All to Him.

So I'm pretty sure I posted this video before, it's called Honeymoon with Jesus.. <---right there---

Anyways. I watch that video a lot cause I have it saved in my favorites bar so that I remember it. :) That video really means a lot though. Seriously, think about it.

 Is Jesus enough? He is enough.

Am I satisfied with Him? He is ALL I need.

Could I live on Him alone? I can live on Him alone. 

After reading that you're thinking..."ummm, whoa. conceited in relationship with God much?"

Nope, not at all. Cause here's the catch.

Is Jesus enough? He is enough. But I don't give Him full control. 

Am I satisfied with Him? He is ALL I need. But I don't let Him be everything.

Could I live on Him alone? I can live on Him alone. I can, but I don't give Him the chance.

I wrote those questions, then I was just looking at them thinking of the answers, and the catches...and I just realized when I was just writing the catches. The problem, with every single one is my pride, and laziness, and timidness to trust Him. It's all faith. If we give Him that control, EVERYTHING, that chance to take over. HE WILL. Cause He wants to be Lord of our lives. God CAN take care of me. He WILL take care of me.

 HE LOVES ME.

Now that I went off on a tangent that had nothing to with what I was originally going to post...let's get to where I was going.

My title. Sold out.

Tonight in our youth lesson our youth pastor was talking about giving all to God.

Being God's. 

Living for Him.

Having that relationship.

Being sold out.

Living out God's plan.

There's a song that we sing at a children's program I teach and it goes like this...

"Oh I used to sit and wonder, 

as I gaze up at the sky.

 If my life would have a purpose. 

or if it would just go by. 

Though I still have many questions, 

I don't worry anymore.

I see something that I've never seen before.

God has a plan for me. 

Yes, I've begun to see.

...(can't remember this part)...

I'll put my trust in Him. 

The One who set me free.

Yes I know God has a plan.

PUT MY FUTURE IN HIS HANDS.

Yes I know God has a plan. 

A plan for me.

I love that song so much. Specially that last part. 

Put my future in His hands. Cause I know God has a plan. A plan for ME.

Imagine hundreds of kids singing that. Yeah, it's beautiful.

But even though it's a kid's song, it gets to me. 

It's perfect for the way I'm feeling.

GOD HAS A PLAN.

PURSUE IT.

BE SOLD OUT FOR HIM.

What's stopping us?

Seriously. What can we lose for God?

Would we really have to give up that much?

Not really. He just wants us to love Him.

Serve Him.

Live for Him.

After all, He gave us everything. Can't we give Him a teensy weensy bit?

Is Jesus Enough?

Can we give Him our future?

Can we live for Him?

Will we live for Him?

Will we love Him?

Will we serve Him?

I hope the answer is yes.

Sweet Summertime. :)

Whoaa buddy. I've been such a bad blogger this summer.

Ohh well. Summer's been pretty swell. :)

1. I went to a freakin awesome basketball camp with my basketball buddy, Chloe. :)
2. I fractured my leg from an epic ultimate frisbee dive (resulting in some epic road rash.) combined with basketball camp and keeping on going. I thought, "oh yeah, I've pulled a muscle or something. Let's not be a wimp and stop playing" so I kept on going...for a month. and got a nice stress fracture and had to quit running, basketball, everything for two months.
3. Went vacationing with the family in Branson, Missouri a week later.

     a. we met American Idol stars. 

    b. Had frog races.

                                  

    c. Watched some comedy shows. :)

                                 

   

    d.  Visited the sister friend, and bummed around Branson Landing. 

                                    

                                    

    e. Bought some TOMS finally. :)

4. Went to church camp with my spectacular youth group... :) 

5. Taught two kids programs. :) the best. :)

6. Went to see the best friend, Victoria. :) 

                                       

:) So there's part of my summer in a synopsis. :)

H.e.r.o.

he·ro
n. pl. he·roes
A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life


Three people became heroes July 5th.

Three heroes acted that day.

Three heroes cared.

Three heroes acted.

Three heroes saved a life.

A man died that day. he died a hero. 

My sister said, " I guess heaven needed another hero."

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12762940#

Mr Richard was a second father to my two older sisters and I.

His daughter, like a sister. 

His family like my family.

We called him R Diddy. :)

We all had insider jokes.  

We were all tight like that. :)

Mr Richard was a man to be respected.

Small in stature. But a giant in spirit.

He was a spiritual giant. He loved.

He cared.

