Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

When A Trip To Costco Can Be Good For The Soul September 6, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 6:47 pm

Thank you, Costco!

I’m just going to come out and say that this week has not been easy. It hasn’t been bad, but it certainly hasn’t been the easiest week I’ve ever experienced. In fact, I’m pretty tired… make that exhausted! I haven’t been this tired in a long time. It almost hurts… So yeah, you get the point – I’m worn out.

When Jeremy asked me if I would like to run some errands with him this afternoon, I was pretty tempted to say no. Nothing sounded better to me than some quiet, alone time at home to unwind and detox. However, with it being hunting season, I never know when I’m going to get to spend time with my hubby. Our schedules are pretty opposite this coming weekend, so I figured this might be the one time we get to hang out for the next couple of days. So despite the fact that moving and breathing take effort at this point, I said yes.

I’m glad I did. Jeremy didn’t seem to mind that my pace was a little slower and it was good to just do something together. Jeremy and I are no stranger to Costco and often go there with a list from the church nursery. We entered Costco with a church list and a home list, prepared to stocked up. Right away I saw they had the Sherpa throw blankets back. I got one two years ago and it’s been well loved. My hubby was very sweet and let me pick one to take home with us. It was like picking a new pet. It’s so soft and cuddly (as advertised)! As we were wandering around the store, we came across not only my favorite pumpkin mix, but they also had samples of it baked and ready for munching. Warm samples, right out of the oven. Oh my! It sent me over the edge! A new fuzzy blanket in the cart, the anticipation pumpkin baked goods and a yummy sample – it was a heavenly moment. It was the moment this tired soul needed. I know that sounds silly, but these comforts of fall really made the difference for me today.

Now I realize that it was in the mid 80’s today and it will be 90 something tomorrow… I realize that summer isn’t officially over… But I love the autumn season so much. It’s all over in the stores and each item is like seeing a welcomed friend. It speaks to me! Just like those silly Pier 1 commercials. It’s a beautiful thing.

And that is how a trip to Costco blessed my soul. The end.

 

Not Your Average Sunday! September 2, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Getting Creative,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 10:15 pm

Today was certainly not an average Sunday. That is for sure! Our church put on a block party for our community that featured two wild animals shows, a car show, free food, a dunk tank, inflatables, etc. Lots to do and see. The day was filled with fun. I think the highlight for me was seeing my hubby in the dunk tank. I honestly thought I was going be the first in line, but nope, I had to get in line behind many of our students. It was really cool to see how many kids wanted to dunk him. It means something if you are cool enough to get dunked. I paid the extra money just to go up and push the button. I throw like a girl… and I’m not ashamed of that fact. However, I didn’t want the whole world to see just how poorly I can throw. Plus, if I missed all three times, then I would have missed my shot at actually dunking him! The animal show was also a great part of the day. I loved the wolves, cougar and arctic foxes. I could have done without each and every snake they pulled out! Ick! Overall, it was a fun way to spend my day, but sooooo not like normal church. It has me a little thrown off now. Doesn’t quite feel like a Sunday.

I was on doggie duty, so I left the block party before Jeremy so I could free Toby from his crate.  I has started to brainstorm a craft project before bed last night so I decided in my few hours of downtime I would create. I used leftover canvas from crafting with April. I also used left over paper from my Missionettes bulletin board two years ago. It’s fun to do a project when I have all the supplies on hand and I can use up stuff that is just sitting my closet. Most of the paper pieces have staple holes in them, but when cut strategically you would never know they were a bulletin board in a past life! I think I like how it turned out. I keep moving the location on which I’ll display it. I had originally thought on the wall by the door, but now I’m thinking on the wood stove with my pumpkin display. We’ll see if it stays there or moves again… or goes away all together. It’s not professional artwork, but it does feel good to get creative every now and again.  Any day I can use a glue gun and Mod Podge is a good day. Does anyone else agree?

Hope you’re enjoying your Labor Day weekend!

Hubby in the dunk tank!

Decorating for Fall!

 

Welcoming September September 1, 2012

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 7:05 pm

September rolled in quietly and started off as many September mornings soon will. I bid my husband farewell extremely early in the morning. I went back to sleep. He went out to kill a deer (correction…attempt). Or really scout out elk. He has a couple days until he can legally kill the bigger beasts (Tuesday). I often joke that I am hunting widow during the months when my hubby roams the woods with a bow in hand. I get a lot of reading done and in all honestly, I’m perfectly fine with entertaining myself. The quiet feeds my soul in a way very few things can.

