New York, New York!

“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do! Now you’re in NewYork, these streets will make you feel brand new, these lights will inspire you, let’s hear it for New York, New York , New York! No place in the world that can compare!”

I almost don’t know where to start this blog post because I just have so many thoughts going through my head about the past three months of my life. I’m currently sitting on an American Airlines aircraft in route to Austin, Texas for Christmas break! I’m about to spend 3 and half weeks with my family and friends in the Great State... pumped! However, I remember so vividly the flight in August in route to NYC and how incredibly difficult that day was for me. I remember feeling scared, insecure in wondering if I had made the right choice to pick up and move half way across the country to pursue seminary, but mostly I think I felt fear of the unknown. Within the first week of me being here I had determined that I’d move back to Texas by Christmas. I honestly didn't think i was cut out for NYC. I kept reminding myself that if I could just last 3 months I could go back to Texas where everyone and everything that I loved was. I think about those thoughts and almost laugh because today I’m kinda sad that I’m going to miss out on 3 weeks in the City, and also miss my crazy/awesome/hilarious/encouraging/fun roomie, Sara! (check out her blog for some good laughs)

You see, I wasn’t running away from Texas. I had no good reason to leave. I had a good job, great friends, and a church that challenged me each week. Everything was so normal, but the spirit continued to convict me that for this new season I was to leave. This morning as my plane took off from LaGuardia I had the sweetest view of NYC, and all its glory of high rise buildings, central park, and the like. I couldn’t help but smile because despite the sadness I felt upon moving here today I can say that I love this place. Despite its craziness, I truly do love my life here, the sights, the good eats, the people, etc. But mostly I love that God has taught me more in this semester than probably ever in my life. When I reflect on this semester I can only attest to God moving MOUNTAINS in my heart about my feelings toward the city and this new season. For the first few weeks I truly hated it here, and yes I know that hate is a strong word but I’m just trying to be honest here. I hated everything: the people, the noise, the subways. I missed everything about Texas: my friends/family, my car, my normal life! All I wanted were things to be normal in my life and I was so far away from anything that was remotely normal or comfortable for that matter. In those first few weeks I cried (buckets) of tears and questioned God over and over as to why he would let me move across the country to feel this way. I’d talk to my best friends on the phone and deeply miss them. I remember they’d offer me words of advice and encouragement but in those days I couldn’t see past my wants and desires for my life. I was so selfish and I just wanted to go back to what was comfortable. You see, I didn’t want to trust because all I could see was that this journey was going to be hard and stretching. (Thanks, God.)

But as the days passed and I got over my fears, and just trusted God, He began to steadily change my heart. He gave me a peace that surpassed any fear I could have. He gave me the confidence that I was in His will. And to this day He gives me the grace to get through each long, busy, crazy day here. Lets be honest, NYC is a fabulous city. It’s a city that is so rich in culture and has so much to do and see. I’ve been able to connect with so many Texas friends who are passing through the city for various reasons. Just last week I saw three different good friends from Texas! God always blesses me with little tastes of home :)To say that i’m thankful for this season would be a gross understatement. I’m thankful that living in the City has taught me to trust that Jesus is who He says He is. I’ve learned that wherever I am, He is with me each step of my day and for that, I’m truly grateful. I’ve learned more about his great love for me than every before. He loves this sinful, broken woman so so so much!

Lots of people ask me what I’m going to do after seminary, where I see myself, etc. Right now I have no idea how to answer that question. For this season I’ll be in New York, and there is no where else I’d rather be on this kind of adventure with Jesus right by my side. He has taken such good care of me, and provided in ways that I can’t even begin to explain. I have, and will always be a Texas girl, but I can’t help but wonder that God has big things in store for my time on the East Coast. To Him be the glory all of my days. Jesus, you’re enough for me every day. Every single day, you are enough.

Day of Birthday!

Yup, here's my second blog post about my birthday! A third one is coming as tonight I got to celebrate with my best friends in Austin. Go ahead and judge me, I honestly just use this as an excuse to get all my good friends together at once. Ha!

Anyway- the above pic is me and one of my very best friends from college, Camille! She and I were instant friends junior year and our friendship has been such a blessing in my life. If it weren't for Camille I would have never probably gone to the Dominican Republic, and my life would probably look so much different today! She is such a great friend, and I had really been wanting her to visit, so what better weekend than last weekend? :) It was such a joy to have an old friend in town to celebrate with a few new friends! I actually was pretty sick all weekend so having a friend in town who was completely content doing anything or nothing was so wonderful for me! Love you Cami, thanks for coming to visit!

