We’re all about experience life transformed here at More to Be, believing the God is the changer of hearts and lives through faith in His Son. And we also know that when you’re in the midst of transformation, it is hard to get perspective…to see God at work…to believe that something good might come of this uncomfortable now. So as way of encourage you on this journey of learning and discovering who God is and who we are in Christ, we’re going to give you a behind the scenes peak into our lives. Each month, you get to meet one of our contributors in a Behind the Scenes interview. Our hope is that you’ll be encouraged to press on in your faith and press into Lord as He makes you more bright, more beautiful, and more like Him.
Meet Amanda
Just the Facts, ‘Mam
Hometown: Sanford, North Carolina
Family: Have a wonderful husband named Brian. We got married in January of 2010 just as a terrible snow storm came through. At least the snow made for beautiful wedding pictures! We have a beautiful daughter, Brooke, who was just recently born in January. We’re both adjusting to parenthood, but are so in love with her!
Education: I attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and received my Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Go Spartans! I currently work full time as a social worker for a non-profit agency. I get to work with teens one on one and I love it!
Social Media Links: You can visit my blog site here: http://intothebeautifullife.blogspot.com. I haven’t made the jump to twitter just yet. But do look me up on Facebook!
Tell Us About Your Life & Faith
When did you come to know Jesus personally?
I became a Christian at age eleven at Vacation Bible School. I will never forget that feeling. After I accepted Christ, I remember feeling all warm inside, just as if He was hugging me. When my mom came to pick me up that night, I remember not being able to share in words what had happened to me, so I just hugged her and cried. She knew immediately the amazing thing that had just happened.
Most of us struggle with a crisis of faith at some point or another. If you have had this experience, where you significantly doubted God or walked away from the Lord, would you mind sharing with us about what brought that on and how you moved through that experience to come out on the other side?
I can think of two times when I have really struggled. Once was as a freshman in college. I had just gotten out of a really unhealthy and verbally abusive relationship and I felt so alone and distant from God. I didn’t know which path to take as far as a career, I was heartbroken, and I really fell into a depression. I felt vulnerable and unworthy of anyone or anything. I didn’t necessarily turn away from God, but I sure didn’t turn to Him. I stopped praying and tried taking matters into my own hands with things. Eventually I began a strong prayer life again, but it was a long process. I had to give myself time to heal from the wounds I had. The other time was during the struggle my husband and I had getting pregnant with our daughter. Although we believed in God’s plan and perfect timing, the struggle of waiting for so long was difficult. We failed many times (me especially) with trusting God throughout the whole process. But I also know that trust was the lesson He was trying to teach me through it all as well.
Paul describes a thorn in his flesh, which we like to use as a metaphor for a particular struggle in our personal or spiritual lives. Is there an issue in which you struggle with, but that you’ve found hope in the Word or support from others that enables you to press on?
I personally really struggle with issues of control. I know God’s plan is perfect and His timing is ALWAYS perfect, but I still find it difficult to truly give over all my control to Him. It’s something He’s always working with me on. I find writing about my control issue a help to me.
As you think about your future, in what way to hope to experience life transformed?
I hope to see God transform my life in many ways, but I want Him to transform my ministry into what He wants it to be. I want Him to transform me as a mother, to pray over my children and seek out His will for their lives as well.
What are you most passionate about and why?
This is such a tough question for me to answer because I am passionate about so many things! I am extremely passionate about working with teen girls. I LOVE my Acteens group and enjoy the time we spend together in the word on Wednesday nights. My favorite topics to discuss center around self-esteem, relationships, friends, etc. I just remember the difficulties that come with being a teen girl and that’s why I love working with them so much. I am passionate about raising up the next generation of Christ followers. Our children and teenagers are our future ministry leaders and they need a solid foundation to build off of.
How do you nurture your faith and how you go about learning what the Bible says?
I own a few different translations of the Bible, but this year I’ve focused on reading out of The Message Bible. I enjoy that translation because it is often easier for me to understand. I also enjoy the NIV and NLT versions as well. I tend to worship a lot in my car. I enjoy singing and worshiping through music, and many of the ideas for my devotions have come while I’m worshiping/driving in my car. I have so many Bible study books, but I truly love all of Beth Moore’s Bible studies. I’m currently in the middle of her Living Beyond Yourself study. One of my favorite books is Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. I read it in just a few days because I couldn’t put it down! I also tend to love anything by Lysa TerKeurst.
What is your favorite item of clothing or accessory?
Hmm, this one is hard! It would be between my assortment of ballet flats or the pearl earrings my husband gave me when we were first dating. I wear them both all the time!
What do you love about More to Be?
One of the core values of More to Be is to inspire others to become more bright, more beautiful, more like Jesus. What does this mean to you personally?
For me personally, these core values are to inspire others to radiate the love that Jesus gives us. For others to believe in their true beauty and their potential to follow the path that the Lord has laid out for them. Also, I think inspiring others to be courageous and take a stand for Jesus in everyday life is an important part of these wonderful values.
If you have read or used any of the Topic & Truth Downloads, please tell us about which one and how that particular resource helped you?
Love, love, love the Topic & Truth Download on being worthy. It has such wonderful information in it.
What part do you play on the More to Be team and what is your dream for More to Be?
I am a contributing writer for the More to Be team and I enjoy it so much. Being a part of this team among so many other great women has been a joy for me. It has helped me grow not only in my writing but in my walk with Christ as well. I want to continue to see More to Be grow as a ministry. Whether that growth be more team members, more site visitors, events held…whatever God has in store! I can’t wait to see this wonderful ministry continue to grow and what sparks from it. I wish More to Be would have been around when I was a teen!
What piece of advice would you give your 16 year old self?
I would tell my 16 year old self not to worry so much about what others think of you but to spend your time developing true friendships with other Christian teens. Don’t spend your nights wishing for a boyfriend; spend your nights praying for the man God already has planned for you. I would tell her to seek out the Lord’s will in everything because He will never direct you down the wrong path.
If you could give a piece of critical advice to a mom of a teen girl, what would you say?
One of the biggest pieces of advice I would give to moms of teen girls is to keep those lines of communication open at all times. Teens (especially girls) are going through so many transitions during this time. I think it really helps if they feel like they can come to you with questions or for help with a situation and that you’ll be honest with them but not judgmental. I think open and honest communication is key.
Thoughts and Questions?
Is there something you’d like to ask Amanda?
Would you like to share something with her?
Feel free to leave a comment or email Amanda at more(at)moretobe(.)com.
