an anniversary

Today I am taking a quick break from my "chronicle" of my trip to the Guild and have a very special congratulation to extend.

Today is my mom and dad's 22nd wedding anniversary!

Yes, on August 20th, 1990, two eighteen-year-olds- fresh graduates from high school- took the plunge and got married.  Everybody thought that it was a huge mistake- it would never last.  Two high-schoolers?  He, the star of every high school play- the boy with the golden voice. She, the timid behind-the-scenes girl.  What were they thinking?

They weren't.  

God was.

Since that fateful day, twenty-two years later

whatever you do...

Oh, how I love this verse!

So often we can get caught up in the "glamour" of serving the Lord by going to other countries to preach the gospel.  By doing "big time missions" to serve God. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with serving God in those areas- but I feel that we may put too much emphasis on them and not enough emphasis on serving God in the little things.

Years and years ago when my dad was very young, a coworker was encouraging him in the faith.  I don't remember exactly what happened but I believe that the coworker was being downgraded in his job- his attitude was joyful anyway!  My dad asked him why and he replied, "If all I'm doing is sweeping streets, I'm going to sweep those streets for Jesus."  My dad now carries and reflects that in all that he does- and he is teaching us now.

I once heard a talk by Louie Giglio about careers regarding this.  His proposal was whatever career you choose- you do it to the very best of your ability so that when people see your work they wonder why it is done with such excellence- why it shines so much brighter than the world's.  I would encourage you in this whole-heartedly.  

But what I really want to encourage you in is applying that right now.  Meaning, when you have a chore to do- don't just get by- get it done to the glory of God- for it is the Lord Christ whom you serve!  For me, every dish that I wash, every toilet I clean, every surface I dust, every floor that I vacuum, every piece of laundry that I fold, let it reflect my love for Jesus and my desire to serve Him.  Let when I practice my guitar or my trombone the sound flow from my lips or my hands- out of love for my Savior- not because I have to.  When I'm making a meal for my family let it be a marked difference in the loving way that it is planned and prepared than that of someone who is not serving the Lord.  Because it's not for me, it's not even for my family, it's for Jesus that I do my work with excellence.

Do you have work that the Lord has set before you that you have been doing with the mind of pleasing men instead of pleasing God? I would encourage you to turn your eyes up, serve Jesus in everything you do {Queue Steven Curtis Chapman song}.  Show the world that Christians aren't mediocre in anything. Make a mark on the world so that they know, "This job was done for Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world!" and they will either shrink away from it in disgust, or be drawn to it to be saved- this is your mission field.  By the world, it can be anyone unsaved- even down to your younger (or older) brothers and sisters that see you all the time doing the little things...

Another thing, keep this in mind, "'Well done, good and faithful slave.  You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'" {Matthew 25:23b}

Have a fabulous day, my friends!

Purpose

~Amy

I love- what else?

I love books.

(In case you didn't notice in my "About Me" page)

My idea of the perfect night (or day) is spending it with a perfect book.  One where there is mystery, intrigue, admirable characters, drama- the kind that makes you want to cry-, and suspense to keep me reading until it's finished (whether it's 5AM or 5PM).

Such are some of these:

...only to name a few.

But seriously, I love, love, LOVE, books...  I am passionate about them- I have a vision of collecting rare gems of books and saving them for my children- for when I get married someday.  I dream of being able to talk to my children about them and tell them what I learned when I was their age reading this or that book and what was going on in my life and so on.  Wouldn't that be a sweet bond to have?

Another thing I love- er, am good at- er, comes naturally to me <wink> is critique.  I have very high standards for books- sometimes fortunately, sometimes not.  I am very critical of the lesson, the writing, the pace...

So, combining the two things that I mentioned above- do you know what I decided to start doing?

Yeah, you probably figured it out: book reviews!

I have written quite a few before and quite enjoyed them- I will have to post some on here soon.  I have signed up for a few blogging for books programs and have already received a free ebook that I have read and will be posting the review soon...

Anyway... sorry for my absence in the blogging world over the past few weeks...  I've been trying to get into a groove ;-)

Have a fabulous day!

