I have no idea where to start... When I found out that Children's Hospital in Boston was flying my family out to D.C. I had no idea what to expect. We got on a plane and after a delay we were off. My family did really well, and besides the fact that my ears killed, and that our shuttle got lost we made it to our hotel :-)

I had culture shock walking underneath the sign that said 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue and entering this beautiful building.
This was like no hotel I've ever stayed in before. Although the hospital got a discount we were staying in rooms that were normally $1,000 a night! We had fun ordering room service, and enjoying the big rooms.

On Tuesday morning the real fun began :-) God blessed us with gorgeous weather and we loaded onto a bus for a tour of D.C. Our first stop was the Air and Space Museam where we saw fun things like Amelia Earhart's plane, the Wright brothers plane, the luna rover, german war planes, many cool planet exhibits, and so much more! Then we left and headed to the jefferson memorial where we had a picnic lunch and had a gorgeous view of the washington monument. Then we got to see the White House! It's funny after seeing Independence Day, Air Force One, and a bunch of other movies centered around the white house, when we saw it, it seemed smaller than I imagined but so cool! The building was beautiful even with the "impeach bush signs" and all the security on the roof, it was pretty sweet :-) But, I had one photo oppurtunity with Bush and I completley blew it! I blinked!

haha! kidding... Bush was in Iraq, but here is a fun picture of me with S.J. and Andrew in front of the White House:

After leaving the white house we headed back to the hotel and had a meeting where we learned all about "lobbying" and what the next day would look like with meeting and talking with the senators at the capitol.

That night they had a special dinner planned for us at the National Zoo and the band Scythian played. They were incredible! These guys had an Irish feel to them, and their amazing fiddle playing made me want to learn the violin again :-) We watched as these guys made dreams come true, including that of my little brother Andrew. Andrew loves music and he has a very good ear. These guys let him come up on stage and play around ten songs with them. They kept "upgrading" his instruments, and they let him play a shaker, tambourine, they taught him how to use a washboard (haha it was awesome :-) the drums, accordian..... They were pretty much blown away, and wanted him to go tour with them, hehe. It was fun watching Andrew up there, and these guys made the difference in so many kids lives, it was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. I love Irish music, and the smiles on these kids faces were incredible! The animals did not even come close to that experience! Andrew and I each got one of their CD's too, so we can have ourselves a regular Irish Pub experience anytime, without the beer of course :-)

Wednesday was crazy. We were all dressed up to go to the capitol, had breakfast with Senator Kennedy, camera's were everywhere so that was intimidating. Then throughout the day we took a tour of the capitol, and met Charlie Bass, and John Sanunnu. It was kind of a blur, but we were able to advocate the importance of Children's Hospitals to the people who have the power to change things and bring great support.

With a visit to the Lincoln Memorial, Starbucks, and back to the hotel, we were already back on our journey home. It was an incredible trip and my family was so blessed to be able to have this experience and meet some great families. Being able to experience something like this and have it all be free was an incredible blessing and I know it meant the world to Andrew and to my family, so thank you Children's Hospital!

I will add websites with more pictures from the trip when I am not so tired, and when Scythian, and Children's Hospital get their links up.

As for the normal adventures in life, my last day at work is tomorrow, then I am hoping to have a sleepover saturday night with a few of the junior high girls, then off to Maine next week! Namibia is only fourteen days away.

I also have started reading "Seizing your Divine Moment" and I love it so far. One of my favorite quotes so far is so straightforward it makes me laugh, but with some nerves of graduating next year it's been helpful. "If the future terrifies you, take it one moment at a time." :-) I have so many thoughts on just the first two chapters, but that's for another entry.

Be Blessed everyone, and remember to seek after Him in everything!

~Amanda

PS: Currently my picture option isn't letting me add any more pictures to this entry, but I will soon!

We attended my cousin’s graduation in P.A. last weekend. I am not going to lie by saying it was a completely great weekend because truth is, it was rough at some points. It was really hard keeping a good attitude when I had to go back to PA after being home for only one week. Not to mention having 6 people crammed in the pilot with all our stuff was kind of fun, but we survived, clashing personalities and all ;-) Saturday was rough, it was my birthday, and I just really wanted to be home waking up in my own bed, Alyssa called though making it feel more like home, and I got to go shopping and stuff, it’s funny how I used to remember looking forward to my birthday, but it really just feels now like any other day… I guess that’s what happens when you start getting old ;-) My cousin’s graduation was Sunday, she looked really beautiful (she goes to a private school where they where gowns and the guys wear tuxes, so it was a fancy ordeal), and it is always good to see her, which did make the 6-hour ride worth it.

Then we traveled back home. I cannot tell you how beautiful my house looked. :-P But I came upstairs to my room to see this:

While I was gone my good friend Amanda had decorated my room, and had written me a really sweet card, (awwww!) did I mention it was good to be home? hehe, but all in all it was an entertaining trip.

Random Babblings: In other news I got to see my daddy today, I’ve even already decided that I am going to try and write a special father’s day post and give him the website so he can see it. I have a few ideas, so we will see how that turns out.

