Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

5th Grade Graduation! August 14, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry — Amy Scott @ 7:30 pm

5th Grade Graduation!

Every year we take our current class of 5th graders to the Mariner’s Safeco Field for a baseball game. I wasn’t able to make it last year due to the flu, so I was super excited to be a part of this year’s trip. I hadn’t been to a Mariner’s game in 2 years, so I was majorly overdue! The great thing about this year’s trek up north was we only had 5 kids with us. The more the merrier is always true in ministry, but as a leader, this was a very manageable group. I wasn’t as worried about losing a kid which meant I could relax a bit and enjoy the game myself.

We started the adventure by stopping at Wendy’s for dinner. The kids all got Frostys…. so did I! Yum! We enjoyed our early dinner so we could make it to the field in time for batting practice. It seemed like hanging out for batting practice was going to be for nothing, but at the very end the two girls of the group were tossed baseballs. I think the boys weren’t thrilled, but they handled it well. The girls on the other hand were beaming! It was the highlight of their night!

The lucky ladies!

After batting practice, we made our way over the team store so we could spend an absurd amount of time shopping. The kids went crazy looking and touching everything. It seemed like a lifetime in that crowded store. However, all the kids left happy, so I guess it’s worth it. Even Jeremy and I got something! This was my first time ever buying something at the game besides food! Ichiro was one of the Mariner’s star players until they traded him to the Yankees, so everything with his name on it was at least 50%. Jeremy and I were talking earlier that day about how we both don’t own any Mariner’s garb. After our stop at the team store, we can no longer say that.

My favorite part!

We still had some time until the game started, so we went on the search for game food. For me, there is nothing like a skewer of Shishkaberries! They are chocolate cover strawberries and they are heavenly! Seriously, I would pay the ticket price to get the berries and just head home! I don’t the kids would have agreed with me.  With my berries happily in hand, we headed to our seats.

Due to the large amounts of soda and the need to buy more food, the kids were up and out their seats from time to time. Part of being a leader is taking many bathroom trips and waiting in line while they buy more candy. The only time the Mariner’s scored a run was while I was out shopping with some of the kids. Oh well. I’m not the kind of person who really cares that much, so I’m glad I was on that run instead of Jeremy.

Toward the end of the game, Jeremy decided to work off some of the sugar the kids has consumed. Everyone, but me and one other student, headed up to the top of the ballpark to dance and scream. They got on the big screen twice! Oh, the fame and glory! I think it was a memory for all of them. Even though the Mariner’s lost, it was still a great day at the ballpark. Batting practice, shopping, and eating are all a part of the experience and these kids experienced it all! Apart from the loss, it was the perfect night! I couldn’t ask for a better trip! I love these kids and it was great to spend some time with them before they officially become middle schoolers! It’s hard to believe I remember when some of them were 3! So crazy!

 

Photo Book Fun! August 13, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Getting Creative,Recollections — Amy Scott @ 12:22 pm

My Photo Books!

About a year ago, I discovered the website Shutterfly. I had heard of it before, but had never visited it. When  I got my new camera last fall, I was given a free photo book to make on Shutterfly. Right from the start, I was hooked! It’s a great tool and resource. I’ve become a fan of making photo books (or digital scrapbooking as some call it). Since the first book was free, I used it to document my family trip to Chicago. Once I made a book, I started to get emails on their savings. I will admit that they send more emails than I like, but they always have a sale or discounts! I don’t think I’ve ever paid full price for anything on the website.  Because of all the deals they offer, I decided to use them for Christmas cards and I plan on doing it again this year! They have more layouts for cards than Walmart (which had been my standard for Christmas cards in the past). Since that first book, I have made a book of Jeremy and I’s honeymoon. This was really the realization of a well-intended project. When I first got married, I was super diligent and put together a wedding scrapbook in no time. I had intended that same scrapbook to include our honeymoon and first year of marriage. The honeymoon portion was half finished and the first year of marriage portion only went through September (we were married in July – so not far)! Using Shutterfly, I was able to document both of these phases. The honeymoon book was free thanks to a promo and the first year of marriage book was $10 off. As I was planning for our road trip this summer, I already knew I was going to come home and make another book! This one was 40% off and covers the many highlights of our trip to California! Now that I’ve started, I plan on waiting for sales and going back through a lot of our major travels and making books for those as well. The great thing is that they have a photo book template for every occasion – not just travels! It’s a great way to document life! Shutterfly also has awesome deals on prints. At the beginning of the summer I got 100 prints for free and then my sister-in-law sent me a coupon for another 100 free prints. I know the day of the printed photo might seem over, but I remember how much fun it was as a kid to flip through my baby pictures or my parent’s old photos. I want my future kids to have the same experience. All these free prints also help me keep my picture frames up to date with new photos! The hardest part about Shutterfly is not wanting to buy everything they offer – which is a lot! It’s like a candy store for me and pictures!

