Call me Mario....

Well, this afternoon was eventful. Dad asked me to run an errand for him, so I left the parts store and called my friend Sarah. We were talking as I was driving, and after I turned onto Main St from Nettleton, I looked in my rear view mirror to see a cop behind me with his lights on. I had no idea why he was pulling me over. I got off the phone and dealt with the cop. As I was giving him my driver's licence, my phone rang. It was Lesley. Of all the people to call me while I was sitting there. (She's scared to ride with me). Once the cop was in his car, I called her back. I really didn't want to tell her where I was. :-) As soon as I said I was pulled over, she said, "were you speeding???". I really wasn't..... but she didn't believe me. I got off the phone with her and just a few seconds later, my brother called. As soon as I picked up the phone he said, "did you get pulled over?" How in the world did he know that???? I was still sitting there! Apparently Jana had driven by and saw me in the parking lot.

The cop came back to my car and said, "I pulled you over for crossing the center line when you turned right." Oh good grief. The one time I'm actually NOT speeding, I get pulled over!!!

But the icing on the cake was the fact that I changed car insurance companies the week before I went to New York City, and in my haze of getting ready to leave, I never put my proof of insurance in the car. So, even though he gave me a warning for my weaving, he wrote me the ticket for no proof of insurance. Now I have to go through the hassle of going up there and proving it and getting it dropped. Sheesh.

I missed that girl....

It was so nice to wake up this morning to Saraya climbing in our bed and wrapping her arms around me giving me a hug. I know she loves me, but she's such a daddy's girl that sometimes I wonder if I'm just a little bit lower than James. But I could really tell that she missed me and that she was overjoyed to see me! Which of course, thrilled my soul...

This morning as we were getting ready, Saraya asked me where her play hair dryer was. I told her where I saw her playing with it before I left. She went to find it and when she returned to the bathroom she looked at me and said, "You're a genius".

She so makes me laugh. And I really missed that while I was gone.

Day five: pt three

Well, I thought I was done blogging but my plane has been delayed. zzzzzz...... don't these people know I could've spent more time in the city!!

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Day five: pt two

To my girls - We made a great foursome. I had a total blast! We have made some of the best memories, some of my favorite memories! I can't wait to relive it all through the pictures. Krystal, I felt like I already knew you. I knew we'd hit it off. Sarah and Ashley, I'm blessed beyond words to have you two as my best friends. And I'm so glad we shared this trip together! I love you both!

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Day five: pt one

After staying up til 2, we slept in a little. We went to the Brooklyn Bridge. That was amazing! I'm so glad we went. Then we went and ate lunch at Rockefeller Center. Then we shopped at the Disney Store. I'm now on the shuttle to the airport. I can't believe its over!

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Day four: pt five

We ate dinner at a really good italian place tonight after the play. Then we changed and we went back out walking around Times Square til 1am. It was fun and sad at the same time.

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Day four: pt four

We just got out of the play and it was INCREDIBLE!! I can now say I've seen a broadway play. And I highly recommend Wicked! I'm traveling with obsessed Wicked fans and so we're standing at the stage door waiting for the cast to come out... of course if Justin were in it, I'd be stalking the stage door too so I can't really say much. :-)

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Day four: pt three

Well, the Brooklyn Bridge was a no go cause it started pouring rain. Hopefully we can fit it in tomorrow. We're now getting ready for the play. I'm really looking forward to it!

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Day four: pt two

We're riding the Staten Island Ferry so we can see the Statue of Liberty. The weather is wonderful so the ride is very refreshing and relaxing. Next stop, the Brooklyn Bridge.

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Day four: pt one

We started out today going to Ground Zero. Going through the museum was very emotional. Seeing things firsthand was more than I expected. As I relived those moments when it happened, tears flowed for the lives that were lost. The families that were left behind. As an american, I was changed by 9/11. As a christian, I can only be reminded that the sacrifice Christ was for us should be a million times more powerful than the heros of the WTC.

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Day three: pt four

Its 11:30 and we just headed out to the Empire State Building. I'm excited! Who knows what we'll do afterwards, cause we're all wired!

