God Bless America....and the Yankees

I haven't made it to a Yankees game this summer, but I did go with a group of friends to watch one of the minor league teams play, The Staten Island Yankees.  I can't say too much for the game(although they did win), but you did get all you can eat food and a free hat and there was a pretty awesome fireworks show at the end.  The best part though is the trek to and from the game.  We had to leave our little home of Manhattan and go over to Staten Island.  Below is what you see from the deck of the ferry....

Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges.  

And behind us is the financial district of Manhattan.  You ride away on the ferry and can look out at the whole bottom part of city.  I really have no explanation of what we are doing in this picture:-)

There She is....Lady Liberty

This was the view of the city from our seats at the stadium.  Not to Shabby, don't you think?

The Group.  We all got free hats.  Guess where mine went when I got home?  The Trash.  Not exactly my style, but fun to wear at the game!  

If you look closely you can somewhat see the lights of the city behind the fireworks.  It was a fun night.  Hopefully I will make it to a real Yankees game before the season ends.  

Don't be jealous tennis fans, but I have tickets to the US Open for Tuesday.  Being a tennis player, it has ALWAYS been a dream of mine to one day go to the US Open.   I am super excited that I finally live close enough to make that dream a reality.  

They came, We played, They Left

I had some super fun visitors last week....

Oh So Fun

PD and Kelli Mayfield came to NYC for a whole week!  It was awesome.  I have known both PD and Kelli since my freshmen year in college.  PD and I were in college together and then on a Campus Outreach staff team together at PC.  Kelli was on staff with CO as well and then we lived in the same apt complex in G Vegas last year and became great friends!   The three of us also spent a summer in South Africa together.  PD and Kelli got married a year ago and then moved to the midwest to attend Covenant Seminary.  It was so fun to get to spend a whole week with them and show them my city!  

I know they will just love that I am posting this picture, but I was so excited to have them stay with me. I am in between roommates right now and so it worked out perfect.  I did make PD sleep on the hard floor, but he didn't mind. Just Kidding! :-)

We did so many fun things while they were here. They toured the city while I was at work and then we did different things in the city each night.  We spent time in Central Park, went to a new park downtown, ate at a bunch of cool restaurants that I love, went to Brooklyn and walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, hung out in Time Square (it is so fun to show people Time Square at night. There is just nothing like it!) went and saw the Lion King on Broadway (it was amazing!), shopped on Canal Street, walked the streets of New York, and on and on on ! Below is a picture of us at this really cool outdoor restaurant on the Hudson.  We were actually eating on a boat.  Ben is pictured with us.  He is a mutual friend that  was involved in the same college ministry as us. He is a doctor and is doing his internship in NYC.  

Who recognizes this picture???? I'll give you a hint, one word.  SEINFELD!

It is just a normal diner that happens to be on every episode of Seinfeld.  Kelli really wanted to get a picture of it. 

Hanging out in Time Square after watching "The Lion King"   It is happening place no matter what time of day you are there. 

Kelli use to always borrow my clothes and jewelry, so she was super excited to get to have this opportunity again:-) And I just thought it was funny

On the Subway.  

Kelli took pictures of EVERYTHING while she was here.  I just had to put this picture in.  This is a little bodega on my street.  These are all over the city and this is where us New Yorkers do our shopping.  There is a lot of character in these places, but I have to admit sometimes I just really want a TARGET or maybe even a WAL-MART.  I still have not gotten use to shopping in this city.  

Kelli and PD are gone now and it is back to normal life for me.  Last week with them felt like a little vacation for me.  Thanks for coming Guys! 

STARBUCKS ANYONE?

Are any of you blog readers a Starbucks Fan?  If so, I have a great deal for you!  A very nice and generous person here in the city gave me a $50 Starbucks gift card.  Although it was a thoughtful gift, I do not ever go to Starbucks and am not a big coffee drink person.  So I am trying to sell my gift card.  I am selling it for $40(even though it's worth $50)!  If you are interested in buying it please leave me a comment with your e-mail address or just send me an e-mail and we can figure out details about me mailing it to you.  Because I am selling it for $40, you are basically getting two free drinks from me:-) If you go to Starbucks alot anyways, why not just buy this card from me and then you can have your coffee drinks prepaid? It's quite the deal:-)

