Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

The Not so Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer June 27, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 1:25 pm

It’s official been “Summer” for a week… even though the weather in Washington State seems to disagree! It’s been a rainy and cold month of June. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I have lived here my whole life. Summer really is July-September for us if you’re going off of the weather. However, at this moment the sun is shining and I can see blue sky. It makes me my heart happy!

Now summer is usually a time where people slow down, rest, sip lemonade… but not for me. Summer is one of our busiest seasons in children’s ministry. The kids are out of school and parents want activities to keep their kiddos active and engaged. A lot of fun stuff happens at the church during the summer, but as an administrative assistant, most of these fun activities come with permission slips, registration deadlines, reminder emails, reminder postcards, etc. Events don’t just throw themselves together. It gets busy around the office!

This Sunday was our first official registration deadline. We’re going to the Oregon Zoo tomorrow. This is always a fun, full day with the kids. We leave the church around at 8:00am and usually get back around 5:00pm (depends on Portland traffic which in some years has been bad – like detour around the state bad). The Zoo Trip is one of my favorite activities because of how relational it is. There is something special about spending the entire day out and about doing an activity with the kids. You get to learn a lot about the kids by spending time with them outside of the church walls. Lots of laughter and smiles happen at the zoo. As well as comments like, “I’m hungry” and “My feet hurt”, but I try not focus on those as much.

The rest of the summer seems completely full before it even started! The 4th of July, my Dad’s birthday, Jeremy and I’s anniversary, Family VBA, a road trip to San Francisio & the Redwoods, a new niece or nephew, kid’s camp, a leadership conference, a 5th grade graduation trip to the Mariner’s game, and a camping trip! I won’t be bored this summer! That’s for sure! It’s important for to remember that while all these are good things, I’m still going to need those down moments. I need a relaxed day here or there. Having slow, quiet times don’t just happen. They are intentional created.

A big bonus to this summer is Jeremy and I are actually going to take a trip! Most of the time I treat the summer as work only. It’s hard in between all of the events to find a time to get away. However, my hubby surprised me with the random idea of maybe going on a short road trip. I’m always game to go some place I’ve never been before, so we finally settled on the San Francisco area. Jeremy grew up outside of the city and I’m excited to see some places from his childhood. We’ll be driving home through the Redwood Forests, so we decided to camp for a few days there. I can’t think of any place cooler to camp than the Redwoods.  Most summers we get a weekend camping trip in, but this summer we get a 5 day road trip in July and a weekend camping trip in August. I feel like one blessed lady! I can hardly wait to pack up and go!

I know that the summer of 2012 is going to hold a lot of great memories and I’m excited to start making them!

 

If It Looks Complicated… June 26, 2012

Filed under: Cooking Experiments — Amy Scott @ 7:09 pm

The Inspiration!

It probably is!

Oh, Food Network Magazine… It’s been my inspiration for so many baking projects as of late. I always get excited when the magazine arrives. I carefully pour over each page and note all the things that I think I could make (aka bake – that’s the only thing that really catches my eye… something about the sugar content…hmm). As always, there was a project that I wanted to try. I couldn’t pass up the fun idea of a pie cake! It’s a layered project where you bake yellow cake and take it out while it’s still wobbly. You add your fruit layer. Then you add the pie crust and finish baking it. I looked at the picture and it seemed complicated. However, I’ve been pretty successful with my other attempts from FNM so I guess I got a little cocky. I thought I could handle it. Sadly, my dessert looks nothing like the picture. I’m pretty sure it will taste okay, but that desired appearance means a lot to me and I flopped it.

So my first problem… I probably used too much batter. It’s hard to judge filling the pan pie 2/3 of the way full. Unless it’s labeled, I’m really bad at eye-balling things. Next problem, I decided to use cherry pie filling instead of strawberries. I tired to get as much of the cherry goo off as possible, but I didn’t work out in my favor. The cherries just weighed too much and they penetrated the baked layer of the cake causing the unbaked insides to ooze out. Not pretty… trust me. This made for a mixture of cherries and cake batter on top. The whole point is to hide the cake underneath the berries, but that didn’t work out so well. So much for the surprise element. I also probably needed another can of cherries to cover the top completely. I just assumed 2 cans was enough.

