Amy Scott's Thoughts

Yesterday was my sister’s birthday and for her requested activity of the day she asked me to go see Les Miserables with her. We’ve been anxiously awaiting Les Mis coming to the theaters and it was super hard to wait until the 31st to see it, but it was worth the wait. I really enjoyed the movie and tried my best not to sing out load while watching it! There were times when I was mouthing the words right along with the actors. I knew it would be an emotional movie, but I didn’t expect to find myself sobbing at the end of it. I didn’t bring any kleenex, so I was really trying to hold it together. I asked my sister to wait for the theater to clear out a bit before we left. I needed to regain my composure. It was a great movie that brought back so many memories for me.

Les Mis has always held a special place in my heart because it was my high school musical. My senior year I decided that I wanted to do an extra curricular activity. I had been in choir all four years of high school, but most of my time outside of school was dedicated to church. I wanted to break that trend and do something different. It was my last year, so why not! I will admit that I might be biased, but I think for a group of teenagers, we did a pretty good job pulling off this complicated production. My sister fell in love with the music because I had a practice CD that I had to listen to over and over again. We would belt it at the top of our lungs and let the emotion of the music over take us. It was so much fun! The whole production and experience is one that I’ll never forget. I was only a chorus girl, but I had a couple of solos and I got to play a nun which had no speaking parts, but a really cool outfit! Most of my choir friends were in the production and had major parts, so it was a fun environment to take part in. I will always remember fondly my senior year high school musical. It gave me a deep love for the story and for the music. Below are some pictures from the archives of my computer! It wouldn’t be a complete Les Mis blog if I didn’t show off my nun outfit!

One of my childhood best friends who played Fantine and myself who played a towns person

The two nuns that attended to Fantine as she died (best costumes ever!)

After yesterday’s blog on the closing of 2012, I couldn’t help but think about my blogging highlights as I posted links to past entries. It’s really hard to pick which ones are my favorites or which ones stood out to me the most. I’ve sorted them by month, so you get a sampling of Amy Scott’s Thoughts throughout 2012! Enjoy!

January

• A New Year and Another Year – Thoughts on the beginning of 2012
• Ice Storms and Power Outages – Thoughts on the Winter Storm of 2012

February

• Do It For The Kids – Thoughts on being silly for the sake of children’s ministry
• Leaving A Legacy – Thoughts on high school Spanish and leaving my mark on the school

March

• 5/7 Fast: The Beginning -Thoughts on this crazy experiment called the 5/7 Fast
  • Catch all the 5/7 blogs here.

April

• My Seven: Word To Live By – Thoughts on seven words that mean a lot to me
• Flying By -Thoughts on balancing life and not over filling it

May

• Preach It! – Thoughts on team preaching for the first time
• The World of Avonlea – Thoughts on one of my favorite childhood shows

June

• I Can Relate – Thoughts on being a writer
• My Day At The Briar Rose – Thoughts on a special day away

July

• Understanding My Introverted Nature – Thoughts on being the way God made me
• 1845 Miles – The Town and Country Road Trip -Thoughts on vacationing in Northern California

August

• I Will Not Find Comfort In… – Thoughts on not finding my comfort in things or people, only God
• Right When I Need It – Thoughts on encouragement at the right moment

September

• The Small Things Matter Most – Thoughts on why being small is better
• Feels Like Christmas – Thoughts on Jeremy’s luck and owning a Dyson

October

• Being Rewritten – Thoughts on God’s transforming power in my life
• Bittersweet: thoughts on change, grace and learning the hard way – Thoughts on one of the best books I’ve read this year

November

• Good Bye Old, Dear Friend – Thoughts on losing Hostess Products and how my life will never be the same
• Evergreen vs. Deciduous – Thoughts on trees and how they reflect our spiritual lives

December

• Keeping Secrets – Thoughts on how much to share in the blogging world
• December 23^rd – Thoughts on young love

Just a couple days left to 2012… Like everyone else, I can get contemplative and reflective at the end of any year. I think this is magnified by the fact that my birthday is so close to the beginning of the year. It seems like another calender year and another age is just around the corner. So what has 2012 and age 26 meant to me? Far more than I expected. Through out this blog there are links to different posts which capture the moments I am about to share. Feel free to read them and relive the memories with me.

