The Oscars...with a little Perspective

When I was little I used to make movies with my sisters and my neighbors. We made a good number of them. I was the director and had my sisters and friends as my "little minions" to be my movie stars. ha. I was bossy...back then. Well, to say the least, we made so many "films" that we eventually had to have an awards show, call it our "Academy Awards", to give out credit to the great movies and great little actors/actresses in the neighborhood.

So, I picked who got all the awards (I guess I was "The Academy") and we filmed our little awards ceremony one day which was a lot of fun. All the little "thank-you" speeches from kids ages 5-14...haha. Guess who won Best Director? yeah...

POINT IS...I'd always wanted to be a director or "in the movie business"...for quite awhile. More recently, I've decided my life may be headed on a different path, but not shutting any doors here..we'll just see. But when I was younger and had my BIG dreams, I used to do what most kids do, and practice my acceptance speech. Ok, so I practiced it many many times throughout my life.

I find that being in front of thousands, no, millions of people to hear what YOU have to say, is kind of exciting. Just because after you get credit for something big you've accomplished, it's quite possibly the best moment to give credit to who really deserves it most.

Who? Well, if you know me by now...you probably know exactly what I mean by "who". But then again, most of my life EVERY actor/actress/singer/etc gave credit to this "who". I'm starting to notice though that there's a shift or a change going on...nobody wants to even talk or mention the 3-letter 'who' anymore. I wonder why?

So last night Meryl Streep, kind of surprisingly, won Best Actress award at the Oscars. I love Meryl, no doubt, but I admit I kind of wanted Viola Davis to win for The Help. EITHER WAY, Meryl gets up on stage, after Viola hugs her,...and starts off her "thank you" speech thanking a 3-letter person.

No, not God. ha. Don. Her husband. And you know what? I think that's completely great. So good for a hollywood marriage being happy and long-lasting. And to continue on...she thanks her makeup artist, Roy Helland. That's important too. The "behind the scenes" people deserve much respect and appreciation for their ART just as much as the actor/actress I think. Then, THIS is the part of her speech that moved me. You can watch the link below to see the end of her speech...if not, just scroll down past the link.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-meryl-streeps-oscar-acceptance-speech-for-best-actress/


Meryl Streep lastly, starts getting more emotional, and says, "I really wanna thank all my colleagues, all my friends...I look out here and you know, I see my life before my eyes. My old friends, my new friends, and really, this is such a great honor but...the thing that counts the most with me...is the friendships and the love...and the sheer joy we have shared making movies together. My friends, thank you, all of you. Departed...(puts her arm over her heart) and here. For this inexplicably wonderful career. Thank you so much."

And you know...that's just it. That's the point. She looks out in tears, says she sees "her life before her eyes" while she looks at her friends. They show some in the audience looking back at her...with tears in their eyes. Because THAT is what's real. FRIENDS. As she says "sheer JOY"...its moving. Its all about the people. Its all about...the love. She is moved...we are moved. Before you know it, she will be one of the actresses "departed"...but the impact she makes on her friends...and vice versa...will not fade. The love...never fades. It's what God is all about. Whether she says it or not...God is in WHAT she said. Selfless. Friendship. Love.

If we all can one day look at our lives...by looking at our friends we've made in our lifetime...and see "sheer joy"...then we can say we did NOT miss out on life. We will have found life...because God...is in people. He's all around us...whether we "credit Him"...or His world around us does on its own.

Simple Thoughts about an Awesome God

Today has been... one of those days. When something inside of you just feels like you really need to let it out.
So you think about it...and try to figure out what it is that's messing around with your head. You don't know. You can't figure it out. Maybe if you just vent about something to someone it'll come out on its own. Does that make sense? Sometimes when you get to talking with one of your closest friends, you end up saying more off the top of your head and end up being honest with what's actually going on. Sometimes you find out that you needed to be honest with yourself. You just didn't know it...ha.

Well today...I woke up and went to work SUPER early. 7:00am shift. (i mean, i guess people with REAL jobs can relate...) But to me...thats not my usual day. So maybe I was tired but I dunno, today I just felt like I had something pressing on my mind too much. Frustration. Irritation. Maybe a little anger? ha. That emotion I don't like. But truthfully, I think I felt it today. I didn't even know why? Maybe I subconsciously let something build up. I'm always telling people to "Feel how you feel! Don't hold back." You can't help how you feel sometimes and its ok to just be honest with yourself. Better yet, its MORE than ok. It's healthy.

Well, so, I came home from work and just felt like I needed to let something go. And frankly, I needed to figure out who was gonna be my "venterator." (---its off Gilmore Girls)
So I was at the apartment, by myself...and was just feeling like I needed to "talk it out"..."take a load off"...you know what I mean. And now for the serious moment...I needed to let myself BE myself. Completely. Not half-hearted or 75% of me. All of me.