 

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!

 

Right When I Need It! August 10, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 7:00 am

Yesterday, I was driving home from a leadership conference in Tacoma and I was verbally wrestling with some things. Jeremy was very patient as I talked this out for the millionth time! He also put up with my snuffed-nose sounding conversation… He’s very kind! Anyway, I was talking things out and knowing what God has called me to do and who he has called me to be. I struggle with acceptance and so my biggest fear is that people will be upset by my choices. I know that I can’t make everyone happy and make God happy at the same time, but it would sure be nice!

On our way home we stopped by the office to check our boxes so we could order tickets for our upcoming 5th grade graduation activity. In my box out front, my dear friend, who happens to be the church receptionist, had slipped some fun post-it notes in my box. Christa and I share a love for fun office supplies, so it was such a sweet gesture. On them was a note that said “Just because!” In my next box in the back offices, I had to notes written on name tags from some of my past students who are now high schoolers. They each wrote about how they loved me, missed me and thought we should all hang out soon. If that wasn’t enough I had forgotten to grab my craft from last night. I had the girls make memory books, like yearbooks, to pass around – signing everyone’s as a way to remember the class and offer encouragement to each other. As I read the notes from my girls, I saw things like “I love all the snacks you make”, “You are a great pastor”, “Thanks for teaching this class”, “I’ll miss you next year”. The best one was from my high school helper who told me I’ve stayed with her through thick and thin and she’s glad we’ve reconnected. Other girls mentioned I was a good friend and they knew I was always there for them. I had done this exercise so I could speak into their life and the let other girls encourage them. I was equally as blessed by this activity. When I got home, I found a bathmat sitting on my entry way bench. After reading my past blog on stains, my mom called to say that she had a neutral colored bathmat just sitting in a closet and she wondered if I wanted it to replace the stained one. She brought over the new mat today when she came to let our dog out so we could be gone the whole day. Plus, I got to see my good friend who moved back into the area after being in Nashville for 6 years and I got meet her baby boy for the first time!

Can you feel the love? I’m basking in it’s glow! Even though I wrestle and struggle for acceptance, I could feel God speaking to me through these experiences. He was encouraging me to keep going and to keep doing what I do. As I read these notes, I know I’m making a difference and I have influence. I never want to take that for granted. I want to keep using my influence to passionately point people towards Jesus! I have people that care about me and show it me in tangible ways. It melted my heart! God sees right where I am at and sends in reinforcements when I need them most! I sit here – thankful! I am blessed by the relationships I have in my life and how they keep me going. So thank you to everyone who shows me love in the little ways. It’s because of you that I take heart and continue on this journey laid out before me.

 

Summery Cupcakes! August 9, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Cooking Experiments — Amy Scott @ 7:00 am

I only have a couple weeks left to make a snack for my class of Wednesday night girls. I know that a new class will move up in September and I’ll still have weekly reasons to bake, but once August hits I start to get a little sad. I’m not a huge fan of change, so even the change of a new class makes me a little blue. I love these girls dearly! I’ve been building a relationship with them for the last year and for some of them, it’s been two years. Being a teacher means being invested and learning to let go. I’m still friends with a lot of past students, but it will never be exactly the same. They won’t return those seats and sit ready to learn, looking up at me. It’s been a great year. This current class has been a delight to teach. So for the next few weeks, I’ll do my best to keep spoiling them with goodies. For some of the girls, growing up means moving into Fusion and that means no snack! I hope they enjoy it while they can! I know I’m making the most of the moments I have with them!

Lemon Cupcakes!

Summer Colors!

Matching baking cups and sprinkles!

 

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.

 

Anything August 7, 2012

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:11 pm

It’s been a cloudy day here in western Washington. It’s a nice change from the 95 degree days we’ve been having. It only happens a few days a year and now it has come and gone. I spent most of the day on the couch trying to recover my current head cold. It seems like I usually get sick in August. Last year, it was the flu. I think that by the time VBA and kid’s camp are over, I’m spent and my immune system reflects it. There was a lot of illness at camp this year and I’m guessing my body finally gave in.