That day, he took action.

He gave his life.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Pastor-Sunday-prayers-sent-Good-Samaritan-to-drowning-site-97903984.html

There's "R Diddy" One of the greatest men I've ever known. 

{Risk}

.Bold.

.Courage.

.Strength.

.Impact. 

.Risk.

Some of the most beautiful words, to me. 

Why? God keeps pushing me to the limit. 

He keeps showing me, "Hey you, I have a bigger plan for you."

So I'm trying to listen. So I can be bold in what He wants me to say.

So I can have courage to step out on a limb.

So I can have the strength to carry His word.

So I can make the impact in just one person's life.

I'll have to risk all to do all this. 

But if I risk. I'll lose nothing. 

I'll need to give Him everything. 

I know He won't let me fail.

I stole this quote from my sister's blog.

To Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas and
dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because
the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing,
has nothing, is nothing.

– William Arthur Ward (1921-1994)

Beautiful. It sure is. I read that and it inspired me incredibly much.

Then I found this verse on a friends facebook the other day. This verse. My oh my, it inspired me even more.

Will YOU be one of "These that have turned the world upside down.."—Acts 17:6?

Will I be one of them?

Will I change the world?

I wanna turn it upside down.

But to do that, I need to risk.

I'll need to give up everything.

Let it all go.

Then God will do His perfect work.

{Summertime}

Ohh my, it's summertime already again. :) This excites me.

Summertime means: picnics, swimming, tans, snowcones...yeahh, I love summer. :) 

It's my favorite time ever. 

Plus, country summers are even better.

:)

I bought some new running shoes. :) 

And I love them so much. So much, that I want to go running all the time.

I've already showed them off on facebook. 

I'd like the whole world to be aware of my new shoes. ;)

:)

Ahhh, excuse my ramblings, I'm just out of things to blog these days.

Sooo, guess that means I'm done here for today...

Ohhhh myy myy myyy. I haven't blogged in foreverrr...quite obviously...there's reason. At least for the last two weeks...I was in Dallas visiting my sister, and didn't really have much computer access at all... and before that...I'm as lame as a blonde joke in the excuse department...

Anyways...I need something interesting to say...do I not? Oh yes I do...
So I've told everybody and their pet birdie, that I'm going to basketball camp next week. And I'm just a little more than excited. Ok. I'm super excited. I can't wait. It's gonna be so hardcore. Let's hope I don't die of suicides. Oh my, that's the only thing I really dread...

On another basketballin' note. Celtics tied up the series by winning game four last night. So the Celtics and Lakers are tied in the NBA playoffs finals... Oh yeah. You could probably care less. So I usually don't talk to people about it, but that excites me too. :) Ohh yeahh. Cause all along, from the very beginning...I've been cheering those Celtics like no one's business. So yeahh buddy. Thanks for listening to my basketball ramblings...I'll go on to things you think bigger and better...

Hmmmm, so our family is finally going on vacation again. :) excitement much. We're going to some countrified water park hotel in Missouri. With lots and lots of entertainment. Oh yeah. haha. We're even going to a country comedy show. Ha! It's gonna be good.

So Whit showed me this hilarious video on youtube. It cracks me up..it's call Jessica's Daily Affirmation. This little girl is great. Ha. She cracks me up. I should be as positive as her in the mornings...

Anyways...I will be blogging more often. I will... :)

"Are You Jesus?"

:) My friend posted this on facebook. I find this story absolutely beautiful. It really makes me think. 




A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.

Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE !!!

He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and
experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears
running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly
groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.


When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,
"Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we
didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.

Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to
church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

Beautiful right? Right. Very beautiful I think. :) 

We should be showing so much love, people think we're like Jesus. 

Me.Compassion.Them.Love.There.Difference.

I want to make a difference. 

Sounds cliche, eh? Yes. It does. Cause everyone is saying that these days. Forgive me, but it almost seems like the new trend in Christianity. Well, I actually want to follow this trend. 

There's a verse.

"And of some have compassion. Making a difference"

Jude 22

I don't know about you, but that's a super powerful verse to me. I read, then read it again, and again, and again, and again. I thought, wow. A verse plainly stating. Amanda Hall, you will make a difference. All those dreams. All those goals. They can and they WILL happen. That verse told me. Go for it.

Now, it's a good possibility I should probably tell you what in heaven's name I'm speaking of. I'll tell you in one word. Then I'll possibly elaborate. :)

Here's the word.

