Empire state of mind

We Love New York ... in the Movies

I came across this video tribute to NYC on AOL today and it got me to thinking about my own Big Apple experience. The good, the bad and the ugly, ha ha. I don’t think I will ever be able to fully express through words the depth of my love affair with the city, nor the way it makes me feel inside. But the word magical comes to mind pretty quickly. I put my heart and soul into making a Manhattan move a reality back in the summer of '06, and I will never forget getting that phone call telling me I had landed the job and, even more importantly, the phone call from my broker telling me we had successfully secured the teeny tiny, but oh-so-cute studio apartment on E. 54th St. I felt like I was living in a dream. And despite the many missteps and bumps in the road (not to mention some severe financial hard living) that would ensue over the course of the next 2½+ years, I never, ever lost my deep love and appreciation for what I still consider to be the greatest city in the world.

I think what I love most about New York is the inherent sense of possibility that accompanies each new day. I never knew what I would see, who I would meet or where I might end up. The world had never felt so wide open to me. Thankfully, that sense of wonder and excitement never waned. Each person I met and each experience I had played such an important and specific role in shaping me into who I am today, and I will be forever grateful for every moment I had the privilege of being part of the fabric of such an amazing place. It was definitely a life-defining period of time for me unlike any other, and I thank the Lord for it. Perhaps the essence of the NYC philosophy that I still carry in my heart was best summed up by the owner of a laundromat near my first apartment. During my first week in the city, I had gone into his business to inquire if I would be able to do my own laundry there or if it was strictly a dropoff service.

Me, with my unmistakable southern accent and wide eyes: “Hi...excuse me, sir. Is it possible for me to do my laundry here?”

The old Chinese man smiled knowingly, spread his hands out wide and exclaimed: “Miss, this New York. You can do aaaaaaanything you want!"

So true. I heart you, NY. You will always be one of the great loves of my life!

A beautiful truth

"The laws of physics tell us that energy in the universe is never lost. It is simply transformed from one state to another. So it is with human experience. Nothing is ever lost entirely. God uses every happening to accomplish His divine purpose." - Dr. James Dobson

This is one of the most encouraging affirmations I have read in a while and definitely something I needed to be reminded of. I think we all can have a tendency to fixate on our mistakes and failures and dwell on the distressing consequences of them. We regret things like wasted time and missed opportunities, and all of the “what ifs” and "should haves" can keep us awake at night. But, despite the way we flounder around and foul up, it is comforting to know that not only does God hold us close and want to forgive us, but His goodness is always at work in the lives of His children. He even promises to restore what has been forfeited, lost or stolen (Joel 2:25). Amazing. And God never breaks a promise.

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

The power of positive thinking

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Tuesday. To me, this has always been one of the most horrific and profane words in the English language. Insert the word rainy before it? Ugh. Even worse. For years, I have tried to uncover the true source of my hatred for this seemingly benign day of the week to no (valid or satisfactory) avail. I just don’t like it. I don’t like the way Tuesday sounds when I say it aloud. I don’t like how the weekend (both the one that just passed as well as the upcoming one) seems so far away. And, in general, I don’t like the way it makes me feel. It is just so relentless. While I really do try my best to remain hopeful and optimistic on a day-to-day basis, I will be the first one to admit that Tuesdays bring out the absolute worst in me (those who know me can attest to this statement). Tuesdays have consistently presented unto me a time of hideous inertia, where all of the problems and frustrations in my life seem to bubble up to the surface and loom, taunting and menacing me for the duration of the day.

So, on this rainy Tuesday, as a flood of particularly depressing, self-defeating and characteristically troubling Tuesday-type thoughts were circulating through my mind and pummeling at my inner peace, I kept thinking that there has to be a way to overcome what I have identified in myself as a chronic and debilitating case of the Tuesdays. And as I was pondering how to reconcile myself with this most dreadful day, the above Bible verse kept popping into my mind. While it is easy to focus and dwell on the negative, considering the chaotic and cynical world in which we live, I know that God wants us to be happy and live lives of joy. And I think one of the surest ways of accomplishing this is by banishing unpleasant thoughts and thought patterns. When we do this, we free up our minds to think about all of the good things in our lives and the many gifts and blessings we have been given. Can I conquer the Tuesday syndrome on my own? No way. My innate animosity toward Tuesday would continue to win out. But, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Whatever your particular "beef" may be, God can help you lay it to rest. All you have to do is ask!

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Luke 11:9-10

Mister Softee merchandise now available for purchase!