After tricking my dog to sleep in, I opened a book that I picked up from the library last night. I’m massively obsessed with Lucy Maud Montgomery, so I devoured A Tangled Web rather quickly. I finished it this afternoon. Jeremy had returned home earlier than expected with many stories of the elk he and his family has spotted. He settled onto the couch with college football on and I poured over my book unable to put it down.

Good books go too quickly in my opinion and soon it was over. I had originally planned to pull out my few autumn decorations on Monday for the holiday, but I just couldn’t wait. With today being the first day of September it seemed fitting to add hues of orange to my house. I pulled out our autumn wreaths. I replaced the doormat with one that has leaves on it. I changed the Scentsy scents to Pumpkin Marshmallow, Autumn Sunset and Falling Leaves.

I also updated my pictures in the house. I usually do this about twice a year… sometimes only once a year. I have a real hard time picking which pictures to transition. If I like a picture, I want to keep it up forever, but I also want to add new photos… Unless I want my walls to be overtaken, I must weigh my choices carefully and make the tough call. As you can tell, this takes me a while. I arrange and rearrange. I try to make sure the representation fair – Scotts, Vitzthums, friends… Equal amounts of Jeremy and I both separate and together. It can get complicated like a jigsaw puzzle. I will admit that I don’t think this current arrangement will last long. It has inspired to print more photos soon so I can have more options to play with.

My mom calls rearranging things “moving her kibble.” Usually this refers to furniture and what not, but in a small way I moved my kibble today as a welcoming of September and the autumn months ahead. A new season is ahead of me and I am ready to take it on. It is the best season in my opinion – the season were the world takes on a golden hue, where pumpkin is the favored flavor, when the leaves fall. It’s beautiful and I am excited!

Welcoming September!

 

Celebrating Life August 22, 2012

Filed under: Getting Creative,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 9:57 pm

Jessica and Amy through the years!

Celebrating her 17th birthday with blizzards and fries!

One of the best parts of mentoring and ministry is sharing life with others. It means walking through the ups and downs. Today I got to celebrate with a lovely young lady that will be turning 17 tomorrow. When I first met Jessica it was Easter weekend in 2007. She’s been a part of my life ever since and a BIG blessing to me. We’ve been hanging out on a weekly basis this summer. It’s been fun to stay caught up the daily happenings of her ever busy, ever crazy life. But that is how life is. Mine is the same way. It’s crucial that the important relationship in life don’t fall to the wayside just because the calendar is full. It’s been a fun summer spent laughing, praying, reading and discussing the drama of life together. I mentioned a few blogs back that I had made a craft project that I couldn’t display the end result until after I’ve given it the birthday girl. Today I gave away the beloved piece of art that I put all that time and detail into. I wanted to share something with Jessica that wasn’t store bought and was really from the heart. I chose pictures from the years of  our friendship and highlighted the span of time we’ve shared. I then added verses about love and faith. These are the things I hope she reads on her wall from time to time. Hopefully they will strengthen her when the day is hard and faith far away. These are the things I hope grow and develop in her life. More than anything, I cover this gift with a prayer – that she would love God more than any other and that she would know that she’s never alone. These are the highlights of friendship, of doing life together. I’m am blessed to share this journey with so many kindred spirits and Jess is definitely one of them! Happy birthday!

 

The Gardener August 11, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 8:57 pm

Home Sweet Home!

At the beginning of our marriage, Jeremy and I came to an understanding. I would take the indoor chores, if he would take the outdoor ones. I’m not a fan of the great outdoors. I like looking at them through a window or the occasional camping trip. However, my first thoughts don’t go to what can I do outside. My husband, on the other hand, loves nature and loves being outside. This can be seen through his love for hunting and hiking. This next weekend, he’ll be climbing Mt. St. Helens. Climbing a mountain sounds like torture to me. For it’s a fun opportunity.

I am blessed though to have a hubby who has such a green thumb. When I gave him free reign of the outside of our home, I had no idea that it would entail a garden, an small orchard and many flowers. Jeremy is good about planting seasonal flowers and making our yard look so inviting and welcoming. I assume most men don’t care about flowers, but Jeremy is always experimenting and growing new things. Today he was outside mowing the lawn and watering his many plants.

I in no way find fun in taking care of the yard, but I can tell from Jeremy’s face as he wanders about outside that he loves it! As I was pulling into our garage after church today, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the yard was looking! It’s amazingly colorful! Thanks to Jeremy’s hard work, I can sit back and admire how great our outdoor spaces are.  He is such a talented gardener! We make a good pair. I would never able to do what he does for our home and for that, I am truly grateful!