Writing it out

DO YOU EVER HAVE THOSE MOMENTS WHERE YOU JUST HAVE SO MUCH ON YOUR MIND AND WRESTLING IN YOUR HEART.  THOSE MOMENTS WHERE YOU HAVE SO MUCH YOU WANT TO SAY BUT DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO SAY IT.  I FEEL LIKE THAT IS WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.  THIS PAST WEEK WAS A WEEK OF ALOT OF INTROSPECTIVE THINKING FOR ME.  I AM NOT SURE WHY.  MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE SPENT MORE TIME ALONE THAT USUAL, OR MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN MORE TIME TO SPEND TIME WITH JESUS AND TO BE STILL.  I HAVE BEEN A LITTLE SAD THIS WEEK AS WELL.  NOT EXACTLY SURE WHY, WELL MAYBE I DO. I HAD MANY MOMENTS THIS WEEK WHERE I WAS LIKE WOW, I'M LIVING MY DREAM.  I AM LIVING IN NYC WHERE I ALWAYS WANTED TO LIVE.  I LOVE MY JOB AND HAVE A PRETTY COOL LIFE.  THE THING IS MY DREAM OF LIVING IN THE CITY DOES NOT SATISFY ME.  IT DOES NOT SATISFY ME, JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS THINGS I WANTED IN LIFE DID NOT SATISFY.  EVEN THOUGH I KNOW CHRIST IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FILL ME I GET CAUGHT UP IN THE LIES THAT THIS WORLD TELLS YOU THAT ONCE YOU HAVE THIS......(FILL IN THE BLANK) YOU WILL BE HAPPY.  SO FOR ME ONCE I MOVED UP TO NYC THE LORD GAVE ME ANOTHER DESIRE.  HE GAVE ME THE DESIRE TO BE A WIFE.  I MEAN I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT I WANTED TO GET MARRIED ONE DAY, BUT IT JUST WAS NOT A BIG DEAL TO ME.  I WAS TOO FOCUSED ON WANTING TO LIVE IN A BIG CITY.  BUT THEN I GOT UP HERE AND I WAS LIVING THE LIFE, AND GOD JUST BEGAN TO KNOCK ON MY HEART WITH DIFFERENT DESIRES.  THROUGH THIS YEAR MY HEART HAS INCREASINGLY GROWN FOR MARRIAGE. I KNOW GOD HAS CALLED ME TO SINGLENESS RIGHT NOW, BUT MAN THIS CITY IS A LONELY PLACE WHEN YOU ARE DOING IT ALONE. I MEAN DON'T GET ME WRONG I HAVE TONS OF GREAT FRIENDS, BUT I AM READY FOR A COMPANION, A MAN OF GOD WHO WILL PUSH ME TOWARDS JESUS AND LOVE ME FOR WHO I AM.  SO I THINK WHAT MADE ME THINK ABOUT THIS ALOT THIS WEEK IS MY NEIGHBOR LOUIS.  LOUIS IS MY 90 YEAR OLD NEIGHBOR.  WE DON'T TALK MUCH, BUT I SEE HER EVERY SATURDAY MORNING WHEN SHE HANGS HER CLOTHES OUT ON OUR TERRACE.  WELL A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I WAS COOKING DINNER AND I LOOKED OUT MY WINOW AND SAW LOUIS.  LOUIS WAS SITTING AT HER SMALL KITCHEN TABLE PLAYING SOILITAIRE.  SO I STOOD AT MY WINDOW AND JUST WATCHED HER AND AS I WATCHED HER TEARS STARTED TO WELL IN MY EYES.  YOU KNOW WHY?  2 REASONS.  1)I WAS SAD FOR HER.  SHE LIVES ALL ALONE IN NYC AND I JUST FELT LONELY FOR HER.  I NEVER SEE HER WITH ANYBODY.  AND I WONDERED WHAT HER LIFE HAS BEEN LIKE.  HAS SHE EVER FALLEN IN LOVE?  DOES SHE HAVE ANY KIDS?  AND SO ON.  I MEAN I DON'T KNOW HER LIFE, BUT I JUST COULND'T HELP BUT ACHE FOR HER.   AND 2) I WAS SAD FOR MY SELF.  I LOVE MY LITTLE 2 SEATER CRATE AND BARREL TABLE THAT FITS PERFECTLY IN MY TINY KITCHEN, BUT ONE DAY I WANT TO REPLACE IT WITH A BIG TABLE THAT WILL SEAT ME, MY HUSBAND, AND OUR KIDS.  I JUST THOUGHT, WILL I EVER GET TO DO THAT? I DON'T WANT TO GROW OLD BY MYSELF.  I DON'T WANT TO SIT AT MY DINNER TABLE ALONE.  I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE.  NOW I KNOW YOU ARE PROBABLY READING THIS AND JUST THINKING "BETHANY STOP BEING A DRAMA QUEEN"  AND MAYBE I AM, BUT THIS IS A REAL FEAR I HAVE. SINCE THAT NIGHT I HAVE LOOKED OUT MY WINDOW MANY TIMES AND SEEN LOUIS AT HER TABLE ALONE.  