There's only a few options of who I can go to. But truth is...sometimes I want people to just listen and not offer solutions. So I don't call anybody....instead I just decided to flip my Bible open and start reading. (i love to read it. and i only say that because its THAT good :)
but usually when I do that, expecting something PERFECT to pop out when i open it up, its completely off my "needed" subject haha.

But not today.

Today I barely opened it...since I only made it to book 2 out of 66. Exodus. ??? I was kind of aiming for the red letters...but I just started to read. The perfect verse popped out.

I'm not gonna tell you.

Read the whole book and guess which one it was.

ha. Just kidding. It was Exodus 33:11 "Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face...as one speaks to a friend."

Granted...I told God I wish I could speak to him face to face. But...the point is...I can talk to Him like he's my friend. And I'm not embarrassed to say that. I'm confidently saying it...

He is my friend. He's been my friend longer than anyone has. He's been there with me to cry out to my WHOLE life. And I have. And thanks to Him I have peace in my life. Because He's that great to me.

So the point I'm trying to make...is that I literally stopped reading further. Made myself a latte. And just talked to God. (If that's weird to anyone...sorry...but we're that close)

And without details...let's just say...I feel much better now. He's the friend I needed to go to. He's the friend who actually CAN do something about my life. He's the friend who always does.

I love God. (simple thing to say, powerful to feel)

I really do. He is my best friend. And I'm so grateful that God gets me.

Here we are.

We live in a beautiful world....

In the midst of our joys. In the midst of our pain. In the midst of our grief. In the midst of our happiness. In the midst of our peace. In the midst of our humility. In the midst of our shame. In the midst of our suffering. In the midst of our wondering. In the midst of our laughter. In the midst of our sadness. In the midst of our anger. In the midst of our regrets. In the midst of our darkness. In the midst of our strength. In the midst of our thankfulness. In the midst of our growth.
In the midst of our Creator...

We live in a very beautiful world...in the midst of everything and everyone around us.

We all live under the same sun. The same sun that everyone who was ever created has lived under.

And it's just about seeing the beauty around us. And in us. And in each other. God's fingerprints. God's touch and power. When you see the sun, the lightning, the moon, the stars, the animals, the water, the beaches, the clouds, the rain, the trees that comes up from the earth, and the way God extends His hands to each and every one of us....is beautiful.

It is beautiful. No matter from HERE to THERE. From first breath to last. God knows the answers. God is THE answer. God is good. God is perfect...and yet its beautiful how He still loves US. And even though we aren't perfect, He takes the time to keep working on us. On our hearts. We just have to be open to seeing the beautiful ways He creates, and reshapes us in all His ways. Even IN the ways He chooses to refine us...it is beautiful.

We live in a beautifully created world...with people, and with GOD. THE Loving and Perfect God. Can we open our eyes and recognize Him? And can we recognize the beauty, HE alone, can make out of our lives?

Psalm 139:
13 You made my whole being;
you formed me in my mother's body.
14 I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.
What you have done is wonderful.
I know this very well.

Peace....better yet...COMPLETE Peace

When there's something in your life that you don't have a plan for, something you struggle with daily, something you just can't let go of, something you're searching for, something you're waiting on, something you're asking for, something you're looking to understand...something you don't even know HOW to pray for....

ever felt like that?

Who hasn't? You're not alone. So let's remind each other this...

GOD has a plan. GOD knows your struggle. GOD can help you let go. GOD will help you find it. GOD is waiting with you. GOD hears your cry. GOD will help you and lead you. God doesn't ask that your prayer to HIM even make ANY sense.

Because He knows it before you say it.

HE knows. HE cares. He's THERE. He's HERE. AND if you EVER think its too scary to trust this "god" know this...The living God loves you more than you will ever know or understand...so remember, He will take care of you and bring you peace.

HE is the Prince of PEACE.
It's amazing... that the ONE thing that everyone tries to find more than anything....is Peace. But you can't find it...until you find God. Who IS.




Numbers 6:24-26 "YAHWEH bless you and keep you. YAHWEH make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. YAHWEH lift up His face upon you and give you SHALOM. In the name of SAR SHALOM - the Prince of Peace."

Give you "Shalom", COMPLETE PEACE. He's the author of the Life! Trust Him.

When Faith takes over...

On Thanksgiving a couple days ago, I was watching Miracle on 34th Street on TV..(1994 version) ;)
I love the original...but this one did it justice. But one quote that "Kris Kringle" said to "Ms. Walker" just really stuck out. The whole movie is about FAITH. Faith in...Santa Claus...and what it is to have some Faith in general...

"If... you can't believe, if you can't accept anything on faith, then you're doomed for a life dominated by doubt."

What's going on in this scene is Ms. Walker, head of staff at Coles department store, is talking about how it doesn't make any sense to have faith in things that seem unreal, less stable, illogical, or things you simply... can't see.

