First Day of School

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”- 2 Corinthians 7:1

This was the daily verse on www.biblegateway.com today and it made perfect sense to me after the conversation I had with my Mom the other day about pouring out your cup before God fills it up again.  Yesterday in JAM, PR told us to take a moment of silence and BE STILL.  The message was over the chaos this week usually brings to families of all ages. Going back to school.  And he reminded us of the verse Psalms 46:10 which reads...

Be Still and know that I am God

I love that verse.  I just don't always listen to it.  Anyway, yesterday in our moment of silence...I said those exact words. 

Lord...help me to pour out anything that is here today that is weighing me down.  Help me to leave the drama at the door and to hear every word you are saying...Fill my cup Lord. 

And as God would have it...I heard every word.  PR talked at length about how chaotic our lives can be and how we can feel as if we are the only ones going through what we are going through.  But the truth of the matter is...it has been going on since the beginning of time.  The chaos has been here since God made the Sun and the Moon.  But the point of the message was that also since the beginning of time...there has been order.  God has been there...all along.  Watching, observing, and keeping order in His own perfect way.  He showed a picture of an Eagle soaring high over a canyon...and told us that God soars or 'hovers' over our chaos and that we are to know that in the midst of our mess...He is there.

Hmmmm.

Okay.  So today as I send my two older boys to school...and have moments of sadness...followed by moments of joy that the door is no longer slamming shut and no one is rolling around fighting with the other one...He'll be there.  As I am rushing to make dinner...to make lunches...to get my exercise in...to clean up the house...to do some laundry...He'll be there.  As Coach gets up to face his new students today...as he gets prepared for his two a day practices this week...as he leaves the house at 7am and returns home after 9pm...He'll be there...hovering above our chaos...keeping our hearts in perfect order.

Love it.

So...go today and let the chaos be...because He is there.  AND if you don't have chaotic life, it will make me feel bad about mine...so Go and BE A MESS!  :)  Have a Blessed Day ALL!!!

Amy

Hospitality

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”- Revelation 3:14,20 (www.biblegateway.com)


I would like to think that I am a hospitable person.  I would like to believe that anyone who comes to the door, I would invite in and allow them to be a part of our family.  I am not completely sure anyone in their right mind would want to come in and be a part of this family, but we would always offer.  I would like to think that anyone that is in need, would be able to come to us...but I know that the evils of the world would make this not true.  There would be people that I might be afraid to let in.  There would be people that maybe I have turned my back on for one reason or another...that I would be hesitant to let back in.  There might be people that I would not feel safe around...or safe enough to have my family around.  But God tells us to be open to letting ALL in.  Letting anyone and everyone that has a need...come in.  Maybe not into our house...or to sit at our dinner table...but to invite into our church homes...to our lives where God resides.  And in doing so...we are letting Christ into our lives with every opportunity of outreach.

I wonder what we do in our church to make others feel welcome.  I wonder what we do in our own town to make people know that we have seats at our table.  I wonder how people feel when they walk through the door to our service...and when they leave?  I wonder what people think when they see my smile.  Do they see Him?  Do they know that behind that smile is a helping hand?  Or have I made choices that would make them see differently?  Hmmmmmm....

Hospitality. 

hos·pi·tal·i·ty 


–noun, plural -ties.

1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

When others knock...are we letting them in?  When He knocks...are we letting Him in?  Good question.  Think today about what you might be able to do differently at church tomorrow to be more inviting to those who are knocking. 

Have a Blessed Day!
Amy

Pray for Me

Last night as we went to the Meet the Teachers for all three boys...sniff, sniff...I started looking around at all of the Mommies (&Daddies), that were there.  It was chaos...simply chaos.  Kids were everywhere nervously smiling and putting their supplies in their desks...the older boys were already acting "too cool"...and at the preschool, it took everything I had not to fall to pieces at the thought of Brady Michael being almost 4 and in preschool.  My heart was heavy with the sadness that I think most of us experience at this time of year.  Either we are sending our kids to preschool, their first year of Kindergarten...Middle or High School...or we are dropping them off at college.  I have friends in all categories this year...and last night my eyes wandered to them.  I thought...here I am being sad...and just sulking in my own sadness.  When there are other women out there that need to be lifted up for these very same reasons. 

When I was in Middle School, I sang a song at church called 'Pray for Me' by Michael W. Smith.  I remember singing it when our Youth Pastor decided to leave the church.  He was so important to me and I was so sad when he decided to move on to make a change in his life.  I remember almost feeling like he didn't want us anymore...knowing now more than ever that wasn't the case.  But my heart was broken.  And the song seemed rather appropriate for our parting ways.

