Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

Fly on the Wall May 22, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry — Amy Scott @ 10:00 am

This Sunday, I got the chance to do something I don’t often get to do – attend another church! Jeremy and I along with a parent and child from Bethel headed up to Renton, WA to see how others do things. I kind of felt like a spy, undercover… Okay, it wasn’t that covert, but it was super interesting to explore another ministry and see how they operate. For example, this church uses a check-in program for students that were looking into trying at Bethel. This was a great opportunity to play with the system and see how they utilize it. Also, we are able to take notes on how this children’s ministry makes large group and small group spaces within their gym. I took lots of pictures and notes.

As pastors, it’s really had for Jeremy and me to get away on a Sunday. I get a little nervous about leaving for a whole day and being off site. We have a great team and things went just fine without us. It’s nice to know that our leaders are top-notch and our students were in good hands.

Jeremy and I usually make a point to visit new churches when we’re out of town. We’ve seen church in Georgia, Washington DC, California, etc. It’s very rare that we get to explore in our own area.  I think the biggest thing I can take away from the experience is just how important it is to have a wide sphere of influence. It’s easy to just keep doing what we’ve always done and not make time to explore the options. Our goal isn’t to become mini-versions of whatever we see, but wrestle with what really worked and what wouldn’t work for us.

Just as important as it is for us to keep our influences wide, it was great to take a long a family with us. We sort of used them as our guinea pigs. However, by including them we got honest feedback from a family perspective, not just a pastoral perspective.  Sharing this experience really added another layer of depth to our research!

Overall, it was a wonderful trip. We had a good conversation about ministry on the way up and back. We got to see ministry from another perspective. It was neat to see what God is doing outside our own church. Sometimes I get so focused on my little corner of the world. There is truly something uplifting about seeing how God is moving in our cities, counties, states and nation.  It’s not all about us! It’s important to learn from each other and keep growing.

 

Constant Clean Out May 21, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 7:31 pm

I’m the kind of person that likes to go through my stuff on a regular basis. I’m not a fan of clutter. Things really have to prove their purpose to me in order to live in my house. It seems I’m often sorting through closets, drawers, boxes. I love getting lost in a project. I got that joy this afternoon.

It might not look too big, but this pile filled a trash bag!

For someone who gets rid of things pretty easily, there is one thing you’ll find that I tend to store. Cards and mementos! If you sent me a card in the last 6 years, there is a good chance that up until today, I kept it. I have a spot where I place all my cards and once that spot got full, I would put the cards into Ziplock bags and into a box in the garage they would go. My project actually started off by trying to consolidate my photos, but turned into me going through all my cards. I’m happy to say that I got ride of a lot of cards. I kept quite a few, but really only the ones that hold meaning to me. I’ve always had a fondness for cards. If someone took the time to send  it then it lived forever in my house. I hope this is a turning point for me. Can you imagine if I kept this pattern up? It’s like micro-hoarding! My poor future children would one day be moving me into the a nursing home and when they opened my garage they would have found nothing but boxes full of cards. Thank you cards, thinking of you cards, birthday cards, invitations to weddings and baby showers. Here’s hoping I broke the cycle now so I have brighter future ahead of me!

My collection of mementos started around high school. I had a shoe box where I put little things that meant something to me. A movie ticket stub, a program from a show, a napkin, a flower… Little things. Just small tokens that symbolized a special date or time. These small things add up and eventually can take up quiet a bit of space. Now I did get rid of a few mementos, but mainly I just organized them better. These small things might seem insignificant, but each holds a memory. I wonder if I’m really saving these things for a reason. I can picture in my head going through them when I’m old and gray to relive the moments. I can also picture telling my future children why I saved them. However, it’s highly likely that same day they will go into the trash as well so I can continue to make space. Today was not that day for my little friends. They’ve been saved until next time!

Jeremy and I don’t have a ton of storage at our house. It’s important to take time to go through things every now and again. It seems like when you get rid of something, another thing takes it place. If you keep getting and never giving then you’ll run out of space. I don’t want my stuff to overtake me. Just last week I went through my closet after shopping for new clothes. Get new things, give old things. I’ve recently gone through the drawers in my nightstand to make they are tidy and that I’m not holding on to something useless. I also find that time really helps when it comes to getting rid of things. The more distance I put between me and my stuff, the more willing I am to part with it. I really won’t miss it and I’ll be glad for the extra space I create. Plus, I’ll admit that there is something really satisfying when the project is done. That moment for me today was filling a trash bag full of cards and various random objects.  It feels so good!