SO THEN IT JUST GOT ME THINKING ABOUT HOW I LIVE MY LIFE DISSATISFIED.  WHY CAN'T I JUST BE CONTENT WITH MY LIFE THE WAY IT IS?  WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO BE WANTING SOMETHING ELSE OR SOMETHING MORE?  I KNOW THAT GOD PLACES DESIRES ON OUR HEARTS AND THAT MARRIAGE IS NOT A BAD THING TO WANT, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT GOD CALLS US TO BE CONTENT IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.  SO I AM FIGHTING THAT.  I AM FIGHTING TO PRAISE GOD AND REJOICE IN HIM EVEN IN THOSE MOMENTS WHERE I JUST FEEL SO TIRED OF LIVING LIFE ALONE.  I DO LOVE NYC AND HAVE HAD SO MANY COOL EXPERIENCES, BUT I JUST PRAY THAT ONE DAY SOMEONE WILL SHARE IN THOSE WITH  ME. AND THAT WE CAN MINISTER TOGETHER IN THIS CITY OR WHEREVER GOD CALLS US.  SO MY HEART HAS BEEN HEAVY FOR AWHILE WITH THIS.  I KNOW THAT I AM STILL YOUNG(WELL ACCORDING TO NEW YORKERS I AM, MAYBE NOT TO SOUTHERNERS) AND GOD IS THE WRITING MY STORY.   I THINK I AM JUST LEARNING ALOT ABOUT WAITING.  WAITING ON THE LORD, WAITING ON HIM TO ANSWER MY PRAYERS, WAITING ON HIS PLAN TO BE UNFOLDED. I KNOW THAT I WANT GOD'S WILL FOR MY LIFE.  IT MAY BE HIS WILL FOR ME TO LIVE MY LIFE SINGLE, I KNOW THAT AND I KNOW THAT HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME IF THAT IS WHAT HE CALLS ME TO.  I KNOW THAT I WANT TO LIVE PURPOSEFULLY FOR HIM RIGHT NOW IN THIS SEASON.  I TALKED TO A GIRL RECENTLY WHO TOLD ME THAT IF I WAS EVER GOING TO MEET SOMEONE IN THIS CITY AND GET MARRIED THEN I NEEDED TO LOWER MY STANDARDS, THAT I NEEDED TO COMPROMISE WHAT I WANTED AND MY CONVICTIONS.  THIS MADE ME REALLY SAD.  I MEAN LET'S BE HONEST, NYC IS NOT JUST SLAMMED FULL OF GODLY MEN.  THERE ARE TONS OF CUTE, SUCCESSFUL GUYS OUT THERE(LET'S BE HONEST ITS NYC, YOU SEEN THEM ON TV:)), BUT VERY FEW WHO ARE REALLY PURSUING CHRIST.  SO FOR A SMALL SECOND I PONDERED WHAT THIS GIRL SAID AND THOUGHT "MAYBE SHE'S RIGHT", BUT THEN I WAS LIKE WAIT A MINUTE.  IF I HAVE TO LOWER MY STANDARDS,  THEN MAYBE I DON'T WANT MARRIAGE.  I WANT GOD'S BEST FOR ME AND I KNOW THAT GOD'S BEST WOULD NOT BE FOLLOWING WHAT THAT GIRL SAID.  AND SO I PRAY.  I PRAY DAILY THAT GOD WOULD PROVIDE THE RIGHT MAN FOR ME.  A MAN WHO WILL MAKE ME LOVE JESUS MORE.  AND SO MY HEART HAS FELT HEAVY, BUT I LOVE THAT CHRIST HEARS ME.  HE LOVES ME AND HE KNOWS ME.  HE KNOWS WHAT I NEED AND KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR ME.  I LOVE THAT WHEN MY HEART IS HEAVY I CAN CAST MY CARES ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR ME!  I THINK MOVING TO NYC HAS INCREASED MY PRAYER LIFE, IT HAS INCREASED MY FAITH.  I HAVE MANY FRIENDS IN THIS CITY, YET SO RARELY SHARE WHAT IS GO ING ON DEEP INSIDE ME.  IT IS MUCH EASIER TO LAUGH WITH THEM AND TALK ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE SURFACE.  IT'S MUCH HARDER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS WEIGHING ON MY HEART, THE THINGS THAT BRING TEARS TO MY EYES WHEN I SIT ALONE BEFORE BED.  SO, WHAT DO I DO.....I BLOG. I HAVE WRITTEN IN MY JOURNAL ALOT LATELY. I LOVE WRITING MY PRAYERS OUT THE LORD AND JUST PROCESSING THROUGH MY THOUGHTS ON PAPER, BUT TONIGHT I JUST FELT LIKE BLOGGING.  I KNOW I HAVE SHARED MY HEART ON THE INTERNET, BUT OH WELL.  I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE.  THIS IS ME, THIS IS WHERE I AM.  MY SIDEBAR SAYS THAT THIS BLOG IS A GLIMPSE OF MY LIFE AS I SEEK TO LIVE LIFE ONE DAY AT A TIME.   SO TONIGHT I AM SHARING A DEEPER GLIMPSE OF MY LIFE, A GLIMPSE OF MY HEART.  

