i can't believe today is tuesday! i loved having monday off but it has certainly thrown a kink in my week. lots of things going on...vbs training is tomorrow night and i'm feeling the pressure. although, i am certain that you never feel completely ready for an event like vbs, nor do you ever feel completely ready for vbs training. it's one of those things where i've learned to be okay if everything isn't absolutely perfect...the world will not stop spinning if i leave a craft stick or a roll of masking tape out of someone's supplies (or if my lockers made from insulation board aren't perfect...but that's a whole other subject;).

anyway, saw this video on travis cottrell's blog and thought i'd add it to mine. it's kind of a "recap" video of living proof live in boone, from this past weekend. beth moore taught on biblical happiness and the blessing of asher (deuteronomy 33); you should seriously check it out and start praying it for yourself and your loved ones. God will rock your world. He's amazing like that :).



alright, back to the vbs madness...with a happy heart...because He HAS made me glad.

overwhelmed

all i can think is, "wow." God is amazing and He is so personal...it amazes me that with 8,000 girls at this conference, i felt as though the message was specifically designed for me.

too much is floating around in my heart and my mind to expound on any details but i will say it again, "wow." He is good, He is so very good.

i am unworthy and overwhelmed. praise Him. it's ALL about Him...everything.

retail therapy

this girl loves her some retail therapy. if you know me, this isn't a secret to you. so, this post is just a shout out for retail therapy. sorry--not serious or spiritual or anything. i am a girl who enjoys shopping and has fun doing it.



so, today i bought a new purse and am hoping that this purse will not be defiled by a bug. (pictured)



my sis and i are headed out to boone, nc, to spend the weekend with beth moore and a few thousand (guessing, here) sistas.



i'm out. :)

i hate bugs

i'm a girl (i'm good at stating the obvious) but not only am i just a girl...i am a girly girl. i am a girly girl who is NOT a fan of bugs. i try to avoid making strong statements about hating things but i really do hate bugs. bugs of any kind, size, color...ewwww. i just don't like them. they give me the heebie jeebies. i don't usually scream, though. i am one of those people who GASP loudly and then freeze (which does not usually work out very well for me because i am frozen but the bug is usually moving---in my direction!).

yesterday was staff picture day at work. (trust me...the bug hating thing will connect in a moment) they wanted to take "professional" shots of us...in both a casual outfit and a formal/business outfit. for the guys, this is no problem...they just go back to their office and switch their shirts but for girls, this requires planning, lots of different accessories, make up, hair products, and some stress. i will admit that by the time i made it to my office with my outfits, accessories, hair products, etc. in tow...i was a bit on the frustrated side. :) i sat down at my desk to "begin the preparations" for the pictures; i started taking things out of my purse/tote (pictured) when all of a sudden, i saw something black run past my hand. i knew exactly what it was...there was an intruder in my bag...in MY purse. i gasped and lisa, my assistant, came running (she knows me well enough to know when i gasp like that, there's a problem). neither one of us were willing to go after the bug ourselves so my solution was to quickly remove the important items from my bag (wallet, cell phone, iPod, camera, make up bag) and then dump the rest of the contents (bug included) in my trash can. i made a decision that i was willing to part with whatever was left in my purse if it meant i didn't have to touch a bug. so, i dumped everything left into the trash can...and i watched the bug fall out with everything else. ewww. it still gives me the creeps. i sat staring at the trash can waiting, just waiting for the stupid bug to figure out a way to crawl out and possibly even find it's way over to me.........i was not in such a fabulous frame of mind. i'll skip the details but suffice it to say, God provided someone who is far braver than me (or Lisa :) who came in and dug through the trash to retrieve some important documents and loose change that were about to become trash (from my purse) and then she (yes, that's right---SHE---a woman who is not afraid of bugs) killed the ugly little varmint. now, i will tell you that the bug looked HUGE to me but she assured me that it was not a big bug and not a scary bug, either. crisis averted. i still, however, hate bugs. yuck.

