YL and my Thursday...

So let's start out with the great news.  Today we had our first campaigners since Christmas break,  (because we had unfortunate scheduling with snow and midterms!) but I have to say the kids came back with so much energy it was great!  They were very excited to be back at Younglife, to see everyone, hang out, share stories, and listen to stories.  2 of them stalked me to get my number and ask for a ride (which, I am not going to complain about at all!) and then we sat there at first talking about break, and which finals were hard and who didn't study at all, and all that.  But then we started talking about things I went to that the kids loved!  I mean, it has just been really hard for me with this group, because they are very much in love with their old YL leader (which is so good for a lot of reasons, but has definitely posed a challenge to me!)  But this was the first night that our interactions were more than just awkward, they really wanted to talk to me.  They wanted to talk to me about running into each other downtown before the inauguration, and tell me stories, and ask about my friends, they wanted to tell me about the basketball games they saw me at, and certain people who are friends with them, and the team, and the boys, and how crazy they got at other games with spirit awards!  I know it sounds very silly and kinda small, but tonight was the first time I felt accepted as their leader.  And I wasn't the only one who noticed it either.  Stefan pulled me aside afterwards and told me he wouldn't be there next week and he wants to do a big RM Kickoff for the next semester, and have me do the talk!  Uh... makin me a bit nervoussssssss.  Part of me wishes he had asked George, but I know he wouldn't have asked me if he didn't feel led or comfortable.  So I mean it is just a small thing, but it really makes me feel much more solidified in the choices I have been making in regards to my future.

After YL I drove some girls home, and then met with Emily.  I love that girl, I mean pretty much every time we get together we talk about one of two things: Jesus or boys.  Tonight was no different.  But she is my only real friend down here that I can talk to about christian things, that isn't involved with YL.  And not that there is any problems at all with people involved with YL, but sometimes I like to talk to people who don't plan their lives around it, or who have a different perspective.  So for me, every time I get to hang out with Emily it is just like hangin out with a sister.  I am super bummed she is moving to the Virginia side of DC this summer!

And I guess the other big news is that mi madre is coming to visit tomorrow!  I am very excited to host her around in Rockville/DC, this is the first time she would have made it here just for a visit.  So I am planning on making sure she has so much fun she needs to come back... with the whole family! ... very often!

Keep it movin... OBAMA!

Ok so, as expected inaugural fever has swept DC.

What was unexpected however, was my own ability to catch said fever.

The last few months of my life have marked a major transition in so many things, and I have to admit that come November, I really did not know who to vote for.  I had been gun-ho for Obama originally, but as I got a quick sucker punch to the face of reality, I realized he may be a bit too radical for my own liking.  Likewise, I really didn't like McCain.  So again, I voted for my president based on who I DIDN'T want to be president.  So needless to say that for me, this inauguration was just blah.  ... until the past week.

Being in DC, I was able to witness firsthand the extreme patriotism that has all but flowed through the city streets.  People have been in good moods down here lately and showing that in their daily lives.  For the first time in a while I can witness the people here on capital hill with a sense of pride and hope that has been lacking for so long.  With such hope, faith, love, and pride, how could I not catch the Obama-flu?

Inauguration day was crazy, and although I was watching the live CNN stream, it was just amazing.  Part of me really wishes I had taken a vacation day.  Some friends staying with us gave us the play by play of their day on capitol hill.  Even in the metro stations which were shut down and at standstills, sprits were high as conductors are SINGING "keep it moving..." while Americans freezing their butts off yelled "OBAMA!"  Apparently that went through a rythm like that as if the whole crowd was singing.

Obama's speech was great.  Forget the Newscasters saying he missed his famous "one liner."  Can we for one minute recognize that this man did not have a speechwriter compose his speech, because he wanted to express the severity of the state of the nation right now and have a heartfelt speech.

Simply put, I hope that Obama was the great leader Bush wasn't.  I want to give Bush his credit and say that he did some good things, but he didn't fill his support staff with people willing to hold him accountable.  The President needs to hear what he needs to hear, not what he wants to hear, and I just pray that Obama will be the accountable leader our country needs right now.  I pray for him and his reign in office, both for the hope that he can do a good job, and the fear that he won't do a great job.  At this point only time will tell, but at least I have my Obama 1.20.09 tee shirt!

Excitement and Adventure!

So sitting on the metro today with Kyle and Danny and Marissa, it came to me... this is the most exciting time of my life!  I feel like I often spend most of my time daydreaming and planning for the future.  Where I will live, what I will do, who I will marry, what I want my family to look like...

But this past week has just been filled with so much joy and excitement it is a bit overwhelming.  Last week I left work early to go meet The Fray with one of my best friends!  It was so beautiful to be there, and honestly, more than being starstruck I was mesmerized by the guitarist.  It was beautiful to sit there in the loft and get to meet other people in DC and listen to the conversation and passion behind a band that I follow and love!

