by Amy | Dec 7, 2012 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
Derek and I have been helping out at the youth group at our church. Together we are working our way through the book of Acts. Just a few verses at a time…slowly…but surely.
{This amazing photo is from L.A. Birdie Photography’s Flickr stream.}
This Wednesday we talked about chapter 8: 1-8. I’ve thought about it a lot since then. Here is the gist of the passage. The church is brand new and young. This had been going great, but suddenly Stephen was stoned for preaching and Saul {later, Paul} begins persecuting Christians. Violence breaks out. Believers are put in prison, beaten, or killed. The church then scattered throughout the region to avoid persecution.
And here is what verse 4 says:
“Those who were scattered preached the Word wherever they went.”
Wherever.
And you know what? The church needed to be scattered. The Good News, the Gospel, the Word…it had to move beyond the walls of Jerusalem. God allowed hard times, violent times to fall on His children. But, as always, His hands guide our paths and lead us to His purposes.
Often I feel very scattered. Uprooted, changed, challenged. Scattered. A lot of times when I feel like that I wallow. Like a hippo in a mud hole. I just wallow in it. Because, surely I’m the first one to feel uprooted and scattered.
But the reality is that this isn’t new at all. God uproots us all for different reasons at different times. Whether it means we move to a new house, a new town, or just change schedules or activities. We all get uprooted and challenged. Our responsibility is to carry the Word with us wherever we go. And not just to carry it, but to preach it too. {And I’m not talking about preaching in a street corner condemnation kind of way. But a loving, understanding, approachable way.}
Really, this is the meaning of life. Spreading His kingdom, preaching His Word, bringing Him glory. That’s what it’s all about. God has a plan in place to spread His kingdom to the ends of the Earth. And it involves you. And me. And everyone we come in contact with. His plan is elaborate. So elaborate, it may even seem unclear to our little mortal minds. But there is a plan. I promise you. There is a plan.
And that’s why you are where you are right now. Where you are living, what you are feeling, the struggles you are overcoming. They aren’t accidents. You are young to reach the young. You’re a mom to be relatable to moms. I work at the gym to reach those who want to improve their bodies, and who may need a little confidence boost. I live in Practically Canada to reach people here.
We are scattered from our comfort zone to better serve the LORD. Are you feeling lead to scatter? Have you been scattered? This is a blessing, friends. When He calls us to scatter apart, he calls us to a new mission field…with new lives waiting to hear from us.
Will you preach the News wherever you go? I sure hope so.
Amy
by Amy | Oct 24, 2012 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
When we were out doing a little visiting on the east coast, Derek and I popped in to visit with his uncle and aunt in Lancaster, PA. I could write a whole post on how amazing the Damon family is…but that would really get us off topic. So I’ll just dive in. The fam work closely with a Christian theater production company called Sight and Sound Theater.
Now, if you are like me…you are thinking, “Um, Amy…last time I checked, you were awesome. Why are you plugging a lame Christian theater company?”
Because, yes…I’ll admit it. Christian entertainment has a history of being a bit…stale. So, I was skeptical when we were offered tickets to see “Jonah.” I mean the book of the Bible is only a few pages long. How can they make a 2.5 hour show about it? And I know that story already…but…it was free. And the family really talked it up. They assured me it wouldn’t be lame.
And it wasn’t. It was anything but lame. The production quality was amazing. Everything about it blew me away. If you get a chance, you should go. Seriously. I’m not kidding. Go.
Now…all that brings me to the point of today’s post. Pulling a Jonah.
I went into the show “knowing” the story of Jonah. But there is something about the events of the Bible…they continually teach and speak to us. Even when we feel like we know the story like the back of our hand. {I don’t really understand that expression.}
What we generally think of when we consider Jonah is a BIG FISH. One big enough to eat him whole and keep him trapped in its belly for three days. What God showed me was something that has nothing to do with fishing at all. Do you remember why Jonah got eaten like a peanut on an airplane? Let me refresh you.
God told Jonah to go preach in Ninevah. Ninevah was a town full of awful people. They were barbaric, idol worshipers, and cruelly violent. Not only was Jonah afraid to go there, he didn’t think that they deserved God’s Word and Grace. So he ran away. He jumped on a ship with what I picture to me a motley crew and set sail in the opposite direction.
While on board God caused an awful storm to come and threaten to tear the ship apart. Everyone on board would die. But Jonah saw through this. He knew what was happening was his fault. God had found him and was showing His wrath. So J-man tells the crew to throw him overboard. After some convincing…they do…and the storm stops immediately.
And until I went to the show, I hadn’t really noticed what happened next.
All those men on board acknowledged the Lord. Previously they had worshiped pagan gods. But when they saw the storm that God had caused and how He caused it to cease…they knew that Jonah’s God was the real deal.
