Update: long time coming

So, it's been over a month since I updated my blog. It's been busy, and I suppose I don't think of updating this as often as I should. It's been a good month, a good semester, and a good year. So much has changed in the past year. December 2008, God let me know I was coming to seminary and I moved here the first of August. It's all still new, but the routines are beginning to set in. I have completed my first semester and while not all my grades have been posted, I believe that by God's grace I did well in my first classes. He provided a job at Chick-fil-a that I am so thankful for. God recently allowed me to be promoted to Team Leader with its new opportunities and challenges. I am thankful for the new challenges, it reminds me how completely dependent I am upon His grace each day. I'm thankful for the friends God has given me and the many brothers and sisters I have met both at Chick-fil-a and at the Seminary at large. I am also thankful for God's provision over my needs. I didn't have a job when I moved here, but God gave me one within a week of arriving.

My God is one who hears and answers the prayers of His children. But beyond that, He is a Father who does what is right and good. The things I needed, He has always provided. I have always had more than enough of the things I need. Beyond that, He has provided good things beyond my basic needs. My apartment has heat, but not air conditioning. When I moved here in August, I decided not to purchase an air conditioner but to wait. I had an oscillating fan that kept the temperature bearable and a ceiling fan in the bedroom. Our radiator heat works more than adequately and I actually find it necessary to open the window to balance the heat. A couple weeks ago a friend had the opportunity to move out of his apartment down the hall from mine into a house with some friends. He left me his air conditioner. My oscillating fan stopped working the day he gave me the air conditioner. My parents came up for Christmas and have installed it. I have it set on fan right now and it works far better than the fan. I'm thankful that God knew the fan would stop working and had it happen on the day He also put it in my friend's mind to give me his air conditioner. Dad and Mom gave me a microwave and coffee maker for Christmas. These will make life so much easier and I am thankful that God has provided these luxuries. A stomach virus was going around a few weeks ago. Several of my friends had missed a day at work because of it. A couple weeks ago at work I began feeling really sick. I went to the bathroom and asked God to please allow me to feel better. That He knew I needed to be at work that night. I walked out of the bathroom and went back to work and didn't even remember that I hadn't felt well until I was driving home. How gracious of God to allow me to feel not just better but well that night.

Time after time God has provided for the things I have asked of Him and many times provided things that I didn't ask. I didn't ask God to provide an air conditioner or a microwave. These weren't things I had to have, yet in His kindness, He put it upon the hearts of people and gave me these things.

I feel it necessary in today's society to clarify this post. Jesus said not to worry about what we will eat or wear that our Heavenly Father who clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air knows what we need before we need it and that He as our Father knows the needs of His children even before we ask. That doesn't mean people don't suffer and that at times a Christian may not be in physical need. The thing about it is that God is infinitely wiser that any human being and has a broader perspective than any of us can imagine. He sees every life as part of a grand tapestry of human history. Each of our lives as a stitch that does not escape His careful gaze. The Bible says that people don't live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The apostle Paul speaks of having times of plenty and of times of need but that he learned through all of this that God's grace is sufficient and His strength made perfect in Paul's weakness. Is learning that God's grace is sufficient in all physical circumstances worth times of physical need. Yes! Because in the span of eternity with God that lesson is of far greater value than a day's meat and bread. Think of a child who wants to eat a large bowl of macaroni and cheese before bed. That child is very upset when the parents say no. Macaroni and cheese isn't bad for children, but perhaps the parents know it would sit too heavy in the child so late at night and perhaps the parents also know that the child is running a fever and that a virus is going around and the milk in the dish would probably make the child feel worse. These are beyond the child's understanding. They feel deprived of something good, but the parents understand that ultimately it would not be good for their child. In the same way the Triune God of the Universe cares enough to know when a bowl of mac & cheese is a bad idea even and especially when we don't. That being said, such things are far beyond my meager understanding. All that I know is that God is good and does good. He has met my needs and beyond each day and has taught me to trust in Him.