Today I want to share it with you in a different sense.  As I laid there last night...I started naming off people in my head who I knew needed prayers for the upcoming week.  And this song just came to me...(Totally a God thing).  So all of you out there who are stressing over school drop offs...here you go. 

Here is where the road divides

Here is where we realize

The sculpting of the Father's great design

Thru' time you've been a friend to me

But time is now the enemy

I wish we didn't have to say goodbye

But I know the road He chose for me

Is not the road he chose for you

So as we chase the dreams we're after

Chorus:

Pray for me and I'll pray for you

Pray that we will keep the common ground

Won't you pray for me and I'll pray for you

And one day love will bring us back around again
 
Now obviously...my children are just going to school.  I realize that.  But my heart tells me more...they aren't 'just' going to school...things are changing.  Time keeps moving.  And my heart goes out to all the Mommies and Dad's out there who's hearts are knowing the very same thing. So.......
 
Pray for Me...and I'll Pray for You.
 
Kim...I will be praying extra hard for you this week as you move Corbin.  I cannot and will not be able to discuss this with you face to face.  For some reason, I cannot hold back the tears and am rather hard to understand while crying.  :)  I love you...and am praying for you. 
 
Have a Blessed Day!
Amy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFP8dtCWYAw

Mom's Cup of Joe

For the past two years, I've gone to my parent's house for coffee once a week.  We started on Friday mornings and then moved to Thursdays due to a scheduling conflict.  But most weeks....I make it there.  5am.  They have the coffee ready and we sit and chat for a little over an hour.  I decided to start this tradition because with our lives being so busy in the evenings, I don't get time to just chat with them.  So we now "do coffee".  I really enjoy these times with my parents.  We get to chat about nothing and I usually leave with some sort of insight on something going on in my life.  They can read me like a book...and are so good at digging it out of me...whatever it is. 

Mom is quite active in our church and just finished attending a leadership conference.  We drank one cup of coffee and decided to take a walk today. We have both decided that it is time to start taking care of our bodies more and today's verse really proves that attitude come straight from the Lord.  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) I am learning that more than wanting to look a certain way, or weigh a certain weight...we are to honor God by taking care of the bodies he gave us.  Not to obsess over it...but to be appreciative of what He has given us by taking care of what we have.  Just like our children and our homes or even our cars.  We've been blessed with so much...and we should show our appreciation by taking care of our blessings...bodies included.  Anyway...on our walk, we talked and talked about the things she learned...the things I need to learn...and how we can apply what she learned to daily life.  One of the devotions she talked about really struck me.  She said that it was about going to God with a full cup.  She used the example of a coffee cup (which I believe was part of the devotional she was referring to) and said if we go to Him with a full cup...or even mostly full...we don't give God room to fill our cup.  We need to pour out the things that keep us from being filled by Him.  Pretty cool analogy...I think!

So today...pour out your cup before you go to the Lord and allow him to fill you to the Brim with Him. 

Have a Blessed Day All!
Amy

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”-

It is happening

Psalms 119:28
My soul is weary with sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word.

I woke up this morning...and as I walked into the living room...there they were.  A red practice jersey...two backpacks...and sacks upon sacks of school supplies.  My mind is in a tailspin right now.  The way my big boys have been acting lately, I can't wait for them to grace the presence of their new teachers.  But then I think (which I should just NOT do and then I wouldn't have these moments)...they have been here with me all summer.  And as frustrated as I get...they've been home.  I know where all my little cubbies are and that gives me peace of mind.  Once they start school, they'll go on about their day, and I'll go about mine.  Ugh...sniff, sniff.  And then there is Coach.  He'll leave this morning and we'll not get to really see each other for about three months.  We'll pass in the wind and communicate via text or cell phone calls.  Which we both know is inevitable and completely do-able...but still it makes me sad.

So...I could choose to pout all day long.  I could (as I said yesterday) sit in a corner and eat cookie dough til my stomach hurts.  But instead...I am choosing to make my list of things to do and I am giving my sadness to God today.  Because I know that no one understands me more than He does.  I won't even have to explain...because He knows and completely "gets" my every move.  Kind of like my Mom, Sister and Coach.  How they figure me out is a mystery.  I try to confuse and turn them all around, but they know the heart of the matter every single time. 

