He is the Radiance of the Glory of God

   As an intern here at Kauai Bible College, one of my requirements as an intern is listening to an audio series by Pastor Chuck Smith. He's been going through the old testament. I just recently got through the book of Leviticus.

 Rewind now to the beginning of this month. I had just finished up reading through 1st Corinthians in my morning quiet times and was choosing what book I would read next. The Lord brought Hebrews to mind. I've always wanted to read through it and now the opportunity had arrived. 

So as I was reading of the law and the old covenant, I was also reading in Hebrews about the new covenant and how Jesus came to fulfill the law. The Holy Spirit allowed me to understand both parts of scripture more clearly by directing my heart on where to read! It amazes me that even in the seemingly small choices that we make in life, (like where to read) is completely directed by the Holy Spirit. Anything good inside of me is because of him working in my life. Praise the Lord! 

   In other news, God is working mightily in the lives both of the students and the staff, changing our hearts to look more like Christ. It's been great to see the transformation of students. With the end of the semester coming closer every day, I'm getting a bittersweet feeling in my stomach. I'm excited for the next season of life but I'm going to miss the friends I've made, the church family I've become part of and the ocean. :)

   I'm pushing myself to finish this semester strong and finish what I started here by the grace of God. He is so good to us. 

Hebrews 1:3,4

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 

 Psalm 66:1-5

"Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God 'How awesome are your deeds!So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praise to your name.' Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man."

   

God Provides

God is faithful. 
Let me tell you how I know. 


 I'm in Hawaii living in a tent and without a job. Needless to say, I don't have a lot of money. For me, this is a very stressful thing. I start freaking out about how I'm going to do anything, get anywhere or even get my laundry done. But then the words of Jesus pop into my head. 

 Matthew 6:25
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"


 About a week ago, I was having a particularly hard time trusting the Lord for provision as I looked at my bank account and saw the dwindling numbers with the knowledge that two of my good friends were coming out to visit from Minnesota and I really wanted to be able to show them a good time. But God told me it was time to put full trust in him to provide and that he will take care of everything. The next day I read in the Psalms. 


 37:5
 "Commit your way to the Lord; 
  Trust in him, and he will act."


It was then when I finally surrendered and decided that God would take much better care of me than I ever could on my own. I committed my way to him. 
About ten minutes after I read this I picked up my phone and saw a text message from a friend of mine telling me that she just put money in my account! Praise the Lord! 


Again, just this past weekend I needed to fill the car with gas and was concerned about spending that much (Gas out here in about 5 bucks a gallon right now). Only this time I was a little more quick to remember what God has done for me. I told the Lord that I was trusting him to provide again for me. Just 5 minutes later I received a letter in the mail with a check for me! God continues to be amazing.  His timing is so perfect. 


 And just yesterday I was out with my Minnesotan friends having one of the best days I have ever had (I got to snorkel and see 3 sea turtles!) when I got a phone call from my parents letting me know that I was getting a substantial amount of money back from my tax refund! I'm so overwhelmed with how God is so amazing.  


 I get to live this life!

Poipu

Rain. Rain. Lightening. Thunder. More Rain. Water EVERYWHERE. 


We had to leave camp yesterday because we were getting flooded out. 
A few friends and I have been staying with the family of one of the students who's staying in Poipu on the south side of the island. It was a huge blessing to hang out with an awesome family and stay dry.It's funny because they say it's always sunny in Poipu. 
  We woke up this morning and found out that classes were canceled and saw that the sun was shining. 


 So we did what any bible college/Minnesotan would do. 


 We hit up the beach. 
 Boggie boarding and cliff jumping. It was a wonderful, sunny day. 


 Praise the Lord for the rain. Praise Him for the sun. 

Rainy Days

           It's Sunday. 

Here in Kapaa it's rainy and chilly. 

The tents are getting a good washing out. Literally. This girl was not the brightest the other night and forgot to zip up all the windows and the water came in and got into my clothes containers. Almost everything I own is damp right now. I'm kinda getting used to it. Mud, water, more mud, chickens, spiders, and eternally frizzy hair are becoming a way of life for me. God is defiantly teaching me to not hold on to the things of this world but to set my mind on things above and store my treasures in heaven rather than here because things really do get destroyed. (i.e. my cell phone a few weeks ago haha)

     But I LOVE THE RAIN. It reminds me of the Fathers grace poured out for his beloved.  

   But I can't always sit out and get soaked in his love and grace, that's really cold and wet. So to get out of the rain, I came to Starbucks get get some homework done and drink some coffee that isn't Folgers. I was happy cause today I got to wear my hat that Elizabeth Danger made for me. It's finally chilly enough for me to wear it. I'm dressing like a Minnesotan today and it makes me happy. 

ps, I LOVE coffee shops. This Starbucks is beginning to feel like my caribou coffee back home. And if you know me, you know that I really like that caribou. 

