Breathe

One of the very first songs I ever sang with our church praise band was Breathe.  I heard it at a Wedding and couldn't get it out of my head.  I loved it.  Things have been moving so fast lately that I decided this morning I needed to Breathe.

My prayer to Him today is that during this time of Holy Week, he gives me the strength to continue to follow him.  There are so many moments of worry and doubt in our day to day lives.  It is so easy to forget that ultimately, He is guiding us.  We tend to want to control every little detail of our days...even down to the way others feel about the decisions we make.  And the truth is, we have to let Him handle all of that.  This week has so many important moments in the lives of believers.  If we are too busy with the chaos...we'll miss the significance and His touch through the story that He Himself wrote so long ago.

I am setting the chaos aside for a few days to Breathe.  To Breathe in the shadow of the Cross.  Have a blessed day all!

Amy

Whatever You're Doing

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
But I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life...something Heavenly

As I got out of bed today, I started thinking about the chaos in my mind.  When we accept Christ into our heart, we have the most amazing feeling.  And it is so sweet...until life starts happening again.  Being a Christian is not easy.  Especially being a new Christian.  We have to retrain our minds to follow our hearts.  The heart that is like His.  We have to re think our immediate responses to things...people...situations.  We have to retrain our mouths to say things that reflect His love and His intentions.  Yes...of course God is there helping us every step of the way.  But guess who else is sitting there stirring the pot...Satan.  He is the voice that encourages the anger and the hate.  He encourages the "just One More Time" moments.  He is the greed, the jealousy, the ugliness that can surface all too easily when given just an ounce of opportunity.

I have been talking a lot about Trusting Him.  And I do.  I really, really do.  But as I am Full Out Trusting God, I can see Satan working in and among us.  And I would like to squash his every attempt.  But it takes determination...and of course Courage. 

I wonder when God was revealing his "plan" to Jesus in the garden that night...how Satan was working at the very same time.  We know he got ahold of Judas and Peter...but how hard was he working on the other disciples...and Jesus' followers?  Did they doubt?  Did they start to think differently of the very man they worshiped just days before riding in on the Donkey?  Satan...you pot stirrer.  You bring doubt to the very hearts that God brought life and hope. 

Think about that though...why when we are so new to Christ's love...would Satan try so hard to win us over with doubt?  Well maybe he thinks we are not strong enough in the word to truly believe the promise.  Maybe he sees the questions...that appear as doubt...and slips in the tiniest cracks to create problems. 

In my personal life, Christ is working very hard.  Which makes me think that Satan is working just as hard to create a road block in my life.  But I know in my heart that if I truly believe like I know that I do, God will wrap his hand around my heart and it will be protected.

Big things are happening in my mind right now, and I am starting to understand why He is so involved...so interested...so in charge.  I love it.  But, my thoughts right now are chaos.  My daily life is always chaos.  And I feel like I am in a constant tail spin.  I heard this song yesterday on the radio and am pretty sure God put it on there just for me to hear.

My prayer is that this week, I will set aside all confusion and focus on the shadow of the Cross.  Without the Cross...and without His sacrifice, there would be no confusion and chaos and wonder for me to be lost in.  Whatever your doing inside of me...it feels like chaos, but somehow there is peace.  Help me find the peace, Lord.
Have a Blessed Day!
Amy

Walk on the Water

Hosanna

Matthew 21:1-11

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you , and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

Say to the Daughter of Zion, See your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and followed shouted.

"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the Highest!"

Risk taking...something I have become all too familiar with here lately. My friend Bonnie was just telling me this weekend of a speaker that she remembers from her college days that talked about taking risks for the Lord. Bonnie, I know this won't be exact, but what an awesome message! Here is what I remember...

God wants us to be risk takers. Why? Because He was. What do you have to lose? Lookin' foolish? He did.

How do you think those disciples felt when Jesus said (paraphrase)...Hey...run ahead to the next town and untie a colt and donkey and bring them to me. I am pretty sure they had to have some uneasiness about stealing someone else's colt. Maybe not, but the important thing is that they did it anyway. Jesus said..."go and do" and they did. They took a risk in walking into that city and following Jesus' requests.

Are you a risk taker for God? Do you hear his requests and seek out what he is asking you? Sometimes God asks me things and I just want to say..."God, not now." Or, "God...this is not a good time for me and I really don't think that is a good idea." But He is persistent. He knows and He keeps on keepin' on until we are obedient. Sometimes I carry out his wishes with such anguish. Sometimes I am fearful the entire time. And then here lately, I have been following his orders with a peace in my heart that could only be Him. So strange.

PR said yesterday in JAM that Hosanna means Save Us. The people of Jerusalem were shouting Save Us! We need a Savior! And they were so excited at the thought of him coming to save. Little did they know he'd do it in such a powerful way. At those moments as they were laying the palm branches down and praising Him...they had no idea the pain they'd suffer in the next week as He would be sacrificed for our sins. They were blind to the REAL reason the King was coming. And he followed through...Oh did he ever. He saved us all...not just the people who where praising him that day. He saved us all...but not without pain and suffering.

PR also talked to us about preparing for Him. The King is coming...to our town...to our church...to our neighborhood...to our homes...to our hearts. How will we prepare for him?

This is Holy Week. So much to be thankful for. So much to wrap our minds around. From his coming to His death and then Resurrection. As PR says...we are in the shadow of the cross. Be aware this week as you go about your day to day of the events that took place that have given us this joy in our hearts. And don't be afraid to share it with others...be risk takers and do as He tells you. Have a blessed Monday.

I already had today's song on my playlist, but I thought it was appropriate. I'd need a Savior by Among the Thirsty.

Amy

Courage

Living in Kansas, I am all too familiar with the movie, Wizard of Oz. I am pretty sure I have seen it once a year since I was born and maybe a couple of times in between.

Welcome to my short and sweet rundown of the events that took place in this fabulous classic.

Dorothy hits her head during a tornado...and wakes up in the land of Oz. Her house lands on a wicked witch. Dorothy wants to go home so the Good Witch gives her instructions on how to go about doing that. But the witch that she lands on has a sister who is none too happy about Dorothy's arrival. Along the way, Dorothy meets three friends.

1. The Scarecrow...who has no brain. (Oh how I can relate to that one somedays)
2. The Tin Man...who has no heart. (I would assume in my road blocking days, I would appear to look a little tin man~ish myself)
3. The Cowardly Lion...who has no nerve. (This one is all too familiar to me)

As she meets these friends, she tells them that she has been promised to meet the Wizard of Oz. She is asking him to help her get home...and she'll ask him...THE GREAT WIZARD OF OZ...to grant her friends their requests as well.

For anyone who hasn't seen the movie...first of all, I am sorry. It is a classic. Please go find it On Demand or rent it from your local Blockbuster or RedBox. I will not be spoiling the ending for you...but I did want to talk to you about the wants of Dorothy's friends. Mainly the Lion.

We must have all of these things to have a relationship with God. We must have a brain to know enough to come to him. We must have a heart to love him fully. We must have the courage to stand up for our faith and to share Him with others. And we must have the desire to go Home.

Courage is something that I struggle with sometimes. My lack thereof turns into doubt and then worry. I know enough through this walk with Christ to know that He is with me always. But there is always that little ache in my stomach that says...what will they think of you? What if they think you are crazy? What if they come at you with anger and distrust?

As you all know so well at this point, I've been following the life story of Sicily Zeka. Her services in Oklahoma were yesterday and they are having her burial today in Wellington, KS. Wellington is about 20 miles south of our hometown. After the burial, the Zeka family is having a celebration of Sicily's life. I am going with my friend Bonnie to show my respects and to take some flowers to Sicily's Momma...and I am scared. I am nervous that I'll be out of place. I am nervous that I won't have the words if given the opportunity to visit with Sicily's family. But I am taking that risk. Why? Well, because I feel God pushing me to do so. He wants us to share our love with others. This kind of love that says...I am here for you because I have God in my heart. The kind of love that says...You don't know me...but I know God and I trust Him. The kind of love that says...I am here to let you know I am and will be lifting you up in the following days...and that your daughter's story impacted my life in a way I cannot explain. This conversation is all too familiar. I had it just two years ago when I met Kyrie's Mom and Dad. And as God would have it...they are now my friends.

