Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

Back Again September 4, 2012

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,One Thousand Gifts Challenge — Amy Scott @ 8:06 pm

So it begins again…

Some things are sacred. They move you and spur you on. They inspire and bring hope. They are the course correction that is so desperately needed. For me, I have gone back to a place where I am challenged and I am reminded of what matters most. Today I started reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp… again. This will be my third time reading this book and my third time counting to 1000 in my journal. This time last year I was in the midst of this book and this counting. I find myself returning. It’s almost like an alter that I’ve made before the Lord. He met me so powerfully while counting 2000 gifts. I pray that the next 1000 will be just as beautiful. Ann writes like poetry. Some people find her flowery language a distraction. I get that. However, for me it is life-giving. It’s water in a dry place. It’s what I need right now. When I first read One Thousand Giftsit literally changed my life. I got a shift in perspective and it was like breathing for the first time. You know how it goes. Life comes in. Things get busy. Lessons that were once learned get forgotten. So just like a kid who is going back to school, I am going back to counting my blessings instead of sheep. I am going back to thanksgiving – knowing that thanksgiving brings joy. I desperately need joy. I miss it. I know that I have yet again squelched it. It’s all me. I am to blame. So yet again, I return to this sacred place. I open my heart and admit that I have been distracted. I have let the worry of life strangle me. I have taken my eyes off of thanksgiving. When I am not thankful, I am selfish. I don’t want this to be about me. It’s really not. I’m a small part of a larger story. I pray that I can keep perspective. Maybe this will be a life long lesson. Maybe it won’t truly stick this side of heaven. But I’m going to try. I’m going to keep putting myself in that place where my eyes look up instead of down. Where my heart beats for the life I’m living, not for the fear I’m trying to hide from. As the Message would say, I’m heading to God’s wide open spaces. I am back again. It’s humbling. It is good though. It is worth it. And the counting begins again – 1, 2, 3… where will 1000 gifts lead me this time.

 

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!

 

Making Scripture My Foundation August 30, 2012

Filed under: Bible — Amy Scott @ 4:33 pm

As I’ve grown up and learned to make reading God’s Word a part of my daily routine, it’s amazing how scripture comes to mind and gets me through the day. When I was kid people would tell me that if I put God’s Word in my heart and in my mind, it would be there for me when I needed it. I guess I thought I would reach this level of instant memory recall. The weird thing is… it’s true! The more I read the Bible and become familiar with it, the more easily passages come to me during the day. Now I don’t have things memorized and I can’t tell you exactly where the verses are found. I’m grateful for tools like Bible Gateway that allow me to do key word searches so I can quickly bring up the Scripture I’m thinking of. I really don’t know what I do without these scriptures in my head. When I start to make myself sick with worry, they pop up. It’s better than breathing in a paper bag. God’s Word brings fresh air, it breathes life into my soul. It keeps me going when I think I’m on the brink about to go over.  So even though I’ve mentioned these verses before and I will probably mention them again, here are verses that are sustaining me today:

  • “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) – I am continually learning that my Plan A or what I think should happen doesn’t always pan out. I can see forks in my life story where I am telling God “Let’s go this way” and he is pointing at a different path.  I’m trying to learn obedience first. This means doing what God asks right out of the gate. The second he changes my direction, I must abandon my current path and follow him (sounds Biblical, huh?). I don’t want obedience to follow a temper tantrum or obedience to follow a heated argument. I want obedience first. I can plan my course, but God is the one ultimately who establishes my next step. With his track record, you’d think I’d trust him by now.
  • “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) – Over the last two years I would say this verse has become my one life verses. It’s a good follow up to Proverbs 16:9. When God sets me down a different path, I know that he will work it out for my good. Again – trust. I must trust him. Even in the though hard moments, I know he is growing me, strengthening my character. No experience is wasted unless I chose to ignore it. I’ve learned to look for the good in the bad and if I can’t find it, I know that God will use it, even if it’s in a way I can’t see now. This gives me hope. It’s a bright light in a dark place.
  • “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7) – These verses have been my life verses since my college years. Becoming an adult brought a whole new level of stress to my life. I need these verses. They are my paper bag. They are the verses I repeat to myself. Over and over again until I believe it. Until my heart rate slows back down. These are my put-it-all-in-perspective verses.

