I'm A New Yorker!

Saying Good-bye to my sister before moving to NYC.  She surprised me in Atlanta to take me to the airport.

 There are many things in life that I would go back and live again.  I would love to revisit parts of my childhood, my high school tennis days, the day I joined my sorority in college, my sweet moments with friends, and so on.  One thing I know I would not want to go back and re-live is..... MY FIRST YEAR IN NEW YORK.  Okay so I have made it one year!!!  That's right one year ago today I was boarding a plane with 2 bags and moving my life to NYC.  It is hard for me to believe that I did it.  I had a dream of living in the city, I prayed that I would live in the city by the time I was 27, and when I was 26 God opened the door for me to make the move!  I love that I live here. I love my life, BUT it has been one challenging year.  I look on my year and cannot believe some of the amazing experience that I have had.  I love that I have had many of those "once in a lifetime" experiences in my first year here.  I love that I have learned so much.  I feel like I have become my own person here and changed and grown in so many ways.  But all that being said, when I look back on this first year I also am so glad I made it through and I'm still alive!  My life completely changed when I stepped on that airplane July 1, 2008.  Today I was standing on the subway platform waiting for the B train to take me to work when I lady came up to me and asked me a question about  directions.  I helped her figure out what train would be best for her to take and afterwards just thought about how far I have come.  I remember moving here and thinking how in the world do you learn the subway system here?  It's funny that a year later that not only do I know the subway system well, but I really know my way around NYC and do not think anything about getting around the biggest city in America.  That is just one of the small ways that my life has changed.  

On a bigger note my relationship with God has grown and deepened. Leaving all your comforts behind and moving to this place will definitely teach you about dependency on the Lord.  I have had so many moments where I have sat in my room in this city and just thought, "God I am so thankful you are here with me and leading me on this journey. I don't know what I would do without you!"  It has been a year of MANY transitions.... new friendships, new home, new jobs, new church, new surrounding, new culture, new everything.  God has taught me a lot this year about looking to Him as my source of hope when everything else in my life feels new and rocky.  He has met me each day and poured out his love in my life like crazy.  There continues to be big changes in my life, but God continues to be faithful.  I love that He has written my story and ordained all my days and that He will not take me through one where He has not gone before me.  I look forward to what next year in New York City has for me.  I am thankful that life is not so "new" anymore and that this huge city is feeling more and more like home!  

I guess I am officially a New Yorker now! (Well....I will always be a southerner!)

Some of my sweet friends and I  hanging out by the Hudson river in the city

P..S.  I am celebrating tonight by going to Shakespeare in the Park.  Anne Hathaway is srarring in the performance of Twelfth Night along with some other celebs.  It is supposed to be incredible.  They do the performance in a outdoor theatre in Central Park! Can't wait

P.P.S Florida was great...pictures to come soon!

 

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Tomorrow morning I am rising early and  leaving this place on a jet plane.  Yay for vacations! I am off to wish upon a shooting star and hope that all my dreams will come true (oh if life was only that easy!) I will be spending a lot of time with the people pictured below.... AND

HOPING to spend even more time laying out by a pool that looks something like this...

 (well maybe not this nice) Thanks to some amazing moms at Redeemer I had a Barns & Noble gift card to use to buy some books to read as I bask in the sun! Oh I can't wait! 

I am excited about getting out of the rat race of Manhattan for 10 days and spending some much needed time resting and hanging out with my family.  I will be back next time with pictures. 

AND for those of you who have been praying for me....THANK YOU!! God is doing some cool things and has been answering prayers.  God continues to amaze me.  He really does things his way and his timing and I LOVE that about Him.   I will give you more of a specific update on my life and the answered prayers when I return.  Keep up the praying people!  

OH and guess what???  July 1 marks my one year!  That's right I have almost made it one year in this city and I'm still alive! This time last year I was packing up my life in the South.  Wow how time goes by fast!  I will definitely have to do a post about my 1 year anniversary

Heavy on my Heart

Tonight my friend and I were in the subway station at Time Square.  We had to walk from one end of the station to the other, and as we did we passed a begger sitting on the floor.  We walked right by without stopping, but as soon as we did I got a knot in my stomach.  A few minutes later as we were standing on the platform waiting for the train to arrive we watched a lady who was clearly extremely high on drugs.  She could barely stand up straight, had used the bathroom on herself, and was just making circles on the platform....a couple times we were scared she was going to step off the platform on to the track.  I made the comment to my friend, "I don't know how to help that woman."  I mean she was not even coherent enough to accept money and I had no food, yet at the same time I just ached for her.  Where is she going to sleep tonight?  Who is her family?  What's her story?  Tonight the Lord really got my attention but I have been having many thoughts about giving to the poor and needy.  Living in New York City I pass endless amounts of people everyday who are in need. This is true wherever you live, but being in a city you see more of the outward effects of the fallen and broken world that we live in.  I admit that most of the time when I am walking down the street I am just trying to get where I am going.  I don't want to stop and give, I don't want to offer to take anyone to get food, I just don't want to be bothered! UGH even as I write that I just feel so convicted.  When I got home tonight I spent some time looking at verses in the bible on the poor. It really nailed me.  Matthew 25:35-40 says, "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

