Ready to Face Whatever's Awaiting Me in NYC

"Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now!!"

"Plannin' for the future, see him now as he stands 

On the bow of a ship, headed for a new land:

In New York, you can be a new man!"

"Lookin' at the rolling fields, 

I can't believe that we are free!

Ready to face whatever's awaiting me in NYC!"

"These New York City streets get colder; I shoulder

Every burden, every disadvantage I have learned to manage...
When you're livin' on your knees, you RISE UP!"

"Like I said, you're free to go, but look around, look around:

The Revolution's happening in New York!"

"History is happening in Manhattan, and we just happen to be

In the greatest city in the world...

THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORRRLD!"

"After the war, I went back to New York.

A-After the war, I went back to New York!"

"I am the one thing in life I can control.

I am inimitable; I am an original.

I'm not falling behind or running late.

I'm not standing still; I am lying in wait..."

"I just got home, and now I'm headed up to New York...

Headed to New York, headed to New York!"

"Can I show you what I'm proudest of?

I established the private orphanage in New York City."

"I'm the oldest and the wittiest,

and the gossip in New York City is insidious...."

"He's very attractive in the north, New Yorkers like his chances!"

Okaaay, now for the real trip recap, complete with loads of examples of God's kindness, which I'll count as I go...

Judge randomly gave Doris and I the afternoon off on Friday (1), so I was able to pack and head out in time to beat the 5 o'clock traffic.  I made the drive straight from Moore to the Doubletree by the DFW airport with no issues or major traffic problems (2).  Every reservation I made went smoothly, and they gave me 2 water bottles and 2 DoubleTree cookies as I checked in (3).  I was reminded via FB that Ed Sheeran's new album came out that day (4), which I listened to whilst riding a real Peloton bike for the very first time in the hotel's fitness center (5).  FUN!!  Ed is seriously the best... he did a live show in NYC on the 13th to celebrate the album release, so I'm happy we were there at the same time. lol  Anyway, I spent the remainder of that Friday night in Dallas enjoying my Chipotle dinner whilst watching Pitch Perfect and Harry Potter in my hotel room.  All in all, a very good day!

Didn't sleep well due to trip anxiety (I'm always afraid I won't wake up when the alarm is set at 4am), but I woke up in time to look cute before taking their free shuttle (6) to the airport at 5am.  I've always enjoyed airports, and they are especially delightful when you are traveling with only a purse and wearing slip-on tennis shoes (7).  Garth was my soundtrack at the DFW airport (he gets his own post soon bc I freaking love him), then I read and slept on the non-turbulent, very on-time flight to NYC (8).  (Months ago, the original flight time was delayed by 2 hours, so I knew I would be cutting it scary close - arriving at the airport just under one hour before the play began - and I could not afford another delay.). Thank you, Lord, that it was not a problem!

Lyft was cheaper, so I used them for my two 40-minute car rides... my first driver was deaf and the second spoke Spanish and was on the phone with a friend the whole time.  Everything was smooth and on time, and I felt safe and relaxed and not pressured to make conversation on those trips, so I'm grateful God worked all the details of that out (9).  I talked to Mom and texted with Chet on the drive (10), and we drove through some cute NYC-area neighborhoods that reminded me of The Intern and/or You've Got Mail. (11)

I arrived at 12:42 for the 1pm show... I'll take it (12)!!  This trip kinda snuck up on me, and it all felt surreal until I saw the theater and felt the full JOY of this moment! #letsfreakinggo #noragrets

The line for the restrooms were too long to bother, but there was a surprisingly short line at the merch table, so I grabbed a new zip-up HamilTEN hoodie - YAY (13)!  Then I headed up this cute little winding staircase to my box seat... it's a box for 3 people, and I assumed I would be seated with a couple, but it was a mom and daughter who were fully invested and animated and singing along to all of it, so I had a lot of fun sitting with them (14).

Start to finish, the play was everything I could've hoped for!  The crowd cheered for a solid 2 minutes when Leslie Odom Jr. stepped out to start it all off... and again after Wait for It and The Room Where It Happens.  The guy playing Hamilton (Trey Curtis, pictured left) was phenomenal - the best and strongest lead I have seen.  Same for Tamar Greene (center) who played George Washington, and of course, Leslie (right) who played Aaron Burr!  A truly excellent cast, as you would expect on Broadway, and a fantastic atmosphere in the Richard Rodgers theater - it lived up to my high expectations (15)!!  All the NYC-specific lyrics make it feel extra-special to be there!