Courage. Please pray for courage. And you know what? Don't pray for mine, but pray for Kerry Zeka's. Her battle is WAY bigger than mine right now and I believe that God put me right here, right now, to ask for your prayers in helping this family.

As I said yesterday, this week has been simply overwhelming. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I can go to church and hear God's word through Pastor Rick. Bring it PR! I am looking forward to putting what I have learned through Him to the test. Tomorrow I will be posting after church so that I can share a bit of what Pastor Rick is bringing into our lives on this Palm Sunday. Have a blessed day today and be Courageous in Him.

Love you all!
Amy

No Sweeter Name

There has been a lot of talk lately about Worship...and what it means. I have said in a previous post that I worship best through music. Lately I have been lacking in that All out for God Worship department. I have spoken of Surrendering All. I have written about getting on our knees and letting him take all of...but I think it might be time that I truly did that.

No Sweeter Name than the Name of Jesus
No Sweeter Name have I ever known
No Sweeter Name than the Name of Jesus

You are the life to my heart and my soul
You are the light to the darkness around me
You are the the Hope to the Hopeless and Broken
You are the Only Truth and the Way

After the events of this week, I am overwhelmed by His presence and I want Him to know that these words have more meaning today then they have ever had. I have added the song...No Sweeter Name by...you guessed it...Kari Jobe, to my playlist. If you have a few minutes of quiet time today, turn on this song and Worship. Tell Him you love Him. And allow yourself to have your very own All Out For God, Surrendering All Moment. 'Be Still' and know that He is so much bigger than anything in our lives and bigger than we can fully understand. He is the Life, the Light, The Hope, the Truth and the Way.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Lord, I am Humbled.


Have a Happy Friday Friends!
Amy

I Adore You Lord

Filled with wonder,
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery

Wow. That is all I can say today is Wow. I am full of wonder. I am full of hope. I am full...and I know why.

Let me just start off by saying I have been following Sicily Zeka's caring bridge site for months. I've mentioned her and her family in the last couple of days because Sicily was called home to Heaven on Sunday, March 21st. My heart aches for this family. Sicily was four years old...and she was diagnosed in the Summer of 2008. I am sure when they were faced with the news that Sicily had this cancer, they had no idea what they were up against. I don't think that anyone ever knows...

Anyway, I wanted to share a series of events that happened to me yesterday that have opened my eyes to His involvement...yet again. Lord...you need to know...I hear you.

Sicily's Mom Kerry has been posting in the journal since the beginning of their journey with this illness. I signed up to receive emails from the CaringBridge site to get updates on her condition. Some were so uplifting. Some were painful to read. But the sadness in my heart from reading Kerry's words is just a fraction of the pain that was in her heart as she was writing. Lord...give me just a fraction of her pain.

Anyway, on Sunday, Kerry posted about a CD that had been given to them by a neighbor. The CD was by an artist named Kari Jobe. Kerry went on and on about how they had been playing the CD throughout their home and how soothing it had been to them these past few days. Sunday, as they realized it was "time"...I can hardly type that...they rushed Kerry and Sicily to a very special rocking chair in their room and she turned on the CD that had been given to them. They turned it to the song Beautiful...and they loved her to Heaven. My heart just aches as the tears fall down my cheeks. Lord...be with them and help them to feel you there.

So yesterday, my wonderful friend Bonnie came over to visit and spend time with me. As we were talking casually, she said she wanted to share a song with me that she had found on youtube. The song was No Sweeter Name...by Kari Jobe. When she said the name...I stood still. Then I sat down on the arm of the couch and just looked at her. Prior to hearing about Kari on Sicily's website...I had never heard of this artist before in my life. Now...most people would be like...Oh! I have heard of her before! Not me. I was brought to tears because I KNEW he was behind this. So we (Bonnie and I) go to my computer and pull up Kari's name and the group of her worship team. It just so happens that she is on a worship team with several people that taught my friend Bonnie when she went to Bible College. She was pointing and naming people that were on stage with Kari Jobe! And...I told her the story about Sicily. Bonnie jumped on her phone and called an old friend that was in contact with the Worship Team that Kari Jobe belongs to. She left this friend a voicemail that she had something she wanted to share with him...and that was it.

HE CALLED HER BACK.

Not only does he know Kari Jobe, but they are friends. After Bonnie told this friend Sicily's story, he said he'd contact Kari and let her know of the events that had taken place.

AND THEN...Bonnie went and read the journal entry for Sicily's CaringBridge site yesterday and the entry was all about this CD...and how healing it had been...and how Kerry felt like the song Beautiful had been written just for them...AND that Kari Jobe had personally signed this CD that had been given to them. It was as if God was saying...I'm way ahead of you Amy. I am so glad that he is in charge.

Lord...you are so good. You are so involved. You are so present. And I AM BLESSED TO BE A PART OF YOUR LOVE. Thank you Lord for giving me these dots to connect. Thank you for blessing me with Sicily's story...and Kerry's strength...and Kari's music...and Kyrie's family...and my friends and my family that love you so much. You are simply Amazing. And I ADORE YOU.

Amy

Another piece to the puzzle of yesterday's events...My Mom lost one of her closest friends to Cancer just almost a year ago. Yesterday she was hurting and missing her friend Sherry. As I read through Sicily's information I realized that Sicily and my Mom's friend Sherry share a very important date...they have the same Birthday. Mom went to my blog and found such comfort in the song Revelation by...Kari Jobe...and then she emailed to let me know that she had a God Moment. She also received an email with pictures of a paver memorial that had been established in Sherry's name on the WSU campus. I am sure this email is what sparked her to miss Sherry in the first place...and as God would have it, Mom found comfort in the very same music that Kerry Zeka has been finding comfort. I think God was definetly up to something here. Thank you Lord.

When I Grow Up

Here recently I have been thinking about a career change. Nothing immediate...but it has just been on my mind. I have been thinking about my goals and my dreams. How different are they now from ten years ago? Well...ten years ago, I was pregnant with our first son Brett...and in my last semester of my Jr. year of college. After that semester, I never went back to school. I was just done with college. I was newly married, pregnant, twenty-one, and knew EVERYTHING I needed to know about life. Good Grief. I look back now and realize I knew nothing.

In discussing this idea of going back to school with Coach and a few family members and friends...the question came up...what do you feel like you are made to do? Well...I love kids. I want to be with kids. So naturally, I am thinking education of some sort. But I am also very realistic in knowing I have three kids, a very busy husband and this dream of finishing college will probably take me at least two to three years.

But, what am I made to do?

Ironically enough...we are all made to do the same thing. All the Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Bank Tellers, Beauticians...we are all made to do the very same thing here on this earth.

Worship.

God gave us each very special, very specific talents. We are to use those tools, talents and gifts to serve him. We are to be the best we can be every single day at whatever we do. I believe Coach does that. I do not...I repeat DO NOT know how he can be the best he can be with teenagers every single day...but I am sure he wonders how I can handle the little ones that I am with as well. But we are all made in the same way to do the very same thing...for God.

To worship, to serve, to love, to share, to forgive.

I love that we are all so very different and yet so much the same.

I found a song...of course...that kind of sums up my point here.

Made to Worship by Chris Tomlin

All we are
And all we have
Is all a gift from God that we receive
Brought to life
We open up our eyes
To see the majesty and glory of the King

You and I were made to worship
You and I are called to love
You and I are forgiven and free
When you and I embrace surrender
When you and I choose to believe
Then you and I will see who we were meant to be

Have a Happy Day today!
Amy

Marvelous

Finding Christ can be the most exciting time in someones life. But it can also be very overwhelming. I have a friend...a very old friend...who told me recently that she is coming to Christ. I talked with her for a short time and found out that she has never known some of the things that He had to offer her.

I was amazed as I listened to the words come out of her mouth.

One of the things that I hope to help her realize is that His timing is perfect. He has come into her life at the EXACT time that He had already planned. I am praying for her as she makes this transition. She is on a journey of her own and I ask that you all say a prayer for her as she gets to know the God that will save her.

