Well, I haven't proven to be the most dedicated blogger in the world so there is a lot to catch up on today.
First, our trip to NYC. I LOVE that city. It has such a soul and energy that I fell in love with. I told Ian my new dream is to live in NYC and work as a landscaper in one of their many urban gardens. I am sure I could support us as a gardener. He could go work for Glenn Beck or something if that wasn't quite making ends meet. I've never loved a city like I love NYC. We started out at the Statue of Liberty. There is such a strong spirit there. I thought about how important it is to our Father in Heaven that His children b e free. I thought of how many of His children throughout the world are living without freedom and how grateful I am to be living in a country where I am free. Then I had another thought. Do I really live like I am free? How many limitations do I put on myself? How many times do I tell myself I can't do something? How much am I trapped by fear or guilt or shame? How many of God's children live in a country where their freedoms of this world are taken away from them, but they have a free spirit still? I felt the spirit speaking to me that my Father in Heaven wants me to be free. He sent His son to make it possible for me to live a life free from bondage and chains. It is up to me to use my free will to take advantage of that, to bring my whole soul to my Savior and live a life with Him. There is real power and freedom in that.
Next we went to Ellis Island. This again, really got me thinking. How did I get so lucky to be born in Spokane, WA USA? It made me really interested in the current immigration debates. I am not educated enough to give an opinion, but I felt a real compassion for those searching for a better life. My first inclination is to say, "Bring em all! There's a place for everyone!" I know I have no education on the complex issues, but that's what my heart wants.
Let's see, we saw the Empire State Building, Time Square, Madison Square Garden, The David Letterman Building and the Hello Deli. My other two favorites, however were Central Park and Broadway. Central Park is so gorgeous! I love the contrast of tall sky scrapers mixed in with natural beauty. I wish I could run in that park every day. And broadway...wow! We saw the Phantom of the Opera. It was breathtaking. Ive never seen a broadway show in my life. I didn't even know what the Phantom was really about. (truthfully, I still had to have Ian explain a lot to me afterwards. Its hard to understand what those opera singers are saying) Yet even with that being said, there is this emotion that you can't help getting caught up in. It was awesome. Saul gave me his Phantom soundtrack and ive been listening to it over and over in the car. Isla likes it!
We saw ground zero and went to St. Paul's Cathedral across the street. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city and now a survivor of the attacks on Sep. 11th. The inside has mostly been turned into a memorial to those who lost their lives that day. While we were there, the news was buzzing about the Mosque that Muslims want to build across the street from ground zero. When I heard this I felt angry. I felt like the freedoms our country is based on are being taken advantage of. Yes, we believe in religious freedom and tolerance, but these are supposed to build strength and unity. I felt building the Mosque in that particular spot only caused people to be victimized all over again. I am currently involved in a leadership program with Landmark Education. Our first weekend of the program was on the weekend of Sep. 11th. The classroom leader is from New York originally. He talked about honoring those who died on that day. It was his opinion that a way to honor those who died is to search for ways to give people power in their lives. He said when people feel they have no power, then they use force. It sounds so simple, but I agree with him. I think all the suffering can be traced back to this- a lack of power, which causes people to feel free. and not the kind of power that you have because you can control someone else or that you are stronger than someone else, but the kind of power you have knowing that you are free, that you are validated as a human being and you have everything you need inside of you, you are in control of yourself, you matter and your life has a purpose. I know- another naive idea maybe, but that's what I think.
To end on a lighter note, we also got some good shopping in, some good pizza eating in and some yummy gelato tasting in. Oh and we went to Grand Central Station! I feel so lucky to have seen everything we did. I love America! What a great trip!
ok, I am feeling in the need for a break so even though this post was titled with lots of other subjects, I think I am going to make this a to be continued and get back at it tommorow. So until then...
