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Ya Bahamas!
Ya Bahamas!
I’m heading off-as of Saturday Morning(July 17) at 3:10 a.m. I will be on my way to the Bahamas for two weeks. Now I know, you all feel sorry for me..(ok, maybe not), but I’m not going to be just sitting on the beach catching the sun-although it’s gonna be hot. I’ll be on my long-awaited missions trip with my SMITE team. If you read my blog at all you can see how often what we studied has come up in my blogs..but that’s a different blog for a different day. Our schedule is busy-VBS, basketball tny, and youth conference. It’s gonig to be tired, but so much fun! And so hot and no A/C..but you know, I don’t think Christ had A/C so I think we’ll be ok. I’d appreciate your prayers and will miss you all. I will get back into blogging in August. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Just a note to my Smite team-you guys rock.
I’m out..
Amanda
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Something I noticed..
People aren’t very aware..and I am definately included in this. But as I’ve grown up and am now almost done with high school I have come to realize over and over how true it is. For the most part people are very wrapped up in themselves and not very focused on others. I have been studying Christ’s life with my SMITE group and let me tell you-He was a very other focused man. He could sense people’s needs and was available to meet every one. One of my favorite miracles of Jesus is when He heals the women with the bleeding disorder. She crawled into the crowd just to touch the hem of His cloak. And even though Christ was on the way to heal someone else-He stopped. He knew this lady needed what only He could offer. I am then jolted back to reality. How many times have I stopped to meet a need? How often am I aware of how my actions and words are affecting others? Do I ever think about those around me? Sadly, I think most of the time the answer is no. Someone told me one time, Amanda, you live in a bubble-you focus right ahead-and never look around to see the needs beside you. It wasn’t easy to hear, but man did they peg me good. I look at my friend’s-we have so much, but sometimes it’s frustrating..how much of an impact do we have on other’s? Sometimes I hear people talk about them..but it’s about how they feel intimidated or unequal next to them. I think sometimes it would be so simple to meet a need-God doesn’t often make us search high and low to find someone-he usually places them right in our path. The key is being attentive and watching-I bet that if we would all open our eyes we would find that there are needs all around us. there are people who would be so estatic to get a phone call or an e-mail. I learned from one of my camp counselors-sometimes the most encouraging things are the things that are the easist to do. Christ met needs-but He was always open, always available-He stopped on dusty roads to heal lepers, He turned in the middle of crowds to listen to the cry of a blind or a cripple-He wasn’t focused on himself or on where He was going..He was focused on others. I’m going to be a senior..well, you could say I am one..and I know I have a lot of learning to do in this area. I’m very goal driven and a lot of the time that means the people around me come closer to the bottom of my list. I am going to work on it-and I challenge you. Find one person each day you can be an encouragement to. You don’t have to go out of your way-God often places the opportunites right on our path. We just have to seize them. Follow Christ’s example and focus on others. Not the end, not the goal, not the event-but the people.
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A King’s Daughter
A King’s Daughter
That’s what I am! A daughter of the king. I never thought about it until my dad lost his job. All of a sudden the idea of God being my king seemed far out and non-realistic. What kind of king would put his daughter through suffering? Aren’t kings supposed to give them all they need and provide for them? Well, YES! and that is exactly what God does. He provides for me-although it is not always in the way I would like. Sometimes I think God should hand me a silver platter full of riches and fluffy couches and happy endings-no sadness, nothing hard. Just a life that is “perfect”. And then I get jolted back to reality and realize He’s given me much more then a silver platter-He wrote me a love letter that is 66 books long, He sent His son to die for me, and everyday He provides for my every need. He brought people into my life to help out-whether it was providing funds, dropping off groceries, or even just buying me shoes. It was in the little things-like friends praying for me, and people being there to encourage me. And God provided a peace that I have never felt. A calm that seemed to say-it’ll be alright. God has a plan. And He did and He does. It wasn’t my time table, it wasn’t my plan-but God had already orchestrated the whole thing. He knew when, why, how, and for how long before I was born. And everyday He plans everything. The older I get, the more life obstacles I seem to encounter, the more the decsions have life-long consequences and the more I see God’s hand in it all.
I am currently reading a book and I came across this quote today, “The Lord in His infinite wisdom and love places a high value on people’s faith that He does not shield them from those trials and difficulties by which their faith is strengthened.” He wants us to increase in faith. He loves us and He places the things in our lives’ to increase our faith. I think somewhere in Matthew it says, “If ye have faith even as a mustard seed, you shall move mountains.” That doesn’t seem like that much faith to me, but obviously we all lack in it. I’ve grown to rely on God for my needs-if I do my part, He does His. My summer didn’t turn out the way I planned, but I am so glad. I have been able to focus more on my savior. As the end of summer seems to be ever looming, I can’t help but wonder what God has in store. I am about to turn a new page in the story of my life. I wonder what lessons God has for me to learn, what experiences I will gain, and what trials I will encounter. I am confident nothing will come into my life that is not for my good and nothing that I cannot do with God’s strength. So as I continue my summer, my prayer is the God increases my faith in Him and opens my eyes to the wonderful things to be found in His love. I pray that you too will find the joy that comes from only Him.
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