February 17, 2006

Hey everyone! I’m sorry I’ve not posted in a while. Thank you everyone who has left me messages! I really appreciate hearing from you all.

I had a lovely Valentine’s Day here. We made break and bake cookies with little hearts on them. And when we came back from the prayer room, our core leaders (Sarah and Sarah Beth) had left us a note, a Dove dark chocolate and a single red rose on each of our pillows. It was so sweet. So combine that with all the chocolate April and Camila sent me and the card and cat from Katherine, and all the roses and cards other girls got from their dads or secret admirers, and you would never guess that none of us have boyfriends! Our apartment looks like a valentine’s day commercial. J It makes it very happy and cheerful.

It has been bitter cold here the past 2 days. Today the high was 25 with a wind chill of 15. I thought my face was going to crack and fall off. Good news, it didn’t! ;)
Monday was nice and warm though, I went for a nice walk with Sarah-who-knows-Ben-and-Melissa-from-Teen-Mania. It was so glorious to be out in the warmth and sunshine. But that’s all gone now.

My time here has been flying by. I can’t believe that there are only 5 ½ weeks left! It feels like I just got here.

I am enjoying all of my classes, but definitely my favorite is The Excellencies of Christ. Every night when we finish I fell so amazed and awed from staring at the character of Jesus. It’s like that verse that talks about beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord and being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18). Every night when I come away from that class I feel so totally overwhelmed by the beauty of Jesus. He is the most remarkable human ever; Fully God, fully man, unique in every way. And the more I listen to Clay and Stuart (the class instructors) talking about Jesus, the more I feel like I don’t really know Him at all. All of my thoughts about Him are too small and limiting. I don’t think I have even begun to encounter who He is. It is driving me to study the Bible more and spend more time meditating on Jesus and talking to Jesus. Every night I ask God to reveal to me more of His Son, that I would have wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:16-17) It is something that I know I can spend my life searching out and never come to the end of.

So enough of my tirade on Jesus. He is just too beautiful. We don’t even know, we don’t even get it!

I had dinner last night with Janet Asbury. She came up to check out a house they might buy. I am so excited for them. This is such an incredible place, there is an anointing here for training and equipping and sending out. And the things you learn here aren’t just head knowledge, so you really take it with you the rest of your life no matter where you go or what you do.

April mailed me my USAG magazines this week. I enjoyed the articles, it helps me keep connected to what is going on in the world of gymnastics.

Hey NVG girls!!! Have a great meet this weekend!!! Don’t get nervous. Have fun and do your best. And for goodness sake, stay on the beam!!! ;)

Love you all,
Amanda Joy :)