prayed that I would be up there again at 90, walking with Jesus and sharing Him with others.

3) A few days before the conference I shared with the lady who mentors me that I didn't know if I should be a "face of grace". I've been struggling a lot lately with seeing God's goodness and faithfulness in my life (hence why reason #1 was so good) I felt like I had nothing to share and no one would get anything from my story. Soooo can I just tell you how encouraging it is to have people come up to you afterwards and tell you how your story ministered to them? It's funny how sometimes the things you struggle with the most can end up being really encouraging to others. I guess it really is true that God uses the weak, because thankfully I do think He used me in one way or another at that conference.

So at the end of the session I walked off the stage and guess who was standing there???? Yes, my father came and surprised me! It was so great to have him there (although I didn't know he was there until the end) Even as an adult he tries to be there for the important moments in my life. Thanks Dad!!!

My dad stayed long enough to take my sister and I out for dessert at the cheesecake Factory and all of us out to lunch Sunday at Pappasitos before heading back to NC and leaving the girls for the rest of our girls weekend!

Although the conference was over on Sunday, my mom, sis and I stayed in Atlanta an extra day to hang out and shop! It was fun to hang out together and enjoy a girls trip.

It hit me this weekend that coming to the south is like taking a giant breath fresh air. I needed that breath.

I still feel like I have so much I want to journal through from the conference, but it really was a great weekend!

I am thankful to my mom and Druid for making it possible for all of us!

Mr. Constant

2011-10-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

In my life there is always change. Between living life in NYC and being in my 20's I feel like I am constantly experiencing changes in my life. Maybe this is normal for everyone, but sometimes I wish I just had a little more consistency in my life. I think this is why I have had so much attraction to Mr. Constant. Meet Mr Constant

You have heard me talk about him before as I nicknamed him Mr. Constant awhile back. You might think "what a funny name" but really it fits just great. You see in the midst of so much change and people coming in and out of my life, Mr. Constant has always been there. From the first time I listened to him play until now he has stood in the same spot in Central Park. Everyday! All Day! Just Him and his old Saxophone. And the truth is, I love it. I love the familiarity of knowing he is going to be there. I love that he waves to the little children when they pass by, yet never missing a beat on his instrument while doing so. I love that he can play just about anything and if you ask, he will play any special tune for you. I love his quiet and reserved spirit. I love that he is a constant for me as I walk through the park.

And so when my photography instructor encouraged us to do a documentary photography piece for our exhibit I knew exactly what I wanted to do! Thankfully quiet Mr. Constant agreed. He told me that he has been playing in the same spot every day since 1993. I told him I called him Mr. Constant and he just gave me a sweet smile. I actually have 4 photographs of him in the different seasons that I am going to frame and give to him as a gift to thank him for letting me take so many photographs of him.

Tonight I will show my work at my Photography exhibition and display Mr. Constant for my classmates and friends to see.

I am thankful for a tiny (maybe silly) "constant" in my life right now

P.S. Is it weird that I have a secret dream of dancing with my husband (if God calls me to be a wife) in Central Park to Mr. Constant playing the saxophone?

I know. Probably won't happen, but I guess girl can dream right.

Dancing the night away

2011-10-11T23:35:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a wonderful weekend away. I'll post on that soon, but until then let me do some back-blogging.

Do you remember in my birthday post when I said that I would share about birthday celebration #2? Ok so that celebration came a few days after my real birthday when my friend Neil came back to the city!

Neil is a great friend and really like an older brother to me. Sadly he had to move to Dallas a few months ago for his job. He came back for a visit and we made the most of it for a fun night out.

First a group of us went to dinner in Midtown.

Amy, Neil, and I

And then downtown we went. Since I have been in the city it has become a tradition to go out dancing for my birthday. This has proved to be great fun year after year and this year was no different!

Caught doing my classic move (Emtay you should appreciate this)

Have you noticed "flannel boys" in the background of all our pics? Yes, don't know them but they managed to make their way in to our group. Had quite the funny conversation with one of them, but I won't go in to that!

We came out hot and sweaty from dancing, but what a great time it was!

Thanks Friends for another great year of birthday celebrations!!

More Visitors

2011-10-07T09:00:00.003-04:00

This past weekend my good friend Mara Diana and her husband came to the big apple. They live in Kazakhstan right now, so I haven't seen her in a couple years. MD and I first met when we lived together as team leaders on a summer beach project. I still have such fun memories from that summer. Soon after that summer the Lord led us both on staff with CO and along with our friend Katherine we waded through college ministry together. Although we don't talk often she is one of those friend who is always encouraging and fun to re-connect with.