The New Living Translation puts it this way: The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. {Jonah 1:16}
That’s the part of the story that has really stuck with me since leaving the theater. So often I make mistakes. I know what God would want me to do, but I run away…I pursue my own path. Sometimes it is crazy difficult to walk in the direction we feel God leading us. Sometimes it feels like we are walking blindly. And that’s scary {just try closing your eyes as you strut down the street sometime.} So we run away. And sometimes we feel like failures. That’s “pulling a Jonah.”
But this is the message that God has laid on my heart to share with you. Take comfort…because we serve a God who works miracles, even through our failures and fears. God used Jonah’s disobedience, fear and failure to comply to show his might to the ship’s crew. Through Jonah’s mistakes, God created an opportunity to reveal himself. This is the God we serve. The one and only God. The One who can take all our weakness, mistakes, and misgivings and create something lovely and powerful for His Kingdom’s name.
Amy
by Amy | Oct 4, 2012 | Blog, Context, The Art of Faith
I’m a fan of daily Bible study. Now…before you go judging me for being some kind of prude, let me assure you that I’m not perfect by any means. Just because I ready the Word daily, doesn’t mean I know it by heart or that my Walk is without struggles.
I’ve talked to lots of people who have said that they wished they could have a routine like me. They wished they read their Bible every day. They try, but somehow, the next thing they know…it’s been a week or two and the ol’ NIV has just been collecting dust.
Well, I’ve got a secret for you. I’m no super hero. I don’t have any special Bible-reading powers. I just have a routine. A habit. And I’d like to share a few things that I’ve learned along the way, that just might help you get in to the habit as well.
First…let me make a quick case for why you should make the Word a habitual part of your day.
1. The Bible is a living word. It is the perfect word, God-breathed, inspiring, truthful, and living. Now, you may be getting ready to look away and come back when I’ve got a craft up…and stopped trying to convince you of “living” books. No, it’s not going to get up and walk down to Taco Bell for a Crunchwrap…but the Word will speak to you in a way no other book can.
2. You’ll be changed. Even if you are great the way you are {you are obviously awesome…you are here at amyallender{dot}com} Bible study will improve you. Your attitude will change. You’ll start to understand where morals come from…why abstaining from using curse words is more than just showing off your wide vocal. You’ll start to think about things differently. Even if you are already a practicing Christian.
Don’t believe me? Just try it. Give it 3 weeks. And, yes, I know there are loads more reasons to read the Word…but I’m not writing a book here. Just a little light reading. So let’s move on to some easy ways to put it in your routine.
1. Pick a time. I hate the morning. I’m lucky to get up and get pants on by the time I need to be at the gym to teach at 8:30 a.m. And I don’t think God cares that my study time isn’t first thing. I know lots of people who feel like they are Christian failures because they fail to pull their butts out of bed early enough to study the word before the day begins. If you love the morning…go for it…get up early. For those of us that aren’t that perky…know that God doesn’t care when you do it…He just wants to be close to you. So pick a time that works for you and stick to it.
2. Think about bed time. My study time is always before I go to sleep. Even after the longest day, I make myself stay away long enough to read a little bit. Even if it’s only one chapter…or one Psalm…or a couple Proverbs. Which brings me to my next tip.
3. Start small. The Bible is full of long names, genealogies, and wisdom. Don’t feel like you have to take on the whole book in one sitting. I’d even be bold enough to tell you to steer clear of those “Read the Bible in One Year” plans. To me…those are simply things that set you up to fail. You miss a day, a week…and next thing you know, you feel overwhelmed. This isn’t a contest. Read a little at a time.
4. Blessed are the children. Confused on where to start? Yep…I was. I recommend looking at a children’s Bible “Story Index.” Here is a pretty good online list. This is a good place because you might be familiar with some…and they are interesting. And you’ll avoid getting trapped in lists of laws and long lists of weird names.
5. Reread. My lovely friend Krissy just laid this little nugget on me while I was in California. She said, sometimes it’s most beneficial for her to read a passage night after night. Don’t feel pressure to read something new every day. Spend a few days with a chapter or passage. Let it sink in. Memorize part of it. Write in on your heart. It’s a living Word, remember? If we spend time to look deep into the word, it will faithfully look back at us. The word will speak to us. Without fail.
Give it a try. Set a time. Set a goal…an easy goal like: I’ll read at least one sentence of the Bible every night for a week. Accomplish the goal and move from their.
My life has changed since I committed myself to daily study. I’d love for your life to change too. Do you read every day? What helps you stay in a routine? What helped you start and establish your routine?
