Amanda Flores

(Christian Educator/Mentor)  

I have been on an amazing journey. Prior to coming to the Lord, my life was part of a dysfunctional family. There were many consequences that came along with these difficulties. I had no concept of what it meant to care for myself biblically, but adapted to survival mode just to get through the day. Much of what I went through drifted into my walk with Christ. I knew God would bring healing, but what would it take on my part? I must admit, it was not an easy road, but my walk required something very important: obedience. Obedience meant to surrender my ideas, thoughts, dreams, and all of me, to a Perfect, Just, and Loving Father. I had a lot of pain, deep wounds, chronic stress, and found myself visiting the hospital more than family. Over 20+ years of going through some hard circumstances can take a toll. Still, I believed there had to be more to life than just being broken over and over again. When I came to know the Lord, my walk with Him had to be intentional. There had to be a willingness on my part to obey His leading, guidance, and will for my life. Today, that walk has become much more purposeful and there’s hope once more. 

I have my Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Biblical and Theological Studies. Currently, I am working on my Masters in Education with TESOL. I am an educator for homeschoolers and the public sector. You can learn a little more about tutoring and inquire about my services here. I plan to obtain certification in Christian Mentoring and Bible Specialist in the near future, and I have 12+ years of experience in whole-food supplementation through a company called NeoLife (a whole-food, Non-GMO, scientifically-backed, 60+ years experienced family). I value good things for the body and am available to help you find good resources. Nutrition plays a vital role in our well being, but cannot be done without the power of the Holy Spirit through His always faithful and never changing Word.

I have been blessed to be able to speak about my varied experiences and work with people going through some very difficult seasons.

Experiences

As I continue to learn from circumstances that I must go through, the ones I share are why I continue to dig deeper, immersing myself in the Word of God, which always leads me to see the power of the Scriptures come to life. I often witness renewal, restoration, reconcilement, redemption, sanctification, transformation, and healing of His children.

As a young girl, I was raised in a family that had many challenges. Because of not learning the Truth of God’s Word, there were major disappointments within the walls of my home. Having siblings didn’t make it easier, but instead, we all went down similar paths. We endured different forms of deception and most times were left hopeless. Due to the dysfunction, the world, culture, and humanistic ways of coping, they caused a form of “trauma” or “PTSD” (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) which spiritually, create mental strongholds and believing lies instead of God’s Word. Through the course of growing up, the deception of believing all of my emotions and not seeking after the Real Physician, Jesus, caused anxiety, panic, hypochondria (fear of illness), and depression to manifest in my life.

Many might not believe, but the results of leaning on emotions and not surrendering them to Christ can cause more harm overall. 

I looked for comfort in friends, other family members, and boyfriends, but nothing would suffice. I started dealing with every situation in the mode of fight or flight, and chronic stress became the norm. Without realizing, I was slowly killing myself. I would visit the emergency room, over and over again, and they would tell me it was in my head (no pun intended, but that is where strongholds develop). I went through an inexplicable amount of mental, physical and emotional symptoms. It felt like the world was literally caving in on me. As things progressed in life, having to work, go to school, make something of myself, I found it harder and harder to cope. There were times suicide crossed my mind but the impact it would have on those I love broke my heart even more. Not only was I hurting on the outside but I was dying on the inside. 

When I came to know the Lord, there was finally some hope to hold on to. I had experienced one of three death scares, due to stress. Shortly after, I came to the knowledge of how detrimental stress could be. It was damaging my digestive system, and I was fighting through mental and physical ailments just to live. A few years after this ordeal, I came to know who Jesus was, is, and will always be. That was the beginning of learning Truth from lies. I praise God for His divinely ordained children. They brought awareness on the importance of giving God all emotions that play a major role in the hardening of the heart. I learned the critical importance of surrendering control to my Father in Heaven. He would be the One to work in me through the power of the Holy Spirit. In the years to come, there were several other trials: including two more death scares, faith failures, religious deception, and seasons of deep suffering. Just recently, 2019 to now, has kept me in a trial of learning a deeper understanding of God’s character. God allowed me to experience a more tormenting level of suffering and has showed Himself continuously faithful. This has giving me another reason to persist in helping others in their darkest trials, especially those battling deception. Basically, with going through difficult valleys, almost 20 years of walking with the Lord, and over 15 years of learning all about the mind, body, heart and soul, I have come to see how powerful the Word of God is and the miraculous work it does in the lives of those that truly stand firm in their faith in believing His promises.

I will never claim to have all of the answers, but I know Who does: JESUS. My intention is to always remain His humble servant and learn how to help others in their times of suffering. This is just a small glimpse of what has given me a great purpose to restore hope in children and women.

I am one of those women, seeking after the One who can mend, and walking alongside those knowing they need His gracious healing, too.