These are the words that God is whispering in my heart today. He is so good. When I think about how he knows me, how he sees me right where I am at, how his love is so specific to my need… It’s hard to put into words what it does for me. It loosens me up. Instead of living with my hands tightly grasped around my way and my plan, these words help me let go. They bring surrender. I know that I am far better off trusting these words then trusting my emotions and my feelings. These are my bedrock, my foundation, the ground on which I stand in a shaky world. Amen!

 

A sign that Fall is coming! August 28, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Getting Creative — Amy Scott @ 8:36 pm

Today I got to do one of my favorite things! I got to redecorate my class bulletin board for another year! Every year I take down the bulletin board and give away all the pictures on it to my 5th/6th grade girls on Wednesday night. We take down all our posters and the room looks very bare for a few weeks. Next Wednesday will be the first class with my new girls. I had to get the room ready for them. Each class deserves a fresh slate! Plus, I really enjoy getting in touch with my crafty side. The current theme is centered on “Back to School” so I’ll probably change it again in a couple months. When I saw the paper in the store, I just couldn’t pass it up! It’s crazy to believe that the kids will be back in school next week and September is right around the corner. Autumn is my most favoritest of seasons, so I can’t say I mind one bit! I’m looking forward to another great year of loving on girls and teaching them about God’s Word.

A new board for a new year!

 

Todd & Toby Go For A Walk August 27, 2012

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 9:06 pm

Toby & Todd blaze the trail!

From the time April got back into the area until now, we’ve always said it would be fun to take our dogs on a walk together. Toby and Todd have played around the backyard at my parent’s house, but they have never had an organized activity. Today was that day we spoke of! April and Mom had been planning on doing a portion of the Willapa Hills Trail (also known as Rails to Trails). I’ve heard a lot about this trail. Family members have biked it, ladies for our church organized walks there, but honestly until today, I had no idea where it was. I love the fact that I’ve lived in this location for 14 years and there are still things I discover… Things that everyone already knows. When it comes to nature places or walking trails, I’m a bit out of the loop. When I lived in downtown Chehalis, I would walk the track at the middle school with my friends. Once Jeremy and I moved out to the sticks, we just walk our doggie along the road. It’s nicely paved and fairly quiet. We live right across the street from tree farm land, so the view isn’t too bad.

I will admit that I was a little nervous about how Toby and Todd would do all harnessed up and walking in the same direction. It turns out they did pretty well together. They sniffed stuff and tried to be the lead dog. However, I would say for the most part they were in their own zone and minded their own business. At one point, we passed a very well fed dachshund. Toby and Todd hadn’t a made a noise at anyone, but the dachshund was not shy and started to bark as we passed them, even though our doggies passed by silently. It was so strange, at the moment Toby and Todd became a team and the pack mentality kicked in. Suddenly they were side by side, sniffing each other and acting all interested in each other. It was so random, but they must have felt the need to join forces against the pudgy dachshund who had long past.

The Ladies!

I love to walk! The trail was flat and covered very pretty landscape. I’m not a fan of inclines, so this was perfect for me. It also came at a great time as I have decided to crack down and exercise more. It’s been a bad summer for me when it comes to being active. I haven’t taken Toby on as many walks as I should. It’s always fun to have a buddy and the trip with my mom, sister and the dogs made it very enjoyable. I’m feeling pretty good today about my walking – 4 laps around the church, a walk to the mailbox (which is down the church’s long driveway), and ending the day with doggie walk on a new trail! I was intentionally saving some calories for an after walk snack and Mom offered to treat us to McDonalds. I got a small cone and Toby got an ice water. My final act of the outing was to split my last bite of cone between Todd and Toby. The ride home was quiet. Toby was passed out. He greeted Jeremy by flopping over on his doggie bed.  It was a good outing for both Toby and I! I sure hope Todd feels the same way!

 

Camping Adventures! August 26, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 7:48 pm

I’ve taken a short break from the blog. This weekend I was out of cell range and that also meant no wi-fi! So no blog! It was great to get outside and go camping with my hubby and sister (and of course, the little dog too). It came at the perfect time for me because they’ve been painting at work and the fumes were starting to get to me. I couldn’t wait to breathe some fresh air!

