Over the Hump

Sometimes things just never get into my thick skull no matter how many times I hear them. Things like "the more you give the more you get", "let go and let God" and "this too will pass". No matter how many times I hear these things and experience them to be true, I somehow forget again. And again I have experienced the miracle of what I know is true coming to pass with my community. Just before our mid-year retreat I felt alone, frustrated and just plain fed up with living in community. Yet, this was the storm that always comes before the calm in life.

In a recent conversation a friend asked me how my community life was going and it was then I realized the frustration and loneliness had passed. So many times I have experienced hard times in life, but these times always let way to calmness and joy. I should have known this was coming all along! Although I don't feel extreme joy everyday and sometimes I still feel frustration, I no longer allow these feelings to linger. I'm finding my way back to enjoying the things happening around me and making the most of the unique experience I have living in New York. Even though I'm ready to go back to familiar faces, I'm no longer itching to get out of here ASAP. I hope I can look back on these past months to remind myself "this too shall pass"...and maybe this time I'll actually get it.

Also, I'd like to share some photos of various happenings from NY!


Kira, Jen and I celebrated Jen's birthday at South Seaport in NYC! We went to a great bar and enjoyed homemade cake. Candles, knife, plates and birthday serenade courtesy of the bar ;-)


Kira's friend from CA, Rachel, came for a surprise visit!!! She spent some time up in the Bronx with Jenny from the block and then she, Kira and I spent a day in the city enjoying the sites.

My ministry site, OPening Word, had one of its annual fundraisers. Here I am with some of the wonderful women we teach helping to support a great cause :-)!