Taiwan. 

Yes, that was it. Taiwan.

Why?

I have a close friend, and her sister went to Taiwan. I know two other girls, they went to Taiwan.

Ever since I heard a little about it, I've had such a passion for that. I want to go.

For what?

To teach.

Teach who?

The little girls an boys in the public schools over there.

Teach what?

English, and Character.

So why?

Because, I love them. 

But why?

Because, God told me to. He instilled this dream/idea/mindset in me.

How long?

A year. One full year.

You're probably thinking...ummm helloooo, aren't you too young for this?

Yep, right now I am. But when I turn eighteen I won't. :)

You're probably a little bored of my ramblings. But, thinking about this, it pumps me up.

This is definitely God's plan for me. 

Wanna know how?

This past week, I got hear a man speak on this. I was just sitting there, didn't even know he was gonna talk about it, then he said Taiwan, of course my head popped up and I held my breath. I was thinking..."is he talking about what I think he is?"

Yes, he was. 

I've been praying about this for so long, telling God, if this is for me. Give me proof. Well, proof hit me on the head this past week. Yep. Guess who's gonna go to Taiwan.

Yep, that'd be me.

"And of some have compassion. Making a difference"

Jude 22

Thank you muchly for reading my ramblings. I just had to write about this. :)

Taiwan. :)

"A Honeymoon With Jesus"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0jbBlcWzyk

The word that popped into my head when I listened to this whole video? Wow...cause, even though I love God! I do, I really do. He's my Saviour. But I thought wow, could I really live on Jesus alone? I know that God has the power to keep me alive, but would I be able to survive that on my own will, just leaning on Jesus?

Day 2 & 3.

Blogging was not an option for me yesterday. The weather was bad and my wi-fi wouldn't connect. Oh well....it works now. :) Anyways. I'm just gonna tell you what I did last night. Cause it's one of the things I love. :)

Movies with Sisters. :)

Last night Whit and Erika were home and we kept with tradition and we went to Cheddar's and our "ghetto" theater. :) Anyways. Let us just say we had an extreme laughable experience. More inside jokes were created. More we relived. And...let us just say...last night was...h.i.l.e.r.i.o.u.s. (spelled with an "e" on purpose.) 

We went to see Dear John. Yes, it's been out forever. But, in our theaters...yesss....everything is there wayyyy longer than anywhere else. But hey! It's $1.50 a ticket. yesssss. :)

Moving right along. :)
When we bought our tickets. I  swear Steve Irkel took our stubs inside. (for the un-informed of whom Steve Irkel is, please go sit down and watch Family Matters.)
That just started the movie experience out. I knew from that moment this would be promising. When we walked into lovely "theater five" (said in nasally voice) it smelled like some one's pet frog had died in there and it was hotter than a yard sale in the Sahara Desert.
After watching the movie for a while, we habitually stuck our feet up on the back of the seats in front of us as everyone and their dog ALWAYS does. And....about 10 minutes later I hear, "hey yo! get yo feet of that seat  girl!" Ohhhh boy...so I look over and there's a girl crouched down at the end of our row pointing her fingers at us. And I take a gander right behind her, and a police officer was standing behind her! With his hand poised over his gun ready for action! Seriously man! Do I look like I'm the leader of the East Texas mafia? Absolutely not! Soooo.....about five minutes later, I feel some one watching us, so I turn around-we are sitting towards the back-and see the cop "non-chalantly" leaning against the wall, hand still on gun, poised for action, staring us down. Haw. Then later, out of habit, not rebellion. I wasn't even thinking and I swung my legs up, then noticed him walking behind us, so I swing my leg over and started sitting with my ankle on my knee for a couple of minutes. Haw.....as to not get riddled with bullets from this trigger happy cop.
I would also like to enlighten you upon this fact. We are minding our own business watching the movie, and "Irkel" (as we now shall call him) comes marching down the aisle with a flashlight, hunched over, examining every row to make sure no one's feet are touching the seats....please laugh with me.
Oh yes.....that was a fun night. :) And, if none of this amused you. please forgive me, for it was one of those. You had to be there experiences. :P


Day 3.
Strawberry Shortcake. :)
Yes, I love it. :)
We had it for Easter dessert today. :) Yesss. Notice all these smiles. Because it is my favorite dessert.
Oh yes it is. :)

Day 1.

