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