 

The Bad Blog Follow-Up May 19, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 9:21 pm

It’s a just like a sister to help me add to my blog about what I’m bad at! April let me know that she thought I should have hills added to my list. It’s true. I don’t like hills. As you can guess, that means I’m not much of a hiker. Unless you consider hiking to be walking on a flat surface. In fact, I used my hatred of hills as a part of my college decision process. After visiting Seattle Pacific University and staying in a dorm room at the top of the hill, I decided I just couldn’t do a hill daily. However, funny thing, while Multnomah had no hills on campus, we did have to walk up a small hill and a couple flights of stairs to get to chapel. Since it was a good Christian college, we had chapel almost everyday. So much for avoiding hills. At least, I only have to go there once a day verses up and down multiple times a day. I’ve also been asked why I decided not to climb Mt. St. Helen’s with my hubby, but I think the answer should be obvious! It’s a giant hill!

Now the another thing I thought of after the fact was video games! April spent the night last night while my hubby was away at a men’s conference. It’s nice to have someone else around the house so I don’t have to be home alone all night long. I know I have a dog, but at 13 pounds, he isn’t too intimidating to potential intruders! Anyway, April and I played some Wii Party and it came to me. I’m really bad at video games. We tried our hand at Super Mario Bros a couple weeks ago and we struggled at the first castle. Apparently lava is deadly. Go figure! So yes, video games. I’m very bad at them!

Just thought you should know!

 

 

The Bad Blog May 18, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 9:00 am

Most people blog about things they really love and are good at. I thought I would do the opposite and give you some insight into the things that I’m really bad at! Trust me… all of things I am about to list have been proven by experience (and humiliation)!

  • Ironing – I fail at this! Why do irons leave marks on my clothes even after I make sure the iron is clean? Why do things wrinkle right back up again? Why don’t I own a full sized ironing board! Some questions can never be answered.
  • Sports – Hand/Eye coordination – what’s that? Moving quickly – do you mean run? Never! I’m terrible at sports. I hated running the mile in school. I remember when my dad finally realized I wasn’t going to be a sport star and let me drop out of the whole sports scene… oh those were the days, being picked last and coming home from practice crying!
  • Being creative on the spot – I don’t do creative in an instant. I need time to think and process things. I very rarely ever have great ideas when put on the spot. I’m a thinker which tends to limit my creativity.  So if you want some of my best creative thinking – don’t expect it to come together in 5 minutes! Better to give me 5 hours or 5 days!
  • Animals – I don’t like animals… I know it seems terrible, right? I love my dog, but really he is the own animal I would say I love. I don’t like to hunt or fish like my hubby. Birds totally freak me out. All insects are evil in my book. I don’t like to pet animals, hold them, feed them… you get the idea. It’s best that animals and I keep our distance.
  • Saying no to sugar – I have the hardest time not having dessert when offered to me! Or really sugar at any time of the day.  If it’s near me, I want it… I need it! It calls to me!!! Sugar will always been my weakness. Why does it have to taste so good?
  • Getting up early – I’m so not a morning person! I often wonder what it would be like to get up and bounce out of bed, fully awake and ready for the day! I would much rather stay up past midnight and get up after 9:00am. However, my life doesn’t run on that schedule. Bummer.
  • Heavy lifting – I’m a weakling… Enough said!
  • Waiting/Being Quiet – These two go hand in hand. If I have something I need to say to someone, I have a hard time waiting for the right moment to present itself. I would much rather get whatever is it off my chest.  If I don’t talk things out ASAP, I have a tendency to over think things and play out all the scenarios in my head. It gets pretty tiring, so why not just have it out now. It shows itself a lot when I have issues, but also with good stuff too. I just don’t like to wait. Why talk about it tomorrow when you can talk about it today?
  • Not Thinking – My brain is always processing and chewing on something. Sometimes I wish I could just tune out and forget. However, my over-thinking nature plagues me. I know I’m a high-strung person. I wish I wasn’t, but I am. Ugh!

