RESTING IN THE TRUTH

November 8, 2013 2:28 pm , 2 Comments ,

She wiped his feet with her hair by J M Hartley

Bowing down with my head on the floor is the place where I feel the cares of this life and the memories of hurtful words spoken by others melt away. As my tears fall onto the feet of Jesus, in His gentle way, He wipes my tears away and tells me the truth, “Amy, you are my beloved one; you are precious and beautiful to Me.”

In those times of solitude, I am filled up and ready to face another day because I know the truth of who I am. I know without a shadow of doubt that I belong to Christ and nothing else matters after realizing He is all I need—that He is my truth and my everything.

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “Truth.”

I invite you to listen to this heavenly worship song by Kari Jobe.

Five Minute Friday

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GOD’S AMAZING GRACE

November 1, 2013 4:59 pm , 2 Comments ,

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As my mom reached out and touched my step-mom’s shoulder, I saw a love I had never seen before. I remember the day like it was yesterday. We were at a family event after my dad had left our home to live with and marry another woman. It was a day when we were all together again after the divorce of my parents. It could have been disastrous and filled with tension and stress. But instead it was a day filled with grace.

The unconditional love of Christ was revealed through my mother’s actions as she showed true kindness and love to the woman who had lured my dad away from her. It was the grace that I saw coming from my mother’s heart that impacted me eternally. These memories are what beckon me daily to live as my mother lives, to live as a woman steeped in grace—loving freely all those who have hurt, used, or mistreated me.

True freedom comes from living in the grace that was given to all mankind when Christ paid the final penalty for every wrong thing we’ve ever done or will do in the future.

Oh, the beauty of God’s amazing grace makes my spirit soar and makes me want to frolic in a field of flowers.

“But continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 (Good News Translation)

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “Grace.” Today’s post took me about ten extra minutes.

The photo of me was taken at the sunflower fields in Rutledge, Georgia.

Five Minute Friday

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TOGETHER WITH CHRIST

October 25, 2013 3:35 pm , 6 Comments ,

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It’s a good thing my husband Michael and I said, “Until death do us part” in our covenant to each other and to almighty God on that April day twenty-eight years ago because our love has been tested time and time again.

With a number of job losses and stresses in our lives we have been through seasons when we fought like cats and dogs. All along, there was a genuine love deep in our souls for each other underneath our selfishness. But our disunity seemed to dominate our relationship until we both learned to live a fully surrendered life to Christ.

Now, together with the Lord, we walk hand in hand in unity following our Creator into the destiny He has prepared for us.

“And the two are united into one. Since they are no longer two, but one…”  Mark 10:8 (New Living Translation)

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “Together”

The photo of my husband and me was captured by my daughter without us knowing she was photographing us.

Five Minute Friday

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SAVORING MOTHERHOOD

October 18, 2013 12:37 am , 8 Comments ,

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My husband started crying first the day we dropped off my daughter Christa at college. The sight of my manly man crying sent me over the edge and the tears began flowing out of my eyes. Before our goodbyes were over, there was a group of us standing there in a puddle of tears while standing in the school’s dining hall.

On the drive home that day, through bittersweet tears, I thought about how nice it would be to turn back time and go back to the days when life was chaotic with the dirty footprints that were tracked all over the carpet and the neighborhood kids gathering at our house to play and the piles of laundry that never seemed to go away completely.

It wasn’t easy, but it was worth all the chaos. Those years of having little whining voices and toys strewn everywhere will be forever etched on my heart as cherished, joyous, glorious memories.

Now my daughter is a college graduate and her brother is a junior in high school. Things are quieter. The laundry is easier to manage. Life is not nearly as hectic. It seems like yesterday those two bundles of joy arrived.  I am grateful that I left the corporate world and poured myself into motherhood. The rewards are greater than any other job on Earth.

To all the mothers of younger children, my words of wisdom would be: Enjoy the laundry. Savor every messy moment. It will all be over in an instant, and you’ll be saying the same thing I am saying today, “How did all those years go by so quickly?”

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “Laundry.”  Forgive me for going over the time limit again by about ten minutes.

Five Minute Friday

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FINDING THE EXTRAORDINARY IN THE ORDINARY

October 11, 2013 2:24 pm , 2 Comments ,

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I walked into my grandmother’s assisted living home soon after her husband of 72 years passed away. It was hard to see her in the shape she was in. My grandmother Mema seemed lost without my grandfather Poppy by her side. I left that day and wept. I wept tears over the sadness I saw in her eyes, over her frailty and her seemingly lost sense of purpose.