The End Result

This was  my first attempt at lattice work on the pie crust. I didn’t do such a super job of cutting the strips evenly. I knew I should have used a ruler! Anyway, for some reason the crust didn’t want to brown too much and I had a fear that I would bake all the moisture out the cake. After resetting the timer numerous times, I figured things were as good as they were going to get.

Like I said before, I’m sure it’s going to taste fine. However, I try to make all my goodies look phenomenal when serving them to my 5th/6th grade girls. Let’s be honest, kids can be picky. They can make a decision about something just from looking at it. I really want them to give it a chance. I might need to have a back up snack just in case for some reason this pie cake was a total flop.

I might have to try this again and redeem myself. Maybe now I’ll be able to pull off the picture perfect pie cake. Or maybe this is just how my cooking experiments will go… try it… mess it up… move on. I still have many other fun treats to create. Maybe pie cakes won’t be my specialty.  Oh well. Jesus still loves me!

 

Not Without Doubt June 25, 2012

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Recollections — Amy Scott @ 3:17 pm

I finished You Lost Me by David Kinnaman this last week. There is so much good information in that book that I’ll probably have to read it again. I know in a previous blog I talked about my thoughts from just reading the first half of the book (Current Reading: You Lost Me). Now I would like to share something that resonated with me from the second half of the book.

The book is divided up into three parts. The first part focuses on the dropouts – who they are. The second part looks at where they are disconnecting from the church. While I could comment on each disconnect studied, I’m going to share with my thoughts on the final disconnect entitled “Doubtless”.

The lost generation views the church as a doubtless place. A place where doubts are seen as shameful. A place were answers are not found. A place were questions are not asked. I think for a long time we’ve used simple cliches and slogans to keep people on track. However, there are some complex questions out there that can’t be answered simply. We need to acknowledged this instead of pretending to know it all. We don’t. At least, I don’t.

I started to dream as I read this chapter. I thought about what the church would look like if we really partnered with the next generation. What would it look like if they could really come to us with their questions, with their doubts. Instead of giving them a lecture using our trusted slogans and simple answers, what if we wrestled through the issues with them. What if we did the research alongside of them instead of just giving them the standard answer. What if we took off the mask of having it all together. What if we didn’t act like we knew it all. What if the church wasn’t a place where doubt was seen as the opposite of faith.

As I was reading this chapter, I was reminded of a season of doubt in my life. I haven’t talked about it much because honestly, I didn’t want to freak anyone out. I was the good Christian girl, at the good Christian college and I was engaged to a pastor. So you can guess why I kept my doubts to myself. At the time I was in my sophomore year of college at Multnomah Bible College. I loved my classes, but my relationships at the school were lacking. I knew I was getting married that summer and that I wouldn’t be returning the following year. Instead of engaging in deeper friendships, I had pulled back and focused on getting through school so I could get home. My heart was really in Chehalis. I wanted to be close to Jeremy. I wanted to be serving the girls that I had fallen in love with the summer before. My weeks were lonely. I lived for the weekends when Jeremy would come down to visit or I would head home.

I was also interning at the church attended in Vancouver, WA. The year before I had worked in their youth department, but I had moved out of that role into more of a pastoral internship. I met weekly with the senior pastor and the youth pastor (their entire pastoral team).  While it was great to poured into by these men on a weekly basis, the expectations of my internship were very unclear. They wanted me to create a database for them and work on assimilation. The word assimilation is a big word that  means keeping people in the church once they start attending. At that time my church leadership experience was all youth group based and one summer as the Bethel Church receptionist. I was 19-20 and trying to figure out things that pastors with degrees are still trying to work through. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by the task at hand. I appreciated being seen as an equal and treated like one, but I was young and inexperienced and it showed.