Later I went to Jessica's for a movie and catch up, and do to some bonding with each other.  Of course had an adventurous ride over, turning a 15 minute ride into an hour and a half stressful ride!  I do have to say that when my car was fitzing on the beltway, I was sooooo scared that someone might come up behind me and hit me, but God just blessed me with a lot of peace in my heart.  

Saturday was so wonderful... It was so laid back, I went to the gym and then went to Germantown for the POMs competition, which Richard Montgomery came in First Place!! YEEEAAAAHHH!  I got to see and connect with a lot of my Younglife girls who miss Younglife!  Gosh, I never thought I would be a 23 year old working professional hating midterms! LOL.  But it was sooo great to see them, I am beginning to feel like my relationship with them has finally grown, and it is such a blessing to just witness that!  Afterwards, I had Sarah and Tiger come over and just hang out.  It was so much fun and was just great to have the company

 in such a low key way.

Sunday Jessica left for Scranton, and I met Julia.  Julia posted an ad on craigslist a short time back about a beautiful dog she wanted to go to a great home, and of course I responded.  (I recently made the decision to commit to getting a dog...)  It turns out Julia and I have a lot in common, and she even attends the church I just made my home church!  (Which all in itself was a blessing, it is so much like the church I went to in PA it almost brought tears to my eyes the first week I was there.)  Anyway, Julia is expecting her 4th child under the age of 8 years old, and decided that a dog was not a good idea to focus on.  It was so important to her to find someone who would still be able to keep in touch with the family, and really this worked out in such a God way!  So Sunday was phenomenal because I got to adopt my new yellow lab Daisy!  I am so in love with her already it is ridiculous!

Sunday was not so fun, because of the Eagles game.  I want to say no more on that...

Danny came last night to visit, and he is staying with us for the inauguration.  It was so much fun, again Sarah came over and since we didn't have work today (MLK day) we just stayed up all night watching youtube videos and catching up over glasses of wine.  

Today Kyle and Marissa came back (Marissa is here with us for the inauguration too) and we all went downtown.  DC was so spectacular!  We met with Holly and Sarah and walked through downtown looking at the places and taking pictures.  We metro-ed to Metro Center and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue to the capitol building.  It was so great to enjoy the energy and enthusiasm all around DC, and just to be part of something spectacular!  Unfortunately I have to work tomorrow, but being in DC tonight and being part of the inauguration is just so refreshing to know that I am part of that history!  It is so exciting to be living life, where I am and taking advantage of life, friends, my faith, my role as a younglife leader, and the place that I live.  I have very rarely in my life felt so overwhelmed by the fact that God has just poured beautiful blessings on my life as I am right now.  I am so thankful, and so joyful, and so amazed by what he has revealed in my life, and I am so excited for the rest of it!  

Lies for the good of everyone...

It's funny how God absolutely knew that what I needed in my life here in DC is a small group of girls, who meet together every Tuesday, and share our lives, our food, and our love for Jesus and the gospel. Last night we spoke about lying to each other. Now I don't necessarily consider myself a major liar. I do (I feel) about the average amount of lying, and sometimes I am fully convinced that it is for the good of the cause that I lie.
But God has greatly challenged me in this over the last few days and I am sure into the remainder of the week. Now let me just preface this with the fact that it is known that I may be the worlds worst liar. So you would think that would keep me from telling lies, because I am just SO BAD at it, I am almost always caught. Or I let the lie catch up to me...
I have had a lot of meaningless friendships and relationships throughout my life, and since realizing that there is more in this world than myself, I have done the pendulum swing, sometimes placing more expectation or meaning in a friendship or a relationship than is there. I feel sometimes like I am overcompensating for the horrible and selfish ways I treated people growing up. So when faced with the fact that one of these overcompensated really important friendships are threatened, it scares me. So all I can do is lie to try and protect it.
I guess I never really thought about lying in the way that we feel is protecting others. When faced with telling the truth and hurting someone or lying to them and hurting them less, it is always what hurts them less, right? I guess I have just realized that these hurt everyone in the long run. I look at how this friendship has been disrepected, torn down, and completely degraded, just because I felt it would be better to lie to someone and pretend it was ok. Last night I realized that we are integrated in our friends lives because God doesn't want us to be hiding from them, just like he doesn't want us to hide from him.
When is it appropriate to tell the truth? The easy answer is always, although I feel that answer is a bit niave and idealist. We spoke yesterday about not saying anything, and I feel this is the way God is challenging me the most. With this particular example of a relationship, had I not said anything we wouldn't have suffered the way we did. Likewise (and here I am goign to play the blame game) if I had been offered the truth at the time, things would be much different. I guess this whole thing is just really hard for me to swallow, and after last night I am much more equipped to just nod in faith and say, yes, I am done trying to fix this lie. Because the truth has already presented itself, the lie is blown, and I know the only thing that can fix it, is not me.
Such is life... tossing out the pressure to fix things, and the idea that lies can make things easier...