on a side note, i had my pictures taken and i was pleased with the little glimpse i got to see from the photographer's camera. yay for that! :)

magnificent obsession

while i was working out this morning, listening to my iPod...i had a moment of clarity. as i was on the treadmill, that old steven curtis chapman song started playing, "magnificent obsession" (it's one of my favorites). in that moment God spoke to me...(hence, the moment of clarity) there's so much stuff in my life that is fighting for my attention and i think that it all comes down to the fact that i need to make intentional choices. does that make sense? i have a sweet, dear sister-friend who all the time reminds me that it's about being intentional in my walk with Jesus. it's a daily choice---an intentional, daily choice to walk in the Spirit and give Him complete control. my heart's desire is that above everything else in my life that Jesus would be my magnificent obsession. daily. intentionally, daily making that choice.

i realize that this lesson is as old as the hills...it's not new to me and i'm sure it's not new to you but it's truth and i think we all struggle with it at some point, to some degree. i want to feast on the manna that God has for me...today...thinking back of past lessons learned and past provisions isn't good enough. gazing over my shoulder, remembering the things of the past God has done and the ways He has worked aren't enough for today's nourishment. i won't feast on maggoty manna (you know, the manna spoiled after the day God provided it) and why would we want to feast on something that has spoiled when God is willing and wanting to provide manna for TODAY!

Lord, You know how much I want to know so much in the way of answers and explanations.
I have cried and prayed and still I seem to stay in the middle of life’s complications.
All this pursuing leaves me feeling like I’m chasing down the wind but now it’s brought me back to You and I can see again...
This is everything I want, this is everything I need, I want this to be my one consuming passion; everything my heart desires Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus, be my magnificent obsession.

So capture my heart again; take me to depths I’ve never been into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy.
Return me to the cross and let me be completely lost in the wonder of the love that You’ve shown me.
Cut through these chains that tie me down to so many lesser things, let all my dreams fall to the ground until this one remains...

You are everything I want, and You are everything I need, Lord, You are all my heart desires You are everything to me.
You are everything I want, You are everything I need, I want You to be my one consuming passion.
Everything my heart desires Lord, I want it all to be for You...I want it all to be for You. ~steven curtis chapman

some sad news...

in order to explain my sad news, i have to give you a little background for the story and also post a disclaimer. i hate infomercials, i really do; they seriously annoy me to no end and i really wish that networks would think of better ways to pay for their stuff than 30 minute long commercials. now, with that said, there is one infomercial that i have watched and actually, anytime it is on, for some unknown reason, i watch it. yes, that's right...it mesmerizes me. i don't understand it. it never changes---it's always the exact same infomercial but if i see it on tv on saturday morning, i sit and watch.

well, last saturday morning i was getting ready for the mother's day picnic extravaganza and i stumbled across the infomercial while doing my make up. i sat and watched it as i have so many other times but this time, something took hold of me and i decided to order it. now, seriously, i am NOT the girl who shops on home shopping channels OR from infomercials (remember, i can't stand them) and i have no idea what possessed me, but that morning i called the number and placed my order for the GTXpress 101 (http://www.xpress101meal.com) they promised that if i ordered within the next 12 minutes i would receive not one but TWO for no additional charge (yeah, right). so, i ordered the GTXpress 101 and i have to tell you that my family has gotten a great laugh from this experience...they all think i'm crazy.

now, for the sad news...i have thought about it all week and realized i didn't even know what my grand total for the order was going to be (they have you order by phone using a computerized ordering thing...craziness). so, i called the customer service number on the website and............cancelled my order. yes, that's right, i am no longer the proud owner of a GTXpress 101. and to think of all the wonderful meals that would have been created ;). no worries, though, i'll just get my weekly fix by watching the infomercial but i think i'll have better self-control this time. :)

what a weirdo!

in keeping with my previous blog of lists, i thought i'd throw this one in there. it makes me laugh...and laughing at myself is something i do regularly and quite enjoy. i do realize that making these things public about myself is only going to open the forum for teasing and laughing. it's okay...go ahead, i can take it :)

9 weird things about me

1) i can't write with a pen that has no cap. i don't know why but if i have a pen that loses it's cap, i just throw it away. absurd, i know.

2) if i'm taking notes or writing on a piece of paper and i make a mistake, i have to start over---no scribble marks for me.

3) i don't like sleeping in a house or an apartment without family or a roommate. i lay awake and plan "escape" strategies just in case someone would break in.

