Hey everyone!
Today was a GREAT day! I woke up at noon (first great thing that happened). I didn't really do much until I left for church at 3:30. Let me just say..... it is FREEZING here. It has been in the mid 20's all day. That is fine. Not too bad. It's the wind! Oh my gosh! The wind chill all day was 10 - 15 degrees. I thought I was gonna die. Haha. But anyways, I went to church with my friend Hallie again. We went to Hillsong again this week but we got there early so we could get seats instead of having to stand the entire time.
The preacher that usually preaches (the one that was there last week and I cannot remember his name for the life of me. haha.) wasn't there but they had a guest speaker from Houston, Texas. His name is John Gray. He is the pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston. He is amazing. Phenomal. Brilliant. All of those great words. When he first came out, the band was still playing and he just started singing. It was great. He kind of reminds me of Ruben Studdard(?), I think that's his name, who won the 2nd season of American Idol. Anyways, he's a big black guy and he's hilarious and such a powerful speaker! Here are a few of his quotes from the evening:
"Out of the 66 books of the bible, they all come down to 2 subjects: relationships and real estate."
"God speaks in the language of solutions."
"Dominion was not a suggestion for Adam. It was a command."
"We are not humans having a spiritual experience, we are spirits having a human experience."
"When you know who you are, heaven responds and hell bows down."
"You don't go to hell for what you do. You go to hell for what you believe in."
"God wants your worship voluntarily."
"God created choice. Man created evil."
"Wait and do it God's way."
"I'm loved and there's nothing hell can do about it."
That is just a small fraction of the amazing things he said tonight. Google him people! John Gray. He is an amazing pastor. If anyone from Whitesburg is reading this right now, get him as a guest pastor. He is amazing.
Also, just learned that his daughter was admitted to the hospital a couple of hours ago with a 105.5 fever. Pray!
On a different note, I have 3 and 1/2 sleeps until I get to go home! Woohoo! Please pray that the weather is good! I can't wait to see my family!
Thanks!
Molly
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
A Week's Recap
Hey everyone!
Sorry I am just now getting to blogging this week! It has been really busy as always.
I had an exciting week! Tuesday, after I was done with my classes, me and my friend Ali went on a walk by the Hudson and riverside park. Riverside Park is BEAUTIFUL! I am obsessed. We were hanging out by the soldiers and sailors memorial.
Wednesday, my roommate's dad took me and my roommate and 2 of my other friends to dinner in Times Square at a really good Italian restaurant. That was the first real meal I have had in a month and a half. Haha. It was so good though! On the way back to the dorm, we were riding in her dad's car and we saw all of these black escalades and flashing lights outside of the movie theatre. As we got closer to the theatre, we saw that it was the red carpet for "Hunger Games: Catching Fire"! So we jumped out of the car and ran up to the barricade right by the red carpet. We got to see Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth! It was so cool!
Thursday wasn't very exciting. Haha.
Friday, after school I went with some friends to see Catching Fire. It was really nice to be able to go to a movie and relax a little! The movie is awesome by the way. You have to see it.
I'm so excited about this week! I get to go home! I am going to cry so much. Haha. I just really hope my flight doesn't get delayed or cancelled. I would rather not spend thanksgiving in an airport. I can't wait to see my puppy! And my family. I just can't even wait....
I'm going to see a show tonight that has a star studded cast with some of my favorites in it! I'm pretty excited for it!
Thanks!
Molly
Sorry I am just now getting to blogging this week! It has been really busy as always.
I had an exciting week! Tuesday, after I was done with my classes, me and my friend Ali went on a walk by the Hudson and riverside park. Riverside Park is BEAUTIFUL! I am obsessed. We were hanging out by the soldiers and sailors memorial.
Wednesday, my roommate's dad took me and my roommate and 2 of my other friends to dinner in Times Square at a really good Italian restaurant. That was the first real meal I have had in a month and a half. Haha. It was so good though! On the way back to the dorm, we were riding in her dad's car and we saw all of these black escalades and flashing lights outside of the movie theatre. As we got closer to the theatre, we saw that it was the red carpet for "Hunger Games: Catching Fire"! So we jumped out of the car and ran up to the barricade right by the red carpet. We got to see Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth! It was so cool!
Thursday wasn't very exciting. Haha.
Friday, after school I went with some friends to see Catching Fire. It was really nice to be able to go to a movie and relax a little! The movie is awesome by the way. You have to see it.
I'm so excited about this week! I get to go home! I am going to cry so much. Haha. I just really hope my flight doesn't get delayed or cancelled. I would rather not spend thanksgiving in an airport. I can't wait to see my puppy! And my family. I just can't even wait....
I'm going to see a show tonight that has a star studded cast with some of my favorites in it! I'm pretty excited for it!
Thanks!
Molly
Monday, November 18, 2013
A Problem Called Grace
Hey everyone!
This weekend was great! It was very relaxing and I got a lot of sleep and much needed alone time. But I would have to say the best part about my weekend was last night. Sunday night. I went to Hillsong church with my good friend Hallie. I went to high school with her and she is at an acting school up here in the city. The service started at 5:00 so we got there at 4:40. Little did we know there would be a line all the way around the block to just get in the door! Once we were in, there was only standing room left. It was so crowded! But I would much rather be in a crowded, electric, energetic church than an empty one!