The day started with me waking up to smell delicious blueberry and chocolate chip muffins waiting for me in the kitchen. My rooms had gotten up early just to make these for me! Dang, I love that girl! I know she loves her sleep so the fact that she got up early just for me reminds me how lucky I am to have to live with such a great gal!

Later, Camille and I headed into the City to eat some Dominican food! I hadn't had any since moving to City and I was determined to enjoy some rice/beans/maduros and some cafe con leche on my special day! haha! The rest of the day was spent out shopping in the freeeeezing cold weather!

That night I kept it pretty chill and just had dinner at a new burger place in Soho, called B&B (Burger and Barrell) with a few friends. Burgers and wine. Expensive, but delicious!

I had soooo many wall posts, texts, phone calls, and cards come in the mail that blew me away. I felt so loved and I can only thank God for giving me so many wonderful friends.

26 was a great year. 27, let's see if you can top it!

Shanna, Andrew, and my Rooms at dinner!

Happy 27th Birthday to me!

If you know me at all you know how special my birthday is to me! For some reason it's always been a day that I LOVE and I can't quite relate to people who just don't get excited about their special day. Call me selfish, but I love it! My love language is words of affirmation and quality time and this was met by so many people on my day this year! My celebration started a couple of days early with the picture above. My dear friend, and old roommate, Laurin, was in town for the past couple of weeks for work. She had to leave on Thursday, the day before my birthday, so she decided we'd go out Wednesday to celebrate! We went to Primehouse Steakhouse on the corner of 27th/Park Avenue and it was fancy pants for sure! Laurin and I went to an awesome steakhouse last year, so we (or I) decided to keep the tradition alive with choosing this place. My friend Ema from my community group is the pastry chef here and that definitely swayed my decision a little :) The food was absolutely fantastic, and apparently knowing someone who works behind the scenes at a restaurant gives you top quality service. We were treated sooo well. NY Strip, brussel spouts, mac & cheese, and then that awesome dessert you see above... bananas foster! It's the same dessert we had last year at Perry's in Austin, so we decided again (for tradition purposes of course) to get another one here! However, because my friend is awesome Primehouse also sent out a baggie full of their famous DONUT holes, in which we also received three tiny tubes of goodness to inject in them... what?! Needless to say were sooo full after that meal that I only had a couple of donuts. Luckily I have a roommate who appreciates dessert so those babies did not go to waste!

I'm spoiled.

I'll post the official day of birthday post.... soon :)

PS: Am I really going to Texas in two days for 3 and half weeks? What?!

Christmas Tree on the subway? CHECK!

Yes, it's true last week we were THOSE girls who took a Christmas tree on the Subway. In fact we were those girls who ran down the steps with it as the "L" was approaching, and since that train doesn't come often we had to catch it. Was the train packed? Yup. Did we care? Nope. Mind you this was after we made our friend Angie hold the tree inside of CVS as we went and picked up ornaments and lights.... don't judge us!

Sara had been talking for weeks about getting a Christmas tree. I honestly didn't think she was that serious. Last Thursday when she continued talking about it, I asked her if we should just get a fake one and the look she gave me summed up that she thought I was just plain crazy. So yes, last Thursday night we hailed the tree from the East Village all the way out to good ole G'Dale Queens. Sara was so excited as you can tell from the picture!

And I will admit.... it was kinda fun :)The finished product! Merry Christmas :)

Deep In The Heart Of Texas... Part II

So I've been back in the City for a week now so I figure I should blog about my adventures from the Great State! I had been looking forward to this visit for quite some time now. Let's be honest, my BFFE Mandy and I had a 80 day countdown from the day I left to the day she'd pick me up at at the airport! I arrived to open arms and warm Tiff Treat's in her car. Do I have a great friend or what? I spent the next four days with my best friends in Austin. Catching up on life, getting pedicures, and eating lots of good Texas BBQ, Queso, and Mexican food. Don't judge me.
On Monday I headed home to Brownwood with my nephew who know is the owner of my old car, my precious red jetta! The jetta I bought all on my own, and signed 25 papers piece of paper for one afternoon. She is now in property of my college-sophomore-UT student- nephew. She was clean, and I think he takes good care of her. Remember that time I wrote a paragraph about my car? Whoops.
I spent from Monday- Sunday in Brownwood with the family! It was so nice to see them and to relax at my parents house. I love them and it was such a nice break away from the chaos of my life in the City! It was nice to get to places in under 10 minutes in a car. What a novel idea, right? On Friday I went to Abilene to watch the Mighty Brownwood Lions take down yet another team in their voyage to their 8th State Championship. These boys are good! Jaxson Shipley (who will be a Longhorn next year) is just plain ridiculous! Hopefully he can redeem next season for the Horns, because this season was just terrible... but that's a whole other story. Sunday my parents took me back to Austin, we enjoyed some Hula Hut, some mall shopping, and a course a trip to Target. We have our priorities, that's for sure. That night I spent the night with the Robles' at my old house! I love them, and miss them greatly. I was so happy to see 'my' dog Colt too! Hope was gracious enough to be willing to take me to the airport Monday morning at 4am to catch m 6am flight back to NYC. Remember when I thought that a six am flight was a good idea? yeah, me either.