4) i coordinate the color of my pen with the note card or stationary i am writing on.

5) i color coordinate my gifts...that's right down to the card and the gift bag. and what can i say? it happens naturally now, i don't even have to try. (as in--all the gifts plus the wrapping paper/gift bag and card match.)

6) i like for my sharpies to be in rainbow color order (you know, ROY G. BIV). this is hard to accomplish in a large, round pen cup. but i tried (i failed but i tried).

7) i will eat pizza and lasagna but will not eat spaghetti. spaghetti sauce makes my stomach hurt (and the weird thing about that is that it's the same sauce in lasagna and similar to pizza sauce. go figure.)

8) my big toe on my right foot is twice as big as the other big toe. no worries, it hasn't been that way from birth, just an injury. it's still weird, none the less.

9) i fall up stairs. most people tumble down the stairs but this girl is so gifted that i defy gravity and fall up. :) just ask my big toe.

so, i think it's weird that the list only asked for 9 things...i don't want to reveal any more of my "weirdo-ness" but i could have probably thought of more things to share.

okay, so, i know all of you---the few people who have actually stopped by my blog and for most of you, i could list weird things about you on my own but i think it would be more fun coming from you. so, follow my lead and on your blog or in an email to a random group of friends, start spreading the weirdness ;).

some of my favorites...

did you know that i'm a list maker? i survive off of my "to-do" lists...i even have a confession to make: sometimes, if i'm making a to-do list, i will add things to the list i've already done just so i can cross them off. :) DORK, i know. anyway, so i thought i'd list some of my favorites. (which, if you know me, you know that my "favorites" change almost daily. my favorite thing to say is, "such and such is my new favorite :)."

anyway, back to my favorites...

• food: chicken...cooked any way. i just love chicken
• candy: kit kat or crunchy m & m's
• pens: sharpies...i seriously have a very large collection of both fine point and extra fine point :) in any color you could ever want or desire.
• nickname: grace-a-licious (thanks, jodana)
• game to play: my new favorite is spoons (which, i realize isn't a new game, but it is new to me) but i still love me some mexican train/chicken foot/ak trak/j train :)
• bible verse: zephaniah 3:17
• soft drink: diet coke with lime (it's my new favorite ;)
• breakfast food: cinnamon toast and hot chocolate
• worship song: rescue by travis cottrell; over me by meredith andrews
• hymn: he lives, when i survey the wonderous cross, tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
• flower: tulips, gerbera daisies
• recent purchase: the gtxpress 101 (i am looking forward to it...it will be fabulous)
• food my mom cooks: green pea salad and oven baked chicken
• favorite part of my job: the people
• quote: "life is weird. one day, you're just swimming along...the next thing you know, you're being pulled out of the water by your lips." (it's on a t-shirt i have...long story but it's funny)
• restaurant: chuy's in dallas, tx, (the shirt with the quote listed above was purchased at this restaurant. it's fabulous)

so, there's some random information about me. not serious at all but gives you some insight into the girl who is amy :).

seriously, today is a good day. it's wednesday which means church tonight but i really enjoy seeing all the people, spending time with the kids, and talking with my paid workers. what can i say? i love talking and the neat thing is that it's part of my job on sunday mornings and wednesday nights!

have a fabulous day!

amy

happy mother's day

so, this entire weekend we've been celebrating my mom. i really think that one of my "love languages" is gifts; when it's someones birthday or a special time to celebrate them, i LOVE giving them gifts and things to let them know they're special to me. friday my mom's flowers (tulips) were delivered, saturday we had a picnic at daniel stowe (www.dsbg.org) and pedicures, today we had lunch and then dinner together with my sister and her family. whoa...i just read back over that and i must say, that's a lot of celebrating! :) my hope was that my mom felt loved and appreciated.

i'm learning more and more about how people--more specifically, people that are in your life (family/friends) are not perfect...we are all such flawed people but they're special because of the relationship you have. does that make sense? i guess what i'm trying to say is that sometimes i have a "romanticized" view on relationships (friends/family), expecting things to go perfectly. the more i live (and especially in the last year) i'm learning more and more that people aren't perfect, least of all family and friends, but that's what life is about...living out this journey God gives us with our family and our friends. the journey isn't always easy but it's what life is about.