Kris, aka Santa Claus, tells her basically that if you can't accept anything by faith...then you will lead a life completely won out by fear and doubt. He says that she'd question everything and never give in to the idea that something GREAT is out there.

Faith, in our life, is also everything. IF we let ourselves get so tied down to a world where we have faith in SOME things...and use our "logical sense" for other things...we start taking away from God's and putting everything into OUR hands. I'll be honest, the more in life I try to "figure things out" and "work through things logically" and "according to plan"...is when my life gets all screwed up into a mess that only leads me to doubting good can even happen.

Even lately thinking about "the job" that I want, or graduating and looking for "the career"...I sit and go crazy trying to figure out where to look, how to search, who to talk to....and it COMPLETELY overwhelms me. Then I remember one thing that apparently I forget too often....

My GOD is SO Big.

HE can handle the little things in my life. HE can handle the things that I think are little that may be even bigger than I'd ever know. HE knows what's going on when I'm completely blind to it.
HE tells me to Trust Him. He reminds me that if I put absolutely ALL of my faith in Him, that He'll just go farther. The more we release to God...the more HE takes over. He says its our free will to give our will back to Him. Faith, may be very scary....I know this.

But living a life "dominated" by doubt...is honestly I whole lot scarier. So try to release more and more, day by day, to a God who just wants you to put your faith into Him. A God who loves you...and will SHOW you just how much...all He wants from us...is to put our FAITH in Him.

Back in the city....just a little "less" city ;)

So exactly one week ago today, me and my friend, Jessica, moved to NYC. We packed up all the "stuff" we could into my new/used...AWESOME car...(which btw holds a LOT my than the little Mazda would have) and drove to NYC. (oh...plus 2 little dogs in their lil pet taxi's)

I have been meaning to blog to give an update more quickly, but its amazing how fast time flies and the day is over. Maybe it's just the night-time getting here at 4:30pm. ha I dunno. I've just been really busy trying to get settled in.

So we came up here on a little leap of faith. Neither of us have a job. We didn't already have an apartment. We brought enough money though to last us awhile if we were homeless and jobless a bit longer than expected.

Currently, we have an apartment...and currently, we are both still jobless. Prayers please. :)

Here's how the Beginning went down...

FIRST OFF....God is good. We found an awesome apartment in a matter of 2 days.

But to start...the first day, which felt like an absolute eternity... we were in Staten Island looking and calling for apartments.
We met with a man and his father who told us we could have their "mother-daughter" apartment... (supposedly that's what it's called when your apartment is like a basement attached to a person's home)...they told us we could have it IF we gave him Dad's social security number. That was the very first guy we met with. Weird....he asked for it about 4 times.
"I mean neither of yous guys have jobs...so...I'ma hafta have your dad's social security number JUST IN CASE."
To say the least...I had a bad feeling about him. Sooo we told him we'd get back to him on that. Then we prayed about it.

Still DAY ONE... we called a bunch of other landlord people and they kept saying ONE thing to us over and over again..."No...I don't allow pets."

Finally it turned dark out and we met w/ one lady who lived right near the ocean of the south-side of Staten Island...
She lived in a very nice and ritzy neighborhood. We waited for her to get home. (ha...not stalking...just waiting)
She led us down to her "mother-daughter" apartment and it was MUCH nicer than the first guy's.
We loved it. Already had 2 twin beds. Had brand new appliances. Great layout. Had a spot for washer and dryer....BUT it had carpet. Eh...well...the dogs are SORTA potty trained...Either way...we wanted it. The lady looked at us...and said..."How many dogs you have? 2? I'll call you back tomorrow"

We actually thought she liked us. We prayed that she would pick us.

The next day came and we were still checking out apts. Many STILL said "no" about the pets.

Eventually Jessica found this one guy who said we could come by at 4:00 and check his out. He posted it that day. The apt seemed cool on craigslist.

We had a lot of time to waste...and once again, this day, DAY 2, seemed very long...being in a new city without a place to call "home" was a little hard. I don't know why it seemed so long...but I guess anticipation was killing me. The "unknown" was becoming overwhelming.

Anyway, we drove over to his house, knocked on the door....VERY nice house, nice neighborhood...a kid answered the door. He told us to hold on. His mom opened the door and she told us her husband wasn't home. She made her oldest son show us the apt. It was ALSO very nice. AND...had tile floor in every room :) We liked it. It was furnished already...come to find out...it was the last renter's stuff. Well...the dad gets home and starts asking us if we like it. He told us we were the first to respond to his listing on craigslist..(WAY to go Jessica!) He then told us he liked us and just needed to go talk to his wife. So we drove off...well, sort of. We drove about 3 seconds down the road and made phone calls to our parents telling them we THINK we got one. About 2 minutes later we start driving off again and the landlord guy calls us. "Ummm me and my wife talked...she asked if your dogs barked...I told her they meowed like a cat...haha....yous can have it if you want it"

WE were SOOOO happy. It was much better than the first apt...much better than the 2nd one that we even loved...and the best part...LOWER IN PRICE. :) God is too good to us.

