.a love offering.

therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. forgive as the Lord forgave you, and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. and be thankful. let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

colossians 3:12-17

"life has seemed to slow down in the fast paced city leaving me wanting to hold on to every moment, every word spoken, each sight, sound, and taste. i would love to share every detail with you but some things will leave my mind, others will be between just me and God, and others will met your eyes on this computer screen. i pray God gives me the right stories to share. that one of you may be touched by something special God is doing here in new york. He is so in love with each of us! how blessed are we that God loves us so much he gave everything for us in order that we may come to know Him? obedience to God is easy when its done out of love. if we see our "yes" to god as a love offering rather than an obligation, it is simply delightful and so fulfilling to obey Him. He is good! Hallelujah!"

...i wrote this in my journal on friday and wanted to share it with you too. with that, here is what God's been doing with my love offering this past week...

.monday, june 21, 2010.

#21. volunteer my time for someone/something.

pastor todd crews is the man i have to thank for the majority of my involvement at the brooklyn tabernacle. it was all God how i got connected to him, and he has been blessing me with opportunities and behind the scenes stuff at the brooklyn tab since i have been here. on monday, i took some time to visit him and his wife, nicole in their office at the church building. we were able to visit for a while, and i offered to help them with anything that was weighing them down. i ended up making some spreadsheets on the computer to help them get organized! if any of you know me, i like to have my ministry stuff as organized as possible (even if the intern office doesn't always look that way...it's organized to me!) so this was a huge blessing to help them out with this. even though it was making spreadsheets on excel, it was worship. i sat there smiling and i knew God was too. it is so fulfilling to do something to help another person, no matter how big or small the task is. on top of that, it was really cool to work up in the offices of the brooklyn tab with some of their staff ;)

after a pit stop at atlantic ave/pacific st to grab a bite with katie, i was off to bryant park for the famous movies in the park night! when i arrived, my friends had front row lawn seats staked out with snacks and fellowship flowing out of them! we sat in the park in the midst of hundreds of others, snacked, talked, and laughed together. as large as the city is, there are events like this that brings a sense of community and connection between people and it was evident when everyone got up and started dancing when the "special song" came on, cheered as they played a classic loony tunes cartoon (!), and clapped and whistled when the feature flick appeared...(the classic 007 movie, goldfinger!). as i laid under the stars and gigantic 5th ave. buildings, i whispered a word of praise to God for indescribable moments such as this. you don't have to be in a church building or singing a worship song to feel God's presence. it is always all around us and if we allow ourselves to be open to it, we find ourselves praising Him for the beauty of all things. :)

.tuesday, june 22, 2010.

as i was walking to the subway in the mid-afternoon, texted a distressed friend, "rejoice in the Lord always". she was going through a difficult time, and little did i know that i, too, would need to hear rejoice in the Lord always later this day. i met katie in brooklyn for the prayer meeting at the brooklyn tab and just before doing so, i received an unfortunate phone call. the salon that i work for informed me that the previous receptionist (that i replaced) wanted her job back and thus no longer needed me to work there. as the words came through over the phone, i digested them slowly making sure i heard everything correctly. just as soon as this job came to me, boom...it was gone. i knew it was for a reason, and instantly the enemy wanted me to believe that i was not good enough or i was unwanted...not true!!! so many thoughts flooded my mind, but now i think of the david crowder song that i loooove...

and i will worship, you Lord, only you Lord

and i will bow down before you

take my friends take my fears, all i have and leave them here

be all my hopes, be all my dreams

you're my delight, sweet, my everything

and it's just You and me here now, only You and me...

and that's the heart of it all. it's just me and God here in new york city, and if He wants to take away this job, then i will worship Him, and only Him. He is all my hopes and my dreams and I am living them right now. i need to praise God for taking things away so i have more time to dedicate to Him and bringing glory to His name. so as much as i enjoyed my job at the salon, i am ever so grateful that i have more time now to give to God while i am in new york city.

