manna and amicus briefs

Things have been a bit overwhelming since landing in the Baltimore airport last Saturday morning. Between playing basketball with Barack, helping Michelle pick out a new china pattern, and chatting about The View with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I've been in a little over my head.

I'm kidding, of course. I would never talk about The View with Ruth. We would talk about Stephen Colbert.

The truth is, I've been pretty overwhelmed emotionally, mentally and spiritually this past week. I've been stretched, challenged and broken in ways I never thought possible. There have been a few breakdowns, and even a couple of "Wait... Where am I, and what have I done?" moments. I've kind of felt like this:

Bizarre? Yes. Fitting? Uh huh.

But for every one of these moments, there has been a divinely placed conversation/new friend/stream-in-the-desert that lets me know I am right where I need to be. The past week has been very uncomfortable at times, but also strangely refreshing. Writing a blog entry has been the last thing on my mind, and it seems like a pretty daunting task right now. There is simply so much to share. So I'm going to jump right in...

I had a great time with my parents this past weekend. Saturday we went to eat at Old Ebbitt Grill, one of the most historic restaurants on the Hill. Then we walked to the White House and saw President Obama's motorcade. No seriously, we did.

I took a picture of every single SUV. I just know he's in one of them.

Coolest dad award goes to William H. Todd, Jr.

We spent the rest of the weekend getting re-aquainted with DC, running errands, trying to keep my dad quiet in the hotel room during the Alabama and Auburn games, and spending as much time together before my parents dropped me off at my new home for the next three months.

Love my Mama.

View of the kitchen from the stairs. Skylight= the payoff of living on the fourth floor.

Kitchen and part of my bedroom. Yep, I sleep on the (very comfortable) couch. By choice.

Let's just say I'm not a fan of top bunks.

View from our balcony

Other side of street

I have two wonderful roommates. One is from California and goes to Dartmouth. She is working in the White House. The other is from Scotland and just graduated from St. Andrews. She is working in the Senate. And then there's Brittany. From Alabama. What's up, y'all?! We all come from completely different backgrounds, but we also have a lot in common. They have been extremely welcoming, and I've loved time spent with them.

Work has been great. I only live four blocks from the office, which is located in the shadows of the Supreme Court and the Senate building. I also get a pretty sweet view of the Capitol in my morning stroll. I love the people I work with, and it has been fascinating to see the legislative process in action. I now enjoy trying to work the term "amicus brief" into every conversation.

My first week in DC has flown by. I kept telling my parents before we came that I just wanted to get through the first two weeks, because I knew they would be the hardest. Well... It seems that I was right on target.

This passage in Deuteronomy has been coming to mind lately:

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. (8:2-4)

Last week feels like forty years ago. I have been humbled, I have been tested, and I have been hungry. But He has sustained. My clothes have not worn out, and my feet have not swelled. His manna has come in many forms this week, and His promises have definitely satisfied.

One form of manna: seeing this on a short afternoon walk.

I'll be back soon with more updates on happenings before I left.

Until then, I'm going to be working on a couple of amicus briefs.