Well to sum it up...I know its a long first post...

We have had our work a bit cut out for us. The last renter is kinda...under some weird circumstances...and his stuff should be taken out sooner or later. We moved all of it to the bedroom...good thing the couch is a pull out bed. Much better than the Blow-up mattress we brought to "rough it" till Dad brings the furniture. Once again, God is good...though its a little weird because we feel like we are "renting" some of his stuff...but hey, its in our apt right now. Soo...might as well. Ok I'm gonna stop here. This was just a really long overdue update.

Thanks for all the prayers. God is amazing in so many ways. Now just trying to keep the faith as the job hunt continues...

:)

The End....or is it?? ha

This is my last blog....at least on here. Why? Because...I'm no longer in NYC ha.

Truthfully, I've been slacking. I meant to write a CLOSING post right after I left NY and EVERY time I started...I couldn't finish. I just didn't feel like saying anything. I now know why. ;)

So, New York and my internship... all I can say is that God took me there. He did it ALL. He got me the internship in the city I never imagined having it in. He got me to fill out an application 4 times because I kept messing up. He got them to call a random girl from Alabama. AND he somehow convinced my parents to let me go. God knew what He wanted. (and I had no idea how anything was gonna play out, but there I went!)

I really thought NY would be about me getting "my foot in the door"....well, I found out, it was more of something else. God moved me when I was in NY. He opened up doors and I got way more than a foot in....I got attached to the city. Really, the people in the city. Lots of reasons people move to NYC...and truth is, these people may be the most honest with themselves than most. They don't seem to hide who they are as much. They may not have life figured out...but wait a second, I don't think we do either. They just seemed more REAL than most people. In NY I met a lot of DIFFERENT people. DIFFERENT cultures. DIFFERENT lifestyles. DIFFERENT experiences, etc etc. And the city screams this....

"THIS IS ME....I NEED to CONNECT"

And God opened my eyes to THE connection. It's simple. It's Him. People will search forever and ever and go anywhere and everywhere to...connect. And its not just people in NYC...its people one step outside your door. And its us. I found out how much I desire to connect. To connect with someone or something....but the ONE thing my soul screams to CONNECT with is more of a WHO....to my Creator. (just like every soul in the world)

So God gave me AWESOME friends in NYC. In a matter of 3 months...I met AMAZING people, and formed everlasting friendships. (call it corny, but I'll just call it the truth) He spoke to me through conversations that literally moved me. He gave me Moments that will stick with me forever. He didn't bring me to NY for just an internship....He brought me to NYC to connect.... with Him.

As people, as His CREATION...we will ALWAYS have a Desire to Connect. We'll try to with anyone and anything until the day we die....because they can't fix the lost connection. Only One can. And more than anything, He wants to. Jesus made THAT possible...so now...we have to daily be open and desiring of the Connection with our Creator. Everyone is looking. "God is not Dead nor does He sleep..." He loves us ---He just wants us to reconnect with Him.

So that is what God taught me in NYC.

Tomorrow I start my final semester at UNA...and that's scary. And weird. AND scary. Yes, it's that big to me. No telling where I'm going after May. I'm open to anything and everything...cuz HONESTLY, i have NO idea what is to come. I don't have any specifics to even ask for. So...time to trust Him again. As best I flippin' can!

Let the semester begin ;)

oy.... ha

****God connects people to each other too. For a reason. Just trust Him to bring people into your life and let them go when life takes them another way....its ok. We're all headed to the same place in the end anyway, when we follow our Creator's lead****

"It's gonna happen when it's supposed to happen..."

Man. I don't even know where to begin. Today has not turned out at all how I expected. Ha. I mean to a degree, it was "planned out." But it didn't really go "AS PLANNED."

"We take one step at a time, no need to rush. It's gonna happen when it's supposed to happen."

I think in life we can take steps closer and closer every day....to understanding God....if we OPEN our eyes ;)

Today was Definitely one of those days for me. And this is how it went....

I had NO plans for the day :) I woke up around 7am and relaxed in bed watching Felicity Season II until I was ready to get going. Oh, and I went downstairs to get a cinnamon bagel ;) Ha...so I finally got ready and took about a lazy hour of doing my hair slowly. I had no plans today other than updating my blog :)

Well....while I was in the apt all by myself, I realized how worn out I was. Was it the food poisoning from this weekend? Was it the fact I'm nearing the end of my NY adventure? Maybe it's all the STUFF in my mind that I carry constantly. Hmmm..either way. I was worn out. I set my blowdryer down. And looked myself in the mirror...and LET myself cry.

