What does your birth month say about you?

so I don't ever do these things, but I was bored at work and this one came out surprisingly close to my personality.

December:
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egoistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

NPR News update

If nothing else, maybe Economics will get me a date:)

Economy
Undergraduate Economics Sees Popularity Surge
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All Things Considered, March 1, 2009 · At Ohio's Oberlin College, registration in undergrad economics classes is up 25 percent this year, and the chair of the department says he's never seen anything like it. Host Robert Smith finds a similar surge in the classrooms of American University and across the country. So is undergraduate economics getting sexier? In a word: yes.

Warfare

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

This verse has been very clearly played out in my life lately. I am learning so much about prayer. Warfare prayer. About fighting. About rebuking. It's hard. But God is good and I am growing. Perhaps painfully so, but nonetheless, being stretched and molded. I am learning to put on my armor. I am learning to give my burdens to God. and I am learning the lies and tactics Satan uses to keep us feeling defeated and prevent us from being the a powerful force to reckon with.

It's tough. It's been a rough few weeks. But God is faithful.

Frustrated at the "Christian" Community

Yes-that's a bold statement to make I realize. But I sat through an econ class this morning and listened to my professor and several classmates discuss the reality that there are no scientific facts to prove creationism and there are no scientific facts to disprove evolution. In other words, scientists are right in promoting evolution as fact and the truth and Christians are wrong for attempting to promote creationism and disprove evolution. It bothered me. Quite frankly, it angered me. But the anger wasn't directed towards my professor. She is a highly educated individual who I respect greatly. I normally enjoy her classes. I would like to grill her brain about her knowledge in certain areas. Today though I got angry at Christians. Christians content to live in their bubble and be passionate only about church and "christian service." Christians who will encourage someone to become a pastor or missionary, but fail to encourage the person who loves science because becoming a scientist isn't as spiritual as becoming a missionary. Is there a need for missionaries? Of Course! How else will the world hear the Gospel? (Matthew 28:19-20)

But...

Where are the Christians in science? Where are the Christians in academia? Where are the Christians who are highly educated, Nobel Peace winners, professors, leading experts in their field? Why has evolution been allowed to permeate every aspect of our culture while Creation and Intelligent Design have been kicked out? I believe it is because we do not encourage Christians to go into science. We will let other people do that. We will let people who have no belief in our God become the experts. And once they are the experts, they can say whatever they want and people will believe them. They teach in our colleges and their viewpoints become the beliefs on my generation and the next. Thus my frustration at why is my desire to become a professor not considered as holy or spiritual as a decision to be a missionary? Isn't being a missionary simply going to a mission field to share the message of Christ? And what bigger mission field that science or academia? Scholars, PhD professors, scientists, and the like tend to view Christians as uneducated and uninformed. They look at them as people who don't know the facts so they cling to a religion. Which I believe is probably partly true. I don't think as Christians we should isolate ourselves from what is going on around us. We need to learn the facts, study the science, and get involved. We need to encourage our young people to go into science and politics and perhaps even economics. (I am biased on that one :) ) We need to become agents of change-promoting the Green Revolution, being informed on the economy, and becoming passionate about all areas of politics.

note: I do think we still need missionaries and pastors. But I think we should be careful about what we label as ministry or Christian service. I am preparing myself for a battlefield and mission field that is hostile towards Christians. and I truly believe that my desire to pursue Economics is spiritual in every sense of the word.

Hungerlove

A beautiful love song written from God to us by one of my new favorite bands.. Connersvine.

It seems Your fixed forever
In a world so close to here
though I see you running from me
The more you run the more your near
Cause I was there in the beginning
And I will be there in the end
With a heart that’s beating for you
And a love that wants to mend

Can you feel my love arising
falling down from up above
Can you see my heart’s horizon
Can you feel my hunger love
When the world has left you lonely
and you’ve finally had enough
you’ll know my feet are running
running for my hunger love

Let me show you perfect passion
Let me take you far away
From a life without direction
Where you’ve played it safe
Welcome to the days of danger
Risk and security
Where love will change your nature
If you will just believe

Can you feel my love
Can you taste my love
Feel My love
Taste My love

From a dear friend..