It might seem silly to mention these things, but I’m realizing that while I have strengths, I also have weaknesses. I’m not going to be the best at everything. Honestly, I don’t want to be the best at everything. Knowing who I am and my limitations is important in life. While I certainly don’t like to dwell on terrible I am with iron, it is good to know. So that way, if someone asked me to iron their wardrobe, I could say no – knowing that I’m doing them a favor by not pretending to have no weaknesses and flaws. I’m not perfect.  Just thought you should know! Oh wait, you already knew? I can accept that!

 

My Seven Words: Verses May 17, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 8:00 am

I finally did the other part of my homework from the Bethel Church Ladies Retreat. The first part was finding a way to get your core value words in front of you. I shared a few blogs back about how I used http://www.wordle.net to make a word cloud. I used that image as the background on my desktop. I love it! I honestly just like to stare at and repeat the words to myself. I know that might sound crazy, but I love these words! They hold deep meaning to me! The other part of the homework was find verses to attach to each of the words. Now not every word I chose is in the Bible, but I found verses that captured the heart of the message. Here are my verses:

  • Acceptance
    • Hebrews 2:10-11
      • In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
  • Compassion
    • Psalm 112:4
      • Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
    •  Matthew 9:36
      • When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
  • Courage
    • Deuteronomy 31:6
      • Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
  • Encouragement
    • Romans 15:4
      • For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
    • Philemon 1:7
      • Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
  • Integrity
    • Psalm 41:12
      • In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.
    • Proverbs 10:9
      • The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
  • Joy
    • Psalm 19:8
      • The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
    • 1 Thessalonians 5:16
      • Be joyful always;
  • Vision
    • Genesis 46:2
      • And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied.
    • Proverbs 29:18
      • When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
        But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

Note: Sorry for those who receive my email and got the beginning of this before it was completed! Stupid, sensitive publish button!

 

 

Mother’s Day May 16, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 1:19 pm

So far, I’ve been writing about my own Mother’s Day experience with preaching. However, since I am not a mother, I want to emphasize the point that Mother’s Day is not about me. I want to take few moments to thank some ladies in my life who mean a lot to me. They are the reason this day is special!

First off, I think it goes without saying that I have an awesome mom. She’s seriously the best! She’s not like most moms and I appreciate that. She didn’t pretend to have all the answers, she didn’t raise me to be a girly girl, she always had my back and made sure I was safe. I might not have a traditional mother, but her wisdom and encouragement over the years have shaped me into who I am today. I can look back on my childhood and know that my mom made Jesus a priority in our home. The faith that parent’s lived in front of me was a foundation for my lifetime relationship with the Lord. I’m thankful for the honest conversations I am able to have with her and for her prayer support in my life. My mom is seriously one of the biggest blessings in my life!

I am blessed to have a mother-in-law that loves deeply loves her family. I can see that in how she has raised her boys to be the men that they are today. I am so thankful for Jeremy’s parents and how they have influenced him. I can say that they did a good job! Since my mother-in-law had all boys, it’s been fun to watch to her have daughters now that all her boys are married. I appreciate all the prayers and support she lends to our family. I get the  joy of having monthly lunch dates with my mother-in-law and I know from these times that she cares about what is going in my life and has a genuine interest in the things I care about. I am blessed to be a part of her family!

I have ladies in my life who I would consider mentors. They are women I can talk about life with. I know that I can trust them and that they love me simply as I am. Jeannie Collins has been a constant source of strength and encouragement in life for over a decade! She’s been with me through a lot of life’s ups and downs. She’s shared many tears, smiles, hugs, and mornings of red cup day with me! Jeannie has always been there to cheer me on and her voice in my life has made a world of difference! Vicki Judd has encouraged me to step up in ministry. She is an advocate for women in ministry and has been a firm supporter in me following after the big dreams God has place in my life. Getting to share the stage with her on Mother’s Day was a big deal for me. It’s a memory that I won’t forget. Our theme was In Her Steps and let me say, Vicki’s shoes will be hard to fill as leaves Bethel Church at the end of this month.

