Reminders

Sometimes I wonder why in the world God chose me of All people to be in a relationship that is/was predominantly long distance. The first "School year" that Evan and I have were together was long distance, then last summer we both worked at different camps. I was at Mundo he was at Rockmont. We were together for this past school year, which was great and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But then this summer he is back at Rockmont and I am home working and taking summer classes. I've asked my self everyday since Evan left this summer, why me lord, why can't I just have a relationship like all a lot of other couples have, where they dont really have long distance. They may not see each other for the span of a week or two at the longest. Sometimes it really gets to me how much Evan and I have spent 3/4 of our relationship apart. When I don't get a call or don't get to see him for weeks at a time, like I will this summer, It hits me hard. And why after weeks like this, of nothing but work, health issues, school, and on top of that Evan leaving for the summer, God chose us to be apart yet again. But then nights like tonight remind me why. A friend asked me how Evan and I keep God in the center of our relationship. I told her that we aren't perfect by any means and we sin just as much as everyone else does. But then I got to share with her how we started out with God not in the complete center of our relationship, and how it affected up both as individuals and as a couple. I told her that one weekend about a year and a few months into our relationship, we both felt like we needed to have a talk about our relationship and where is was going. That night we decided to ask God for forgiveness for not having him in the middle of us at all times, and for guidance in our relationship. We started talking more about God and our religious views more, doing devotions together, and praying together.
After a might of being able to share how God is working through our relationship, it reminded me that God hasn't "put me/us through" a long distance relationship for nothing.

God has BLESSED me someone who he is going to be happy that I got to share our story with others for the glory of God. God BLESSED me with someone who I can trust wont just leave me over the summer while he is gone and when I don't get to talk to him for a while. God blessed me with the strength to be away from my BEST FRIEND for almost our whole relationship, so I can bring glory to his name when people ask about our relationship.
God has CHOSEN me to be in a long distance relationship again for the summer, and one of those reason was tonight, to Share how has worked and is still working in our relationship, so we can share the word of God with others! I'm not saying that it is easy by any means to be apart, but it dose make it easier to know that I get to say "we're teenagers in a relationship, so yes we sin, just like you, But God is a forgiving and loving God," to people when they ask about my relationship. I don't know of many kids my age, that have relationships like that. I feel lucky to be able to say to people that I have a Godly man as my best friend, and who I just happen to be dating.

While I miss him more than anything right now, wish I got more time with him, or more phone calls, I know that God is using that to work through and in us for him, and not myself. I have to remind myself of that everyday.

Amanda:)

Filled

Its funny how some of the smallest things in life you can miss so much when they don't seem to be around very often anymore.

Good Conversations about meaningful or even random things

Communication

How I could I give butterflies just by calling or walking into the room

Laughter

Long hugs

A good kiss goodnight or just because

Little surprises that make my day

Walks that will seem to make any worry and stress go away

Day trips

Adventures to new places

Swinging

phone calls or text just to say goodnight or I love you and not much more.

But then I remember that I may want those things, but sometimes the only real thing I need to make those desires go away and not stress about them, is to be filled by Jesus and his love only and not just a want for those things from human love. He has the best conversations, the best hugs, the best laughter, and the best adventures for me. And not one person, can ever top any the wonderful things that he can do and has done for me. I just wish sometimes I could remember this more often!

God. Surprise. School. Home. Life. Church. Learn. Love. God

So its been quite a while since I have been on here and updated! In fact its been way to long! So here is an up date. It might be a long one!