 

Contentment: Living with stains August 8, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 10:13 am

I’ve been battling myself and my need for things to always look nice and new. I have a few items in my house that have been stained. They are clean and still in good working condition. They just don’t look fresh out of the package. It started a while ago when I really wanted new bedding for our guest room. After 3+ years, the pillowcases have been stained by make-up and the sun has slightly faded the comforter. The floor mat for the shower in our guest bathroom now has a stain on it. I don’t have a spare set of sheets for my king bed. Things like this bug me.  My OCD has a really hard time because stained equals dirty in my mind. These items are not dirty. I have washed them. They are just not in their original condition.  I thought back to when I read the book Seven by Jen Hatmaker and my experiences with the 5/7 Fasts in early spring. I remember how my excess and consumerism really hit like a brick in the face. I don’t want to go back to the way I once was. So I have decided I will not replace these items. At least not now… I understand that I will need to in the future, but right now I will not give them priority. Why? Because it’s vanity! I just want nice, new things. I don’t need them. I have reversed the order I place my pillows on the guest bed. Now the stained pillows can’t be seen. The bathroom floor mat is used twice a week by Jeremy and randomly by house guests. It lives tucked behind the shower curtain – not in plain sight. Why replace something that isn’t often seen or used? My natural reaction to automatically replace things I don’t like… but really everything will get old and get stains. New bedding and new floor mats will only be new for so long. Today I am making up my mind to be content with what I have. Stains and all.

 

I will not find comfort in… August 4, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 1:09 pm

I had a very thought provoking moment last night as I was munching on a Krispy Kreme doughnut. I know, a brilliant setting for a brilliant idea. I really didn’t need the doughnut. In fact, I was already over my calorie goal for the day, but I thought “what the heck, I’ve been eating junk food all week”. Yesterday was still technically a “camp” day so way not end with a bang. That was my logic. However, I will admit that I was nursing my hurt feelings. Like I mentioned yesterday, my conversation with a cabin staff member shook me up a bit. For some silly reason I thought eating this doughnut would minister to my hurt feelings. Then I realized that I had used junk food all week to find comfort. Yes, at camp, it’s the thing to do – eat terrible food. I figured I was walking it all off, so what was the big deal? The truth is, I’m out of my element at camp. It’s not my normal routine and I’m “on” all the time. Eating junk food was a way for me to feel better. I was finding comfort in it. By this time in the thought process I was done with the doughnut. I pulled out my phone and started to make a list of all the other things that I find comfort in. Here are a few of the things I came up with:

  • In the approval of others – This can look like people complimenting me, having a positive opinion of me or it could look like me sharing my side of the story looking for affirmation that I’m right. I often feel crazy and weird, so I’ll run my thoughts by close friends and family. When they give me that approval, I relax. I find comfort in their affirmation.
  • In escaping my world – Through books or television, I find comfort in leaving the life of Amy Scott and walking in someone else’s shoes.
  • In my achievements – I don’t want to be the type of person who feels better than others because I’ve done this or that. When I compare my experience or education, I can feel a sense of entitlement or security.
  • In perfection – If I can just stay on top of all the details and daily disciplines… I’m a perfectionist, so when all my ducks are in a row, I feel good.
  • In my stuff – This might look like my favorite sweatshirt or my own bed or a blanket. There are comfort items that when I am near them or using them, I just feel better.
  • In quiet – I love quiet. I love stillness. I enjoy being alone. I find comfort in the quiet.

These things aren’t all bad. To some degree they help me keep my sanity and are my driving force to move forward and keep going. Not all are holy motivators and I’m aware of that. However, what do I do when these comforts are stripped from me? What do I when I can’t get a quiet moment? What do I do when the ducks will not make a straight line? What do I do when my achievement don’t matter? What do I do when I can’t gain the approval of others? What do I do when I’m away from my own bed or my favorite sweatshirt? When I don’t have time to read a book or watch a show?