Laying on the couch allowed for me finish a good book called Anything by Jennie Allen. It was a stirring book that really got me thinking about life and the lessons I’ve been currently learning. This book is about the last two years of her life and the process that she’s been going through as she opened herself up to anything God had for her. It’s convicting and inspiring.

So I was sitting and thinking about my own “anything” prayers. It took me back to high school when I know God called me into ministry and I didn’t know where. I told him I would serve anywhere. Through Jeremy, God led me to children’s ministries. I remember that feeling of I’ve never done this before cluelessness. I remember just loving on the kids and being a big kid with them. I remember the hope I had when I realized that I had a message I could share with them. I knew this was “it” when I passionately would ramble about all that I wanted for them. I was sold. Children’s ministry was it! I would have never chosen that path on my own, but it was God who opened the door, I followed. That was my anything moment!

However, it is possible to have multiple “anything” moments? I know the answer is yes, but I’m processing what the next phase of anything looks like. I feel a stirring and I’ve felt it for a long time. I think this summer it took on an even deeper sense. This summer I’ve been learning about the backwards process of dying to live. I’ve been learning that I have to die to myself into order to really live this God life. I’ve been painfully learning it’s not about me. I’ve been realizing that I’m not the heroine in my own story. God is the main character. It’s all so backwards. So as I sit in obedience… I learn to die. I learn to wait. I learn to trust. I learn to let go. I learn that I’m not perfect. I learn that I never will be. I learn that God’s plans are not my plans.

Letting God derail me has been the best part of my summer. It has also been the hardest part of my summer and the most painful. Before, I thought I had it all together. I thought I knew where I was going. Now, I realize that I need to trust God for the next chapter. It’s not for me to script. This summer I’ve given the pen back to God. It’s really hard to say “Take this pen. Write what you want. Anything.” This stirring to a new anything is really opening me up. Even though there are no major changes in this very moment, I wait in obedience. I know that first you have to say yes for the anything to happen. So I am saying “yes” yet again. It is not a one-time thing, but a daily yes. Not my will, but Yours be done!

 

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)

 

The Highs and Lows of Kid’s Camp August 3, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Travels — Amy Scott @ 8:01 pm

A goofy group!

I’m home! It feels so good! I’ve missed my house and my pup! It’s also been hard to be away from home during the Olympics! I’ve felt so out of the loop as the world watches and I… well… I get the highlights from Jeremy who looked them up on his phone. We’ve used the DVR for a lot of the Olympics this last week and now we’re fast forwarding through them and stopping where we like.

Anyway, back to kid’s camp! It was a week! In a weird way it was a long week that went quickly! At times it seemed like it moving at a snails pace and I would never see my home again. At other times, it just flew by like a blink of an eye. Strange and a little trippy! The whole week was pretty awesome, but like all camping experiences, there are highs and lows. Here are some of my up moments and down moments from Kid’s Camp 2012!

Some Highs

  1. Praying with students – Cabin devos and alter moments are priceless!
  2. Watching the girls win late night swim on Tuesday!
  3. Seeing kids trying new things for the first time!
  4. Watching Jeremy turn into a giant chicken!

Some Lows

  1. Lack of sleep (and not in my own bed)
  2. Eating with the savages (a group of boys from our color group with no manners)
  3. Lots of little fights amongst the girls and tattling (a side effect of no sleep)

It was a little weird for me to have my girls in two separate rooms… I stuck mostly with the younger girls since the older girls bonded instantly with their new cabin mates and they had two great leaders who were very capable. It was strange to not see them as much, but I know they were in good hands. One big downside for me was I offended one of the cabin leaders who wasn’t from our church by interrupting a moment in their cabin. I didn’t realize they were talking with the girls when I asked the girls to help the rest of the gray team to help clean up the area. I was informed that I had over stepped a boundary and that they were the cabin leaders and I needed to let them led. Yikes! I didn’t mean to interrupt a moment. I felt really bad!  I’m not a fan of confrontation and I really don’t like the idea that someone out there as a negative impression of me. However, I know my motives were always to be helpful and keep up with the girls. So I guess, I’m just going to have to take the criticism for what it’s worth and move on. I don’t want to be the type of person who can’t take criticism, so I apologized to both cabin staff members and thanked them for all they did for our girls that were in their room. It was kind of a bummer way to end the week though… oh well!

I don’t want to end on a down note, so I’ll share some more of the happy moments from camp. The kids loved the go karts and the big swing. I had a blast watching our kids drive like speedsters! Drivers education in a few years will be nuts with these kids behind the wheel. I’m always proud of the kids that do the big swing because it really can be scary! The kids are hoisted up 35 feet where they pull a rip cord and then swing back and forth through the trees. At this station, I learned how to become a harnessing pro! My fingers have the sores to prove it! I always want to make sure that as many kids can go as possible, so that meant moving very quickly!