Last semester flew by! I was so busy with my school work and getting involved in a church here in Greenville! I've absolutely loved moving to Greenville. There is just something about this city that I am drawn to. I can't put my finger on it, but I love it! People, Places, environment? I think its all of it combined. Last semester was my first here at North Greenville, and I must say, it was intense and very busy! I had 6, yes 6, general Ed classes. Needless to say I was reading and taking test and typing papers everyday for almost 5 months! It was a busy time, but I did learn a lot. Not only was (And still am) I busy with school, but I also got involved in a church here in Greenville. When I would come down to visit Evan last year, we would go to a church called Springwell church. He would help out in the youth on Wednesday nights during the week, while I was still at home for school. He started to get plugged into that church by playing his drums. So on Sunday's when I would come down we would go to church together. It was at Springwell, where I really felt God lead me to Greenville when I saw a worship artist perform one Sunday when I came to visit. Once I moved down here to Greenville, I started to go with Evan to youth services. I felt like this was where I was supposed to help out, even though I didn't know any of the kids. I'll explain more about this subject in a while! Throughout my first semester I was very busy and starting to get so wrapped up in school and "Helping" at the church, I was feeling like I was loosing why I came here in the first place, to answer a calling.

Now that I am in my second semester here at NGU, I'm starting to see why I was supposed to come here. The last month before we left for Christmas break I chose to change my major from art to Interdisciplinary Studies. It allows me to combine 2 majors I am interested in and pretty much have a double major with just one major! When I changed my major I chose to have Art and Media Ministry as my concentrations. When I was reading what my options were for my combinations, for some reason Media Ministry just really stuck out to me. When I read the description, it described some job examples you can have with the degree in media ministry. It was exactly what I had pictured and dreamed of doing. So I chose to have that as my secondary component, while art is still my primary.

With this major it requires me to take a sophomore intro class to the major. In this class we talk about the types of people who are considered "interdisciplinarians". I have to say, that I fit into this category perfectly. It describes my personality almost perfectly. It is a person who loves to ask questions, combine things, is a problem solver, right brained, creative in most areas, and has a heart to change the world, and help others by putting themselves last. I'm pretty much the text book definition of this type of person. Needless to say, I've chosen the correct major!

I wasn't really sure why God was calling me to combine art and media ministry at first. The past few weeks and especially today, I think I got my answer. Evan and I have been helping out a lot more in the youth at Springwell this semester. We have become small group leaders as well as part of the Tech team that runs slides, lights, and sound. Its quite a handful of stuff but we love it! I have been helping/teaching the middle and high school girls small group as well as doing design work, and running slides during the service.

To be honest, this is as involved in a church as I have ever been, in the sense of being a volunteer. I went to church almost every time there was an event at my home church, but wasn't as involved in the teaching or volunteering aspect as I am here. I've been seeing why its so much more important for me to be doing that here. The youth that we're helping really need Jesus. They need people to show and teach them about the one created, controls, and Loves them. Some of the youth have grown up in church, so have biblical knowledge while most don't, others haven't gone much of their lives, and others just go because their parents make them.

Its been a real eye opener for to work with them. It makes me realize that not every youth group is like the one I grew up in, close, smart and has a heart for jesus.

Recently, I started helping with the media side of the youth program. I figured I have done graphic design and just a little video editing to be able to help out and give some of my talents.

After helping for a few weeks with the Tech and Media, I was asked what I would think about being the new Media Director.

When I read that I just smiled. I knew right then, thats why God put me here. Even if it meant going into debt and coming to a school that I never had even heard of until dating Evan.

All the pieces were and still are fitting together a lot better now.

I saw Jarred Emerson paint and perform, was called to move and come to NGU, Change my major to one where people tell me all the time that I have no chance of getting a job with, Then leading a Small group 3 weeks after moving here, working in the media team, then being asked to be a Media Director, (which is what I've wanted to do all along), and most and best of all, getting to be Jesus (along with all the other leaders!) for kids who really need it.

I've always heard that sometimes God works in ways that you won't understand until you have to do something life changing in order to see the beautiful thing that he has planned. I just never really experienced it until now.

I'll be honest, through the past year with moving, having to take out way to many loans and going into debt, and having to adjust to a whole new environment, I questioned why I did what I did, and would ask my self and God, " Why am I here, and what am I doing with my life?"