This friend lost her Father in an accident when we were in High School. I never knew...ugh...I never knew that she didn't know where her Dad went. She told me yesterday that she knew her Dad believed in God...but never knew what happened to him after death. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. I cannot imagine losing someone and not having the joy in my heart of knowing that they were sitting with Jesus. Pastor Rick wrote something in his Blog yesterday that really helped me to see how BIG this is for my friend. "Officiated a funeral today - so what would be the point if there was no hope after the grave?"~PR
So true...the reward is beyond the grave. And the thought of your loved ones receiving that reward is greater than I could imagine. That is the Hope of Christ. When you lose a loved one...the Goodness comes from knowing they are with Him...and you'll be there too. The only way to Him...and to them...is through salvation.

Mercy Me's Homesick says these words...

So I'll hold on to Jesus as long as I can...To see you again...To see you again

Friend...you know who you are. I love you dearly. I want you to know that I will pray for you everyday as you are on this journey and that it is the BEST decision you will ever make. I know you are wanting to make it for your entire Family. But now...make it for you. And having Christ in your heart...your actions will be a direct reflection of Him...and of His love. Your lovies(Husband, Boys, Mom, Sis) will follow you to Him in His timing.

Today's song is a couple of years old...but I...you guessed it. LOVE IT.

You Are Marvelous God and knowing you...is EVERYTHING.

Every time I breathe you seem a little bit closer
I never want to leave I want to stay in your warm embrace
Oh basking in the Glory shining from your Face
Every time I get another glimpse of your heart I realize it's true
You are So Marvelous God
And I am So In Love with You

If you are on a path to Jesus...we are praying for you. I encourage you to say Yes to him.

Have a Blessed Day!
Amy

Connecting the dots...my second post today

1. A good friend of mine (Robin) decided out of the blue to quit her job. She was laid off last summer and took a job at the beginning of school. She felt like the money would be helpful and she "needed" to work. A few weeks ago, she posted something on facebook about Big Changes in her life. So I emailed her and asked her to share what was going on. She told me that she felt like she needed to quit her job to spend more time with her kids and family.

2. Saturday morning, I received a phone call that my good friend's daughter was in the hospital. She had gotten sick over the last week and they had decided to take her to a Dr. to get an opinion on her condition. The person they took her to see is no longer their Dr. (I believe due to some insurance "stuff"). This is all secondhand info. so Robin, please feel free to correct any incorrect words of my story. My friend had to convince her husband to take their daughter to this friend/Dr because her husband didn't want to offend or inconvenience their friend. Not to mention, his office was closed. Total God involvement here. While Robin was on a run that day, she noticed the office of their previous Dr. was closed, but the back door was open. After the non-appointment with their Dr./friend, they were sent straight to the hospital. Their daughter was diabetic.

3. My dear friend Sheri who is also friends with Robin, has a diabetic son. Five years ago today, her son was diagnosed with this disease. WHAT? Yep...he was 12. Mady is 9. I cannot believe the similarities in this situation. Robin and Sheri have been friends for years, but as friendships do...they had drifted. Robin did not hesitate for a second to call Sheri when all of this started last week...and Sheri did not hesitate to answer. Wow. I am so blessed to have friends who have that kind of love in their hearts for one another...and for each other's kids. I have that with so many friends....and especially with my Sister. But we are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ...aren't we? And we are to be available when another sibling in Christ calls on us.

So in connecting the dots...I am seeing His Love and His Glory. I am simply Amazed. He touched Robin in a way that she didn't fully understand. Yet...she listened. She quit her job for reasons in her head that God hadn't completely explained. And now she is available for Mady as she ventures into this new way of life. And a friendship is rekindled for the sake of helping and loving...the way God wants it to be.

God you are Amazing. It isn't everyday that pieces of your plan are revealed to little ol' me, but I see it clearly today. And I am Amazed.

To Robin, Chad and Mady Tharp...we are praying for you. Mady...stay strong and know that we love you.

I am asking prayers for them as they embrace the renewed appreciation they have for Mady's health and as they take on this complicated disease.

I am also asking for prayers for the family of Sicily Zeka. She is a little miss that I have been following through the caring bridge website. Sicily lost her battle to cancer last night. She is now with Jesus. Prayers for their family as they mourn the loss of their little girl. Sicily was four years old. To read Sicily's story or to post a prayer comment for her family click on the link below.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sicilyevelynzeka

Have a blessed Monday for the second time...
Amy

My Savior Lives

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful men to die
You thought it strange so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

As we approach Good Friday...my thoughts are turning towards what He did for us. The story of his Death and Resurrection. As I have said in an earlier post...it wasn't until I watched the Passion of the Christ that I fully understood the events that took place that day. Of course I know the movie is a movie...but the pain was real. The sadness was real. I could feel it in my heart. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.

There was one word that described my feelings after watching that movie...

Unworthy.

But He thinks differently. He thinks we are all worth saving. That is why God sent his One and Only Son. That is why Jesus came here. All for a purpose. The purpose through the pain.

As you listen to this song today by Aaron Shust, let the words surround you.

My Savior loves my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, My God He is, My God He's always gonna be


He loves. He lives. He came. He lived. He witnessed. He died. He rose. He loves again. He lives Forever.

Reminds me of another Hymn...He Lives

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
A-long life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

He lives Forever...in my heart.

Have a Blessed Monday!
Amy

Fork in the Road

John 12: 1-11

Read this passage in the bible and try to wrap your mind around what happened that evening. The celebration dinner for Lazarus. Martha was serving, Lazarus was at the table. Mary was proving her love for Jesus by anointing him with the perfume. Never on my own could I have understood the passage and the symbolism...but I do now. Thanks PR~

Today in church, we talked about a passage from John. First of all...let me say AWESOME job PR. The message was great and Coach and I both learned a lot. What an amazing point at the end...

Are you a Mary? Sold out for Jesus?

Are you a Judas? Selling Jesus out?

Wow...are we totally committed? Are we ALL OUT for Jesus? Are we willing to give all that we are and all that we have to show our love for him? Or are we the ones pointing out other people's faults to "show" Jesus how much we love him?

He (Judas) called Mary out for pouring the perfume on Jesus' feet. He told her that the worth of that perfume could have fed the poor. He stood in judgement of an act of LOVE and tried to put Mary's actions to shame. Tisk tisk Judas. And then he himself betrayed Jesus just days later...for "30 stinkin' pieces of silver." There are three men in my life that I can hear saying those words...Coach, Coach Swaney and Pastor Rick. Love it. The disgust. The amazement. Not just for silver...or for thirty pieces...but for thirty "stinkin'" pieces. Love it. Take that Judas...you betrayed the Lord for stinkin' money. Oh but look at me...judging Judas...when I myself have betrayed Him a time or two. Ugh. Tisk Tisk to myself.

So who am I? Am I selling Jesus out or am I sold out for Jesus? Am I talking the talk...or walking the walk?

The Fork. Which way are we willing to go? As we are in the shadow of the cross...(PR) these next few weeks...which way will we go? Will we up our efforts? Will we go all out for Him? Or will we make our way to Easter making false promises and half hearted attempts to show Him our love?

Mary...Mary...Mary...MARY...MARY...MARY!!! (That is me chanting like in the movie Rudy) Subtle...I know.

When you get to the fork in the road...Choose Mary. Choose Jesus. His way is THE ONLY WAY.

Have a GREAT day!!!
Amy

Surprise

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

"I can't believe it!" We went to a surprise party for my dear friend Stephanie last night...and I have to give her husband credit. He pulled it off. She walked in and was completely surprised. To be honest, we were as surprised when she came in as she was because we were not expecting her quite yet. We had a good time with great friends...but I was thinking this morning about one of the things Steph said when she came in...I can't believe it.

I have been wanting to talk about this new song that I added to my play list for a couple of days. It is called Indescribable by Chris Tomlin. The words to me take on that same phrase...I can't believe that YOU did all of THIS. When I look around and see the stars in the sky...and the sun, and the moon...and new babies...and miracles...It is indescribable what He has done.