Happy New Year.

Marks of a True Christian

My study Bible has this heading (Marks of a True Christian) over these verses from Romans chapter 12. I find this incredibly convicting. How often I do not love as I ought how often I do not pray constantly or am impatient in trials. How often I do not bless those who curse me or I think myself wise or fail to do all I can to live in peace with everyone. May God forgive me and conform me more and more each day. May I never take the "least of these" things lightly, for they are all equally abhorent to the glory of the living God.

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Stretching a dollar

I read a few minutes ago about a First Baptist Church that is planning to spend $130 million dollars on a really fancy building renovation. The pictures look great. The building will have green space and nifty fountains and glass breezeways. I'm not claiming to know how a church should spend its money. I don't know all the statistics, but what I do know is that the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has missionaries trained and wanting to go serve internationally, but there is insufficient funding. I know that there are communities all over the United States who need to hear the truth of the Gospel, but there isn't money to fund these either. A missionary is paid around $40,000 a year. $130 million is funding for 3,250 missionaries for one year. I heard about this area in South Asia where there have been bad flooding and a food shortage. The Christians there are a small minority. In this area, everyone only takes care of those who share their religious views and because the Christian community is so small, they don't have many people to help them. A missionary there watched a Christian woman hold her son as he died from starvation in her arms because they would not recant their belief in Christ, so their neighbors wouldn't help them. This happened this month. I can only imagine how much food $130 million could buy in parts of the world that are desperate for help.

I'm no expert; I just wonder if there are other places to invest this money...

Twix

I buy groceries on Sunday because I like routine. The seasonal section that last Saturday was packed with Halloween candy today was filled with Christmas candy and decorations. We seem to have missed Thanksgiving somehow. I was hoping to buy a piece of candy today because, well, I just wanted some chocolate, but it is too early for peanut butter Christmas trees. As delicious as they are, they shouldn't be eaten before Thanksgiving. So, after perusing the selection, I went with my sentimental favorite- the Twix bar. When I was little, my grandfather kept mini Twix bars at their house in their bedroom. Whenever I visited, he would give me one. Whenever I eat a Twix, I think of him. I don't eat Twix bars a lot, it seems a little strange to get teary eyed eating a candy bar. They're both with the Lord now (that's their picture below). What about you? What smell, sound or taste brings up some special sentimental memory?

Fall

It is definitely fall here. The weather is cooler and the trees are turning autumn colors. I went for a walk at a local park today with some friends. The walk was beautiful. Once I figure out where I put my batteries when I moved or when I have time to go to the store and buy batteries, I'll post some pictures of the trees (unless I don't get batteries before winter :)). Tonight is Chick-fil-a's costume party and kids night. All the employees are dressing up. I will be a moose tonight because the only thing I could find at Target was a set of reindeer ears (WAY too early for Christmas decorations). So reindeer ears and facepaint and a brown shirt and I'm a moose. There probably won't be any pictures of me as a moose either :)

Fall Break

We're on fall break this week from class! My plan is to use my "class times" this week to finish up a couple of books and write a couple papers. I'm almost finished with a book I'm reading for Intro to New Testament. It's called The Sermon on the Mount: The Character of a Disciple by Daniel Doriani. If you're looking for a good book, I recommend it! Hoping for a restful and productive week :)

Church History

It is about the middle of the semester, so midterms have begun. I had my first one last night in Systematic Theology. I should find out in a week or two how I did. This coming Monday is a test in Church History. I must say that I thoroughly enjoy the church history class. I've always enjoyed history and it is really interesting to see how everything formed into what it is now. More than that though, studying these early days of Christianity has given me so much to think about and contemplate. Here are a few of the things I've been thinking about because of this course:

We are studying the early period of the church and are around the 400s right now. As I've been studying for this test, I have been thinking about the persecution of Christians. One of the early churchmen, Tertullian said "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church," which certainly seems to be true as the church grew from about 1,000 people in 40AD to 33.8 million around 350. I was especially struck by the rule of an emperor named Galerius who ruled in the early 300s. He was really the last great persecutor of Christians before Christianity became a legal religion. He seized property and other belongings of Christians, destroyed churches, burned scripture and gave confessing Christians the option of sacrificing to the Roman gods or suffering torture, at times leading to death and other times causing people to severly maimed. What is most striking to me is that when Galerius became ill and was dying, he issued an edict ending the persecution of Christians and asking them to pray for his health. Wow! What was it about these men and women who were willing to suffer and die that caused this emperor to ask them to pray for him. I want to be that kind of Christian. I want to be the kind of person that someone who wishes ill on me would recognize the power of my God to such an extent that given a difficult situation, they would realize that prayers to my God is their only hope. May God in His mercy make me that kind of person.

Something else striking to me is the different outlook between that era and our own. Many of the emperors who launched persecutions did so because they saw the steady decline of the Roman empire and believed it was being caused by the loss of Roman culture. Specifically, they believed the gods were angry with them because the Christians and Jews refused to worship them. Many of the persecutions began in the name of ridding the Roman empire of those who were angering the gods. Even in the case of Galerius, he seems to have recognized the power of the Christian God. In 259, the emperor at the time, Valerian was defeated in battle by the Persians. They killed, skinned and stuffed him and made him into a footstool. Many Romans saw this humiliation as a judgement from the Christian God because Valerian had church elders and deacons killed and Christianity experienced a short time of peace as a result.

I say this because the idea that the gods or that God would be angry and that some type of event could be caused by God's judgement is not a popular thing today. If an earthquake struck a city in the ancient Roman empire, the Romans would say "What have we done to anger our gods?" If an earthquake strikes America today, many would say "Where is your God? If there is a God, why would He allow this evil to come upon us?" What a difference in the response! I want to be careful with this because I want to try not to be misundersood. I am not saying that if everyone just followed the rules there would never be another earthquake or flood. We live in a world that has been dramatically affected by sin such that everything is not as it was in the beginning when God declared it to be good. Part of this world scarred by sin is storms and wicked acts by people. I am saying though that God does not owe us anything. Without God's hand of protection upon us, we would perish in every sense of the word and God would be absolutely just in allowing this to be so. Salvation is a gift. Each day He allows us to live is a gift. I do not think it is unreasonable that when we are faced with a disaster and are calling upon God for His mercy in dealing with us in that situation, that we consider our own hearts and repent of any sins in our lives. We are very human-centered as a society. It isn't just in how we respond to trouble, it's in our focus at many churches, it's in our goals and aims in life. The first question in the Westminster catechism is "What is the chief end of man?" and the answer is "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Practically, this means that as a Christian when I contemplate what I want out of my life, my answer should be that I want to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Not to be happy or to have enough of anything or to feel personally fulfilled. These aren't necessarily bad things, but they are all lesser things. My goal at church should not be to feel good when I leave or to have five steps to greater self esteem. My goal in my personal life, my goal in worship at church, my goal in my classes and my goal at work should be to glorify God and enjoy Him. The medieval reformers said it well Soli Deo Gloria - To the glory of God alone.

God, please forgive my wicked heart for seeking after other things when I should be seeking after You. May You be all I seek, to Your glory alone.

Cake

I've never been very good with understanding figures of speech. They often just don't make much sense to me. I was reading an argument about religious freedom and someone said "you can't have your cake and eat it too." I think that's stupid. Of course you should be able to have a cake AND eat it. Otherwise, why would you have the cake. I'm sure this comes form somewhere, but I don't know where. Any thoughts or annoying expressions?