The visit was super brief, but I am thankful for the time we did have!

You will Want to watch this!

2011-10-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

Do you remember this post where I talked about my roommate and our apt being featured on a well known tv show? And then there was this post where I mentioned that I went to a taping of a show my roommate would be on? ok so now it's about 6 weeks later and the show is finally going to air!

Tomorrow (Thursday) my roommate, Hannah, is a guest on the Nate Berkus Show. How cool is that? She is a super cute girl and has a major knack for finding goods off the street and re-doing them to look fabulous (hence the reason our apt is so cute)! And the Nate show found her!

So you can watch her do her thing tomorrow with Nate!
And if you look closely you might see me, the other roommates, Hannah's mom, and her Brooklyn Boy in the audience. We are in the center back in case you want to try to spot us.

You can go to this web-site to find out what time and station the Nate Show comes on in your city! http://www.thenateshow.com/station-finder (For NYC it comes on NBC at 2:00 PM but it is different in every city)

And stay tuned, because there might be some more tv appearances in the near future!

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

2011-10-03T23:49:00.000-04:00

Over a hundred years ago George Matheson was engaged to be married when he found out he was going blind. His fiance's response to this news was "I cannot go through life with a blind man" And so there he was rejected and alone. For several years there after, his sister took care of him as he pursued a path in ministry. That is until she met a man and got married herself. On the eve of Matheson's sisters wedding George sat utterly alone re-living the anguish of his own broken engagement when a song came to his heart. It was said the words of this song were written in 5 minutes total. And the words go like this:

O Love that will not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

"Oh Love that Will not Let me Go" as always been one of my favorite hymns, but recently as I learned the story of George Matheson I have come to love this song even more. The Lord used the rejection and suffering in this man's life and a beautiful prayer came out of it. I love the first line. I can picture this man crying out to the Lord wondering why, yet knowing and believing that he could rest in the Lords unchanging, never-letting-go love. Elisabeth Elliot took a part this song in her book "The Path of Loneliness" and I love the way she describes it. The song makes even more sense when you understand that George was blind. He experienced deep pain yet was able to seek joy. I think my favorite verse is the third verse. He experienced intense pain, yet through the rain of his tears he was able to see a rainbow. He may have been blind, but he had the eye of faith. And through that faith he was able to have hope. That one day his tears would be gone, he would no longer be blind and alone, but he would be in Heaven where all is made new. And then the song ends at the cross where life is found. Oh how I can imagine George Matheson came to understand the power of the cross in such a deep and rich way.

I know that I have not experienced suffering in anyway close to what George Matheson experienced, but I know what it feels like to be rejected and to feel in someway alone. I wish I knew this man personally, but I am thankful to learn from his words and his heart for the Lord.

In this chapter where Elisabeth Elliot takes a part the words of this song, she makes a statement that I have clung too quite a bit, "God never denies our heart's desire except to give us something better". She compares this to a tiny shell on the seashore who is afraid to give up the tiny teaspoonful of water it holds inside in fear there not be enough water in the ocean to fill it up again. How my heart does this so often. And so I continually go back to the words of this song and to God's word

"Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it'" Luke 9:23-24

Meet The Team

2011-09-29T23:27:00.005-04:00

I have the privilege of traveling to Cape Town, South Africa with these 16 friends. I am thankful for this opportunity and what the Lord has in store for us.

Please pray for Perryn, Erin, Adrianna Daynan, Ricky, Jeff, David, Harrison, Scott, Amy, Kathryn, Leah, Lindy, Joanna, Kara, Liz (not pictured) and myself as we minister alongside Point Community Church in Cape Town.

We don't leave for another 6 weeks, but we are busy preparing. We are all individually raising $3,000 to cover expenses as well as having 2 rather large fundraisers (the first one was on Monday and the 2nd one is next week) to raise money for supplies and resources to take with us. It has been such a neat time of trusting the Lord to provide for our team.

I will share more on the blog what we will be doing while in Cape Town, but for now I would love your prayers as we prepare for this adventure.

The Birthday Play by Play

2011-09-28T00:08:00.000-04:00

Despite the fact that I was having a hard time this birthday year, I do have awesome friends and had some great celebrations!

