Texas Update LONG Overdue

Howdy folks!  (Do I sound Texan yet?)  Many of you know my journey here in Austin got off to a rocky start and I am feeling like I am back on my feet....well sorta.  After seeing the Lord go ABOVE and BEYOND to get me here and to provide for all my needs I was diagnosed with mono after week 1 of being here.  Now listen...it wasn't cuz i got all crazy and kissed a bunch of guys before moving, so no kissing jokes, please!  They never did figure out just how I got it.  :/ After battling with mono for several months I am finally feeling more like myself.  I still get very tired and fatigued and it takes me longer to recover, but I am mostly feeling like myself again.  So yay for healing!  Due to the crazy start it has taken me awhile to doing fun things in the city but below are just a few things that have been checked off my 'I wanna do that cuz you should when you live in Austin' list:

-Trip to South Congress.  Lots of shops and fun places to eat.  Had a slice of pizza from the 'best pizza in town', Homeslice Pizza.  I must say it was some yummy pizza!

-Chuy's Tex Mex joint.  Been there a few times...let just say the food is amazing and there is a HUGE fish with a delighful mustache on it.  What could be better??  If you come and visit me I will take you there.  :)

-WVU/UT Game!  It seriously was the best sporting event I have ever been to!  WVU kicked some butt, it was an excting game, and the crowd was soooooo energized and loud!  It was a great experience being in that stadium and cheering on the Mountaineers!

-Torchy's Tacos - breakfast tacos are all the rage here in Austin.  Best breakfast taco place I have been to yet.

-Dominican Connetion:  Found a favorite coffee shop!  Dominican Joe....sooo cool.  When you purchase coffee the proceeds go to the DR!  We all know that a part of my heart is still very much in the DR so to find a place that partners up with the DR was amazing for my heart!  There is pics of Domincan and Haitian kiddos all over the shop!  There is also a non-profit org that was started up and is based out of Austin...makarios...they meet the spiritual, educational, and physical needs to children in the DR.  I am pursuing volunteering with them and possibly making more trips to the DR to assist in whatever ways they need in the future.

-Central Market.  google it.  it's awesome!  I will take you there when you come and visit!  :) 

All in all my first few months here in Austin have been great!  Even in the midst of having mono I was still able to enjoy my job at UT (when I could get out of my bed to get to the office) and time with the kiddos has been super fun!!  Nothing like seeing Adam and Asher on a somewhat regular basis to put a smile on my face and it reminds my heart to continue being excited about two special reasons I moved here.

OK and one more thing that is sooooo not related to TX in any way....it just makes me laugh soooo much everytime I watch it I can't help but share:

smiley

apparently i smile a lot.  like, a lot alot.

so i have now lived in Austin, TX for just over 5 months and i'm pretty sure i have been told 1,000 times that i smile a lot.  really?  do people in TX not smile that much????  i think it's funny that has been the major observation people have made about me since relocating especially since there were a lot of days early on when i felt like crap because mono had gotten the best of me.  also i was sad that i was a foreigner in a strange land where there was a lot of traffic, a lot of weird lookin folks, and no mountains.  yes, i did kind of get used to to the crazy landscape that is WV.  I also think it's funny because it's not something I even notice I am doing.

You know why i smile a lot?  It's because of who is in me...the light that shines so bright is Jesus residing in my heart.  I think it's awesome that people are seeing Him, not me.  NOW I smile even brighter and wider when someone comments on my smile because I am reminded of who they are seeing when they notice my smile.  I am also excited to tell them that is He they are seeing not me.  How cool is it that we can be a vessel for His love, truth, and joy to shine through!  That we can be compassionate, loving, forgiving, and gracious because He resides in us!  How awesome is it that He can be known as we serve and love Him by what people observe in us.  It's not us....it's Him in us!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, 

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

 Romans 15:13