I also have so much reading I want to do- I want to read these books not in any special order:
1) Ragamuffin Gospel
2) Desiring God
3) St. Augustine’s Confessions (I’ve read a little bit of it in West Civ. but would love to read the whole thing)
4) Seizing Your Divine Moment
5) I don’t have a specific title in mind for this one, and I know I have read many books like this growing up, but I want to find a new title about finding your value in God. Out of all the conversations I have been having with teen girls of late, I think this is one of the biggest issues, that I think we all struggle with to some extent. We let others determine our value, when the one who created us is the only one who truly understands how valuable we are.
6) Another big issue, that has come up a lot in my conversations with teens is… take a guess? The opposite sex and dating, I’m sure that is no surprise to anyone :-) I am just hoping I will stumble across a good one that will talk about what real love looks like. I loved the book “When God writes your Love Story” by Eric and Leslie Ludy, and that is one I can definitely recommend, but anyone else have any ideas??? (I think I am directing this question at you Lisa, because I think you mentioned a title awhile back???) Plus, I love reading books on this subject myself, it’s a good reminder to hold out for something wonderful, but to not let it be the most important thing to you in life. To learn that the most important thing is to fall in love with God first and any relationship that stems out of that should be one that centers around this great love for God.
7) A good mystery fiction book, I used to love Dee Henderson, so I might have to see what’s current.

So as you can see I will have a full summer as far as reading is concerned- Deep theology, romance, adventure, having a passionate heart after God, and suspense… all of which I think make up a life of depth and one that is full of meaning and joy, should be an interesting summer :-)

Lastly, my next post will be about Washington D.C. My family and I leave tomorrow, and will be back late Wednesday night, so prayer for flights would be good. I have to be the brave one since my mom hasn’t flown in 23 years, it’s been almost as long for Doug, and neither of my brothers have flown before. I know it will be fine but I always get a little nervous. So I hope I have tons to share with you, and who knows... maybe we’ll even run into George W. ;-)

Be Blessed everyone!

Sweet Dreams :-)

I’m gonna back track a little bit. I am going to start a series of posts entitled “My Adventures” because even though my summer is going to be crazy busy, God has blessed me with an opportunity to do some pretty exciting things, and go to many different places. So I figured, I would use these experiences to share with you what God is doing in my life through each one, and to keep anyone who reads this updated on my life :-)

I think My first adventure was getting ready to leave BBC, a place that I came to love in the last 3 or so weeks of the school year… but at least I finally got it at the end… I’ve always been told “better late than never” Here are some graduation pics... awww!

Funny how wanting to be home for a long extended period of time is something I've been looking forward to all year, but it isn't the same home I remember. Home has changed, people have changed, and I've changed. I am a college sophomore already, where does the time go, and I'm graduating next year...??? hehe... I don't know what I'm doing??? I've only been here two days and I'm already bored out of my mind. Everyone else is continuing in the life they have had this past year, and I'm just trying to figure out how to fit back in. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I will be more excited in a few days, I think it just hasn't completley hit me that I don't have to go back to school next weekend... weird.

Church was good today. Pastor Darin wasn't there, so Scott preached and did a great job. He pushed my thinking a lot. Ending with the question of "what is your river?" Sometimes I think I know, other times I don't. After a year of bible college I feel closer to God in some aspects, but feel beyond confused in so many other areas, dying to have more responsibility but uncertain and afraid of what that might bring. I feel like I'm searching for something, unsure of what it is and all that's ahead of me is murky water with no light in sight. Scott said that we can't just sit around and expect God to do all of the work- that we need to work at "it." I guess at this point in my life I'm not sure what "it" is. I know someday I will probably look back on this and be in awe of the way God revealed a little more of His plan. Why is it though that I can't seem to be content with where I am, always searching and wanting something more??? I guess my goal for this summer is to try and be content. When I'm bored to try and make the best of the little time I have. When I'm confused to just meditate on who our God is, because when you look upon that, the little things in life don't seem so important anymore. Truth is I know time will fly by, and that I will soon be sitting back in my dorm room in PA wondering where the summer went. Scott also said that we need to make a commitment first. He was right, why is it that sometimes we just fool around, feeling things out trying to see if we are comfortable- maybe our human way of thinking is backwards? I don't neccesarily know what my "river" is... sometimes I think I know what it is, but that could just be a stupid dream completley of me and not of God.... but Scott did made a good point. God will bless us when we jump into our river. And even if we completley mess up (cuz there will be those times), He will turn us around. I guess we just gotta take that dive and hold on tight...

"Sick and Tired of this world
There's no more air
Trippin' over myself
Goin' nowhere
Waiting, Suffocating
No direction
And I took a dive

And on the way down
I saw you
And you saved me from myself
And I won't forget the way you loved me
On the way down
I almost fell right through
But I held onto you"
~Ryan Cabrera


"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
~Jeremiah 33:3

Was reading this last night and I thought it was an amazing reminder about how great our God is. These verses speak things that I could never write into words... not to mention the 4 hours of psychology and then the 6-7 hours studying it have left my brain a mush of psych terminology :-) I'm good though and I was just informed that my family is being flown to Washington D.C. in June where we will be staying on Pennsylvania Avenue :-) So life is going well, and God is a Faithful God, and that life is much more enjoyable when we let go of everything holding us back...

"22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust— there may yet be hope.
30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.
31 For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love."
~Lamentation 3:22-32