In fact, the first semester I was here, thats what I asked myself almost everyday!

I haven't figured out everything as to why I God put me in Greenville and at NGU, but it's getting to be a lot more clear now!

I don't think words can explain the comfort that I felt today, when I read "What would you think about being the Media Director?" Its like this huge surprise that God had for me, and then just threw it at me today, and I love it!

I think these are my verses of the day!

Matthew 6:30-34 - "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Week 8 - Last Week - Gods Amazing Love

So this week has been a mini camp week for my unit. Which means that the campers came in on Monday and then left on wednesday. Our last campers were good. I have a bitter sweet feeling about leaving though. Camp has taught me many things, but I am ready to move onto bigger and better things in life. Camp taught me a lot about myself and a lot about helping others/kids.

I have been asked already by several people what has camp taught me or what have gotten out of this experience.

It took me a while to really think about it and to really know what I learned and took out of camp. In the end I think the thing that I got most of out of camp or the thing that I learned at camp is, that I need to trust God with all my heart and not worry about things as much as I have. I was caught up in loan stuff for school, missing family and Evan, and tons of other things, that sometimes I feel like got in the way of me learning and helping others. I think this summer God taught and really showed me how much more I need him in my life than he already was. Don't get me wrong, I learned how to clean, take care of kids, and teach them all how to do crafts, and all of those are good things and I am proud that I learned how to do them, but thats not the most important thing I learned. I learned that Gods love is above all things and that I need to show that to others and receive it more than I have.

Thats going to be my goal with going to school this, to show others that God does and always will love them more than anything.

Thanks everyone for praying for me while I was at camp, and for the letters, emails, or messages. They really did make my day when ever I saw them!

I will try to keep doing this while I am at school too!:)

Weeks 4-7

Its been way to long since I have updated you guys and Im sorry for not staying on top of it! The past few weeks have been very busy for me. Not only just because of camp but also because of trying to get things finished up with school things, trying to see & spend as much time with Family and friends as possible before I leave for school, and trying to clean up and get ready/packed for school.

Needless to say its been a pretty crazy past few weeks. But These weeks have been good and a learning experience for me. Over the past 4 weeks I have had over 30 different campers and Moms. Every single one of them different in their own special way.

I write and sit and tell you about everyone of them and all the experiences that I have learned from each, but this would be extremely long.

I tried to think of words to describe the past couple of weeks that sum up all the experiences -

Fun, full, surprising, frustrating, nerve-racking, stressful, loud, hard yet easy, and many others.

But out of the words that I could come up, Accomplished and eye-opening seem to be the two that explain the past couple of weeks the best.

I have completed most of my paper work for school, including loan applications that are bring approved as I type, and everything is almost set and ready for me to transfer. So I feel like accomplished most of the hard part of that finally!

And eye-opening because of the past few weeks at camp, God has shown me a little bit of why he put my at mundo. Oviously he put me here to share his word with little girls, but a part of my is now thinking that he put me there because of my artist abilities. I do worship art. Its something that not many people know what it is. When I came to camp no one there had ever heard of it. I told them that I paint during worship so they put me on a schedule to paint durign one staff worship. Then that next week I painted 2 more times. Then the next week I painted again. Every time I have painted this summer at camp, people have told me great it was and that I have a very special talent to be able to do that. Then one day a little girl told me I should sell some of my paintings, then he mother came up and was hinting at wanting me to come to her church and paint. I had several job offers that were hinted (but not really asked) when I painted for mother daughter. But the last 2 times I have painted God has really showed me why, at least I think why, he put me at camp. One time I painted with a with a girl named macy who never had painted in front of a crowd before, so she was pretty nervous about doing it at first. But the thing is she did awesome! After we finished she told me how much she loved it and how when she was painting she wasn't focused on the crowd that she was just focused on the painting and on Jesus. Later on this past week, we had Acteens at camp that some of the staff got to work with. Macy did a special thing for their worship, where some of the girls shared their testimonies through painting. When she told me this, she told me that I inspired them and that I was pretty much famous with the acteens! When she told me that, and from hearing how I was inspiration not only to them, but also to mothers who had come the week before mother daughter, it hit me. Right when I was told all of this, I knew that God had sent me because of my worship art. He wanted me to share him through art. Which is what I enjoy most and what I am meant to do. Also over the past few weeks, I have been working on loan applications and really stressing out about taking out loans for school. But when I was painting and afterward when i was told I was an inspiration, I knew then that I was meant to go to NGU and do this at school, and that God would provide for the loans. Knowing that I know one and maybe the only reason God put me at camp, really made me open my eyes to see how much he wants to work through me and my art. But sometimes I stop him from doing that. I get caught up in trying to please everyone else, that I'm not really listening to him and what he wants me to do. And now that I know that may be one of the reason he sent me there really makes me thankful that I have that gift.

