the end of a beautifully broken year...

well i have soo much to catch up on...
can you tell ive been busy and have neglected my blog?!...well the Kanakuk Institute has ended and i cant believe it...we all graduated on friday night and it was a great evening...i even sang for the ceremony...oh how ive grown!!...if ud asked me a year ago to sing in front of people theres no way i would have said yes...but God has really stretched me this year!!...He has really encouraged me through the people i got to spend this year with to use the gifts that He has blessed me with...singing in front of people to lead worship has been one thing i will always be thankful that denise white told our K-Life director that i can sing...haha...who knew id become this bold...but im so passionate about music and i love singing to my Father who loves me more than i could ever know!!...lets see...where to begin since spring break...well we went on a couple more hiking trips to arkansas that were soo much fun!!...i love those ozarks soo much!!...it is so enchanting to be down by the buffalo river...it reminds me of one of my favorite movies...tuck everlasting...i just love that feeling that time has stopped and all you have to enjoy is the splendor of the Lord's creation!!...we continued to work on belief statements which was incredible to complete!!...i encourage you to do one if you never have!!...if you have never truly sought out what YOU believe and not what your church or pastor has told you to believe...to take it all to the scriptures and see what does GOD say you should believe!!...its an incredible feeling to truly know how to defend my faith that is my foundation and the other reason i have life!!...i realize if you dont define what you believe for you someone else will define it for you!!!...now is the time to seek Him and have an active faith for all to see!!...ive really felt that this year has taught be to fade more and more each day!!...that as i fade He will become more in me...i have never seen a true picture of what the body of Christ was suppose to look like till this year!...i have learned first that we must become vulnerable and truly honest with each other in order to face the struggles and appetites that entangle us in this world...i have also learned what it truly means to mourn another's sin...we MUST start doing this as a body...we dont care enough to help those around us become overcomers and it is NOT ok!!...we have been called to be set apart and be bold for the sake of Christ but if we are simply "praying" for each other to be better--we never will...we have got to be willing to take active sets to defeat the sin entirely!!...it has been a beautiful but painful journey to experience this for the first time this year!!...i just pray that every believer can get to this point where we not only walk alongside and ask how we are but to truly know how we are and on top of that have all rights to make the actions to get rid of the flesh that gets in our way of ministry...we all have the same purpose in this life and that is to make disciples!!...we can not lead until weve surrendered our flesh to the Lord...it is definitely the SANCTIFICATION process in which we will be going through until Christ glorifies us when He returns and will reign forever and ever!!...but we must life a life that is greater today than it was yesterday!!...i am soo thankful for my roommate and my timothy group and my best friends who saw me through some great days and some really hard ones this year!!...ive learned to turn to Him first but that He brings people into our lives that understand our joys and hurts!...He has been too good to me and im really going to miss living with some of those people who will be in my life forever!!...i am soo thankful that i get to spend the summer at K-2!!...a lot of my friends from this year will be at kamp with me and i cant wait to have more time with them!!...God is soo good and i wouldnt take this year back for anything!!...and another amazing thing is the fact that my roomie is moving to nashville after the summer!!...i cant believe i get to spend another year with one of the greatest people ive ever known!!...eeee!!!...roomielove nashville better what out!!...

In Your Arms...