The combination of stress and loneliness really did a number on me. I started to feel like I was losing my grip on sanity. I started to doubt why I was doing this. What if this whole Christianity thing wasn’t real? What if there was no God? What if I’m wasting my life on something that might not even exist? I wrestled with a lot of questions and doubts. I wrote out a huge list of all my questions (pages long). Things that I wanted answered. Things that I didn’t understand. The act of just writing them out really helped get them out of my head. I could see them. I knew they were real. I also knew that unless God sent me an email or dropped me a letter, I was probably not going to get my answers.

Because I was a good Christian girl, I didn’t feel like I could share my doubts. What am I supposed to say? I’m taking all these classes on the Bible and ministry and now I’m doubting why. I was engaged to Jeremy and what would people say if one of the pastors was going to marry a girl who was losing her grip on faith. I was honest with Jeremy during this season and I expected him to run for the hills. But he didn’t! Praise the Lord.  I was already on a lonely path and I felt like I couldn’t be real because people would freak out.

How did I come back from this experience? I realized that with all the stress and loneliness, I had placed myself in a situation where I wasn’t in a healthy place. I realized that a lot of my doubts were induced by stress. I didn’t feel God in those moments because I was drowning my own mess of emotions. I was able to look at my past and know that God really did show up in my life. I hadn’t made him up or followed him blindly. I learned a lot about staying the course even when my emotions didn’t feel like it. As I kept moving forward, I felt like God peeled back the layers and allowed me to be me. My mess didn’t scare him, even though it scared me.

This season of doubt probably won’t be my last, but I know that it’s okay. I know that my doubt doesn’t mean I’ve lost my faith. I can see from that time until now has God has shown up big in my life. He hasn’t left me and I know he won’t. Even when I feel like I’m lost, I know that I’m not. I hope that I can be more honest about my doubts so that way when the arise I’m not battling them alone. I desire people who will walk alongside me and journey through the mess with me. I also deeply desire to that person for others. I don’t want to give simple answers to complex questions. I want to get into the trenches and wrestle with the doubts of others. I want to help them walk out their faith in a real way, an expressive way. There is no shame in searching, wondering, and doubting.

 

Worth Highlighting June 24, 2012

Filed under: Bible — Amy Scott @ 1:24 pm

I was reading my Bible this morning and I come across a couple sentences that I had highlighted a long time ago. I’m always amazed that something I’ve forgotten about years ago continues to jump out at me. Reading the Bible isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a life long experience. It still speaks to me even though I’ve already read it. It reminds me of where I’ve been. It reminds me who I am. It gives me hope and makes me feel less lonely. I went through this before and survived. I can do it again. I’ll forever be a student, learning these lessons. So here is the verse that gripped my heart this morning. It was too good not to share. It spoke right to me today!

My troubles turned out all for the best—
      they forced me to learn from your textbook.
   Truth from your mouth means more to me
      than striking it rich in a gold mine.

Psalms 119:71-72 (MSG)

 

Funny Story June 23, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 5:45 pm

I’ve been looking forward to this morning for a couple of weeks. Why? Because I was looking forward to a morning where I didn’t have to set an alarm. I love to sleep in! The busy pace of the last couple weeks was really catching up with me, so that made this morning stand out as even more important to me. I was going to protect it all costs!

Then, I found that family was going to be in town and a brunch was scheduled for 10:00am. For most that wouldn’t be a problem, but for me, sleeping in means getting up between 9:00-10:00am. What was I to do? I wanted to sleep in so badly, but I don’t get to see our Ellensburg family all that often. Talk about inner conflict.

I decided that this was just family. All of them had seen me unshowered while camping, so I was just going to roll out of bed in time to head to the brunch -throw on some jeans and put my hair in a pony tail. This is a big deal for those who know me well. If we’ve learned anything from the 5/7 Fasts this spring, my personal appearance means something to me (although I wish it didn’t).