Source: lamplighterpublishing.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: lamplighterpublishing.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: lamplighterpublishing.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: lamplighterpublishing.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: lamplighterpublishing.com via Amy on Pinterest

Hello, 2012

As you may have guessed because of the length of time between my last post and this, my family and I have been (as I said in the previous post) extremely busy...  I don't know if I mentioned before the three birthdays all within the same seven days along with Christmas.... or our Christmas party that was in the same seven day period- or the New Year's Eve Ball we went to only five days post Christmas- or the costume that we didn't even get the fabric for until two or three days before we left.... yep- we've been pretty busy <pant, pant>...

All that aside...

Today is the second day of a new year.

Have you taken any time to reflect on the past year?  I encourage you to- I know I should- my mind has been going a million miles a minute over the past two months and I haven't taken much time to consider what did or did not get accomplished in 2011 and what I need to do or change in 2012.

My prayer for this year (among others!) and for every year to come is this:

That God will give me the strength and the courage to surrender everything I have- my dreams, my aspirations, hobbies, skills- in order to carry out whatever His purpose and His plan might be.  

It may mean that I discontinue blogging.

It may mean that I won't read a single book in it's entirety this year.

It may mean that I never sing again.

It may mean that I never play my guitar again.

It may mean that I need to let go of my over-achieving high standards for how clean or orderly I think the house should be.

It may mean that my dad will lose his job.

It may mean that I never marry.

It may mean that my mom will never have another baby.

These are only a few of the possibilities...  if one (or even all) of these things happens to me- what will I do?  Will I be sad and angry with God- discontent with my life?  As Paul says, "May it never be!"

God has a greater plan- greater than anything anyone could ever imagine- He knows all.  Not just the plan for my life- but yours, your brother's, your sister's, your best friend's, your mom's, your dad's- the person in front of you in the checkout- He knows her's too!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

(Jeremiah 29:11) 

God has a plan. 

If tragedy strikes- it does not negate this verse.  Because through it all, God is going to use that trial- use it to prosper you and not to harm you.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Anyway.... just what I've been thinking...  

If nothing else, writing this post has helped me to reiterate my prayer and refresh the challenge to trust God- in everything.  :-)

Hello, 2012- I'm ready... for what?  That's for God to decide.

Happy New Year, my sweet friends! 

Embrace WHAT?!?!?!?

Ha... you are probably on the edge of your seat as to what the "WHAT?!?!?!?" is in the title aren't you?

Patience, patience...

Pop culture, movies, album covers, and even books have been screaming to us girls...

"To be pretty, you must have a PERFECT face!  No pimples, scars, or un-plucked eyebrows... Oh! and don't EVER think that you can go without makeup!"

Yesterday I was feeling... well... ugly.  I have some leftover very subtle acne on my face but I noticed some temporary scars where the acne had left.  My hair dried kind of funny because I waited a bit too long to brush it after coming out of the shower. 

Ugh.

I had to babysit later in the day so I found a few free minutes, snagged 'em and went to the bathroom to cover up my "ugliness".  I wanted to cry just looking at myself... why did I feel like this?

I came to my Momma afterwards and mentioned how I felt...  She began trying to make me feel better about my appearance but then she stopped and said, 

"You know, you should be grateful for your blemishes and when you feel like that because it keeps you from getting prideful about your appearance."

Pure wisdom. 

It was like a light bulb moment for me...

What's the matter with a perfect face?  What's the matter with having no pimples, scars, or un-plucked eyebrows?  Nothing's that matter with it- but it can make it a whole lot harder to view yourself as what you really are: a dirty sinner that doesn't deserve to have anything- not even good looks.

  

So embrace your blemishes- after all where does true beauty really come?

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

~1 Peter 3:3-4~

Thanks, Momma!

Operation: Baby Pumpkin

Yesterday morning my parents came home from the grocery store, plopped a few pumpkins on the dining room table and said, "Guys, I need your help."  "Ok, what do you need us to do?" I replied.

Apparently a local church had wrapped up their pumpkin patch on Halloween and left these on the side of the road for anyone that wanted them.

 It took two trips to get all these pumpkins... can you guess how many in all?

 Later yesterday evening we got to work on cooking, scraping, and pureeing them- we didn't even make a dent in the pile!

It was truly a gift from the Lord- I felt so blessed- He definitely knows the desires of our hearts...

I'm so excited now- looking forward to making pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin soup- not to mention all the decorating possibilities! 

Follow my Pumpkins board on Pinterest here!

Have a fabulous day...

~Amy

PS: Don't forget to guess how many pumpkins you think we got in all ;-)

Faith Like a Child

My almost-five-year-old sister, Abigail, came to me a few weeks ago tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Amy, something's w-wrong with m-me!"