well i was on spring break this week and it was nice to have a little break from class...i got to go home and see my sweet family!!...they are soo amazing!!...i got home a few days after daddy's birthday and it was fun to celebrate with the plastic cowboys and indians like we use to every year...we went out to dinner one night and it was great to just have some sweet time with my daddy...he has always been there for me and has supported me soo much!!...we talked about this year and all that im learning and where i will be after this...im excited that ill be in branson a little bit longer!!...i was asked last week to be the assistant kitchen manager at K-2 this summer!!...i was shocked at first but then it was amazing how i realized this was exactly what God was preparing me for this summer!!...i knew that i didnt want to go back to K-Kountry and had complete peace about it all...i just didnt know what i was going to do instead...and God just continued to grow me and to continue to tell people that my decision was final to not go back to kamp...and all along He was saying you might be saying no to K-Kountry but your time at kamp isnt quite over yet!...it was really cool!!...He really does give us the desires of our hearts when we follow Him completely!!...i truly believe that the more in line we are with His will the more our desires really are His that He has given us!!...i love that!!...in HIS arms i am completely satisfied!!,,,He has given me this incredible opportunity to go back to my favorite kamp from when i was a kamper!!...i love it out there and to get to work along side some of my greatest role models...WOW!!...God is good!!...i cant wait to pour into the lives of all the college girls ill be living with this summer!!...it will be a great summer but ill also be happy when i can spend days with my sister in the city!!...we went and saw the Justin Bieber movie together!!...it was awesome because she had never seen a movie in 3D!!...hahaha!!...she was freaking out at first and "i was like amanda theres no way youve never seen a movie in 3D!!...didnt you see Jonas Brothers in 3D?!!"...the funny thing i was being serious!!...and we also got coffee at frothy monkey before Kairos on tuesday night!!...and then i got to spend a lot of time with some of my favorite kids!!...i have the sweet little "siblings" (not really) from other parents that ive gotten to watch grow up...i started babysitting them when they were little and now my boys have outgrown me!!...its soo fun to tell their friends were brother and sister when i eat lunch with them at school!!...it will be really great to get to be at kamp again with them this summer since they are old enough to be at the high school kamp!!...soo crazy!!...im truly learning what its like to disciple youth and the urgency to be faithful for years!!...i think the worst thing you can do is make a promise to disciple a kid and only be in their life for a summer or a bible study and then leave them...i realize that you cant always physically stay in a kids life but calling and do all you can to stay in their life as they mature is essential!!...and i love that i get to do that with these kids who are now teenagers!!...its fun to see what God is doing in their lives and how He is shaping and molding them into His disciples to carry His gospel to others!!...all Glory to God for He has done great things!!...

LIGHT OF THE WORLD FOREVER REIGN!!...

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I’m running to Your arms,
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In Your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I’m running to Your arms
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

My heart will sing
no other Name
Jesus, Jesus

Oh, I’m running to Your arms
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

WOW!!...ive been feeling these emotions of loneliness lately..and i know that it is just satan trying to make me not feel content in the Lord...as if being single will never be enough...but NOTHING IS GREATER THAN ME AND GOD ALONE!!...i am NEVER really alone with Him!!...He is my everything!!...He is sufficient and i have to constantly remind myself of this!!...its soo easy to think that there is a person that can complete us in our world that we live in...but that is just not the case...He is the ONLY one who completes us because He is our creator!!...and He is greater than all things!!...soo Light of the World FOREVER REIGN!!...oh how i love my time when i worship my King!!...kairos is soo great to come home to!!...it truly is my home and sanctuary where i can come just as i am before His throne!!...i love you Lord!!...continue to teach me daily to Love You and Love Others!!...may my LOVE for You overflow to all i meet!!...

Roomie Love...

lately ive realized how quickly this year is flying by and i have mixed emotions about it...
one things for sure i have the greatest roommate here!!...her name is brittany and she is incredible!!...shes soo funny and talented!!...oh and really great dancer!!...there is never a dull moment when im with her!!...im sittin upstairs in the dining hall with her by my side and we are completely the last of her dietetics application...im really praying she gets the internship at Vanderbilt so we can spend another year together!!...she was inspired to go into dietetics after going on trips to Africa and working with the children there!!...i love to here her passion for that place and those people!!...its soo encouraging to see how God places us together this year for soo many reasons!!...but i really cool reason is that we both have been called to work with least of these in other countries!!...we all have been called to GO but for us it is a similar calling with children...i love to hear her speak to people about her fight against world hunger...shes made me more aware of my own body as well...i love how makes you feel like you are the most special person in her life!!...we have faced and gone through similar trials and God knew how much we would need each other to lean...this has definitely been one of the most challenging years of my life...the persecution i face here can overwhelm me at times but brittany always makes my days better...i love that she likes to make goofy videos too...we have that in common...i love that for the "tacky Christmas sweater" Christmas party we wore really cute dresses and justified that they were tacky because they were "last season"...i know that wherever God takes us that we will be sisters the rest of our lives!!...she is someone that has left her mark and i give God all the praise for the joy He gives me through her!!...oh and we really enjoy doing indian dances together!!...thankfully momma bought her a pair of moccasins so we can do our ring dances...Whoo Pig Sooie!!...Kiowas for Life and Sisters Forever!!...Love You B!!...

