Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

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!

 

Meeting Brinley July 28, 2012

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 2:15 pm

Yesterday was a fun family day spent getting to know our new niece, Brinley! She is such a sweetheart! A very cozy, sleepy baby who handled being passed from aunts to uncles and back again quite graciously. It was wonderful to watch Carson being a big brother in action. He loves Brinley and treats her so gently! Carson didn’t stay newborn sized for very long, so I was  a bit taken back by how small Brinley is. It’s hard to believe humans start so little! It amazes me! It’s not often that all the kids get to hang out together, so it was a great to have some time with Jeremy’s brothers and their wives. We went to lunch together and played some games. The little ones were the highlight of my day, but the overall family time was great. I’m so blessed to be an auntie and to be a part of the Scott family. I look forward to many more memories with my niece and nephew! They are treasures! These little days will go by quickly, so I’m happy to make the most of them!

 

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!

 

From One Adventure to the Next! July 18, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 9:56 pm

Giving God our garbage!

Today was the grand finale of Sky Family VBA! It’s hard to believe that four days of VBA are now over. They went so fast! Each night was awesome and tonight did not disappoint. Because 7:00pm is when our regular church services happen on Wednesday, we decided to wrap VBA with all the kids and adults – not just the ones that signed up for VBA. We abbreviated the night so we could fit the whole program into just over an hour. We started off by reviewing what we’d learned and watched a slideshow full of fun pictures from the week. After that, we sang 5 of our favorite song (with motions of course). I know this part probably stretched the adults the most, but I think it’s important for kids to learn worship from their parents. The Bible says we need to have faith like a child, so why not dance like one? We moved in our powerful Bible lesson. This story is really why we do VBA! We talked about the cross and salvation. To illustrate, we hung pieces of garbage bags on the cross. We talked about how God takes our garbage and forgives our sins. Once we place the garbage on the cross, we grabbed glow sticks and cracked them to symbolize that God’s light now shines in us. We moved from the Bible lesson into a craft and snack. It was wonderful to come together as families and as a church family to remember the heart of the story – the reason we do what do. It’s all about Jesus! I’m praying a lot of young hearts made a firm commitment to follow him tonight – no matter what we’re going to trust God!

God’s light in us!

Now in less than 9 hours, Jeremy and I will be on another adventure. We’re packing up the car tonight and planning to hit the road around 6:00am tomorrow! That means being up at 4:30am for me… Oh my… Right after VBA, what was I thinking? I know… “Must get out of the state… must travel… must go…” It’s going to be great to spend 5 days with my hubby! We’ll drive all day tomorrow and get into the Bay area that evening. We’ll see the sights and where Jeremy used to live. Saturday evening, we’ll drive up to the Redwood Forests and pitch a tent for a couple of days. Monday will another driving day as we head home and reunite with our little dog, who is sadly not joining us. We love Toby and always miss him, but I don’t think the hotel will be happy if we left him barking there while we sight see! Even now as we get stuff ready to go, Toby is freaking out. He knows we’re up to something and he doesn’t like it. Toby’s motto would be “Stay with the routine!” He really hates when we throw off his schedule. Oh well… I keep reminding myself that my life doesn’t revolve around this dog. Jeremy and I haven’t been a road trip just the two of us. In fact, we haven’t been a trip just two of us in long while… Probably Nashville in 2008 and even that was to visit a friend. Trips with family and friends are great, but I’m really looking forward to this adventure with Jeremy. It’s going to be worth the drive, I’m sure! Here’s to new memories and more summer fun!

See ya when I return!

 

A Split Personality Kind of Week July 17, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 1:44 pm

Oh, multi-tasking! How I dislike you! You bring such stress to my life. My thoughts run together and bounce from one topic to the next! Welcome to my week!

Flying at SKY Family VBA!

Sunday started our first ever week of Family Vacation Bible Adventure! This year we’re doing something totally different by having parents attend VBA alongside the kids. We’ve reformatted things so that parents can be ones having the spiritual conversations with their kids. It’s hard to break the mindset that parent’s bring their kids to church and it’s up to the church to make their kids into good Christians. We want to empower parents to be the spiritual leaders of their families and see that faith starts at home. What we do as a church will never compare to what they do daily in their households. The purpose of this new VBA format is to show families how fun it can be to do faith-based things together. Hopefully after this week, parents will feel more comfortable with having faith conversations at home. It’s been fun to do things in a new way. Having the parents around really adds a whole new level energy to the week. We’re still doing all the classic VBA elements, but with a twist!

