I have to admit that it feels strange writing about myself. I have yet to win a Nobel prize for literature or cure a rare form of cancer. I have not run a marathon or secured a gold medal in anything, unless you consider the "participation" medal I received in a softball tournament once as a child. I’m just an ordinary working woman, trying to ward off laugh lines, cook "chicken with 40 cloves of garlic" on a Tuesday night, and leave the house early enough the next morning to hit Starbucks on the way to work. Ordinary, maybe. Boring, absolutely not!

My interests outside of work are varied. First, I love music. I could explain how emotional I am after listening to Puccini or go into detail about how I feel after singing Beethoven, but it would be too private to reveal. So I’ll just leave it at that. My old choir director said the following, although I think she was being overly kind: "Even as a little girl . . . (Amanda) was the one who would step up first, stand up straight and sing with her whole heart. Amanda never sang a word she did not believe and when she sang, it was with her entire heart and being." Aside from singing, I also like to putter around in the garden, write poetry, read, and spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. I enjoy creating things, like greeting cards, healthy cookie recipes, collages, and care packages. (My husband laughs at me for having so many projects going on at one time.)

Church is also very important to me and has been throughout my life. I grew up in the church, participating in youth group activities, singing in church choir, and later even working as a youth director. My relationship with God during my formative years, however, was much more important than church itself. There were times I shook my fist at the heavens, angry with God for taking my grandfather or for allowing bad things to happen around me. There were times I ignored God, feeling confident in my own wisdom. There were times I simply did not make time for God, instead choosing to rush off to work or busy myself with errand-running, dish-washing, movie-going or dating. Regardless of how many times I placed God second, however, I always knew how much He loved me. There was never a time I did not feel welcome and loved and accepted and needed in the eyes of God. I struggle every day to put God first in my life, but I know there will certainly be times in the future when I will fail at that endeavor. How joyless life is without Him! I hope that by sharing my life, others will feel God’s love and possibly learn from some of the mistakes I’ve made.

Speaking of sharing my life, I often hear from friends how strong and courageous I am because I won the battle with cancer. They are very wrong. I never considered myself extraordinarily brave for plodding through a cancer treatment regime. It was just something that happened, and I marched through it just like many of you would have done. People often ask me to discuss my "cancer story," as if it can be wrapped up in ribbons and presented in a neat little package. It is not glamorous, but if you want to read the entire story, click below.

Cancer changes people. Regardless of the type of cancer – whether it be breast or ovarian or lung or prostate – no one is ever quite the same afterward. I have found that cancer survivors are more fearless and much stronger than they were before the disease. Cancer puts you face-to-face with your own mortality and allows you to actually feel - rather than just read about - the power of prayer. For that experience, I will be forever grateful.

Now that I’ve touched upon God’s reach in my life and the impact of cancer, let’s discuss the real serious stuff - food.  Food is what makes life truly enjoyable, and I recommend eating it as often as possible.  I love to cook and I especially love to eat (which explains why I’m forever needing to go on a diet). I truly enjoy learning from Martha Stewart, always recording her shows and emulating her techniques.  I have a tremendous respect and admiration for her craft, and I consider myself a fellow food junkie.  I subscribe to cooking magazines, beg my husband for cooking utensils that I'll probably never use, faithfully watch the Food Network, and try my hand at creating new recipes. Cooking and entertaining are very fun for me, probably because mastering the art of cooking is a never-ending and very challenging process.

I hope you enjoy my website. Please contact me at ahill@amandabhill.com if you ever feel my message would be helpful for your group, church, or business meeting. I’m always available to share whatever tidbits of knowledge I have gained through my personal experiences.

God Bless,
Amanda

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