Sunday night we went to church at the Stone. While I was a church the Lord spoke to me to great depths. The sermon was amazing (The Story of Redemption, all scriputre, all memorized by Ronnie Smith... truly incredible!). But more than the sermon the Lord reminded me of his great grace for my life. He reminded me that His will is more perfect for my life than mine will ever be. He reminded me that what is going on in Austin, with my friends, with my church, with that city are all GOOD things, but in this season I'm not supposed to be a part of them. Being able to articulate that is so refreshing to me after only being in NYC for about 3 months now. I can say that I'm happy, and mean it. I can say that despite my life being pretty nutzo most days, God provides me a peace that sustains me during the craziness. God called me to be here for now, and He has provided in ways that I don't even understand. I have great friends, I'm in seminary studying and learning so much, a great church, and I'm being stretched in more ways than ever before. I'm thankful and I trust Him every single day. Texas will ALWAYS be home, but I'm really starting to love NYC.

Over and out.

Deep In The Heart Of Texas...

This cracks me up...



THREE DAYS STAND BETWEEN ME AND THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS!

Don't get me wrong, I heart NYC and have really loved this season of life. But this girl needs a RECHARGE in the Great State. Can't wait to see my friends/family, sleep in my awesome bed, and eat some Tex-Mex, BBQ, and Blue Dahlia Bistro.

TEXAS TEXAS YEE-HAW! :)

Starbucks... I love you :)

I've had a love/hate relationship with Starbucks for the past however many years, but I think I'm going to admit that we are in love now that I live in New York. Drinking coffee in the city that never sleeps is just standard. I can't help it! I DON'T need coffee everyday, and typically don't get it everyday, but when it's cold in the mornings sometimes just the thought of a sip of coffee makes me smile :) (no eye rolling over there... yes, you)

Starbucks red cups are out and in full swing for the upcoming Christmas holidays! I feel most New Yorker-ish when I'm in a hurry (this is always) and run into Starbucks for some coffee in the mornings! I've definitely got my favorite store on Broadway right down the street from work. Before I know it the baristas are really going to know my name. They've started to spell it right... baby steps, baby steps people!

This morning I was feeling SUPER sluggish, even after 8 full hours of sleep, and decided to put my big girl pants on and get a VENTI BOLD Coffee. I've gone from my latte days to now just straight up Bold.

I'm growing up, people. It just took 26 years and 11 months and move to The Big Apple. Who knew?

Goodnight!

Friends.

For some reason (grace!) God has uniquely blessed me with some incredible people in my life. I left Austin knowing I had an army of friends praying for me and loving me despite living thousands of miles away. The encouragement that I receive from my friends from home is not something that will ever go unnoticed. I am loved so so well!

My lack of community the first week (or two) of being in the City was KILLING my soul! Jesus is enough, but He also made us for community. He made us to connect with people, and to live in community amongst other believers. So after my fervant prayers, God has provided people in my life who love Jesus and who love me. I could not be more thankful.

Meet, Julianne Grace Park:
I wish that I could accurately describe what this girl means to me, but there just aren't words. Have you ever met a friend and instantly you just connect as if you've know each other forever? I guess that's the best way to describe our friendship. Julianne and I met the Apostles Women's Retreat about a month and a half ago and I thank God each day for this girl! She has stepped into my life and been my community, a great confidant, encourager, and just an overall outstanding friend. She brings a lot of joy and adventure to my life. She helps me think outside the box of living such an ordinary life. I love how passionate she is about so much. Julianne is an opera singer (and a very good one I might add) and grew up on a farm in Washington. Could we be any more different? Probably not. But our common ground is Jesus, and we always tell each other that Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He made us friends. We laugh together... a lot. We run together. We eat cookies together. We are honest with each other. We challenge each other. This girl is amazing, and I can't thank the Lord enough for bringing such a stellar friend to my life. I love her so stinkin much!