can i just tell you, though, i had fun today. church was beyond crazy (how many times can people yell at you at church?! really. i was so on the verge of tears several times today) but i really enjoyed wishing all the moms a happy mother's day. it's so fun to see all these new mommies with their babies and get to wish them happiness on their first mother's day. i got so carried away, though, that i wished the little delivery boy at outback (takeaway for lunch) a happy mother's day. he just laughed (out loud) at me...i tried to cover it by saying, "well, i meant i hope your mom has a happy mother's day." whatever. i am SO a dork :)

anyway, all in all, it was a good day. i'm thankful for my mom...God has blessed me with a mom who loves me and has shown me that it isn't perfection that's important but authenticity and living out your faith everyday. happy mother's day, mom!

lessons i learned from little league

Okay, so, first I guess I should make a confession...I did not play little league but my nephews do. I've been an avid spectator for about 7 years now and even though I'm not the one playing, I think I've learned a few things. Last night both my nephews had games and I was in a sprint to make it to both games which were back to back at two different locations...no worries, though, I made it to both.

Anyway, back to things I've learned. My experience last night at Daniel's game reminded me of lessons to be learned from little league...

• Even though I am a competitor and I am not afraid to admit that I like to win...I can also admit that it is just a little league game for kids. Some of these parents are absolutely crazy and I feel sorry for their kids.
• While winning is the ultimate goal of a game, it's just the surface level goal. The real goal is to teach and develop players...with both skill for the game and character while playing the game. I have no use for coaches who don't teach and model character and good sportsmanship.
• If you show up looking sloppy and give the impression you could care less about how you represent your team on the field, then you probably feel that way. I seriously wanted to yell from my seat, "Boys, tuck your shirts in!!" but I think my nephew would have absolutely died from embarrassment so I refrained. :)
• Be nice to everyone. Period. Even if you think they don't deserve it...kindness is incredibly under-rated.
• Park your car far away from the outfield because your windshield could get smashed with a home run or a foul ball.
• While I love and adore sports, I do not adore cold weather or bugs. I have learned, however, that you will endure things you do not adore for SOMEONE that you do adore.
• Everyone loves to be cheered for and everyone deserves to have a cheering section.
• Strike outs, biased coaches, sitting on the bench are all the unpleasant elements of baseball but you can even learn something from sitting on the bench.

Okay, enough of my list. I've thought a lot since last night about what my nephews are gaining from playing baseball and then it developed into this blog. I love that my nephews play sports and are almost always good at any sport they play (no bias here ;). Last night I left the game disappointed by the outcome but then began to reflect on what could be gleaned from playing just a silly game...I think there's a lot to be learned from little league!

the wheels are comin' off...

i have a hilarious friend, andrea, in texas who can say some of the funniest stuff and i think she also has some of the funniest expressions. for example, if something is going terribly wrong and just plain falling apart, andrea will look at you and say, "the wheels are coming off."

well, i had that kind of morning. there is just something about church where people seem to lose all common sense. really, most of the time, the children are never the problem but it's almost always the adults that have most of the issues. anyway, like i said, it was a "wheels comin' off day." some sundays i think, "gosh, it was so crazy today...there's no way it could ever be this crazy or chaotic again." wrong. it usually is...the following sunday. if you've never worked in a children's ministry, you may be thinking, what in the world is she talking about?! my church is never crazy or choatic. i do know from experience that craziness and chaos is not just limited to my church on sundays...almost every children's ministry in america experiences this common phenomena. from parents dropping their child off throwing up, sick, with a rash, a 3 yr. old ending up in a 2nd grade class, teachers not showing up, parents not volunteering, etc. But, there are moments, glimpses of hope where you remember what ministry is all about and why you show up every Sunday morning at 7 am...because it's your passion, your calling, and a gift. I had a few of those moments this morning; nothing does your heart good like a toddler or a preschooler waving frantically and shouting your name at the top of his lungs or being given the opportunity to minister to and love on a mom whose heart was breaking. I walked away from that mom with a fresh perspective on my Sunday...the craziness and the chaos is worth it. It was worth it for that one mom to feel loved, supported, and encouraged...it's worth it for her daughter to feel safe, loved, and cared for in our special needs Sunday School class. Sometimes I wonder why in the world God has me where I am because most days, I feel incredibly unworthy and so completely unprepared. I'm thankful, though, for the moments I am reminded of my calling and I am even more thankful that it's not about me but it's about Him. This is His ministry, I just get to play a part---a small, insignificant part where, hopefully, I am doing nothing but giving Him the credit. It's all about Him.