 Anyway, 

  This past Friday, Josh and Noelle, two if the students in our worship class lead worship for the youth group on their own and I was so encouraged. After helping them set up and walking down to girls camp I was nearly moved to tears because God showed me that he was answering my prayer. 

  A few years ago I decided I wanted to do for others what my friend Rommel did for me in my early teenage years, and that was to pull on the gifts of those who are musically talented and teach them how to use those gifts for the Lord and encourage them to lead others in worshiping a God who is totally worthy of it all. God showed me that it was happening! He is using me to teach and encourage the students here. This is what I've been dreaming about doing for years! God is so faithful to us when we are in surrender to his plans. 

 Another thing that God has been laying on my heart and it kinda goes along with what I was just talking about, is that I need to be completely faithful in what the Lord has me doing right now in this season of life and to learn to be content where I am and not worry about what the next step is. A few weeks ago I found myself TOTALLY stressing about what I was to do when I get home this summer and wasn't really focused on the task in front of me. God will show me what he has for me when he's ready. It's really great that he knows what he's doing. I'm so grateful for that. 

The Lord is wonderful. I get to sing about it and lead others to do so. 

I have the best job ever. 

  Until next time. 

 -Emily

The Update

Greetings Friends and Family, 

 Wow. I've been at Kauai Bible College for a month plus a week. The time has flown by! 


I don't even know where to begin! Ever since being here God has been pulling closer and closer to his heart. Every morning we an hour set apart to be with the Lord in the world and through prayer. God has really been speaking to me through these times. Since I've been here I've learned alot about the grace of God and that apart from him I can do nothing. I need his help to get through each and every day.
     The students have all become very close to my heart and great friends. It's so fun living on campus with so many young people who love the Lord. Our living conditions may not be the most comfortable, but they are adventurous and have been stretching our personalities. 
    As most of you know, I'm living in a tent. It's up on a deck and we have furnishing along with carpeted flooring. Our showers are cold and brackish (half salt water half mineral water). We have a outhouse and that's all I'm going to say about that. So, the conditions can seem at times a little rough but I LOVE IT. The breeze comes right through the screens and the sun rises in my front yard. I've gained a new appreciation for 4 walls and a roof over my head. Showering and brushing my teeth in hot fresh water is like a dream come true. 
    The church here is incredible. They all show the love of Christ so well to one another. Some of the families from the church have adopted the bible college students into their family while they are here. It's so great that we all get to bless one another in this way. As I write this, I'm sitting in a condo that one of the women in the church blessed us with for the day because of the rain that we have been getting all night long. It's such a blessing to have a warm and dry place to use our computers, charge our phones and do laundry. 
  
         I'm enrolled in 2 classes here at KBC. One is Discipleship 101 in which we talk about the great commission that Jesus gave and the end of his ministry which was to go and make disciples of all nations. We are learning that it is not enough to simply share the gospel  but the follow up from that transformation is just as vital as their initial decision for Christ. I'm excited for the rest of the semester and the wonderful things that we will be learning through it. The other class is what we call "Chuck Tracks" which are sermons on mp3 from Pastor Chuck Smith that go through the entire bible. I'm going through the first part of the old testament. This is something that I've been wanting to do for a while and it's a blessing to get to take this course. 
     As far as my duties go on campus, I am leading the Wednesday night worship services and assisting Heather in meal planning and shopping for the schools kitchen.  
Wednesday nights have blessed me SO greatly already! (And we've only had two!) When you are given a group of young people and you're not sure of how far along in their talents they are, it can be quite scary. But the first week we got together and the Lord really united us as a team and the music was WONDERFUL. I was so relived and encouraged and got WAY excited for the semester of growth for all of us. I'm excited to push the students to places where they haven't been before but God really wants to use them in. I'm also just bringing in most of my favorite music and that's a HUGE blessing for me. So far, everyone has picked up and been touched by the songs we have sung together. We've had people come up and share that we were used and that they could tell that God was moving while we played music. SO ENCOURAGING. 
   Like I said, I also help Heather with kitchen stuff. We make Costco runs together and plan out the menus for the weeks ahead. This is a difficult but great job. We get to make sure that everyone is eating healthy and eating enough. My times with Heather are great and I'm so happy that I get to work with her. 

     So that is a little taste of my life here in Kauai. In our free time we go to the beach, Hoppe Falls, hiking, coffee shops, or just hang out together in each others tents. 

 Thank you SO SO MUCH for all of your prayers and support! It's been helping a whole lot. Here is an update of prayer requests. 

   
    Pray for Pastor Bob Hallman as he returns from his sabbatical and is getting back into the swing of things at the church and also teaching the Discipleship 102 class for the returning students from Fall of 2011. Pray for energy and direction for him and his family. 
  Pray for the students that they can be focused on their studies and that the Lord can teach them as much as they need to learn this semester, and not only book knowledge, but more about who God is and what he wants for their life. Pray that we would not get distracted by all of the wonderful things that Kauai has to offer but that we could use them to grow closer and see the true nature and goodness of our God. 