.prayer meeting.

so as i have a wealth of emotions flowing through me, katie and i get to the prayer meeting just in time and the first worship song begins. they sing...

rejoice in the Lord always, and again i say rejoice!

well how about that! just as i sent those words to my sister earlier, God gave them to me, and i knew it was from Him saying, no matter what emotions you are feeling...rejoice in Me!

pastor cymbala gave an awesome word from 1 kings 3:4-15. he discussed how after solomon (son of david) was made king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, "ask for whatever you want me to give you". solomon gave the Lord words of praise, and then asked for the Lord to give him a discerning heart to govern the people. the Lord was so pleased that solomon asked not for something selfish such as wealth or a long life, but for discernment in administering justice that would glorify God more. so with that, God gave him not only what solomon asked, moreover what he did not ask, riches and honor! we see throughout scripture that solomon had just that, and he was the wisest man to live until Jesus came to earth. how pleased is God when we are unselfish in our prayers. it was such a challenging and awe-inspiring message to hear! every week at these prayer meetings, God so beautifully reveals Himself and shows me something i can grow in.

on my way home from the prayer meeting, i was thinking about how i take the subway to get everywhere...or walk. but i was thinking the subway is like God in some ways :) like God, the subway carries us through our path in life. similar to the Lord, it stops and meets us where we are at. and as we stand there and wait on the platform (like when we wait on the Lord), it opens its doors to let us in, we simply have to say yes, step in, and let it carry us.

.wednesday, june 23, 2010.

after a morning/afternoon of not feeling the best (maybe the new york germs were finally hitting me?!) i pulled myself together to adventure into the city. i decided to ride the subway to the last stop in lower manhattan and ride across the river on the staton island ferry. it was a beautiful, warm and breezy day, perfect for a boat ride. i found a spot on the outer part of the ferry and hung our the side letting the wind blow my hair. going further away from manhattan, the beautiful skyline becomes more visible and and the statue of liberty is greener than ever up close! i closed my eyes as the breeze blew past and the sun (or Son!) shone down i hummed,

consuming fire, fan into flame

a passion for your name

spirit of God fall in this place

Lord have your way, have your way in me

come like a rushing wind...

this was my prayer as i embarked on a new journey. a journey that now i was more dependant on God than ever for how to spend my time and days. it can be easy to become complacent without a packed schedule all the time, but God has called me to operate on His schedule and His timing, which is anything but complacent and boring!

.choir practice.

as i sat at choir practice once again to observe (thanks Tood!) i listened to carol cymbala (pastors wife and the lovely choir director) read colossians 3:12-17. "we can never limit God", she said, "we must clothe ourselves and walk in love. real faith is where the rubber meets the road. it's hard, but God can help us to be stronger". from her mouth, those words are so powerful. carol was once a quiet, shy girl who was terrified to speak in public and be in front of large groups of people. she has never been musically trained and cannot read a not of music. yet, today only by God, she leads the 285 member choir, has won 6 grammy's (and has made acceptance speeches at the awards!!) and has performed in places like radio city music hall and madison square gardens. we must believe that God has the power to equip us with all we need to achieve His plan and purpose for our lives. it may not look normal to the world, but that's when our faith in God is visible to others...when things don't make sense or are not rational. the choir sounded just as beautiful as ever, and as i watched carol direct her amazing singers, i praised God for how she has let Him work in her life and for her continuing faithfulness in the Lord.

.thursday, june 24, 2010.

after an afternoon of pages and books at the new york public library (i found the one you can rent books from...across the street from the museum-type one!) and barnes and noble, i met kadie in greenwich village for a night at the neighborhood church. this group of young adults and college students (mainly from nyu) come together to share a meal, pray, worship, and hear the word of God. kadie and i have met some great people at this church. personally, it has been awesome to see how another campus ministry shares Christ on campus. many of the students that come have similar hearts to students at his house and are so eager to share the love of God with people at nyu. the message was from acts 4 and being bold in your witness for Christ. how important it is to remember the necessity of boldness and that the power of boldness comes from the Holy Spirit (acts 4:8, 13, 29-31). the night ended as kadie and i walked through the park to the subway and stumbled upon a trombone player! he was joyfully playing music for all that cared to listen. there are so many creative people in the city wanting to share their gifts with whomever is willing to take it in. we smiled as this man's music gave us a smile and skip in our step.

.friday, june 25, 2010.