Lord...help me to realize that time moves on quickly.  Help me to understand and embrace the changes in our lives as we walk into them full force this week.  Be with me when the sadness of missing the family overtakes the joy of knowing they're happy and learning.  Help me to remember the fun times of the summer and look forward to them again.  Give me a smile today when I feel like falling to pieces and know Lord that I will be looking to you today for my strength.
Amen

Please include Logan Xanders in your prayers today as he will be having some tests run on his new heart.  Lots of love going out to you Logan...stay strong!

Have a Blessed Day!
Amy

Time to move a couch or something...

School starts on Monday.  I am having my normal change of schedule panic attack and most of you know exactly what that means.  Time to move furniture.  Coach goes back tomorrow....TOMORROW!!!  How am I supposed to get through the days without him here to help me?  How am I supposed to function and get everything done...and dinner made...and everyone to their correct practice location without him?  How am I supposed to function without him?

I know how.  I always do.  This happens every year.  He is here all summer helping...working...sleeping...bringing me big diet pops...lunches...and now, he has to get back to his normal teaching/coaching life.  And I'll be fine.  I always am.  We figure out a schedule...we make dinners ahead of time.  We write down a schedule and I remind the kids a thousand times to not let me forget something or somewhere they are supposed to be.  We do homework...and we read books.  We take showers and all get ready for bed.  And we'll all be just fine.

But the anticipation of it makes me want to move a couch.  I should channel my wanting to move furniture energy into wanting to clean the house energy and maybe it would benefit all of us a bit more.  We'll see.  I wanted to leave you with some pictures of our summer...just a few.  And if you don't hear from me in the morning, I'll be rocking in a corner somewhere in my house with a tub of cookie dough trying to make it through the day.  :)

Have a Good One!!!
Amy

Psalms 46:1

God is our refuge and our strength, an everlasting help in trouble.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Well as most of you know...I wrote a blog at the beginning of the summer about how I wanted to run the Old Settlers Race this year.  As sad as I am to report...that is NOT happening.  I am however pleased to tell you that I HAVE been running again and I think...I am not completely sure...but I think...I am enjoying it. 

I fell into the awful trap of...I'm too tired.  Or...It's too hot outside.  I made excuse after excuse why I couldn't run.  After finally figuring out that I wasn't running because I didn't think I could...I decided it was time to start again.

For the past 11 years, Coach and I have had fairly repetitive nights.  We eat dinner...Coach coaches...the boys go to practice somewhere and we put them to bed around 8:30pm.  We then sit down and watch our favorite TV shows til I pass out on the couch and he wakes me up to go to bed.  I remind him at 10 to turn it to the weather and fall asleep right before it starts.  I know...I am very exciting.  But with little ones...you get up early, you go hard all day, and you crash at night.  That has been my life since Brett was born.  I know I was much younger when he was a three year old than what I am now...but when he was three...Tanner was a new baby...and life seemed more complicated. There was simply no room for exercise...until I started doing it.  Having children can do a number on your body.  And after Brett and Tanner were born...I went back to semi-normal fairly quickly.  Not so much with Brady.  I think it has been a number of factors...one being I was 7 years older than I was when I had Brett.  Another being that Brett and Tanner are extremely busy...along with Coach...and someone always had to have the little guy.  Excuses after excuses...Coach would say.

So it wasn't until this summer that Coach and I decided that our very wise and mature (ha ha) almost 11 year old could do some evening babysitting so that we could walk a couple of miles and ultimately spend some time together.  It has been wonderful.  We walk...we talk...we have had some of our best conversations all while getting in better shape.  We talked on commercials of our favorite shows before DVR...but since that wonderful invention...we don't even really talk during those. We have to pause the show to have a conversation and then we are watching the clock seeing how late it's getting.  Here lately, we've thrown some running into the mix and I am proud to say that we ran a mile in 9.28 minutes.  WAHOOOOO!!!  Now for all my runner friends...this is not a big deal.  But for me...someone who has never competed in anything...for someone who has never conditioned...and never pushed herself through anything past labor...I was pretty proud.

It isn't four miles...so the race is kind of out of the question.  AND I enjoy walking the four miles with my sister and was hesitant to give that up.  We have some pretty good talks on our walks as well.  But I am now running and loving what it is doing.  Not for my body as much as for my relationship with Coach.  We have something that we can do together...that benefits us both.  I will not be crashing through any finish lines anytime soon...but I have broken a barrier I thought I could never get through.  And I like it...:)

I can do ALL THINGS...through Christ...who strengthens me
Philippians 4:13
Yep...I can.

Have A Blessed Day!
Amy