"Much to our dismay...."

I'm at Starbucks, right? ...

"Can I get an iced 2 shots of espresso and soy milk?"

--"We are out of soy milk...I'm sorry"

"Oh. Really?"

---"Yes. Much to our dismay."

******************

THERE'S A GROCERY STORE RIGHT NEXT STORE! I just don't understand....Want me to go pick you up some? ha. Sorry....do you ever find that stuff odd??? ah well.

Welp. Guys. I have been wanting to write for days...but getting around to it is kinda hard some times. I get so comfortable when I finally get home, that I just watch movies and such. I let my mind go BLANK. It's a Great feeling to do that haha.

BUT....this past couple of weeks...or so....have been good. Interesting, but good.

To say the least, God, once again.....wants me to remember that HE knows the game plan....and Danielle does not.

I don't feel like explaining all of this...but I just thought I had some things figured out while I was here...and I don't. Ha. Purpose? Reasons? What's next? I know nothing. And you know what?

It's ok. :)

God has put fun little things in my days lately. Such as...I was watching Felicity Season 2 a few days ago. (she's a girl who moves to NYC for school and has all sorts of drama in her life...ha no making fun of my show man) ANYWAY...there's a scene where she gets on the subway and HAPPENS to get on the SAME subway AND subway cart as her friend she's mad at. WELL...I was thinking....

"Weird. How likely is it to actually see someone on the subway you know. Even if you are going the same way....Just not gonna happen. AND even if you DO get on the same train...it's NOT like you'll get on the exact same CART of the train."

Well....God proved ME wrong. Last night I hopped on a train...and did a weird transfer that I ALMOST didn't...and I got on and heard .... "Danielle!"

What? Someone just say my name? I looked up...and it was my new buddy from Starbucks that I always talk to. HA. Ironic, no? God is funny always proving me wrong.

So today I saw the cutest little boy, looked about 5 years old. He was with his mother who let him sit down on the subway as she stood up because there weren't enough seats. Awww...what a cute little boy...holding a newspaper with "HERION HIGH" on the front cover. Odd. Sad sad world....ah well. This IS planet Earth. Not HEAVEN....where the headlines will read "GOD-ON-HIGH"

Random but...there's a security guard that works downstairs at Baja Fresh ...who barks. BARKS. What in the world?

So I reached my halfway point last friday. 7 weeks down...7 to go. Why am I still searching for meaning here? Like daily I search for my purpose in NYC. I need to remember that it's not for me to know...and just live. God will use us in the WEIRDEST ways....and we just gotta let Him do His thing through US. God is good. He's got our purposes being worked out daily....so live it out!

-danielle

My Heart is Now in 2 Places....<3

Wow guys! This week has been really good! First of all, God loves to put a little kick into my life lately. Ha. Wanna know how I know this???

#1 The ONE day I dress up in NYC....is when it poured...and might as well have snowed because it was cold enough. AND since I dressed up...I wasn't comfortable...as I walked 3 or so errands as an intern. HA.

#2 I finally made banana pudding....i started to eat it in my bed....i tried to smash the nilla wafers in my lil bowl...oh yeah....I busted a flippin hole through my bowl and it was very liquidy...to say the least...got ALLLL over my blanket that keeps me warm at night :( ha

#3 I ACTUALLY fell asleep on the subway today!!! I woke up LUCKILY at my stop! I felt like I had a hangover...(not that I know what that feels like ha....but PROB like THAT) My head and neck hurt from HANGING and bobbing back and forth as I rode to work this morning. Just glad I didn't miss my stop.

#4 My FAVORITE friend at work...Elizabeth...got to work ON TIME like I did this morning...and she told me our boss was running late. HA. Door locked. WINTER outside. ICED coffee in hand. Elizabeth speaks 100% Spanish...15% English. We made our way in through a back door, sat on some steps, and BONDED. Haha. Usually we just smile at each other at work...but this time....We CHATTED. haha. As best we could :) She's my favorite. A hardworkin' lady!

#5 I got on the EXPRESS subway for 2 stops after work today....to skip a few stops that my local/normal train takes...ya know? I was READY to get home...WELL....I got off to transfer after two stops to MY train...and I rush to hop on the train...PACKED. Oh well.....I'll wait for the next one. I pull out my Jamba Juice apple cinnamon Oatmeal. I lean against a post, pull out my spoon, start eating, and watch the doors to the train close. A girl looks out the window and sees me chillin' and eating my oatmeal. Ha. She smiles and gives me a look like "ha...least ur making the best of your wait." And I smile back and kinda laugh. haha. Good times right? I love making quick connections with random people.

