1 Year

It's amazing what 365 days can do to a girl.

A year ago today I walked across a stage and took hold of my high school diploma. I watch my friends graduate and we celebrated.

I had dreams and visions for my life. Honestly those hopes and dreams were completely and utterly shattered this past year. Praise God for that.


A year ago my idea of my life was to live my life with my best friends at the time, marry that boy I had wanted for most of my high school career, get a degree in Political Science, have a family, and become the first female President. On the flip side I also wanted to embrace the notorious reputation that East Carolina University held as a party school. I had visions of partying and drinking and sex. I was running from God fast and furious a year ago.

As much as my outer self kept me together, my inner self was bursting with worldly passions. I didn't know who or what I was anymore but I put on a wonderful show.

Like I said, it's amazing what 365 days will do to a girl.

In 100 days though I will hit another milestone. Adulthood.

Legally I have hit this milestone over a year ago but in 100 days I will hit the big 2-0. So in light of that here is 100 things that the past year has taught me.

01. God is greater than anything I could imagine

02. God's plans are greater than anything I could wish for

03. In the friendship game, it's better to have 4 quarters than 100 pennies

04. The first boy you love may not be the last boy you love

05. It's okay to hurt, it's not ok to become bitter

06. Real friends build you up

07. Fake friends seek to destroy you

08. A Good Family is worth more than all the diamonds in the world

09. If you won't move out of your seat, God will place someone next to you that stinks

10. Sometimes new friendships come out of the most random circumstances

11. Even when you don't feel it, God loves you

12. God has a sense of humor, sometimes you just need to learn to laugh

13. Praying friends are better than friends who offer you a shoulder

14. Discipline hurts

15. College: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

16. God doesn't always prune us gently

17. If it feels wrong, it most likely is

18. God doesn't offer us the spirit of timidity, Satan sells that, don't buy it

19. Don't place your identity in Christians, place it in Christ

20. If they talk about others to you, they'll talk about you to others

21. Always remember you may be the only true example of Christ others see

22. Starbucks is really expensive

23. Just cause you have money, doesn't mean you should spend it

24. Watch what secrets you entrust to others

25. Sometimes if people can't tear you down with the truth, they'll make stuff up. Don't believe it

26. You're free to have joy

27. Sometimes being heard isn't the most important thing

28. Forgiveness doesn't always equal friendship

29. Some people don't care that they hurt you, still forgive them

30. Forgiveness is something you need to do daily

31. Don't allow others to control what you do

32. Don't paint your nails and leave the bottle on the edge of your bed

33. Nail polish is hard to clean up

34. Sometimes crying is all you can do

35. People are always watching

36. Just because they are adults, doesn't mean they act like it

37. Praise God when you are rich, praise Him even more when you are poor

38. Writing a book isn't as easy as it sounds

39. Trust everyone, but don't let it change you if they break that trust

40. Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting

50. Painting is calming

51. I have some artistic bone

52. Humility is a hard pill to swallow, do it anyway

53. Keep the end in mind

54. Keep your head held high

55. Praying is too important to do only at meals and before bed

56. Praising God in the midst of pain is so very sweet

57. The worldly things make look like chocolate but really it's just nicely decorated mud

58. Name alone doesn't make someone a Christian

59. People throw rocks at things that shine (Thanks T-swizzle)

60. A true friend will apologize for hurting you, not blame you

61. Subtweeting leads nowhere good

62. Surround yourself with God's word

63. Lean on God's people

64. Modesty is the best policy

65. Don't just think about chasing God, actually start running

66. Everyone you meet is a new opportunity to learn something new

67. Change sucks going through it, but is awesome when it's done

68. There's a difference between caring and being nosey

69. Mom is truly my best friend

70. Dad is my protector of everything my physical being to my character

71. When you aren't watching your little brother becomes a man

72. Weird is awesome, embrace it

73. Disney movies aren't that bad

74. You will change your major

75. Caring about the opinions of others who don't care about you, is a waste of time

76. Don't look at their social media

77. Laughter is really a good cure

78. Believe that God has and is meeting your greatest need

79. Sometimes family isn't about shared DNA and last names at all but of who is there and loves you

80. God's revenge is the best and easy revenge, so let Him handle it