Once the service started, the band came out and it was like a rock concert. But all for Jesus. It was an amazing feeling being in a room with so many people who were on fire for God! After a couple of very moving songs from the new "Hillsong" album "Young and Free", the preacher came out. I don't remember his name. But he was phenomenal. His message was called "A Problem Called Grace". The first story he told was about a funeral he had attended earlier that day. He was at a 36 year old woman's funeral who had passed away from cervical cancer. She had 8 kids. The funeral lasted 5 hours. The reason the funeral lasted so long is because people just kept coming up and telling stories of her kindness. He said that one woman came up and said that she has 4 kids and one night she called the woman who had passed and said "I only have 2 bags of rice and I need to feed my children. Can you help me?" and the woman who had just passed said "I have 2 cans of chicken, but you come over here and we can use your bags of rice and my chicken and we can eat together." Most christians would stop after "I have 2 cans of chicken". But she didn't. She was always giving. Spending is a seasonal act. You spend a lot around the holidays. You receive a lot around the holidays. But giving is a never ending act of kindness.
2 Corinthians 9:11 says "You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."
The "problem called grace" he spoke of in his sermon is that God has so much grace for us. He LETS us breathe in the air around us. He LETS us live. He satisfies us with his love. He provides for us. He sent his perfect son to die on the cross for OUR sins! He loves us more than we could ever imagine. He does all of this through grace and love! We don't deserve anything he gives us. We have turned against him and sinned against him everyday of our lives! And yet he still loves us and his love is more than enough for us.
He told another story about a day that he went to his daughter's 1st grade class and spoke to the kids. He asked them to get in groups of 2 and tell the other person things that they loved about themselves. Most of the kids were very confident and were just spitting off things they loved about themselves. He noticed a little boy in the corner of the room just looking at the floor. He asked him his name and the little boy said "Alex". He asked Alex what he liked about himself. He asked what he was good at. Alex said he wasn't good at anything and that he didn't like anything about himself. He then proceeded to ask the class what they liked about Alex. The hands just shot up and all the kids were saying things like "He's smart" "He's nice" "He's funny" "He's good at soccer" etc. And Alex's head just popped up and he had a huge smile on his face.
It is so funny how this 6 year old boy could be encouraged by other people and the positive things they thought about him. This is very similar to how God thinks of us. Alex would have never thought he was funny or nice or smart or good at soccer. We can never fathom how much God loves us and how much he cares about us. What Alex did is much like what adults do. They get down on themselves. We only care about what is happening to us in the moment. We don't think about how God has a bigger plan. A plan to prosper us and not to harm us (Jer. 29:11). By trusting in God and casting all of our troubles on him, we are experiencing his grace and his love.
"He is the one who has saved us. He is the one who forgave us. He's the one who has come and is coming again. He's the remedy."
I think that sums up this post. Haha.
Thanks!
Molly
This weekend was great! It was very relaxing and I got a lot of sleep and much needed alone time. But I would have to say the best part about my weekend was last night. Sunday night. I went to Hillsong church with my good friend Hallie. I went to high school with her and she is at an acting school up here in the city. The service started at 5:00 so we got there at 4:40. Little did we know there would be a line all the way around the block to just get in the door! Once we were in, there was only standing room left. It was so crowded! But I would much rather be in a crowded, electric, energetic church than an empty one!
Once the service started, the band came out and it was like a rock concert. But all for Jesus. It was an amazing feeling being in a room with so many people who were on fire for God! After a couple of very moving songs from the new "Hillsong" album "Young and Free", the preacher came out. I don't remember his name. But he was phenomenal. His message was called "A Problem Called Grace". The first story he told was about a funeral he had attended earlier that day. He was at a 36 year old woman's funeral who had passed away from cervical cancer. She had 8 kids. The funeral lasted 5 hours. The reason the funeral lasted so long is because people just kept coming up and telling stories of her kindness. He said that one woman came up and said that she has 4 kids and one night she called the woman who had passed and said "I only have 2 bags of rice and I need to feed my children. Can you help me?" and the woman who had just passed said "I have 2 cans of chicken, but you come over here and we can use your bags of rice and my chicken and we can eat together." Most christians would stop after "I have 2 cans of chicken". But she didn't. She was always giving. Spending is a seasonal act. You spend a lot around the holidays. You receive a lot around the holidays. But giving is a never ending act of kindness.
2 Corinthians 9:11 says "You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."
The "problem called grace" he spoke of in his sermon is that God has so much grace for us. He LETS us breathe in the air around us. He LETS us live. He satisfies us with his love. He provides for us. He sent his perfect son to die on the cross for OUR sins! He loves us more than we could ever imagine. He does all of this through grace and love! We don't deserve anything he gives us. We have turned against him and sinned against him everyday of our lives! And yet he still loves us and his love is more than enough for us.
He told another story about a day that he went to his daughter's 1st grade class and spoke to the kids. He asked them to get in groups of 2 and tell the other person things that they loved about themselves. Most of the kids were very confident and were just spitting off things they loved about themselves. He noticed a little boy in the corner of the room just looking at the floor. He asked him his name and the little boy said "Alex". He asked Alex what he liked about himself. He asked what he was good at. Alex said he wasn't good at anything and that he didn't like anything about himself. He then proceeded to ask the class what they liked about Alex. The hands just shot up and all the kids were saying things like "He's smart" "He's nice" "He's funny" "He's good at soccer" etc. And Alex's head just popped up and he had a huge smile on his face.
It is so funny how this 6 year old boy could be encouraged by other people and the positive things they thought about him. This is very similar to how God thinks of us. Alex would have never thought he was funny or nice or smart or good at soccer. We can never fathom how much God loves us and how much he cares about us. What Alex did is much like what adults do. They get down on themselves. We only care about what is happening to us in the moment. We don't think about how God has a bigger plan. A plan to prosper us and not to harm us (Jer. 29:11). By trusting in God and casting all of our troubles on him, we are experiencing his grace and his love.
"He is the one who has saved us. He is the one who forgave us. He's the one who has come and is coming again. He's the remedy."
I think that sums up this post. Haha.