#6. pray in the 24 hour prayer room at brooklyn tabernacle.

the prayer band is a integral part of the ministry at the brooklyn tabernacle. the prayer band is a group of people dedicated to praying over the thousands of prayer requests that flood in through hand written, emailed, or over the phone requests. i had the privilege of joining the prayer band and meeting one of the leaders, dorthea. dorthea was a woman just by her appearance showed she had great faith. her eyes were wide from all she has seen and her heart was big from all the stories and people it held. she spoke with grace and confidence. her gift and ministry is prayer and has been on staff at the brooklyn tab for 17 years! sometimes for 7 hours at a time she will be in the prayer band room interceding and fasting for people and requests. if someone comes to the church from the street needing prayer, dorthea is the one to go upstairs and pray over them. we had an opportunity to do this together and not done without action, she was firm and challenged the woman to step out in faith. she is a woman who truly knows who her God is. she told the woman all she needed to do is call on God and He is listening. what a simple truth we often forget. we look to all these other things and people for our help when we really only need to ask God first . when she spoke to God, she used the different names of God according to what we were asking for. it was such an intimate time to approach the throne of God together for people who needed it an might be able to even pray for themselves. it was such an honor when dorthea extended her hand and prayed over me. she let God speak to her about my needs and spoke directly to my heart. i am so blessed to be around people who are here to encourage me and love me in my journey.

my day concluded with lunch and reading at the brooklyn promenade, a nap on the park bench (i'm turning into a real new yorker now!!), and a girls movie night at anna's apartment.

.saturday, june 26 and sunday, june 27, 2010.

.a typical weekend in new york. i met up with katie in union square and we had adventures in the city and a sleepover at my apartment! sunday we woke up earrrrrly, had delicious astoria bagel shop bagel's and worshiped at the brooklyn tabernacle. i was blessed to have brunch with my girlfriends and we laughed so hard we were crying at the drama put on in the afternoon at the brooklyn tabernacle. this church does nothing short of excellent and the drama presented a hilarious but convicting message from 1 peter 3:15,

"but in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. but do this with gentleness and respect..."

it is so important to keep this in mind, remembering always to set apart Christ as Lord. it was challenging to ask myself, "do i know why i believe what i believe?" it was a great reminder to always be ready to share our faith!

it has been revolutionary in my life to put my "yes" on the table and to submit to whatever God calls me to do. i pray that if God is calling you to do something, no matter how big or small it may be, say yes to His leading and walk in love!

.besos y abrazos. .camine en amor.

.set out for a purpose.

as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what i desire and achieve the purpose for which i sent it.

isaiah 55:10-11

as much as i would love to avoid admitting this, i must be truthful in saying that this past week was not the easiest. my fluffy cloud 9 i was floating on in weeks 1 and 2 slowly deflated (behind my back!) and i unknowingly was down to earth in a matter of a few days. upon reflection of my week, i am glad that my reality check happened, and i know now that this is where the rubber his the road and real growth is going to start. with that, here are my reflections of week 3...

tuesday, june 15, 2010.

prayer summit. prayer meeting. house of prayer.
pastor cymbala (of the brooklyn tabernacle) continually reminds us of the scripture in isaiah 56 that reads, "for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (v.7). with that, our tuesday night prayer meetings are the most important service of the week to this church. this tuesday, however, was an extra special one.

prayer summit.

every few months, pastors and leaders from around the metropolitan area gather together for one day to have these prayer summits with the organization, convoy of hope (convoyofhope.org). this was one of those days. and the brooklyn tabernacle was hosting. and i was invited. and it was good. real good. they prayed for 5 hours straight, without ceasing. talk about living out 1 thessalonians 5:17, pray continually. :) i sat in for about 2 hours to pray and seek God with these pastors and leaders. what a powerful experience it was. the way these men pray, is so bold and confident. just being around people that have that passion grows my passion for God too. for a time we were able to open ourselves to pray for whatever God laid on our hearts, which had to have been my favorite part. it's so cool to pray for situations and people without them even having a hint of an idea and then see God work in their life. God's plan is so much more intricate than we can even imagine and He uses us in situations without us even knowing.

prayer meeting.

so in light of the special day we had with the prayer summit, pastor wanted to make this prayer meeting special too. he instructed us the week before that if you were born in a different country, to bring an item (flag, map, picture, etc.) to represent that country to the prayer meeting and set it on the steps leading up to the stage. when i arrived at the church, all four huge steps were covered. there must have been at least 1/4 of the world represented by the people in our church. the prayer meeting was divided up into praying for different areas of the world and those prayers were led by native people. a woman prayed in spanish for the south and central american countries. francis chan prayed for the asian countries (he just happened to be visiting from california!). and my eyes filled with tears of love when half the church declared they were from the pacific islands (haiti, jamaica, cayman islands, etc.). the diversity we have here is just a small glimpse of what heaven will look like with every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the lamb (revelation 7:9).

wednesday, june 16, 2010.