   Pray for me, that I would continue to learn how to be a servant to the others around me. Pray for me to be a good student in the classes that I'm taking. Pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit so that I can do everything that God has for me here. Pray for focus for me as I am easily distracted. Pray that I will dive deeper into the knowledge of who God is. 

Thanks again. Love you all. 

-Emily 

Aloha!

		Psalm 139:7:14 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
		If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
		even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
		If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"
		even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
		For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
		I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  Hello Friends,          Well, here I am. Kapaa, Kaua'i! I've been here a few and a couple days and the time has been flying by!  The day we arrived I went up to the north shore for a womens prayer retreat with Calvary Chapel Kauai. It was a wonderful way to begin my time here. We had lots of quiet time with the Lord and fellowship with one another. It was when I was there, sitting by the ocean, feeling a little homesick and ill prepared that I came to the saving knowledge that God the Father is my home and where ever he puts me on this earth I can be content because He is everywhere. God is great and I'm SO glad that I get to be called one of his children and serve him with my life.      After the womens retreat I we came back to camp and got settled it to our luxury safari tent. I have two roommates who are super fun and great to be around with. We are the three female interns this semester and will be working together with the students and other projects. I love our tent. The campus is really fun and....campy.      Kauai Bible College's semester starts on the 2nd of February, and the students arrive this week. The past few days we've been working on getting the campus ready for them. We've accomplished alot in a short amount of time because we've all been working together. I'm VERY excited to get this semester rolling and begin the great task that's ahead.         Prayer Requests:     Pray for the students as the are traveling out here that the Lord would keep them safe. Pray that God will prepare their hearts for the semester and that they would be ready to learn from the Lord, the staff and the experiences they have while they are here.      Pray for the staff and interns to be wise in all the decisions that we make on a day to day basis. Pray that God would give us grace as some of us (some of the other interns and me) are doing this for the first time. That we would walk by faith and not by sight. Pray for strength and patience for us all, the days can get long and hot and being humans, we can be irritable and difficult to deal with. Pray that we would have unity and be a team working toward the same goal, making disciples by leading as examples in the way of Jesus Christ.  I'll have pictures up in the near future with more information on what I'm up to!   Thank you all so much for your support and partnership in the gospel of our Lord Christ Jesus. Blessings to you and your families.    Smiles in Jesus,   Emily Clawson

Happy New Year!

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

    I hope this year finds you with joy and great anticipation for the upcoming opportunities to grow deeper in living for Christ our Savior. What a good thing it is that He has chosen to give us Jesus in order to bring us back into communion with Himself. Christmas is such a beautiful reminder of that gift. I hope you all had a wonderful time with friends and family.

         

Since January last year I have been worship leading for a church called The Threshing Floor in Isanti, MN.  Our worship services are held on Sunday nights so I have had the opportunity to help out at other churches around the area that need a pianist on Sunday mornings. I attend Cross Pointe Church with my family in Cambridge where I also, on occasion, play on the worship team. I love ALL my church families! 

   Since March I have been working part time at Westerberg Chiropractic in Cambridge as the assistant to Dr. Westerberg. The rest of the week I clean houses in Cambridge as well as Minneapolis. I’ve learned so much in the past year about who God is in every season of life and who I am in Him. Now with the New Year upon us, I’m excited to share what new opportunity I have!

      As some of you know, my brother Ben has been in Hawaii at Kauai Bible College since January of this past year.  When Ben heard of an open position for a worship intern at the school this Spring, he encouraged me to apply.  I had never really thought it was possible for me to attend because I’ve been so occupied with working and keeping busy with my jobs here at home.

    In October of this past year, I attended a seminar for Worship leaders at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis.  That weekend, my eyes were opened all the more to the important position of the Worship Director/Music Leader in the church. The Lord began to show me that I need to be investing more time into my ministry of music.  I began praying and asking God to open my eyes to areas in my life that I need to work on and that He would give me ideas to further my ministry. That same week my brother Ben called to inform me that his plan was to come home for Christmas then return to KBC for the Spring semester. He encouraged me to apply for an internship position working with the worship director at the school!

Psalm 6:9 “The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.” The Lord answers the prayers of His people!  After prayer, conversation with my parents and some good hard thinking, I sent in my application and was accepted shortly after! The internship semester begins January 26th and ends May 18^th. 

        Knowing that I have friends and family at home that are on my team, holding me up in prayer would be a wonderful thing! Please ask God to reveal Himself to me in greater way while I’m there and that my heart would continue to long for His presence. Pray that Ben and I would be guided by the Holy Spirit in all the decisions we make. Pray that I would draw closer to Jesus and live in a way pleasing to Him.

    I am believing that The Lord will provide for me in this situation in life as He always has in the past. He continues to show Himself faithful and I continue to be amazed.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter and for your support. I’m very excited for this next adventure in my life story. May The Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.

-Emily Clawson

If you would like stay informed on the things I’m doing here are some options.

Twitter: @mleclawson

School website: www.kauaibiblecollege.com