First Snow!

Here I am yet again sitting at the edge of my bed looking out my window, only this time in addition to the usual sights of the city, snow is falling from the sky. There really is something so magical about delicate, white flakes of frozen water falling from the sky. Something about it causes me to want to stop everything I am doing and just admire its beauty. Its amazing to think that, God has put so much care into creating each individual snow flake, each unique and nothing like the other, how much more care he must have put into making each one of us! We are so loved!!
Lucky for me I have the next few days off of work! I think its time for me to make some pumpkin spice tea and read a good book while enjoying the beauty of the first snow of the year. Winter here we come!

The earth is the Lord's and everthing in it, the world and all who live in it, for He founded it upon the seas and astablished it upon the waters. - Psalm 24:1-2

The new chapter

Wow.. Time sure has flown by. It has now been over a year since I first began my "Journey to the big apple". I have so many stories, experiences, challenges and joys that have come out of this exciting chapter so far, and I know its only the beginning.

New York City continues to amaze me. So different from the warm California air, yet still beautiful in its own unique way. As I look out my sixteenth story window, I observe the rapid, yet strangely peaceful rhythm of the city. I watch people walking with hast to wherever it is that they are heading and soak in the sounds of a city filled with life. There really is something special about this place.

After spending one of thee most wonderful, trans formative summers at home surrounded by people I love, I packed my many bags and prayed for the hundredth time that my luggage would not exceed the weight limit. After a long but surprisingly comfortable flight, we began our decent into NY. I found myself asking the Lord, "Am I crazy?.. I have just enough money to live for one month, no job, and no idea what I'm going to do each day.. I literally have no plans but to listen and respond to your will."

His provision has been astounding.. Only four short days after I returned to the city, I received my first job as a NYC nanny. Though it was not a permanent position, as I was simply stepping in for a short time to take the place of their nanny while she was out of state, it was such a wonderful blessing and I enjoyed every moment I spent with those great kids. A week before this job came to its end, I received another job as a permanent nanny for a wonderful family with three sweet kids. And whats more, they only live two blocks away from my apartment!! Really Lord?? Must you always surprise me by answering my prayers over and abundantly more then what I ask for? Thank you... 

I have now been working with this family for almost a month and I am so thankful and blessed by them. Three days a week, sometimes more, I get to wake up early and spend the day with a smiley, playful and adorable little boy. 

Thank you Lord for the sweet and beautiful gift children are to this world, may we cherish each moment we spend with them and may we be encouraged to live life with the same joyful outlook.

I have so many questions about whats to come and how this chapter and the next will play out, but then I remind myself that this moment I'm in now will only last a second, enjoy it, be thankful for it and trust that the Lord and Maker of heaven and earth has it all in the palm of his mighty and loving hands. May His will be done.

"Surrender yourself to the Lord and wait patiently for him."
-Psalm 37:7

There's nothing quite like walking down Broadway at 8 in the morning and feeling the fresh, crisp air hit your face. Yesterday I went to my very first real audition, what a wonderful experience it was, I love what I do and the beautiful city I get to call home. I am so thankful for all that God has done, is doing now and will continue to do, may his name be praised for he is a God worthy of ALL the honor, glory and praise. This marvelous city is his and I feel so blessed to be able to live here and watch him work. God is good.

After a long day of auditioning followed by hours of rehearsal back at CAP we journeyed home to rest in the comfort of our apartments as we prepare for another week.  

Goodnight NYC <3

"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."

~ Colossians 3:16 ~

CAPTIVATE US by Watermark
Your face is beautiful
And Your eyes are like the stars
Your gentle hands have healing
There inside the scars
Your loving arms they draw me near
And Your smile it brings me peace
Draw me closer oh my Lord
Draw me closer Lord to Thee

(chorus)
Captivate us, Lord Jesus
Set our eyes on You
Devastate us with Your presence
Falling down
And rushing river, draw us nearer
Holy fountain consume us with You
Captivate us Lord Jesus, with You

Your voice is powerful
And Your words are radiant bright
In Your breath and shadow
I will come close and abide
You whisper love and life divine
And Your fellowship is free
Draw me closer O my Lord
Draw me closer Lord to Thee

(chorus)

Let everything be lost in the shadows
Of the light of Your face
Let every chain be broken from me
As I’m bound in Your grace
For Your yoke is easy, Your burden is light
You’re full of wisdom, power and might
And every eye will see You

God of This City: Chris Tomlin


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 the hopeless 
You're the Peace to the restless 
You are 

There is no one like our God 
There is no one like our God 

[Chorus]
For greater things have yet to come 
And greater things are still to be done in this City 
Greater thing have yet to come 
And greater things are still to be done in this City 