It all started on Tuesday night when my fellowship group celebrated with chocolate cupcakes! Have I mentioned my FG lately? Oh how I love these girls. We have been meeting together every Tuesday night at 7:30 since the fall of 2008. I might need to do a whole post on this group, but for now just take a look at this post by Amy

On Wednesday (my actual birthday) I started my day with a early morning walk along the Hudson River. I wanted to start my day with the Lord in His creation. I took my phone with me because I knew at exactly 8:05 AM my parents would call me. You know b/c that is when I was born and they have done that every single birthday since I have been away from home. And of course they had to tell me my birth story and my dad has to tell me he had to shorten his morning jog b/c my mom was in labor. It would not be a birthday without this story!

When I came back to my apt I was greeted with this lovely present from my roommates. And you better believe I kept the curly ribbon on them. It makes pouring Diet Coke that much more fun when there is gold curly ribbon tied to the top!

Before heading to work I had a little birthday party for myself and opened my parents presents. Although they gave me a photography class for my birthday (Thank you!) It is imperative to my mom that I have something to open on my birthday. (which I appreciate) It was fun to open up some fun little presents, all stuff i love!

On the way to the office I passed the polygamist family from the TLC Show "Sister Wives". A random sighting I know.

My sweet Co-workers (thanks Amy R) decorated my desk for me at the office to celebrate! It made working that much more enjoyable for the few days I was able to leave the decorations up!

For lunch my very close friend A2 took me to a new burger joint in Time Square. And if that were not enough she planned 2 more birthday celebrations for me! Can I just say that she is such a great friend!! Really don't know what I would do without her in this city. ok so celebration 1 was on Wednesday night when she gathered a group of my friends at Mama Mexico for a celebration dinner.

And I was greeted by this guy and his whole mariachi band.

Not only did they sing Happy Birthday to me twice, but they also serenaded me with another song (which I can't remember the name!)

It was so fun to celebrate with my sweet friends including this girl below. You might remember her from this post and then the whole fiasco of missing her wedding. Well she and her hubby Mike are back from their around the world travels and it is so fun to have them here in NYC again.

With Mark, Meghan, Maggie, and Mike

The whole birthday crew. Thanks friends for coming out!

It really was a good birthday and I know I am so blessed with such sweet friends. Not only did they come celebrate with me, but a group of them (and others) went in and got me a gift card to my favorite camera store! so excited about using it to purchase a new lens! Don't I have great friends???

And if this wasn't enough I have one more birthday celebration to share about. I will update on that soon!

Finally, I do want to thank all my sweet out of town friends who called and texted me throughout the day. I felt really loved!

Have I Mentioned

2011-09-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

That I am going to Cape Town in November?

I will write all about it in another post! But for now let me just invite you to our big fundraiser tonight. I know it's super late notice, but if any of my NYC blog readers are reading this and want a great night out, you definitely should come! It's going to be a wonderful night with wine, desert, live music and a silent auction all while enjoying the beautiful skyline of Manhattan. And I might even be auctioning off a few of my photography prints. eek! I will be there with my 16 teammates. you should join us!

Another year

2011-09-23T16:27:00.000-04:00

I have great intentions of blogging several times a week,. Life has been busy as always and just really full. Full with people, full with work, full with emotions. This week was my birthday and I'm going to be honest, I was not excited about it. I know I should be grateful for another year of life.......and I am. But then there is the other side of me that is honestly just really sad and disappointed right now. I can try to pretend that I am not, but that does not really solve anything. My life like many others can look pretty on the outside. I know many people who read this blog think I have a really cool life. And I do! I definitely cannot say that living in NYC is boring. But honestly I am struggling hard core to enjoy it right now. I am struggling to have joy and I am struggling to be grateful. I think with this birthday came grief. Grief that this is where my life is and that it is not where I thought it would be, where I want to be. I know all the right answers and theology. I know that God is in control, that He loves me, that He ordained my steps before they came to be, that He has not forgotten me, and that He has a perfect plan for my life. Deep down I know it, but you see sometimes it is hard to really believe it. Really Really Hard! So that is where I am. I have been listening to a Passion song called "Lord, I need you" over and over again. Because I honestly I know that really I just need Jesus right now. I don't need His gifts, I need Him. Even that is hard to swallow, because I think If God would just give me what I wanted then I would be fine. But I know that is not true! Thankfully I serve a very patient God who loves me unconditionally. He is patient with me and pursues me in my mess.
I have been reading an Elisabeth Elliot book off and on for about a year. I actually finished it awhile ago, but continue to pick it up on a regular basis and read my favorite chapters. One of the first chapters in the book is titled "All my Desire is Before thee" and the chapter ends with a poem that Elisabeth wrote while in college. I have re-read this poem more times than I can count and more times than not tears come to my eyes when I read it.