a new day

so, this is what i'm thinking today...today is a new day. not earth shattering or anything but it's truth. i've been a little sad the last few days but you know what? i'm done. i'm over it. (to quote a katharine mcphee song ;). but, beyond that, this morning God reminded me that, "because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (lamentations 3:22-23).

i'm too surrounded by blessings and amazing things that the Lord has given me to be down and frustrated about something that is truly out of my hands. i'm putting a stake in the ground of my heart today and declaring that because of the Lord's great love, i will NOT be consumed!! He is faithful...He has proven faithful in my life time and time again. i will trust, i will hope, and i will live joyfully because of Him.

praise Him for new days, new beginnings, new mercies, and His unending faithfulness. praise Him.

in my book, you're a rockstar...

okay, so, as much as i thought i would struggle with blogging...apparently not since i'm on my third post in 2 days :). it is kind of addicting, huh?

my heart has really been burdened lately because there are all of a sudden so many people around me (maybe not necessarily close in vicinity but who are close to my heart) who are experiencing loss, difficulty, and tragedy. it breaks my heart to think of a lady i have "met" through other friends who just found out she has a brain tumor, my friends who just lost their 2 yr old, my friend who lost 2 fellow officers a couple weeks ago in a senseless crime, the tragedy at va tech, and now a friend of mine who is experiencing a such a horribly difficult time with her daughter and her family. in light of all of this, i've been reflecting about what really matters.

i'm thankful for...

• my faith
• my parents
• my sister (who is my best friend) and my brother-in-law
• my nephews
• my niece
• my friends
• my health (crazy big toe and all :)
• my job...i get to go to work and do something that i love

i'm going to take some time in the coming weeks and let the people in my life know that they're rockstars in my book. everyone needs to know that they're loved and important to someone...i was thinking this morning about how great it would be to have a "fan club"; a group of people that when you're sad, down, insecure, lonely, etc. that you could call and they'd instantly remind you of your strengths and the good things about you. (don't get me wrong...i know that my identity and my security of who i am comes from my relationship with Jesus) but then i realized that i do have a fan club...i have a family who loves me and friends who love me and see past my issues. so, i've decided that i'm going to try harder to let those people know how great i think THEY are! :)

i'm determined for today to be a better day...i'm praying i have a better perspective.

~ag

tired

tonight i've made a decision...i'm tired.
-i'm tired of crying
-i'm tired of my eyes being puffy and sore
-i'm tired of being sad
-i'm tired of waiting and hoping that a certain situation will be okay
-i'm tired of feeling like i screwed up
i'm just tired.

ever have one of those days? well, it's been "one of those days" for the past 4 days and i'm not sure the outlook for tomorrow will be any better. oh well...i'll press on and i'll be okay...eventually.

me, a blogger?!

okay, so, i have given in to some sort of peer pressure, i guess. all these people i know have blogs: friends from church, college, high school and i've even read some blogs of random people i've never met. i'd never consider myself a "blogging" sort of girl...i never had a diary when i was growing up and to be honest, i struggle with journaling things (except for prayers...i really like writing out my prayers). i think my issues with journaling and writing things down stem from a lack of discipline. yikes!

anyway, i digress...i thought i'd try my hand at blogging and see what happens. the thing about all this blogging madness and nonsense is that some people share intensely personal (in my opinion) information about themselves...just throwing it out there in cyberspace for anyone to read. that's really not my style, so, you'll just have to stay along for the ride and see what becomes of my blogging career. i can promise you this: sometimes crazy and quite out of the norm things happen to me so, i can say that i'm sure, at times, it will be interesting and quite possibly even funny.

oh, and for anyone who may ever read this, leave me a comment or two ;) it will make me smile and encourage me in my day.

smiles!
amy