NYC!

I was able to go to NYC last week while making a work trip to Newburgh/Plattekill NY.

At the end of September I wrote in to "Live with Regis and Kelly" to get tickets. All the online tickets had been reserved, so the website said to send in a written request. I thought it was a long shot, especially with Regis retiring in a few weeks. However, about two weeks later I got a phone call asking if I was still available for Oct. 19th. I was thrilled and so surprised! I felt like a little kid! I set plans in motion to make my campground visit, booked a ticket and off I went.

Having never been to New York City, I was a bit nervous about navigating and finding the studio in the early morning. However, the train ride was smooth and I was able to catch a cab with no major hurdles. I woke up at 3:15am, took the 4:32am train into the city and didn't even get coffe until around 4pm (insane). It was raining the whole day, but it was still fun to be there! The show was great, and I'm SO glad I got to see lovable Regis before he "moves on." As to be expected, Kelly is fabulous. Seeing a show, live and in person was so awesome.

As I was walking out of the studio, checking my texts to see when my friends were coming into the city, I heard an intern asking if anyone wanted to see "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Since my friends weren't going to be there for a few hours, I headed down to that studio and sat in the audience for two episodes of the show! The episodes are set to air during the "Play It Forward" week, November 28th and 29th!

Here are a few pictures from my adventure. I am already looking forward to going back to visit my sister and her soon to be hubby when they live there!

Security:

Regis and his classmates! They were so cute reminiscing!

Penn Badgley from Gossip Girl and in the new film "Margin Call"

the beauty of music.

Do you ever have certain albums or songs that connect so much with you, that you can't stop listening to them? A few months ago, some friends here shared Will Reagan and United Pursuit's CD, "Live at the Banks House" with us. I was immediately drawn into the acoustic sound and the lyrics of each song. Some of the words are verses from the Bible, but others are just singing of opening oneself to God, and letting things go...with trust in Him. I have wrestled with worry off and on my whole life it seems. Sometimes it is intense worry over certain things, other times just little things that somehow distract me. The truths in these songs have brought me comfort in the middle of the night and kept me praising during the day.

Wednesday night we sang "Nothing I Hold On To." Part of the song says, "I give it all to you God, trusting that You'll make something beautiful out of me."
This resonated with me. We can give everything to Him, and we can trust Him to take it, and care for us despite the "junk" we carry.

It's humbling to sing these words when I know it's so easy for me to keep things in, or not give everything to God. I mean it's my body, my money, my job, my wants right? No, I'm not just living for myself. I don't want to just live for my own satisfaction. With grace, and humble practice, I want to give it all to You God. I trust that you'll make something beautiful out of me. I have hope that You will.

The line that follows is "I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open." I love this. After the hope and the surrender, is the action. I will go where You lead me, I will stay open to Your Spirit leading me.

There's a sweet surrender in this song. I hope it blesses you, if nothing else for the simplicity of the sound and the words.

Will Reagan and United Pursuit Band, "Nothing I Hold On To."

Dog-sitting

I am keeping my family's sweet dog this week. My parents are out of town for the week, so Ashby is hanging out here in Southern Pines. She is 14 years old (human years). It's great to have her here, for the companionship, and just because she's so cute. I've heard that people with pets live longer, and I can see how it really helps just to have something to care for, walk and enjoy. I feel like I'm cherishing her more at this stage in her life and in my own stage even...(not going too far into that or I'll cry).

Here's a photo from our snowy Christmas:

Isn't she the cutest?

Trying Something New

This afternoon I'm taking my first "hot yoga" class. I really enjoyed taking yoga while we lived on Tybee and were members at the YMCA. Of course, I had a great teacher and I know that made my experience even better. But since we've been here in SP I haven't joined a gym and therefore haven't found a yoga class to attend. So I bought a groupon for a local yoga studio downtown that offers the hot yoga classes and found a friend that was interested in checking out a class. So, there's a first time for everything...off we go!