I just got home from seeing the movie "Bride Wars". It is a cute movie about two best friends whose weddings get booked on the same day. I love watching movies that take place in NYC. It's just fun to see your everyday life on the big screen. I went to see it with 3 other girls. we actually had what we called "west 88th reunion". We called it that because we all use to live (at different times) in the same apt on West 88th street. 3 out of the 4 of us have moved to NYC in the last year and for all of us that apt was our first home here before getting our own apts. So anyways, several scenes in the movie took place on the same neighborhood as where 2 of the girls who went to the movie live(they actually watched the movie being filmed from their apt). It was so fun to watch the scenes and just look at each other and laugh. If you watch the movie there is this one scene where Anne Hathaway is standing outside a subway station. There is a North Face store right behind her. I pass that store almost every day and use that subway stop all the time. I actually walked through a movie set the other day on my way home from work that was right beside my apt. I was kind of annoyed because they detoured me and I was just trying to get home in time for bible study. I keep saying that one of these days I am going to see my apt building on a movie or tv show. It is kind of weird to me that walking through movie sets is becoming normal life to me here. I can't say that I have seen too many celebrity's lately. I did run into Kevin Bacon a few weeks ago at a grocery mart right beside my apt.
Okay so NYC is not all about movie scenes. So this morning I needed to do laundry SO BADLY! Really my closet was overflowing with dirty clothes. We don't have washers and dryers in our building, so I normally lug all my clothes around the block to this tiny laundry mat. Well today must have been the day that everyone decided that they did not have any more clean clothes, so when I got there there was not one washer that was open. So, I tried to be patient and just decided to go back home and come back later. There was one washer that was going to be done in just a few minutes. I needed to go back and get another laundry bag anyway that I could not carry (yes it is just lovely having to cart 3 bags of laundry around the block) So I was rounding the corner with my laundry bag when all the sudden I see this woman with her laundry bag coming from the other direction. You want to know what my first thought was? "You better not get that open washer before I do." Thats right, I know I should have had a servants attitude. but let's face it, at that moment I was like "Every man for himself buddy". I want to serve and I know my attitude in the moment was wrong, but I really needed to do laundry and was on a time crunch. So what did I do? I raced her. I ran inside the laundry mat before her to make sure I got that open washer! Isn't that awful? I was just having one of those moments when I was frustrated by the inconvenience of life here and was being totally selfish. I really do want to serve this city, but boy does my sinful heart struggle so much of the time.
So today I totally had to chase a bus down. That's right I ran for 3 blocks chasing a bus to get on it. I mean if you miss the bus you know you are going to have to probably wait at least 10 minutes for another one to come. and its COLD outside! So instead of risking that awfulness, I saw the bus and I was far away, so I took off running! My friend followed behind and we hopped on just in time. We laughed the whole way because this seems to happen to us. It's funny when chasing buses becomes part of life. You gotta get home someway and people understand here. To New Yorkers running after a big white bus is just normal part of the great public transportation life style! And don't get me started about the subways here. Yesterday I waited for 30 minutes for a subway because none of the normal trains were running local! Really, you leave your apt and just hope for the best. Although I know the subway system really well here, they are constantly re-routing and changing things up! I guess the city of New York likes to keep us on our toes. Sometimes I just have to hop on a subway until I can switch to another one (or multiple ones) that will eventually take me to where I need to be. Have I ever mentioned that life is interesting here?
If any of you read this blog and have small children you really need to buy The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd- Jones. It is a beautiful children's bible that weaves the gospel message through every story. She goes to Redeemer and we are writing our pre-school and Kindergarten Sunday School curriculum for Redeemer using that bible. I am in charge of writing the Kindergarten curriculum right now, so I spend a lot of time nestled in this bible. It is amazing how a bible intended for young children really does nourish my soul. I honestly feel like right now I eat, sleep, and breath Kindergarten Curriculum but I really love that I get to dig into this bible and create a lesson from each of these stories.
Another book I highly recommend is Whiter than Snow by Paul David Tripp. It is 52 meditations on sin and mercy based around Psalm 51. I just got it a few days ago and have loved reading it. It speaks so powerfully about our sin and God's mercy in our life.
I need to go to bed now, but hopefully that gives you a little update on my life.
Until Next Time....