Day 1? Yes, you're probably wondering what day one means. Well, as my dear sister Whitney previously stated in her blog. "Don't get your knickers in a twist..." Oh yes. Back to my topic of choice. Day 1. Meaning, the starting of a new thing. Oh yes, I'm starting something new. If it hasn't been quite obvious to you already. I've decided for the month of April to do a "Happy list" of sorts. So, everyday, I will enlighten you of a thing of my liking. And for today.... :)

I love quotes. Oh yes I do. 

And if this happens to be un-amusing to you.

It is probably due to the fact you have not yet seen the new-ish movie Blind Side.

Yes. It's a football movie. Yes, it's hilarious.

"You can thank me later...."

"Now's later Bert..."

Ha. Yes, please laugh.

Although to get the full affect it's best to see this movie. 

Oh yes. Please do watch it.

:)

Day 1.

You're probably wondering what day one means....well. As my dear sister Whitney recently stated in her blog. "Don't get your knickers in a twist." Ha. Yes, that cracked me up too. Anyways. Day 1 is...like any other day one. The beginning of something new. Well. I have decided for the month of April to do something new. Obviously. So, for a new topic. I've decided to do basically...a "Happy List..." Or whatever you want to call it. Every day I'll enlighten you of something I love. So for today.....

I love quotes. Oh yes I do. :)

And, if this is un-amusing to you. You must not have seen the movie Blind Side....

"You can thank me later......"

"Now's later Bert."

:)

Yes, it's funny. Please laugh.

:)

Fresh Squeezed Oranges.

I standing here, beside my juice maker. Squeezing oranges. Making snickerdoodles. :) And I can't wait to have this juice. :) 

Ohhh my. I was so busy looking at pictures I just burnt some of those cookies. haha...ohhh well. It's 11 o' clock and I'm about to eat breakfast. let's make this brunch. anyways...I'm so happy as of right now. :) I'm going to 

all-stars. :) For those of you that don't know what that is. Which is probably most of you. :P It's my basketball. 15 girls get picked from my division. 1A. Yeahhh, we're small. And we go play an all-stars game in San Antonio. Yeshhhh. :) San Antonio. I love that place. Anyways. I'm so happy cause I'm going. That. Was my goal for basketball this year. :) And I made it. Ohhhh happy day. Anyways. :) I'm going. Yessss....

Ohhh myyyyyy. It is quite the beautiful day out here today. :) I love you Texas. And just so you know. This ice cold orange juice is better than swimming in an olympic sized swimming pool....or something like that. haha. Please don't be jealous though. ;)

The other day I was with my youth group at the lake. I was one of the only ones that was brave enough to stick my feet in the icy waves. Yah, that felt good. :)

Thank you Mr.Phone for taking this picture. ;)

It was amazing. :)

This was taken with my phone too....so, bad quality.

and this here is my puppy, Ro. 

I'm not usually an animal lover, and I would still not qualify myself and so. but, this is my puppy boy. 

And, now I am sitting out here in the sunshine. and, I'm not lying, I'm getting a bit more tan. :) yes, I can tan. Can Spring stay here all year long please?

Anyways. Excuse my ramblings. I have rambled much today. Anyways. I forgot to mention I'm reorganizing my whole room and closet. Funnnn. :) For real. It's fun to me. haha.....anyways. 

See ya lata.... :)

I'm in over my head.

God is.......
all together now, let's sigh.
**sighhhh**
cause it always seems to me that the words used to describe God are so cliche, so overrated. Cause we don't know how to describe Him.


Anyways. God keeps letting me know who He is. How He does things for me. :) 
And God's been basically drowning me in His love and His him show of love for me. This song definitely describes how I'm feeling. :) 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYtg2Ep4KKc
watch the video here. It's a beautiful song. 




"Over My Head"

I tried to figure it out
Time and time again and time again
I guess there's just some things I'll never understand
'Cause Your ways aren't our ways
But deep down in my soul, down in my soul
There is one thing I know that I know

I'm in over my head
Right where I wanna be
I'm so lost within Your love
The love that always covers me
So high, so deep, so wide
A strong and cleansing tide
My soul has found a place to rest
I'm in over my head

I've been holding on
Now I'm letting go, just letting go
Gonna let Your love carry me away
I don't know where I'm going
But I'm surrounded by the truth
And I can feel the current pulling me
Deeper into You

I'm in over my head
Right where I wanna be
I'm so lost within Your love
The love that always covers me
So high, so deep, so wide
A strong and cleansing tide
My soul has found a place to rest
I'm in over my head

You see me for who I am
You did reach out Your hand
You made me understand
That Your love has always covered me 


Now, all together now.
**sighhhhh**
That sigh was because God's breath-taking. :)

It's a little thing I call snow....