After the play, I stood in the line hoping for a cameo for about 15 minutes, then decided I couldn't waste any more time there.  I noticed another line that had formed outside of the new-to-me Anita Gelato place, so I promptly headed over there and enjoyed some salted caramel and cookieman gelato!  It's typically impossible to find a table in any crowded NYC restaurant, but someone left just as I got my food (16), so I was able to sit down and savor it whilst reminiscing as I looked across the street at the Minskoff Theater! lol

The new hoodie I bought didn't smell great, so I popped into Sephora and remedied that by sampling their perfumes. lol  This = randomly seeing several brides gathered together... Tiffany said it's Fashion week, so it was probably related to that.  Fun!

My good friend, Travis! =)

Pink trees will always catch my eye, and when it's my favorite spot in Central Park (Bow Bridge), I had to grab it! =)

I did some Times Square shopping around, including the M&M store for cute new socks and PJ pants, and Junior's bakery for an early dinner and an oreo cheesecake to go - (to be honest, it was disappointing, and I'd go with another flavor next time)!

I found a cute little table outside and watched the crowds of Times Square whilst eating my mac and cheese and pondering how much my heart toward this city has changed through the years.  Where I would've once seen only danger and aggressive crowds, I now see so much beauty and courage.  You find what you look for, I guess, and I'm thankful my eyes and ears are more tuned to catch the goodness around me than they were back in 1998 or 2010 when I just wanted to go home.  NYC and Vegas are both overstimulating to many introverts, but I've grown to love them - I don't want to move there or anything, but it feels like I am able to find the quiet center in it all, to spot random acts of kindness and connection and zone into the faint background noise of Alicia Keys singing New York and hear that soundtrack above any chaos... and I'm grateful for that (17)!

After dining al fresco and buying my fun painting from a random street artist, I ordered the Uber to head back to the airport!  While there, I recharged my phone and edited some NYC through-the-years collages which I'll share in my next post.  Again, my flight was on time and smooth, and the pilot announced that he made record time leaving NYC, so we arrived back in Dallas 20 minutes early (18).  I slept soooo much better last night and got to sleep in till 10:45ish (19).  Then I grabbed a ShakeShack cheeseburger, checked out the Titanic Exhibit thanks to a well-placed FB ad (20), stopped by Jeni's Ice Cream and then the Stonebriar Mall for old times sake, checked into my amazing Embassy Suites room in Frisco, met with my CCU discussion group via Zoom, texted with the Shoemakers, grabbed Maggianos to-go for dinner, talked to Mom, and spent the rest of the day finishing up loads of homework just in time (21)... and now, I'm blogging whilst finishing my Maggiano's cheesecake (which made up for the Juniors one) (22) and halfway-watching Modern Family!  I rarely finish a meal in one sitting at this point... it's the desserts that I'll need to rein in when I get back home, but yay for being in vacation mode here!

My other new purchases = the HamilTEN hoodie (obvi), a cute Texas t-shirt from the DFW airport, and my NYC M&M pajama pants!!  Some fun items to commemorate this solo adventure to Dallas and NYC!  I'm proud of myself for booking this trip, for driving through Dallas repeatedly and feeling more confident and less fearful about that, 

That's all for tonight.  For the record, I'm still in the Dallas area because I have an appointment with Dallas IVF tomorrow afternoon to finally get the saline infusion sonogram that will determine whether I need another surgery.  Whatever happens tomorrow, I wanted to capture the best parts of this trip before that appointment!  I'm feeling very aware of and grateful for God's kindness right now, for my friends and family, for good food and good music and good movies and good memories, and for my ability to genuinely have fun and enjoy my own company... or better stated, the ever-present, protective, powerful, and kind company of Jesus!

"Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now!"

❤ ❤ ❤

To Give, Revive, and Restore

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

~Jesus, John 10:10

• Satan's mission = To steal and kill and destroy.  
• Our mission is the opposite.