81. Some people want to help, let them

82. Let go of anger

83. Let go of sadness

84. Let go of the past

85. Christ conquered all, stop trying to too

86. Just cause it's comfortable doesn't mean it's right

87. My future husband is far better than the man in my head

88. A job, a house, a car, a husband, children etc. will come in time. In the mean time grow in God

89. Learn new things

90. Be the person you always wanted but do it with a Gospel heart

91. Talk is just talk, don't let false words change you

92. You have far more people in your corner than you think

93. Even if you don't have people in your corner, God is in your corner so who else do you need?

94. Maturity is a lifestyle not just a destination

95. Tragedies don't prove maturity, how you handle said tragedies do

96. There truly is more fish in the sea, don't get hooked on one

97. Take care of your body, it's housing the King of Kings

98. Work hard

99. It's far better to work hard and get it right the first time then make up for it later

100. Today is a new day with new graces

-A

News Flash

I literally cannot deal with the news anymore. It gets me more angry than anything to sit and watch it. It is sad that someone can't oppose a view without getting fined, hated on, or what have you for that view. It's sad in such a "Progressive" nation that we spend more time bashing each other than actually reporting news, making the world a better place etc. Honestly to me it's gotten old the constant debate between homosexual supporters and non-homosexual supporters. We quite literally have the SAME DEBATE every month at least once a month.  Honestly though, it's us (As Christians) fault. We spend more time discussing what we are against. More time belittling, hating, etc. on those who's ideas don't match with ours that we have caused our own problems. Here me, I will say it slower (As slow as you can in text)

 We. Are. The. Problem.

It isn't the homosexual agenda.

It isn't the muslims. 

It isn't Obama. 

It isn't social media. 

It isn't athetist. 

It isn't the lost. 

It isn't the government. 

It isn't the world. 

It isn't the methodist. 

...The baptist.

...The Nazarenes.

... The Presbretrines. 

It isn't the church down the street. 

It isn't your enemy. 

It is us. 

Why? You ask. Here's why:

1. Nobody knows what we stand for

     What do you stand for? Think about it. Was the first thing you though of Jesus? Or was it your political agenda? Was it pro-life instead of pro-choice? Was it your traditional views of marriage? Chances are if you are anything like me your mind instantly went to your political agenda then your denomination and how you could defend either if this question turn wrong. That's a problem. As Christians we should know that Christ wins. Our government is going to fall. Our dominance as a religion in this country is going to fall. However in the end, Christ reigns on. So shouldn't our stance be for Jesus and His ways rather than arguing to the death pointless stuff. Shouldn't our ideals be to love people who differ from us in such a way that they have no choice but you investigate further what pushes that much love inside of us?

2. We stink of hate

     I love every once in awhile playing the devils advocate on Facebook. I like coming off as if I am going to bring in another view point and when someone questions it in a defense manor, I pull a plot twist. Yes, I know I am wrong for doing this and as Robin always says "Nobody asked you Patrice", however it's usually to bring up the point of smelling hate. I complete understand that there are other out there who "Hate on Christians" but let me ask you this... Who called them to love? Chances are if they are hating on Christians, they aren't following Christ so whomever has called them to love or tried to teach them to love has a skewed view of what love truly is. There idea of love is dirty, broken, and quite honestly a hot mess. However, we as Christians have a far great example of love. Our love is pure and Holy. The one who called us to love is love Himself. Now with those goggles on why is it that we are quick to jump on the hate train when our views are challenged. Why is it when our "muslim president" decides to support gay marriage that suddenly that gives us the right to persecute those who agree with him. NEWS FLASH, it doesn't. One of the many pastors that I enjoy listening too is the college pastor at a church in the town I attend school at. He once, while discussing spiritual warfare, said something on the lines of this The battle we are in is not in the flesh but in the spirit. When Christ said turn the other cheek, it was meant to remind us that this battle isn't one that can be fought in the physical, so turn the other cheek because far more energy needs to be focused on the spiritual than on the physical. So to end this section let me ask you this. What good would it do when met with opposition from someone who was let's say gay came to you and you decided rather than chastising them for their sins, you loved them, you showed them Christ?  