Me: "What? What's the matter?"

I get on my knees next to her and put my arm around her as she continues to cry.

"I f-feel like I'm gonna throw up!"

Poor baby. I tried to comfort her, thinking she was going to- you know- and said,

"Ok, go ahead- it's gonna be all right."

Abigail: "But I drank too much water!"

Me: "You will be fine- it's okay- it just probably went down funny so it's making you feel weird."

Abigail getting more upset: "No!  Water I got out of the bathroom!"

Me: "That's okay, sweetie!"

Abigail: "No it's not!  It's bad water! We w-wash our h-hands with it!"

I proceeded to explain how the water was really just the same as we drink in our kitchen except we have a filter for our drinking water in the kitchen but that some water from the tap wouldn't hurt her.

I went on to say that I was going to pray over her to ask God to settle her stomach.  Her answer surprised me.

"I d-don't think H-He can!"

In a bit of shock I went on to explain how God can do anything and even if He doesn't do wha

t we want Him to He has a reason for it that is good for us.

So we prayed... and I turned on a short movie to get her mind off her nausea... she didn't throw up.

A little while later I said to her, "I guess God really can can't He?"

~

A few days ago it happened again.

"W-will you p-pray for m-me?"

I thought you'd never ask, Pumpkin.

~

Yesterday it happened again- but this time she came to Daddy. He picked her up and was holding her when she cryed,

"W-will you p-pray for m-me?  It always f-feels better w-when we p-pray for it!"

It's like a sweet reward- those words.  I felt so honored to be instrumental in building the faith of my little sister.

It in turn built my own.

It's Cold Outside!

I am wearing long sleeves.  I am wearing long sleeves.

I AM WEARING LONG SLEEVES!

Yesterday it was an average warm day here in the south- this morning it is actually COLD!

I was so excited- I finally got down my "cold clothes" bin and picked out a long sleeved shirt...  I'm looking forward to going through the whole bin soon (I would today but I'm working on Abigail and Violet's closets today!)...

We have the back sliding glass doors open in our living room- aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh....

Thank you, Jesus, for seasons!

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven"

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Where's Your Heart?

"for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:21

Most of the time when we hear this verse we think of "treasure" as our money, but what else do we treasure?  What do we hold dear- everyone has it- that is much more valuable than all the money in the world?

Time.

(Clock sold here)

It's a tough thing.... so much can steal our time away if left unbridled- TV, movies, Facebook, Twitter, hobbies.... the list could go on and on.  Are we investing our time into things that really matter?  Because whatever the activity, worthless or not, our hearts are in whatever we spend our time on.

Food for thought.

When I sat down to write this post I was specifically thinking about my brothers and sisters.  Do they have my heart?  Am I spending enough on my "treasure" of time (and/or money!) on them?

What about the Lord Jesus? Are you spending your most precious possession to read His Word- to pray to Him and to enrich your relationship with Him?  Your life is a gift- He gave you the time that you spend now as you please... how are you using it for His glory?

Just been thinking...  I know I need to work on prioritizing where my time is spent!

I Love Rainy Days...

It is so cozy and fall-ish here where I live right now!  :-)

It has been pouring all weekend- the sky has been dark and the air humid but not hot.... it has been so wonderful!  (In case you haven't noticed I LOVE rainy days!)

Last night I enjoyed the coziness with a Salted Caramel Mocha Latte (homemade)

 

and cutting out the pattern pieces to my latest project:

I'm making the dress on the right for Violet and Abigail...  with some awesome corduroy from Hobby Lobby!  (photos to come)

 

Anyway...  hope you are enjoying the weather as much as I am!

Have a blessed day :-)

 

~Amy

I AM working on it...

For those of you wondering about my apron-

I AM working on it!  Really!

I just also have a life separate from sewing and it happens to be pretty full...  ;-)

 

Proof:

I scrapped this idea...

My experimental pair of jeans...

I found a pillowcase that I got at the Goodwill clearance center because I liked the fabric and decided to combine it with the jeans but it's still in the works...

 

I get distracted easily so if you don't see photos of a finished apron 'til Christmas time, you won't be surprised!  :-)

I Need an Apron!

I've been cooking/baking since I was about nine years old- it's been roughly nine years since...  every time that I have gone to cook or bake something I put on somebody else's apron!

 

Today is the day that I will put an end to this "borrowing aprons" business.