SNOW SNOW SNOW

WOW!!...i have never experienced this much snow in all my life!!...it is amazing to see snow and especially for more than a few hours before its gone again...it sure is beautiful!!...i cant help but think as i sit here in the classroom that feels like a snow globe about the greatness of God!!...just as He has already covered my footprints to my room that i walked just an hour and a half ago so has He covered my sins!!...what a beautiful picture of His redeeming LOVE that He has lavished on all who believe!!...i am so unworthy but i realize that everyday He brings me back into His glory and continues to use me despite my flesh...as far as the east is from the west so far has He removed my sin and yours!!...HOW DEEP THE FATHER'S LOVE FOR US!!...no matter how filthy i am He is faithful to purify my heart and soul!!...create in my a clean heart oh God and renew a steadfastness within me!!...we have been studying the book of Acts this week from an incredible man of the Word-Mitch Maher...he has so much knowledge in God and it soo cool and refreshing to see the power of the scripture from someone who has TRULY devoted himself to it!!...we hear and see people teach from the Bible all the time but are they truly, truly devoted to it?!...i think that is a strong word in which most of us can not say of ourselves...but it is what we have been called to so...yesterday denise and i were teaching our small group girls how cool it is that God does not MAKE us love Him but calls us to...its not truly love if you are forced to love...but how amazing is it that He allows us to feel that desire to love Him and long to know Him...my deepest prayer that i often say is Lord let me long for you more today than i did yesterday!!...i pray that that too can be your desire to know Him more and more each day!!...and from that knowing we then must make Him known!!...i cant say enough about my taco bell workers...if i havent mentioned them yet on here let me just say that it is AMAZING to see how God moves when you acknowledge the least of these!!...may we never take for granted the people God places in out path daily...for denise and i it started in november in which we realized that since Reeds Spring is such a small town that there are two "happening" places...macdonalds and taco bell...we met a guy named Adam and from there we decided we would go there every tuesday between small group with our middle school girls and high school k-life club to get to know these people...they have many boring days in the off season of branson but for about an hour and a half each tuesday they have two silly 25 year old girls who truly ask how they are and how their days are going!!...soo fun!!...we gave each of them valentines yesterday and it was soo fun to see their faces of excitement...someone decided to love a stranger at a lowly restaurant...so even though that food is probably not the best for me i will go there every tuesday to see my sweet friends that i can show God's love to!!...who are the people in your life that need you to simply ask "how are you today" and mean it?...i pray that you will have boldness and if you dont feel it ask God for it...
missin all yall that i am apart from today...
praying much JOY because im livin in it everyday here on the winter island!!...

Nashville for the Weekend...

well i decided to jump in the car on thursday with two friends from the K-Institute and drive home to nashville...it has been soo good to get to be around my sister and my parents...i love my wonderful city of nashville!!...all the great little trendy stores, coffee shops, and yummy restaurants...it has been a great semester but much more work and deep theology...i am thankful for all that i am learning and how my faith is expanding...God is incredible how rich He is...the more i long for Him the more i want to long for Him...but being home has made me realize how much fun it would be to get to live with my sister in the city and be able to go to church together again...oh how i miss my incredible church here!...but i know that i am learning a ton from my castle in the ozarks...yes my church in branson meets in an old theme park so the church meets in the castle auditorium...i love it!...ted cunningham is not afraid to speak boldly and bluntly...but being here makes me realize that being away from my sister is not fun...i need her in my life...she means more to me than i could ever tell her...i hope that soon enough we will be in the same town again and we will be able to love hannah montana together and keep up with where all the stars have coffee!!...oh those great days!...i have been working on my outline of the book of Matthew since Tommy Nelson came and taught us the whole book this week...i just cant explain the knowledge ive gained and from the unreal teachers i heard it from...this year is by far one of the most challenging but also very life changing and growth in every aspect of my life...i am excited to see where i will be goin...lots of decisions to make...especially a big one tomorrow but i know that God is faithful and He will guide me!!...on a cold day like today snuggle up with His love and yummy cup of coffee...