I THINK I FEEL A LITTLE BETTER.  IT KIND OF FEELS NICE JUST TO WRITE. 

p.s. I have decided that I am going to try hard to get to know Louis, be her friend.  She does not really talk to others much, but I am praying for opportunities to get to know her and serve her.  

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary. and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.  they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40: 28-31

 

We Made It....

This is about as good as a group picture as we could get (why is it so hard to get 3 and 4 year olds to sit still and look at the camera?:-)).  We lost a few, but here's a handful of the children. Don't let their small size or the fact that it was a small group fool you.  These kids wore me out! BUT I did have a ton of fun with them

And one more picture just for fun!  The girls all wanted to sit on the couch together and I couldn't resist taking their picture.  

It was nice spending time with these kids each day this week, but come Monday I am back to the office!  I guess 2 weeks of VBS in a summer is good enough.:-) 

A Back Yard Safari

This week my boss and I are doing a very small VBS for pre-schoolers.  We like to call it a little "test pilot" to see if we could pull off a vbs for pre-schoolers at Redeemer in the future.  We have had a great time hanging out with some adorable kids this week and teaching them about our great God!  I just had to post a few pictures of some of our mini Redeemerites! 

Aren't you jealous?:-)  They are just so fun, full of energy, and eager to learn!  

August One and Summer Fun!

Today is August 1.  I woke up this morning to my cell phone beeping.  I turned over, and looked at it thinking it was somebody texting me.  When I looked at the phone half asleep I just smiled.  It was my calendar alarm going off saying, "move today".  You see months ago I put that in my phone because today is the day that my lease was up on my apt and I thought I would be moving.  It has been a rollercoaster 4 months trying to figure out what I was going to do about my living situation.  It was one of those things where everything I thought I wanted continued to fall through.  Long story short, one of my good friends(and coworker) is going to be moving with me!  This is a huge answer to prayer and I am so thankful for the Lord's provision.  Do you ever have those times in your life where little circumstantial things happen and many people would say, "that just happened by chance"?  Well all the things leading up to my friend Joanna and I living together could be said  it was just chance, but I know that it wasn't.  It was the Lord!  I love that I serve a God whose hand is intricately involved in every detail in my life.  He knows what is best for me and promises to give that!  Between the uncertainty's of my job and my living situation it was several months of anxiousness, tears, and trusting the Lord (I wish I did not struggle so much with the anxiousness part!) BUT God has blessed me so much.  He has answered my prayers and given me an amazing job and an amazing roommate!  Thanks  so much for praying for me!  Please don't let the prayers stop:-) 

Ok now on to more summer fun.  I have uploaded quite a few pictures from the summer.  Enjoy...

My friend Mara Diana made a trip up to NYC for a bachelorette weekend we both were invited to. Time Square here we come...

This has been a summer of many cookouts.  This was an indoor cookout because of the rain! 

Good Morning America. Sorry for my appearance, but I literally rolled out of my bed to go to Central Park to see Kelly Clarkson in concert!  One of the many fun things about summer in the city is all these free concerts that Good Morning America and the Today show have

Yet another cookout... This one was on a rooftop terrace

4th of July.  A bunch of us had a cookout(can you tell that cookouts have been a big part of my summer!) and then walked down to Pier 70 to watch the Macy's fireworks being shot over the Hudson river.  Don't know if you saw them on TV, but they were incredible!  I have been to a lot of firework shows in my life, but never seen one so huge!  

They were beautiful!

The fireworks reflected off of the Trump Towers that line the West Side HWY of NYC

Bike riding in Central Park.  A few of us rode bikes through Poets Walk one night after a concert in the park.  I do not own a bike so we had the great (or not so great) idea of riding double!

The Flat Iron building.  It is located right beside Madison Square Park where I have spent some time this summer.  I just think this building is so cool

George Washington Bridge.  Even NYC has pretty sunsets! 

Riverside Park on the Hudson river. I went Kayaking right here today, but could not get a picture of us in the kayak 

Can you believe I blogged 2 days in a row??  I'm on a roll!  More to come later.  We have week 2 of VBS this week.  This one is for pre-school kids.  It should be quite fun, because we have some mighty cute kids coming to it!