Camp Mauka!

In the truck getting ready to drive back to camp from the tunnels

My graceful slide on the mile long slip 'n slide down a hill! Ha!

Everyone!

Spray painting camp shirts

Alex refreshing himself in the two trash cans full of water balloons for an all out  fight!

Kauai Ranch Gazebo

Smores over a campfire!

The kids playing cards

This week has been an adventure for sure. 10 campers. A bunch of counselors and staff. irrigation tunnels. giant slip 'n slides. paintball. Kauai Ranch. and lots of good teaching from the word. all equals a lot of fun and a lot of exhaustion! I'm so tired but I have had one of the best weeks. Besides all the adventures I love seeing the kids understand spiritual things, understand the armor of God and understand God's love and protection and plans for them. All week we have been studying and discussing and reading over Ephesians 6:10-20 which says,

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

We have a God who gives us so much to arm ourselves with against the enemy, so that we can stand firm and advance, we have a belt of truth to hold it all together, a breastplate of righteousness from God alone that guards our hearts and helps us to do the right thing, shoes of the gospel of peace to help us be stable on the foundation that is the gospel, the good news that God came as a man, died for our sins, was buried, rose again and was seen by many! God took our sin and put it on Jesus to judge and put the righteousness of Jesus and put it on us, the great switcheroo, We are given the shield of faith so that we can block any fiery darts the enemy flings our way, we are also given a helmet of salvation and a sword of the spirit which is the word of God! Discussing all this, answering questions, seeing eyes as it clicks has been wonderful. I'm so thankful for these kids and this week and I'm looking forward to doing it again next week!

Strength and waves.

Singing, yelling, screaming, laughing, praising.

This is what I was made for.

I took a long awaited and absolutely necessary walk on the beach. After several long hard days and goodbyes I needed to be refreshed, washed in love and in peace, in knowing that everything in the universe was where it was supposed to be, because it surely didn’t feel like it. I felt like 14 pieces of my heart walked away I said goodbye to all my girls, not knowing when or if I’d ever see them again. The worst part is I couldn’t show it. I literally could not cry as they wept on my shoulders in a tight hug. I thought of all the emotion filled times when I cried not wanting to and wishing I could let the tears fall then. But alas, that wasn’t God’s will for me; for once I was supposed to be the strong one. Strength is a funny thing; I ask for it constantly because I am so weak, yet God uses my weakness all the more for His glory.  “My strength is made perfect in weakness,” God says. Paul states that when he is weak, it’s then that he’s strong. He boasts in his weakness! Something God has shown me over and over again these last few months is that His strength is my strength. I have repeated it under my breath a hundred times, reminded myself in every hard moment, declared as I held what I felt to be the whole world on my shoulders…  

“Your strength is my strength.”

My own strength, this body, this brain, these muscles are so weak, in reality not good for anything, any power in me, any moment of courage, is by His strength alone. “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I can finally relate to Paul, it makes sense now. When my so called strength shuts down, God moves in and makes His strength, my strength! The power of God put the planet into orbit. He can solve my problem. The power of God created the world from nothing. He can answer my prayers. The power of God creates a new life from two cells. He can heal cancer. The power of God made the ocean. He can turn impossible, terrible situations to good.  

On that beach I sang into the waves, I prayed out loud and with vigor, I sang new songs and danced, I finally cried. I plopped down on a big beautiful piece of driftwood and allowed all my worries and fears to float away on the ocean tide. The waves crashed and the seeming vastness of my problems faded away as I watched the horizon. God is in control. When I look at Him, impossible is not a word. When I look at Him, there is nothing to fear. “I’ve got this,” He says. “I saw you and planned all of your days before you were ever a thought to anyone else,” he says. “The thoughts I think toward you are of peace,” He says. “I know the plans I have for you, even if you don’t,” He says. When I remember God and what He says and what I know to be true the lies are uncovered. When I look at His greatness I remember how unworthy I am, yet He blesses me and allows me to know Him anyway. When I just look at the huge and majestic waves, crashing on a little rock in the middle of a sea called Kauai, which is on a tiny little planet called earth in a small galaxy called the milky way in the corner of a giant universe, I remember how little I am and how wonderful and big He is. Everything else fades away and I remember that I am a princess sitting the palm of my king. 