These are a few verses that have really been showing up a lot lately and that have gotten me through the past few weeks!! If you don't know them, I encourage you to look them up.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 19:21

Jeremiah 29:11-13

Week 3 - Angel Tree

Coming into this week I had no clue what to expect. All the previous staff talked about how Good Angel tree was but at the same time it was so hard. A part of me was scared and excied at the same time.

Normally the campers come on monday mornings, but this time they came on Sunday afternoon and only stayed till Wednesday afternoon. Even though this camp was short, it felt like it was going to go on forever.

Camp Angel tree is camp where kids come who have one or more parents in Jail. The girls that came were all great and special in their own way but they came into camp with a lot more "baggage". Many of these girls have hard home lives and don't know what it is like to have someone to love them and to tell them about god and how much he Loves them.

Amy & I had 5 girls in our cabin. Needless to say that was just about all we could handle. All of our girls had very strong personalities. They all wanted to be the center of attention all at the same time. They complained about everything and didn't want to do some of the activities that were planned. (I know I'm making them seem horrible, but I'm getting to the good stuff;) ) As much as our girls complained about having to sit up during bible study, not talk during rest time, took almost 2 hours getting ready for bed and going to sleep, creamed and argued at each other, each one of them in their own special way taught me so much. Not only about caring for kids who are don't want to listen, but also so much about God and about myself.

I don't know what situations these girls came from (even though I put some pieces together and had a good idea) but I hope with every inch of my body that if they got anything out of the week, bible studies, devotions, or anything Amy and I said to them, it was how much God loves them even when no one on earth does.

It was such a struggle to have to watch them yell at each and disrespect Amy & I and each other because they were at camp. Camp is their safe place for four days. Camp was the place they were supposed to forget about everything for a few days and have fun. By the end of week some of them did let their guard down a little and did seem to have a little fun. The last night the girls were here Amy & I let them paint our Toes and finger nails. This was the first time all week that they laughed and smiled and got along with each other for more than 20 minutes at a time. I can't tell you how much it touched me to see them smile and laugh. They each had such beautiful laughs and smiles, that I knew they didn't get to share very much with the rest of the world. It kills me knowing that. I came home this week with carolina blue toes and strained finger nails, to remind me of them.

Surprisingly the things that I learned from these girls came in the smallest moments of the day. I guess people are write when they say that sometimes the little things are the best. There was one girl in our cabin who came into camp with shoes that didn't fit her feet like they should. The AD's at camp or Tammy got her some shoes and gave them to me give them to her. At first I didn't know how to give them to her without all the other girls seeing and getting mad that they didn't get something. I pulled her into our little room and sat her on my bed and handed her the shoes. She just looked at me for a second with shocked face. I told her she could have the shoes but she had to promise me that she wouldn't brag about her new shoes and she wouldn't make a big deal about it. She said she promised and put the shoes on her feet. I'll never forget the look on her face or what she said to me that night. She said "I can't believe I actually have shoes that don't hurt my feet, and that I can move in." I don't think I have ever seen someone so happy to have a pair of shoes in my life. It's moments like that where God is showing me everyday why he has placed me at a camp this summer. It was amazing to see how just a simple pair of shoes can mean so much to someone. Earlier that day I thought to my self how ugly my shocks were because they were dirty and starting to turn grey and brown from dirt, then to be able to give a girl who's shoes didn't even fit her feet and new pair was so eye opening for me.