"Perhaps some future day, Lord, Thy strong hand will lead me to the place where I must stand utterly alone.

Alone, O gracious lover, but for thee; I shall be satisfied if I can see Jesus only.

I do not know thy plan for years to come, My spirit finds in thee its perfect home, sufficiency.

Lord, all my desire is before thee now, lead on, no matter where, no matter how - I trust thee."

This is my prayer. There is so much richness and depth in these words.

Thankful for Elisabeth's heart and words that have ministered to me so often over the last year.

The internet is out at 9A (i'm blogging from Starbucks), but when we get it back I will update on the actual birthday and the celebrations that occurred! I do have to say, that I am incredibly thankful for my NYC family!

A Few City Pics

2011-09-16T19:22:00.000-04:00

The Colonel Retired

2011-09-13T00:04:00.001-04:00

I mentioned in a previous post that my dad retired from the military last week. It was a special time for him as He has given so much of his time, energy, and passion towards serving our country! I am thankful the family was able to be together for this celebration!

My dad opted for an informal luncheon rather than a formal ceremony. He received many special awards and an American flag. Even though it was an informal ceremony, it was still very formal how they pass the American flag. It was cool to watch

My mom even received a couple certificates

Notice this picture below and what is sitting in all of our laps. After the more formal award portion, several people got up to give speeches and gifts to my dad (kind of felt like a rehearsal dinner) and then he gave his closing remarks. After his remarks he gave my mom, sister, and I all a bouquet of roses! And here in this picture he is handing G a gift card to a sporting good store! It's kind of nice to receive a gift on someone else's big day! Can you guess why he gave us pink? Think Phi Mu ladies! Can you tell he is the father of 2 daughters? Way to go dad on remembering our sorority color.
And just so you know, I carried those roses on 2 flights before getting them safely in a vase in my apt! It was quite the challenge, but I was up for it. They now sit beautifully on my dresser!

It was a great luncheon and a special time to hear and be a part of my dad's career. He had several military buddies fly in as well as family friends come for the day. It was a great time all around!

And now my parents begin a new chapter, as they will live in the same house full-time for the first time in 7 years and my dad will begin a new career.

My dad has been in the military since I was a baby. I really haven't known any different. Yet as his time as a soldier comes to a close I am thankful that this was the path that God led him down. The Lord has used him in pretty cool ways throughout his career!

Thanks DAD for your service to our country!

10 Years

2011-09-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

I hesitate to write a blog post on 911. This being for many reasons. But since this blog is a scrapbook for me, I want to remember. I want to remember 10 years ago and I want to remember today.

10 Years ago today I sat in MS. Culpuppers's world history class. I was beginning my freshmen year of college and MS. Culpepper was the hardest professor I had all 4 years. She might also have been the best. It was while in that class that the first plane hit the WTC and also where I found out what happened. I ran back to my dorm to tell my sleeping roommate and for the rest of the day girls on my hall gathered to watch the news coverage. Like many Americans it was hard for me to grasp was what happening and the horror that was playing out in NYC. At that time I felt for the people and for our country, but NYC was a distant place and not one close to my heart. On this day I remember finding out I was a definite for playing tennis at WCU and I remember going on a date with a boy I had met the day before. In some ways it was a normal day in the tiny town of Cullowhee, yet our country was under attack and America would never be the same.

10 years later I sit in my Manhattan apt and blog about that day. 10 years later I have fallen in love with this city and it holds a very deep place in my heart. I did not know what today would be like. Last night as I went to Brooklyn with friends I counted 14 check points with the NYPD before we even got to the Manhattan bridge. Everyone was on their guard and the police were looking out for us and for our country. Today there were an unusual amount of cops around and certain areas of the city were shut down, but otherwise it was a very normal day in NYC. It was a very normal day except for the overwhelming soberness that filled the city. It was a cloudy day and a solemn day. I told my friend on the way to church tonight that I had never seen New York so quiet. I have never said this before and may never say it again, but New York was eerily quiet today. NYC is not a quiet city, but today it was. I know people were reflecting, people were hurting, people were remembering. I cannot begin to grasp what so many of my neighbors in this city went through 10 years ago and what people felt today. Every Redeemer service had a 911 testimony today. The lady who shared tonight at my service is someone I know well. It was overwhelming to hear her talk about standing on her balcony hearing and watching the plane come over her shoulder and crash into the first tower. She saw it all and experienced it all and her life was personally turned upside down after that day. One thing I have noticed since moving to NYC is that people do not like talking about that day. Everyone has a story and it is deeply personal.

