Glimpses of Life...

Here are a few pictures from this weekend.. One of my best friends came up to visit and we celebrated her birthday with randomness all weekend long.. plus lots and lots of pictures :) We had fun.

This is the place that is now my life... (didn't take all of these.. half of them were taken by my friend :)

One of many cool memorials:

A fantastic sunset... and an official national building of some sort...

Same sunset.

The White House... aka my house...... JK! ;)

The Metro... A transportation that is unpredictable but often cheaper..

Walking... Lots of walking, LOVE IT! (I'm the all dark one haha)

My friend took this.. I really like this picture for some reason.. :)

Every time I turned around during our exploring she was taking more pictures! haha

Us visiting the Einstein memorial, it was pretty cool!

Albert Einstein's memorial... you can't tell in this picture, but there are metal buttons on the ground... They represent constellations! It was awesome.

Taking a break mid 45-mile walk.. lol

Resting in one of the parks... I love parks in the middle of a busy city.

My life is markedly different then I would have expected a year ago... even a couple months ago. But, I am loving the adventure that is coming my way, the unknown excites me more than it scares me at this point, and since I am totally blind to what is coming, it is forcing me to take everything in stride and open my eyes to the beauty and challenges that are around me. I am learning to delight in the challenges. I am learning to take in differences and recognize them as exactly that, a difference that has more to do with preference, and less to do with right or wrong. I am learning all over again and in new ways how to grow gracefully. I am learning about new cultures, and loving it. I am looking around me and seeing a Savior God lacking in so many people's lives, and it hurts my heart all over again. I am being reminded daily it is not my job to take offenses that are meant towards God, it is my job to love in a very real way. I am learning that in new places with new people, there are different battles to choose... and they are markedly different then other places and with other people... I am welcoming it.

Lord, my love, be here. Guide me.