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Day three: pt three

We just finished dinner at Rosa Mexicana, and it was great! The freshly made guac at our table was incredible! Then I shared some enchiladas with Ash and as soon as they came to the table there was a pile of fresh cilantro on top and I knew I would love it... and I did!

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Day three: pt two

We ate lunch at Tom's Restaurant which was used for the outside shots in Seinfeld. Then we went to Central Park, which is beautiful. We're about to head out to dinner to a mexican restaurant our waiter Ryan recommended. Hope its good!

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Day Three: pt one

We started today at the MoMA. It was amazing to see these paintings in person. The one painting I was dying to see was Starry Night, and it was traveling. :-(

(from the top: me in front of a Pollock (LOVE him!!), Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, van Gogh's The Olive Trees, Monet's Reflections of Clouds on the Water Lily Pond)

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Day two: pt 3

Tonight we ate dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, and it was the best meal I think I've ever had... because of our waiter! He was HILARIOUS! We're now at the famous Strand bookstore. But seeing how I don't read, I'm following Ashley around typing this blog.

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Day two: pt 2

Ever since high school my favorite movie has been When Harry Met Sally. I am proud to say that at this moment, I'm sitting at the table they sat at with Sarah. She shares my love of the movie, we watched it together! And I'm eating the best cheesecake I've ever had. It's so good, I almost made a scene! :-)

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Day two

Today we went to SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. The best part was seeing the Friends building! I took lots of pics and just stood and looked at it for a long time.

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FINALLY!!!

I forgot that they dont have dr pepper at eating places in the north. but i have been reminded today since i've been looking EVERYWHERE for one. We're at a pharmacy right now and a spotlight shined down on the last 20oz. You think I'm kidding. THE last one. So I'm now going to enjoy it!

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Day one: pt one

Well, we're here and its great! We ate some pizza & then we've been walking around just soaking it in. We went up the rockefeller center building. It was amazing up there. What a view!

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My first taxi

Well, we're here! i'm in the taxi as we speak with sarah. Let me tell ya Lesley, riding with me is a piece of cake compared to this guy!

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4:30am

That's right people, i got up that early! believe you me, as much as i've been looking forward to this trip for a year, it was still hard to get out of bed. Even harder to leave my sleeping beauty in bed. We're now on the road, with a dr pepper and sausage biscuit in hand, i think i'm finally waking up. You'll hear from me once i'm in the city of lights!

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There's always next year...

The only thing I like about The Garden in Boston is their wood floors. I love the way the wood changes grain in a square pattern. However, I do not love how we played on that floor tonight. I do not love that we blew countless leads in this series. I do not love how we lose focus. BUT I still love my Lakers.

My chains are gone.....

That's one of my favorite lines. And it appears in two of my favorite songs. Chris Tomlin's Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) and Mercyme's God With Us. The chorus to God With Us stays with me most days.

"All that is within me cries, for You alone be glorified. Emmanuel, God with us. My heart sings a brand new song, the debt is paid, these chains are gone. Emmanuel, God with us."

What an amazing thought. What freedom. What release. I can drop the chains and be free.

Yet, once I'm free from something, I think everyone should be free from it. Right? If it's not a struggle for me, it shouldn't be a struggle for anyone I know. If I can get it together, anyone can. And shame on them for not having it together. Shame on them for not being where I am. Because obviously I have it all together.

What a sad place to be in, to be so judgemental. To be the typical "holier-than-thou" Christian. Every Christian I know, has faults and struggles. They may not choose to be transparent about them, but they're still there. Wouldn't it be so much easier, to accept your brother or sister in Christ where they are? With grace and mercy, just like our Heavenly Father accepts us. How much more would we be like Christ if we could extend that to others? To help them in their walk, instead of condemn them. To love them for trying to change, instead of pointing fingers. No matter how far we think we've gotten in our Christian walk, we're still not perfect. We never will be. We will never reach the bar that Christ has set for us. Why act like we have? Just because I'm two steps in front of someone else, doesn't mean my walk is more impressive, because the walk that Christ lived out on this earth will forever be miles in front of mine.