• The opposite of stealing = giving; being generous in offering our time, energy, finances, and connection.
• The opposite of killing = to revive, resurrect, and breathe new life into something or someone.
• The opposite of destruction = creation and restoration; to build up, strengthen, preserve, protect, and repair good things.

A couple months back, John Eldredge warned that the enemy would be rolling out a new wave of death and despair.  He said there would be a surge or an increase in actual physical death, but above that, the death of dreams - the  temptation to lose heart, to despair... to give up, let things go, and quietly walk away from our God-given missions and callings.

I forgot about that until his video this morning reminded me.....

It appears we are in the middle of it now.

So this is me reminding you to take heart, to stay close to God, and to be prayerful in your personal decisions - especially if you feel pulled to give up in some area!

What's happening around us right now is much bigger than clashing political parties.  There is a clash of Kingdoms, a spiritual war where our common enemy is ramping up the intensity in his global mission to steal, kill, and destroy all that is good and hopeful.  In major and minor ways, he is increasing the darkness, chaos, confusion, and despair.  And rather than cooperating with that by giving up or retreating from the fight (the pull toward that is stronger than usual right now)... our God-given role is to ENGAGE, to push forward, to shine, to be intentional in what God is uniquely calling us to do.

Where our spiritual enemy seeks to bring division, God's people are called to bring UNITY.

Wherever he is bringing death, we pray for and bring LIFE!!

He brings despair... we bring HOPE.

He brings chaos... we bring ORDER.

He brings anxiety... we pursue PEACE.

He pulls us toward sadness... we lean into JOY.

He dehumanizes... we lead with LOVE.

He brings darkness... we shine the LIGHT.

He assaults us with fear... we choose proactive FAITH.

He destroys... we RESTORE.

It's more natural for me to think big-picture when it comes to God's Kingdom, but this stuff applies to our personal lives, as well.  I have felt quietly overwhelmed and verrrry pulled to give up on everything lately... motherhood, PhD, LPC, etc.  To walk away from it all and start fresh.  Portions of that may be coming from God, but I need to be very prayerful in these decisions and recognize the layers of spiritual warfare surrounding all of it.  

We all do.

Be vigilant, friends.  Your decisions matter, and as John reminded me this morning, "There is no neutral ground."

Lord Jesus, we are under attack, and we are all tired.  You are the Lord of life, and we need Your help and strength to revive us.  Today, I bring the blood of Jesus Christ and the river of life through my mind, body, soul, and spirit to cleanse me from the demonic sting of death, from all traumatizing imagery, and from the aggressive pull toward fear and disengagement.  Death has no mastery over me, for I am united with Christ, rooted and grounded in His love.  Jesus, strengthen me for what lies ahead and show me where and how you want me to bring life, hope, and restoration.  In big and small ways, I pray that You would strengthen Your people who are called by Your name.  Show us what matters most, and remind us of the part we are called to play.  I specifically pray against the spirit of apathy and learned helplessness and passivity, the pull to disengage and disconnect and believe we are small and powerless.  Help us to understand and claim the power and authority You have given us, to walk in it with increasing strength and integrity.  I pray that we would be bold, active, and united in advancing Your Kingdom!  We have the victory in You, but we have to take action and enforce it.  In the authority of Jesus' name, Amen.

❤ ❤ ❤

Football Fun & More

 Hey, friends and fam!  I have a tiny minute at the end of this day where I am ALL CAUGHT UP on transcripts, so I'm writing a quick blog.  'Twas a fun family gathering at Jace's first Junior High football game last night!  (Their official first game was cancelled due to a muddy field after all the rain a couple weeks ago, so game one was an away game at Casady, which is pretty close to JB's house, so she joined us!)

Team huddle + fierce team pic (the lack of smiles cracks me up!)

Amanda (TJ's mom) and Jace + Jace on the sidelines (for a brief minute - he played the great majority of the game) + Mom and I with our Chet Wilson fans!  The sun hit hard on the vistor's side of the Casady field, so I was happy I had those with me.  I mentioned that I'd have had a 3rd one, but I had to use it to kill a bug in my car.  JoBug laughed at me for throwing it away rather than washing it off (which never for one second occurred to me) and said, "Gah, I'm glad y'all aren't poor." lol  Rach:  "We are too, JoBug!!" lol

Team huddle (love that he is #77 this year!!) + me and Kyndal!
(Mom and I switched sunglasses for a bit.)