Just to show how much trust I have in her, this past Tuesday I let her CUT my hair. I mentioned earlier that Julianne is an opera singer... not a hair stylist. But again, I trust her :)

Here is the finished product! I think she did a great job!

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

New York Update

Hey friends! I'm sorry this blog has been uber lame. I had big intentions to keep it up to date with pictures and stories, but alas life happens! Life in the city is good yet very busy. Seminary is in full swing right now and last week was HARD! 3 papers and a midterm. Also I continue to love my job as an Admissions Assistant in the Graduate Admissions Office. Love my new church and my new community group! I am loving all the fun things, good food, and the cool places to go in the city! New York city is one really really awesome city. I am thankful for this season of my life. While not everyday has been easy, today almost two months in, I can say that I am so thankful to be here! Do I know how long I'll be here? Nope. But I know this is where I'm supposed to be for now. That peace is what sustains me, and that peace is what gets me through each day!

Here are a few pics from the past couple of months:

This is my ROOMS!!!! I love her. She is super! Truly a gem of a friend, and roomie. We get along great, are both from Texas, and have so much fun together. I am beyond thankful for God providing her. Sadly, it's only temporary as her permanent roomie is moving to the City in January. Sad day. Trusting that God will provide another great roomie and another great situation. Love this girl!

Brynn came to visit last weekend! We went everywhere in the city! I totally wore her out, but I wanted her to be able to see everything! I think she enjoyed herself and I didn't mind showing her around! Brynn has been my BFF since 8th grade and I'm so thankful that she was able to come and see a glimpse of what my life is like here in NYC!

This was us right before walking across the Brooklyn Bridge! I will admit that this was probably my FAVORITE thing we did. It was a beautiful day. So chill, so fun, and such an awesome view of the city!

















In three weeks from today I'll call for a car, head to LGA, and hop on an American Airlines airplane headed back to Austin, Texas. I'll be in the Great State for 11 days. Can't wait! :)

Happy Almost Halloween! All is well in the Empire State. Over and out.

One year.

10.19.09 - 10.19.10

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," I Corinthians 6:19-20

One year ago today was the day that I began a life long journey of living a healthy lifestyle. A year ago today I set out on a journey to lose weight to gain back control of my life. I knew that this year would be a year of challenges, successes, and most of all a lot of hard work. A year ago today I never dreamed of being where I am today. I remember thinking how much work this was going to be and being fearful that reaching my goals might not ever happen. I remember feeling like I was standing at the bottom of a mountain and looking up at the top to realize I had to climb SO high. Despite these fears, and despite how far this journey seemed I remembered telling myself that I was worth it. My life and the body that God had blessed me with was worth it.

A few before pics:






























This morning when I stepped on the scale, I can say that I am 95 pounds lighter than the person I was just one year ago. I'm not necessarily proud of the fact that I needed to lose that much, but I'm proud of the fact that I actually did it! The number on the scale won't ever define me, but living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life was my overall goal and I think I've reached it! They say that hard work always pays off in the end, and I can honestly say that I know that to be true in my own life.

Many people have asked along the way how I did it and what kept me motivated, etc.

How I did it? That's simple. I followed three concepts each day:
1. I started counting calories, and eating healthy.
2. I started working out 5-6 days a week. (The first 7 months of this journey I worked out with a trainer twice a week! Spend the money. It's a HUGE motivator/accountability)
3. I stopped making excuses. period.

What kept me motivated?
1. Reminding myself that I was worth it.
2. The immense amount of support and challenge I had from my trainer, Albert.
3. The incredible support I had from a few of my closest friends.

A journey like this isn't easy. It takes hard work. It takes an immense amount of discipline. For me it took sacrifice. For once in my life I had to be selfish with my time. I had to put my needs above other people's at times. I still tried to maintain a healthy balance of life and this journey, but I knew that working out and staying on track of my eating had to be one of my top priorities over the course of the past year. Despite the frustrations I had at times, the feeling of accomplishment I had when I saw significant changes in my life was incredible! I feel so much more alive today than I did one year ago. When you are that overweight everyday is a battle. I remember feeling so tired all the time. My back hurt, my knees hurt, everything hurt. I realized that as a 25 year old this wasn't the way I should be living! Today I'm full of energy and rarely tired. I don't have issues with my back or knees anymore! I'm living the life that I should be living thanks to God's great grace in helping me accomplish these goals. I can do things today that I didn't think I'd ever be able to do. I can meet a friend to go running for miles, I can shop in normal stores, and overall just be a more confident person in who God says that I am.