:)

Atheism & Evolution

Last week in my Systematic Theology class, we talked about arguments for the existance of God through natural means. We talked about arguments made by some scientists for order and design, but how others argue just as vehemently that nature does not show the existance of God. In this discussion, of course, Richard Dawkins name came up. If anyone doesn't know, he is a famous evolutionary scientist who has written several books and often participates in debates. He is an excellent speaker and very intelligent. He is a devout atheist and argues that there is no God. When I hear his name or see a book he's written, I always pray for him that God will change his heart. I must confess though that I do not pray regularly enough for Richard Dawkins and the men and women like him. Just last night I was studying for my upcoming Systematic test and again came across him in my notes.
This morning I was reading Dr. Mohler's (the President of my Seminary) blog, and he is discussing an article Mr. Dawkins wrote defending his view of atheism and evolution. I don't believe in coincidences and I don't believe that a name comes up so many times just by chance. Please pray with me for men and women like Mr. Dawkins. There are many of them and if God does not change their hearts, they will face a really horrible surprise upon death.
It is easy to look at people who argue against what we believe and feel anger and even hatred for them, but look at how Jesus responded to the ignorance and false piety of the religious leaders of His day who refused to recognize that He is the Messiah. Jesus mourned for them. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Matthew 23:37-39 (English Standard Version)
God can soften even the hardest of hearts. May He do so, in His incredible mercy, for people like and including Mr. Dawkins.

Because of His Grace,
Amanda

Seminary

This has been a busy week. Classes are picking up with a bit more reading and prep work for writing papers. We are getting more into the meat of our text rather than the introductory materials. Work has also been busy this week. I've been blessed to pick up a couple extra hours here and there, which has put me at the top of what I can work as a part-time employee. As I mentioned in my last post, I love working at Chick-fil-a. I work with some great people. Many of them are seminary students or wives of seminary students. God has given me the awareness to recognize the need to pray for my fellow classmates. We're all busy here. Many of us are working 30-40 hours a week and taking a full load of classes. Many of the men I work with at Chick-fil-a are married with young children. Many of us who are single work second part time jobs as well. I know that this is a similar experience for many of the students who work elsewhere as well. Please pray with me that God will sustain us over the next few years as we pursue Him. Please pray especially for these men, their wives and children that God will give them strength and wisdom. God has called these men to lead our churches and within the next five years, most of them will be pastoring somewhere. This gives me great hope for the future of our churches.

I've been visiting a great church the last couple weeks and will probably begin the membership process soon. (No walking down front and filling out a card at this church. It is for real a process with a class, an individual interview and written questions before membership is granted) I am excited about becoming more involved at church as I have the opportunity to see where God might allow me to serve.

Thank you for your prayers. Because of His Grace,

Amanda

Yes, it's been a while

I know the point of this blog is to update it more than I do, so I'm sorry for those of you who may have been checking. I started class today and really enjoyed Church History. I'm working a good bit at Chick-fil-a and studying around that. I'm becoming more used to Louisville though I still miss everyone in Milledgeville more than I can tell you. God has been very kind to me with my job and with allowing me to meet new people. I can now drive to work without my directions, so that's an exciting step for someone as directionally challenged as I. I hope to catch up with everyone soon and post a longer message when I don't need to get some sleep before my 8:30am class.

Because of His Grace,

Amanda

Job!

I got a phone call earlier today from Chickfila and I start training on Monday. I am very thankful for the job and am looking forward to getting started. Thanks for all of your prayers!

One week

Well, I arrived in Louisville one week ago! I'm really ready for classes to get started. I haven't found a job yet, but I've had a couple of interviews and am hoping to hear something soon. I'm getting settled into my apartment, though I haven't completely unpacked yet. Thanks for your prayers :).

Because of His Grace,

Amanda

Louisville

I have arrived! It feels a little surreal right now, but I'm trying to get settled in. I think unpacking will take some time as I need to figure out the best place for everything. Today I went to Walmart and explored campus. Tomorrow I'll be visiting a church and will hopefully find a church home quickly. Monday will be back to job searching and hopefully buying my books for classes.

Please pray that I will find the right job and church and that I will meet people and make some friends.