#8. see a live concert in the park.

with the day off of work, i decided to head into the city and cross something off my list! after a small (who am i kidding?) shopping spree (i am in new york after all!) i headed off to madison square park (23rd st./broadway/5th ave.). the cool thing about living in new york over the summer is all of the cool concerts, movies, plays, and other artsy things that take place in the cities many, glorious parks. madison square park is a smaller sized park and is also home to the delightful shake shack which boasts some of the best burgers and fries in new york city...if you feel so compelled to stand in the looooooooong line! maybe next time :) i enjoyed the warm breeze blowing around me as i read my book, ate some creamy tiramisu, and watched as so many people strolled by my park bench. the concert began and many people brought blankets and picnic baskets with cool beverages and snacks to share. the artist was a blues-y/gospel singer and she brought some music and soul to the city that's for sure! i have been consciously trying to use all five senses to take in each moment of my time in the city and this was a moment i could really drink in deep.

thursday, july 17, 2010.

tonight was the big night! ever since i began working at gemini 14 salon, i have heard about the big grand opening party sin dig that was taking place. red carpet, photographers, ho rs devours, champagne, dancing, and a whole lot more. i was nervous to go alone at first, but then after a conversation with a dear friend, i knew there was no reason to let this city or party intimidate me! i knew if i did not enjoy myself, i could just get on the subway and go back home. there was nothing keeping me there, but i knew i had to at least check it out and see for myself! so i slipped on my fancy new, red dress and pointy toed heels, and with every strand of hair curled and pinned just right, i went to the party! i surprisingly had a good time and even got to have some good conversations with people. all in all, there was nothing i needed to stress about...if you tell the world you are fierce, then you're fierce...especially when you wear a red dress ;) check this website out to see some other people that joined us at the party...you may even recognize some! (http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=2&language=en-US&family=editorial&assetType=image&p=Gemini+14+Salon)

friday, june 18, 2010.

God is so faithful when we call out to Him...amen?! i was over the hill with homesickness and even though i knew i would be okay, God placed people in my weekend that would cure any sadness that i may have felt.

i was able to spend the afternoon with my sweet friend, sarah cohen, and her mother, susan cohen, and boyfriend, chris kato. sarah and i have been friends since middle school and grew up going to camp together every summer. we remained friends throughout high school as well as our university life despite that sarah went to western michigan..hehe :) they traveled to nyc from her apartment in new hampshire and made time in their weekend to spend with me. it was such a lovely afternoon as we talked and reminisced and strolled about the south street seaport in lower manhattan. we laughed and talked some more as we all shared a meal tether and it really brought joy to my heart to be together.

to finish out my great night, our young adult and college ministry called, transitions, had their bi-weekly fellowship meeting and it was just wonderful to worship together, hear the word of God, fellowship, and laugh together. i really enjoy my new family at the brooklyn tabernacle and especially this special family at transitions!

saturday, july 19, 2010.
one of the blessings God has given me here in new york is my friend, katie bennett. about a month into planning my big adventure in new york, katie told me that she too was praying about spending 5 weeks in the city...at.the.same.time. wow God is good!! katie worked with a missions organization in the city a couple of summers ago and they hired her back for just a short term staff member this summer. so after much prayer between the both of us, God led us to the same city. together. and this was the day i would finally get to welcome her! katie, her dad, uncle jerry, and i had a fun evening of walking the brooklyn bridge, visiting a park at city hall, venturing around greenwich village and soho, and finishing out the night with cheesecake at the famous junior's (theeeeeeeee best!). i can't wait to see what God is going to do between the two of us the rest of the summer and how He is going to grow us as sisters in Christ and friends.

there have definitely been moments during this past week that i have wondered...what am i even doing here? or i am so lonely, i miss my friends so much...why am i here...can't i just go home? but going back to the scripture i started with...i know that each experience, whether good or bad, will grow me closer to God, if i let it. that i will achieve the purpose for which i was sent and what God desires. so with that, i have a choice to let this city and these experiences influence me or not. before i left, pastor matt told me that i was going to live in the most influential city in the world. wow. my choice is to be influenced. and i know the Holy Spirit with give me discernment on what to keep out because there are a lot of things i would not like to influence me, but i also know there are a lot of things my eyes can be opened up to. and that is what i am learning. there is a song i love, called hosanna, and part of it says,
heal my heart and make it clean
open up my eyes to the things unseen
show me how to love like You have loved me
break my heart for what breaks Yours
everything i am for Your kingdom's cause
i know that i am learning to truly live out the words in this song i love so much. i can't help but worship and sing,

.hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

.a day at the grammy's is immeasurably more.