If you need the motivation to get started, JUST DO IT! Remember, you are worth it. Your body is worth it. If I can do it, you can do it.

A few AFTER pics! I'm happy!

I live in NYC.

I moved to the City on August 31st. It's been a whirlwind, and I can't believe I've been here for almost two weeks. Things are going pretty well. It's going to be an interesting season. Right now I take my days as they come and pray for God's grace alot. It's been a true test of faith for me as I rely heavily (more than any other time) on Him. He is good, all the time, He is good.

On Saturday morning I ran around the Central Park Reservoir that you see in the pic above. It was a GREAT run with my friend, Katie, whom I love, despite her being an Aggie. It was definitely one of the coolest things I've done since I got here.

Things i like about NYC: all the walking, all the good food, all the cultures that dwell within this island, central park.

Things i hate about NYC: there are a few but mostly the fact that I'm always smelling smoke on the street. YUCK.

goodnight from the Big Apple!

I love these girls.

We are the fantastic four. These are my best friends on the planet.
I am going to miss them beyond words!

I love weddings!

My niece got married this past Saturday! Beautiful couple, beautiful wedding! What a great weekend it was :) So thankful for my family!

Vacay!

This picture sums up the greatness that has been my vacation in the Dominican Republic.

My BFF

Meet my new best friend. We haven't had too many fights yet, but I always leave "him" looking as if I have taken a shower with my clothes on. Awesome? Not sure yet. But he's given me some realllllllllly good workouts lately.

Five days till I say goodbye to my BFF, and to Gold's Gym for TWELVE days! So excited to relax, and get a nice tan :)

My blog has become uber lame. When I move I promise I will have more witty/fun posts.

And NO, I STILL don't have a place to live.

the end!

The million dollar question.

Random person: So you're moving to New York city?
Me: yes, in September.
Person: Where are you going to live?
Me: I don't know yet.
person: (concerned look) well you should probably figure that out.

yes, I'm moving to New York city in September and NO I DONT KNOW WHERE I'M GOING TO LIVE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD.

If ONE more person asks me this I'm officially going to have a heart attack.

The end.

Happy Friday :)

Stamp of Approval: Yogurt

I've harped on how much I love Cascade Fresh yogurt for a while, but recently a new love has invaded my palate.
Wallaby Organic Australian Style yogurt. Ummm... one word: DELICIOUS. One reason I can't really do greek yogurt (even though it is the healthiest) is because I just can't stand how freakin thick it is. I honestly feel like I'm eating sour cream instead of yogurt, and the thought of that almost makes me throw up. Welcome, Wallaby into my life. It's creamy, and almost smoothie like. So far I've had Banana/Vanilla and a Strawberry flavor. I also have a Blueberry in the fridge to try next.

Here are the stats:
Serving Size: 1 Container
Total Fat: 2.5 Grams
Calories: 140
Sodium 75mg
Protein 7g

All in all, a great product. AND they are on sale at sprout's for .79 cents until tomorrow!!! These are normally .99 cents at Sprout's, or over a dollar at HEB.

It's June 1st. Where the heck did May go? In other news I leave for VACAY in 25 days with one of my best friends, Cami! I'm so dang excited. Excited to go radio silent, sit in the sun, relax, and see some great friends in the Dominican Republic.

Over and out.

stamp of approval: tortilla chips

Food Should Taste Good Brand- Multigrain. 10 chips for 140 calories. I promise you can PRONOUNCE every ingredient in these too.

Food that's food and isn't processed tastes so good! I can hardly eat anything that's processed because it either tastes really salty or really sweet. Yuck.

Here's to eating healthy... for life! If you need more tips, check out some of the healthy eating/fitness blogs to the right on my blogroll. These girls know how to BLOG and are awesome foodies with great tips, recipes, etc!

LOSTLOSTLOSTLOSTLOSTLOSTLOSTLOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOW WILL IT ALL END?!?!

30 HOURS AWAY....

p.s. yes, i'm ridiculous. judge me all you want!

Every four years...

Seems like the Lord has decided to do significant things in my life in increments of four years.

8 years ago I graduated from High School. And that summer the Lord rescued me out of my depravity and made me alive with HIM! Jesus saved my life that summer before college, and I will never be more grateful for anything else in my life. No accomplishment, milestone, degree, etc. can ever compare to the greatness of knowing Him.