It was an amazing relief. It just felt good. It was heartfelt and lasted for about 2 minutes. Then it was over. :)

So my mind recently has felt this. "I know God loves the WHOLE world...and that He knows us all by name, and how many hairs are on each of our heads, and how important we all are to Him....but how much does DANIELLE MCCLURE mean to God?"

I mean I don't mean that to sound selfish. I mean it to sound honest. I tell people all the time how Important they are to God.. and they are. But lately, I felt like just another number. It's almost Thanksgiving and it's my 2nd year in a row not to be with my family. Shockingly, I'm in nyc again haha. So I was thinking...hmmm...what to do for thanksgiving. I don't know. Truthfully I'm debating spending time with God all day. I may seem like a loner, but HE is Family....

I think I need it. I think at the moment I need to REMEMBER how important I am to God. So today I decided to pray a NEW 3-word prayer. 3 years ago, in 2006, I was with 3 of my good friends in Florence and we "stumbled upon" a 3-word prayer book called "Surprise Me, God." We released all our cares, worries, burdens, and requests and let the 3 word prayer take over. It RADICALLY changed my prayer life. Well...that's another story for another day...(if you haven't heard it already ;) ) but today I decided to pray 3 new words for 30 days....

"Love Me God"

I know that may sound weird. Or conceited... but maybe it took me coming to NYC to realize how much I want God to simply Love Me. I know He does...but I want Him to love on me even more. I need HIS LOVE more than ANY love I can get from any person or thing on this earth. {btw when I say ONLY those 3 words, I mean as my Personal Prayer. The prayer extends for other people ;) }

So....I was going to blog about my SEARCH for understanding God's love for me in the Bible, and how I'm praying those 3 words the next 30 days..which surprisingly ends on my 23rd Birthday. haha ironic?

But no...

God. Changed. My. Plans.

I went to starbucks and sat down to Genesis 1:1. Just to start with my understanding of God's Love. And I kept reading and reading and reading......

NOPE. Plan has changed. I'm not gonna just read to find God's love for me by searching through random scriptures...I'M GONNA READ THE WHOLE BIBLE. I never have. I hope the next 30 days...that I can do this. I PRAY I can all before I'm 23. haha. Daddy says It's possible ;) So here goes. God knew what He was gonna do with me today. He just had to lead me there.

Never forget that God DOES Love Us. All of Us. Individually. He will be REAL and the Greatest Father we could ever have...so run to His open arms.

-----sorry so long. It's been a random day. The Bible is really fun to read. :) I'm sure Numbers will get old...but we'll just take it "One Step at a Time" ;)

-love you all. Thanks for the "Food Poisoning" prayers :)

We're Beautiful People.

I'll be honest...I'm not writing down all these great little stories and moments that happen EVERY day here to me in NYC. There's just so many. There's so many random thoughts that hit me. There's random moments that I just KNOW are planted FOR me from God. I really really should write them down...you know my memory won't hold them long. Anyway. I'll try to give you a glimpse from this last week.

--------------------------------------------------

First of all, God SHOCKED me with something this week. A good shock. I don't know what to think of it really, but something I've been praying for for so long, took a step forward in happening. Too personal to write on here...but, God is so good to me. I don't know why honestly. But He's just so good to me.

Ok so this next thing is not something I'm telling you because I want to brag...or try to make myself sound good...because I wasn't planning on telling anyone. I just thought, God did something really moving TO me. This Wednesday, a lady ordered a burrito and she saw that we put the wrong beans in it. (Black ones, instead of Pinto ha) Well, my boss about dumps it in the trash and I go "STOP! Ha...can I have that?" They were gonna chunk it! There are soooo many homeless and hungry people outside on this cold cold night...and we're sitting here throwing away BIG WARM BURRITOS. Uh...no. So. I ask for it. They go..."You want to take it?" HA. Yes.

So I get off about 20 min later....and I decide to go to 34th St. Penn Station to pick up my train ticket for home...just because I had time. Well, I grabbed the burrito bag and put on my backpack and walked out the door.

"Ok God...present me with a homeless person to give this burrito to please."

.....I am not lying, I did not see a Homeless person for 20 minutes....I was in TIMES SQUARE! WHERE ARE THEY?! This was like 5:30...Well....I just held on to the burrito bag and walked towards Penn Station. I couldn't find the Amtrak entrance for the life of me....so I kept making wrong turns on the busy streets of NY. Well...I walk right by this man sitting down to the right of me. I almost had forgotten what I was ORIGINALLY looking for...WELL ha...get this.

He was a small white older man with glasses and a toboggan on. He held a small sign that read...

"Hungry. Please help."

WHAT? It didn't say...."I lost my job, now I'm living on the streets, I will take anything...etc. etc." and he had NO hat or jar in front of him. He was simply....HUNGRY. Ok pause. Do you feel what I felt? I FELT it. God presented me with THE Hungry. I turn back around and go...