As I was sleepily waking out the door this morning, I couldn’t help but feel blah because that is how I looked. When we started down the road to Jeremy’s parent’s house, we noticed his aunt and uncle were walking down the driveway. Then we notice another car in the driveway as well. I thought this was going to be an immediate family gathering and it turned out to be a little bigger than I expected.

Now, I know that no one cares that I showed up with bedhead. If the did, at least they didn’t voice it. However, I felt icky about it. I know I shouldn’t. I know I needed the sleep and I’m not ashamed of that. I guess I just have to be real and accept that I won’t always portray the perfect image at all times. Oh well! Still learning this lesson!

 

My Day at the Briar Rose June 22, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 8:22 pm

The Briar Rose Inn

I headed down to Vancouver, WA this morning for a day at the Briar Rose Inn Bed & Breakfast. I attended a day retreat put on by our network for women in leadership. The setting was so sweet. It was in downtown Vancouver, very historic. The house was quaintly decorated and fitting for the period of time it was built (1908). It had creaky floors and tons of charm. I honestly could have stayed there for days and pretended to be someone from days gone by. But that was not the purpose of this day.

The purpose of the day for me was to meet new people. I have expressed before how few women in ministry I come in contact through our network, especially our section. My hope was to meet maybe some other credentialed ladies in our network or connect with some leaders that I might encourage in that direction. I wasn’t a walking advertisement for credentialing. I just wanted to meet some ladies and let the natural relationships head that direction. I would say my overall goal was accomplished. What I experienced with these ladies today was a stepping stone. A connection was made. That was the goal.

The spiritual elements of the day retreat were great. Lots of solitude mixed with sharing. I feel like a lot of people live such busy lives that moments of solitude are scarce. I, however, am no stranger to solitude. It’s my preferred mode of operation. My schedule and pace can also be super busy, but as an introvert, I’m constantly making time for quiet moments. I will cease to exist without them.

My Special Spot!

The best part of our quiet moments was I got to spend them on a beautiful window seat with sheer curtains looking out over the street. I have a soft spot in my heart for window seats, so this location seemed made for me. I quickly snatched it up before anyone else. For the first part of the day, I read articles of about solitude and silence. I prayed about what God has been laying on my heart. I took a walk around the block and then ended up in the garden to do my daily Bible reading.

Lunch was a time of sharing. We talked about what we thought about during our solitude. I shared how I looked out the window and noticed the diverse group of people walking by. My life has been so focused on my story as of late, that I stopped to think about others and what their story might be. Who are they? They matter to God, so they should matter to me. The mix of homeless and urban professionals, students, joggers… They each are special and unique.

After lunch we went into another quiet time. This time with two tasks. One was to read the Scripture and let it minister to us. The other was write a haiku. Now those of you that know me, know I’m not big into poetry and being all flowery with my words. The point of the exercise though was the power of less. To say more with less. To limit our words and still make a statement.

My heart was drawn back to Philippians 2. I’ve been camped there this week as I’ve contemplated what it means to make myself nothing. As I read the passage, I wrote down these key phrases:

  • Being united with Christ
  • Comfort from his love
  • Fellowship with the Spirit
  • Tenderness and compassion
  • Joy Complete = being like minded, same love, one in spirit, one in purpose (not just as the body of Christ, but with Christ)
  • Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped
  • He made himself nothing
  • Humbled himself
  • Became obedient

Taking a quiet walk!

As I wrestle with this passage, I am reminded that Jesus’ obedience lead to death. In a lot of ways I see how my obedience leads to death of self. It’s Christ’s death that lead to his resurrection and so the glory was given to God. I know that God’s glory will be seen when I get out of the way, die to myself and let him do his thing – not my thing. I’m realizing that while my dreams are not bad, if they are not God’s dreams for me then they need to die. I need to get them out of the way. Just like a seed that goes into the ground, it might seem like dying has no purpose, but once it sprouts new life it reaps an even greater harvest. Letting go now might just reap an even bigger harvest than I can imagine in this moment.