4 years ago I graduated from the University of Texas! HOOK'EM HORNS. I am a very proud Texas Ex. I'm so thankful for my time at UT, as it's where I really fell in love with the Lord, and began the learning process of living a life for Him. College was so fun!

And today, 2010, I am three and half-ish months away from beginning a journey that's exciting, yet nerve racking, but humbling. I know without a doubt that God is leading me to NYC for the sake of His gospel. And with that, I can't have any doubt that it's not going to be awesome! I'm nothing special. I'm no super Christian. I don't have all the right answers. I still struggle with sin. But with God all things are possible. He uses ordinary people to do crazy things for Him. I'm a prime example of an ordinary person who's just been changed for the sake of the gospel.

What are you willing to do for the Lord that others won't? I challenge you to think about that today.

Alliance Theological Seminary.

Above is a picture of my seminary. It's on Worth Street in Downtown Manhattan. It's actually one block south of Chinatown (can we say what a great lunch spot?) It's a typical high rise building right in the city. From the outside, it looks just like a normal building. There are no other buildings besides this one. I don't have a walk across "campus". I'll spend most of my afternoons this Fall like most New Yorkers, inside of a building with a millions of people going along their way right outside. This excites me, as crazy as it might sound. Some people hear about my plan and are so excited for me, and some people hear it and literally think I'm crazy. The only response I have to negative comments (especially when I tell them that I still don't have a place a live), is that I can't get over the peace I feel about this decision to pursue God's call in my life in New York City. I haven't had one doubt that I chose the wrong location or school. The peace that I feel about this is beyond explaining, but know that I go to bed at night knowing that my future is a bit unknown, but I'm peaceful. It's kinda weird not to be panicking about this, but I'm just not. I told God, I was ALL IN to His plan for my life. I know this is going to be an adventure. So ready or not... here I come, New York City.

I'm taking four classes (this is kinda weird to think about)

1. Introduction to Spiritual Formation (basically who am I in Christ, and what has He called my life to look like).
2. Perspectives in Mission (What's God's heart for missions? Why do we go?)
3. The New Testament
4. The Old Testament

I have class Monday from 2-5, Tuesday from 2-5, Wednesday 2-5, and 6-9. Pretty cool schedule if you ask me. This leaves a perfect time for a part time job in the morning if I want. It also leaves time for me to hang out with my guests on Thursday or Friday :)

Below is a verse that's been really encouraging to me lately. I'm not going to the nations in another country, but I will be amongst the nations in NYC (one of the biggest reasons I chose it over Boston).

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20

What do I have to fear about the future when God promises He is with me ALWAYS, to the end of age?

Nothing.

Starbucks..... I love you but...

I also HATE you for keeping me awake until who knows when. I decided to turn my clock around when it was after midnight and I was still awake :( I got in bed at 9:30. So, being in bed for almost 3 hours and not being able to fall asleep made me a very unhappy camper. My body just didn't know what to do with all that caffeine. Mind you, I had Starbucks at 1pm, but I never really drink anything other than water and the coffee smelled SO good. (and it was!)

However, I prayed a lot in that time, and I also prayed that when my alarm went off at 5:45 this morning I would have the strength to get up, and get my workout in. When it did, I got up and was on my way.


So, starbucks, I love you, but for the time being if I go visit you I am only going to drink tea! I told Hope this morning to remind me NOT to drink coffee anymore, or at least not for the time being.

In other news, Camille is coming in town this weekend, and I'm so excited to see my dear friend! Love that girl.

AND on Sunday, I'm taking Christie, the girl that I mentor, to see IN THE HEIGHTS! I lovvvvvvve this show. I saw it in my beloved, NYC, last March with Jaclyn and it's awesome. Can't wait to see it here in Austin this weekend.

Happy Friday! :)

I need to study this.

:) I think I'll like riding the subway and not having to drive. i HATE driving anyway!

T- minus 4 and half months till I reside in the Big Apple! What? Seriously?

Blue Dahlia Bistro

"French Bistro meets Farmers Market. Ultramodern loft meets historic district. Hipster coffee house meets the Chitlin Circuit. There’s something about the confluence of all these elements that makes the Blue Dahlia Bistro a perfect microcosm of Austin."- Eat and Drink Austin


This place is one of my FAVORITE places to eat in Austin. It's a small french bistro over on E. 11th street. Mostly organic stuff, and everything is just so freakin fresh and delicious. If you have not tried this place you REALLY are missing out. My favorites reign from the Shrimp Tartine (a fancy name for a sandwich) to their perfect Belgian waffles with nutella :) Yum! They serve their entire menu all day, and honestly everything is so good that it doesn't matter when you go.