Today as Redeemer remembered and reflected on Sept 11 I loved hearing how the Lord used the church in very powerful ways after that day. In the midst of so much heartache and destruction the Lord was still at work and many people entered Redeemer's doors the following days, so much so that a new service was added (the one I now go to) to be able to house the people who were hungry for hearing God's word.

And so tonight as I go to sleep in NYC the events of that day feel so much more real to me and I pray for those who are still hurting, for those who still ache for the loved ones who were lost. And I am thankful that one day all things will be made new and we will not have to worry about the threat of terrorist on our country. One Day!

I love the simple words of the closing song we sang at church, "Give me Jesus, give me Jesus, give me Jesus. You may have all this world, give me Jesus," May this be more of our hearts desire in a world of so much evil, pain, and uncertainty.

A Tribute

2011-09-09T15:25:00.001-04:00

I Just returned from a quick trip to North Carolina to celebrate my dad's military retirement. After 28 years of military service, the Colonel retired. I will do a full blog posts about this soon, but until then I am posting a video I made for the Retirement Ceremony. It will probably be boring to some, but to those who know my dad I thought you might enjoy it!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T09:00:00.003-04:00

Labor Day weekend has come and gone and I can't believe that summer is really over.

It was a great weekend though full of lots of fun things!

Friday 3 of my friends and I road tripped it to the great State of Pennsylvania to attend the one and only Pennsylvania State Fair

I haven't been to a fair since I was kid. It was so fun to step in to this world, but man was it a different world than New York City. Sometimes I forget where I live until I step outside of it and jump in to the middle of normal America. I do have to say 4 city girls at the state fair together was quite fun. We definitely laughed a ton!

And we definitely pigged out on fair food. First Stop: Cotton Candy

And we had to ride the swings

Ok so the REAL reason we were at the fair was for this band.

SUGARLAND! Oh it was sooooo fun. we stood in a pit of people and sang and danced our heart out! Seriously such a fun concert!

So after driving back to the big apple I waited for my college friend Heather to arrive to the city from Dallas. It was so fun having here for the weekend and we crammed a ton of city stuff in. First stop for the weekend was a Turkish restaurant in the neighborhood

After a nice outdoor dinner we went to Cafe Lalo for desert before heading to Time Square. Can you find us in the mass of people?

For H's birthday I took her to see Sister Act on Broadway. It was such a great show. I would highly recommend it if you want to see a fun, family-friendly Broadway Show

On Sunday afternoon we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge

And hung out in Brooklyn Bridge Park. And of course we had to get my all-time favorite ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. We also walked around Battery Park and went on a ferry ride to see the Statue of Liberty at night.

On Monday we went to brunch at another favorite, Alice's Tea Cup before walking around Central Park.

We ended the weekend with street shopping in SoHo and dinner at Lombardi's Pizzeria. Can you see Heather with the cute hat she bought off the street?

It was so fun to have an old friend here for the holiday weekend. And now back to reality and work I go.

Thanks for visiting Heather!

Come on Irene

2011-08-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

One thing God continues to teach me is that things just don't always go my way. This weekend was no exception. You see this weekend was planned a certain way for awhile. It all started on Friday night when roommate Hannah's brooklyn boy asked her to be his wife. Quite the party was planned and family and friends were flying in from various places to celebrate! The proposal and party went on without a hitch and the oh so very cute couple are now engaged!

But that was Friday and only the beginning of the weekend. And then Saturday came. That was the day I had a plane ticket to go to AL to attend my 10 year high school reunion and spend time with friends. It was going to be a super quick trip, but a fun trip indeed. Well, you and I both know what happened instead. A little (or big) hurricane decided to visit the East Coast and hit the big apple. I wont go in to all the media coverage and how they might have overdramatized this storm just a bit. BUT let's be honest, anything big that happens in this city is going to get lots of attention. Plus you have a lot to think about when you are dealing with a city of millions, living on land surrounded by water, largely dependent upon a public transportation system that is being shut down. and the list goes on. So all that to say, the trip was cancelled and instead I spent my weekend in Irene territory. I tried to take a pic from my apt when Irene was reving up, but hanging out a 9th floor window when rain is blowing in your face was not the easiest tasks, and therefore this was the only pic I got. Not much to see I do admit.

So a hurricane was hitting and I was missing my trip.

