by Amy | Aug 10, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Faith
I cannot even believe that the Olympics are nearing the end and I have yet to write a lick about them. Someone should give me a solid kick in the booty.
So tonight is the night. I’ll share something that I’ve been thinking about since the ‘Lympics began this year. I simply haven’t taken the time to put it down into words.
I simply adore Olympians that take their time in the world spotlight to be a good influence. A role model. It would be easy to take the limelight and self-gratify. To build yourself up. To take the credit for their greatness. And I’m sure that some do. I haven’t by any means seen all of the post event interviews. So I’ll just say this…I’ve been dearly impressed by what I’ve seen.
By our athletes taking this opportunity to glorify God before the whole world.
I’ll go into depth on one in particular. Gabby Douglas.
Going in to the games Miss Douglas was labeled as a rookie. She is young, and critics predicted that nerves may be a negative factor on her performance. When asked how she deals with the pressure of the world stage she replied:
I meditate on [Bible] scripture. The Bible says ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. The Lord will be with you wherever you go.
She has tweeted Scripture and glorified God on Facebook. Gymnast Gabby Douglas is 16 years old. Amazing, right? I love a positive female role model. And she totally fits the bill.
And all this got me thinking. How can I do a better job of glorifying God on my stage? No, the world isn’t looking my way…and reporters aren’t breathing down my back. My Facebook isn’t being watched like a hawk. But I have a stage nonetheless. And so do you.
So….I guess I have a lot of pondering to do {Zoolander reference}. What are small ways that I can testify to God’s fantastic goodness on a daily basis? Gabby did it when the pressure was riding high. Gabby did it in a 30 second interview. It doesn’t take long to leave an impact on those watching.
Let’s do it together. Just imagine what the church would look like if we each used whatever stage we are given to glorify Him.
It’d be awesome. It totally can be awesome. And it starts with you and me and Gabby Douglas.
Amy
PS–How can you testify in your daily life?
by Amy | Aug 3, 2012 | Blog, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Faith
I’ve had a great time being back home in Indiana. I’ve gotten to do so many things that I love about summer….but have not gotten to do for years and years. I’ve done the things I grew up doing. Things that just feel like summer.
Swimming and laying out by the pool at the house. Check. Drive the Jeep around town with the windows out. Check. Get blue moon soft serve at Dairy Fair. Check. Go to the Elkhart Fair. Check. Spend a day lounging around Weko Beach on Lake Michigan…double check.
Going to the beach is one of northern Indiana’s best summer traditions. Michigan’s coast is absolutely breath taking. And so are the cute little towns that lead to the beaches.
So we went and had a fab day.
When we returned home…this happened.
Yep. That’s me, water spilling out of my mouth, laughing in the street. My sister and our friend Courtney made me laugh so hard I fell to the ground. The water I had just sipped came out of my mouth and nose…and I just sat in the street laughing. Kind of pathetic, right? But seriously…wouldn’t it be great if every day had a moment like this. Do I look like a fool? Of course. Do I care? Heck, no.
Pure happiness and glee come along all too rarely. So when a moment strikes you…I say…to heck with it. Fall in the street and sit in a puddle of your own spit. Drool down the front of your dress. Moments like these don’t happen enough. When you are with people that can push your happy buttons, you should always let them.
Here’s a toast to summer and to happiness. I hope you find an abundance of both today.
Amy
PS…take a look at that photo one more time. See that big RV in the background? That’s my next adventure. A family camping trip in an RV. One child, five adults, and two dogs {one is only 3 months old} will be driving to Wisconsin tomorrow. Wish me luck.
by Amy | Jul 26, 2012 | Blog, Prayer, The Art of Faith
Yesterday I got a lesson in perspective. Frustrating situation or answered prayer. It’s all a matter of perspective. My answered prayers were a irritating situation to a lot of others. And it got me thinking that maybe when I’m frustrated and things are working out exactly how I’d have them…maybe those moments are actually an answer to someone else’s prayers.
Let me elaborate.
I was headed home to Elkhart, IN. {The best place in the world.} Flights from Minot are sooo expensive. So to save some cash, I decided to take the Amtrak train from Minot to Minneapolis. Then I’d take a plane from there to Chicago, where the fam would pick me up.
The train from Minot ran over night, so I figured I’d sleep all night and be ready to go in the morning when I arrived. Well…this is what really happened.
The train was due to depart at 9:25. However, it ran about 2 hours late to Minot and didn’t leave the station until midnight. The staff assured me that we would make up time over night and I’d arrive in Minneapolis a mere 24 minutes late.
So I boarded the crowded train. The car they told me I needed to stay in had a broken air conditioner. I took the only open pair of seats so I could curl up and go to sleep. Then it started.
The coughing.
Right in front of me sat an elderly woman and her husband. And bless their hearts, they had the worst sounding coughs I’ve ever heard in all my years. You know the sound. A juicy, geriatric, flemmy, cough-a-lung-up…hacking, cough. The kind of cough that makes your stomach turn. Without any air flow I felt like I was sealed up in a Ziploc baggie with them. I thought…”If only I could get to sleep, I’d probably be able to sleep through it…”
But getting to sleep was the problem. Right when I thought it had stopped and I was about to drift off…hack-cough-hack.
I must have fallen into a decent sleep at one point because when I woke up it was 6:52 a.m. and we were about to pull into a station. And just imagine my surprise when I discovered we were in Fargo, ND. Three stops past Minot. A depot we were supposed to have passed through at 3:10 a.m.
I flagged down the nearest staff member, who proceeded to tell me that we would be 4 hours late to Minneapolis.
Well bummer…because that means I’ll miss my flight.
After this I talked to the airline, who told me tickets to Chicago were all sold out. If I wanted to change my seat to a flight for the next day I’d be charged $138 to cancel, then the going rate of $240 for a new ticket. Holy crap.
So I got off the phone and called Derek, my mom {who called my dad} and I texted my Sis. We all set to praying that the plane would be delayed so I’d be able to make it.
I finally got to my destination at 10:50. The original flight was scheduled for 11:10.
As I got into the cab to head for the airport my Sis texted me…Flight 708 was now delayed until 12:40.
Prayers answered.
As the plane taxied to wait for the runway to clear the captain came over the speaker. He apologized for the delay…and told us that there had been a hold up early in the morning that had delayed them all day.
Now…was it our 7 a.m. prayers? Was it just a coincidence that we prayed early in the morning…and they’d also been delayed? I don’t know. But I do know that this hold up was an answer to my prayers. A lot of other people were frustrated, but I was relieved.
Bringing me back to my original point. Just some food for thought, next time you are irritated or frustrated in a public situation…remember that a situation that is boiling your blood, just may be answering someone’s prayer.
Just a thought.
Amy
PS–I cannot wait to show you what I was up to today! A trash the dress session at the county fair!! So fun. I’m going to upload photos right meow, so you all can have a little peek tomorrow.