They won 28-8, and Jace got a tackle, so he was thrilled and making sure everyone saw it. lol
Here's the proud grandparents + a selfie with a K-Faith photobomb! =)

Jace with Axel, TJ, Fielder, and their Coach!

With his mom, and with his Aunt Lindsey!

Yesteryear and yesterday... Jace Michael and his friend, Fielder!

Jace had trouble removing his jersey, which was fairly entertaining. lol

A post-game dinner with TJ and his family at CFA! =)

From Mel's latest podcast... something I hope to come back to and spend time really writing about later.  Just sharing it in case you want to do the same.  The idea is to write down your highest possible hopes, then share them with someone you trust... then save it to look back on years later!

Often accurate. lol

A cute collage of Sarah and Lyndsay (my former classmates) on day one of 3rd grade and day one of sending their kids to CHA this year! =)

Totes legit.

I'm caught up on The Gilded Age.  In spite of her flaws, Bertha Russell is one of my favorite characters ever - I am so cheering for her success and joy!

My big accomplishment for the Labor Day break week was a closet clean-out and taking a few bags and some old boots to Goodwill - huzzah! =)

This idea... has merit.  I'd be buying a vinyl album ASAP if T-Swift made this announcement. lol

I ran right over to meet this fluffy white dog on my latest walk with Kristin... her name is MoMo... she is a prancy 3.5-month-old puppy, and she looks like the freaking adorable dog (Kevin) from The Proposal!!

Yesterday was Jill's birthday, so HBD to her!  Love the Lemieux fam, and I'm grateful for their loyal friendship and loads of fun memories with them!!

That's all for today.  And now I'm off to family dinner.
Tomorrow will be all about homework!!

Thanks for being here.  I love you and believe in you, and I want to remind you that God is always with you and for you...  strengthening you with the right desires and all the grace and power you need to live a life that is pleasing to Him!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Thankful Thursday #230

"Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" ~Romans 2:4

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Dr. Burkhart's encouragement, and his willingness to meet with me regularly, and him preparing and bringing several great book recommendations... all of which I fully intend to read, so yay!!

2.  Walk-breaks at work... I'm grateful to be at a job where that is allowed and modeled, and in a cooler fall season where it's becoming more enjoyable again!

3.  Good connections with clients lately... seeing them grow feels exciting, and I love being in a role that strengthens and encourages that!  Krystal had me lead our supervision group this week to practice Written Exposure Therapy, which I'm excited to try with clients moving forward!

4.  The arrival of September and cooler weather and a school break week all = lovely de-stressors for me! 

5.  This reminder.  I haven't been in the best headspace over the past month, but I prayed through a lot of shame last night.  Even as a "trained therapist" who is supposed to know all the best tools for this kind of stuff, I need God's help soooo continually with renewing my mindset and the way I see myself!  ...Fortunately, He is willing and ready to help us whenever we call on Him. ❤

6.  This #cakefail memory from Rachel's 30th birthday, which is honestly even funnier to me now that I understand what we were actually missing.  Perhaps God was behind the earl-grey-cake-with-lavender-icing mishap, because I wasn't about to try the Laurannae bakery based on that, and it's probably for the best that I didn't know about their exceptional brides cake when I lived closer to it! lol

7.  One year ago, I was seeking healing in therapy after a major shift I did not see coming.  That was a turning point where I held on to my own strength in a new way, recognizing bad patterns, carefully approaching important conversations, praying for wisdom and clarity, and allowing a relationship to be broken/remixed without it breaking me (not internalizing negative messages or personalizing the loss).  So today, I am grateful for personal growth, for all the "keep going" memes, and for T-Swift's reminder that we can "come back stronger than a '90s trend!" ;-)

Bonus:  I am thankful for The Gilded Age, which I'm currently binge-watching during this short school break!  Loving the Russell fam... "Defeat is not your color."  So good, and pretty perfect timing to get me even more excited about visiting NYC next weekend!! 

❤ ❤ ❤