Amy
by Amy | Oct 1, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Faith
I’ve been cranky lately. Full disclosure. I never feel like I need to hide from you. And maybe that’s a bit awkward…I really do keep my dirtiest laundry to myself. But I’m all about being open and honest, because I fully believe that we can learn from each other. I believe that it’s okay to be fussy sometimes and that if even one of you relate and feel understood after reading my ramblings…well then…it’s been worth it.
So. Yes. Me. Cranky.
It’s been compounding for a while now. Loads of things that haven’t got the way I expected or wanted. The unexpected life has crept up and sucker punched me. {What a jerk, right?} None of it was a big deal, really. It was a poor turnout to a photo shoot I thought would be a hit. Panda has been sick. A curt email that hurt my feelings. A missed opportunity. The wrong laptop ordered. A broken sugar bowl. A box of chocolates dropped on the world’s dirtiest carpet.
But isn’t that how it goes sometimes. Little things can stand on top of one another and before I know it…I’m looking at Andre the Giant instead of simply an ant. And so I write about it. Because when I put things into words, I feel pressure to find some kind of positive spin. And that’s what I need right now. Maybe even more than a spin. I need a merry-go-round, a carousel, a whir wind, a tornado.
And here it is. When things stack up {and the are bound to every once in a while} we cannot lose hope. At the end of the day, if everything is in a mess and we have our panties in a twist…it’s okay. It’s okay to take a moment, a breath, to get our fuss out. Then we must look down at our feet and remember that they are for walking. For running. We must continue to move one in front of the other and go forward. Put your rain boots on if the mess is deep, heck drag out your waders. But take a step out. Move toward that stack of nasty compounded, unexpected things and give it a good shove. Knock it over and see everything for what it is: A sugar bowl, an email, a reason to get more creative.
Then walk away. And move forward.
If we continue to stand in a muck of cranky it will eventually turn to quick sand. It will eat me up. It will eat you up. And this means our Enemy has won. Satan delights when the unexpected and worldly woes get us to lose sight of Hope. But we are smarter than he is. We see his plan and we know the meaning of life: To glorify God through every thing we do and every skill we have.
Whatever may be keeping you down…try to move forward today. I know I will. And if everything is going great…just remember this in your heart.
See you tomorrow…with a big dining room/living room B&A. I can’t wait.
Amy
by Amy | Sep 5, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Faith, The Art of the Moment
Today reality hit me in the face. Back from vacation and a “do-list” a mile long. {I’m a big list maker in case you didn’t know.}
Reality.
Lists. Work. Editing. Emails. Phone calls.
Then I sat for a minute and saw this photo. I snapped this at Sylvan Lake at Custer State Park over the weekend. And suddenly, unexpectedly, I remembered that this is reality too. Both are real and wonderful in their own way.
I need to embrace both of them and appreciate the fact that both of these realities have been hand-crafted by God. My loving heavenly Father.
What reality has He crafted for you?
Amy
by Amy | Aug 29, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Faith
This is a small blog. I don’t get too many comments and I have no need for a FAQ page. It’s a hobby really. I’ve always like to write and journal. As I’ve been pulled away from my home town and my family…I find writing here very therapeutic.
I’ve been writing here consistently for over a year. Originally it was a place that I could slap up workouts for my fitness class participants. If they missed a class they could still get a great workout. Then I added some recipes. And updates. And photos. And a little TMI…
Then a month ago I merged my small photo/video business with my blog so all my online presence was merged. That was a good move.
And finally it all left me wondering what I’m really doing. How can I put into words what it is that I spend time writing about? Why should you read? Why should you tell your friends this is a pretty cool place to hang out?
I honestly felt like it was time to put my finger on what I’m doing…and add a little focus to these musings.
After lots of praying God opened my eyes to what every single thing I post is about. It’s something most of us have in common: We are all living a life unexpected. So there you have it. The theme of my writing, my projects, my business, my crafting. It is all about being unexpected, using unexpected materials, finding inspiration in unexpected places, and discovering unexpected solutions.
When I boiled it all down, my whole life has been an unexpected adventure. Especially my adult life. I’m not living where I expected, or working the job I thought, or even keeping the company I assumed. Life has been one unexpected journey. And that’s a good thing.
The greatest people in the world lived unexpected lives. The Bible is fully of people whose lives went in directions they never dreamed. I’m sure Mary expected to grow up an impoverished girl in a ghetto neighborhood. Jonah didn’t expect to chill in a whale for a few days. Noah {a man of the desert} never expected to be the captain of the history’s most famous ship. And the orphan Esther never thought she’d be a queen.
If we hope for the life we expected, we are turning our backs on the boundless possibilities God sees for us. Because only He knows our true, deep-down potential.