Thanks!
Molly
Saturday, November 16, 2013
On a scale of Minkus to Urkel...
Hey everyone!
Today I slept in as I always do on Saturday. I went to the school later on in the afternoon and practiced dance stuff with one of my friends. 2 hours! I actually practiced for 2 hours straight without getting distracted which rarely happens. Haha. I then got pizza to reward myself of course. Then came back to my dorm and watched movies, observing the speech technique of the actors and actresses in them. It's really interesting now that I actually know what is right and wrong when I am watching movies to see who is actually speaking correctly. It has made me have so much more respect for them than I ever have before. It's so hard to speak properly and healthily! I'm working on it but it is not something that comes easily when I've been speaking wrong my whole life! I'm not even talking about a regionalism, which is hard enough to get rid of, but I'm talking about the actual speaking itself. The tone, pitch, etc. I am supposed to speak like half an octave above where I have been my whole life. The thing that gets me the most is glottal when I speak. (Using a glottal stroke means you hit your vocal chords together when speaking. It usually happens on words that begin with a vowel and it's really unhealthy). This is something I just learned about this past week. I knew what it was in terms of singing and I knew it was bad but I didn't know I did it when I speak too! It's so hard to not do! But anyways, I watched "The Help" last night and "People Like Us" and "Zero Dark Thirty" today and listened the whole time for people using glottal when they spoke. Bryce Dallas Howard who plays Hilly in "The Help" (the mean one) has perfect technique. I did not hear her glottal once! I'm sure I could've missed it if she had done it but still! She has great vocal technique! Jessica Chastain only did it a few times in "The Help" and "Zero Dark Thirty". She trained at Juilliard and Bryce studied at NYU I think. Emma Stone has terrible vocal technique. I never would have noticed because I didn't even know what it was. Haha. Elizabeth Banks (she was in "People Like Us" she also plays Effie Trinket in "The Hunger Games") was another one who had practically perfect technique! I'm so jealous! Haha. But it gives me something to work towards!
I'm really sorry I just wrote an entire paragraph on that. I'm such a nerd. See Mom! I am learning things!
Now that I just openly admitted to watching movies all weekend while analyzing vocal technique like a total loser, I'm gonna go to bed so I can actually sleep tomorrow night and wake up for school the next day. Haha.
Thanks!
Molly
Today I slept in as I always do on Saturday. I went to the school later on in the afternoon and practiced dance stuff with one of my friends. 2 hours! I actually practiced for 2 hours straight without getting distracted which rarely happens. Haha. I then got pizza to reward myself of course. Then came back to my dorm and watched movies, observing the speech technique of the actors and actresses in them. It's really interesting now that I actually know what is right and wrong when I am watching movies to see who is actually speaking correctly. It has made me have so much more respect for them than I ever have before. It's so hard to speak properly and healthily! I'm working on it but it is not something that comes easily when I've been speaking wrong my whole life! I'm not even talking about a regionalism, which is hard enough to get rid of, but I'm talking about the actual speaking itself. The tone, pitch, etc. I am supposed to speak like half an octave above where I have been my whole life. The thing that gets me the most is glottal when I speak. (Using a glottal stroke means you hit your vocal chords together when speaking. It usually happens on words that begin with a vowel and it's really unhealthy). This is something I just learned about this past week. I knew what it was in terms of singing and I knew it was bad but I didn't know I did it when I speak too! It's so hard to not do! But anyways, I watched "The Help" last night and "People Like Us" and "Zero Dark Thirty" today and listened the whole time for people using glottal when they spoke. Bryce Dallas Howard who plays Hilly in "The Help" (the mean one) has perfect technique. I did not hear her glottal once! I'm sure I could've missed it if she had done it but still! She has great vocal technique! Jessica Chastain only did it a few times in "The Help" and "Zero Dark Thirty". She trained at Juilliard and Bryce studied at NYU I think. Emma Stone has terrible vocal technique. I never would have noticed because I didn't even know what it was. Haha. Elizabeth Banks (she was in "People Like Us" she also plays Effie Trinket in "The Hunger Games") was another one who had practically perfect technique! I'm so jealous! Haha. But it gives me something to work towards!
I'm really sorry I just wrote an entire paragraph on that. I'm such a nerd. See Mom! I am learning things!
Now that I just openly admitted to watching movies all weekend while analyzing vocal technique like a total loser, I'm gonna go to bed so I can actually sleep tomorrow night and wake up for school the next day. Haha.
Thanks!
Molly
Friday, November 15, 2013
12 Days!
Hey everyone!
12 days from today, I will be home! I'm so excited to see my family (and yes that includes all the pets in the family as well. I miss them equally!). I had a great week this week. It was very productive and I really feel like I am improving more and more every day. I am loving my voice lessons each week because I am getting to do some classical stuff which is actually really fun because I get to sing really high the whole time and it's so new and cool and I feel good about it. The fact that my voice teacher compared me to Audra McDonald this week also made me quite happy. (If you don't know who she is youtube her! She's amazing!) I also am learning so much in dance classes as well. I am getting a little more used to having 2 hour dance classes everyday. Add yoga onto that 3 of the 5 days of the week. Plus some dance reviews (nightly sessions where things learned in my theatre dance class is basically retaught and broken down slower). So yeah.... a lot of dancing and physical activity.
I'm glad it's the weekend though. I have a lot to memorize and practice so I now have the time to do that. I will probably go to the park or to a museum or something this weekend. Maybe even a show. My roommate is going home this weekend for her birthday so I will have some alone time which I am very excited about. Also, back on the excited to go home note, I have been having recurring dreams for the past 2 weeks where I dream I am going to wake up in my bed at home. Yeah.... can't wait for that to happen! Also, I already have it planned out that when my flight into Huntsville is descending, I am going to listen to "Sweet Home Alabama" and I'm sure I will probably cry. Haha. But a happy cry!