Horseface is 30

Saturday we had a surprise birthday party for one of our good friends, Jake..... which turned out to not really be a surprise. But it was fun just the same. We had bbq and then we hit the yard for flag football. Ever since Cristi told me that was her plan for the party, I've been so excited to play again. I even made the first touchdown for our team! (but I'll omit the fact that I dropped the ball the next time Jake threw it to me!) :-) Here's some pics from the game.

This sequence of three on the bottom is me catching the ball and making my touchdown!!

LNC

Last night was our first Late Night Cafe in the new building. I love LNC's. They're so laid back and so much fun just to hang out with friends. Last night was no different. The Crossroads band was up first, we had 8 songs. We did four of our upbeat worship songs and four secular songs. I think my favorite one we did was The Difficult Kind by Sheryl Crow. Charleton and I are both huge SC fans so I picked my favorite song of hers to perform. The song has great harmonies, which Steve pulled off (mainly cause he can sing high like a girl!) :-) We also did Little Big Town's I'm With the Band. That was a lot of fun to sing too. Then we ended with Elvis' Suspicious Minds. That was really fun to sing. I grew up listening to Elvis, my mom's a big fan. (I even went to an Elvis concert in her belly!) So she would've been proud. As you can tell, I didn't get any pictures.

The highlight of the night though was when my fellow Cellmates girls, Amanda and Kara, beat Mike and Jake in the finals of the Sequence tournament. Playing against Mike and Jake is something that can't be explained. They taunt you, and talk so much smack. I wanted so badly to beat them myself. But they beat my team in the simi-finals. I was beyond frustrated at the end of the game. I'm so competitive. But I am very proud that my girls pulled it off!!!

Growing Family

One weekend in May added four people to our family! On Saturday the 17th, Jason proposed to Felicia! Felicia is Saraya's tumbling coach, so she was quite thrilled to change her name from Ms. Felicia to Aunt Felicia!!! I also gained two more neices, Micah (far left) and Devyn (next to Saraya).

On Sunday the 18th, my brother David proposed to Jana! They've been dating for over a year, so it's nice to make her officially part of the family.

Last Saturday

The past six months, God has shined a flashlight, no, a flood light on an area that I need to work on.... selfishness. I have a knack for getting so caught up in my own world, that I actually think everything is about me. God has given me a desire this year to serve others. I'm not a fan of throwing money at stuff, I believe we should give up more to really be blessed by our actions. To give up our time and effort is much more of a sacrifice.

When I met with Christine and Misty (my fellow SHE Group leaders) we really wanted to make 2008 different than last year. We all three agreed that as a group we wanted to serve others.

I have a GREAT girl in my cell group. Lesley is amazing. The way she has grown in the last year, inspires me to continue in my walk. She works at the Women's Crisis Center and takes in abused women and children. It's a job that she does with great passion and much compassion. I really don't know if I could do it. We talked to her about doing volunteer work as our outreach this year.

Volunteering at the Crisis Center is amazing to me. I feel so overwhelmed with emotions when I'm there. I become aware that there are hurting people right here in Jonesboro that need to be served, and shown the love of Jesus. I become aware that the world does not revolve around me. Being a servant is something that I still have to purpose to do. One day I hope that it's second nature for me to serve others instead of serving myself.

On a lighter note, we were sorting through some donations and putting them away, and we found some great shoes from the 70's. Lesley assured us that they would never be put to use so three of us girls decided they needed to see the light of day at least one more time! Yep, we wore them to church the next day!! Mine were really cool but they killed my feet.

Don't talk to me today about sports......

the refs were the Celtics best player last night. 38 free throws to 10 free throws. Are you kidding me???? You can't seriously say that's not proof of one sided calls. In spite of the difference in how many times they put us on the line, we rallied to cut the 22 point lead they had at the beginning of the 4th quarter to 2 points with 38 seconds to go. But of course, they got the calls and went to the free throw line twice in 38 seconds and made four points. So we lost.

Then, I get to work and the top sports headline is "I'm done", Strahan decides to call it a career. I was really, really hoping he'd come back for one more year, to try to make it to the Super Bowl again. Man! It won't be near as fun cheering for the Giants without my favorite player!!!!!!