I don't have internet at the moment

So,
I am not in my new aprtment yet, but I will be there TONIGHT!! I promise.
But I do not have internet at the moment...I am at work so gotta keep it short.

I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday after Church and it was amazing. I saw Picasso, shich is also the name of my building, and Monet paintings.

I took pictures and will post them when I can!

Love you all..I loved talking to Everyone yesterday:
Margaret, Rick, Kevin and Ken...Terry was too good to talk to me though..I miss you!

Please sir......can I have some more?......Mooooooooore

My right gastroc is like a rock

So, here is the goings on of the weekend.

I took the metro north train up to Westchester county New york to meet Jess.

The train ride was interesting...when the train came out from below I could see Harlem and then the Bronx. It still amazes me just how big Manhattan is. It only took about 35 min to get from 42nd street to the Tuckaho station, which is above the bronx in the burbs.

Jess met me at the train station and we went to the mall to walk around. For supper we ate at a mexican resturant and then went back to her place to watch a movie her CI has rented......"Brokeback Mountian." I need to make a discliamer: B/c of my faith, I do not agree with certain things, like adultery and murder, but I do not hate the people who commit these "sins" for each sin is the same in God's eyes. I hope you get my drift, so saying that and aside from all the hoodoo about the movie for it being a "gay cowboy movie" the movie STANK. Having seen the movie now, I can honestly say, "I did not like it." It could have been just your regula r sex before marriage/cheat on your spouse" type of movie and I would still have the same opinion.The time I spent watching it could be explained more akin to watching the scenery scenes in "Napoleon Dynamite." I would have had more fun watching paint dry.

Anyhoo,

On Sat I went with Jess to the training room at the local high school to practice taping ankles and Jess taped a couple of athletes.

Oh, on the way out of the house that morning, I locked the door in the garage behind us...well I was not suppose to, so when we got back we were locked out. I called a locksmith who claimed that they would be there in 20 mins....which came and went, so I decided to see if I could use name tag to break in....I succeded!!!!

Jess's parents came in and then we all drove into Manhattan to meet Jess's brother in law. We ate at a cute place that I can't remember the name of and then went to walk around the nearby Fort Tyron. It overlooked the Hudson River and you could see New Jersey and the Bronx and up state New York from the look out.

We left the fort and went to an Irish Pub and watched part of the Mets vs Yankees game and then headed downtown to eat Dinner.

We at a little Thai food place...i cannot remember the name of it...but they had amazing peanut dumplings. The best I've ever had...actually the only I have ever had..

After dinner we walked to Times Square where I left the group at the Westin Hotel ( a birthday present). It was great I watched TV (with sound) until I feel asleep.

Sunday afternoon I walked around the neighborhood of where I will be moving THIS Saturday!! And Eleana and I went to watch the movie The DeVinci Code. If you can go into the movie knowing that it is JUST a novel and not intended to be thought of as FACT, then you will enjoy this movie. It makes you think and use your brain.

Stayed tuned for New York 2006

The count down

6 days until I move into my apartment!!!!

Tomorrow

I am excited!!!!

It is May 16th......which mean that tomorrow is May 17th

My birthday!!! 27 baby

For as long as I can remember I have always done the birthday count down. I remember is high schoo Cindy, Katie and I would start the count down at the beginning of the month. 17 days till my birthday...10 days...5 days...its my birthday!!!!!!!

I admit, I still get very excited about my birthday.

Why you ask? well for many reasons..let count them shall we:
3. Presents..who does not love presents
I cannot recall my favorite present ever (which is why it is
#3)
- a cool one was driving aunt jane's maxima to
school when I turned 16

2. Parties:
- roller skating party
- Swimming party's at the country club (before we were
aware we had swim suites on)

1. The birthday cake......Dairy Queen's ice cream cake
(it has to be DQ's)

I have always been home for my birthday...I cannot remember ever not being home.....I'm not home, BUT I am still excited.