I think I like the simplicity of this song too. Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim...You are amazing God. So very true. He is AMAZING. He...the same God that made the sun and the stars...wraps his very hands around our hurting hearts. The same God that parted the seas, offers to wash our feet and give us eternal salvation. The same God that watched his son die on the cross...is the same God that sits and cries with us when we are hurting over our own loss. He is Amazing. And it is indescribable the feeling you have in your heart once you let Him in. Love it.

You won't believe it.

Have an Amazing day!
Amy

Road Blocks

Yesterday was one of those days that if you tried hard enough, you would have offended me. I was emotional and sensitive...and pretty much took offense to everything that happened.

From little stuff like waiting in line for haircuts, or getting the wrong order at Sonic. Everywhere we went, they were running behind, which put my schedule behind...and I had zero patience.

I even got my hair cut and colored and I was in a bad mood. If you are a woman, you know how very important getting your hair done can be. How great you feel after you get it done. But not me. I left the salon in a hurry and snapped at Coach as soon as I got to the baseball field to pick up Brady.

It was an ugly day and I ended up in tears on Brady's bedroom floor. Dang it. My whole day was full of road blocks. You know what I mean. The orange barrels that slow you down and make you angry on the road? Yep...those. I was being challenged...and I failed miserably. Each time I was given a chance to handle a bad situation with Grace and Mercy...I handled it with ugliness. My blood pressure rose...my heart was beating out of my chest with anger...and of course, I cried. At the end of the day, I realized that not once, had I asked God to help me. I just kept getting angrier and feeling sorry for myself.

As He would have it, he intervened and I realized he'd been there all day long. Then I realized how I could have handled those moments better...and I looked back at my day of knocked over orange barrels. Yikes.

So today, I will have patience. I will handle situations with Grace. And I will be thankful for the road blocks in my life. For I know with each barrel that I carefully handle, I'll be blessed.

Have a wonderful Friday all!
Amy

If you are in need of reading about an expert in the road block department...
The book of Job is perfect. I'll try to write more on Job's struggles this weekend.

I would like to apologize to the following people...

The girls at Sports clips
The carhop at Sonic
My friends and neighbors
My dear, sweet Coach
My fab sister Chele
My Children
The guy at McDonalds
and the list of barrels goes on and on...Sorry everyone!

I Surrender All

All to Jesus, I surrender,
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love & serve Him
In His presence, daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all

All to Jesus, I surrender
Humbly at his feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me Jesus, take me now

Surrender~ to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress
to give (oneself) up to some influence, course, emotion, etc.

Coach came home from his Confirmation mentoring class last night and we were discussing hymns that were brought up in class. He happened to name this one and it has been on my mind ever since. I am a HUGE fan of contemporary Christian music, but the hymns really take me back to my childhood. I can remember learning to worship to this very song...the simplicity of the words...the tempo of the song...Beautiful.

I surrender all.

Those words seem so simple. They seem so true. But how often do we only surrender part of the way? How often do we come half way to God and then expect some miraculous thing to happen bringing him to us. Unfortunately...that isn't the way it works.

God wants us to surrender ALL. We are to come to him and give everything that weighs us down to him. We are to lay our burdens at the foot of the cross and surrender our lives to him. We are to give him divine power over our lives...and that means EVERYTHING...ALL. Decisions are to be His. Timing is to be His. Outcome is to be His. He'll take the glory...he'll take the blame...he'll take it all. But we must first surrender.

Are you ready to wave your white flag? Have a wonderful day!

Amy

Say What?

I was reading in my bible last night in the book of Joshua. I found an interesting story about the battle of Jericho...and it reminded me of some times in my life. Has God ever instructed you to do something that you feel is almost impossible? Has he ever guided your life in a direction that you feel is confusing or just doesn't make sense? It has happened to me several times and in reading about this battle, I now know that that concept is something he has done to many.

The Lord said..."You shall march around the city, all you men of war, you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days...But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets...All the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat..."
Joshua 6:2~5

Say What? The Israelites were confused. They had been told to march around the city of Jericho saying nothing. Just marching. And not only that, but for seven days. And on the seventh day, He instructed them to walk again and then shout. All the words they'd been holding in for six days...all the frustrations...all their praise...just shout. And guess what...the wall crumbled.

An excerpt from my Women of Faith bible says this...

Sometimes God asks us to have that same faith. We face walls---circumstances we can't conquer-and God tells us to walk-just trust Him with the details, and keep on walking when we can't see the point. Even when we'd rather discuss the matter or file a few grievances first. God just asks us to have enough faith to keep on walking. The Victory will be His. Christa Kinde

How true is that? We face walls almost daily. Some seem smaller and some seem like next to impossible to conquer. But God tells us we CAN. And he promises us the reward if we simply trust. Walk with him. Trust him. Follow him...and the wall will come crumbling down. Unbelievable? Nope...Believable? Yep...that's our God.

For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Have an Great Day!!!
Amy

Kill em' with Kindness

Oh the saying...Kill em' with Kindness...Burn them with niceness...turn the other cheek. Again, who knew? Who knew it came straight from scripture...and not just from scripture...from the words of Jesus!

Luke 6:27-31

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And for him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him to takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

We all have enemies. People who we have wronged. People who have wronged us. People who have misconceptions of who we are. People who make us mad at the grocery store or dropping off kids at school. We have enemies. Those people make us angry. They make us be the kind of people that we should never want to be. They make us want to spit venom when we see them because maybe the hurt is so new...or maybe they have wronged us in a way that we feel we cannot forgive. But as Christians, we know better.

I stumbled across this verse today in my bible...and I am so glad. There are people in my life who I need to forgive. There are people that I need to let go of that anger and show them Christ in my heart. It isn't always easy. Letting go of those things that hurt our hearts are sometimes very difficult. But God says this...

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return: and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Luke 6:35-36

Mercy~forgiving, compassionate
Compassion~loving sympathy, empathy
Forgive~to pardon or acquit of sins

Be merciful to those who have wronged you...or whom you have wronged. Forgive them and have loving sympathy for the things that are happening in their lives that may have caused them to wrong you. Love your enemies. Truly love them with a forgiving heart. Because that is the same heart from which God loves us.

Have a blessed day...Amy

The Walk

Luke 24:13-35

Emmaus is a place that I had never heard of until our Pastor mentioned a spiritual weekend called "The Walk to Emmaus". Even after hearing him say it time and time again, I had no idea what he was referring to. And then, as God would have it, I found a reference to it on another blog that I read. You can read what I read, here...

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/2008/06/emmaus_22.html

I decided to do a little research of my own last week and then again...as God would have it, Pastor Rick spoke about the road to Emmaus at church yesterday. So I came home and read the passage in Luke over and over. What I have come to understand through Angie's post, Pastor Rick's message and the Word is this...

Sometimes when God is walking right beside us, we don't even recognize him. We express our wonder, our worry, and our doubts straight to his face...all the while thinking we are talking to someone else. When the disciples finally came to recognize Jesus as he broke the bread that night in Emmaus, they asked themselves...

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
Luke 24:31

Does our own heart not burn within us when he is with us? Do we not know even after all he has told us that he is ever present in our lives? Are we just stubborn enough to think that we can handle all that comes into our lives without him? The truth...we handle nothing without him. We are never alone. He is always walking with us and his word is the truth.

I have learned that even though I am not always good on the Follow through...God is.

The words in the bible that are written in red are my favorite...because they are the words of Jesus Christ. I love reading the words that he said...

"You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Luke 24:48-49

The promise. His promise. Love it.

Lord, I am waiting.

Have a Blessed Day!
Amy

Awwww Nuts

Well we had one of those Awwww Nuts moments today. Brady came and woke us up...and I asked Coach if he had remembered to set the clocks forward...Awwwww Nuts! Immediate panic set in. We rolled out of bed and started rushing around. Before long, we were all snapping at each other and by the time we got to church, our hearts were filled with anything, but love for each other.

I have a bad habit of forgetting things. I don't know how I do it, but I can forget things almost instantly. It has become a joke amongst my friends who so lovingly refer to me as Dori from the movie Nemo. But I come by it honestly. I forget where I set my phone down. I forget my purse when we try on clothes at stores. I forget things at the grocery store. I forget practice times and meetings. I forget to pick up Bread from my Grandpa...five minutes after we get off the phone from him calling to ask me to come and pick it up! I forget Birthdays and what I wore yesterday. I forget to hang up my towel after my shower and to close cabinet doors. I just have one of those almost useless memories. Today we forgot to set the clock forward. And we had plenty of reminders. Even the grocery store clerk told me not to forget...but I forgot.