I have decided to make one for myself.

(I can hear the dramatic gasps running through the crowd...)

 

At the moment I have a pile of jeans sitting on the island in the corner of our dining room- hopefully by the end of the day they will be an apron... :)

Now I picked out some aprons on Pinterest for us to take a look at to get some inspiration on how to design my own:

Really love the criss-cross at the top- the ruffles are a little much though...

(don't get me wrong- they are cute but for an apron?)

I love how it looks like a  dress!

I just LOVE the colors and the crisp clean look of this one...

the ruffles at the top are adorable...

I love this one- it looks so Shabby Chic  :)

 

Ah, well...

Photos to come of my sewing adventures today :)

It's Cake Day One!

Day one.

Today I am going to bake the cakes and make the various kinds of icings-

thin consistency for the filling, crumb and final layers, and medium for all my decorations.

(I'll post the recipe soon- hang tight!)

(I apologize for the terrible lighting in our kitchen- just bear with me please!  :)  )

You can't see all the cake mixes or the bags of powdered sugar in the photos but there are 6 mixes and 4 bags of sugar (and I'm having Momma pick up some more- eek!)...

You can probably see that the eggs have "reserved" written on them... hee hee!

Yes- I know, I know- nothing that I am using is natural, organic, or any other type of "healthier" choice.  I wish that it could be "better for you" but (a)I don't want anything to get messed up with weird consistencies or flavors that come from inexperience in working with that kind of thing, and (b) how many times in your life do you eat wedding cake?  A teensy bit of GMO ain't gonna kill you, right?  :)  (I can hear the gasps...)

Oh well... I'm off to don my adorable black, white, and pink apron (yay!) and sneakers (my feet kill me on the tile when I work in the kitchen all day!) and start my long day in the kitchen.  But first things first- I'm making these for breakfast before any cakes get made :)

I'll let ya know how things go ;)

Meet the Newest Member of the Family!

Say "hello" to the newest member of the family!

 

Momma and Daddy found him on the sidewalk while on their morning walk yesterday...  We suspect that he had just recently hatched- Hannah said she still sees his egg tooth!

(Hannah's hand- btw) :)

Isn't he cute?  He's so tiny!

He is a Three Striped Mud Turtle...  still researching on how to thoroughly take care of him... :)

This tiny little turtle reminds me of the verse that I have been recently pondering...

"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear ; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

Matthew 11:29-31

God knew about this little turtle crawling around on the sidewalk.  He knew exactly when my parents would come strolling by and see it.  He made sure that the little thing wouldn't get stepped on.  He had a wonderful plan- even for a little turtle's life.  He knew that Momma and Daddy would bring it home and make their nine children very happy.  He knew that He would be glorified as we pondered the wonders of His design...

Just a tiny 3/4 inch turtle.

How much more valuable are you?

Just food for thought...

Anyway, this little guy needs a name!  Any suggestions?

What's been going on around here....

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh.....

It feels good to sit down at the computer with a cup of coffee.  But as my mind is flooded with ideas of cupcakes, spinach artichoke dip, a lawn that needs mowing, a house that needs cleaning, a party that needs to be thrown tomorrow, laundry .... need I say more?  my bliss is beginning to dissipate...  Ah well, that's life ;)

I figured that you all might enjoy an update on what has been going on in our neck of the woods... er, suburbs.

First of all, I didn't post anything yesterday because it was Daddy's birthday and I slept in... sorry :)

Last Saturday we went to two abortion mills in Orlando and met some new people...  what a blessing it was to meet such faithful saints!  One family has been going to that particular mill every Friday and Saturday for SEVEN YEARS!  Praise God for His remnant...

You may be wondering why in the world spinach artichoke dip is on my mind right now.  Well, we are hosting a party tomorrow for my sister, Emma, and her two friends, Gracia and Gabby, for their birthdays last month.  We have been "talking" about doing a party for years now, and we finally took the plunge this year :)  Therefore on my list (to go on the "mom's menu") is to make spinach artichoke dip.  Mystery solved :-D  (that explains the cupcakes too)

Over the last couple of weeks we have been furiously organizing and cleaning our house in preparation for the upcoming school year.  Re-organizing bedrooms, the wall unit that houses all of our school supplies, the computer desk area (Momma, it's is SO nice to work at now, thanks! :) ), and we aren't done yet- still more left to do and only a couple more weeks to do it...