I wish that when I pass the homeless on the street or the beggers in the subway that I would think of that verse.  That is just one of many verses where Jesus makes it so clear that we are called to give to those in need.  I think sometimes I do just feel overwhelmed.  A couple weeks ago I decided that I was going to give $1 to every person in need that I passed, but it did not take long for me to realize that was not always realistic.  And then what about the other needs people have.  I would much rather buy someone a hot meal, or a scarf when it is cold outside.  I want to be willing to give the clothes off my back to those in need.  I know it is impossible for me to help everyone or be expected too, but as a Christian we are called to give!  What does that look like for me here in New York City?  I signed my fellowship group up to serve a meal at a homeless shelter here in the city.  When I e-mailed the volunteer coordinator for this particular organization he told me the first available date to volunteer was in August. What?  So it seems like everyone is willing to do their good deed and serve a meal at one of the many homeless shelters in the city, but what about everyday? I pass a begger almost everyday when I walk down 72nd street and everyday when I pass him I think that man needs to have his feet washed,...  I mean really they are awful, but everyday I have passed him and not stopped. Now I know realistically I cannot wash the feet of that man, but I could have stopped and given him some food.  "I John 3:17-18, "but if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."  Yet another powerful scripture.  I read this verse and think OUCH.  The truth is my heart so often hurts for the needy that I pass each day, but I have not been practicing the words of Jesus and opening my hand to those that I pass.  I don't know what the solution is, but I do know that i want to grow in this area of my life.  I want to share the love of Christ with the hurting in this city.   It is not my place to judge why they are on the street or what they are going to use my $1 for.  All I know is there has been a tugging on my heart in this are of my life for awhile, and I want to change.  I don't want to keep passing them by.  I want to ask the Lord to give me a heart of compassion that gives generously to all. 

Do any of you have any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks for letting me share what has been heavy on my heart! For now I think I will go get a box of granola bars from my cabinet and put some in my purse so I can at least share a granola bar to one who might be hungry!

Also, thank you to those who are praying for me!  Keep it up...:-)

Please Pray

 Tonight is a night where I feel like I have a lot I would like to blog about.  This has been a crazy week for me and so many different things are going on in my life.  I would actually love to tell you about my fun weekend celebrating with my roommate Meggie. She is getting married in September and her sister flew up several of Meggie's friends. We had a great weekend in the city and in Connecticut, but I will do that another time and post pictures to go with it!   For now here are some pictures from last weekend at the Boat Basin. 

Amy, Catherine, Maggie, and I . (we are all in a fellowship group at Redeemer together)

Maggie,me and Neal.  (Neal is a friend from Redeemer)

This is out by the water.  You can somewhat see the lights of New Jersey in the background.  

We had a ton of fun enjoying the beautiful weather!  

Tonight at church TK rocked the house again when he gave an incredible sermon titled "Rejoicing in Tribulation."  He has been going through the book of Habakkuk and it has been so good.  Tonight I felt like I could have been the only one in the room.  I really needed to hear the words that he spoke tonight.  one point he made hit me hard.  He talked about when hard things are going on circumstantially around us we have to REMEMBER who HE is.  It is easy to remember who HE is when life is great, but when the storms come we often get sucked in to our circumstances.  We often forget to connect the storm to our faithful God.  He talked about that instead of getting consumed with the circumstances around us, we need to instead go back and look at who God is.  He is the God of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Hanna, and and many other biblical heroes.  He is FAITHFUL.  He always has been and always will be.  I needed to hear that.  Right now I have so much going on in my life circumstantially.   It is so easy for me to wake up in the middle of the night and think "oh my goodness."  What I have to remind myself is that God has never forsaken those who trust in him.  I have peace in that.  God will take care of me.  I am learning once again that I can't put my hope in my circumstances because those things are going to continue to change.  Life is full of change.  The one thing for certain I know will not change is God.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  I want to have the faith of Elijah.  I want to have faith that says, nothing is to hard for God.  With all that being said, I would love to ask you to PRAY FOR ME.   I am going on vacation with my family in 10 days(June 17) and I am praying that the Lord would answer some very specific requests by then.  I do not really want to go in detail, but please pray that the Lord would work mightly.  I know that God's timing is not my timing.  He may choose to not reveal his answers so soon, but He also says to pray specifically and to give him our needs and our desires.  Please pray that I would trust our faithful God!  I remember in high school when people would ask for prayer in my bible class and they would just say "unspoken request."  I use to not like that at all, but for now on this blog I will just keep my request to "unspoken". :-)  Thanks for praying!  

And now to leave you with  This Article

It is an article  from Christianity Today on Tim Keller and Redeemer. It is very interesting!