Repossess

Sorry, I wont blog this often all the time, I promise. But I have to tell you about Repossess.

Emily, Christine, Me, Maddie, and Amber

Repossess is an event put on by Christian chruches in the Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater. There is a lot of Christian music, a speaker, and lots of lives being chaged.  Our speaker was Mark Driscoll, thats right, MARK DRISCOLL! His speach was AMAZING! He talked about how much Jesus loves us and about the crucifiction. Such a powerfull message. Over 300 people were saved that night and about 3,200 students were at the event.

 God can do some pretty amazing stuff.

Silly and Stupid

Lewis. Lewis is the first thing that comes to my mind when someone says silly. Or stupid, either one. Lewis is just plain stupid and silly. Love that cat more than anything, but he is silly and stupid. He cant figure out how to drink out of a faucet, he likes to runs into doors. He meows and meows to get outside and when you open the door he just looks out the door, but wont actually go out. And today my mom started preperations for the "Parade of Gliter" ( "Christmas Forrest", and yes, they are are starting to prepare for a Christmas tree now. You have NO IDEA how much time they put into these trees... and how much glitter is used.). Mrs. Carlson and Mrs. Joss were over starting to brain storm for their tree and Lewis was just loving all of the stuffed animals.

I'm telling you, just plain silly and stupid. But I sure do love this cat more then anything.

Rams... we've got that mmmm JIVE! Rams, we are ALIVE.

(The title is a cheer that the cheerleaders do that gets stuck in my head like crazy!)

Tyler, Ilana, Me

Hello. My name is Amanda Arend and my new love is football games. I think they are a total blast, winning or losing I have a blast. Being with friends, screaming your head off, wearing weird clothes, Friday nights, supporting your school, screaming your head off, doing weird cheers, screaming your heads off, and did I mention... screaming your head off?

Well, I LOVE the football games. Last night we played Tumwater, Tumwater killed us. We lost horribly but, I still had a blast. I honestly have no clue when to cheer. I just scream when everyone around me starts to scream. So, Tyler told me I COULD NOT cheer until he started cheering so then it would look like I had some sort of idea when to cheer.

I think I am starting to understand the sport. But honestly, I have no desire to understand all of teh flags and stuff like that. I know what a touch down is. I know which way they have to run. And I know that winning is good. And in my opinion, thats all thats needed.

Ilana, Me, Sarah

Thank you God

Thank you God for...

                                                            Breath taking sun rises....

A cute dog to enjoy the beautiful sunrise with

Friends that make me laugh.

REPOSSESS! It is gonna be tomorrow at Evergreen State College from 7-10. BE THERE!

And for football games ;)

And for giving me the chance to share my faith so many times this week. So many people have asked me about what I believe and why I believe it. Not sure why all of the sudden, maybe Repossess, or maybe You are just giving me remarkable situations.

Rams!

Last night North Thurston had a game... a home game. Which means, it is time to COVER yourself with purple and white.

I am making a purple and white tu-tu soon. Then the outfit shall be complete. Right now it consists of... purple tights, purple and whie soccer socks, pruple shoes, purple tie-dye shirt, purple necklaces and purple face paint!

Gotta love football games...

Makes me laugh

Oh My.... I love love love love Tim Hawkins. He just makes me laugh laugh laugh! It is so true though, we had hand sanitizer all over the place at my church!

A New Discovery

So a few days ago I found my favorite bands website and their journal. Tenth Avenue North, and their main singer, Mike writes these journal entries that are AMAZING! I have been reading a lot of them lately and they are all really powerfull and perfect. Here is one that I really like.

"So we played a show at a church tonight, and it was beautiful. God was adored, the gospel was treasured, compassion kids were sponsored. Like I said, beautiful. And it’s night like these that get me sort of weepy. I start asking God under my breath, “Why do I get to do this? You and I both know I don’t deserve it. You know I’ve got nothing to offer you that you didn’t first give to me, so what on earth Lord? Me? You sure about this?”

But it’s true. Right now we’re on the Inside and In Between Tour, and I’ve been totally amazed. Amazed at how God has kept me close to my wife over the phone, how He’s spoken through us and in spite of us, how people have come to a better understanding of the gospel, and how God has moved in hearts to initiate people to partner with Compassion in releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. It’s unbelievable.



And on a night like tonight this chorus seems easy. “I give you all of me, for all you are, here I am, take me apart. Take me apart.” But it’s only easy, because the most glorious thing happened tonight. I forgot about myself. I know, totally crazy. But I did. I think it might have just been for a few minutes or seconds or so, but it really did happen. For one brief shining moment, God took up my thoughts and affections and freed me from the prison of myself.