"Do you want a burrito?"

He says yes....and I give him the burrito bag. He thanks me and I just walk away. Well I find my station...and two seconds later I turn back to look at him..he's gone. He got some food. He wasn't much of a beggar, no? Just hungry. He got what he needed and walked away.

Chills.... God did that. More for ME I think than him.

---------------

Lastly, I had 2 subway visions or thoughts in the past 2 days. Yesterday I was standing in the back of the subway train cart, leaned up against the wall. I was a foot away from a "looked like" homeless woman. Her flip flops and socks were barely making it. She rode the train with her head down, she was probably trying to catch some decent sleep in warmth. Anyway, her legs looked like they hadn't been shaven in a looonnng time. It was just sad. Then Right behind her...there was a subway sign that read "Look Closer..."

So I did. hmm...what was I looking at? Well...I turned to my left and looked at the whole cart full of passengers sitting...still....not talking....just riding. They looked tired. They looked unsociable. They looked ready to GO HOME. Then I looked closer.....I noticed the homeless lady was sitting as far in the corner away from all that she could. She probably feels that she has to. Who knows? BUT I envisioned a moment of heaven. How let's just pretend it was a train to heaven...even STRANGERS would smile and say hello to one another on the ride. They would be so much happier looking.. They would be people on their way HOME. They wouldn't have pain, or strife, or be distant. AND, the homeless lady would be NO different than them. She was sitting on the train ADMITTING she's longing for a home. We're all the same. Longing for home. We'll get tit one day. Together. AND enjoying being together. So..just a little vision as I stood at the back view of the train.

THEN today. This one was short. I just looked and remembered why NYC is so cool. I opened my closed resting eyes (ha)...while i was on the subway, and looked at who was sitting across from me. It was an african american woman, a hispanic young boy, an asian family, and a yankee (ha)...point is...they all LOOKED different...in some ways. And I could see it all at once. WE ARE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. God made us BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. That's just what I thought. Small. But a fun thought. God really does love us and designed us beautifully.

THE END.

More like Jesus...

Today was a good day....but a little sad too. 

To start, today I was killing time because I was too early for work, so I went to Duane Reade and browsed. I saw a magazine issue on "Christianity" and how christians are "supposedly" representing Christ's example and standards. I can't remember the magazine name...ANYWAY....I just read those lines and thought....Do we LOOK like we are representing Jesus? I mean I'll be honest, so many days I'm so grateful to God that He forgives me. But not only should I love His grace...but I should RESEMBLE His son. Do I? Do WE? In NYC there are many many different types of people...different standards, different customs, different lifestyles, different religions, different BELIEFS altogether. Do we LOOK like we BELIEVE? You see so many people PASSIONATE about what they Believe. I hope we are. Or I hope we become more conscious. 

And now for my story.

One of my favorite co-workers name is Elizabeth. She's hispanic and speaks 30% English. We had one cold morning where we waited inside this lobby area until anyone got to work. We talked and kinda had a good conversation. BEFORE that day though, we just always smiled at each other when we passed by...you know the "language barrier." She works in the kitchen, and I'm out front most of the time. Well, I loved when we would just smile at each other every day haha :) ...BUT we finally had a chance to talk that one morning. Since then, we knew each others names and talked a bit more while working together. She told me her and her husband were in NY just for a little while longer...a few more months. Her kids were still in Mexico with her mother. Elizabeth is a sweetheart. No doubt about it. She just has a good HEART. She shows it at work, outside of work...to everyone. Well...today my boss hands me a card and says "Sign it." .....

I'm like who is this for? 

"It's for Elizabeth. She's leaving. Today is her last day. Her grandmother died so they are moving back to Mexico asap."

I'll be honest, I was pretty sad...I knew I would be leaving NY in a month and all, but I was enjoying everybody BEING THERE till I left....anyway...Everyone at work was pretty emotional. We all gave her a cake and big hugs. She cried a little, and so did some others. Well what's funny is that our store has only been open for a month and a half....its amazing that people got to like her so fast, right? I kinda think it's because she resembles Jesus....

So when we gave Elizabeth that cake, guess what happened next? Ha. She starts cutting it up and passing out a piece to everyone. She came out to my register to hand me a slice. She just kept going until everyone got a piece. She hasn't even eaten a piece yet... I'm telling you...she's got the heart of Jesus...and it shows in her actions. 

That's something I need to work on. All of my actions, thoughts, drives, need to be closer to Jesus' ways. 

Anyway, so there's my blog post. Don't worry everything is good here :) I'm enjoying every day and everything God wants to put into my days. I'm grateful I get to meet amazing people. I hope and pray we can be more like Jesus. That's what this world needs. 

Lata!

"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!

And so it Goes...

the fun thing about "blah" days....is....

you learn to APPRECIATE the days that are more fun. ha.