When VBA rolls around it seems like it’s the only thing on Jeremy and I’s mind. However, this year, we have a few other things competing for our time and attention. Like I mentioned yesterday, we now have a niece, Brinley, who arrived yesterday. We’ve all been anticipating her arrival for the last week.  It was a mystery to us what day she’d actually appear, but yesterday was the day. We’re so excited, but we’re sad that we don’t get to meet her for a few weeks.  This is my first niece, so the excitement level is off the charts!

Yesterday, I had a doctor’s appointment right smack-dab in the middle of my day. Nothing big – no worries, but still, I hate going to the doctor. Anything medical freaks me out and makes my blood pressure spike. Oh goodie! So I had to race from work, to home, to the doctors, to home and back to church for VBA. I felt like I was willing the car to move faster while still going the speed limit. I made it everywhere I needed to on time, but it was close. I kept flying in right at the last second!

When Jeremy and I came home to let Toby out of the crate for lunch, we noticed that he was in the window as we drove past our house. We lock Toby in a crate each morning when we leave, so you can imagine our shock when we saw him roaming the house! As we get ready to leave in the morning, Toby runs into his crate. There he sits and waits for us to give him a treat and lock him in. Jeremy realized that we had left without locking him in. Oops! Now Toby is the kind of dog that doesn’t do well with free time in the house. His nature is always be with people, so when he is home alone he doesn’t stop moving. He is always looking for the people and freaking out because they are no where to be found. As a result of the stress, we had a couple of accidents waiting for us. Yes, it might seem weird, but our dog loves the structure of the crate. I can’t believe we forgot to lock him in when we left! Oh well – one of the side effects of VBA brain!

San Francisco here we come!

Finally, we leave Thursday morning for our road trip to San Francisco! I’ve been trying to clean the house, get laundry done, clean out the fridge and pantry, find a Toby sitter and pack for our trip. All while being home limited hours due to VBA. It’s nuts! My brain keeps hoping from thing to thing… Get house ready, make sure everything is in place for our Toby sitters, make sure VBA stuff is taken care… It’s like mental ping-pong! I’m super excited for our trip, but the reality of it really hasn’t hit yet. VBA is too important to let my mind slip and forget something related to this highlight of our children’s ministry summer.

And now, I’ve used up my allotted free time for blogging! Back to the mental to-do list! If I don’t keep moving, I might fall over completely and that wouldn’t be good! It’s all worth it! Vacation is on the horizon!

 

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!

 

Understanding My Introverted Nature July 14, 2012

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 8:25 pm

Some Attributes of Introverts – Insights into Amy

I’m currently reading a book called Introverts in the Church by Adam S. McHugh. While, I’m still a couple of chapters away from having this book finished, I couldn’t help about write about it! This book has been freeing for me because I realize that there are people in the world who get how I’m wired. Often, I feel like my introverted nature makes me a bit of an odd duck. I’ve pondered why God has made me an introvert and called me into ministry. These two parts of my being seem to be in conflict. If I were entirely honest, I would say that I like being an introvert. When I live life in a way that is consistent with my introverted side, I feel more balanced. My big struggle is feeling the need to have people understand me. In ministry, I think people just assume all pastors are extroverted. Our church culture is one of extrovertedness. So, how I can be who I am and do what God has called me to do? The other questions is, am I okay to be me even when people don’t understand how I’m wired? These are the things I wrestle with.

When most people picture an introvert person, they might picture someone who is shy or quiet. You might say that they keep to themselves. They might be perceived as anti-social or stand-offish. I think the biggest thing I have to combat when I say I am an introvert is people think that means I don’t like people. That is not true. I love people. I have built my life around ministry. When I say I’m introverted, I’m saying that I need to be away from people to recharge my batteries and connect with God. The more time I spend with people, the more drained I become. If I want to offer anything of value to those I care about, I must spend time away. My time away is quiet and reflective. Introverts have strong inner dialogue and even if we seem quiet, our brains are always working. I’m always processing, wrestling, contemplating, thinking… Sitting in silence for me is never just sitting in silence. It’s reflection. It’s a monologue and a dialogue – depending on if I let God into the internal conversation. If I’m sitting reading a book, it’s not because I have nothing else to do. I’m reading to grow, to engage my mind, to go deeper, to develop. Reading for me can be for pleasure, but for the most part it’s my favored form of spiritual growth. Writing is my preferred way of communication. It gives me time to think about what I’ll say. Writing also gets my thoughts out of my head and more often than not, I find the words write themselves. They just flow out of me.