"Just tell me what to do and I will do it Lord. As long as I live I'll whole heartedly obey." - Psalm 119:33

This Marvelous City I Call home

It has now been over three months since I first landed in NYC... Wow, SO much has happened since that first day its unbelievable... Although in the mist of all that has occurred, one thing I know is I have fallen madly in love with this amazing city and the wonderful new people that have been placed in my life. New York City is truly a magnificent place. From the sounds, smells, sights, cultures, and experiences, the city echos with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic energy. If you stand on a the street corner for even two minutes you will quickly sense it and feel yourself being invited and pulled into an exciting experience and it will be very difficult to decline the invitation.  This city is bold and can be overwhelming at times yet I find myself so at home in the mist of the hustle and bustle and right now there is no place I would rather be... Since I arrived the Lord has showered me with one blessing after another, from a roof over my head in a great neighborhood, new wonderful friendships, a challenging yet incredible school to attend each day, a great church that just happens to be only eight blocks away from my house, food in my stomach, a growing passion for Broadway and most of all the Lords amazing presence, grace and love. We serve a BIG God and I praise his name for his hand of provision in my life, for it is only by his grace that I am here... Each day is filled with an overwhelmingly full schedule of classes from jazz, modern, ballet, tap, yoga, musical theater history, music theory, vocal technique, acting, private voice lessons, voice and speech, scrip analysis, and rehearsal... Even though all our classes are extremely difficult and challenging I am loving each and every one of them . I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be living in this marvelous city and attending such a wonderful school.. I look forward to seeing all that we will continue to learn. God is good and I am bursting with excitement to watch his beautiful plans unfold!!

"You Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you." - Isaiah 26:3

Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my God, and I will exalt him.

Hello There NYC!!!!

Wow this is crazy.. It was only four years ago that I first went to NYC where I quickly feel in love and began my journey to make it my new home someday. The years have gone by so quickly and now here I sit in my seat, buckled in and taking off to my soon to be home... Its surreal, its crazy to see how long I have been pursuing this dream and now here I am about to arrive in the city of dreams.. I don't even know what to say, think or feel, except it is ONLY by God's might and sovereignty that I am here right now. I am overwhelmed with thanks and praise for the Lord has blessed me So richly, I am busting with songs of praise. This morning I woke up after two hours of sleep with butterflies flooding my stomach. Today was the day... Wow... After preparing myself for the day I gathered my things and said my goodbyes to my family. I then got in the car with my wonderful friends who so graciously got up at the wee hour of the morning, sacrificed their sleep and happily agreeing to drive me to LAX. Thank you Lord for blessing me with such amazing friends. The time flew by as we drove our way to the airport, as I sat there listening to them chat and joke with one another I tried to soak in every moment I could with these special people. As I sat there I peered up in to the night sky, the moon shining brightly lightly up the sky with its beautiful light, riding the darkness of its power and filling the night with grace and beauty. Lord you are so magnificent. At that moment all my cares and worries about the travel and fear for what was to come fell swiftly off my back leaving me weightless. Who was I to worry?? Had I forgotten ALL that God had done?? Had I lost sight of how BIG God is?? Had I forgotten who is in control?.. oh God, you are GOOD...

When I arrive at the airport we unloaded ourselves from the car and began walking to the entrance, each one of us with a bag in hand.. Oh man Amaya you and your inability to pack light. haha.. When we got to the large sliding glass doors and entered in, I was quickly taken off guard and brought to tears when I was greeted with a familiar smiling face. It was my dear friend Isaiah, what the heck was he doing here?! Before I had the time to sort out what was going on he tells me he is coming to NYC with me!!!  Ahhhh!! Really?? Was this really happening?? Yes it really was. What a Spectacular surprise!!  God is SO good its overwhelming... Having my dear brother with me is such an answer to prayer, I was filled with a fresh excitement for I knew the travel would be that much more enjoyable! Thank you Lord!!

Time quickly passed and within minutes it was time to say goodbye to my very dear friends and start off on this journey. As I looked around at each one of my friend's faces I was filled with an overwhelming sadness, but along side it a deep sense of peace for I knew it was time. I gave each one of them a hug and tried to hold back tears.. As I looked around one last time at my sweet group of friends, I thanked the Lord for each one of them; Mike, Isaiah, Joe, Maddy, and Timmy.. Thank you Lord. May you continue to bless and keep them, may your face shine upon them and give them peace.. I then grabbed my stuff, gave them one last smile and wave and begin up the escalator with my travel buddy, Isaiah...