My haiku deals with this Scripture. I realize that I have too many syllables, but it’s hard to track the syllables when you can’t say them out loud and talk it out. We were all in the same quiet room for this activity. So for those who would have noticed, yes, I did it wrong. Oh well! Here is my haiku:

Do I dare to dream

To be made into nothing

Fully united with Christ

The Garden

The first line talks about my own wrestling with my dreams and God’s dream for me. I so badly want his way over my way. The second line is where his way leads – to be made into nothing. This is the non-glamorous option. However, it leads to being fully united with Christ, which is far better than my own dream.

We closed by writing encouraging notes for everyone in a card that was provided. We read the words of encouragement to each other as we took communion. It was a good way to end. Despite what each one of us might have been dealing with, I feel that everyone left encouraged. I know that I did. I’m starting to learn more and more that I don’t need to be understood by people. So even if this group of ladies didn’t get me, I still feel like the day was a win for me. It’s nice to getaway to a new location – outside of home and church. It was nice to meet new people and to share a few moments together. The smallness of the group wasn’t awkward. I felt like we shared great depth for just meeting. It was a good experience and one I would repeat if given the opportunity.

 

I Can Relate June 20, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 5:39 pm

I stumbled across a blog post by Sarah Bessey (http://sarahbessey.com/) and I could definitely relate.  It’s a post about why she writes so often – like every day! I think she writes daily for the same reason that I write daily. She talks about in a guest post on this blog – http://www.introvertedchurch.com/2012/06/in-which-sarah-bessey-writes-guest-post.html.  I’ve heard of the book that this blog is based off of and I really should read it because I am a massive introvert and I often struggle with how that relates my calling into ministry. I guess I can add Introverts in the Church to my must read list (as if it wasn’t long enough, but we all know that isn’t a problem).

Anyway, back to the statement that inspired this blog post. When asked by she writes daily this was Sarah’s response:

The answer is simple: I have to write. I have to figure out what I think about my life and I can’t do it without writing. I don’t know what I think until I write it out.

Something inside me went off when I read that. I totally get it! I’m the same way. I’ve always said that writing is my way of processing my world. It’s my way of wrestling with what’s inside of me. It’s my way of finding myself. I often start writing with an idea in mind and I find that the post pretty much flows and writes itself. It’s me. When I write, I am who I really am. It’s my way of being honest. It’s how I’m real.

When I’m going through something, you can guarantee I’ve been at the keyboard or sitting with a pen in hand. Things become clearer as I write. Life starts to make more sense. Writing can funnel my emotions into a productive way. I figure out what I’m upset about. I brainstorm and I dream about what I can do.

Writing frees me in a way very few things can. That is why I write daily. I’m sure not everyone appreciates daily blog posts, but this is my life. This is who I am. I am a writer.

 

Father’s Day June 19, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Recollections — Amy Scott @ 6:18 pm

I’m very blessed to have two great Dads in my life. Jeremy’s father, Bill, is a sweet man who is really good at strategy games and math. Anytime I need help adding points at a game, I’m pretty sure Bill is better than a calculator! Since Bill works at the church, I get to see him in action daily. He is always calm and steady. He works hard. He gets to the church before my alarm even goes off! He is dedicated to his work and to his family. I am so thankful for the influence he had is raising his son. I can see how God used Bill to shape Jeremy into the man that he is. I am thankful to have him as a father-in-law.