Recently, anytime I've had a friend in town and they want to try something new I take them to this place. And I haven't had any complaints yet :) Below is Melinda, my dear friend from Dallas, who was also my freshmen roommate! Time flies, and I'm so thankful to still be good friends with her.
So check out the menu, http://www.bluedahliabistro.com/menu_sept09.pdf, and next time you want something new and fun, and really really good go to blue dahlia! You won't be disappointed.

Ephesians.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21

I heart the Book of Ephesians... alot.

Blog...

....I am completely failing you!

When something interesting happens in my life I will blog about it. I promise.

For now, I'm about to get off work and head home for Easter!

And I'm off till Tuesday! :)

Over and out.

I need a new telefono...

My phone decided to crap out on me and it won't take a charge anymore. Luckily my upgrade isn't for another month (hence the sarcasm).
Don't be jealous that for the time being I get to use the Motorola Razr. I know you are all super jealous right now, but just stop.

I'm currently debating on what phone I should get next.I've been trying to avoid getting the iphone. I'm just trying to say NO to the pressure. I've been pretty good at it, since the iphone has been out for almost 2 years! Should I succumb to pressure? We shall see...

The only other phone I like is a samsung touchscreen. We will see.

this post didn't have much interesting info. i'm sorry that sometimes my life is boring.

In other news, i LOVE nights after work when i can go workout, and come home and have NOTHING on my agenda. feels good.

Weekends are too short.

I wish I had something more inspiring to say. I DO have a 4 day week, then 4 days off for Easter! yay :)

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. I finally got to see Remember Me. WHOA. Such a great movie. I had no idea what is going to be like, but it far surpassed what I was thinking. And I also got to try out Terra Burger, and all organic burger place on the drag that I've been wanting to go to for forever. Laurin, my old roomie, was in town so she and I went! I was excited she was here because I knew she would appreciate it. It did not disappoint at all. It was a tad bit pricey, but that's what happens when you eat good, real food, and not processed cheap crappy food.

The end.

Rachael Ray's Feedback Party!

So for the second year in a row I've attended Rachael Ray's Party at South by Southwest. I'm not super big into SXSW, but this party is off the chain (yes, I just said that!) First of all, it's FREE! Free awesome music, free delicious food, and free drinks! Can things get much better than that? Check out the lineup above. The last band, She & Him, was freaking awesome! If you don't know the lead singer you might remember her when she was in Elf :) and had a great voice in that movie too! I had an awesome day with one of my greatest friends, Jaclyn. Despite the fact that it was 40 degrees all day it really was an awesome day. I will admit that I was a little starstruck when I saw Rachael Ray so many times up close. She was in line next to me in the bathroom! Ha! I don't have a picture with her because she was not doing any sort of that stuff and she limited her talking to fans too. I think it would have been too overwhelming otherwise. The event was held at Stubb's and there easily over 1000 people there. Here she is with her hubby who is in the band, The Cringe.

As far as food went it was so good yet again! On the menu were veggie roll up tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken quesadillas suisa, meatball subs, and free lonestars, pina coladas, bloody mary's, and margaritas all day! Overall it was a really fun day! She ended the concert with the fact that we should all come back next year! And I just might :)

Here is me and my friend, Jaclyn afterwards at Chuy's! We are going to be spring break buddies for life. We always have a huge laughfest over spring break! Last year we were in NYC but this year was fun too! Thankful for her :)

Spring Break Recap

If you take a look at a couple of posts ago you'll notice that I had a list of things I wanted to get accomplished over spring break. The funny part is that all of them got accomplished except for one. And that was #1. However, today I'm happy to report that I indeed filed my taxes (finally!) tonight! I'm proud of myself for finally doing this as I had put it off for so long.

Spring Break was truly one of the most relaxing weeks of my entire life. I winded up heading to Brownwood last Saturday afternoon and instead of coming back mid-week like I thought I stayed until Friday morning! I basically stayed until the very last second I could before needing to be back to see my friends before a few of them headed to Egypt for the week.

My week at home was fabulous. I mean, like really really awesome. Mostly because I got a TON of sleep. My schedule was as follows: sleep for a long time, wake up late, watch food network all day, go workout, eat dinner, go hang out with my sister and her family. Repeat. The first night I was home I got 12 hours of sleep! I slept from 10pm-10am. Apparently I was tired. This past Sunday during my Get Trained class I saw one of my best friends and the first thing she said to me was, "Wow, you look really rested!" I don't know if that is good or bad. I want to find a balance of my life. I am always on the go, but I know the benefits and the command of taking a sabbath each week. I have to get better at this concept.