In my spirit I knew I needed to trust the Lord and make it my mission to bring joy to her by visiting her as often as I could. So I made it a priority to drive over an hour to visit her each week and encourage her.

Every visit is different, yet so very beautiful. Her mind is fading a bit, but she always knows who I am and she’s happy to see me. Her frail, ninety-three-year-old body is so weak that she can’t stand up without me using every bit of my strength to assist her. She had to start using a wheel chair over the summer.

I’ve visited her twice this week. On Wednesday, I spent about three hours with her. Shortly after leaving the dining hall, I asked her, “Do you want me to push you around outside?” She responded, “Yes!” She acted as though it was the most exciting part of her day. We headed to the exit and I pushed her for what seemed like an hour.

On our walk, we stopped at every flower and looked closely and breathed in the beautiful, sweet smells. We looked closely at the leaves beginning to turn vibrant shades of red. We looked at the magnificent North Georgia Mountains surrounding us. In those moments, it was as though all of Mema’s cares had dissipated. We were breathing in the sweetness of God’s presence together—grandmother and granddaughter—not thinking of the past and not longing for what is to come. We were simply reveling in the beauty God had given us in those moments.

We were at an ordinary place in an ordinary parking lot of the assisted living facility where my grandmother lives. But there was nothing ordinary about these precious moments. They were sacred moments of breathing in the love of Christ and thanking Him for giving me these precious extraordinary days with my last living grandmother.

Jesus has an amazing way of taking what seems like ordinary life events and turning each moment into a spectacular, extraordinary display of His splendor.

“I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.” Psalm 145:5 (New Living Translation)

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “Ordinary.” Today, I broke the rules and spent about twenty extra minutes writing this piece. I was weepy and couldn’t seem to stop writing after five minutes.

In the photo, my grandmother is holding her great-great grandchild (my nephew’s son).

Five Minute Friday

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Five Minute Friday: Write

October 4, 2013 3:02 pm , 10 Comments ,

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The words I heard coming out of my grandmother’s mouth were a shock to me. “You’re gonna write a book some day. I really believe God wants you to tell the stories of all He has done in your life.” After the shock wore off, I began to ponder her words. Could it really be true? Could I really be a writer?

Then quite a few years later in 2004, I was taking part in a ministry conference at a church several hours away from home. During that long weekend, a deacon I met at the conference looked at me intently and said, “You’re going to write a book.” I laughed out loud and he looked at me funny. I said, “That’s what my grandmother has been telling me for years.” I left that conference beginning to believe maybe I would write a book someday.

It’s been nine years since the conference and it’s surreal to write about my very first eBook, Prayers of a Mother’s Heart. It’s a book of prayers and a few personal stories written for mothers who are searching for answers for their children’s lives. It’s for mothers who are desperate, and have nowhere else to turn, but to God. The ultimate goal of the book is to point mothers toward Christ and a life of prayer.

There has been a relentless battle in my mind about being a writer. I am choosing to push the doubt and fear away. I finally believe God has called me to do this.

Am I nervous? Totally!

But I am pressing forward and finalizing the details about my eBook to be published on Amazon.com. I’ll be posting about the release date in the weeks ahead.

I’m stepping out in faith to write for Christ.

If you would like to be a part of my ‘Support Team’ and receive a complimentary copy of my eBook once it’s finalized, please contact me by October 15th through email: amy (@) liveabundantlynow.com. The only thing I’ll ask in return is that you would leave a review on Amazon.com once it’s released.

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “Write.” I wrote for about ten minutes today.

Five Minute Friday

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PRAISING GOD FOR TRUE FRIENDS

September 27, 2013 2:04 pm , 8 Comments ,

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They believe in me more than I believe in myself.

They never, ever try to compete with me or try to out do me when I’ve succeeded at something. They are happier about my successes than I am.

They squeal in excitement over my joys in life.

They cry with me over my heartaches and challenges.

They listen carefully when my heart is hurting. They pray for me when the battle is overwhelming. They cheer me on and encourage me to push myself further than I think is possible.

They don’t try to change me, but they do inspire me to be the best I can be. They love me just as I am. They are my true friends—always and forever.

“A friend loves at all times…” Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “True.”

The photo was downloaded at istockphoto.com

Five Minute Friday

 

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Five Minute Friday: She

September 20, 2013 3:08 pm , 4 Comments ,

Christa Marie 2013

 

From the moment I laid my eyes on her, I was overcome with love. She stole my heart. Her beauty is so much deeper than skin. She is kind. She is compassionate. There is an innocence about her that is breathtaking.

She loves Jesus with all her heart.