Coach sent this picture to me a few months ago and I believe it describes my life perfectly. I don't know how many times I have said...Oh No! Was that today?...

I am thankful for those in my life who give me chance after chance when I forget. God included. There are moments from time to time when I forget that he is there with me. There are times when I forget how to act or forget that it is all in his plan...not mine. He never gives up on what might seem like a hopeless cause...because I am his workmanship.

Thank goodness.

Today at church, Pastor Rick talked about the chains of bondage...and how Christ's love will set us free. I need to process all that I learned today so that I can share it with you this week. Take some time today and think about the things that are holding you away from the Lord. Think about the things that are keeping you from truly having a relationship with him. And have a blessed day!

Amy

Uh Oh

Kansas+Time Change+Oversleeping+ Almost late for church=will post later!

Have a Blessed Day!
Amy

Were You There...

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble,
tremble


Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree…

Were you there when they pierced him in the side...

Were you there when the sun refused to shine…

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb…


When I first came across Kyrie's story http://kyriethome.blogspot.com/2007/02/thank-you.html I found myself wondering...why are you so affected by this? You never knew Kyrie. You don't know her family. Why does your heart hurt so bad for them?

When one of my good friends Stephanie lost her beautiful daughter Lindsey, I did the same thing. I knew Stephanie very well, and I knew Lindsey...but there were moments of grief when I found myself hurting beyond my comprehension for their loss.

I have said before that I think that pain comes from carrying a little of their load of sadness.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I truly realized the meaning behind Good Friday. Coach and I have attended a handful of Good Friday services...and I can remember leaving them feeling so sad. But not a sadness that I couldn't shake off or eventually get over.

We rented the Passion of the Christ movie about four years ago. And let me tell you~I changed how I felt about Easter from that moment forward. The Bible tells the story of Jesus and his Crucifixion...but my mind would NEVER let me go to the depths it needed to understand what truly, truly happened that day.

Was I there when Kyrie lost her battle to cancer? No. Was I there when Stephanie realized that Lindsey had gone to be with God? No. Was I there when they nailed him to the cross...or pierced him in the side...or when they laid him to rest in the tomb? No. But it causes me to tremble. It causes me to cry and grieve and wonder, and worry and wonder some more. It causes me to grieve in ways that I don't even understand. Because my heart is becoming more like his. When we hurt, he hurts. When we cry, He cries. He holds us up...he washes our feet...he carries us in the sand.

And then I see...just a glimmer of hope. I see what the Kyrie Foundation is doing...and how God is working miracles right before our very eyes. And how He blessed Kyrie's family with two beautiful, healthy children.
I see how Stephanie has her smile back...and how God has been working miracles in her heart...repairing it so that she can be with Lindsey again in Heaven.
I see how after 14 years, Coach is healing after the loss of his Dad...so that he too can be with him in Heaven.
And I read the bible...the part that says...HE AROSE! HE AROSE! Hallelujah...Christ Arose! Because when we celebrate...He celebrates with us. As we get closer to Good Friday and Easter Sunday...allow yourself to grieve for our King. And then be prepared to celebrate like you've never celebrated before on Easter morning.

And ask yourself this question...will you be there when Jesus comes to call us home? YES YES YES!!!

Have a great day!
Amy

Go Kyrie Go

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce any of you who don't already know, to the Kyrie Foundation.

I follow a blog called Kelly's Korner and each Friday she has a Show us your Life link. If you write a blog, you can write about what she uses for the topic and then link it to her blog for others to find and read. Today's Show us your Life topic is Show us your Life~Favorite Charities.

This one was easy for me. But why on a Christian Journey blog would someone write about a charity? Well for several reasons.

One~Because I believe in my heart that God brought me to the Foundation. He brought me to the cause, to new friends and to a life changing experience to say the least.

Two~Because I think that in HIS perfect timing, you'll be brought there too. If you have any desire to know more about this foundation, I encourage you to start from the beginning and read the whole story.

Three~Because I believe through the power of God and his touch, others can learn about Kyrie and her purpose. Her place on this earth was bigger than anything I could have imagined...and she was 19 months old when she earned her wings. She is working miracles by Jesus' side and I am proud to be a part of something that I feel is truly important.

Kyrie Dawn Thome was diagnosed with a rare form of Pediatric Brain Cancer when she was 17 months old. She was a very normal little girl. All of a sudden, Kyrie started falling down. She had been walking/running for quite awhile so this startled her parents. They took her to the Dr. and came home with medicine for an ear infection. Seems simple enough. But in the next few days, her condition worsened. She could no longer stand up. From there, the nightmare began. You can read the whole story on the blog at http://kyriethome.blogspot.com/2007/02/thank-you.html

Nine weeks. Nine weeks later, Kyrie was called Home. They were sent home from the hospital with pain medication to keep her comfortable. Kyrie passed away in her Mommy's arms. It is painful to even type those words...I can't imagine living it.

Kyrie's Aunt Megan and Uncle Chad started the foundation shortly after Kyrie's death to raise awareness and money for research and to someday find a cure. The Kyrie Foundation has done multiple fundraisers and just recently raised $50,000 which they used to purchase a grant in Kyrie's Memory. The grant will hopefully help the PBTF fund a tissue bank for research purposes. (Lord, we are so thankful)

This Foundation is doing BIG things. A little girl. A Big disease. A Big dream. A Big purpose. An Even Bigger God. My God...so thankful!





Lord, you have blessed me with so much by allowing me to be a part of this. Touch those who you believe will benefit from this information and it is my hope that they will not only help in finding a cure for Pediatric Brain Cancer, but they will find the ultimate prize Lord...you. Amen

Have an AWESOME FRIDAY!!!

Amy

In Need

Your name is Jesus
Your name is Jesus
You're the wonderful counselor
and my friend

You're what I hold onto
I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss
To the cross you knew
I need a Savior

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday that really brought me to my knees. It was a good talk...with a lot of questions. Questions that I couldn't fully answer. Questions that made me stop...think...wonder...worry...and then pray.

One of the things that she asked me was why when we grow closer to God do bad things still seem to happen? Not only still...but they happen even more? My answer was that when we grow closer in our relationship with Christ...Satan tries even harder to break that bond. He fits into the smallest of cracks in our lives to create problems...offer temptations...and turn us away from the Lord. She then asked me why he wouldn't protect us from that...hmmmm. I had nothing.

I emailed Pastor Rick and asked him for help with this one. I am faithful...no doubt. But I know when I have reached my limitations...I had to hand this one over to the big leagues. PR so graciously answered my request and I wanted you to read what he said.

"Protection doesn't necessarily mean "free from struggle". But it does mean God will never leave nor forsake. And the crazy thing is that we may give up on God but he never gives up on us."~Pastor Rick Just

Well okay...that makes sense. He is the peace that passes understanding. He is the calm...the moments of air that we get when we feel like we are drowning. He protects us in ways that we don't yet understand. But I told my friend that I have a feeling when we get to Heaven, he'll have a blueprint of our lives and it will all make sense.

The song that I started the post with is one that my friend Stephanie reminded me of. It is so true...Jesus...wonderful counselor and my friend. He is the one who gets us through the valley...he leads us through loss...he gives us salvation and he is our Savior. We need him more than even we know.

I suggested to my friend that she just get on her knees and give it all to God. And I think maybe the only thing we need to say is...Lord, I need you. I need a Savior.

Have a blessed day!
Amy

Rain Down

I am sitting here listening to the thunder and rain. Today has been one of those 'perspective' days. A lot has been said...a lot of things happened...and I am just sitting here soaking it all in. Trying to make sense of the senseless.



Let me explain.



Three years ago, we had some very dear friends lose their high school sons in a car accident. That was my first real brush with someone else's grief. It was unbearable. It was overwhelming. I had no idea what was to come.