I’m thankful for the many ladies that God has placed in my life. Each is unique blessing! Honestly, I could write endlessly about the love I’ve been shown from the women mentioned above and many others who are not listed. There are so many great women who have poured into me and helped shape me into the woman I am today. I’m thankful for their influence, prayers, encouragement and support. I can’t say thank you enough!

 

In Her Steps May 15, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Children's Ministry,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:06 pm

As promised, here are my notes from this weekend’s sermon. We divided the time up into three sections. The first was a question and answer time. The second was a focus on three different Biblical moms. The third and final section was on action steps to take away from the lesson. The theme in In Her Steps focused on the Biblical Moms and how they are ladies we can follow in the footsteps of.

I don’t have the notes for the other ladies, but I am glad to share mine with you. You can hear the entire presentation via podcast (https://sites.google.com/site/bethelchurchpodcast/). I highly recommend you hear the whole sermon with Pastor Vicki and Shereena’s contributions. It’s definitely worth it! Trust me!

First Section – Question & Answer Time

Vicki: What is your favorite thing about children’s ministry? The relationships I get to build with the students. It’s so special to be a part of their spiritual journey and see them building a foundation on Jesus Christ. It’s also really great to see how our friendships remain over time, even after they graduate from children’s ministry. In fact, the first class of students I taught will graduate next year. It’s been an honor to be part of their journey for the long haul.

Vicki: What kinds of questions and concerns are you hearing from the kids you work with?

  • Relationships with the opposite sex. Kids are already talking about dating and how far is too far to go in the relationship. They see this behavior with their friends and they are wrestling with that it means for them. 
  • Media is a powerful influence as well. Children’s ministry magazine posted a statistic that says that 7.5 million Facebook Users are under age 13 which violates the sites privacy policy. Of that number, 5 million are under the age of 10 and most are unsupervised. Movies, music and video games are tricky waters from them to navigate.
  • Probably one of the biggest concerns of kids is their parent’s choices. Depression and anger can be seen in kids who have watched their parent’s struggle with divorce. Not having a Dad around the house is especially hard on boys and we see that come out at church. According to author, Vicki Courtney, 40% of children in the US go to bed each night without a biological father living in their home.  Even if the parents aren’t divorced, kids are still highly sensitive to their parent’s stability and it greatly affects them. Kids are watching their parent’s commitment to each other. They derive great strength or great insecurity from their parent’s relationship.

Vicki: What ages are these kids? It can start really at any age, but I would say most of my conversations happen with students ages 9-12.

Vicki: Are kids able to talk with their parents about these issues?  Honestly, it depends on the environment that parents create. Kids are very sensitive when it comes to stability with their parents. If there is any uncertainty in a child’s mind about trusting their parents, the child is more likely to start building walls and keeping parents at a distance. Most kids at a young age are willing to talk with their parents and really want that influence in their life. Kids are more willing to share with their parents when they’ve been told from a young age that they came to their parents with anything. It’s important for kids to know that they can trust their parents and that their parents won’t react with overly-emotional responses. When they know they will be listened to and treated fairly, kids will feel comfortable being honest even if they are at fault. Parents have to create this environment early on in their child’s life. It has to be an overstated fact so that kids always know and never forget they can talk to their parent’s about anything.