Since it is Friday night, this would normally be my moment to vent about how annoying it is when all of the people I go to school with (and I really do mean ALL) go out and get sloppy drunk and high. But I think I have pretty much covered that subject in previous posts. Haha. You may think that living in New York City is glamorous and all fun. Nope! It is very fun and I absolutely love it here! But, I do kind of have a boring social life sometimes because all anyone wants to do is get drunk and do drugs. Not my thing.
Anyways,
I got a package today with a ton of movies and a season of Criminal Minds so that's what I'm going to be doing tonight while I memorize everything I need to memorize for this week!
Thanks!
Molly
12 days from today, I will be home! I'm so excited to see my family (and yes that includes all the pets in the family as well. I miss them equally!). I had a great week this week. It was very productive and I really feel like I am improving more and more every day. I am loving my voice lessons each week because I am getting to do some classical stuff which is actually really fun because I get to sing really high the whole time and it's so new and cool and I feel good about it. The fact that my voice teacher compared me to Audra McDonald this week also made me quite happy. (If you don't know who she is youtube her! She's amazing!) I also am learning so much in dance classes as well. I am getting a little more used to having 2 hour dance classes everyday. Add yoga onto that 3 of the 5 days of the week. Plus some dance reviews (nightly sessions where things learned in my theatre dance class is basically retaught and broken down slower). So yeah.... a lot of dancing and physical activity.
I'm glad it's the weekend though. I have a lot to memorize and practice so I now have the time to do that. I will probably go to the park or to a museum or something this weekend. Maybe even a show. My roommate is going home this weekend for her birthday so I will have some alone time which I am very excited about. Also, back on the excited to go home note, I have been having recurring dreams for the past 2 weeks where I dream I am going to wake up in my bed at home. Yeah.... can't wait for that to happen! Also, I already have it planned out that when my flight into Huntsville is descending, I am going to listen to "Sweet Home Alabama" and I'm sure I will probably cry. Haha. But a happy cry!
Since it is Friday night, this would normally be my moment to vent about how annoying it is when all of the people I go to school with (and I really do mean ALL) go out and get sloppy drunk and high. But I think I have pretty much covered that subject in previous posts. Haha. You may think that living in New York City is glamorous and all fun. Nope! It is very fun and I absolutely love it here! But, I do kind of have a boring social life sometimes because all anyone wants to do is get drunk and do drugs. Not my thing.
Anyways,
I got a package today with a ton of movies and a season of Criminal Minds so that's what I'm going to be doing tonight while I memorize everything I need to memorize for this week!
Thanks!
Molly
Monday, November 11, 2013
5 Weeks Away From Home
Hey everyone!
Today marks the 5th week I have been away from home. That is so crazy to me! 5 weeks without going home or seeing my family or my DOG! But only 16 more days until I get to come home! I cannot wait!
So yesterday I was walking home from church and I passed "Crunch Gym" which is right beside my church on 83rd Street. My friend pointed out a sign on the door that said "currently hiring personal trainers". So I went inside not really thinking I would apply but just to find out a little bit more information. I got the email of the personal trainer manager and how to apply online. So today in between classes I made my job resume and applied online and emailed the guy. He emailed back within a few hours asking my availability and how many hours I was looking for. I don't really think I will get the job but it sure would be nice to have a nice part time job! So we'll see how this works out!
I am starting to get a little more used to the city. I was able to walk up the Hudson the other night with some friends and it was so fun and relaxing. There are great walkways and parks going the entire way up the river. I am really getting to know my way around the city. My friends call me when they need help with directions. Haha.
Also, yesterday I was fortunate enough to hear Tim Keller preach at my church. He is amazing. If you haven't heard of him, google him. He's a brilliant man. Such a blessing to hear his message. I love going to church every week.... I have to remind myself everyday that I wouldn't be here without God. He gives me strength in everything I do. It is also so comforting to know that I am never alone! I ask God to take me by the hand with his arm around my shoulder and his hand over my mouth every morning as I start my day. Because in this business, I could do and say whatever I wanted and no one would think twice about it. It would be so easy for me to turn against my religion and my beliefs and my faith in God. But I am WAY too stubborn to do that. Even though I am living my dream in NYC performing and trying to make it big, my priorities don't start there. My faith and family come first. If I ever thought either of those were in jeopardy, I would give this life up so fast. I'm trying to keep a good head on my shoulders and keep my feet on the ground in all the insanity of school and the craziness of the city. It is hard to find stillness here to focus on God. And like always, God is brilliant and while I was typing this, the song "None But Jesus" started playing. The lyrics say:
"In the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God. In the secret of your presence I know there I am restored. When you call, I won't refuse. Each new day again I'll choose. There is no one for me. None but Jesus. Crucified to set me free. Now I live to bring him praise. In the chaos, in confusion I know you're sovereign still. In the moment of my weakness you give me grace to do your will. All my delight is in you Lord. All of my hope, all of my strength. Forevermore."
My favorite line is the part about the chaos and moments of weakness. He is our strength in every moment. I often think about the people around me at school and when I'm walking around the city, what would it be like to live in this big city all alone and not have Christ with me all the time? I would feel so empty. I know that no matter what ever happens to me, God has a plan. A plan that is far greater than anything I could ever imagine. And yet again, a fitting song is playing. "Your Grace is Enough". What a great lyric. His grace is enough. It is enough to fulfill any need, hurt, emptiness in me. In all of us. I just can't imagine being here and not having my faith to carry me through it all.
Alrighty.... I'm tired and I'm going to bed for the night!
