Wednesday, October 26, 2011

from football to touring dc and everything in between.

First of all, check this beauty out.  
It was taken on campus.
And there was no photo editing done!

My parents and I got up each morning this weekend to go on a walk that ended at a coffee shop called Ebenezer's.  We found out that the coffee shop is owned by a church called National Community Church and there is a service on Saturday nights in the basement.  
I'm going to try going one night and am so excited! 

PS- when I haven't written a post in a while, I stress myself out because I don't want to forget to write something I knew I wanted to share with you all when it happened.  
Do you bloggers know what I'm talking about?  
Unneeded fretting, that's what it is.

We went to the Gallaudet homecoming football game on saturday.  I took some videos that I want to share with you guys!  I'm not sure if my internet connection at this coffee shop I'm at is strong enough to upload them right now though (and I wish I could post them directly on my blog and not have to go through youtube... darn technology.).

Isn't her sweatshirt wonderful?  She was urging us to "come ooooon."






Hinton family picture after the Gallaudet Bison's won their game!

Yes, my sweatshirt says 'DAD,' no it's not my dad's sweatshirt- it's mine.
And I love it! 

Full Gally bus on the way to Union Station to get on the metro.



After dinner with my parents and the Hinton crew, I got ready and met up with Rachel and Maggie for the Homecoming Bash.  I was really wanting to skip it and go to sleep (I really like to live on the edge), but I'm happy I actually went.  

The next day my parents and I toured around DC again, this time on bikes!  DC has this awesome deal where you can rent these city bikes and ride around DC.  There are many many places to check the bikes in and out.  How it works is first you become a member of the city bike business thing, then you can rent bikes when you want to from any bike rental station.  Wherever you need to go, you can ride your bike and there's bound to be a bike check in station nearby.  The first half hour is free... which is awesome cause you can do a lot of things in a half hour.  I think it was one of the smartest decisions we made while here- besides going to Ebenezer's Coffee.  Because that place makes dang good coffee!

Here's some pictures of our bike day in DC... I apologize for those awkward pictures of just myself and a monument.






A cloud shadow going up the monument.







Fall in Washington DC. 



The reflecting pool is getting work done on it...

Lincoln Memorial.  Much busier when it's day time!


that handsome poppa smith.

Jefferson Memorial


That took way too much concentration for what it was worth.

The White House

And the back of the White House.

There's a story behind this picture.  There were only 2 rental bikes left and we needed to get to the restaurant on time- walking wouldn't have been fast enough.  What did we do?  I sat, dad pedaled.  We made it on time, but my hip flexers felt like they were going to burst.  What an adventure.  I'll post a video of it when the internet starts to be nice to me and lets me upload my videos faster.


Can you say awesome and adorable? I love this picture so much.  This is in Georgetown.  This canal is what they used to use for imported trades or something of that sort.  ps- I love Georgetown.

Back on the Gallaudet campus.




And now, ladies and gents, there's a new reason to celebrate. 
Enough said.



This past weekend was great.  It went by real quickly, which rarely happens because my weekends are never as full as that weekend was.  And of course, it's the one weekend that I actually had lots of homework but had absolutely no time to do any of it.  Isn't it funny how that works?
After my parents left to go back to Portland on Monday, I was on the grind to get my projects and homework done.  I was successful in getting it all done.  I worked clear until I was to leave for church, cause there was no way I was going to miss that no matter how much work I had to get done.  
The body of Christ has become like a lifeline for me to cling on to.  I might have mentioned this before, but I will say again that Gallaudet University is an extremely cliquey school.  I feel on the outside the majority of the time I'm on campus, which is a very weird change for me, to be honest.  It gets very lonely and clinging to the Lord as my best friend, Father, comforter, and Savior is something I am constantly needing to do- and something I constantly forget I am able to do.  I keep feeling like I am drowning, and therefore, I cling to the most tangible things I can see in those moments- those tangible things being people I'm extremely close to: my boyfriend, family, friends at home, and to people I'm not even that close to but are physically present in my life.  I feel bad for those poor people I do that to.  It makes me put so much expectation on them that they cannot meet and leaves me frustrated with them.  It's partly humorous that I do that because I see the effects of it and it's never good, yet I continually do it.  It's not good for them, or for me.

Before I left for DC, I knew I was going to go through fire.  The song by Ginny Owens called If You Want Me To says this:

"The pathway is broken and the signs are unclear,
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here.
But just because You love me the way You do,
I'm gonna walk through the valley if You want me to.

Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to.

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home 
But You never said it would be easy,
 You only said I'd never go alone."

And that was my true and honest prayer all summer.  I was praying that my hearts desire would be just that, and it was, and still is my desire.
I think I just simply forgot that.
And probably will continue to forget every now and then.  
At church on Monday night, the pastor man (I think his name is Jon) was teaching out of James 4:13-17.  Those verses are talking about how we can't make our own plans because we can't know what will happen tomorrow.  The plans of tomorrow could alter our lives forever, in a negative or positive way (and even if it is negative, God still uses it for good- cool huh?).  Pastor man asked us to question our lives with, "Who is in control of my life?  Am I trying to fit God into my plans and simply asking Him to bless me or am I asking that His will be done, no matter what I want or think should happen or what makes sense?"  My heart was wrenching during worship with heartbreak, not to mention the embarrassing fountain of tears and snot that I couldn't stop, and I was hanging on to every word of the message.
All day on Monday, before I heard the message at church in the evening, a song by Jeremy Camp pierced my heart and brought me to tears.  It was the song My Desire.  
Parts of the song say this: 

"You wanna be real, you wanna be emptied inside.  
You wanna be someone laying down your pride.  

This is my desire, this is my return,
This is my desire, to be used by you.

And I know, my life, it's to do your will."

And I listened to that song over and over.
After remembering the lyrics of the Ginny Owens song and playing the Jeremy Camp song over and over, knowing it was meant for me to hear at that moment, but not knowing why, and then listening to that message on Monday night, it's laughable to think that I didn't know what God was shouting at me until a couple days later.  
I am such a dumb little lamb.  
But the greatest part is that God knows that.  He knew that even before I did.
I'm still trying to figure things out- sort things out in my head.  
Trying to make sense of it all.  
I think I always will be.


Thank you for all your prayers.
I feel so blessed to have you all in my life.


Here's a shout out to you friends who have sent me Fall/leaf pictures!
 It makes me feel so great. 






Thank you so much! I love you all.
Happy Wednesday!

1 comment:

  1. Love reading your blog!! The photos are amazing especially the ones at night of the leaves love it!! :) Love, Molly F.

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