Through security, down the halls and finally arriving to our terminal. Since we were flying standby, there was no guaranty of actually getting on the flight. I prayed there would be space and there would miraculously be two seats available next to each other. And praise the Lord for he did just that!! Soon there after the time finally came to lift off, as the airplane began to ascend into the air I said a last goodbye to the beautiful home I had always known and prepared myself to welcome and embrace the new one, NYC, the city of dreams! Lord prepare me, strengthen me, mold me, grow me, and use me, I am yours. This new journey I'm about to embark on is not mine but yours alone. May your will be done. I love you Lord and I pray that I would deepen in my understanding, grow in my faith and fall more in love with you each day. Let me not waste a breath, for each one is a gift from you, may I use every one to bring your glory.  Amen.


"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage. Do not be terrified; Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
 -- Joshua 1:9

I Will Follow

I WILL FOLLOW 

by Chris Tomlin

Where you go, I'll go 

Where you stay, I'll stay 

When you move, I'll move 

I will follow... 

All your ways are good 

All your ways are sure 

I will trust in you alone 

Higher than my side 

High above my life 

I will trust in you alone 

Where you go, I'll go 

Where you stay, I'll stay 

When you move, I'll move 

I will follow you 

Who you love, I'll love 

How you serve I'll serve 

If this life I lose, I will follow you 

I will follow you 

Light unto the world 

Light unto my life 

I will live for you alone 

You're the one I seek 

Knowing I will find 

All I need in you alone, in you alone 

In you there's life everlasting 

In you there's freedom for my soul 

In you there joy, unending joy 

and I will follow

Well hello August... You sure came quick.. Wasn't expecting you so soon... Wow its crazy how fast time has flown by, less then two weeks till I'm on a plane to NYC to start out on this new adventure. I'm swarming with many different emotions and nerves are running high. I find my mind wondering in directions of doubt as I begin to question my ability to do this... But then I have to remind myself, I am not doing this on my own, it is only by the Lords power that I am about to take off on this journey. I must let go of worry, doubt, hesitation and expectations, its Gods plan not mine, and my role is simple; listen, trust, obey. What a comfort it is to know my future is not in my hands, but in the hands of the God of the universe. I rest my worries and cares in your mighty hands and place my hope and trust in you Lord. Lead me and guide me.

Even though the days till I leave are few, each day continues to be filled with many new and amazing experiences that continue to prepare me and fuel my excitement for this big move. I am in awe of how the Lord works and how he continuously reasures me that this move is spirit led. Yesterday I had the privilege to meet a wonderful woman of God who also happens to be moving to NYC this month and also shares my passion for dance and the arts. This has given me a whole new excitement for NYC and I am bursting with joy for this truly a gift from the Lord. I can't wait to see how he grows our friendship and love for the city in the new season. He has provided exceedingly more then I could have asked for this year and I trust that he will continue to provide all my needs. God is good.

"I will stengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" ~Isaiah 41:10

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.  -Martin Luther King, Jr.

When you trust God with your dreams, no dreamer is ever too small and no dream is ever too big.
 -Unknown Author

                                    "Be still and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10

Crunch Time!

Update on my count down: 17 days!!!
Crunch time crunch time!! Why do I always seem to do this to myself?? As hard as I try, I always seem to leave everything in a big, massive, heap of things I must accomplish in an unrealistic, unheard of amount of time... Really Amaya? Must we do this again?... There is SO much I need to do in the next week and to be honest I probably should have done it all months ago but instead I have filled my days with laughter, joy, food, tea, sleepovers, movies, wonderful friends and long lasting memories. And so to be honest I have few regrets. But now its time, time to face the seemingly endless list of things I must do.. Lord help me I cannot do this on my own.
Time to bit farewell to July and welcome in August. I dedicate my time to you.

As the clock ticks

As the time ticks by, I inch closer and closer to the day of my departure. The count down has officially begun, 23 days till I leave the beauty and comfort of home and venture to the city of dreams, where the buildings touch the sky and the streets are swarming with people on the move, each with a goal and destination.. I find myself frequently fighting down nerves that try to creep up and take over, but i refuse to let too many in at once in fear that I will be unable to fight them at all. The list of preparation seems endless and the time is few but I trust that it will all come together.. Some how!

This year has been one of much unexpected change and growth. I began the year with many plans of my own, which caused me much frustration and disappointment when I realized that they were not going to turn out as planned.. But soon I began to realize that God had much bigger and better plans of his own and I needed to have more faith and trust that his plans and timing are perfect. My prayers began to change from asking God to make my plans happen to asking that God's plans to be my plans. This year has been radical, I honesty feel I could write a whole book on the soverinty of God through this past year! Last year I had $0.00 and this year by the Lord's might I have raised enough for me to attend the school in NYC! Praise the Lord for he is Good! I now realize that though at the time I didnt understand, all that has happened this year has been in preparation for this new chapter. God continues to amaze me with his love and kindness. I'm excited to venture out into this new season and experience more of his faithfulness as his plan unfolds.