My Valentine snow. :)

A bottle rocket of a mind.

My mind is a bottle rocket. waiting to be let go, to fly, to explode.....

My mind works at breakneck speed all the time. 

I may be sitting listening to you talk, 

but really, my mind is going on and on. 

I think. 

I think if people would just listen, some one who seems small, has ideas to change this world.

I think up something beautifully poetic and wish some one else thought it beautiful too. 

I think, I wish I weren't scared to go sky diving.

I think, how I wish I could see the world in a minute.

I think, I want to go to China, and eat sushi, and I want to go to bring all those adorable little kids home with me.

I think, inspiration.

I think, people always say "In this day and age, the world is not what it should be", and I think those people just don't know. They don't know how to love, they don't know how to see the beautiful in the middle of chaos.

I look at a painting and think, "wow, that's art, that's beautiful"

I think, I wish I could take a rockin' awesome picture.

I think, I wish I could paint the world as I see it, then people would love it.

I think, whoa, is everybody gonna think I'm silly cause I think these things?

Then I think. I don't care.

Productivity Report. ;)

I'm sitting at my computer with nothing else to do for the day and it's only 5. All my school is done, my room is clean.. I'm so happy with myself. :)

I get to sit around for the next forty minutes then go to a basketball game and watch, not play. Which for some reason also makes me happy. :)

I also just read this on MLIA and laughed out loud. No lies.
"Today, I discovered that Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy. MLIA"

And this is def my favorite brother who can talk.

"Fall is a memory"

Chicken Soup for the humorless soul.

Yesterday was my now 13 yr old sister's birthday.
Let me take you step by step through my day...
Just kidding. I won't antagonize you that way. Haha.

Scene 1.

So I woke up yesterday morning about 8 hearing happy birthday being belted from across the hallway.
I had forgot it was her birthday and almost thought it was mine for a minute. ;) Not really, but, I sat there listening in awe to these lyrics.

"Happpppppppy Birthdeeeee to meeeeeeee.
Happy birthdeeeee to me.
Happy birthdeeeee to meeeeee....
happy birthdeeeee to meeeeeeee...."

It was in that moment I realized it was Beka's birthday and she was singing Happy Birthday to herself!
:) It totally made my day. I was also happy to remember I had bought her some Victoria's Secret body spray a couple of weeks ago. (What an awesome sister am I?)
So I quickly gave it to her and confessed I had NOT forgot.

Scene 2.

This has nothing to do with Birthday's but it happened yesterday.
And had to do with two days earlier.
So two days earlier Whitney and Ashley and I were in this amazing new boutique down town and Whitney and I bought this quite large, cutsie corner shelf to put in our room.....ahem. I bought a quite large, cutsie corner shelf to put in our room. It was too large to fit in teh trunk of our smallish little car so we told them we would come back later.... The next morning, I woke up thinking...we have absolutely no corner to put that large cutsie shelf in.....so.....yesterday. I spent about an hour finding a place for that stupid shelf. Yet, it remains sitting in my floor with no place to call it's own....Whitney lay on the bed histerically laughing as I try to find a home for that DUMB shelf.....for I quickly went from loving it to hating it. It taunts me. Every time I walk in the room, I tell her how much I dislike the thing. ;) Haha....I guess it will be soon finding itself in the Goodwill pile I have yet to start.

Scene 3

Dinner with the grandparents for the little sister's "birthdeeee".

So we were eating dinner and afterwards two of my younger sisters decided to give their present to my dear Beka, their present was to present a play. Ha.....

I hear giggling coming from their room. Then my dad sputter and laugh. I look up and soon hear loud humming. Six year old Sarah comes out singing and twirling an umbrella wearing a Hannah Montanna outfit....Ohhhh dear.

Enter Rachel. Wearing a large dress and a sheet. She comes out, saying she needs a room.....(my internal question was....why?) Sarah directs her where she should go....Rachel turns around and fall flat on her back then says, "excuse me...I slipped on some....precipritation." *laughter erupts* Then she gets up, looks around at everyone and states...."I am a moterin woman! What moterin furnishing!" (modern. for the humorless soul)

The End

Disclaimer.

I promise to never try play writing again.