Father’s Day 2012

Even though my dad and I have some differences, I’m often concerned at just how similar we are. My mom often laughs when I’m talking to her and says things like “Your dad said the same thing” or “Your dad is the same way”. I’ve learned over time that my dad and I really do have some strange similarities. Occasionally, I wonder what God was thinking by making me so much like my father, but for the most part, I guess I should thank him. My dad is a pretty great guy. I guess that is an up side to being like him. Following in his footsteps probably isn’t a bad thing. My dad has always been someone I can talk to about the hard issues in life. I appreciate the honesty and openness I feel in our relationship. My dad has always worked hard to support our family. I will admit to being a bit spoiled growing before my dad discovered Financial Peace University. It was fun to be a daddy’s girl and get new stuff from my dad. Thanks, Dad, for all the clothes and Cabbage Patch dolls you purchased for me over the years, as well as the CDs and the concerts you took April and I (and our friends) to. The stuff really doesn’t matter, but I know that my dad cares about me.

The Softball Years

I’m often sorry that I wasn’t the sport star that my dad had hoped for. My family was big into the softball scene and my dad coached a lot of my teams. I certainly wasn’t the star player, it was great to have my dad around.  He treated me just like all the other kids because that is the way that my dad is – completely fair and very professional (even when it comes to Little League).  However, he could have chosen not to be there. He could have prioritized other things. So thankfully,even though the whole sports thing didn’t pan out for the Vitzthum girls, my dad was still there for us, regardless of how great we were.

Very few girls can probably say this, but one of my favorite things to do in high school was to get into the hot tub with my dad and discuss life. I remember talking with him about becoming president of the school Christian club or what college major I should get. My dad gave me the opportunity to travel to all my top colleges so I could make an informed decision. Being informed is very important to us. We’re natural researchers. My dad drove to the airport with me to get Jeremy in an ice storm. He let me stay up late and The Father of the Bride with him as a kid. I remember the bubbles at the beginning of the movie made me think it was a grown up movie because that was alcohol. I felt like I was getting away with something even though he let me watch the movie right by him! I also remember trying to tell my dad not to drink a soda on the way to a family vacation at the Oregon Coast, because that was “drinking and driving”. I didn’t realize that soda didn’t count!

I could post endless stories and memories about my dad and how much he means to me. I am thankful for the legacy he has given my sister and myself. We were always challenged to love the Lord and serve him first.  We were shown dedication and a hard work ethic. We were given experiences that shaped us into who we are today. So thank you, Dad! I wouldn’t be who I am without! I appreciate all you’ve poured into me. I’m proud to be your daughter! I love you!

 

Humility June 17, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 9:58 pm

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about humility recently. I mean really what does it look like to be humble? I’m not sure if I’ll ever really grasp this concept fully. I’d like to be humble, but I’ll be honest, there are times when people might pay me a compliment or affirm something I’ve done and my natural reaction in my head is “Thanks for noticing”. Not in a bashful way, but in a what took you so long kind of way. Now I wouldn’t say that I go around expecting the whole world to tell me how awesome I am… I’m not really. It’s just hard to be humble. I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on what I think I deserve in life. I’ve often struggled with feeling anonymous. The funny thing I’ve read in You Lost Me and what David Kinnaman said live in his presentation, is that my generation strongly believes that we can be famous.  Maybe it’s the social networking phenomenon that makes us all the reality star in our own lives, but my generation really thinks that fame is around the corner for us. I’m not sure I believe that I’m going to be famous. I would be lying if I said I didn’t dream about being a published author or other things that seem fanciful, but I’m not sure fame and fortune are in my future. But I think about it… Do you?

I was thinking about the passage in Scripture about Christ’s humility and wondering if I could ever attain such a mindset. The answer, of course, is no, because I’m not Jesus. But what would it look like to have more of this in my life:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very natureGod, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

I also thought about all the times that Jesus said the last will be first and the first will be last (Matthew 20:16, Mark 10:31, Luke 13:30). I don’t want to be like the guest who sets himself at the head of the table only to be asked to move when a more important guest arrives. I don’t want to be like James and John who fought over who gets to set at the right hand of Jesus. They just didn’t get it. I confess I don’t really get it either. I want honor, but I’m not looking for it in the right places. The approval of man will never give me what I need inside.