3. You're selling them an iPhone when they are getting a Nokia

     So metaphor alert! This really has been revealed to me the last few months. I realized that in American culture, Christians have the tendancies to sell lost individuals this lushes ideal of the Christian life. They sell them a version of the Genie God (A God that if you rub him the right way and give enough money to the pastor you'll recieve happiness and everything you ever wanted), The get out of pain free card (The idea that Christian life is easy-breezy-cover girl lifestyle), or the Perfectionism Life (Where you have to be perfect to be a Christian or you can't sit with us life). All three are wrong. God is a gracious God. He will provide for you but we must remember if the only thing we get from Him is eternity in His presence, that has to be enough. We can't rely on the idea that if we say enough prayers, give enough money, or attend enough church events that God is going to lavish us with big houses, expensive cars, and loads and loads of happy days (Did Fonzie just pop in your head? Cause he did mine). The Christian life is also not an easy one and why should it be? Christ calls us to pick up our cross and follow Him. I don't know if you know this or not but that wasn't Him saying life is going to be easy. Just because you say a prayer and get dunked and attend church and read your bible does that grant you the privilege of living a life with out the impact of sin around. Trials and pain in our lives are however there for a purpose. They aren't there to punish you but to show you areas in your life where growth needs to be met. James says this "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". Trials lead us to holiness and Christ likeness. Lastly perfection doesn't happen over night. Perfection is something that God works on in us so when we meet Him in heaven we are perfect. So this whole idea that Christians some how live perfect lives above sin is B.S and we need to cut that crap out. I have seen more people use that against us on why they don't come to church than anything. We need to stop being pansies about our trials, struggles and pains and need to be like "Look, I am a mess but I got the greatest cleaner around and He's making me new". The Christian lifestyle isn't fancy in world standards. Sometimes we are lame, weird, boring etc. to the outside world. We aren't iPhones. We however have an indestructible life. We live the life of a Nokia. 

So with that being said, I am going to step off my soapbox now. I encourage you dear brothers and sisters of mine to work towards a life that resembles the life of Christ rather than the life of this world with Christ as your blanket shield. I understand it's difficult. But we weren't promised easy streets. I fail daily at trying to love my neighbors and those around me. Pray for me as I pray for you. 

Love you a  bushel and a peck,

Amanda  

Proverbs 31 Gal

Part 1: A New Blog Series and A Revised New Year's Resolutions

I realized this weekend that I did exactly what I didn't want to do January 1st. I broke ALL, okay maybe not all, I kept most of the easiest ones, New Year's Resolutions. However, it isn't even half way through 2014 so I realized I still have time to redeem myself. As I reflected though on where I went wrong or what I could do better I realized a few things. 

1. When I made the resolutions, I was trying to fix me, not allowing God to do so 

2. When I made the resolutions, I wasn't over everything. In fact, I was still a hot HAM. 

3. I hadn't taken it to God to figure out what I actually needed to do. In fact I kind of just did it and hoped He'd jump on bored. 

As I considered all these things I realized why this last week I have felt completely, not myself. I was  finding myself slip into familiar territory of religious acts. So I said Screech, hold up, back up and reverse.

I began to think why I wanted to do resolutions. The answer was simple, I wanted to be better in 2014 than I was in 2013, isn't that everyone's reason? Anyway I didn't want to just be better, ultimately my heart wanted to better in Christ. I don't think my resolutions demonstrated a heart after God. SO (I feel like I said So a lot) I decided to figure out what exactly God says about me being a better woman in Christ. Low and behold (That's for you Mom) I came across Proverbs 31. So for the next couple of blog post, I will be laying out my revised 2014 Resolutions based on Proverbs 31 and tips and tricks. 

Loves

A :) 

Look for Proverbs 31 blog series tomorrow :) 

I(A)MPOSSIBLE

It's 3 in the morning and granted I probably should be asleep right now seeing as how the only day left I have classes is tomorrow. However, I began to right out a status tonight that came to me as I laid in bed doing my norm... thinking. I was reflecting on a conversation I had with one of my best friends today who I swear is identical to me. We were talking about our 20's.


I realized there is a few ways you can look at your 20's. You can go with the normal American ideal where you party away your 20's, live up the life at college, and towards the end settle down with a good job, a lovely spouse and maybe a kid. Or you could do the standard for most Christian, hook yourself a spouse by 21, have lots of babies, and spend your days doing whatever it is married couples do. You could be ambitious and follow steadfastly after that career you've always wanted, barreling through everything and everyone to get to CEO by 30. I realized I had all these options laid down in front of me, I probably still do.