Because of His Grace,
Amanda

Memories of Milledgeville

I’m not usually a very sentimental person, but preparing to move has caused me to stop and think about the 7 years I’ve lived here and how my life has changed during that time. For me, places tend to bring back more memories than objects, sounds, or smells.

I made most of my closest and longest friendships sitting in SGA meetings in Arts & Sciences or hanging out in the SGA office when it was on the bottom level of MSU. I enjoyed listening to Roy, John and Keith arguing campus politics. Next year Roy and his wonderful wife Aryn will be in Louisville also. What a blessing to not live so far from them anymore.

Every residence hall on campus also carries some memory or interesting story from my time working for Housing. I have been blessed to meet so many great people here. There are other places too that are deeply meaningful.

There are the railroad tracks going onto Franklin Street. I drove over those tracks every day until one day as I drove over them, I thought, what if a train hits my car? I know if I die, I’ll go to heaven, but I’m not ready to give an account for my life. That day, God began to change me; that day I pulled my Bible off the book shelf and began to read it again. It had been a long time and the words felt fresh; they made my soul shake. I knew this was God’s Word.

Another such place was in the sanctuary at Northside Baptist Church, where I was visiting before I found my church home. The closing hymn was I Surrender All and I thought, “do I?” I heard a Christian comedian say once that he was always afraid that if he gave God all of his life, he’d end up in a hut in Africa. I think maybe I thought that was the case too. I thought about it; I don’t know for how long, but then one night soon after I did surrender all, as if my life wasn’t God’s already. That song and that sanctuary always bring back that memory and remind me that my life doesn’t belong to me.

In light of my initial fear of African huts, this next place is even more special. There used to be a big wooden cross that sat on the right side of the alter in my home church, Sinclair Baptist. God had been dealing with my heart about missions. Every book I picked up, every Bible verse I read, every sermon and Sunday School lesson I heard all seemed to be about reaching people who have never heard that Jesus came to earth to save people from what the death we deserve. One Sunday, at the foot of that cross, I surrendered my life to missions by whatever means my God saw fit. At the time I thought that would mean an occasional short term mission trip and financially supporting others. In light of the more recent call God has placed on my life, perhaps that will mean more going on my part. It’s funny that the African hut I once feared now seems like such a desirable place to be. I am blessed by the fact that God can change our passions. He can cause us to long for what we once never would have imagined we would want.

I have so much to learn. I still have so much faithlessness and fearfulness that I can’t imagine why God would call me to do anything. But I am so thankful for these places and for the people who I’ve walked with so far. I am looking forward to what God will teach me at my new church home, wherever that may be, and in the other random places He will choose to speak.

Please continue to pray that I will find a job and that I will be patient until God opens the right door.

Because of His Grace,
Amanda

First Blog Post!

I am about to move 470 miles away (my mother calculated that) to attend a seminary. A friend suggested I start a blog so friends I won't get to see as regularly can keep in touch more easily. She said she'll read it, so I said I'd start it.

I don't know what this will end up being, if anything, but it will have to develop in time.

A couple common questions I am getting right now with my move preparation:

Why are you moving?
God has called me to attend seminary. The one He called me to is 470 miles away.

What will you study?
I plan to work on a MDiv in Worldview and Apologetics

Will you be a minister when you finish?
No, my denomination does not ordain women as ministers. I agree completely with this position, and I'm sure will either post a link or explain that further in the future.

What will you do when you finish seminary?
I am open to whatever God calls me to do. I would love to work outside the U.S. I heard a couple of weeks ago that approximately 1.6 billion people have never heard that Jesus died to provide eternal salvation for all who will believe in Him. If you're a Christian, I hope that number takes your breath away.
If I don't leave the U.S., I would love to work with women in difficult situations, children, or with the poor in general. God calls us to serve one another.
I believe that whatever God calls me to do, He will give me the passion for that task.

Thanks for reading and for bearing with me while I learn how to operate this blog!

Because of His grace,

Amanda