Thanks!
Molly
Today marks the 5th week I have been away from home. That is so crazy to me! 5 weeks without going home or seeing my family or my DOG! But only 16 more days until I get to come home! I cannot wait!
So yesterday I was walking home from church and I passed "Crunch Gym" which is right beside my church on 83rd Street. My friend pointed out a sign on the door that said "currently hiring personal trainers". So I went inside not really thinking I would apply but just to find out a little bit more information. I got the email of the personal trainer manager and how to apply online. So today in between classes I made my job resume and applied online and emailed the guy. He emailed back within a few hours asking my availability and how many hours I was looking for. I don't really think I will get the job but it sure would be nice to have a nice part time job! So we'll see how this works out!
I am starting to get a little more used to the city. I was able to walk up the Hudson the other night with some friends and it was so fun and relaxing. There are great walkways and parks going the entire way up the river. I am really getting to know my way around the city. My friends call me when they need help with directions. Haha.
Also, yesterday I was fortunate enough to hear Tim Keller preach at my church. He is amazing. If you haven't heard of him, google him. He's a brilliant man. Such a blessing to hear his message. I love going to church every week.... I have to remind myself everyday that I wouldn't be here without God. He gives me strength in everything I do. It is also so comforting to know that I am never alone! I ask God to take me by the hand with his arm around my shoulder and his hand over my mouth every morning as I start my day. Because in this business, I could do and say whatever I wanted and no one would think twice about it. It would be so easy for me to turn against my religion and my beliefs and my faith in God. But I am WAY too stubborn to do that. Even though I am living my dream in NYC performing and trying to make it big, my priorities don't start there. My faith and family come first. If I ever thought either of those were in jeopardy, I would give this life up so fast. I'm trying to keep a good head on my shoulders and keep my feet on the ground in all the insanity of school and the craziness of the city. It is hard to find stillness here to focus on God. And like always, God is brilliant and while I was typing this, the song "None But Jesus" started playing. The lyrics say:
"In the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God. In the secret of your presence I know there I am restored. When you call, I won't refuse. Each new day again I'll choose. There is no one for me. None but Jesus. Crucified to set me free. Now I live to bring him praise. In the chaos, in confusion I know you're sovereign still. In the moment of my weakness you give me grace to do your will. All my delight is in you Lord. All of my hope, all of my strength. Forevermore."
My favorite line is the part about the chaos and moments of weakness. He is our strength in every moment. I often think about the people around me at school and when I'm walking around the city, what would it be like to live in this big city all alone and not have Christ with me all the time? I would feel so empty. I know that no matter what ever happens to me, God has a plan. A plan that is far greater than anything I could ever imagine. And yet again, a fitting song is playing. "Your Grace is Enough". What a great lyric. His grace is enough. It is enough to fulfill any need, hurt, emptiness in me. In all of us. I just can't imagine being here and not having my faith to carry me through it all.
Alrighty.... I'm tired and I'm going to bed for the night!
Thanks!
Molly
Friday, November 8, 2013
Whirlwind of a Week
Hey everyone!
It has been a crazy week! I totally forgot to blog the whole time. It has been busy but fun. I'm very glad the weekend is here though. Tonight I went to a friends apartment who I met at church last week and we roasted marshmallows on her roof and it was awesome. She also has the cutest apartment I have ever seen. I'm literally obsessed with it. Now I'm back in my room relaxing after a long week.
It is finally starting to get cold out which is so exciting! I love the winter! Also, I just remembered that my birthday is a week from Monday. I'm probably going to forget my own birthday.
Anyways, there are two things I want to talk about.
#1 Being an educated citizen of the United States of America
This is a subject that is very important in my book. Being from a city that is crawling with people in the military and people that work for the government, I hear a lot about politics. I would be the first to tell you that I am not the most educated person about this subject. However, I do know enough to hold up an intelligent conversation on the matter. I went to public school, I studied History or "Social Studies" as we call it these days, for 13 years. I would love to say that I am very smart when it comes to knowing my facts. I'm not. I do, however, try and keep up with my current events. I would just like to say, many people who are not citizens of the U.S. consider it a major privilege to be a U.S. citizen. It is a privilege. I think we all take it for granted. This being said, I have been noticing lately that there are many people around me who do not know things about this country that I'm pretty sure my dog knows. Things that we lived through. Things that affected our lives as individuals, as a country under God, as a tax paying citizen. In these past few months, many major events have happened with our government. Things that I am obviously not a professional on. There are so many details and specific events that I am unaware of. But I am not completely ignorant of the things that are happening in our country. I find it absolutely offensive, embarrassing, and sometimes nauseating when the ADULTS around me are ignorant to things such as the fiscal cliff, who our president is and what he stands for, the government shutdown, Obamacare (despite the website's inability to function which I personally find hysterical), the series of events involving Syria, etc. No of course I am not a pro on all of these subjects and there is so much more I could learn. But I'm not completely oblivious to what is going on in the world. People need to know what is going on in the world or at least the country to be able to form political opinions. I usually don't talk about politics. I really don't. I kind of hate the subject. I just thought this was necessary to bring up. If someone forms a political opinion about someone that they are going to vote for by looking at the party they are in and not even taking a second to educate themselves about current events and what the candidate stands for, I have no respect for them. It makes me sick to hear ignorant people talk so passionately about their favorite candidate because they call themselves a republican or a democrat when in all reality, they actually have no idea what either one of those words mean. The last thing I'm going to say on this subject is something that happened to me about a week or so ago, someone who shall remain nameless, did not know what the World Trade Center was or what 9/11 was. My initial reaction was probably a bit harsh but I can't say I regret saying it. The person was probably upset by it but there was no way I was about to apologize. I told said person that they should be ashamed to call themselves a citizen of the US and that they need to leave the country. To make the matters worse, this person was living 30 minutes away from the city on September 11, 2001. It really made me nauseous and irate to say the absolute least. I still remember that morning in first grade when the principal came over the intercom and said that there was something that happened that morning that would make us very upset. Then I remember going home and my mom explaining what had happened and why. It is not something I will ever forget. It is something no one should ever forget. That was a terrible day in history and we were there. In this person's case, they were 30 minutes away! It's such a shame.