Tomorrow I am going to Carnegie Deli and am going to get a huge piece of Strawberry Cheesecake and take it to work to share with my fellow staff members... and the celebration will continue into the weekend...I am going to go up to take the train up to Westchester to meet Jess and we are going to hit the movies and get some grub, then on sat we are taking the train back in and going to Serendipity 3 for a frozen hot chocolate (better than...)(Judy that is for you) and play around the city (it better had quit raining by then) (hey Margaret..it IS raining).

Oh I cannot wait!!!!

The sun will come out tomorrow
Betcha bottom dollar that to..morrow there'll be sun
To...morrow To....morrow
I love ya to..morrow
Your only a daaaaayy aaaawayyy!!!!!!

My ponderings and random thoughts

Currently I have alot of time on my hands at night to...sit and think...and ponder about...well alot of things:
Life in general
Where I'm going to live after graduation
Where I would like to live after graduation
What type of PT setting I would like to work in
Where I can get some good ole sweet tea
When I going to quit trying to plan it all myself

I also am listening to my ipod ALOT... while walking to the subway, on the subway, walking from the subway to work and then back home, while I am standing in line for coffee, standing in line for a hot dog ($1 hotdogs..ummm), standing in line for a big pretzel, while trying to go to sleep.

I like all kinds of music..from country to rap, and even a little ragae (just kidding)...but I have found that I can only listen to the "christian" genre whenever I feel unsettled (as my current situation) (I can listen to it others times as well, I meant that I find that other genres, like country, make me feel worse or they just don't do it for me) anyway, Here is another of my "Subway songs"

(Mercy Me: Bring the rain)
"I can count a million times the people asking me how I can praise you with all that I've gone through,
The question just amazes me, can circumstances possibly
change the person I am in you

Maybe since my life was changed, long before these rainy days
its never really crossed my mind,
To turn my back on you o Lord, my only shelter from the storm, but instead I draw closer through these times,

So I pray
Bring me Joy.. bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings you glory
And I know there'll be days when this life brings me pain,
But if thats what it takes to praise you,
Jesus bring the rain

I am yours reguardless of the clouds that may loom above,
b/c your much greater than the pain,
You who made a way for me..suffering in your dyestiny
So tell me..whats a little rain

With all my pondering I am sure of one thing, and that is....

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed...what God has planned
I only know at his right hand...stands one who is my savior
That he would leave his place on high and come to sin
My savior loves
My savior lives
My saviors always there for me
My God he was
My God he is
My God he's always gonna be
(Aaron Shust: My Savior My God)

With all the decisions looming ahead I know:

I need eyes to be my guide
I need a voice thats louder than mine
I need hope and I need you
Cause I can't do this alone

Grace I call your name
Oh won't you smile fall over me
I cry down on hands and knees
Oh sweet grace...rain down on me...I need your grace
(Phil Wickham: Grace)

Isn't it wonderful how a song can speak to your heart and touch you soul. How the words can wake you up or listen in a different way.

David knew it...

My song purging is done..until I need to share another with you.

Update New York

Currently on my playlist is: Casting crowns "I will praise you in this storm"and "who am I", Sanctus real " I'm not alright" , Phil wickham "Grace" and Brian Littrell "In Christ alone"
There are others as well, but these songs are helping me get through a rough patch of uncertainty and change.

I have always been one to go on adventures, but I have learned over the years that my adventures seem to always take me away from what I know and place me in situations that I have to adjust to and create a life in.

Case in point: my undergraduate years. 4 different schools, 4 different lives, different friends, different churches, overall just different.

Even though I chose to go on my adventures, I was not and still am not a fan of change. But I know life is about changing, nothing ever stays the same.

There were some constants during those times:
1. Family-my family was always a call away
2. My child's friends - were always a call away (and sometimes would show up)

But above all else: God was always there. I didn't need to pick up a phone to feel his presence. He was there when I was home sick at Harding, he was there when I wanted to call home from ACU, he was there as I laid awake the night before PT school started, he was there as I drove away from home to go on my clinical and he is here with me now.

I am so grateful that God is with me through my trials. I believe the only reason I can find the courage to go, is knowing that God is here holding my hand as I step onto the subway, like a father holding his daughter's hand as he leads her into her classroom on her first day of pre-school.