"now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! amen."
ephesians 3:20-21 (nlt)

if you can wrap your mind around it, it's not big enough for our God. the past few days i have truly felt the weight of these verses above, and i know and can feel His mighty power at work within me. this is what God has been doing and teaching me lately...

tuesday, june 8, 2010.

my morning began slightly earlier than the "typical" since being in new york. luckily, monday i had off so i used that day to regroup, refocus and relax from a crazy first week in the city. being at work earlier in the morning meant not as busy which led to salon social hour! the stylists there are all very sweet and are eager to get to know me. it's cute. my hope is to show them as much love as my heart can muster and eventually tell them that it is really the love of Jesus they are experiencing through me :)

3:00 pm.

i walked into the brooklyn tabernacle for my meeting with todd crews. todd is the director on staff of transitions (young adult and college ministry) and helped me in many ways in coming out to new york. todd led me up to his (what i think) swanky bt office. he has such an encouraging tone when he speaks, that just makes me content to be talking with him. and what an encouraging talk we had! i was able to tell todd all about lifegroups at his house and my involvement there. since small groups is something they are thinking of starting within transitions, it was great to discuss and share what i know and love. from there, we talked about things i will be involved in at the brooklyn tab this summer and i got to meet several staff members. stay tuned to read about several things i will be doing there this summer! i'll be blogging about them as they happen :)

those of you who went on the spring break mission to nyc, remember the brooklyn heights promenade...check out this pic...(http://newyorkpanorama.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/2006-12-south-manhattan-from-brooklyn-BW-500.jpg), and that is where God led me next. after my meeting with todd, i had some time to kill before prayer. it was absolutely breathtaking to sit overlooking the manhattan skyline, munching on my fruit tart, and letting God wreck my heart as i read crazy love by francis chan. it's moments like these i can only praise God for because they are better than i could ever imagine or dream of.

prayer bt style.

prayer at the brooklyn tabernacle was powerful and awe inspiring. the Holy Spirit met us there and led us in prayer and praise to God. it was wonderful to end the night with my new friend, kadie, as we walked around brooklyn and talked about life.

wednesday, june 9, 2010.

i sat on the subway on my way to work and to my surprise a street musician started playing worship music in my train car. i couldn't help but smile as i rode singing along, "open the eyes of my heart Lord" and really praying that over my day.

if i ever had the desire to go to the grammy's, it might as well be satisfied. at the end of my night, i shook my head almost in disbelief of my day.

after only a few short days of working at the salon, i found out that we are not the average new york salon, but one that caters to many socialites and celebrities around the area. **you can google the name of the salon and see different press releases about who makes appearances there! my first celebrity client i had the opportunity to meet was actress, julianne moore! it was really cool to see her in person and realize celebrities are just like you and i. they just so happen to have a career where people see them in public places.

choir practice.

my day at the grammy's did not end at the hair salon, but continued as i had the privilege to sit in on the brooklyn tabernacle's choir practice. if you didn't know, they are a 6-time grammy award winning choir composed of about 285 members. it is so powerful when that many people are all singing out to God and they are truly believing what they are singing. there were 285 of them and one of me just being melted by their words and the Holy Spirit! they sang,

i stand in awe of the exceeding greatness of your power...

and all of their excitement, passion, love, determination, and might hit me in my soul which made for an amazing powerful night which was far better than i could have wrapped my mind around.

thursday, june 10, 2010.

the neighborhood church in greenwich village was quite a contrast compared to our huge congregation at the brooklyn tab. this cute little house(like) church was nestled around amy's bread (best cupcakes ever!) and murray's cheese (best cheese ever!) on bleeker street in the village. one of the cool things about new york, in my opinion, is every area of the city has a different feel, vibe, and crowd. after a casual stroll around the fountain and the yummiest mango popsicles, anna, kadie, landon , and i were quickly accepted as family into the neighborhood church. we shared a meal together, had authentic prayer and worship, and Godly fellowship. it was really refreshing to be with a small community of people and do life together as the Bible teaches. i love being able to visit, encourage, and pray for (and with) other bodies of believers in new york...oh how He loves us!