She loves people passionately. She gives generously. She has a heart for the poor and the needy. She lives her life in a way that puts others before herself. She loves children. She inspires me with her creativity. She has a heart of gold. The light of Christ shines through her spirit. She is Christa Marie, my firstborn child—my beloved daughter.

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3 (NLT)

My daughter Christa was interviewed for a guest post today…Creativity Everywhere

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “She.”

Five Minute Friday

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Five Minute Friday: Mercy

September 13, 2013 4:19 pm , 6 Comments ,

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On a hot summer day, a week after my thirteenth birthday, I walked into my kitchen and saw my mother weeping. Her Bible was laying open on the table next to her, and in her eyes, I saw brokenness. I could feel the weight in the room. The air was thick with pain. I knew something really bad was happening. Suddenly, it felt as though my world was turned upside down.

My father asked my brother and me to take a ride with him in his car. Within moments of our driving away from our home, Daddy told us, “I’m leaving. I don’t love your mother anymore.” I was in shock. It wasn’t long before the pain began to rise to the surface of my heart.

My mother, who was and still is deeply in love with Christ, displayed His mercy in a way I had never seen before. In the days, and weeks following our devastating news, I watched closely as my mom responded with love and kindness. She spoke loving words about my daddy, saying, “We need to forgive him and pray for him.” She not only forgave him immediately, but she continued to love him in a Christ-like, unconditional love. She promised me that the Lord would redeem everything.

As painful as it was for me to experience such a loss and heartbreak in my childhood, I am grateful for that season in my life. It was during those youthful years that I began learning about the grace and mercy of Christ in a real and tangible way.

Now, thirty-five years later, I thank the Lord daily for His mercy and grace. It’s because of His loving-kindness and never-ending mercy that I can freely live in His love. I can love those who use and mistreat me.

His mercy enables all of us, as His followers, to love purely. His mercy heals broken hearts and makes life incredibly beautiful.

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36 (NIV)

I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “Mercy.” Today, I had a hard time finding a good stopping point and wrote for about ten minutes.

The woman in the photo is my hero and amazing mother.

Five Minute Friday

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YOU ARE GOD’S TREASURED POSSESSION

September 11, 2013 10:30 pm , 6 Comments ,

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Condescending words roll off the tongues of people so easily. My heart jumps up and down in protest whenever I hear someone refer to themselves or others as “trash.” How could anyone refer to a person as trash? There could be nothing further from the truth. In God’s eyes, no one is trash.

There was a time in my past when I felt like trash. I had left the corporate world to focus on parenting. I no longer had titles to prove my worth. It seemed like storms were hitting us one right after the other and it left me feeling like a trailer ripped apart by a tornado.

From an earthly perspective, I was of no value to the world. It was during that time that God began showing me what a treasure I was to Him. As I spent time in prayer and truly seeking to know Christ better, I found scriptures that encouraged me and helped me see the truth about myself.

While I was reading through the Bible, I stumbled across a verse that seemed to jump off the page. “…I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,” declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:23) As I meditated on this Bible verse, I pondered the words deeply in my soul. Could it be true?  Could I really be His signet ring?  Did He really choose me to be His treasured possession? His words melted into my heart and never again could words or opinions of a human being determine my worth. It was a revelation that changed me forever.

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As the years passed by and I fell more in love with Christ, I began understanding in a deeper way, how treasured I am. As I drew near to Christ, He drew near to me and whispered His loving words to my heart. I began writing the words I would hear in my spirit as I read the scriptures that spoke of Christ’s love for me.

As a young woman, I began writing these soft whispers that flooded my soul, and I have journals filled with words of affirmation and love. In 2009, I shared one of these love notes inspired by Jesus with a group of women at church. Today, I want for you to imagine Christ whispering these words to you.

You are My treasured possession…My beautiful daughter. You are royalty, a princess—an heir of My kingdom. I love you more than you can possibly imagine or know. There is nothing you could ever do to change My love for you. It is eternal. I love you because you are Mine. I made you in My image, for your beauty to be displayed to the world. The core of who you are is filled with gifts and talents—some of these you have discovered, others are waiting to be unveiled. Rest in My love —in knowing you are beautiful to Me. You are treasured. You are the apple of My eye. I love you just the way you are. No one loves you like I do.

Love,
Your Heavenly Father

Do you see yourself as the beautiful treasure you are to God? Every human is treasured by Christ regardless of his or her occupation, race, income level, physical features or anything else. He has dreams for every person’s life. He wants to use us and to transform us.

I pray you will always know that you truly are the apple of God’s eye and one of His most treasured possessions.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, his treasured possession.” Deuteronomy 7:6 (NIV)

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 17:8 (NIV)

Photography Credit: Michael von Borstel

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