On one hand I've been handed on a nice, lovely, silver platter a business. Being that I had the opportunity to speak on behalf of this business when I was younger and have a lot of "cred", it's almost seen has a must-do. It's something that I feel I HAVE to be successful at. I HAVE to work my business. It's a nice gateway to allow me to follow my dreams and/or Christ.

On a different hand, I've experienced the idea of being in love young. I know a lot of adults are rolling their eyes right now shaking their wrinkly fingers at my youthful face and questioning why on earth I thought I was in love at the ripe young age of 19. *Step on Soapbox* Once you know the love of Christ, being ignorant to love is no longer a thing. Waiting till I'm older to be in love doesn't guarantee me happiness, love is work, love is a choice. *Off soap box* I've ALWAY imagined my life as a YOUNG wife and mother. Honestly, it's the only thing consistent in my life of what I want to be. Barefoot and in the kitchen making my husband a sandwich. Sue me.

On my third hand (Yes, I'm gifted with an extra hand), I'm at Party Central aka ECU aka College. It's unusual to me how easily it was for me to find out how to get alcohol. (Before you crap yourself I'm not drinking). It would be, in American culture, so understandable for me to party in college. In fact it is almost encourage to spend these years of your life living it up in the fast lane. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll baby.


Sadly, as I think about this stuff, I feel empty. Like, haven't eaten nothing but a poptart all day and it's now 9pm empty. I wasn't made to be madly in love with these things as society preaches to me I am.

I sit back and think:

• Partying freaks me out (AKA Cops) 
• Money is nice but I don't like the feeling of being driven by it
• As much as I want to be a wife and a mother, I'm not that ready to be the responsible for another person yet

So what about me? Like what am I suppose to do? According to society I'm basically a bum.

My dad always said to me this "I can't should never be in your vocabulary" and I've heard it said like this "Impossible literally means I'm possible". Tonight; however, I realized both of those things are false.

I am 

Horrible 

Lustful 

Prideful 

A liar 

A cheater

An adulterer 

A jerk 

A blasphemer 

A hypocrite

A hater

Murderer 

Uncompassionate 

Unmotivated 

Negative (Ironic, sorry) 

No good bag of nothing

and you are too. 

Well that just sucks. 

My point is with all that, I can't do anything. I'm no good, I'm useless. We all are. Outside of the Grace of God we can't do anything good. Sure we can have put together lives. We can will ourselves into making money. We can will ourselves into have a great family. We can will ourselves into being healthy. We can will ourselves into have great spiritual walks.  But in the end you're nothing a part from Christ. You will never achieve anything worth bragging to Him with out Him. He doesn't want just your good deeds and hard efforts. He wants you. All of you. 

Lately, that's the struggle I've been facing. I've come into contact with many people who either think that God wouldn't create people to send them to Hell and therefore if you're a good person you'll get into Heaven or Christians who believe Christ died on the cross for their sins because He wanted them to live a ritualistic life filled with rules. Both are false. Good people die daily and go to Hell, I don't believe Christ made people to send them straight to Hell but I do believe He gave us the choice to chose Him and if we don't He has no other choice, He's a jealous God and you lived a life worshiping your good deeds instead of Him. On the flip side Christ came to set us free. In Christ we have life abundantly and in religion we just have life. 

So with that being said, what side do I choose? Where do I want to go? What do I want to do? What do I want? 

 I don't want to live a mediocre life. I don't want my life to be boring and colorless. I don't want to fill my life with boring things of this earth that leave me empty. I don't want to isolate myself from this world with religion and rules. I want to chase to the ends of the Earth the Glory of God. I want to climb the highest mountain just to take Him in. I want to touch the hands of compassion and love. I want to serve others so that they may know my King. I want to run a race that makes Satan shake. I want to be crippled by sin to the point of not having a choice but to move in God's name. I want to be emptied of all my sinful ways so that in me, Christ can be glorified. I don't need money or luxuries, I need Him. 

I want to reach a point in my walk with Christ that this is true. That's what my 20's are. I want to hug the necks of hurting single mothers. I want to love the rejected and hurting. I want to be the voice of the unheard. I want to educate myself about everything God has placed on this Earth. I want to feel what it feels like to have Blessing overflowing to the point that I am drained so much that all I have left to do is be filled by Christ again. 

