What this blog is not...

My first entry on this blog told the story of the rather emotional beginning to the adventure that God and I started over a year ago. But nothing can be based only on emotions, and where the feelings stop or dry up, there needs to be something solid that everything is based on.
So what is this blog based on? Because every entry won’t be an emotional trip, what is left when the fireworks fade?

The easiest way for me to describe what this blog is, is to describe what it is not.

This blog is not a “Where in the world is Amanda MacDowell” travel documentary. Though I hope and pray that God continues to open the doors for me to travel all over this world--from this side, to the dark side, and back--there are already a few too many travel writers, and I’m sure that they’ve said all that can be said.

This blog is not a brag sheet for me to tell of all the wonderful things that I am doing for God, because the truth is that I am quite literally a helpless, emotional, basket-case when operating on my own power. I take no credit for anything that I ever have, or ever will accomplish, because I know full well Who has accomplished anything worthwhile in my life.

So what is left? What do I have to give?

I don’t claim to have all the answers to life’s questions, but life—every life—is a story that you can learn from. My own story is just starting to unfold, and I would be honored if you traveled this adenture with me by reading my blog!

But before I start, let me be completely honest with you. Even though I have dedicated my life to following Christ and working on the missionfield, I don't consider myself a very religious person. Like many people, I struggle to stay awake for a whole church service, most Christians drive me crazy, and I have spent much of my life holding the firm belief that God is boring and irrelevant to our modern world. Does that surprise you or offend you? Because, while I consider these things weaknesses and I am not proud of them, they shouldn’t surprise you. Everyone I talk to these days seems to feel the same way....
I'm just an ordinary person serving an extraordinary God. And my personal goal in life is not to be a good missionary or to beat anyone over the head with a Bible: all I want in life is to grow so close to God that the lines between us disappear, to dive completely into Him until He quenches my thirst, and then just to live my life as an overflow of our love.

I don’t expect everyone to always agree with me, in fact, I especially welcome those people who have doubts or hold different opinions to follow my blog. If everyone agreed, this would be a boring world, but between both of our skepticism we can challenge and learn from each other. If you do agree with me, I hope that you will also follow my blog, because, though I want to experience God for myself, I realize that there is a lot that I can learn from the experiences and stories of the people around me.

So join me as I follow God on the adventure of a lifetime!