There were a lot of great and exciting highlights to 2012. Jeremy and I went on a road trip, just for fun, to California. I got to see San Francisco and the redwood forests for the first time and it was an amazing adventure. I got to team preach for the first time ever. It was an honor to speak alongside two ladies I deeply admire. I also to got to speak at our local MOPS group. It’s been a year of stretching myself in front of people.  My sister moved home from Kansas in 2012. I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have her close by again. We are both very busy so we don’t see each other as much as we would like, but it’s still comforting knowing she’s just a half hour away instead of days. I got my very first niece in 2012! The joy of having both a niece and a nephew is really unmatched!

In a lot of ways, I feel like 2012 and 26 were a growing up year for me. I guess my opinion in subjective, but more than ever, I feel like I’ve changed through 26. It was a harder year in ways. Things happened that totally caught me off guard and forced me to my knees. I learned a lot in the themes of humility, letting go, and trusting God. These lessons were born out of heart ache and hard decisions. However, I wouldn’t trade any of them. The depth of relationship that comes when the Lord is your only source of strength is overwhelming. I feel like I’ve let go of a lot of hopes, dreams and my own plans this year. I learned that I’m not really in control of any of them, so I just have to trust God. I know that he has placed desires in my heart and if he wishes to see them be then they will. If not, I have to be okay. While it feels like a lot of my “plans” where shattered in 2012, I walk into 2013 feeling more confident. I know that God is in control and that my plans may or may not pan out. I don’t need them to really. If they don’t, I know that God has something else in mind and I have to trust that his plan is good and just as life giving. More than ever, I believe that my God is good and that he has good things for me. I can rest in his assurance that they will happen in his time, not my own. I am thankful for the peace that comes when I stopped struggling for my own way. It’s so good. This year, God has showed up big. I am blown away and deeply in awe of how he cares for me.

Last year I really didn’t set any resolutions for 2012. I did a write a blog about being better at my relationships. I’m not sure I’m the fairest judge, but the great thing about God rocking my world is that my eyes have shifted from myself. When I’m not so worried about making my life happen, I can focus on others more freely. I feel in my heart that in some way, I did accomplish my goal in 2012. As for 2013, I don’t have traditional resolutions. My biggest hope and prayer is that I will continue to go deeper in learning humility, trust, gratitude, content and resolve. I know who God has called me to be and I know what he has called me to do. I pray I can walk forward completely trusting him. I’m not trying to do it in my own strength. Not any more. 2012 has been a year of surrender and I am so hopeful for what 2013 will bring.

Christmas Break 2004

December 23rd has always been a special day for me. Eight years ago, I was riding home with Jeremy after spending the evening together. I have admit I don’t remember the exact activity. We had been talking since October and had seen each a couple times through November and December. I considered these outings to be “dates” but we had yet to have the DTR – define the relationship. Jeremy had ask me to spend Christmas Eve with his family and my roommate was all in a tizzy. She thought it was inappropriate for a non-committed couple to spend the holidays together and meet the family. I wasn’t too concerned about it, but the holiday did lend itself to giving titles and making things official. I sensed the DTR was on the horizon, but I didn’t want to be the one to bring it about. That was the man’s job. On this drive to my house Jeremy asks me how I would like to be introduced to his family the next evening. Of course being unsure of myself, I asked him how he wanted to introduce to his family. He told me he would like to introduce me as his girlfriend and I said that would be fine with me. Thus, an official relationship was started. This was my first time being a “girlfriend” and I was beyond excited! I do remember running to my sister’s room when I got home to share the news. My mom said she guessed something like that had happened because I wasn’t too quiet in sharing my excitement.  Now I know it might seem a little silly, but I do remember this day fondly. To me this day marks eight years of Jeremy and Amy. I knew I was dating a great guy at the time and let me tell you, my love and respect for this man has only deepened with time. Jeremy balances me out so well and I don’t know what I would do without his laid back influence in my life. He might have shot my five year to plan to pieces with that simple question, but I’m okay with that. Life has been an adventure and God has been so good to us! So, Jeremy, happy eight years of being us – I love you!