Last week was tough emotionally, I won't pretend. I know myself, I know what leaving friends and family does to me...it tears at my heart... add on not knowing where I will be sleeping the next night....(sanctus real, "I'm not alright"):

I'm not alright
I'm broken inside, broken inside
But, all I go through..leads me to you...
Leads me to you


I know this sound soooo trivial and minor with all the hurt in the world. Here I was not able to get ahold of my emotions b/c of what : housing and fear of the unknown.
(casting crowns "who am I"):

Who am I
That the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt

Not b/c of who I am
But b/c cause of what you've done
Not b/c of what i've done
But b/c of who you are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still you
Hear me when I 'm calling
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling
And you tell me who I am...I am yours

Whom shall I fear...what shall I fear.....I am yours!!

I know that alot more change will come, and with it my own insecurities will rise up and the "fear feeling" may capture my spirit for a bit.......

I was sure by now
God you would have reached down
and wiped MY tears away..stepped in and saved the day.

But once again...I say amen
But it is still raining...
As the thunder rolls..I barely hear your whisper through the rain, "I'm with you"

And as your mercy falls
I'll raise my hands and praise the god who gives..and takes away

And i'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for you are who you are....no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried...you hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart in TORN....I will praise you in this storm!!

My strength is almost gone...how can I carry on
If I can't find you
And as the thunder rolls..I barely hear you whisper through the rain, " I'm with you"

Where does my help come from...my help comes from the maker of heaven and earth

(Casting Crowns "I will praise you in this storm")

After the storm comes the rainbow
The rainbow is near...and one day I will drive through it :)

But the journey is not over and I can't do it alone...
I find it amazing the ways God brings light into our lives, and sometimes we find ourselves in darkness in order to provide light to others.

In christ alone,

I place my trust

And find my glory in the power of the cross

In every victory, let it be said of me

my source of strenth, my source of hope

Is CHRIST alone!!!!!!!

PS: Besides the obvious, there is a hidden song reference within the blog..can you find it?

Well so far it ain't been a picnic

So how long Have I been talking about going to New York City? A long time my friends....3 years at least. And finally last Saturday it happened....I arrived.

Yet, with all my planning and dreaming things did not go so smoothly as I would have liked. So, sit back and I will fill you in on my week.....

Arrive sat and cannot get into my apartment or even the building b/c the brokers did not set up the key exchange with the super of the building....2 hours later I get in the apartment.
The apartment is NOT what I was expecting AT ALL, but I was determined not to let that get in the way of enjoying the expience. On sunday I decided to unpack and then things started going downhill. I found body hair in the drawers, the dishes in the cabinets were dirty and my bedroom door would not lock, but still I hung on to my wits and steamed ahead. I even went exploring down to Union Square.
THEN Sunday night I could not fall asleep..I tossed and turned and the "Harding I want to go home" feeling started arising, and when I awoke I found that during the night bed bugs had bitten me on my legs, feet and arms. When I got in the shower the warm water lasted about 3 secs and THEN I lost it.
I called Cindy to get her uncle's number to see if he knew a way for me to get out of the apartment lease.
After I got off my first day of work I packed my bags and went to Cindy's unlce's apartment to stay until I figured out what to do.
Well, it is now saturday and I am still here. My broker has another apartment but it will not be ready until May 27th. So, I am not sure if I am staying here until then or not. Everything is in kind of a limbo.

I have been so stressed out this week that I did not eat a complete meal until Thurday night and my face looks like a pizza.

So, I need prays for peace and joy. Peace so I don't always have a nervous stomach and Joy so I can enjoy my time here.

I am going to be honest here (Judy that is for you)......I am ready to be done with all this school stuff. I am ready to be in a place where I am settled in life and know surrounded by friends and family. I am ready to go to Honduras. I miss my freinds and I miss Terry and Margaret and the friends I made in Florida (I am homesick for 2207 Arden).
Don't get me wrong...I am not regreting coming..i just know it is going to be a challange mentally.

Tune in for the ongoing saga of where is Anna going to live this week.