#2 Why do people consume alcohol to have fun?
This is also a subject I have been pondering on for quite some time. Why do people, especially underaged, broke college students, need alcohol to have a good time? It really confuses me. I don't know about you but, I really enjoy remembering the choices I make and the things I say. If I want to have fun, I would love to remember it the next day. Also, I would love to be productive the next day and not be hungover. The thing that makes me the angriest when it comes to excessive alcohol consumption, especially underage, is how stupid people are when thinking that if they post all of these blurry pictures on social media with solo cups, shot glasses, flasks, beer cans, bottles, etc, in them that people aren't going to know that they are drunk. The amount of drunk pictures I see every night on Instagram is unreal. Also, I think the dumbest mistake that everyone makes when they put up these pictures, is they don't realize that they will never go away. If someone takes a picture of you being really sloppy and drunk at a bar somewhere and it gets on the internet, it's going to haunt you forever. So this means, when you apply for schools and jobs or rush for a sorority or whatever interests you, these pictures are going to pop up when someone googles your name. How unprofessional is that. Also, where do you think the term "Freshman 15" comes from? Yeah it does have to do with all of the fast food and microwavable, convenient food we eat on the go. But a lot of that weight is from alcohol. It's one of the worst things you can do to your body. I hear people, girls especially, complain about their weight all the time. Sorry but it's hard to have sympathy for you when you #TurnUp (Mom and Dad, this means party and get wasted) all weekend. I know it's so not cool to not drink on the weekends and get drunk and party. But I am here for a reason and it's not to get drunk. Musical theatre is not a career with high moral value. Or at least not the moral value that I was raised on. Whenever I tell people I have never had alcohol they are literally dumbfounded. I guess that's a good thing. But it also makes me really sad.
Anyways,
If anyone is even still reading this at this point.... haha. I will step down from my soap box now and go to bed so I can actually get some things done tomorrow.
Thanks!
Molly
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Small World
Hey everyone!
Today was a lot like yesterday. Lazy. Haha. Which is fine with me! Slept until 10. Apartment hunted online (just for fun but kind of serious) and memorized poems and monologues. I went to church with my friend Meg at 5 today. I was meeting her at her dorm which is 15 blocks away because it's close to the church we went to which is on 83rd. If you didn't know, today was the NYC marathon. Lots and lots of people in orange poncho looking things or orange and blue outdoor blanket things. So basically, Auburn colors over took the city today. Yuck. Haha.
The church we went to is "Redeemer Presbyterian Church". The found of this church is someone a lot of you are probably familiar with. Tim Keller. He is an amazing pastor. He actually wasn't preaching today, I'm not sure if he does usually or if he just comes in sometimes but either way, it was a great service. I felt very welcomed there. Afterwards, Meg and I went to the college small group kind of thing. There were probably 20-30 college kids there. It was really fun and there was free food. I met a girl who works there I think she's an intern or something and I asked her where she was from and she said Alabama. Then she said Huntsville. What?! What a small world! We reminisced for probably like 15 minutes just talking about "oh do you know this person or this person?" "Where did you go to school?" "What neighborhood do you live in?" just stuff like that. We pretty much have the most mutual friends I've ever had with anyone without actually knowing them. Haha. Turns out there is a college girls get together at her apartment this Friday and Meg and I are going to go and roast marshmallows on her roof and just have a good time. I'm really excited about it!
So that's how my day went! It was very cool and I met some new people too!
Thanks!
Molly
Today was a lot like yesterday. Lazy. Haha. Which is fine with me! Slept until 10. Apartment hunted online (just for fun but kind of serious) and memorized poems and monologues. I went to church with my friend Meg at 5 today. I was meeting her at her dorm which is 15 blocks away because it's close to the church we went to which is on 83rd. If you didn't know, today was the NYC marathon. Lots and lots of people in orange poncho looking things or orange and blue outdoor blanket things. So basically, Auburn colors over took the city today. Yuck. Haha.
The church we went to is "Redeemer Presbyterian Church". The found of this church is someone a lot of you are probably familiar with. Tim Keller. He is an amazing pastor. He actually wasn't preaching today, I'm not sure if he does usually or if he just comes in sometimes but either way, it was a great service. I felt very welcomed there. Afterwards, Meg and I went to the college small group kind of thing. There were probably 20-30 college kids there. It was really fun and there was free food. I met a girl who works there I think she's an intern or something and I asked her where she was from and she said Alabama. Then she said Huntsville. What?! What a small world! We reminisced for probably like 15 minutes just talking about "oh do you know this person or this person?" "Where did you go to school?" "What neighborhood do you live in?" just stuff like that. We pretty much have the most mutual friends I've ever had with anyone without actually knowing them. Haha. Turns out there is a college girls get together at her apartment this Friday and Meg and I are going to go and roast marshmallows on her roof and just have a good time. I'm really excited about it!
So that's how my day went! It was very cool and I met some new people too!
Thanks!
Molly
Saturday, November 2, 2013
"Not so happy, yet much happier"
Hey everyone!
Saturday is coming to an end. It has been a great, relaxing, day. I woke up at 11. Win #1. I did nothing but sit in my bed, memorizing poems and monologues and songs and watching criminal minds for 4 hours. Win #2. I had a great, fun night seeing "Macbeth" on Broadway at the Vivian-Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. Win #3.