It's hard. Christ never promised easy, I know that. Christ promised a life of pain, trials, and persecution. He promise more sucky days than good ones. He told us that we were going to have to pick up our own cross and follow Him and following Him means death to one's self. He promise though that at the end of it, it would be well worth it. 

My request is that you keep me in your prayers, pray that I will be broken by Christ, shattered even and that He will raise me up and make greater known His name than mine through me. 

-A 

It's Not Over Til It's Over: Our God is Bigger

I am not a huge dance show or talent competition show viewer. I have never even really watched Dancing With the Stars; however with the contestant Candace Cameron-Bure so blatantly demonstrating her faith on the show it's been hard to ignore. Recently, TheBlaze linked onto their Facebook profile page a video from Cameron-Bure's DWTS clip where she stated that her Christian beliefs would be upheld during the show. As I watched I got a warm, excited feeling that my God is not finished yet.

 My heart cringes whenever older adults start to claim that, because of my generation, the world is coming to an end. Mind you, this is the same generation that introduced Rock n' Roll, Playboy, and a more heighten society of drugs. With the heighten attention to sexual sins, immoralities, and various other "bad sins" many adults start to drop the claim "this is the end". It's completely frustrating. I honestly don't think is shows their attention to the Bible but their lack of faith and hope in the one they serve.

My God is the same God who destroyed the Earth, Nations, and Cities because of sin but He is also the same God who radically changed Saul into Paul and took an adulterous murder like David and made him a man after God's own heart. So please excuse me while I believe that my God can take a Miley/Bieber generation filled with sex, drugs, and rebellion and turn it into a world with more individuals like the Duck Dynasty family, Cameron-Bure, and 19 Kids and Counting.

Trust me, if you are one of those people who {No offense} looks down at the world from their Christian pedestal and prays for a rapture or declares end times, come down. Come down in the dirt and dig around. Be in this world that you are called to love. Aid the hurting. Love the loveless. Defend the weak. Demonstrate such love that when the world looks at you, they see nothing else but Christ, not some hypocritical, judgmental Christian. If you do you'll realize that TV shows such as Ducky Dynasty, Celebrities like Cameron-Bure, and Movies like Heaven is For Real or God's Not Dead are just the beginning. There's a rumbling under the surface that is starting to emerge. A generation that doesn't look at what you've done, what you look like, or what church you go to, to decide whether or not you are fit for the battle. We are a bunch of tatted up, loud gospel music, Jesus freaks who won't stand for this segregated, I'm-Better-Than-You-Because-(I'm a Christian, I'm a Baptist, etc.) mentality.

We are in a war. Stop fight with the person next to you and start fighting the true enemy.



Peace and Blessings,
Amanda Larson



The Video of Candace Cameron-Bure

Safety Scissors

It's a lesson every mother teaches their child.

Don't cut your own hair.

As a child I think I cut my Barbie's hair rather than my own, well that was until today.


As I sat watching something dumb on Hulu {It's so dumb I don't even remember what it was}, the reality of how actually bored I was sat in. I was home alone with just the dog while my dad and brother are at the NCCA tournament games and my mom hung out with her group of friends. It started very vaguely. The idea was probably started as I went through old pictures {Perm and all} and I stumbled upon my short hair picture from circa 2012? I was all like "I was cute." Which brings me to the beginning of my stages of how I chopped off like an inch of hair tonight.

1. Throwbacks
 Around my 18th birthday I had decided that my longer-than-mid-back hair hair had to go. After constant headaches in Africa caused by the heavy weight champion known as my hair in a pony tail all day, I was done. I sat out on the porch as my mom snipped away. It was all fine and dandy until she said lean your head forward and all of my hair came forward. I now had short-than-my-shoulders hair. I swore my mom would never cut my hair again. However today as I looked at the photos I was reminded of how foxy I really was. 

2. Boredom if of the Devil 
"Why'd you do it?" Mom asked. "Satan was all like 'Chop it off' and Jesus was all like 'You'll regret it', so Satan won this battle Mom." I responded. Needless to say as I sat there bored, I probably could have done something more useful with my time like pack to go back to school tomorrow or something. But I didn't. 

3. The Act 
My hair was in a french braid and I thought "Hey, I'll lock of love style it." So I just chopped it off. I then took my hair out of the braid and instantly I looked in the mirror and regretted it. But it was too late now I had to make lemonade with just lemons. 