This Semesters End

Three weeks left. That's it. This semester has flown by. I am different from the beginning.
My hair is still curly.
My favorite color is still purple.
I look the same (except maybe tanner)
But my heart has been torn in half and sewed back together more beautifully than anything I could imagine.
God has spoken to me. Through friends, and sunsets and sea dives, through His Word, through His presence, through music and laughter and tears. I will never be the same.
I look back to a year ago and I had no idea what was in store for me. Through trials and emotion and pain I have been strengthened. Through the failings of man I have clung closer to God than ever before and He has proven Himself worthy over and over.  Through uncertainty I have stood on Him, my solid rock. Through the understanding of His character, attributes and word my eyes have been opened to so much more. Through the caring hearts of others I have known His love to be true.
These past 8 months in Kauai have been life changing. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to live on Kauai in a tent for this long! And I plan on being her at least another 7 months. Definitely not my plan, Definitely God's. His plans are better people. so much better.

Kaua'i Weather

This last week has been rainy and stormy, there's been floods everywhere, bridges out of commission, lakes where fields used to be, hail, wind and very wet tents. Camp keeps getting evacuated, but thankfully we have so many wonderful families in the church that take us in. We have a "program" between the church and the school in which students are hana'i-ed (adopted) by the families in the church. It's so much fun, staying over in a real house, with real showers and real internet! It's great to get to know people here, I have so much Ohana here at Calvary Chapel Kaua'i and I'm so thankful for them while I am so far away from my own family.

Kaua'i Flood sights and some soaking wet students!

Students took advantage of the rain, skim boarding in puddles, having dinner by (rarely used) firelight and swimming! 

Besides all the flooding, everything is going great, I am making incredible friends here and the Lord is teaching me so much! There are many opportunities coming up for me to GROW! I have discovered last semester was a realization of my identity in Christ and this semester is my response to that. Now that I know who I am, what does that mean to me? What can I do to prove I know it!? That part is hard, the response to God and His commands, but so worth it.

KBC 2012

Hello all!
I though it would be a good time to update! I have been back in Kauai now for two weeks. This semester I came back as an intern instead of a student. I am leading as an assistant Dean. I could not have imagined myself here, yet... it's pretty much my ideal dream job. I think about every aspect of this and it fits me so well. God has totally been crafting and creating me, changing me and molding me for this very moment. He's planned every step from now, till now, for NOW! I am living on campus at KBC, acting as a counselor, discipler, spiritual leader, friend, confidant, encourager, edifier, exhorter etc. I'm working with an incredible staff and interns who are really building this program, their hearts are so for Jesus, for the word of God, the hearts of these men and woman are in the right place and I am learning so much from each one them. GOD IS GOOD! This semester has so much promise and it will be amazing.
God Bless,
Miranda

Camp Maui on the North Shore

MIND BLOWN

This morning God just revealed to me what the Bible is, and I know what it is obviously, but there is a mighty difference between understanding something intellectual and cognitively or understanding with  your heart, soul and spirit. I understood it in the depths of my soul! I was explaining how God lives within us but His word, the Bible is how He speaks and I was like… WOW. I get it. I have had this long battle of wanting to love the Bible and what it says, but I have felt so distant like I almost can’t apply it to me. Why should I care what was written 2,000 years ago to a town in Greece? But, it really is straight from God! John 1:1-2,14 “In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…” 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is God –breathed…” The Word (Bible) is of God, is God, is Jesus; it’s all intertwined. The Bible isn’t the extent of God, He is way bigger than the Bible, but He wrote it, He breathed it! I kept calling out to the Lord since I’ve been here saying, “I want to hear Him, show me who You are, I want to know You and Your will for me!... etc, etc;  just waiting for Him to say it or place it in my head or however it works.  But then, I opened up my Bible in Ephesians class and the word of God became SO REAL, SO INSPIRED and just wow. This one verse in Ephesians literally changed the way I saw myself in the Lord.  

“Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with EVERY SPITITUAL BLESSING in Christ. For He chose us IN HIM before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to His will.”