As the summer comes to a close and my favorite half of the year begins- I realize that there are only four and a half more months left in the year... 2011 is more than half over... What am I going to get accomplished in these remaining months?

My mind is a full- in case you couldn't tell ;)

What has been going on at your house?

(I think I'm going to create a new tag for posts such as these... called "Ramblings" :) )

Father's Day

Yes, I know... Father's Day was yesterday- I don't think my dad cares if I gush about him today instead :) First of all, I am a Daddy's Girl. I am the firstborn of the children, Momma calls me David Jr. I sing, I play guitar- just like Daddy. I'm always looking for new ideas- just like Daddy. I'm always thinking- just like Daddy. Now I could go on and on but I won't bore you with that today. :) Just know that I have an appreciation and love for my father that I'm not sure you would understand unless you are another Daddy's Girl. :D I am blessed with a father who is always encouraging me to walk in the truth, on the narrow path. He always has a scripture quotation that applies to my problem (or attitude). He is the most humble person I know. He is honorable- I am so blessed to watch him as he paves a way to for me and my brothers and sisters to follow. Everyone loves my daddy, he certainly has the favor of God and man. Daddy, your legacy is amazing... my heart is so full as I am writing this- maybe that is why I cannot write very much- I can't figure out how to voice you. Thank you for everything you have done and will do for me. Thank you for your example of how you honor your own parents, of how generous you are, of the way you treat people, of how you worship, of your humility... I can't tell you how glad I am that God gave you to me- or rather me to you. :) I love you, Daddy! I hope that this makes sense. :) Things are still a bit up in the air at home so if I seem distracted... what was I saying? :P Anyway I figured that I would leave you all with a photo. Proof that I've been a Daddy's Girl from an early age. (I know I know, I'm pathetic but I had to paint over it :) ) Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

My Weekend

Aaaaahhhhh.... it's good to be home.   :)

Some of you know where I went this past weekend but I'll be happy to fill in the blanks for the rest of ya'll.  I went to South Georgia with my family to a friends' farm for a "Style Show" for the ladies and a "Roughin' It" camp out for the guys.

During the "Style Show" we talked about how to find ways of looking becoming to our father or husbands and taking good care of our bodies... we talked about what our "season" is (what colors look good on us) styles, how to put wardrobes together, makeup, hair, poise and posture...  I was in my element!   :)

I am planning on posting deeper into the subjects as they were very interesting and encouraging to me... especially look for a post abut "seasons"!

Thank you, M. Family, for offering up your home, your barn-your whole farm for the purpose of this delightful weekend- I was encouraged and planning to go through my closet soon :)

 

I'll post more soon, but things are a little up in the air at our house right now :

(Getting back to what we call "normal")

Meet Violet

Just in case you haven't met her before, meet Violet.

Baby V (as we call her) is 2 years old (going on 12!) and just one of the sweetest things you can imagine...  (Most of the time :) )

Everybody loves her....

What's not to love?

(Pippin, Hannah's lovebird, and Violet)

 

The other day she was sitting in the high chair after lunch with the remains still on her face and hands.

"You tlean <clean> me up, Amy?"

I looked at her, her wide eyes looking up at me.  That was a common line with her- she usually says that to whoever is around ("You tlean me up, Hannah? Melody?").  I grinned and said,

"Yes, sweetie, I'll clean you up."

She smiled and looked rather satisfied as she patiently waited for me to wet a clean wash rag.

During that short walk to and from the sink I was considering what a blessing she was, how much I loved her, my youngest sister, how she was one of my best friends... this was all going on in my MIND- mind you- I didn't say a WORD!

I walked over to her in the highchair with a wet washcloth in my hand.  She looked up at me with her brilliantly blue, unblinking eyes and grinned widely.  I began to wipe her face.

"You my best buddy?" she said.

I almost burst into tears.

Friday Funnies: Will the Glass Slipper Fit?

I'm not sure that I even need to write much about the photos that I am about to show you...

My six-year-old brother, James, got a hamster for his birthday last year... he loves her with all of his heart and treats her as if she is his daughter (or something like that).

So when the duke got here with the glass slipper for all the ladies in our household to try on, the hamster was no exception.  (BTW- she has had multiple names over the past year but nothing but "the hamster" has stuck)

It FITS!

Who would have known that the first one of the girls to go would be James'...

Won't the prince be pleased with his new bride?

Hope I gave you a little laugh :)