Along with those little moments, God really showed me to be thankful that I grew up and still have 2 parents who love me and who would do anything for me. Some of these girls don't have that. They don't have homes to go back to where they have someone to love them all the time.

That is what made it so hard to watch them leave. As much as I wanted a break and as much as my girls drove me crazy, it really hurt to have to send them back. Camp was their safe place. I had to send them back to homes where they aren't showed as much love as they could be (some of them). While they were loading up and before I left I hugged each one of them and told them to be good and that I loved them. It was so hard to watch them leave and not know where and what they were going home to, but at the same time I knew that God is and always will be there for them. Even though I might have given their only Bible studies for the rest of their lifes, or showed them the only love they can feel and see for a long time, I knew in my heart that God loves them. If got anything out of the week, I hope they took home that God does and always will love them for exactly who they are and no one can take that away from them. Not their parents, drugs, sexual abuse, friends, no one!

Both of the following verses I used through out the week. Even though this was a hard week for all of us, I feel blessed to have been able to experience each and every moment of this week.

I ask of everyone who reads this, please pray for all the girls who came to camp this week. That even though they went home (some good and some bad) that they alway remember the things they learned this week. Pray they stay safe and alway remember that above everything else, God does and alway will love them!

Colossians 3:12 - "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance again someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on Love, Which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Romans 8:37-39 - "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death no life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will e able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Week 2

This past was my second week at camp with campers. This week there were two mini camps. The first half of the week were mother/daughters and the second half was a G.A. mini.

My cabin had mother daughters the first half of the week but no G.A.'s.

Mother Daughter camp went well. It was really short so we didn't get to know them very well at all. But it was fun. Since I didn't have campers the last half of the week, I got to paint and do odds and ends kind of jobs. I got a blister from painting so hard, but it was fun. I got to come home on thursday night since I didn't have campers. I was home for my birthday which was on friday. It was nice to be home for my birthday! Today (saturday) was the best day of the week by far.

Evan also had today off, so I got to drive up to Black Mt and see him for the first time in almost 4 weeks. Words can't explain how happy and how good it felt to see him. We spent most of the day at Chimney Rock. We both went there

as kids but couldn't really remember anything about it so we decided to take a trip there today. It was a beautiful day. It was a little hot, but it was really great to get to see everything around there from being so high up. Also it was just great to get to spend time with him.

As much as I loved getting to see him and spend time with him, it made it really hard to leave. You would think that after having a long distance relationship and having to say "good-bye" so much, that it would make it easier and that I would get used to it. But I haven't. I don't think I ever will, and neither will he. Honestly I don't want to have to get used to that. As hard as it was to leave and have to say goodbye again, I know that God has different plans for the both of us and this is part of both plans. We both have to follow what he has planned for us even if we want to have our plans.

God has really been showing me this today and the past few days. That his plan is over any that I will ever have. As his followers, his children, its our duty to follow him and listen and obey what he has planned for us, so thats what Evan and I are doing. I had an absolute amazing time today and wouldn't have traded it for anything.

Tomorrow I leave to go back to camp for a few days. This camp coming up is called camp angel tree. Its where one or more of the parents of the campers are in prison. This camp can be challenging, so if you would please say a prayer for my campers and my self.

Also if you could be praying for Evan as he gets new campers tomorrow as well. He has a 2 week secession this time. Pray that God will give us both strength when we feel week or get stressed out and pray for our campers.

Thanks for praying for all of us! I will update more when I have a little more time when I come home for break!

:)