Love Your Church

Only one month till I return to my college and all the people I miss so much!

Its almost a little bit sad though....I have to leave my home church. Sure, I love North Valley (nvbc.org) but it just isn't the same.

I have had the unique privilege of growing up in a very small church. All my life I have been involved in something and was expected to help with whatever was going on. It was never an option whether or not we would be helping when the church had a workday. No, actually most of the time we were the ones scheduling it.

I've talked to so many people that simply don't have time to help at their church or to really be a part of a ministry. I think that is so sad! I honestly cannot imagine my life not being involved in some kind of ministry at my church. I think that's part of the reason God has called me into full time Christian service.

Bloom where you're planted. Take advantage of where God has placed you and do everything you can to love your church and help wherever you can. Love your pastor, support him and encourage him in whatever way you can. Those of us that have never been in that position cannot possibly imagine the pressure that comes with it. We aught to do everything we can to support the man of God and lift his burdens. Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses and encouraging the pastor can be anyone's ministry.

Got to head out the door to church now! God bless you as you continue to serve Him faithfully!

Make today count!
Always,
~ Amanda

It's Been One Year!

It doesn't seem possible that it could have already been one year since I started this blog!

God has been so good to me in the last year and has changed me in so many ways I can hardly begin to count them. I am overwhelmed with His goodness to me and His care for me over the last year.

If I had to give one big lesson I've learned over the last year, it would be that God always has a plan and sometimes we just have to trust Him with it. There is ALWAYS a reason for what is going on in my life and He is working through me.

Thank you to everyone who has read and followed this blog. You are a blessing and encouragement! May God bless you this Independence Day and may He bless America!

Make today count!
Always,
~ Amanda

God has a plan

I wanted to share a little bit of my heart with you today. God has been teaching me a lot these days about trusting Him and leaning on Him for strength every day.

Everyone has difficult things that they go through. God gives all of us different challenges that He uses to grow us emotionally, spiritually, and personally. He prepares these trials perfectly for us and guides us through them. If we trust Him and run to Him when our hearts are overwhelmed, He will carry us through them.

What an incredible thought! He prepares a really hard circumstance for us to go through, and then when we are struggling, He carries us through it! "Truly he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." He has felt our pain and knows exactly what we need, when we need it.

Even knowing all that, sometimes life is just hard..... We don't understand what good could possibly come from this situation but He knows. Perhaps someday He will share it with and maybe not. I think we get the idea sometimes that if we just wait long enough, we'll understand, but ya know what? That's not always true. Somethings we will never understand and only God will ever know the reason why.

"There's always a light at the end of the tunnel....." That's what people say. But is that always true? I really don't know.

This one thing I do know though. God has a plan. He has a reason and He will get the glory in your tribulation and trials if you turn to Him with your shattered dreams and throw your broken heart at His feet. He is waiting to take your burden from you and carry it Himself.

So if He is waiting for us to cast our cares upon Him, why do we so often insist on carrying them ourselves? Why do we assume that we can do a better job and act like nothing is wrong?

Psalm 62:8 gives a beautiful invitation to those who are hurting:

"Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us."

Pour your heart out to God and lay your burdens at His feet. Because God always has a plan.

Make today count!
Always,
~ Amanda ♥