So here’s the thing, you have been given EVERY SPIITUAL BLESSING FROM GOD! God has poured out blessing upon blessing on you because He loves you, only reason. Not because you deserve it or are worthy of it, because you're not and there's no way you ever could be. Here’s another thing, you were chosen by God, if you ever thought you were a mistake, you aren’t, you were not only chosen, but YOUR LIFE, YOURS was planned before the creation of the world, before Genesis 1:1, before light was made you were chosen. God doesn’t use parameters like time or space or eternity but Himself, IN HIM you were chosen. WOW! I hope your brain feels like exploding ‘cause I’m still overwhelmed by this.

An "Impossible" Assignment

My final project for my Ephesians class is to attempt 3 impossible things and fail.
It has had me thinking so much, what would we do if we couldn't fail or even if we could, and what is "impossible"?
I have started thinking of things but I don't find much impossible, just really hard or time consuming or big! This is going to take some thinking. I think the whole point is to do something you would never nornaly do or maybe figure out that we have an God who can do the imposssible, I'm hoping for a few victories, so I have to do something even more "impossible. I am so excited for this! Scared! But excited.


Does anyone have any ideas? What do you think?

Meanwhile at KBC…

Classes started Monday!!! My schedule looks like this:

Monday:

1 Corinthians with Curtis - 9:30-11:45 (I am the TA and get to grade a bunch of papers, I should be fully informed on 1 Corintheans after this class, along with reading so many different views onit from all these papers! )

Dinner duty – 3:30-5:30 (I’m actually pretty stoked to be able to cook while I’m here, and mom I already told Heather, our cook, and already one of my closest friends here, that I will at one point be making your amazing enchiladas)

Tuesday:

Lunch Duty -10:30-12:30

Hermeneutics with the KBC President Steve Thompson -1:30-3:30 (Hermeneutics is a Bible interpretation class that is really going to teach me how to lead Bible studies and better interpret scripture)

Wednesday:

Ephesians with Zane – 9:30-11:30

Worship Class with Alex -1:30-4:30

Wed Night Church – 7:00-9:00 (We lead and do everything Wednesday nights for church, last night was the first time, I learned 6 new songs and the harmonies and sang them in front of people a few hours later, SCARY! But God is faithfull and it turned out so good!)

Thursday:

Gospel of John with Chris the Director of the school – 1:30-3:30

Discipleship 101 with Pastor Bob – 6:00-9:00 (In a house, with couches, and hot showers and food made in a real kitchen, score! This is actually one of the classes I am most looking forward to)

Friday:

Women’s Emphasis with Bethany -9:30-11:30

Bathroom cleaning – 4:00-5:00 (This happens to be my personal favorite… NOT! We don’t even have actual bathrooms here, only porta potties)

Besides all of these classes and chores, which is also a class for school credit, called M199, we have a scheduled devotion time every morning from 7-8 and have other ministries, homework, and work around the property to do.

There are a few things I wasn’t expecting when I got her that I am still getting used to.

1.       The lack of toilet (Porta potties only on the campus)

2.       The lack of hot water (yes, that means cold showers)

3.       The lack of electricity (We have headlamps at night to be able to see)

4.       Ants, lots and lots of ants (they eat through unopened packages)

5.       Toads, lots and lots of toads (they’re EVERYWHERE, I accidentally kick one at least once a day, there eas one in the porta pottie at night! and it scared me so bad.)

6.       Waking up to a beautiful blue and pink sunrise every morning (I need no alarm clock, the sun wakes me up)

7.       Quick friendships, awesome roommates and teachers my own age (my roomates are the best! It seems like the three of us wouldn't get along but we are just three peas in a pod)

8.       Pure hilarity every meal (everyone here is hilarious!!! It's hard to eat, we're always laughing so hard)

9.       The beauty of Kaua’i (You cannot capture the beauty of this place in a picture of video, it’s impossible, I feel like the sky is so much bigger here, more majestic.)

"God is so faithfull"

God used my own words to speak to me this week!  I went on Facebook after several days of not going on and the first thing I see is my name in someone’s update and as I read it, the tears just flowed. I’m not even home and yet God is using me and something I said to profoundly change someone for His glory!

“God is so faithful. An awesome friend of mine Miranda Smith said, “The gifts God gives to you are endless and greater then you could ever imagine. Once you start living life to glorify Him.” I never knew how she felt, or exactly what she meant, how it was possible, or if I was even capable of doing it. I wasn’t doing it… Until now, and I have to say, she is so right and it feels unlike anything I've ever had.”