#6 I patiently wait for 20 minutes for the next train. WELL...many many pile up behind me in 20 min to get on the next train as well. Well it arrives....I try to push my way in...oh no....I got pushed away. Then its packed. MISSED that train TOO! I was not happy..... this time I had no more oatmeal. Nothin'. I got sooo close to the track for the NEXT train. 20 more minutes.....I was ready to fight for the next train.. Needless to say...I DID get on the next train ha. God thinks He's so funny making me REALLY be patient. ha.

#7 So at the end of my subway ride, I get to the 2nd to last stop of mine...and at the VERY last second I hear the "captain" say..."THIS IS THE LAST STOP TILL 'blah blah blah'"
....HE WAS SKIPPING MY STOP! SO...I RAN OFF THAT SUBWAY. I, for the 2nd time this week, had to walk 7 blocks in the cold to the road I USUALLY get dropped off at. Good times. But really...without expanding....I'm glad I had to walk. It was good times with God AND good times at the grocery store that I stopped at BECAUSE I got dropped off at the wrong stop.

#8 So...I'm at Starbucks now. The one in my home area. WELL...one time this "starbucks boss lady" asked me about my day. I told her something about my new job starting the next day. She was real nice and wished me luck. Tonight, this "starbucks worker-guy" was real nice and friendly to me and said, "Whats wrong??" I said, "Nothing haha. I'm just stretching cuz im tired!"
"That 3 shots of espresso not wake u up??"
"No it did. ha. Im jus worn out. 8 hr shift today...ya know?" says me. ha
"Where u work?"
Then the boss lady comes up and goes "OH yeah! U had that new job? How is it??"
She like remembered and everything...I was impressed. Then all the starbucks worker people start asking me about it..and i told them id hook them up with a discount haha. Maybe they'll hook me up with one too ;) hahah. EITHER way. I was impressed she remembered....

#9 I keep making more and more and more buds here. I like NYC..people are pretty easy to make friends with. ha. Some of them may read this....oh well...in that case I LIKE YOU NEW YORKERS. ;) SO...my heart is gonna be in 2 places by December when i get on that train to come home. I love people. God keeps putting good ones in my life. Every where I go.

#10 Finally, God put kick into my life WHEN He reminded me that....as usual....He puts EVERYONE in our lives....for a reason..... ;)

Love you all. ha it was long..yes...

Pizza Pizza Pizza

I miss southern food....ha....its like i don't eat it all that much back home...unless Mamamac gives me leftovers! which i love! :) ...but it's the idea here that I prob can't just go anywhere and get cornbread, banana pudding, chili, and potato soup....haha

It's PIZZA CITY!....and i Try not to eat cheese....haha....oh well...sometimes i do on weekends ;)

Oh, oh...girl at starbucks dropped her pizza slice on the floor. Sad day man. Hmm... looks like she's leaving the plate on the floor too...weird....haha

Ah...let's see. I'm off today! happy Columbus day! ha

Weather here is kinda overcast and chilly. Don't worry I am warm ;) I'm at the local Starbucks...my traditional hang out place on my off days. I stay out of Manhattan on my off days usually....its more quiet around here ha.

Man! Other day this crazy older lady honked at NOTHING. i was like, really? Trying to "be cool" are you?

--------
I feel like I took a PAUSE out of my life lately. Like I have a COMPLETELY different life here....its not like i can even Start over...because its only temporary. SO, i feel like i've put a pause on my life back home. Ha. I actually like how me and my friends from home talk now. It kinda makes me miss them and like them more haha. ;)

But....as much as sometimes i don't understand WHY God has me here exactly, i don't really have to. It's like I'm always looking...haha....BUT I don't have to know. God is good. God may just want to show me things...open my eyes. I have no idea. We'll see....8 more weeks ;)

Love you guys.
-danielle

I had the most Bizarre Week

And this...is how it went.

Earlier this week, I got off the subway and saw a man crouched in the corner holding up a sign that read... "Hungry. Broke. & UGLY. Please help."

I was like..."ugly?" That was a new one to see.