Second Section – Biblical Mom – Hannah

  • Hannah’s back story
    • One of two wives – her rival wife could have children, but she couldn’t
    • The taunting of this other wife deeply affected Hannah
    • Every year the family traveled to make sacrifices and worship the Lord. Even on a trip that should have been a sacred time for the family, we can see this other wife continuing to deepen Hannah’s wound.
  • When Hannah has no other options and it seems like there is no hope, she goes to one place and the one person she knows has the answers. She turns to the Lord and pours out her heart to him in the sanctuary.
    • 1 Samuel 1:9-11:
      • So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to God’s Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably. Then she made a vow: Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, If you’ll take a good, hard look at my pain, If you’ll quit neglecting me and go into action for me By giving me a son, I’ll give him completely, unreservedly to you. I’ll set him apart for a life of holy discipline.
    • We can see Hannah gave her all to prayer. She didn’t just send up a 30 second prayer, but she spent time seeking the Lord. Not only time, but she put forth great energy and emotion in her request. Eli’s response when he finds her shows us just how into praying Hannah was. He was taken off guard by her actions and assumed she was drunk when she was really just deep in prayer.
    • A wise mother knows what powerful men can forget — that the way to move heaven and earth isn’t with a strong arm but with a bowed head.  – Ann Voskamp
    • Eli was probably surprised when realized the dedication to prayer that this women had. We can see how his response “May the God of Israel give you what you have asked of him” (vs. 17)  really changes Hannah. Before she even sees her prayers answered, she is confident that the Lord has heard her and it shows! The Message says her face was radiant after this experience.
    • Just as she had prayed, Hannah had a son within the year. Once the child was weaned, she did exactly what she said would do and dedicated the child to the Lord.
    • Hannah honors God from the beginning by realizing that the Lord gave her the son she had requested. She kept her word and gives him back to the Lord. Hannah might wanted to keep Samuel for herself, but I think she knew this truth deeply – She was given Samuel for the Lord’s purposes, not hers. She didn’t hold on to Samuel. She let him go, just as she promised.
    • 1 Samuel 1:25-28
      •  Hannah said, “Excuse me, sir. Would you believe that I’m the very woman who was standing before you at this very spot, praying to God? I prayed for this child, and God gave me what I asked for. And now I have dedicated him to God. He’s dedicated to God for life.”       
    • I think it’s important to remember that we’re raising children for the Lord, not for ourselves. Anyone influencing the next generation needs to have a strong awareness that we are not shaping them to be like us, but to be like the Lord.

Third Section – Action Step – Vision

Having an honest evaluation of where your family is at is just the beginning. Now is the time to have a vision for your family. Dream about where you want to be. Just like a road trip – set your eyes on the final destination. There are no quick fixes and the journey will be long, but that shouldn’t diminish the vision God puts in your heart. As a parent, you are setting the direction for your family, so be intentional about where you are leading them. When you grab a vision for your family, you’ll change your family tree. This decision to dream big will not only affect your children, but the generation to follow. Be the catalyst for change in your family.  Go after the vision God lays on your heart with tenacity and focus. You won’t regret the decision to follow God’s best for your family.

 

Preach It! May 14, 2012

Filed under: Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:51 pm

Setting the stage for our theme: In Her Steps

I’m not even sure where to begin. There is so much I want to share about my first experience preaching. I do realize that I was a part of a tri0 – a teaching team. I wasn’t the only one on stage talking for the whole duration of the time. So yes, I think it would be safe to say that my first time in a preaching capacity was a bit of a baby step. I’m not sure I would be ready for the whole thing to be on me. Maybe next I’ll team teach with one other individual before I move to it just being me… Who really knows if I’ll ever have the opportunity again?

If I were to be honest, what I did yesterday, I thought I would never do. Not because I didn’t believe I could do, but I wasn’t sure if I would ever have the opportunity. I struggle with confidence and I know this might sound like “high school” but I never thought I would be cool enough. I never thought I would be seen as having anything worth saying. However, I can see how God has been growing me and helping me to speak up. I’m being honest about who I am and what I’m thinking. It’s been really scary – putting myself out there, not hiding. Stepping up to new challenges is risky and uncomfortable!

When Pastor Kyle asked me if I would be interested in preaching on Mother’s day, my mind went into an instant pro and con list. Pro – It would be a good opportunity to grow my ministry skill set. Con – I’m not a mom. Pro – I have a lot to say to parents. Con – I’ve never done this before. The list goes on, but let’s just say I was excited and terrified all at the same time. I’m glad that I was able to do this endeavor as a team. It was really a privilege to work beside Pastor Vicki and Shereena, our youth pastor’s wife. I feel like this shared experience has taken my relationship deeper with each of them. For that, I am blessed!

The Mother’s Day Preaching Team!

So, how did it go? Well, I feel it went awesome. I was nervous, but it didn’t control me. I feel like I was able to keep a level head and share my heart clearly. I realize that I’m not a polished public speaker and I still have room to grow, but for my first time, I think it was a great experience. Because it was a shared sermon, I never felt overwhelmed. I could have talked more and not felt in over my head. It was a good surprise to find that I liked it! I enjoy myself! Praise the Lord!