Wow. All I can say about that production is that it is one of the most brilliant pieces of art I have ever laid my eyes upon. The cast, is stunning, talented, honest, devoted, inspiring, and every other word in the book. The set is amazing and so complex and it went with the story line perfectly. The costumes were perfect and complimented every aspect of the entire production. Lady Macbeth's costumes were my favorite. So elegant. And the lighting...... oh my goodness. Amazing. Blew my mind. Definitely a Tony for Set Design and Lighting Design of a play.
After the show we went to the stage door to meet the cast. Brian D'arcy James, whom you may recognize as Shrek in "Shrek the Musical", Debra Messing's husband in "SMASH", and many other Broadway and TV roles, was the first to come out the door. He played Banquo. He was so genuine and nice. My friend Gracie who I saw the show with had a mutual friend with him so that struck up the conversation and we told him that we were theatre students. He was very very nice. Got a picture with him too. Then, Anne Marie Duff came out the door next. She is a british actress who played Lady Macbeth. She is truly stunning. Her honesty in her role was breathtaking. She was also very genuine and nice and we got a picture with her too. Then, Ethan Hawke who played Macbeth came out. He is a big time movie star, Academy Award nominee, Tony nominee, and many others. He was so great. Got a picture with him as well.
Another aspect of the show I didn't really talk about is the ensemble. They were amazing. Really. They were all so dedicated to what they were doing and I could tell that they were so inside the story. (I don't really know if that makes sense but oh well haha). I would often be watching them instead of whoever the focus was on just because they were so good!
Anyways,
I'm gonna go to bed now because I think I'm going to 2 different churches tomorrow! Gotta be rested for that!
Thanks!
Molly
Saturday is coming to an end. It has been a great, relaxing, day. I woke up at 11. Win #1. I did nothing but sit in my bed, memorizing poems and monologues and songs and watching criminal minds for 4 hours. Win #2. I had a great, fun night seeing "Macbeth" on Broadway at the Vivian-Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. Win #3.
Wow. All I can say about that production is that it is one of the most brilliant pieces of art I have ever laid my eyes upon. The cast, is stunning, talented, honest, devoted, inspiring, and every other word in the book. The set is amazing and so complex and it went with the story line perfectly. The costumes were perfect and complimented every aspect of the entire production. Lady Macbeth's costumes were my favorite. So elegant. And the lighting...... oh my goodness. Amazing. Blew my mind. Definitely a Tony for Set Design and Lighting Design of a play.
After the show we went to the stage door to meet the cast. Brian D'arcy James, whom you may recognize as Shrek in "Shrek the Musical", Debra Messing's husband in "SMASH", and many other Broadway and TV roles, was the first to come out the door. He played Banquo. He was so genuine and nice. My friend Gracie who I saw the show with had a mutual friend with him so that struck up the conversation and we told him that we were theatre students. He was very very nice. Got a picture with him too. Then, Anne Marie Duff came out the door next. She is a british actress who played Lady Macbeth. She is truly stunning. Her honesty in her role was breathtaking. She was also very genuine and nice and we got a picture with her too. Then, Ethan Hawke who played Macbeth came out. He is a big time movie star, Academy Award nominee, Tony nominee, and many others. He was so great. Got a picture with him as well.
Another aspect of the show I didn't really talk about is the ensemble. They were amazing. Really. They were all so dedicated to what they were doing and I could tell that they were so inside the story. (I don't really know if that makes sense but oh well haha). I would often be watching them instead of whoever the focus was on just because they were so good!
Anyways,
I'm gonna go to bed now because I think I'm going to 2 different churches tomorrow! Gotta be rested for that!
Thanks!
Molly
Friday, November 1, 2013
Weekend #3
Hey everyone!
Happy Friday! It has been a great week. So much fun and I've learned so much. I feel like I am really improving quickly. I think I say that pretty much every class is my favorite but I really think ballet may be my favorite. It is the last class I have on Friday. I absolutely love my ballet teacher. She is so nice and such an amazing teacher. Some of the dance teachers are terrifying, good, but terrifying. But in ballet, I know that it's okay to make a mistake because she is so good at explaining how to not make it again and is so proud when we get it right. Everyone in my class is awesome too. We all walk home together and we just talk about how much we love that class. It's so great. Also, another great thing about today besides ballet and not having a class until 11:00 this morning, is that on the way home after ballet, there was a coffee company giving away free coffee! It sounds sketch but it wasn't. Haha. It was a legitimate company just giving away free coffee on the street! So great. Free caffeine!
My roommate is going home for the weekend. So I'm here alone. Which is kind of nice because I can have alone time and get things done without distraction. I'm ready for a nice peaceful, relaxing, sleep-filled weekend.
I might go see a show at the metropolitan opera tomorrow. It is free! It's donation based so they have the recommended amount to pay but you can actually just give them a dollar if you wanted to. I either will do that or go to a museum. I really want to go to the biblical history museum. I feel like that would be so cool. All the museums have free hours on the weekends too! I may just go by myself and soak it all in. I think it would be cool.
So something else exciting that happened today is on my way home from picking up some things at the store, I heard these really loud explosions. They sounded like fireworks but I wasn't sure. They were SO LOUD though. I kind of thought I was gonna die. Haha. Turns out, they were doing fireworks for the marathon tonight which I didn't even know was happening. But yeah, I kind of thought they were bombs at first. Slightly terrifying. Haha.