A dear friend sent this to me today and it was exactly what I needed.. God has a way of working just how and when you need Him. Be encouraged today.


I want to encourage and challenge you to do something today, as well as the rest of this week. Isaiah 43 says that we are REDEEMED--beautiful in Him and that we are HIS. He has called YOU by NAME. 2 Cor 5 says that we have been made into a NEW CREATION and that we are the Lord's righteousness. And Romans 8 says there is NO MORE condemnation. Oh, the beauty of liberation. i want you to allow the Lord to let only Him satisfy you completely. He wants all of you in exchange for all of Him. Anything you find beautiful--sunsets, sunrises, the waves of the ocean, the stars that serve no purpose but to be stared at in awe, the many flowers you see on the side of the road when driving, and the color the Lord put into this world--THAT is how Christ is romancing your heart. These things weren't necessary by any means, but He wanted to remind us that we are His bride and His beloved. :) Hang tight, Amanda. Every day is a new day...ah, I love that. :) If you ever need to talk, it's what the Body is here for--i'm only a phone call or a message away! I'll be praying for strength and wisdom and clarity. Not sure why, but it's what Jesus is telling me to do.

Environment

So I am slowly turning into a hippie. Well, in a sense.. I have been reading a lot about the environment and global warming and the "doom" we are facing according to scientists and have decided that there is not enough Christian influence on this issue. We of all people should be the first to take care of the environment. It is God's creation and our duty to take care of it. (Genesis 1:1) I believe that if change does not happen, life as we know it will never be the same. The creatures that point so powerfully to God's handiwork are slowly going extinct and the rainforests and lakes and oceans are becoming polluted and being torn down for man's selfish pleasures. So I think Christians need to be the ones to bring about the change. No, I'm not saying we all turn into tree-huggers, but I am saying that each of us should take a deep look into our lives and see where we could make changes. Can you start recycling? How about purchasing some environmentally friendly grocery bags to avoid using the plastic ones? (see www.envirosax.com ) Or ride your bike or walk? (my one requirement for grad school location it that I can ride my bike instead of drive). Or how about encouraging our youth to explore science and the environment? How awesome would it be for Christians to bring about a Green Revolution because we starting caring more about God's creation? What kind of testimony would that be to the rest of the world?

There is plenty of talk about evolution and how bad things will get without change. It's time for us to become part of the talk and part of the change.

You are My Joy

So I am a crazy David Crowder fan! He is one of my all time favorite artists. Perhaps because I love to sing his songs on the top of my lungs when no one is around! :) but anyways.. my current favorite song is You are my Joy. It's a very simply song proclaiming that You (God) is my joy. Joy is a different emotion. We often equate it with happiness, but I think that is a poor definition of joy. One definition of Webster that I like is "a source or cause of delight." So another way of singing You are my Joy would be to say You are my cause of delight! Even when the world is crashing down around me, I can have joy. I may not be happy, in fact I may be any of a million different emotions and none of them happy, but I can be joyful. I can have joy because I am finding my joy-my source of delight-in the Creator of the universe! It is found in the Son of God who died on the cross for me. And who in times of despair or happiness has provided a way for me to experience joy. And lately, joy has been rising from my soul! As the Psalmist says in Psalm 43:4, I will praise my God with Joy!! I am over half-way in my support raising efforts for Africa which is a huge reason to celebrate! But above that, my team has become a second family and I haven't even met them yet. They are my prayer warriors, friends, confidantes, and sources of laughter and joy. I cannot wait to meet them. God has truly blessed my life and I can say with confidence in the good and the bad- YOU ARE MY JOY!!

If you haven't heard the song, a link to listen is below! It's amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAhdmfcVK9s