A year later, another dear friend lost her daughter in a car accident. We were in her living room when she and her husband got home from the hospital. She came in and melted on the couch amongst friends. This was my second absolute face to face meeting with someone else's grief. There are not words to describe the emotions I had that day and have had ever since. I changed that morning sitting there with my friend.



Not five months later, I stumbled onto Kyrie's blog. I say stumbled but I mean I was guided there by the hand of God. It took me a couple of days to get through her story. It took me a couple of hours to get myself together after watching her memorial tribute. I will never forget watching it the first time. I dropped my lunch on the floor as it ended. The pain was so real. The hurt was so present...and I didn't even know them. I had no idea at the time that they lived just miles from me. I never knew Kyrie. Until I found the blog, I never knew her parents either. After reading her story, a series of unexplainable events led me to develop a friendship with Kyrie's family and some of the board member for the foundation. I was changed that day and have been different ever since.



All three of these stories...all three of these losses...changed me. I have used the phrase on the outside looking in before. That is how it felt. I felt like I was on the outside of a window into their grief. The kind of grief that takes your breath away. The kind of grief that stops you dead in your tracks. The kind of grief that makes you want to shout WHY GOD, WHY? (Not in comparison to the families grief)



So I asked him...Why would you do this? Why would you take someone's only child? Why would you give NO warning? Where were you when their tears were falling? Where were you when those little hands were in need? AND WHY ARE YOU PUTTING MY HEART IN THE DIRECT VIEW OF THEIR GRIEF? Why me God? What do you want from me?



Trust Daughter...Trust.



A friend asked me today why bad things seem to happen when we get close to God. I told her I thought it was because Satan works even harder to come between us when we are fully loving God. When he feels like that opening for him to come in and ruin our lives is closing...he works hard. He creates problems. He gives us temptations. Then she said...why doesn't God protect us from that? Well dear friend...I asked PR (Pastor Rick) about this is what he said.



"Protection doesn't necessarily mean "free from struggle". But it does mean God will never leave nor forsake. And the crazy thing is that we may give up on God but he never gives up on us."

~Pastor Rick Just



I feel like I was placed in the direct path of those three situations for this reason. To carry a little of their load. By hurting and crying and shouting and asking and crying some more...I carried just a fraction of their grief. I hurt for them. I prayed for them. I still pray for them. And as I said in today's earlier post...I continue tell their story.



Being in this path has made me realize the words to this song are more than true...



Didn't notice you were standing there

Didn't know that that was you holding me

Didn't know that you were crying too

Didn't know that that was you washing my feet...



He is there for all of us all the time. He is there when we think he is not. He is there when we don't want him to be. He is there when hurt. He is there when we cry...when we shout...when we question...and he is crying too. Because He never gives up on us.



Have a blessed day...

Amy

Tell the story

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

I was reading on another blog the other day and I read something I haven't been able to let go of. The blog that I am referring to is the 'Bring the Rain'. The writer of this blog lost a daughter shortly after birth. Their story is heart-breaking and amazing.

On her blog that day she was promoting a book that one of her friends had written. She then went on to tell him about the five most important words he'd ever written to her. She showed a picture of a card that said this...

I will tell your story.

The card had been placed in a basket the day of their daughter's funeral and she has had it hanging up in her house ever since.

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/2010/02/matthews-new-book-hear-no-evil.html

Wow. All I could think about at the time was how important the Kyrie Foundation is to me. And how that is what I am wanting to do for them...tell her story. But as the day went on...I began to think about Jesus. His story.

This old hymn came to mind and I thought it was perfect for this post. I love to tell the story~twill be my theme in glory~to tell the old old story...of Jesus and his love.

Isn't that what we are doing? We love him. He loves us. He died a painful death...those words just don't even do his death justice. It was more than 'painful'...it was beyond comprehension...but he did it for us. All because of his love for us.

If we can do anything on this Earth to praise Him...it would be to tell his story. Because his story has brought millions and millions of people salvation. I am excited to think that all I have to do is tell people the story of his love and he'll do the rest. We can lead them to the water when they are thirsty...but we can't make them drink. But I know that I know that I know...that in His perfect timing, they'll drink.

Lord...I will tell your story.

Have a happy and blessed Wednesday!
Amy

In the thick of it

 

When I was little...back to pigtails little...I can remember going shopping with my Mom and sister. Chele and I would fight most of the way there because I would cross the imaginary line she had drawn down the middle of the back seat (on purpose) and Mom would swing her hand back behind her completely missing both of us. She drove a brown Caprice Classic...it was huge. I mean it was huge to the 5 & 6 year old who were ducking down in the back from her angry swinging hand...poor Mom.

Anyway, I can vividly remember walking through the store bored out of our minds. After we worked things out from my invasion of her territory in the car, we would hide under clothes racks and pretend they were our houses. Mom would yell at us to get out and we would just sit and giggle. She had no idea which ones we were under...and we thought we were hilarious.

But one time, Mom went to the register to pay and didn't tell us she was leaving. (The nerve) We popped out from below our circle rack clothing houses only to discover she was GONE. We couldn't see over the racks and racks of clothing to see she was only a few feet away. We thought she was gone forever. So what did we do? Well, Chele cried. She panicked and cried. I decided I would just get us out of the mess we were left in and I'd just get on the elevator to go and find our Mother. Doors open...walk in...doors close. When I got to the next floor...nothing looked familiar. So what did I do? I started crying of course. I had enough sense to hop back in the elevator and go back down...(thank goodness Sears only had 2 floors) I found Chele still searching. Eventually, we heard Mom's voice. "Girls? Are you ready to listen to me now? Or are we still going to play this game?" Uhm....we went running. We found her and when she saw the fear in our eyes, she realized we'd gotten ourselves lost. She hugged and then chewed us out for not listening...so typical.

Anyway, yesterday I was talking to my dear friend about another friend of ours and the difficulties she is facing in her life today. The phrase that we both used was 'in the thick of it'. Being lost in that sea of Sears' clothes...that is how we felt too. All we could see for miles and miles (from a 5 year old perspective) was clothing. I would imagine it is like that in a forest too. Miles and miles of trees. So thick you can't see the sunshine. So big, you lose track of which way you came in and which way you need to go. Chele and I tried to find our own way...and of course...mine got me worse off than I was to begin with...again...so typical. If we had just waited to hear Mom's voice, we would have known the direction to go.

If you are in the thick of it, I am praying for you. Try not to find your own way so much and listen...truly listen to the sound of his voice. If you walk in the direction HE is leading you...you'll hear the voice through the clothing...you'll see the light through the trees...you'll find HIM. You'll find that the happiness, the safety, the love you've been searching for is just a few steps ahead.

Song for today....These are the words I would say, Sidewalk Prophets

Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,


Listen...truly listen to the chorus and Have a Wonderful Day!
Amy

Spotlight

I love to perform. I have loved performing since I was very young. I used to walk around the house doing commercials for my Family. My two favorites were..."I'm gonna wash that gray right outta my hair" and "ring around the collar". I could recite them word for word. My sister HATED my performing addiction...poor Chele.

From commercials I moved straight into singing at church. I think I sang my first solo at UMC at age 6? I immediately found my new love.

From church, I found myself singing in choirs through school and ended up being pretty involved in the school's theater department. I would have to say my all time favorite performance was...dare I say it...'Damn Yankees'. I was also involved in our school's show choir. Loved it. The singing...the dancing...the jazz hands. LOVED IT.

I decided to try out for a music scholarship at KU. Because I thought I was pretty great. Turns out...there are a lot of REALLY great...not just pretty great people out there who were trying out for the same scholarship. I went home that day a much smaller, much humbler fish. I ended up attending Emporia State University and let go of my music dreams about 2 semesters in.

I love American Idol. Had American Idol been around before the KU tryouts, I probably would have thought I was good enough to win the whole thing. I am thanking the Lord that the scholarship committee at KU was the my judging panel and not the entire nation. But what a rush that must be...standing up there singing for millions of people. And hearing their praise...and then their criticisms. Maybe not so great...I don't know.

I have learned so much in coming to Christ...but one thing I have completely learned is that He is who blessed me with my talent and He is the audience that I want to be listening. Music used to be my passion. Now praising Him with my voice is my passion.