Takhlakh Lake with the hubby!

Jeremy had been researching new places we could go. It’s been fun to camp at two different locations for the first time this summer. The first would be Hidden Springs on California road trip and now Takhlakh Lake right at the base of Mt. Adams. It was beautiful! The lake framed the mountain perfectly and it was a very picturesque place.

There were many highlights to our camping adventure. The first and foremost for me is getting away! When I get to a place where there is no cell reception, I truly feel free. There is something freeing about not being track-able.  I know this might seem silly, but falling off the grid every now and then does a lot for my soul. The views were spectacular and the combination of a beautiful setting and the freedom of being off the grid made for a relaxing mini-vacation.

Thursday, we set up camp and got everything situated. I love making the bed in my tent and making it feel homey. We packed a ton of blankets so we could stay warm. I always layer them and make them look as much like a “made” bed as possible.  I guess I’m OCD even in my little tent home. After the site was ready to be inhabited, we look a walk around the lake. It was a nice mile hike with great views. Once we got back from the walk, we started to make my favorite camping dinner – pizza pockets! Camping food would also go on my highlights list! We eat well on these trips.

The view from the top of the lava rock mountain!

It was really cold Thursday night into Friday morning. I was surprised by the chill even though I knew it was coming. However, even with 4 extra blankets on top of my sleeping bag, I was still cold. It think the greatest downside of this trip was constantly trying to feel warm. It was a battle for heat and I was losing most of the time. Friday morning we had breakfast (cinnamon roll pop tarts, another camping food treat) and then set off to hike around the camp ground. We made our way to Takh Takh meadows and we climbed a lava rock mountain. April was the first to start scaling the rocky path and soon we were all following suit. The view from the top was worth it!  After our wanderings, we made it back to the campsite for lunch.

Our next adventure was a drive around the area to look at other campgrounds and check things out. It was so remote out there. Every campground we came to I marveled that there were people out there that knew about these places. The scariest and funniest part of this afternoon adventure was our drive on what was labeled a “primitive” road… That would be an understatement! It was like a movie scene as our truck drove through the forest in what reminded me of the jungle. There were huge potholes, giant rocks, narrow road with the branches scraping along the side of the vehicle. At times we weren’t sure if we were going to make it, but we did! Praise the Lord! There is a lot of prayer on my part for us to see the end of the road. The funny thing was I was sitting in the middle of the truck cab, so I had nothing to hold on to. Toby had settled into my lap and we literally bounced around the cab together. I was flying every which way the truck seemed to go. It seemed like some strange kind of chiropractic treatment. Or I might need chiropractic treatment afterwards! By far the sketchiest road I’ve been on.

Huckleberry stained fingers!

Friday concluded with huckleberry picking, another walk around the lake, a hot dog dinner and s’mores. Around 8:00pm, we all got talking about the cold night ahead of us and I admitted that I would be willing to pack up and head home so we could sleep in warm beds. We’d done everything we planned on doing. All we would miss was breakfast and tear down in the morning. So we quickly got the site packed up in the fading light that we had. We were on the road and heading home before 9:00pm. We got in around 11:00pm and let me tell you, it was nice to sleep in my own bed! I didn’t sleep so well with the cold on Thursday, so even though I felt a bit wimpy about coming home early, it was a great decision!

Saturday morning, April and I ate pop tarts in honor of our camping trip and watched the Hunger Games all wrapped up in blankets. It was so nice to be warm! We got cleaned up and headed out to lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant and then went blackberry picking. It wasn’t the Saturday we had originally planned, but it was pretty close to perfect in my book!

Thus ends our camping adventure and really the last hurrah of our summer! It was a great trip and one we’ll always remember… that view, that road, the lake. Summery weekends like this are going to be gone soon. It was nice to spend the last official one in August in nature with loved ones!

 

 

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!