4. Cut my Losses and Wait for Mom
No pun intended. Okay actually pun was intended because it's funny, don't deny it. I patiently waited for mom to return home. I flipped my hair over my shoulders and greeted her at the door. She was instantly suspicious of my niceness. I apologized first and then begged for her help. At first she was down. Then she was all like I'll take you to the hair salon to fix it tomorrow. Then I was like "No, she'll yell at me for cutting my hair." Then mom was all like "We'll say someone else cut it in your sleep [Aka blame it on Sawyer]." Then after some winning she began to cut my hair.

My hair is fine now and in fact I actually really like. I also ate the words "I'm never letting my mom cut my hair again." and "I won't cut my hair until after I get married." Oh the things though I do so that I can right blog post :) 


Until next time my little chick-a-dees :) 

A 



   

Double Edged Sword

Have you ever noticed how easily your gift from God becomes a source of pride?

I feel like if you have been in God's Kingdom for longer than a millisecond with a inkling idea of your gift that you have been well aware of both it's benefits and downsides.

I feel like my gift is writing and the ability to communicate ideas to other whether it be through writing or speaking.

I struggle daily with this source of pride. It's like every time I think "You got this Amanda, you're a fantastic writer, people love you." my next thought is usually "How prideful of you?"

I don't mean by any stretch of the imagination that you should downplay God's gift that He has entrusted in you. That you should over-humble yourself to the point where you either don't use it or you shrivel up to the idea of someone complimenting you.

At the same time though if you are anything like me, my initial response to anything God has entrusted me with has nothing to do with His Glory but mine.

His gift sometimes has less of what will be brought to His name but of a means of being praised.

-Praised for my abilities... that God entrusted me with

-Praised for my maturity... that came from God's pruning of me

-Praised for my ideas... that God granted me the freedom to think 

-Praised for my transparency... that God gave me the strength to do

At the same time as I battle with this pridefulness in my heart I sit here and wiggle my fingers at those around me who's pride isn't hidden by fancy words. I have been become a master spinster of words, twisting my language to hide the evidence of my guilt. Fancy words such as "It's all God" and "Praise be to God." My christenese is up to par what can I say?

How well have I become at humbling others. I do so with the gift God gave me. With my words. 

Are you starting to see this double edge sword? 

At the same time I am thoroughly grateful for this gift. 

You're now questioning if I am using christenese aren't ya?

I'm Not. 

I mean it. I am thankful.

I have this ability to speak and some how touch those around me. They get inspired to be better. Or they are challenged.

It started when I was 15, I spoke in front of thousands. Suddenly people were coming up to me and saying how much they were touched by my story. Grown adults were saying this. At 15 most people don't realize how much it means to have a bunch of adults tell you that they were listening to you.

Then at 18, out of pure frustration I wrote a post and placed it on a photo. I shared it with my friends and forgot about it. A few hours later I checked back on it. In a matter of three days I doubled, almost tripled, my friends on Facebook. A little post out of frustration was shared almost 100,000 times. Once again I was being commended for my words, these words that God entrusted me with.

Through both events, amongst many more, God has allowed me to meet people who impacted my life. Through the words that He entrusted me with, I was able to widen my pool of influence.

In my mind though I get the facts twisted sometimes. I think how awesome am I to have such an ability to command attention? How awesome am I to have an ability to influence others? How awesome am I?

As I embark on this new journey; however, I hope that God humbles me. That I am consumed like it says in Hebrew 12:29 "...Like an all consuming fire." by God. That every word that I write will bring Glory to none other than His name. That through my success, His name will be lifted higher. That through the opportunities granted to me that I will be able to share His name. Though I may fail, His name will hold strong.


See having a gift is a double edged sword because we make it to be. We grasp on to our gifts and talents instead of turning them over. We taint our gifts. God can use our gift for far more than we can imagine, we just have to let go of our death grip and turn it over to Him.

“The reality is that all God has to do is reveal himself to you, and you'll gladly join the mission in service to his kingdom. He doesn't force the issue; he just has to reveal himself as is: mighty, wondrous, gracious, loving, and radically saving. No man goes back to saltine crackers when he's had fillet mignon.”- Matt Chandler

-Amanda