Last Saturday afternoon I got to go to the Rachael Ray SXSW party. It was AWESOME. When I get some pics from my friend Jaclyn I'm going to write a post. Until now, just know despite the fact that it was 40 degrees outside, it was really really fun.

This week has flown by!

Over and out.

I'm moving to New York City!!!

Yup, it's official. I'm moving to this great city to pursue my degree in Urban Ministry from Alliance Theological Seminary. I've known for a while that this is where I was being led, but it took a while for me to finally want to officially say it. I guess owning up to it makes me realize that indeed (Lord willing) it is indeed going to happen! I'm overjoyed. I have a huge heart for the city of New York, for the nations of people that dwell within it, and for the potential for ministry. It's going to be awesome.

Here are answers to a couple of questions you might have:

"When are you leaving?"- My plan right now is to move around September 1st. School starts September 8th, and last time I checked NYC is not cheap, so I can't really afford to be there any sooner. Plus I want to spend as much time in Texas with family/friends :)

"Where are you going to live?"- Right now I'm still praying that God would open up the door for this. A dear friend of mine from Dallas is also praying about moving to the city, and we've talked about potentially living together, but nothing it set it stone. You can be praying for me about this! My seminary is located right in Manhattan, actually right by Chinatown, so living right in the city is something I really desire.

"How long is seminary and how long are you going to be gone?"- Seminary is approximately two full school years, so I will at least be there until June or July of 2012. However, I have NO idea what God is going to do with me in regards to ministry. J.R. Vassar said they moved to the city with "no exit plan", so that's my heart right now too.

"Can I come visit you?"- YES! YES! YES!

Dream. Priscilla Ahn.

I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream

what's your dream?

I have not forgotten about you, blog.

I just took a sabbatical from blogging because I basically took a sabbatical from life last week for Spring Break.

The verdict?

It was GLORIOUS.

I had a wonderful, wonderful, spring break of relaxation.

I'll continue with my daily posts tomorrow!

goodnight.

Stamp of Approval: Food Edition

Mootopia Skim Milk: In the picture above it's chocolate milk which is not what I got, but that's the only picture I can find. You can find this lactose free, reduced sugar, high protein milk at HEB. And it tastes delicious. It's 90 calories for one cup! Got get some today!


Lorna Shortbread Cookies 100 calorie pack: I know, I know, I know I shouldn't be eating packaged stuff like this. It doesn't have any nutritional value at all, but you know what? They taste good. So sometimes at night when I want something sweet I have a package of these and a cup of skim milk. And that my friends is better than having that 800 calorie (yes I'm serious) slice of cheesecake at dinner.


Healthy Harvest Rotini Pasta: Whole wheat pasta can be realllly crappy. Don't ever get the regular size whole wheat spagehttti. It's just awful. However, this rotini is actually really really good. Pair it with a 1/2 cup of low sodium spaghetti sauce and you are all set! Pasta has a ton of carbs, and is super calorie dense, but when I make this stuff I feel like it's worth the calories.


Naturally More Peanut Butter "What Peanut Butter Should Be"- This stuff is GOOD. Yes, in all caps. Everything in it is good for you, peanuts, wheat germ, flax seed, egg whites, honey... what else can you ask for? It honestly tastes just like most peanut butter does except it's not made with artificial anything or vegetable oil. So next time you are looking to buy some peanut butter let me suggest this kind.
Field Greens: so simple. I decided I would start buying this in bulk at HEB instead of in the prepackage that costs 4 or more dollars. Instead I'll put it in a bag, and pay about 2 dollars! You can always wash it at home on your own. I ate this stuff all week and it costs me TWO dollars. Think about how much you spent on one salad if you go out to eat.

Jennie-O Turkey Burgers: These are by far my favorite thing to eat. One package costs just over 3 dollars at HEB. For the past two weeks I've bought these and eaten one with mustard, and field greens everyday for lunch, no bun, but I get my carb fill on Pop Chips or Baked chips of some sort. The ones I get have natural seasonings, and the sodium content is less than 200mg a patty. That's unheard of almost. The natural seasoning is actually pretty good, the only thing I add it just a tad bit of pepper, but no salt! I grill these up on a george forman in about 5-6 minutes.

So this week I hate 2 dollar field green and 3 dollar turkey burgers. Lunch for FOUR days cost me 5 dollars. How much did you spent on lunch just today if you ate out?

Happy eating!