 

A New Way to Waste Time! August 20, 2012

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 9:14 pm

Today’s new distraction lead me to www.goodreads.com where I set up a profile. I’ve heard about the site, but never really spent any time there. After looking around, I jumped right on in. Now I am challenging to my brain to remember every book I’ve ever read. Good Reads allows you to keep track and share books you have read, are currently and plan on reading. You can share your lists and information with others. You can write reviews and share favorite quotes and authors. It’s like Facebook for real books! The fun thing about joining this site is I’ve been remembering all the books that I’ve read. I know that I haven’t remembered them all, but it’s been a good mental exercise to see what I took away from them and which ones have remained in my brain. Some of the series I added just as one entry, so my total is really more then the site says. I did the math and I’ve pretty much read at least 7 books for every year of my life. I’d say that’s decent. The biggest challenge I’m laying before myself now is see what I can remember from all the books I had to read in high school advanced English. Most of those books traumatized me and went over my head. Needless to say, the memory of them as not only faded, but has somewhat been blocked out. Once I started making a list of the books I’ve read, it’s hard to not want to list every single one. I realize that would be ridiculous and not possible. For now the challenge is thrilling and exciting. I love books. I love lists. I love keeping track of things. I like sharing what I’ve read and what I’m reading. Good Reads was a good find! Check out my page at www.goodreads.com/revamyscott.

 

Sister Time! August 19, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Getting Creative — Amy Scott @ 2:07 pm

Dinner in the Park!

It seems like my sister and I have had opposite schedules this summer. We haven’t had a chance to hang out too much in July and August was starting to shape up the same way. Back in June, April and I made plans to go down to Saturday Market in Portland, OR while our hubby’s climbed Mt. St. Helen’s. The only thing that might have kept us from going was if April had to work this weekend, which thankfully she didn’t! We had a great time catching up while the our boys went fishing, camping, and hiking a mountain. I like camping, but the fishing and hiking part, I was glad to do without!

April’s project!

Friday night, April, Toby Dog, and I enjoyed Taco Ball in a local park. We sat a log and munch on our cheap Mexican food. April got to tell me a bit about her family reunion the weekend before with her husband’s family. Toby wanted to eat a taco and was generally a hot dog since temps had been in the mid 90’s on Friday! We took off for my house and planned a night of crafting. April had text messaged me earlier that week saying that she had the itch to craft. I jumped on the bandwagon and we prepared for a night of art projects! April’s project turned out great! She’s got really creative and the result was what she calls “The Leviathan”. My project turned out great and I was super happy with it. However, it is a birthday present for a student and on the off chance that she reads this blog, I don’t want to describe it or post pictures until after I give it to her.

With all our creative juices spent, we moved over the couch to watch Lifetime movies about troubled teens. It was great to just veg and be chill. This is probably one of the best things that April and I do together. We’re good at being active together, but we can always just kick back and relax. No need to be impressive or entertaining. It’s nice to just sit and be myself.

Saturday Market on the Portland Waterfront!

Saturday morning we were up early to head down to Portland for a wonderful time hanging out in downtown. April and I both have a special fondness for Portland and it’s been our favorite spot for years! Since we grew up in the area, there is a bit of childhood magic still associated with the land of no sales tax! We wandered around Saturday Market and walked to Pioneer Place. It was a lot of fun to look through the shops and get excited for fall shopping! Back to school shopping and sales were in full swing.

By mid-afternoon, we needed to head home to let my crazy dog out of the crate. It wasn’t a full, long day in the city, but it was perfect! This was the first time that April and I had gone to downtown Portland just the two of us. Usually we have parents or hubbys with us. It was nice to prove to myself that I could drive around downtown and not kill us! We made it everywhere we hopped to go with getting attacked or getting lost. The day was full of Starbucks, good food, window shopping, and lots of walking!

It was nice to spend some one on one with my sister and catch-up at the end of a busy summer. The boys had a great time hiking Mt. St. Helen’s. Both survived and Jeremy had many tales to tell me when he got home last night. The next adventure of the summer will be next weekend when Jeremy, April, Toby Dog, and I go camping! We still haven’t decided on a location, but camping is always a blast and I was super excited to find out that April’s work schedule allows her to come. The only downside is April’s husband, Andrew, has to work so we’ll be short a family member. I guess that means April get an air mattress all to herself! Unless Toby wants to share it with her!