To my audience of one
You are Father and you are son
As the spirit moves free
Let it find within me
A heart that beats to praise you

And now just to know you more
has become my great reward
to see your kingdom come
and your will be done
I only desire to be yours

Audience of one, Big Daddy Weave

As you go about your day today...think about what you do to praise him. How do you perform for him? What will your judgment be like? And try to live like he is the only one watching...desire to be His.

Have a great day!
Amy

What do you do?

I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that tries to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth,
that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

Jeremy Camp, There Will Be a Day

There are days when things happen and I am just frustrated. Feelings get hurt. And I am not talking about mine. I am talking about others. I cannot stand when my actions cause someone else hurt...even when I think my actions are for the right reason. I often wonder...where does my justification come from? How did I make that right in my head?

Well...I am trying to make the decisions with my Christ like heart. I have to find it in myself to know that if I am truly making these decisions for the right reasons, the person on the other end might get their feelings hurt, but just might get something out of that pain. What I said the other day in the post about Brett not sleeping at night is so very true. Know that the outcome of any situation is going to come...but because of the decisions you've made. And if he is in your heart, you'll make the right choices. Of course there will be times when we stumble...but trust God enough to know that even when we trip and fall, he'll be there to pick us up and help us get back on the path. If our actions are reflections of Him...the outcome is exactly the way he wants it to be.

Coach asked me last night..."Why do you feel bad?" Well because I know that someone is hurting as a result of a decision that I made. The truth is...that will happen from time to time. We will stumble, we will fall. But the understanding has to come from Him...and all I can do is pray that people will feel Him in their lives enough to know that the love is there. His love. The kind that says "I love you enough to tell you the truth."

The song that I started this post with is so encouraging. There will be a day. There will be a day when little, trivial mishaps won't matter. There will be a day when the drama just isn't there. There will be a day when feelings won't hurt and tears won't fall. And I cannot wait!

Have a blessed day!
Amy

Lord you never let go of me

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no you never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no you never let go
Every high and every low
Oh no you never let go...Lord you never let go of me

I wanted to write just a bit about the song that I added yesterday to the playlist. You never let go, by Matt Redmen....LOVE IT.

I love what the words say. And where does it come from? Well to be honest with you, I knew it was from scripture...just wasn't sure which one.

Psalms 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?

Just listening to this song makes me a believer. I love knowing that no matter what the situation in my life, He is always with me. And if I can instill that in my boys...and they can instill that in their children...I will feel like I have done my job. I think it is very important to teach our kids that in any situation, He is there. The truth...the honest truth...is that we are NEVER alone. He is with us...watching us...guiding us...loving us...and picking us up.

The verse goes on to say this...Psalms 27:4-5

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling.

If we invite Christ into our hearts and we 'dwell in the house of the Lord' things start to appear differently. We find ourselves viewing things differently. We see people in a new light. We see his beauty in the things all around us. And we may not always be physically safe from harm, but we are safe from the troubles of our heart. Because he has his loving hands wrapped around it. There will be painful times...but Christ will be there. Because he never lets go.

Have a wonderful Saturday!
Amy

Love Story

We love because He first loved us

1 John 4:19

I fell in love with my husband on Christmas Eve of 1997. We went to the Christmas eve service and then he dropped me off at home. He then went from my house to the cemetery...to see his Dad. Ugh. Just typing that makes my heart hurt. I knew the moment he drove away that I loved him. I loved him so much it hurt. That is the kind of love that we all dream about...and I am just lucky enough to have it.

Coach used to call me a reality TV junkie. I was obsessed. I watched any and every reality show I could. Loved them. I don't know why either. Maybe it was just the true and brutal honesty of real lives. Maybe it was the drama. Maybe it was the difference in their lives and mine. I don't know...but I watched it like my life depended on it. I have since then scaled my addiction down a smidge. I watched High School Reunion on Tvland the other night and loved it. It was the next to last episode and the reunion was winding down.

There is a couple on there that I just adored. They came in about half way through the show and captured my heart from the beginning. They were high school sweethearts and have been married for 16 years. They have three children and one is disabled. They are so in love. They are just simply beautiful people from the inside out. Long story short...they renewed their vows on the show (he surprised her) and they said somethings that really hit home with me. He wrote his own vows and she just kind of came up with hers during the ceremony. One part of his I just loved..."through the ups and the downs and the turn arounds I will ALWAYS love you." Then she said..."There has been so much taken away from me, but through all that God has taken, HE has allowed me to keep you. And for that I am grateful." Lump in throat. Actually, it was more than a lump in my throat. I bawled. Full out bawled. Wow...that is Amazing Love.


I cried because I knew what they were talking about. I know what that kind of love is like...and I too am grateful. I come from a long line of loving marriages. I have been blessed by the influence of Christ in my family's marriages...and so has Coach. His Mother loved his Dad with a love that I cannot even fully understand. Coach's Dad had MS and I am sure at times their love seemed like a constant battle with his illness. But they loved each other unconditionally. My Grandparents have been married for 64 years! They have mastered the art of unconditional love. My parents love each other unconditionally. My sister and her husband love each other unconditionally. And Coach...I love you with all of my heart. From one of my all time fav. love stories...Fools Rush In...

"You are everything I never knew I always wanted."

I never knew I wanted three little boys. I never knew I wanted to live in my hometown and be married to a 7th grade teacher and super great coach. I never knew I wanted to drive a minivan. I never knew that our best moments would be lounging on Saturday mornings watching 'Holmes on Homes' sipping our coffee and listening to the boys play. I never knew I would absolutely love sitting at baseball games and football games watching you do what you do...influencing the lives of so many kids. But it is everything I have always wanted. I never knew...but God did.

If you are in a relationship with someone that you love...put God first. He wants it that way. And I know that I know that I know (PR) that in loving Christ first and foremost...that my love for Coach will come naturally. Tell your special person today that you love them...through the ups and downs and the turnarounds. And BE GRATEFUL for all that HE has given you.


Have a Happy FRIDAY!!!
Amy

Monkey see, Monkey do

Yesterday Brady was getting ready for his nap and he asked if he could have some fruit snacks. I said, "No...but you can have some if you sleep at naptime." ~side note~ I am totally into bribery. I apologize if this offends any parents, but there are days when I am practically begging him to sleep...and promising him chocolate as soon as he gets up. Good parenting...I know. Coach will be so disappointed when he reads this. Okay so I then said..."Do you know what I will give you though? Hugs and Kisses!" So he says to me..."Do you know what I will give YOU?" I shrugged my shoulders and he said this..."I am not having this conversation with you right now." Then he turned and walked back to his room, laid down, and went to sleep. I just stood there. Where did he hear that? Hmmmm...

Brett~Do I have to wear a coat today?
Me~ I am not having this conversation with you child. Put on your coat.

Tanner~Mom, Brett won't share the basketball with me...MOM...MOM...MOM
Me~ I am not having this conversation with you Tanner. Work it out.

Brady~I am not going to take a nap. I am not tired.
Me~ I am not having this conversation with you Brady...go to sleep!

Oh...right. He heard it from me. From birth, Brady has been a mimic. He repeats everything we say. Oh and you already know that is both good and bad. There are many many times I am jumping over people to get my hand to cover his mouth as the words..."My Mom said..." come out of his mouth. I smile and gracefully walk the other way...hand over mouth. All the while, his little words just keep coming. Lovely.

He is so intrigued by my actions and my words. He watches me clean. He watches me on the computer. He watches me eat. He watches everything I do. He hears everything I say. We went for a walk earlier and I was trying to keep up the pace in place of my evening walk/jog. He leaned back and said..."Mom? Why you do this? (load blowing noise)" That would be me trying to get my breath after pushing him up a hill. (Nice) He does everything I do.

Monkeys...I mean kids are like that. They learn from us. And I want to be the best teacher I can possibly be for them.

I read something on facebook the other day that kind of stung a bit.

Actions speak louder than words.