Then, later on during the week....a man started singing ON THE SUBWAY..."Jesus...name above all names....beautiful savior...glorious loooorrrrddddd....." WHILE he was holding out his hat for donations and walking along the center isle. It's a GREAT song...but it just seemed odd to be singing while holding out a hat....(please don't think i don't care....it was just NEW and different to me)

THEN.....I was at work and a boy comes up to the counter and says, "This has meat in it. I asked for NO meat." And he shows me his half eaten burrito UP CLOSE.

I was like, "Ohhhh...I'm really sorry about that. Yeah I see the Mahi Mahi...hold on...We'll give you what you wanted."

WELL...Then he tells us what he wanted...and it was NOWHERE CLOSE to what kind of burrito he had....and we were like, "What in the world? We couldn't have gotten it THAT wrong?"

So we give him a new burrito and he walks out the door. A few minutes later a lady walks in and says, "Hi, I'm soo sorry, but a minute ago I gave a young man some food from here...and I thought I gave him the plate of rice and beans...but I gave him MY burrito bag instead....THEN i went back to switch with him and he said he already came here to change it."

We were like... "OH. Weird. He made it seem like we had messed up."

We then make her the Mahi Mahi burrito. She was really nice...so of course we didn't charge her....THE WEIRD PART...is that the boy came in and said we messed up his order and blah blah blah. She was trying to BE NICE because he looked "hungry" she said. Hm....

LATER that same day.... a lady came in and said, "Hi, so you guys make party packs??? My boss wanted to know how the chips tasted."

I was like...hmm...
She then says, "Can I try a few?? So I can tell my boss??"

I'm, thinking WHAT?! They are REGULAR TORTILLA CHIPS. ....Then i give her some chips...and she walks over to the salsa bar and starts loading up her 5 chips with salsa. Then she sits down to eat. Then she walks out the door.

NOW...the lesson from this week is.....well....I dont really know. EITHER...A) people will do anything for money, free food, etc....including lying....

or

B) There's another point to all of this...and I just don't know what it is.

OH and THEN...I called mama on the phone when i was running an errand all around NYC....and told her how annoyed i was at all the taxi people HONKING all the Flippin' time. FOR NO REASON!....well....minutes later...im not even in the road...im walking in a parking lot...WITH THE RIGHT OF WAY....and a taxi driver HONKS AT ME!....WHAT?!? I'm WALKING HERE!....oy.

THIS, my friend, is the world we live in. Whether we ever understand it or not...We just gotta be the light...even in the WEIRD situations....and i have to learn...Not to get frustrated and easily annoyed with people. ha. God give me patience and understanding.

BTW...LOVED the coffee shop devo last night with people from the church up here. It made my week :) God is Good.

Peace out

"My help comes from the Lord...the maker of Heaven AND Earth..."

So I haven't felt like writing lately. I've been semi-homesick this week. Ha. I have my reasons. BUT....I've actually had a good week. God has been really great to me. He revealed Himself through many people to me this week. No need for details...just I am grateful He sticks near to me while I'm here in NY.

I'll be honest, I feel like I'm somewhat of an odd person here...being a christian. Don't get me wrong, I have no idea if the person beside me on the subway is or not...or people I work with that speak Spanish are, or even the random "Nuts for Nuts" vendor guy is or not.... I just don't know ha. I guess I just FEEL like I'm one of few. I guess that's a blessing about the Bible Belt. You at least feel people semi-care about God there. I probably sound judgmental. I promise I'm not trying to. I just rarely feel like the "average New Yorker" would ever want to talk about God. BUT HEY, maybe God has much to reveal to me while I'm here. I'll go with that...I want God convos over coffee...with SOMEBODY. (ps. the family I live with is christian, so that's a blessing already!) I just think I long for heaven more than ever right now...I can't wait till we're all together loving our God....that world...will be perfect. Until then...I'm just gonna keep walking...and try to follow His light.

Last thing for the day, I think I am finally starting to get the realization that I have AWESOME sisters :) They are older...I can talk to them. I mean, I knew that...but it kinda just REALLY hit me. They really have been great to talk to since I moved here. I find myself wanting to talk to them. They prob think I'm weird for writing this...IF they even read it ha. But it's true. Daddy always said....haha...."The older you get, the more you realize your sisters really are your best friends." Ha...dad....

Love the 'rents too :)

Ok....so NYC....it's interesting. I'm gonna go to bed, and get up and do it all over again tmrw. Nite!