As far as the content goes…you’ll see the same stuff. It’s just that now I’ve got a reason behind it. I’ve got a little more focus. You’ll see me working on crafts made out of unexpected things {like the time I made a hair clip from an old t-shirt, or that wreath out of paper bags.} I’ll try to surprise myself with my handiwork around the house. I’ll continue to do as much as I can for as many as I can for as long as I can…through unexpected acts of kindness.
Let’s all start embracing our life unexpected.
Amy
PS–You should go read the new “About” page. It puts this unexpected theme in a nutshell.
by Amy | Aug 16, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Faith
While driving the other day I was struck by one of Minot’s most spectacular crops: Sunflowers. Where I’m from sunflowers aren’t a crop. They are a flower. A decoration. Corn is a crop. We plant fields of corn…not fields of flowers.
But this isn’t Indiana…and I’m glad they grow sunflowers here.
There are fields of them. As far as the eye can see. From a distance it just looks like someone has painted the ground yellow. Then, as you approach you see them…giant, perfect, mega-flowers.
And as I drove past {then stopped and stood on top of my car like a fool to take a few photos} I was reminded of something a dear friend once said at Bible study.
She said while she was praying she got an image of sunflowers in her head, and she thought it was a perfect metaphor for us as followers of Christ. Sunflowers spend their entire existence following the sun. In the morning they face east and as the day passes, their heads tilt toward the sky and follow the sun as it crosses to the west. I’m not making this up. That’s really what they do.
I think she was right. As believers we should spend our existence following the Son. Turning to face Him in every hour of our life.
Looking at the fields I felt it appropriate to take it a step deeper. I began to think of the field as a metaphor for the church as a whole.
Another thing you’ll notice when looking at a group of sunflowers is that they all face the same direction. They know the true light source. A single flower will not be distracted and look away at a lamp or a flashlight. As the sun moves across the sky, the flowers all move together. As one.
What would happen if we as the church could band together like a field of sunflowers. If the church wasn’t distracted by politics, attendance numbers, fancy buildings, or secular life? If we poured all of our attention toward the true life-source? I think it would be amazing. I think darkness would tremble.
To be clear…I’m not claiming to be a perfectly focused. I’ll be the first to admit it. But it is something to aspire to, something to strive for. It’s something to think about and pray about. Something I pray about. How can I be more focused on Christ? Where should I be looking? How can I move as part of the body of Christ? How can I be a better follower? It is so important to follow our individual callings, but we must all remember that we are called to act as one body, pursuing one mission: To glorify the Son and spread the Gospel to all nations.
All that from a country drive. Darn those cash crops and their infinite wisdom.
Amy
by Amy | Aug 13, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Faith
I’ve had a good deal of sad news come my way lately. But I’m not quite ready to dive into all of that. So tonight I’m going to tell you a good “Sunday-night” story. It’s one of those heart-warmers.
A little backstory is required to fully appreciate this tale. Just a bit.
First, my sister-in-law, her husband and two kids are amazing. I’m blessed to have a sister and brother-in-law that set such an amazing Christian example for me. When I think about how I want to raise my future-hypothetical-children I pretty much want to follow right in their footsteps.
Next they live on a farm and have only in the past couple years have they started to be okay with the idea of barn cats {at their daughter’s continued pleading.}
Finally…there has only been one cat that wandered into their lives that they really liked. His name is Patches and he adores them. He would lay in the snow and ice on their front steps…just anxiously waiting someone to come out and pet him.
So, the story begins. Patches went missing. Three weeks missing. And in farm life terms that pretty much translates to “Patches is gone for good.” Coyotes, cars or a person who stumbled upon the world’s most loving cat could all be possible culprits for the loss.
But the fact remained that Patchy was gone.
And for some reason their daughter finally came to this realization one night. I guess maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had asked her that day where she thought he’ gone or if he was coming back. At any rate, she broke down hard. She was torn up, as any child would be…when the only cat your family has ever liked has just disappeared and is not coming back.
Upset by his daughter’s deep sadness, Mark went outside after putting her to bed and began to pray. The prayer was simple and bold.
God, I don’t know why Grace is so upset tonight. But she loves that cat and her heart is broken. My kids really did love that pet and I know you love them. So…I don’t know where that cat has gone off to…but I do know that you can bring it back, even if it’s dead somewhere.
Direct, sincere, heartfelt, bold. The way we should all pray. I love that I have a bro that can lead by example. Instead of telling his girl to get over it “It’s just a cat,” or just getting a new one…he prayed. He had compassion for his daughter’s feelings and asked God to amend a situation that was out of his control.
Here’s the ending to the story. The next day, the first time the kids went outside…there was Patches. Home.
God hears our prayers and he knows our hearts. He knows when we need a win, when we need a little hope. And He always delivers. He cares for you, me….even barn cats.
Amy
PS –The photo above was taken the day after Patches amazing return. Now they are a little more lenient on letting him inside!