friday, june 11, 2010.

girls night!

it makes me laugh how universally similar girls nights are, no matter where you are or who you are with. (guys are really reading now because i am about to reveal a huge girly secret..hehe) i felt so special and loved when i got invited to the sleepover at kadie's trendy, brooklyn apartment. we had a relaxing, giggle filled night of blueberry/peach cobbler (with ice cream!), chit chat (about boys of course..haha!) and ended with a viewing of a classic chick flick (pride and prejudice...in the end we all decided are waiting for our mr. darcy..and he's out there!). i just sit here praising God for bringing me sisters to share life with during my time here because they are all truly a blessing. we were all created for relationships, and i am so grateful that i have found some girls to fellowship, pray, and talk with. thank you Lord! :)

saturday, june 12, 2010.

remember the lifehouse song, everything? it came on my ipod while i was riding home on the train, and these lyrics really spoke to me...

how can i stand here with You, and not be moved by you?

would You tell me how could it be any better than this?

cause You're all i want, You're all i need, You're everything.

my prayer is that i will allow myself to be moved by God because He is always with me. that is a promise He gives us in the Word (deuteronomy 31:6). nothing, absolutely nothing, is better than being in the presence of God. if you have never experienced this joy, i challenge you to get alone and call on the Lord. worship Him and experience His glory. it will take your breath away.

sunday, june 13, 2010.

whenever i am at the brooklyn tabernacle, i am constantly reminded of why i am here. this church (meaning the people that worship in this so called building) is changing me and leaving such an imprint on my heart. pastor was telling us about next sunday, we will be going out and distributing food to people in need. there were 2,500 bags of groceries paid for and donated by a church. guess where the church is? .michigan. ha! even just the smallest things like that make me smile, and let me know that God is in this with me. the choir sang a song that said this...

God is able to do, just what He said He would do.

He's going to fulfil every promise He gives.

don't give up on God, because He won't give up on you.

He is able!

isn't that so true? these past two weeks, i have found that to be so true in my life. i know that this is just the beginning of what God wants to teach me here. i told my roommate, pamela, last night as we talked over chocolate cupcakes and the tony awards, that even if i went home tomorrow, i would be a different person...changed for the better.

#22. listen.

just when i thought my night was over, there was a quiet tapp, tappy, tap on my bedroom door. it was my roommate, wendy and i quickly invited her in. she proceeded to ask if she could share a prayer request with me. of course, i welcomed the conversation. i knew this item on my list would not be an easy one to cross off. i listen to people all the time, but this was different. i wanted to only cross it off if God had me really listening to someone, catching a glimpse of their heart. i also knew, that the Holy Spirit would tell me, "this is the one". and He did. and i did. and wendy shared, and cried, and we had a moment that stopped time for just a few minutes. a moment that will be lifted up to God in prayer, but will forever speak that we were placed in each others lives for a reason. for a special time such as this. to be an encouragement, a friend, a sister, an ear to listen. in the midst of her distress and trouble, i want to tell wendy, don't give up on God, because He won't give up on you. He is able! He is able to meet every need we have. He is able to fulfill the desires of our heart, if only we seek after His face. He is able to provide us with a love, joy, peace, and satisfaction beyond our understanding or what we can fathom.

.He is able.

.la primera semana.

.la primera semana. .the first week.

wow. praise God! it is hard to believe that my first week in new york city is behind me. every step of the way God has revealed Himself more and more. so many thoughts run through my mind. what is it going to be like? who am i going to meet? what will i do? where will i go? all i know is something is going to happen, and i believe God will be the One to do that something. i just get to be the instrument :) here's what's happened so far...

just so you know: i plan to post more often than once a week so my posts will not be a novel. so this is my attempt at covering the whole last week :)

also, a note: my bucket list for the summer is entitled, 30 things to do in NYC in 60 days. many posts in this blog will include stories of how i crossed each thing off my list. look for a bunch of them in this post :)

tuesday, june 1, 2010.

after a whole day of packing up, cleaning, and moving out of the green house on illinois street, derek collard, kyle kowalski, and i departed for my parent's house in cedar springs, michigan. tuesday morning came early and soon enough with our ke$ha c.d. and my bags, the boys and i were on the road in my trusty all terrain vehicle, new york city bound! after a whole day of driving, with minimal food and potty breaks, we arrived at my new home sweet home, a quaint little apartment on crescent street in the cute district of queens called astoria. even though it was late, my new roommates, wendy and pamela greeted me with hugs and excitement. since i had not seen any pictures of what it would look like, i didn't know what to expect of this new living situation. i was very happily surprised and quickly fell in love with my cute new artsy apartment and spacious bedroom! i am very content to rest my head here for two months :) when i walked into my bedroom, i was greeted by a message left on my mirror that are sweet words of life. read this:

Jesus lives in you.