I want to keep polishing my skills and growing in my confidence as a public speaker. As painful as it was, I watched the footage from both services today (our first service wasn’t recorded, so I was able to go over 2/3 of the film). I’m not a big fan of watching myself, but I wanted to see myself from another perspective – the view of the audience. I said “um” too many times. I know it was nerves. It will take intentional thought on my part to break the ums. I also said “cuz” at one point. I almost beat my head on the desk as I watched the screen. “Cuz” – really? Do I speak English? I guess not! I know as I take a good look at myself and make notes, I’ll have a foundation laid for what not to do next time.

Oh, next time… I’m not sure when it will, but I really hope there is a next time. I don’t want to shy away from opportunities like this. My prayer is that I’ll have more opportunities to develop this skill set. I know the more I do it, the more confident I will become. I never saw myself being on-stage as a part of the preaching team. I’m viewing this weekend a big win for me personally. God was so good to me. I feel like saying, “Who am I?” Why does he keep blowing my mind? I’m not worthy! Even if I’m not, I’m willing to keep walking forward knowing that God has good in store for me. I know he is leading me, because I would have never ended up here on my own!

Note: Once it’s up, I’ll share the podcast link for those that might want to hear the sermon. I also plan on sharing my sermon notes here for those who are curious about what I said. Stay tuned!

 

Shop Till You Drop May 12, 2012

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 12:19 pm

I really should be prepping for my first preaching experience ever… which happens tonight… t-minus 6.5 hours… But I always get the itch to write a blog when I haven’t posted the day before. Even in the busyness of life, writing my thoughts down here seems to help me keep some form of sanity. I thought I would share with you the fun I had yesterday!

It’s been such a blessing to have my sister back in the area! Over the last year I have had to go shopping by myself or with the husband. Both scenarios aren’t ideal! Shopping by myself means standing in front of the mirror for way too long and wondering from every angle if I look okay. I just can’t seem to decide on my own if I like certain things. I will admit that I can be decisive in some clothing decisions, but for the most part a good deal of thought goes into every item before it’s purchased. When I’m by myself it just takes longer to make a decision. Shopping with Jeremy is often like shopping by myself… He just drops me off at a store and finds something manly to do while I’m in there. Even if I do try something on and ask for his opinion, he usually tells me I look good. Don’t get me wrong, this is very sweet, because I honestly do believe he thinks I look good. His lack of any other opinion makes me wonder if it’s really true.

Time to Shop!

My sister and my mom have been my shopping buddies from sometime. They are very helpful. They offer up suggestions, help me decide between which items to get keep and which items should go back. April especially likes to help me see options beyond my usual styles and colors. I can’t help it that I love the colors navy and gray so much! Having a shopping buddy really does help me!

Yesterday was our first shopping trip since April’s been home. I know I’ve said this before, but I do most of my shopping for two seasons in one trip. I’ll have a fall/winter trip and a spring/summer trip. As much as I love getting new things, the process of shopping seems to wear me out. I’m not sure why. I don’t think it’s all the walking around. My guess would be it’s all psychological. As a classic over-thinker, I can make the most fun tasks complicated and tiring. I think this is my problem with shopping.

It was great to be together as a family again. Mom drove which April and I always appreciate! We went down to Portland which is our favorite shopping place. Gotta love no sales tax! We had a wonderful lunch at Claim Jumpers and a yummy afternoon treat of frozen yogurt at Menchies. Overall it was a very successful, fun day! The weather is perfect for my new spring clothes and I’m glad that I have something new to wear while preaching this weekend! Silly, I know, but the honest truth!

 

Trying To Figure It All Out May 10, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Children's Ministry,Recollections,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:59 pm

Oh, the age old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We’ve all pondered it. Most would say they have it figured out. Some probably never will… I feel like I’m somewhere in the middle. It’s a weird spot to be in. Honestly, it can be confusing and complicated.