Not that that this is a new saying or anything, but it is so true. Actions speak louder than words. I hope you all know that these are not just words you are reading. They are actions in the making. I try so hard everyday to be the person that writes this blog. I try so hard to be the daughter that Christ can be proud of. Don't think for a second that I don't slip up from time to time. We are all human and it is hard to change after you do the same thing for so long. But I am finding myself stopping...thinking...changing the way I say, think and do things. And when I react without thinking with a Christ like heart...I find myself feeling that sting instantly. The 'your actions don't match your words' sting. Ugh. I am challenging myself to be responsible for the choices I make. I have a lot of repair work to do in my life...but that does not at all mean that I am not on the right path. And knowing I have three monkeys watching these moves...really makes me want to be the Mom that I say that I am. And not just the Mom...but the person that God created. I am HIS. I am imperfect. I am forgiven. I am changing...and I am loving it.

1 Samuel 2:3

Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed.


Have a great day!
Amy

Not 'sa' good at baking

I have made a handful of cakes in my life that were not in a 9x13 pan. Maybe 5...6 tops. Two of which I can remember being a semi-success. One was a round layer cake that I decorated to look like a basketball for Tanner's 3rd Birthday. You'll notice by the picture that in the event of the cake not being perfect, Tanner B seemed pretty happy with my efforts.


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The second cake that was a semi-success was an angel food cake that you decorate with strawberries. It was not beautiful...but not ugly. Make it as pretty in your mind as you want because I have no pictures of this cake.

For Brett's 6th Birthday, the child was totally into Star Wars. We used to have what we referred to as the "cake lady". She made all of my birthday cakes for me. I would pay her the money, and she would create a masterpiece that would decorate the birthday table and serve as the perfect sweet to celebrate the special day. Done. BUT...the cake lady decided not to be a cake lady anymore. So I decided to try my hand at her expert cake making. She gave me a piece of paper with all the instructions and even told me how to make the icing smooth. She told me exactly what product to buy and she donated one of her massive cake pans to my cause.

It was a mess. Go ahead and make this cake as ugly as you want in your head because I know for a fact that nothing you can imagine is as hideous as this cake was. I have no pictures of this cake either as it ended face down in my trash barrel the morning of the Birthday party. Bless my Mom's heart...she and Dad made a mad dash to Sams to pick up a presentable cake. (So what if it said...Happy Birthday Brad! which they fixed) It was awful. That was four years ago.




You'd think I would have learned my lesson...but nope. I tried it again. I made a cake for family bunco. And here it is.




I am not a baker. I am not a very good cook either. I try and I try. I ruin things over and over. The kids (bless their hearts) usually eat it without saying a word...but Tanner sometimes likes to remind me that he'd rather not have things burnt. Got it. So...where am I going with all of this?

Well I come from a long line of women that could do it all...or so it seemed in my mind. Granny...oh my Granny. Nothing she does is bad. Nothing she touches ever turns out ugly or burnt. Her cookies, her cakes, her decorations, her clothes, her make up, her everything is beautiful. And my Mom...she is amazing. She has it all together. She can bake, cook, sew holes in stuffed animals, and everything she does, she does in style. She always looks 100% put together...even for aerobics and Christmas morning! So what happened to me? Why can't I seem to get it together enough to follow the directions on the back of the box and make a cake that is presentable and delicious?

Well probably for the same reasons that I can't make a basket to save my life? Or hit a baseball...or dance. There are all kinds of things I cannot do. But that doesn't make me a failure. I am a good Mom and I am going to keep on trying. I am in that Needs improvement category when it comes to the kitchen for sure (and many other things...like patience)...but when it comes to loving God and feeling his touch...I am definitely in the exceeds expectations category.

A great verse to leave you with...

Ephesians 2:8-10

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I have a feeling cake making is not something he prepared in advance for me to do...thank goodness.

Have a Happy Wednesday!
Amy

Let Go and Let God

Midnight. I was up until Midnight last night with my oldest son Brett. Brett is what I would consider a "worrier". That child...worries about everything. Here recently we've been having these nights when we go to bed as usual and then he comes up stairs two and three times to let us know he can't sleep. We've tried extending the tv time...didn't help. We've tried having him read until his eyes get tired...helped a little. But last night, it was midnight. I woke up to him yelling my name...and he was frustrated. I stood at the top of the stairs and asked him what he was worried about...his response..."I don't know." Brett is very literal. When he describes something, it takes a while for us to understand what he is saying. When Tanner has a sore throat...he simply says, my throat hurts. When Brett has a sore throat...he says when he swallows, it feels like there is a lump in there and he can't get his spit past it without it hurting. Geez. He just has a hard time describing things...but we now know this and we have learned to be patient and wait for his description of whatever is bothering him. Last night, he described his worry as..."my lungs and heart are so intense." What? Okay Brett...I'll be right there.

After we tried everything, I just climbed in bed with him. I am sure I was asleep before him, but I could feel him relax as I was laying there. He just needed to know I was there. Now I am not crazy enough to think that my presence is going to calm the waters for him as he grows...but I am trying to figure out a way to teach him that God will always be there. He has trouble wrapping his mind around why he has to wear a coat when it is 32 degrees outside...so the "God is with you always" part could be hard to explain.

I once heard someone say Let Go and Let God. I need for Brett to understand the importance of those words...Let Go and Let God. Let him take the worry. Let him take the fear. Know that the outcome of any situation is going to come...but because of the decisions you've made. And if he is in your heart, you'll make the right choices. Of course there will be times when we stumble...but trust God enough to know that even when we trip and fall, he'll be there to pick us up and help us get back on the path. Let Go of the things that paralyze you with fear and let God handle it. Because he will anyway. He'll be taking care of all the test anxiety...the 'girl' problems...the baseball cuts...the peer pressure...if you allow him, he'll take care of all of those things for you.

My prayer today is for God to help me put into words the things I need to teach my boys. Tanner's lessons will be something totally different...but the underlying theme is the same. God is there.

And I'll climb into bed with them when they need to know that someone is there...because I am their Mom and that is what we do. I read in a blog yesterday that God can't be everywhere all the time so he created Mothers. I will gladly be the go between for Brett and God. I just want him to know that it isn't me that is calming the storm inside his heart...it is and forever will be God.



Have a blessed day!
Amy

Who do you say that I am

Matthew 16: 13-15

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah; and still others , Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" he asked "Who do you say that I am?"

Coach and I were having a conversation last night about this very thing. He is a mentor for our church confirmation class and this was up for discussion last week. PR (Pastor Rick) asked the class "Who do YOU say that he is?" And it got Coach thinking...and so he asked me..."Who do YOU say that he is?" And so it got me thinking...and I am asking you..."Who do YOU say that he is?"

What I mean is what is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to you? Ask yourself...if someone asked you who God is to you...what would you say? Father, Messiah, Savior...Almighty, Awesome, All knowing...Ever present, never ending, creator?

The truth to me is that he is all those things and more. He is the creator of the Heavens and the Earth. He is our Father who art in Heaven. I have my Earthly Father...who I love very much. And I have my heavenly Father who I also love very much. He is the Savior. He sent his only son to come here. He sent him to die on the cross for our sins. He sent him to save us. I think he is pretty Awesome...and all knowing. No doubt about that. But what do YOU think he is? What is he to you?

Coach and I had a long talk and here is what I came up with...Christ to me is the "Peace that passes understanding". We used to sing

I've got the Joy Joy Joy Joy down in my heart...down in my heart...down in my heart

and the one of the verses to that song was

I've got the Peace that passes understanding down in my heart

If I had to describe Christ...I'd say that. He is the peace that passes understanding. I told Coach last night that he is the calm that comes over me when I least expect it, yet need it the most. When finances frighten me...when the boys are hurting (physically or emotionally)...when bad things happen. He is the calm that comes over me that I don't even know is happening. When I can't sleep because my heart is filled with worry, he washes me with reassurance, and I fall asleep. He is ever present. He is always there. There have been moments in this life when I have not noticed him being there...but he has always been there. The peace that passes understanding. What he does to me is beyond comprehension. He is there to lift the load...sometimes when I ask him too...and sometimes, he just takes it anyway.

Today, I want you to ask yourself...Who do you say that HE is in your life? What does he do for you? What about him makes you a better person? What about him makes you a stronger person? If you want, add your answer in a comment to this post. You never know...who HE is to you, just might bring someone else to HIM.

Have a blessed Monday!
Amy

ps~added the song I Am by Mark Schultz to the playlist