And that’s kind of what makes this prayer work. So many of us try so hard to get better, do more, change the world, and all we ever seem to do is fall flat on our back. And its sad because I feel like no one ever told us that we’ll never make it that way. It’s just not possible. The only true path to freedom is adoration. The forgetting of oneself in the awe of another is the only place we can be changed, for to change into something that we are not, we must see what it is to what we must aspire.



Or in other words, “the worth and excellency of a soul is measured by the objects of its love.” -Henry Scougal


Or in other words, “We are forms of all the things we love.” -Jars of Clay


Or in other words, “but we with unveiled faces, beholding God’s glory, are being transformed from one degree of glory to another.” -2 Corinthians 3:18


Or in other words, we become whatever we love. Love mean and sordid things and so you will be. Love God, and the most wondrous thing will happen, Scougal explains, the life of God will show up in the soul of man.

 And so that’s all this song is saying. Don’t try to be better for God. Don’t try to figure out all the things you need to change, just fix your eyes on Jesus. He is your life. He is the one who saves. He is at the center of all things, and He holds all things together. And as you love Him, as you fawn over all that He is, He’ll begin to change all that you are. Or as my pastor says, “for every time you look at yourself, take ten looks at Jesus.” Don’t look at what your hands have done, look at what his have done for you. And as you fix your eyes on Jesus tonight, and on all that He is, I pray that you slowly but surely, forget about all that you are.



May the infinity of who He is , so fill your finite heart and mind that you find yourself being crammed out entirely."

And yes... I did just post something without a picture in it.

Ready or not... HERE I COME!

Today I started my firsty day of being a Sophmore at North Thruston High School. I am so excited about Sophmore year. It is gonna be amazing. And if it starts not being amazing, I will find ways to make it amazing. All of my friends get their licenses this year, and I have challenging classes and amazing friends. It all adds up to pure awesomeness! Yea, some times are going to be really hard, and at times I might feel overwhelmed, but nothing I can't handle with the help of my amazing God.

Last year I went to school a total wreck. I didnt know anyone! I cant even begin to put it into words how scary it is to go to High School not knowing ANYONE! I walked away from my dads car with tears in my eyes and came back home with tears rolling down my face. This year...

                                                                I come back all SMILES!

I had a great first day! I was really nervous for my first period, Honors English. Thankfully I had a lot of friends in this class. And the teacher... is AMAZING! She was so nice. She is such a cool lady. She said that she fully expects us all to mess up horribly at times, and to not always get 100% on everything. Now I know that all teachers probably think the same thing, but I had never heard it from a teacher. It gives you freedom to just be... human. She was very easy to talk to and just very calming. The kind of teacher that I need. Especially sense English is NOT my favorite.

AP World Studies should be really hard, but I am ready for the challenge. The teacher is a really cool spunky person. She is the coach for the varsity volley ball and is so cool! She told us all about her self and I can totally see myself LOVING that class!

And of course, I have to give all of this awesomesness up to God. HE made it hapen, only He could make me this excited and give me such amazing friends and teachers! Can not wait to see how Sophmore year goes!

Summer Summary

Summer of 2010 has been A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! And yes, I still have 4 days of summer left, but school is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER and I want to blog about my absolute favorite memories of this summer... just so I dont forget :)

These are in not in any particular order, they are just what popped into my mind.

1.Watching Emily try to get Alex to swim through the lake weed... it was so funny. I wish we had a video of it

2. Getting to share the gospel with Grey. He is the friend who told me at the beginning of the year that he was an athiest and that he didnt want me to talk about God at all. And what do you know... a few days ago I get a text saying.... "Hey, how do I get to heaven?" Yea... pretty AWESOME!

3.Having Maddie over ALL THE TIME! I figured it out, and we didnt go 2 whole weeks without seeing each other this summer. She would come over and just hang out. We didnt do a lot of exciting stuff, but lots of memories and great having her over.

4. Seeing Emily braces free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. Hanging out with my cousins. We saw them 3 times this summer! I cant remember a summer where we got to see them over 1 time!

This picture makes me laugh

6. Talking with Alex at Entiatt about Entiatt's history. OH MY GOSH! So so so funny. We were making up stupid stuff like the lumber across the street was actually from Noah's Arc. It doesnt sound funny, but he had me laughing REALLY hard.

7. Shaving Cream Fight!!!!!

Ahhh... it has been a REALLY good summer. I learned a lot and laughed even more. Great memories. Thanks God for everything you gave me this summer, it was amazing. Can't wait for school to start and to start making new memories! :)

BRACES FREE!

The before

Isn't she gorgeous? I think she is super pretty... and yes, her hair is naturally curly like that.

The After

FREE AT LAST! And still, super pretty and cute and my best friend.