Room 1

Room 2

An unexpected blessing for me was getting to move up to the Hillside Lodge on the last night! We stay in the Executive Lodge every year and it’s a bit rustic. It has small rooms with weird beds and a bit of a funny smell. Moving up to the Hillside Lodge meant hotel style rooms. They were spacious and had their own bathroom! Can I get a praise the Lord!?!?! I had been getting up before 6:00am so I could get a shower before the other 20+ people I shared a shower with in the EL. This morning, I slept in till 7:00am at the HL! No waiting in line or worrying about sharing! It was a nice bonus! It’s the little things that matter at camp! You’ll notice the bedding in each photo is the same, because I bring my own from home… I know… OCD!

Brent, our camp speaker, and Jeremy as giant chickens!

As always, the food was good. The worship was awesome! The camp speaker did a great job! I love spending time with our girls and getting to know the more. Yes, there are meltdowns and fights. That is what happens when you spend some serious quality time together, but overall, the kids had a great time. Another benefit to being home for camp is actually getting to spend time with my hubby. When he is at camp, he is directors mode! I see him briefly during the day and I’m usually in bed when he gets to our room. It’s a long week apart. Now my hubby has no voice, so we really can’t talk, but that’s okay! It’s just nice to be in the same place for more than a few minutes at a time!

Camp was great! It’s good to be home! The next summer adventure will be a leadership conference and a 5th grade graduation trip to the Mariner’s game! It’s hard to believe it’s August and we have a only a couple weeks of summer left! We’re supposed to be in the 90’s this weekend, so I’m going to make the most of the summer sun while it shines!

 

Supergirl! July 29, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 9:45 pm

Today has been one of those days that I’ve been moving so fast that they only thing that might improve my speed would be a cape! It’s been lightning speed ahead as I prep for a week away at kid’s camp. Yesterday, I was delightfully restful, but the downside was I left EVERYTHING to be done today. Not my smartest idea. But it seemed like the best plan for keeping things in order… less time to mess them up before leaving. Here is a sample of what I have accomplished:

  • Got gas in the car
  • 3.75 hours of church
  • Grocery shopping
  • Sweeping the garage and the front walkway
  • 8 loads of laundry
  • Sweeping and mopping the floors
  • Vacuuming
  • Dusting
  • Lysol-ing the whole house
  • Deep cleaning bathrooms
  • Running the dishwasher and unloading
  • Scooping poop out of the front yard (usually Jeremy’s job, but he was gone all day at camp preparing for tomorrow)
  • Giving the dog a bath
  • Taking out all of the trash can
  • Taking all the trash to the garbage can (usually I just place it in the garage so Jeremy can take it out all the way)
  • Making brownies for our housesitter
  • Cleaning the kitchen – sink, stove top, wiping down appliances
  • Cleaning out the fridge
  • Packing my suitcase for camp
  • Updating 2 sessions of notes for work

If that doesn’t make you tired, I should let you know that I still  have more to do. I have to edit some notes and print them for our house sitter. I keep forgetting to clean the Toby slime off my windows. I know it will be back tomorrow, but I don’t want to freak out the house sitter. I think that is the hardest part about having someone stay in my house. I can deep clean it, but I still worry that something will gross the house sitter that doesn’t gross me out. I guess I’m just going to trust that I’ve done my best! I gave it a hard days work! Nothing more I can do about that.

I will admit that I was less than thrilled to be packing my suitcase when I emptied less than a week ago. Kid’s camp is a big time commitment. Being with the kids is always a blast, but as an introvert the constant need to be “on” really drains me by the end of the week. The good news is I can slip away for a couple hours in the afternoon. This is a bonus of being the wife of someone on the directors team. I almost had to be cabin staff this year, but it all worked out so I can stay with Jeremy. These hours away from the crowd are really the only thing that gets me through week. I have some curriculum for work I need to preview, so I’m hoping to get that done at this time as well. I’m not excited to be bringing work with me to camp, but luckily, it’s something that I can do in solitude.

Be praying for our kiddos and the hundreds of other kids that will be attending summer camp this next week. My hope is that they will have powerful and impacting encounters with God. As well as a lot of fun! This is a great chance for them to get away from distractions and influences that might drag them down. It’s an unique opportunity for each student. I know God will do big things! I look forward to reporting back to you once I return!

So yet again, I must put my blogging aside as I head off on another adventure! Signing off for a week!