& He loves you,

& He likes you.



He's cheering for you,

crying with you,

chuckling at you. (was this written for me or what?!)

He knows you

deeply, truly, and

better than anyone

else does or ever will.



Rest in these truths...

.beautiful. how wonderful it will be to be greeted each morning by that when i see my reflection in the mirror and how comforting it will be to rest in those truths each night when i sleep.


wednesday, june 2, 2010.

the sun shined through my window early. i will need to get used to living closer to the east coast. the sun comes up bright and early without fail. i didn't seem to mind on this day though, despite the little rest i had. it was hard to fall asleep like the last few nights as well because of all the excitement coursing through my body. i had to get ready and have my first job interview in the city. i was blessed to have the boys stay with me for the day so i did not have to face my first day in the city alone. armed with my resume, attitude, and patten leather, pointy towed heels, i was ready to score a job! ten minutes after i walked in to this salon to interview, i walked out with a second "try out" interview lined up for the next day. i had a good feeling about this one.

#14. go to coney island.

now that the interview was out of the way, the plan for the day was to do and see as much as possible before the boys departed for home in the morning. on our way to see the empire state building, we stumbled across a live concert with the american idol finalists in herald square. i need to get used to seeing things like this in NYC all the time, but this was cool! our day was quite the adventure as we traveled by foot and subway to herald square, the empire state building, madison square gardens, battery park, coney island, bay ridge (brooklyn) for awesome vietnamese food, and times square (let's not forget doing the cupid shuffle in the m & m's store!). the boys really did do and see as much as possible while they were here.

thursday, june 3, 2010.

while it was sad to say goodbye to the boys, excitement was stirring inside of me as they left. after hugs and a few tears (not the boys...just me) i waved goodbye and watched my car, sadie subaru, drive away for good. i walked upstairs to my apartment and it finally hit me. i was not on vacation. i live in new york city. pamela could see that i needed a hug and she brought me comfort in my state of shock :) i got ready for day 2 at the salon and was ready to take on the city of new york solo.



#13. get a job.

i was happy to be at the salon (check it out at: http://gemini14nyc.com/) for my "try out" and prayed for God to work through me during my time there. i caught on fast and in no time i was answering phones, checking in and out clients, and meeting all the stylists at the salon. five hours later i was informed that i was a great fit and that the job was mine! what a blessing. some of you may remember my job as a receptionist at ambiance salon and day spa in mount pleasant, that i did not particularly enjoy. i know now that it was necessary for me to work there in order to gain the experience i needed to get this job. it is really cool to see how in ALL things God has a plan and i am so grateful He used that experience for the good.

i ventured to whole foods market into union square and grabbed a bite to eat before heading back home after my day. i had so much to be thankful for so i just praised God for his provision and blessing! i walked into my apartment and happy to see my roommate, pamela, sitting at the kitchen table. God knew that i would need companionship and friendships while i am in new york and i am so grateful for pamela. we were able to sit for over two hours and talk about the Lord and the things we have been through in life. she is a remarkable woman and i was so encouraged by her story and faith.



friday, june 4, 2010.

my new morning routine started with my walk to the subway and conveniently stopping at the starbucks on the corner for my morning tall iced skinny vanilla latte before hopping on the train into the city. i was ready for day 2 on the job when all the sudden i was called and informed the air conditioning was broken at work and i should wait until saturday to start work. good thing i have a bucket list to cross off so that is just what i did with my day off. :)



#1. get lost.

since i was already on the subway i decided i wanted to try to find an area called park slope in brooklyn. all i needed to do was take the N train to atlantic ave./pacific st. station, transfer to the 2 train and ride to park slope. sounds simple, but with my great "i feel it" sense of direction, i was highly unsuccessful at finding the cute shops and restaurants park slope promised. instead i learned later i in fact went too far on the train and was in prospect heights (aka. kind of the hood!). good thing it was the middle of the day!!! i decided i knew my way around times square and ended up finding a good spot in the shade to journal and catch up.