Trust me, I am not saying, good for me or trying to toot my own horn, this is all glory to God! I don’t even remember saying this, but I know it’s true. Living life for God is SO much better than living for yourself. Sometimes I wonder why I am the way I am or why certain circumstances are the way they are. Like what is my purpose here? God are you even using me? And sometimes long periods of time go by and nothing happens. But then something changes, something clicks and everything I had to go through makes sense, all that dry space of wondering if you’re living in God’s will and then WHAM! It all comes together, I see the pieces of His puzzle that He’s been laying out. Never forget that we can only see what’s in front of us, He sees the whole picture! Just being honest and joyful in the Lord, wondering if anyone’s listening, and most times not even caring I realize I make a difference, and the words I say are heard. God is my strength, I’m His mouthpiece and no matter where I am, no matter how I feel, I’m home. The spirit of the living God lives in me and I wouldn’t change that for anything. His presence, His joy, His everlasting eternal love is greater, stronger, and more beautiful than any thing any person, any amount of money, any relationship I will ever experience. HE IS SO DARN GOOD!  And I get eternity with Him!

I am so off topic with what I came on here to say, but this is better. God is so faithful, and when you get to experience that as fact and not just theory… it’s even better.

Cling to Him, draw close, ask Him questions,  demand answers, tell Him you love Him, and most importantly let Him into your heart and mind that He might dwell within you, speak to you and be your love for the rest of your life and forever after. He’s the prince charming we are always searching for, He’s true love. He IS love.

Aloha from Kaua'i!

I AM IN KAUAI! FINALLY! It’s incredible here. The weather, the “Aloha Spirit”, the love from people, the rain, the red dirt, the presence of God everywhere, the freshness of the air, the tent I get to live in, the old junker cars everywhere, the congregation wearing hawaiian shirts, tank tops, jeans and flipflops! I absolutely love eveything about it. God is going to do incredible things with me here this semester! I am in awe of Him. Truely. It’s sureal being in a place where no one knows your name. I’ve already met people who I KNOW are going to be friends and family to me.
Reading in my devotions this morning I just decided to open my Bible, Psalm 91 happened to come to my mind and I also opened right up to it! First of all, super encouraging, second of all, there is a verse that talks about tents, and how no harm will come to me in my tent. HA! Thank you Jesus, then I was flipping through my Bible and in the back I had written a few years ago from a Pondo speaker, it said "Don't let evil into your tent" and a few verses that I went to right away which talked about Hope, and how if you can see what you hope for, why would you hope for it? And to wait patiently! Because good things are coming! And are already here :)

Psalm 91
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”
 ³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”




walking to the cafteria (AKA the tents and tables)




Plumerias



View from my tent



Thank you Jesus, for the amazing, unpredictable people, places and adventures you’re taking me on!

Want to learn more about KBC?

Hhere's the official website!
It's far from normal and not quite what you ecxpext to see when you hear the word "college"

Check it out!

http://www.kauaibiblecollege.com/

12 Days until KBC

I have less than two weeks before I will be getting off the plane at Lihue airport to start my adventures at KBC. I am getting excited and nervous! This last few months God has been preparing me to go, giving me spiritual gifts and complete confidence in who I am as God's child. This last week I want to Generation Church Camp with The City Church Ventura and it was unlike any other church camp I have ever been to! I have never danced and jumped so much in woship, nor have been so affected by speakers. God is so good and He taught me a lot this week. Pastor Jabin Chavez  talked alot about FAITH, this little word means so much, has so much clinging to it. Faith pushes away fear and doubt, it clings you to the truth and gives CONFIDENCE! We are constantly living in all this noise, ideas from the world, peoples opinions, the enemy whispering lies, people whispering lies... all thes negative atmospheres and spirits weigh down on us, spirits of fear, doubt, negativitity, the noise is so loud! But if you pusha ll that aside there is a sound, a sound of faith. Your faith can push through any atmosphere!

This is just a little snipit, I have so much more to tell already and I'm not even at school yet!

It's a new season, revival is coming, FAITH is stronger than ever and people, God's people are going to be pulled out of the darkness, out of the noise and into the sound! Thank you Jesus.