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.