I think the great thing about this book is that doesn’t suggest that all introverts hid away and do things away from people. The author very accurately states that when God calls you, he will work in and through the way we’re wired. Introverts can serve in the church and they don’t always have to behind the scenes. It was interesting to ponder that since introverts are bent toward study, they make excellent preachers. They plan and research their sermons very well. Their introverted nature doesn’t mean they are afraid of being in front of people communicating. They find the small talk after church more tiring and draining then the actual preaching experience. This clicked for me. When I’m in my teaching mode, I’m in my element. It’s the small talk that gets me. I’m just bad at it. I’m not good at bouncing from conversation to conversation. I greatly love the people I interact with, but I would much prefer one-on-one to the crowd. I would rather go deep with a few than have a surface relationship with many.

The best part of this book was seeing myself in the pages. I wish that those who are close to me could read this book and understand me better. One thing that jumped out to me was how Hugh mentioned that introverts need more sleep than other people. Those that know me well know I need my sleep. I need a good 7-9 hours and I’m not a morning person. I’ve been told it’s my age, but I really believe that it’s because my life drains me so much. Social interactions and my schedule tire me in a deeper way than others. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy these things, it just means that I’m more depleted than most when these activities are finished. My need for sleep is a way I can refill my energy bank and continuing serving at an effective level. Reading this affirmed my need to sleep isn’t because I’m lazy.

Another element that was throughout the book was the need for A schedule. A lot of people don’t understand my quiet schedule. They don’t get my need for down time where I am completely alone. This normally happens a couple times a week where I am the only one in the house. These times are very productive for me. Not in a t0-do list way, but in a reflective way. I am myself with no expectations. I can speak with God and connect with him through silence. When I’m home alone, I very rarely listen to music or turn on the TV. I don’t desire more noise. I need the quiet. I need the stillness. I don’t desire to live life at a fast pace of constant action and interaction. I need this balance. Without it, I will be useless for any kingdom work. I don’t want to pretend to be something I’m not and in the process disqualify myself from the work God has called me to do.

As you can tell, I can write about being introvert forever! I’m learning more and more who I am and being okay with the fact that God has made me this way. I also have to realize that not everyone will get it. Not everyone will understand my need for quiet and stillness. It might be seen as lazy or reclusive. However, I know that is not who I am.  I am actively serving the Lord in the way that he has called me and I need to be content in that. I’m learning to love my unique quirks and I’m learning to balance my life around them. This is a very good thing!

 

The World of L.M. Montgomery July 13, 2012

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 1:49 pm

Spending time in the world of L.M. Montgomery!

I’ve officially read everything that L.M. Montgomery has written about Avonlea and the tales of Anne Shirley or Anne Blythe as she later becomes. I’m still in the process of watching all the seasons of Road to Avonlea based off Montgomery’s writing. Because of my Avonlea obsession, I’ve decided to branch out and read more of Montgomery’s works that take place outside of Avonlea. At the recommendation of a favorite blogger, I have decided to start with The Blue Castle.  After learning a bit more about Lucy Maud Montgomery, I’m intrigued at what inspired her stories. She must have loved her Canada, because she paints the picture of the landscape so beautifully. Especially after watching all these programs that take place in Prince Edward Island, I’m positive that PEI is on my bucket list of places to visit. I learned through some research that she was a minister’s wife. I wonder what it was like for her. I’ve pondered what a conversation between her and I might be like. Where did her stories come from? What was it like to be a minister’s wife 100 years ago? Did she view her life as romantically as she did her books? So many things come to my mind. I guess I will keep getting to know her more through her works. I know that part of Road to Avonlea series has been based off of The Story Girl and The Golden Road.  I guess I will just have to add those to my must read list… If you haven’t noticed, it’s getting quite long… Lucky for me, there is a no rush! I’ll just keep living my life one good book at a time!