I’m never guaranteed these comforts in life. They are nice, but they not owed to me. As I was eating my doughnut last night, I felt like I deserved it because I was hurting. That is crazy! I don’t deserve a doughnut. But this how I self-medicate. This is how I feel better. A couple blogs back I wrote about what is saving me right now. While these saving moments are truly blessing from the Lord, I realize that they are not my God. They will not ultimately have the power to save me from myself and my destructive ways. In a strange way, I turned from the false belief that a doughnut can make it all better and I turned my heart towards God. I told him yet again that I was sorry that I had stepped on someone’s toes. I didn’t mean to. I confessed that my motives had been in the right place and it was an accident. The side of me that finds comfort in perfection was struggling… Not only did I not have their approval, but I had unintentionally messed up. So when one comfort is shattered, I had moved on to the next. Looking for comfort wherever it can be found.  I am reminded that my comfort ultimately comes from the Lord. There is nothing that I can do fabricate true peace. I can only turn to the one person who offers it – Jesus!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Father who is full of mercy, the God of all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ. If we have troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is so that we can comfort you. And this helps you patiently accept the same sufferings we have. Our hope for you is strong. We know that you share in our sufferings. So we know that you also share in our comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

 

Saving Moments July 26, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 2:23 pm

Books!

What is saving your life right now?

I’m answering this question in response to a blog posted on Sarah Bessy’s blog. Click the link to see what inspired this blog.  I liked this challenge because it reminds that there are things in my life that really do get me through. These things are gifts from God and I don’t want to take the little things for granted – these things that daily save me. So here is what saving my life right now:

  • Getting lost in a story – I just finished The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery and I’m currently reading Words by Ginny L. Yttrup. A good novel transports me into another world and another life. I seem to fade and so does the noise of my world.
  • The Road to Avonlea – This childhood favorite of mine has been taking me back in time to when things were simpler and seemed to make more sense. Just like my books, this show has been a lifeline to my sanity. It has taken me out of my world and I am grateful for my escapes to Prince Edward Island. As I watch the screen, I almost wish I could walk right into the action like Alice in the looking glass.

  • Snugly Pup!

    My puppy sleeping on my lap – nothing brings me more comfort than my little dog sleeping on my lap. I feel like my home is a sanctuary and we are comfortably enjoying each other’s company.

  • Old Love by The Rocket Summer – this song takes me back to those old days, old love, old romance. It’s so simple and powerful.
  • Annie’s Bunnies – A special road trip snack that I love!
  • Road Trip Memories – I keep playing the last weeks memories over and over again in my head. It was wonderful to get away.
  • Mentoring – going to dinner last night with a student and just getting to be myself is a special experience. I love laughing with students and getting to be goofy, while encouraging them in their faith and walk with the Lord. I leave these meeting energized because I feel I am making a difference in someone’s life.
  • Shopping in the girl’s section at Carter’s – now that I have a little niece I was giddy with excitement as  I wandered the girl’s section. Half of the store has been off-limits to me – now the whole story is open!

  • From my hubby this morning!

    My hubby’s silliness – He makes me laugh. A lot. I need that! I need him!

  • Text messages from my sister – we get each other. It’s nice to be understood.
  • Phone calls from my mom – she just wanted to hear my voice! I am blessed by her friendship!
  • Family dinners – sharing food with my family is one of my favorite moments together.
  • A good report from the doctor! No more follow-up appointments for an issue that I don’t have!

Memories of Big Trees!

 

 

This list could be longer, but at this is what came to mind. It’s not super spiritual, but these are spiritual things to me. These are the way that I feel God’s love and blessing in my life. These are the treasures that make my life special. These are things that take the craziness of life and make it fade into the background.

This is what is saving my life right now. Thank you, Jesus!

 

1,845 Miles – The Town & Country Road Trip! July 23, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me,Travels — Amy Scott @ 10:18 pm

I’m back from my amazing California road trip! It was an awesome 5 days completely packed with full from morning to night! I’m super tired, but it was totally worth it! There is something so exciting about going to new places and seeing things that I’ve heard about in books. I love expanding my map of the world and getting to add another chapter to my journey. This chapter would be entitled The Town & Country California Road Trip of 2012. It’s a long title, I know, but it fits! Since I could write forever, I’ll try to be selective and just share the highlights!

Golden Gate Bridge at Night

Day One – We drove all the way into San Francisco. We got into our hotel in Berkeley around 6:00pm (we left home around 6:00am that morning). After getting our stuff settled, we took off with two goals – find food and explore where Jeremy grew up. We had dinner at a California classic, In-N-Out, and went off to explore the Pittsburg, Concord and Walnut Creek areas. Jeremy showed me his childhood home and the places he remembered as a kid. It was cool to see another piece of Jeremy’s personal history. We ended up in Walnut Creek, where we had Cheesecake Factory for dessert. Yum! I assumed that at this point we would head back to the hotel because it had been a long day, but on a whim we decided to just head into the city. Why not? I got to see the city for the first time at dusk and into the night. Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge at night and seeing the city lights was the highlight of my day and made all the driving worth that moment.