Not to say that all days are not great in their own kinda way...but some days...it just seems like the world has a different Mood. Is it a full moon tonight?? ha.

So in all seriousness....this is one of those days...when I don't connect with people. This is one of those days where I think I'm just gonna bond with my Daddy (aka God)....because...I think that's what He wants. Maybe He has to get me alone today so I can be ready for whatever is next. Who knows?! Either way...this is a "me and God" day. It's a good day. But it's lots of thinking, praying, and just being alone with Him. The world goes on and on, and around and around. I feel like just today, I'm at a bit of a stand still. And that's perfectly ok ;)

Well. There's a random post for the day. I hope you all had a great one!
Love you people!
Danielle

Life with God...

God is life...and Jesus is Love.

That sums up pretty much my Faith. The rest all falls together. Seems to me that it's all about simplicity... ( like Aunt Lisa was saying today :) )

I guess lately I've been up to quite a bit. I've been working a bit, and interning too. I try to keep myself pretty busy. I like to...ya know? It's the City "Way" ha...BUT....what makes every day interesting is the Random people that I meet or talk to.

Saturday...I accidentally hopped on a subway going the OPPOSITE direction I wanted to go...so I got off at the next stop to cross over. Ha. As I waited...With my headphones on...a man walks up to me. He asks me a question, but of course I had no idea what he said...ha. I took out my headphones and said "I'm sorry, what?" ha.

"Um...do you know which way is downtown to Brooklyn?"

So I look around to read the signs. The subway line RIGHT behind me said "Downtown to Brooklyn"

It was cute. ha. I said, "I think it's that subway." (and pointed right behind us)

He goes, "Awww thank you thank you." Then he walks away. (ps...he had a lil bit of a prob speaking clearly)

I kinda laugh and put my headphones back in. Seconds later I get a tap on my shoulder. I take my headphones out again.

Same guy..."So you know what? I asked that other guy about directions..and he goes...he goes you don't make sense! You're dumb..you need to stop talking... And I was like no... no...I am not dumb...I need to just know which way to go...ya know? Like so I tried to walk away...My counselor tells me to just walk away and say nothing...I mean what did I do? I just asked..."

At that point, I know I got myself into a fun lil conversation ha...So I just try to listen and nod my head a lot and tell him he did the right thing by just walking away and not listening to the guy. He goes, "Thank you. That's right. Thank you." ....ha that was it basically.


ANYWAY....it was just interesting. Somewhat uncomfortable cuz he almost spit in my mouth...ha i dodged it. But he walked away got on his subway line...then mine came too...so I got on. Ha. Random. IF I hadn't gotten on the wrong train earlier...I'd have missed that fun lil encounter. So. Wasn't like anything Big..but it was good. Good for me....good for me to remember...people are people. Whether they look the same, talk the same, have the same mindset...they are still people and deserve to be heard and respected...(now don't get me wrong...sometimes i do ignore people and walk away...u have to...or you'll get yourself into weird situations or FOREVER long convos. ha) BUT he was harmless...just needed to say something. Someone to listen...

It was simple. It was just a lil minute of my day. But it was like God saying...."remember I will come to you in different ways. Just be like Jesus best you can."

So...as much as I could write about lots of fun things from this week...I choose to tell you that story. funny because people ask me for directions lately and sometimes I can help them! ha! I'm getting better ;)

Lastly, I found a really cool church last night. No details...but I really connected there. Not to say lots of churches aren't great...but I feel that that might just be where God wants me. Who knows?! Only about 35-40 people...a lot of college age in the Arts. Seems fitting ;) The message was great too. It was about being Thirsty for God. Always a good topic. It's a day to day thing...to crave God. I want to Want Him more. Every day. I pray I do. Well...maybe soon enough I'll get the courage to invite some of my other friends to this church...or I'll just have the opportunity to talk to them about God....but more than anything...that I can be like Jesus to everyone around me. Sometimes it's hard...but that's why I need God to help. Well...sorry so long! I hope everyone is doing good. I never know who reads these...ha....

love you all.
danielle

p.s. God never leaves you...nor wants you to run away when you have "problems." GO to Him with your struggles....He already knows them. Let Him help you...

NY, NY!

So nyc is finally becoming AWESOME again to me. I'm finally feeling pretty comfortable here and I have God to thank for that. And everybody who prays for me, thanks to you too.

Let's see. In the past few days, this is what I've done:
-gone to the ER....(figured out its anxiety breathing...So got an inhaler, BUT am re-learning to breathe...WITH God's help)

-worked at 2 NYWIFT events that were a LOT of fun. Made a few contacts, and hung out with the interns.