I made up my mind early on to go with the flow on this one. (aka not dwell on it and just make the best of the situation) and so make the best of it we did. We were already scheduled to have an apt full of guests for the weekend from the engagement party and so now it just became one big Irene party. We were definitely trapped in the apt for most of the weekend but when you have this many people in small Manhattan apt you definitely learn to make your own fun. I think the best moment of the weekend was around 9 PM on Saturday when we decided we need a little group pick me up. We assigned the drink master Carl to mix up a few fun drinks, and we all gathered in the living room for what I decided to call "the game of fun" (aka I could not remember the name of the game) Even the neighbors from downstairs came up. Lance took away all electronics and we had a great time playing this made up game.(glorified charades)

By Sunday we had been cooped up for 24 hours and we were just a tad bit stir crazy. Irene had come and gone and little to no damage was done.(Praise the Lord!) so we decided to venture out to find some food.

And here are the 9A Irene Survivors

We found some food at Big Daddys.

We might have ordered almost everything on the menu....you know because sitting in an apt like bumps on a log while a hurricane blows through does make you hungry.

And we did have some fun taking pictures while we waited for that food!

The rest of the weekend was spent watching movies, sitting, watching the news, sitting, talking, sleeping, and sitting. At least if you are going to be in a hurricane it's better to be with lots of people! It was a random weekend, and not one I would have planned, but it was definitely entertaining and fun!

And now i've experienced a record blizzard, a earthquake, and a hurricane in NYC (all in the last 8 months) What's next? Seriously, let's hope nothing! I am disappointed about not going to Al and missing my reunion, but I definitely hope to make that trip soon to see friends!

And now the sun is out, the metro system is back up and running, and real life is back. Our apt is still full of people, but slowly flights are being re-scheduled and 9A will empty out. This will definitely be a weekend I don't think New Yorkers will forget.

This Week

2011-08-26T01:27:00.000-04:00

This week was a very busy week!
This week (well really weekend) I went to the beach with friends. I had a great time, remembered how much I LOVE the beach (like i would ever forgot that) and came home with maybe just a whee bit too much sun

This week I got my hair cut off
This week I have been cat sitting for friends who live in Harlam and have been reminded of 3 things. 1) I'm really not a cat person 2) Cleaning out a litter box makes me gag 3) Harlam is such an interesting world.
This week I went to a taping of a show that one of my roommates is going to be featured on.

This week we also celebrated that same roommates birthday with dashing diva pedicures, Kefi, and Magnolias Cupcakes.
This week we took a roommate picture at Dashing Diva, I can't say any of us look too hot (sorry roomies) but just note we had all come from a long day of work when this picture was taken. But do meet new Hannah on the far right. She is the newest addition to 9A

This week I felt completely overwhelmed with the amount of e-mailing I need to do at work. Or maybe I just feel overwhelmed at work. Who knows, but either way I have come to realize once again that this fall is going to be crazy. Good crazy. But Crazy indeed. More on that in another post.
This week we had an earthquake....or at least that is what I hear. I personally was in the subway when it happened. And let's be honest, the shaking in the subway makes it feel like there is always an earthquake happening.
This week I got to visit our new Redeemer building for the first time! In fact, I was part of the first staff tour to enter our new building! Don't you just love our hard hats? I feel so official

This week I got really excited when I entered the new building about what a big moment this is for Redeemer and New York City. Redeemer has been in existence for over 20 years and this is the first building. This is a HUGE deal to have our own space like this in New York City.
This week I realized how much we have to do between now and when the building opens (in January) to get our Children's Ministry classrooms ready. BUT let's be honest, what a privilege it is to be a part of designing and establishing these classrooms. I've been doing research for months and now it's time to make it happen!

This week we wrote our CM verse on the wall in the new building. It will obviously be painted over, but how cool to write this on the walls of a building that prayerfully will be serving Redeemer for many generations.

This week I had my 2nd photography class of my new Photography 2 session and loved every minute of it. Now if only I can find the time to practice all the things that I am learning.
This week I picked up a new book off my book shelf for the subway, "a Shelter in the time of Storm" by Paul David Tripp. It's been so incredibly challenging and encouraging for me these days
This week I started using my Iphone to take more pictures, and now I actually can share more pictures from my week!

And now this week is coming to an end and the weekend is almost here! And if you have been watching the news at all, you have probably seen that Irene is heading towards NYC. And because I always seem to have flights scheduled when bad weather is hitting, I am supposed fly out this weekend for a super-duper quick little trip. Not sure if I will be going or not. I have to keep reminding myself that God is in control and all his ways are perfect!