As I was thinking about humility and as I was wrestling with my own bitterness and disappointment, I started to listen to worship music and sing along. It’s crazy how I could feel the bitterness melting off my heart. When I worship, my heart puts things into perspective. Jesus first. Are you noticing a theme lately? As I sang, my God became bigger than my problems and my hurt. It’s easier to be humble when I realize just how small I am compared to God. The other great thing about worship is that it can be honest and raw. It doesn’t sugar coat life. I think of the Psalms where David cries out to God because of the distress he is in. David knew how small he was in comparison to God. Worshiping and calling out to God in these moments is humbling. It’s acknowledging that that I can’t do it. I’m nothing special! Not without God fighting for me.

I’m learning a few lessons in this current season of life. I’m learning to keep my eyes on Jesus – that he is the center of it all. He is why I do what I do and why I keep going. I’m also learning that I need to live my life in a way that honors God, not man. I’m so worried about the opinion of others. I don’t want to seek my own fame. I want my life all to be for God’s glory, not mine. I’m also learning to be honest about pain and disappointment. I’m learning how to respond to those feelings with worship. I’m learning that my life problems seem insignificant when I compare them to how big my God is. I’m completely out of control and that is okay. I know that I can only control myself. I pray that my response to life will be one filled with humility and grace. I pray that the struggles would only draw me closer to Jesus. I pray that I would let go of my own desires and just live each moment to the best of my ability.

I’m not there yet, but I’m learning.

 

200 June 16, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 6:00 am

This is a big moment! This is my 200th blog post! On television shows, the 200th episode is usually a big deal. I feel that way about this blog post. It’s not a big deal in that I have something awesome to say, but it’s a big deal because 200 isn’t something that happens overnight. 200 posts takes time and commitment. Both I’m happy to have put into this blog.

I wanted to take a moment to thank those of you who read my blog. I would honestly write even if no one read it, but it certainly does help to know that I have an audience. The size of the audience doesn’t concern me. I’m just glad to have my voice to be heard. So thank you for listening. Thank you for reading and commenting. I hope that you have been blessed by me sharing my life with you. I’ve certainly been blessed by this whole process.

Blogging is a way that I can be real with the world. Now I realize that I shouldn’t post everything that goes in my life or pops into my head, but for the most part, I try not to censor my reality. At times this means really hard or discouraging blogs posts. It also means happy posts when I’m celebrating. I often worry that you all think I’m bi-polar… Bouncing between sad and happy. However, this is real life. It has it’s ups and downs. Some days I handle the down moments better, some days the down moments break me.  Some days, I have a joyful song in my heart or some days I feel like sharing my most recent book or baking project.

I don’t think this blog will ever be just about one thing. It’s Amy Scott’s Thoughts and I don’t think about just one thing. I think about many things. My life is multidimensional and layered. It’s not about one specific thing. Hopefully, you don’t mind me bouncing around from topic to topic.  These are the things I think about. The things I love. The things I struggle with. The things that make me laugh and the things that make me cry. This is who I am.

I openly share because I wonder if anyone else out there feels the same way. I wonder if anyone can relate. My hope is that I can share the light that I have in my life. That doesn’t mean that all the posts will be happy, but I hope they will all give glory to God. I want to share my struggles because they are part of me. I want to share my joy because it defines me. Overall, I am just a girl who is just trying to make Jesus happy. I’m living my life with him ultimately in mind.  The great thing about Jesus is he desires for me to have an authentic relationship with him. He desires for me to share my whole heart. He knows the ups and downs and cares about each moment of my day.

So I’m happy I can share this 200th blog with you! I hope that I can write many more. I have found comfort in the written word. I have found that as I write, I find myself on the page.  This blog is a piece of who I am.  Thank you for listening. Thank you for receiving it. And more over, thank you for praying. I don’t have it all figured out. I appreciate the prayer and support as I try to make the best of what I’ve been given.