Anyways, I like to end my blog with a verse or lyrics. So today it is lyrics to "God of this City". Which is such an amazing song. Especially since I live in New York City. It is always comforting to know that he IS the God of this city. No matter how much it may seem like he isn't, he is always in control. His plans for me IN this city are far greater than I could ever imagine and he is constantly lighting my path. The path that he has planned for me. Not the one I have dreamed and planned myself. Not the one my school has planned for me. He knows all. He is always in control and he knows what is best for me.
"You're the God of this city. You're the king of these people. You're the lord of this nation. You are. You're the light in this darkness. You're the hope to hopeless. You're the peace to the restless. You are. There is no one like our God. Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city!"
These words really bring me back to the reality that I'm not in my own little world. There are millions of people all around me. Whether I am aware of them or they are aware of me, Jesus is walking with me at all times and I need to act like it! There truly is no one greater than our God.
"Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the Lord himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:6
"I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged. I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (This is one of my favorites)
I have a devotional that is specifically for High School graduates of 2013. Today's excerpt says:
"The oft-quoted Nike slogan is simple and to the point. It's worth meditating on whether you're talking about running a race or getting to the next level of achievement or a job promotion.
If you've been considering a new direction for your life and you've also found an obstacle to where you want to go, then maybe it's time to convince yourself to climb over, around, or through whatever the barriers are and just get yourself out there and get the job done. Just do it!
Brother Lawrence said, "All things are possible to him who believes, yet more to him who hopes, more still to hime who loves, and most of all to hime who practices and perseveres in these three virtues." Today is a good day to make things happen and to reach those goals of your heart and mind. Whatever obstacles you face, know that God is on your side and that alone gives you the majority vote. Keep going -- you can do it!"
Wow. I'm speechless after reading that. It is so appropriate to my life this very moment. It reminds me of the verse, "All things are possible for the one who believes." Mark 9:23. God is so amazing. He knew I would read that today and put my eyes on the prize. Not my prize. His prize. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14. That is the verse that is hanging beside my bed. God is just brilliant. I love him.
And on that note,
That's all for tonight!
Thanks!
Molly
Happy Friday! It has been a great week. So much fun and I've learned so much. I feel like I am really improving quickly. I think I say that pretty much every class is my favorite but I really think ballet may be my favorite. It is the last class I have on Friday. I absolutely love my ballet teacher. She is so nice and such an amazing teacher. Some of the dance teachers are terrifying, good, but terrifying. But in ballet, I know that it's okay to make a mistake because she is so good at explaining how to not make it again and is so proud when we get it right. Everyone in my class is awesome too. We all walk home together and we just talk about how much we love that class. It's so great. Also, another great thing about today besides ballet and not having a class until 11:00 this morning, is that on the way home after ballet, there was a coffee company giving away free coffee! It sounds sketch but it wasn't. Haha. It was a legitimate company just giving away free coffee on the street! So great. Free caffeine!
My roommate is going home for the weekend. So I'm here alone. Which is kind of nice because I can have alone time and get things done without distraction. I'm ready for a nice peaceful, relaxing, sleep-filled weekend.
I might go see a show at the metropolitan opera tomorrow. It is free! It's donation based so they have the recommended amount to pay but you can actually just give them a dollar if you wanted to. I either will do that or go to a museum. I really want to go to the biblical history museum. I feel like that would be so cool. All the museums have free hours on the weekends too! I may just go by myself and soak it all in. I think it would be cool.
So something else exciting that happened today is on my way home from picking up some things at the store, I heard these really loud explosions. They sounded like fireworks but I wasn't sure. They were SO LOUD though. I kind of thought I was gonna die. Haha. Turns out, they were doing fireworks for the marathon tonight which I didn't even know was happening. But yeah, I kind of thought they were bombs at first. Slightly terrifying. Haha.
Anyways, I like to end my blog with a verse or lyrics. So today it is lyrics to "God of this City". Which is such an amazing song. Especially since I live in New York City. It is always comforting to know that he IS the God of this city. No matter how much it may seem like he isn't, he is always in control. His plans for me IN this city are far greater than I could ever imagine and he is constantly lighting my path. The path that he has planned for me. Not the one I have dreamed and planned myself. Not the one my school has planned for me. He knows all. He is always in control and he knows what is best for me.
"You're the God of this city. You're the king of these people. You're the lord of this nation. You are. You're the light in this darkness. You're the hope to hopeless. You're the peace to the restless. You are. There is no one like our God. Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city!"
These words really bring me back to the reality that I'm not in my own little world. There are millions of people all around me. Whether I am aware of them or they are aware of me, Jesus is walking with me at all times and I need to act like it! There truly is no one greater than our God.
"Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the Lord himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:6
"I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged. I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (This is one of my favorites)
I have a devotional that is specifically for High School graduates of 2013. Today's excerpt says:
"The oft-quoted Nike slogan is simple and to the point. It's worth meditating on whether you're talking about running a race or getting to the next level of achievement or a job promotion.
If you've been considering a new direction for your life and you've also found an obstacle to where you want to go, then maybe it's time to convince yourself to climb over, around, or through whatever the barriers are and just get yourself out there and get the job done. Just do it!
Brother Lawrence said, "All things are possible to him who believes, yet more to him who hopes, more still to hime who loves, and most of all to hime who practices and perseveres in these three virtues." Today is a good day to make things happen and to reach those goals of your heart and mind. Whatever obstacles you face, know that God is on your side and that alone gives you the majority vote. Keep going -- you can do it!"
Wow. I'm speechless after reading that. It is so appropriate to my life this very moment. It reminds me of the verse, "All things are possible for the one who believes." Mark 9:23. God is so amazing. He knew I would read that today and put my eyes on the prize. Not my prize. His prize. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14. That is the verse that is hanging beside my bed. God is just brilliant. I love him.
And on that note,
That's all for tonight!
Thanks!
Molly
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