#3. rent a book at the new york city public library.

fifth avenue and 42nd street is home to the beautiful new york city public library. this building is huge, so it must have plenty of books that would keep me busy looking around and reading for hours. not so much. contrary to my belief, i guess library in new york actually means museum because after getting lost in the actual building, i did not find a whole lot of books :) i also learned that you cannot check out many books at this library. if i would have known that, i wouldn't have put it on the list! now i know, and at least i can say that i have been there.

#16. make a new friend.

after my library experience, a quick stop at h&m, and witnessing a palestine protest marching down 42nd street (you really never know what you are going to see in NYC), i hopped on the subway and headed back to brooklyn. this time i was not about to get lost, i knew exactly where i was going. i spent a couple hours in the Word and reading and then walked to the brooklyn tabernacle for transitions. transitions is what they call their young adult/college group and every other friday night they have fellowship meetings. i walked in and was greeted by not just some amazing people, but also the Holy Spirit. it wasn't long until i met a girl named, adaeze and she invited me to sit next to her. it was evident the brooklyn tab was the reason i moved out to new york. the people there were so on fire for God as we worshiped together, heard a great sermon, and closed out in prayer together. i was so encouraged by God's people and that was just the beginning.

i met up with landon, (one of the leaders of transitions and someone i knew previous to coming out to new york) and he introduced me to some of his friends. God revealed Himself in a conversation i had with landon that night when landon told me i was refreshing (!!) to the body of Christ at transitions. he also told me that they are praying about starting small groups (!!!) within transitions and that i was invited to come to a prayer meeting for that purpose at his apartment the next night. God is moving and it's really amazing seeing things come together already in the first week.

#17. eat something i never have before.

in the mean time, after the fellowship meeting a group of us went to a restaurant called, lemongrass, for some delicious thai food. the fellowship continued and i was able to share my story of coming to new york with the people sitting around me as we dined over pad thai rice noodles (with veggies...yumm-o!). the food was great, but the people were better. i felt so blessed, edified, and encouraged by my new found brothers and sisters in Christ. as i walked down the streets of brooklyn to catch my subway home, i couldn't help but blissfully smile at being in the will of God.



saturday, june 5, 2010.

i was off to my first official day of work in the city and my iced skinny vanilla latte really needed to kick in hard after my exciting night out! luckily it did and i was able to really start to get the hang of things at my new job. everyone was so sweet in welcoming me to the workplace but i know it will be my biggest mission field while i am here. i am up for the challenge though and i am excited to see how God is going to use me to minister to my co-workers.



there is something wonderful about being caught off guard and totally surprised by someone or something. when dark hair/dark eyes, tattoos on wrists, kenneth walked into the salon for his haircut appointment, i would never have assumed he would leave with my phone number and plans to hang out later. but that's what is wonderful about the unexpected and left me smiling the rest of the day. new york is so different and in a matter of days everything can change! **disclaimer...many of you are assuming this means i have a date. not the case. the guy just got my number and has yet to call. i assume this is typical for new york guys, but is still fun to know someone made an effort to talk to me and to get my number! ;)

unfortunately for kenneth, i already had plans to go to landon and stewart's apartment for the fellowship/prayer/worship meeting. which is where i ran off to after my shift was over at the salon. during that time, i was able to show the group the new york dvd joe made of our team and our spring break mission back in march. it was really cool to see how encouraged everyone was by what our team had to say about the brooklyn tab and the city of new york. i loved that God used the dvd to touch the lives of my new friends.

sunday, june 6, 2010.
.worship. brooklyn tabernacle. amazing.
these people truly come to the house of the Lord truly desiring God! (psalm 63:1-2)
despite the crummy subways going local on weekends (meaning it stops at every stop where as on weekdays you can catch an express train that only stops at major ones which is much faster), making my commute to brooklyn almost an hour, being at the brooklyn tab for sunday worship was incredible. the Holy Spirit truly washes over you and every person involved in the service prays and speaks with boldness and authority. it is wonderfully refreshing! although, a little twinge of sadness overcame me knowing his house was still going on without me :)

my afternoon was wonderfully accompanied by adazae and we enjoyed some iced coffee after church and sat together for the choir concert later in the day.

.GOD IS AMAZING.

i am so blessed to be here in new york city and i can only wait on Him to see what the rest of the summer holds. please pray for me when you think of it. if you need prayer for anything, please let me know so i can lift you up! be blessed today and always!

xoxo...