fun fall semester...

Christmas Party...

first picture with Santa...



K-Life...

Ben and Jenny's Wedding...


Spirit Week!!...the cast of Peter Pan...

the end of a fantastic year...

well it looks like i have a few weeks to catch up on...

we ended the semester with the book of Daniel...Debbie Jo White, who is Joe White's wife who runs Kanakuk Kamps, brought a whole week of knowledge on the book of Daniel...it was INCREDIBLE!!...i had studied Daniel under her teaching as a kamper but it was soo good to study it again 10 years later!...i had a wonderful week and a half in Branson after school ended...it was nice to digest all the first semester included...there was soo much growth and knowledge about myself and about His word!!...i really enjoyed getting to know my class better!...i have an incredible small group and im thankful that i can be real with those 5 girls each week!!...im sitting in panera right now to use the internet (which is why im behind on blogging) and looking out at the beautiful snow!!...we woke up this morning to a Hawaiian Narnia!!...theres not much in this world that is as spectacular as snow on fake palm trees!!...just another perk to living on the island here in Branson!!...haha...life is soo good and i had a wonderful Christmas!!...it was such a blessing to reflect on the best year of my life!!...i grew more in 2010 than any other year!!...it has been incredible to reread my journal and to see ALL that God has done!!...it is still very challenging to be here but it is EXACTLY where God has called me to...Arkansas was a wonderful get away and having a "green" Christmas was a lot more fun than i thought i would be...you either had to give something you already owned, buy it from a thrift store, or make it...i spent a lot of time sewing!!...i feel like i could spend every weekend with my grandparents and it would never be enough!!...they are so supportive and i praise God that my family knows the Lord!!...i think i often take that for granted...being here and made me realize that having grown up in a Christian home is really not the norm...i dont know where id be without my parents!!...i love them so much and God knew how much i needed them!!...and then theres my incredible older sister!!...i miss her everyday here!!...she is such a role model for me and i am always encouraged by her unwavering faith!!...i didnt realize how much i would miss k-life until we started it back on tuesday!!...my small group girls are precious and are really starting to share their hearts with denise and me...theres is soo much i could share but for now i just want to challenge whoever is reading this to act...we are studying and memorizing James and it has challenged me to not merely be hearers of the word but be doers!!...every tuesday between small group and high school k-life club denise and i go to taco bell to work on precepts (James study)...well this week our favorite worker (Adam) was not there...we were disappointed because we have been seeking him out since november...we have created ministry...its fun how easy its gotten...well since he was not there we were able to talk with all his coworkers...his manager kept finding excuses to come over to us and talk to us while we studied...he goes to church but were still not sure of his salvation...but what was incredible was how boldly he talked about the Lord!!...it was amazing because he finally just pulled up a chair since its the slow season here in branson where half the town is closed till may (revamping all the shows)...and through our conversations we were able to be bold and share what we believe on certain things with him...God is soo incredibly good and i guess i share all this with you to simply say...who has God purposely placed in your path to love today?...its so easy to take the moment to share God's love...we need to stop the fear of rejection that only comes from satan and live our lives in desperation for the lost...we pass them everyday and are not passionate enough to make sure they know...the most haunting thing in life would be if when we are in a line about to to see the Lord and you see someone you didnt share the gospel with and they look at you say "you knew?!...and you never told me?"...