THIS IS AMY AND I. Amy is 23 yrs old from California. She is a student in the DTS I'm staffing as well as in my small group. I meet with her each week for a one on one time. She's a very sweet girl, she has great style, she's very creative, has a really cool perspective, and is a lot of fun to be around.! It's really cool to see the work of redemption God has done in her. She will be going on outreach to Thailand in January.
So ... week 5 I guess now. Wow! I can't believe how far into the school we are already. If I had my own computer (which I'm really hoping and praying God will help provide for) I would probably be much better at updating my blog. There is just so much to say and I tend to have trouble saying it concisely!
Our speaker this week is Matt Atkins. He is speaking on "The Father Heart of God". FUN FACT: Matt spoke on this very same thing in my DTS back in 1999! He must have been one of the speakers I appreciated most, because I had my picture taken with him....which now, when I look back to, I giggle at. This week always tends to hit the emotional nerves as it is quite difficult (as you can probably guess) for many people to grasp God as "Father". In a world where there are so many Fatherless, not to mention really horrible Fathers... it can be hard for some of the students to relate to God. For some, their only image of a Father is someone who was not present, someone who abused them, someone who was physically there but in their heart, a million miles away, etc. So if you think of it, please pray for the students this week. To really understand how God feels towards us is very difficult and quite scary for some. Please pray that the students would have grace with themselves to "get it", and pray that they would be able to really hear and know what God thinks of them as His children.
It's a rainy, grey day here in Seattle. Typical. I really love it though...I'm really thankful that I'm here. So thanks to all those out there who practically enable me to be here through the gift of finances. I think of you on days like today, when I am reminded of how much I love this amazing and diverse city....
I WAS THERE!?! yes, i was. i didn't plan to be there. my friend, ben, and i just decided to hop on a bus and see if we could get free tickets or really cheap tickets. they were going for anywhere from $60-$500....the most we were willing to pay was $20 for a ticket. well, i said a little prayer to God.... "i believe you care about the little things too, so it'd be cool if we could get tickets"...and we did!!!!
i don't quite know how to put it into words.....but if you hear me talk about it my voice get's all high and i start talking really fast. the stage was phenomenal! there were actually seats ON the stage....they were $500. crazy! the stage also rolled out into the middle of the football stadium (it was at Quest Field..where the Seattle Seahawks play) with them on it... there were fireworks and pyrotechnics....mick jagger; an endless ball of energy running around stage the entire night.
you know...it really is in those moments, when i get a little glimpse of how much God cares about me. it was such a great night! it was freezing...and i had to wear my leg warmers on my arms...because i had run out the door in haste not expecting to even SEE the stones play, but so worth it! i mean, they're icons.
thanks for letting me share my excitement with you...
yep. last week i had one of my best runs. i was running at a good pace; not feeling tired at all. so i kept running until i had pretty much doubled my distance. everything was going great until i slowed to a walk and started picturing a life with unusable legs. SHIN SPLINTS! oh it's true. painfully true. only now, a week and a half later, are my legs being gracious to me. i mean, i can actually walk without wincing now. that's been nice. ;)
so i've learned my lesson. check. i will not be tricked into pushing myself too far next time. training takes time, sometimes i just don't have the patience with myself. too much of a good thing really can be bad.....
and on to "OTHER THINGS"...
this week in DTS Richard Dahlstrom, the pastor of the church i attend here in Seattle, is speaking. he has been speaking on Genesis. same old stories us who were raised in christian homes have grown up hearing from sunday school until now, only when Richard teaches, the Bible comes alive. it's been quite revolutionary for many of the students.
he went through the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Joseph .... how all of them tried to do things on their own strength...trying to 'help' God fulfill His promises. i mean, look at Abraham....OOPS! we're still seeing the effects of him trying to take matters into his own hands. yes, these are the people that make up the geneology of Christ. and why would God choose their line to be one from which to enter the world as the Messiah? maybe it's because God chooses us, not according to who we are, but because he wants to write a story of transformation. so that when people look at our lives they don't say "oh look how clever Amanda is", but rather "look what God has done in her life". the glory has to go to Him!!
1 CORINTHIANS 1:26&27 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
that God would choose to use us despite the huge messes we make, are testimony to God's faithfulness. but in order for people to see transformation they have to see what we are being transformed from, yeah? so then it would be true to say that God is very interested in us living transparent lives. a hard and quite scary thing to do. but how freeing to know that i don't have to get it right every time....God will remain true to His words even if i don't. His character isn't dependant on mine and it doesn't change when mine does. what a relief!
i've been living in seattle for exactly two years today (June1'07)...and this is a place that i bring my thoughts on life, faith, sadness & hope. my desire is to share both the serious and the funny things that life brings our way from my 26 year old perspective both for my friends and family far away & for myself.
THIS IS AMY AND I. Amy is 23 yrs old from California. She is a student in the DTS I'm staffing as well as in my small group. I meet with her each week for a one on one time. She's a very sweet girl, she has great style, she's very creative, has a really cool perspective, and is a lot of fun to be around.! It's really cool to see the work of redemption God has done in her. She will be going on outreach to Thailand in January. 