-working a lot at Baja Fresh and enjoying it! (the most random people at work who smile and say hello really make my day, the ones in the kitchen especially)

-got to meet up with Kirsti tonight and she came with me to a screening! lots of fun :)

-trying to go to as many DIFFERENT coffee shops as i can, AND keeping track of the names ;)

-LOVING all the people God KEEPS bringing into my life. I just don't know how its possible, but it seems to me that there are just SO many really awesome people in the world. My "new family", my co-interns, my co-workers, my bosses at work AND internship bosses, new other friends I make here, just EVERYBODY. I believe PEOPLE are everything. They all Show me God whether they know it or not, and the CONNECTION is simply amazing. I love it! :) People are Good.

So....tmrw...lots of randomness I'm sure. BUT all is well in my world, every step I hope to "breathe" and walk with God. That's the only way to live! Hope you all have a great rest of the week. chat later

Love you!

The Purpose

Life has purpose behind it. Everybody has probably asked the question, "Why are we here?"..Christians, non-christians...just anyone and everyone.

God created us. He wants YOU here for a reason RIGHT now. We don't know the reasons why other people aren't here anymore...or why certain things happen in our life...We don't exactly NEED to know the answers to all that, yet. We just should know....that while we're here...we all have purpose. And...in the end...all of our purposes are connected. God does that part. Jesus did His part...He connected us BACK to God. So...what's our purpose?

So while I'm here in New York city, I've seen LOADS of things I didn't ever get to see back at home. It is true that a lot of "different" kinds of people move to NY because they feel more "normal" here...but what's normal anyway? Maybe, just maybe, I'm starting to just SEE what's all out there. You hear about things, but I'm seeing some of them...very close up. It's interesting really.

The other morning I was sitting on the subway, way too early (ha), and I was looking at the different people coming on and grabbing a pole, considering all the seats fill up SUPER fast. I was looking around and just thinking...We're all so busy, living our lives, doing what we are Supposed to do, going where we're SUPPOSED to go, taking care of all our responsibilities...and yet...God is still LIFE. We're truly here for Him, as we do what we do. AND We are actually CONNECTED...and yet we just keep mostly to ourselves as we sit on the subway and listen to our Ipods and read our books. We keep somewhat distant personally because...we're all "so different." I kept thinking, just in that moment, that these people...are all children of God. He loves all of us. He just wants to Connect with all of us...every day. He wants us to CONNECT to one another too.


I saw a girl reading "The God Delusion" on the subway...it was interesting so I looked it up online. I even found an interview with the author to listen to on my mp3 player. It's so interesting the way he believes. But also dark. It's weird to imagine a life where you think there is NO God. I mean, really. It is a DIFFERENT life. Actually, not life at all.

You know what is cool about God? Ha. The people He brings into and out of our lives. I met a boy who's a senior in High School at Starbucks last week. We got to talking a bit. He studies here a lot. He's got pressure to make great grades from his parents. He's an only child. He's a nice guy and we've become pals. Ha. He's here tonight too...and he came over to talk to me. Now he's studying again. BUT the point is...God is good with just connecting people. I need friends here, and I'm starting to make them...at work, at the internship, at Starbucks ;) ha God is good. BTW my new coworkers: AWESOME people. (thank you God)

To end this post...which is all over the place...ha... I am so thankful for the people and friends God has put in my life. I'm thankful for the ones still in my life, the ones that came in my life at certain points, AND thankful for the way He brings people back around into my life at the best times. He's just so Good.

Thanks for the prayers about my breathing. We're just praying my immunity builds up around here to this new atmosphere. :) I'll hang in there until then. Nite!

"We were walking up to Strawberry Swing..."

Today has been a GREAT day.

First of all, yesterday was pretty great too. I got to walk on the red carpet! haha. Well...I walked on the red carpet for The Informant before the "important" people showed up. BUT still...it was cool. I had to run an errand there...luckily I didn't get lost and I wasn't late. God really does lead me....trust me....else I wouldn't always be getting to the right places on time.

Yesterday was good at the internship too. I am finally being myself there...which is nice. Ha. I like the girls there too! Pretty awesome. We are DEF. gonna make a film together this fall.

So, I've been looking for jobs like crazy lately....applying, questionnaires with 200 questions!, lots of craziness. Really. It was a bit frustrating. BUT...Macy's then emailed me saying I should set up an interview online. I did for Wed. at 2:30. And here's the thing...as great as it was to get feedback and an interview...I wasn't really digging the Macy's idea...dressing up every day, eh...too formal. Ha...but whatever. THEN, Monday night before the screening I get a call from "Baja Fresh" asking if I could come in for an interview on Wed...at 3. ha. Long story short....I rescheduled and pushed back Macy's....and went to the Baja interview today. PRAYED PRAYED PRAYED that I would get the job at Baja...and I did! To top it all off...it's so CLOSE to where I intern. God is awesome. Period. So I start work tmrw night! haha I love jobs like this. I like to keep busy and have fun. Oy to the hat I have to wear though. ha oh well.

Thanks for the comments, thanks for the prayers. You guys must have really got to God. :) Thanks!
-Danielle