Hanging down by the Wharf!

Day Two – Because parking in the city can be expensive we took BART into the city. It was an amazingly quiet ride. What did people do before headphones and iphones? Oh my! Once we got in the heart of the city, we took the cable car through town down to Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square. We got free chocolate at Ghirardelli (twice actually), we walked down to Pier 39 and had Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for lunch. That was a first for both Jeremy and I. One of my favorite highlights of the Wharf was Boudin Bakery. They make the yummiest sourdough bread and it gets better than that! They make it into shapes – like turtles, crocodiles and teddy bears. They also have bread baskets on a track that goes around the top of the store. Bread is always moving over head. I got a mini turtle loaf and lemon bar there. Those goodies were the food highlight of the trip! We walked around downtown and saw Chinatown. We took the cable car to the Embarcadero Center and saw the world’s largest lollipop thanks to See’s Candy. Once we wondered downtown, we headed back to BART and back to our car. We headed back into the city to see a few more sights from the vehicle – like the Painted Ladies (the row houses you see at the intro to Full House). We ended up the beach to finish the evening off.

Yoda Fountain!

Day Three – Jeremy had to drive Lombard Street – the world’s most crooked road. It was crazy and a lot of fun! We made our way up to Coit Tower for amazing views of the city! We had one last San Francisco adventure in us, so we took off to the Presidio to find LucasFilms. The Presidio is a beautiful park that used to be a military base. LucasFilms has made the park its headquarters. The actual buildings are not open to the public, but we did find the Yoda Fountain and took of pictures through the windows of their lobby. It was very cool! After our adventure to find Yoda, we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge one last time and took off for our camping expedition. The second half of our trip was all country, not city. It was a fun shift. We got into our camp site with just enough time to set up shop and make dinner. We had seen some huge redwoods on our way in and we were super excited to explore Humboldt State Park the next day.

The Redwoods!

Day Four – This day could be defined as looking for the next bigger and better tree. Jeremy was on a mission to find the biggest redwoods possible! It was crazy! We saw trees with names like Giant Tree and Tall Tree. Creative, huh? They were all beautiful and I was in awe as we drove and walked through grove after grove. It was weird to not be at church on Sunday, but I have to admit that driving through the redwoods listening to worship felt like church (it honestly felt more like church than church in a building). It was a fabulously free day full of exploration and wonder. Jeremy and I got back to the campsite before dinner so decided to take a hike. It turned out to be a lot more dramatic that we anticipated… let’s just say we ran into some big dogs and got off the beaten trail. It’s certainly a memory I won’t forget. We got back to the campsite and made our famous camping pizza pockets for dinner. We started to pack up our stuff when it got dark so we could leave as early as possible the next day.

On the way home!

Day Five – This morning started at 5:15am… ugh… early! We got the campsite packed up and we were on the road a little after 6:ooam. Jeremy had a few more stops on our way home through the redwoods. We saw a couple more cool trees (Big Tree and Corkscrew Tree). We drove up the coast and saw once again new territory on the ride home. We got to Jeremy’s parent’s house around 5:00pm and picked up our little dog and headed home after a little conversation. We purchased for them a redwood tree as a thank you for watching Toby. A little piece of the forest to share. Now that we’re home – I’ve been unpacking, doing laundry, and showering. It felt awesome to shower after two days of camping! My hair still smells like smoke even though I washed it twice! My souvenir of the trip while it lasts. It’s good to be home, but I’m so glad we went on this adventure. It was so much fun to spend the time with Jeremy and really let the rest of the world just fade away. It was great to be us – husband and wife – without other titles. Just us. It was perfect.

Summer 2010 took us to South Dakota. Summer 2011 took us to Kansas. Summer 2012 took us to California. I wonder where summer 2013 will take us? Rumor has it – Yellowstone! I can’t wait! There is more world to explore! I’m ready!

 

I’m an auntie! AGAIN! July 16, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 9:40 pm

Hey blogging world, I just couldn’t keep the good news to myself! My sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Andrea & Eric, are now the parents of two beautiful children! My nephew, Carson, now has a little sister, Brinley! It’s hard being three hours away and knowing it will be weeks until I can meet her. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have both a niece and a nephew! It’s the best of both worlds! Every time I go into Carter’s I always look longing at the girls section! Now have a reason to shop on both sides. Amazing! I just can’t help but use a ton of exclamation points!!!!! Congrats to Eric & Andrea and their family of FOUR! Woo hoo!