I miss my Mister Softee like the deserts miss the rain. So, yes, maybe I do periodically pop by his official Web site to see what's up and wistfully gaze upon my beloved conehead. And on my most recent virtual visit, my heart just about leaped right out of my chest when I discovered that Mister Softee merchandise is now available for purchase on the site, which, by the way, has gotten a beautiful makeover and is now better than ever. Downloadable Softee sheet music, sample jingle and ring tone? Check. Printable (or delightfully interactive) "Color Mister Softee" picture? Check. Photo gallery of Softee in action? Check. Mister Softee locater map with super cute conehead icons? Check. Ok, you get the idea. I was fascinated by every single link on the site, especially those located in the Softee Funzone.

Oh, but back to the merchandise!! So Mister Softee die hards can now own wonderful, life-enhancing items like a Mister Softee bobblehead, T shirt, musical truck, beach towel or truck bank, so that the joy of Softee can be commemorated more continuously, during those many sad moments in life when one is not actually consuming a Mister Softee ice cream product.

I would like one of each please.

https://mistersoftee.com/products

Man, I gotta make it back to NY and soon. Or start a Softee Franchise in Kentucky! It seems like it could be a very lucrative and rewarding endeavor. According to the Web site:

"Many of our dealers who started with one successful unit, have expanded into ownership of multiple fleets. They are prosperous, popular business people, well known and respected in their communities."

Hmmm. I've never considered myself management material, but I kind of like the idea of commanding multiple fleets of Softee trucks.

God is the ultimate problem fixer

Love this.

Smile...it's the weekend!

Derby Day: A Pictorial

Just thought everyone could use a laugh. The good news? We survived. The infield. The rain. And, most notably, a fashion nightmare.

Aww. We look kinda normal here.

Wow.

What not to wear. 

The mud covered chicken man + the much maligned porta potti.

God knows what we need before we even ask Him! (Matthew 6:8)

Sometimes I wonder why it is so easy for me to accept God’s love and forgiveness but so hard for me to completely surrender my will to His. This is something that I struggle with on a daily basis. I know that each time I attempt to take matters into my own hands and futilely devise a "solution" to whatever problem I am facing, I am choosing to not trust God and the fact that He has a perfect plan for my life. I think my resistance to surrender is also an issue of patience (more specifically, a lack thereof) and the failure to remember and accept that God’s timing is very different from my own. I really want to start trusting God completely with all aspects of my life, especially the ones that seem the most uncertain to me right now. I know that by doing this I will get closer to God, and my faith will become stronger and continue to grow. My prayer for everyone today is for the ability to trust and fully believe that God is in complete control of your life and all of the circumstances in it.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Bobby McFerrin may have told us not to worry back in the 80s, but long before that, Jesus said the same thing!

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:25-27

Don't worry. Just breathe. God is in control. It is going to be OK. He will supply all of our needs. He has already promised us this! : )

After the rain comes a rainbow

The Kentucky Derby. Wow. Why? Plus one giant Ewwww. These are the three words that can best sum up what my friend Maria and I, who are possibly suffering from a mild case of post-traumatic stress disorder, witnessed today in the Derby infield. We saw things that we had never seen before and things that we never, ever want to see again.

The Wow list includes the following phenomena:

• The countless Kentucky natives, voluntarily covered in mud from head to toe, who felt the need to engage in mud wrestling for hours on end for no apparent reason.
• The lone porta potti that we stood by for over two hours and the innumerable, visibly traumatized victims who emerged from its chambers. Wow. What had occurred in there? We were too afraid to find out. We held it.
• The yellow shower curtains, otherwise known as "ponchos," we were forced to wear as a result of the hideous and unforgiving rain. We reached a new fashion low today.

Making the Why list...

• The man in the flowered Mumu.
• The man sporting a Kermit the Frog head. His friend sporting a pig nose. And the mud covered chicken man.
• Why do you stand in the betting line for 20 minutes and not realize you are in a betting line at the Derby. And even if you realize what this line is, after waiting 20 minutes in the line, why do you have no idea what bet you will place when it's your turn and hold up the line for a good 15 minutes trying to make a decision?
• A seersucker suit + flip flops. Why?
• The shirtless man wearing buttless jeans.

And the giant Ewwww:

• Quite possibly the most disturbing image of all, which has unquestionably been burned into our memories for all of eternity, was the giant 2-pound, half-raw turkey leg that was continuously hoisted up into the air by an exceptionally exuberant young man waiting in line to use the infamous porta potti. How many people took a bite out of this turkey leg? We lost count.

The crowning moment of the day occurred just minutes before the actual running of the race when the rich and powerful people came out of their tower to observe the infield festivities and throw beers and cigars down to the "peasants."

I don't think any words can really properly convey the infinite atrocities we were witness to today. But, as we drove away from it all, we came upon the most beautiful rainbow either one of us had ever seen. It spread all the way across the sky, kind of like the St. Louis Arch. That was a nice ending to an, um, interesting day.