When I went off  to college with a dream about who I was going to become, I knew two things. I was either going to be a pastor or a pastor’s wife. Ministry was my passion. It was going to be the center of my life. However, I didn’t realize how multi-layered ministry roles were. In my head, I would get a ministry job and have a spouse that worked outside of the church. Or I would marry a pastor and I might work a job outside of the church or I might be a stay at home mom, but I thought if I wasn’t the pastor then I would be the behind the scenes support to my husband.

I remember when Jeremy and I were meeting with Don Detrick (the Secretary-Treasurer for our AG network and the minister who married us) for a premarital get together. He suggested I get my credentials and I laughed at him. I said one pastor in the household was enough and I was fine being behind the scenes, supporting Jeremy. Oh, if I had only known then what I know now. I might have prepared myself for life a bit better. God eventually did lay it on my heart to get my credentials and become a licensed minister which led to be becoming ordained.  That was not a part of my original plan. Seems the Bible has something to say about that, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NIV)

The tension comes from the fact that I never planned to be in a two pastor family. It was always going to be one or the other in my mind. As God has unfolded his plan for my life, I’m realizing that his plans are bigger for me then I imagined. I feel my own call to ministry, outside of being paired with my husband. Let me tell you, that is a very scary thing. I’ve planned my life to be the supporter, not the one up front. In fact, I’m not a huge fan of being up front. I feel like God has certainly called me to a ministry of writing. I love to communicate through the written word. I’m never without anything to say. I always have an opinion on the matter. I love discussing things and digging deeper into God’s word. As an introvert, it’s hard for me to find the balance of ministry to people and quiet moments like these were I can process, reflect, and minister through writing.

I struggle with being viewed as a “pastor”… This is hard for me to admit, but titles do mean a lot to me. I wish they didn’t. As an administrator, I often feel like my heart for pastoral ministry is in conflict with my job that puts me behind the scenes. I know I’m called to more than pushing buttons on a copy machine and keeping track of attendance. I don’t technically have the “pastor” title, so I don’t like to presume roles that are not given to me. And yet, I am an ordained minister, how does this all fit together?

I’ve often wondered what it might look like to seek out more pastoral roles, but that seems to be tricky water as well. I don’t want to head off on my own ministry track that pulls me away from my husband. I don’t want each of us to be in our own worlds and have our calendars no longer match up. I don’t want to pull my heart away from children’s ministry, because I truly love it and I am passionate about seeing young children build a lifelong foundation on Jesus Christ.

I do think there is something to be said about saying yes to the small opportunities that come my way. Who knows if these small yeses will lead to bigger doors in the future? Doing things like co-preaching on Mother’s Day are little windows to grow my skills and expand my influence. Today I was asked if I wouldn’t mind doing the devotional for our area pastors meeting next month. While I am excited for this opportunity, I am yet again faced with the tension of being one of three women who attend these meetings and younger than most of the people in the room by a good twenty-five years. Not only is it hard to feel qualified, but it’s also hard to find people that can relate to me, who understand where I am.

I guess this leads me to another area of ministry that God has been laying on my heart. There is a very noticeable lack of women ministers in the meetings I attend. I have a passion to see women in ministry. The Lord has been fueling this fire in my heart to stand up and be a leader, to have a say, to be heard. The voice and influence of women ministers seems so small right now. It’s lonely to think that there are very few people out there who understand this call to ministry and the challenges. I’m not sure what my future looks like, but I hope that I can make a way for other women to step up. I would love to see the number of credentialed women match the number of credentialed men in our meetings. I would love to see the faces and hear the voices of other women ministers. I don’t want to be alone.

Children’s ministry, writing, public speaking, and encouraging women in ministry – I see all of these playing a big part in my future. I’m not sure exactly where these doors will lead me, but I know these are the areas that God has laid on my heart. I know that he will help Jeremy and I navigate the waters as a couple in ministry. I fully aware that my ministry affects my husband and his ministry affects me. We are connected. I know that God has a plan for us a couple and as individuals. We both have a lot to offer the Kingdom of God and we both want to use our lives to serve the Lord. I’m wrestling with a lot questions and I struggle to see  the picture sometimes. Where is this all leading me? Honestly, I’m not sure… but I do know that God is growing me. He is stretching my faith muscles more than I would like at this moment!

So, what do I want to be when I grow up? I think the safest answer would be: in ministry! The rest is up to God!