Open Doors!

I have a lot on my heart and was so close to writing this blog about doubt, but instead, I have decided to update you on the crazy goodness that has happened in the last 48 hours!

• Thursday, August 21st at 2am: I was searching for jobs on the SPU website and applied for a few, including one for a position as a Saturday Concierge in Seattle.
• Thursday, August 21st at 8am: Received an email back from the Concierge position with an attached application and a request for an interview!
• Thursday, August 21st at 11am: Called my mama and asked what she thought of it all, she approved, and then called my aunt to see if I can crash at her place which is an hour and a half away from Seattle, on the way to Bend. Being the amazing aunt that she is, she completely opened her house to me! That's family love right der, folks.
• Friday, August 22nd at 12pm: Found places to get some sleep on the way to Seattle, worked out living arrangements, confirmed my interview, and worked on my application.
• Friday, August 22nd at 2pm: Found a belt to go over my skirt for 50 cents (for my interview outfit), it just doesn't get much cheaper than that!

All this is to say that I believe God has opened doors for me with this job and as I pray for His will through it all, He will continue to provide for me.  And even when money gets tight, His love is all I need.

Please be praying for me through all of the new, exciting, and scary changes of this month! If I get the job, I will be working in Bend part of the week and working in Seattle the other part until I move up to Seattle full-time for school, so it will be lots of driving and little sleep but so worth it! Also, my current job was not expecting me to have to cut down my availability so soon and we don't have enough employees so I'm praying and hoping for peace in that.

I hope you now feel so very updated on the semi-spontaneous life of Amy.

ALL Things.

People criticize. People see all of the obstacles that I will have to go through, and they shove them in my face as though I don't know about them. People see a girl, in the midst of the majority of male dentists and change their minds about the "everyone's equal" thing that many say they so strongly believe.

Usually, I don't let it get to me. But I had someone that I look up to today, bring me down. I let the frustration and negative attitude come over me all day.  I doubted my choice in school, my plans for life, God's help through it all and everything in between. I was driving home, praying and worshipping. I remembered the well-known and well-used verse:

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me" Phil. 4:13

As I thought and prayed over this verse, it came to life more than the usual.  We read verses and sing worship songs about the goodness of God but set aside the parts about how we need to follow God's path in order to truly recieve all the blessings that he has planned for our lives. So as long as I let Christ into my life, my actions, my plans, my schooling, and my finances and as long as I rely on His strength, I can do all things. I believe that Seattle Pacific, whatever the cost, is where I am supposed to be and until I feel that God has different plans, I will walk in that.

The second part of this, that I have touched on in the past, is being responsible. I need to take up every opportunity that God lays in front of me. I need to use my job, this blog, scholarships, job shadows, and volunteer work. God doesn't grow money trees, He doesn't make money rain down from the sky, He doesn't leave bags of cash under my pillow each night (Although, He could do any of those, He just usually works in other ways that will teach us and stretch us).

I hope and pray that I am doing God's will and I know that while walking in obedience with Him, I can do ALL things.

The Two Destructive "F" Words. Part 1: Finances

A couple months ago my pastor spoke on how to reach your biggest dreams possible and how there are two big "F" words that we should not let get in the way: Finances and Fears.

If I let them, finances could easily stop me from pursuing my dreams. I could say that I do not have the money to go to college, especially one as prestigious as Seattle Pacific University. But part of my dream and God's calling on my life includes Seattle Pacific and just in general, college is a necessity to be an oral surgeon.

God can provide. God will provide. But I have to act on the opportunities He gives me.

One opportunity is my job. I am working somewhere around thirty hours a week at a sub shop and I babysit regularly. Every bit of money that I can possibly save, I do. But it's not enough.

Another opportunity is scholarships. I am spending any free time that I have applying for them. I even got a letter today saying that I was a semi-finalist out of 500+ essays for one. Sure, I didn't win that, but it made me feel more capable of getting others.

This blog is another opportunity. I know that asking for financial support through a blog is not the most politically correct thing to do. (It's definitely humbling to be doing this.) I know that as of today, I only have six followers, but that is six more than two months ago when I started this blog. I know that the economy is still rough. But through all of that, I know that there are people who believe in my dream and who want to help with medical missions. In reality, a donation now will lead to being able to do medical
missions in the future.

With the money I will be saving over the summer, my $15,000 per year scholarship from SPU, state loans, and work study, I will end up somewhere around $8,000 short just for this year. I can always get private loans but that will only get me so far. Sometime I see the eight thousand and I want to give up. I want to say that I'm not able....but God is able.

So what I'm asking for is your help in supporting my dream. Just click the little button to the right that says donate. The transaction goes through paypal but if you are uneasy about that just email me at amerz35@hotmail.com. No amount could be too small. If you are unable or uncomfortable with giving financially, I could use all of the prayers I can get!

Thank you so much!

P.S. My posts will not all be about money, I will continue to share my thoughts and feelings of normal life.