Resolutions?

In 2010, I’d like to:

Run at least three 5ks this year (My first one is scheduled for January 23)
Eat healthier
Read at least 10 books
Take at least one real vacation – preferably a trip to somewhere super fun
Blog more
Love More
Pray More
Worry less
Complain Less
Stress Less

AT's Best Of 2009 List

It’s hard to believe it’s that time of the year…again. New Year’s Eve. Time to recap 2009.

Best Movies:
1. 500 Days of Summer
2. The Proposal
3. The Hangover
4. He’s Just Not That Into You
5. This Is It
6. The Blind Side

Best New TV Show:
Glee

Best Books:
1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
3. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

Best Concerts:
1. New Kids on the Block!!!!!!
2. Coldplay
3. Death Cab For Cutie
4. Ben Folds
5. Dave Matthews
6. Butch Walker


Memorable Moments
1. Firecracker 5k (July 4th) – My first 5k!
2. Buying my Yaris!
3. Trip to Wheelwright with Cross Point
4. Panama City Beach Vacation with Emily
5. Sara and Ben’s Wedding
6. Camping at Henry Horton

Best Food:
1. Martin’s Barbeque
2. Chuy’s

Best Songs to Dance To:
1. Party in the USA – Miley Cyrus
2. My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson
3. So What - Pink
4. Boom Boom Pow – The Black Eyed Peas
5. Womanizer – Britney Spears
6. Forever – Drake
7. Knock You Down – Keri Hilson, Kanye West, Ne-Yo
8. Meet Me Halfway – The Black Eyed Peas
9. Evacuate the Dance Floor – Cascada
10. Just Dance – Lady GaGa

Best Albums
1. Glee: The Music Volume 1 & 2
2. John Mayer – Battle Studies
3. The Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)
4. Fearless - Taylor Swift
5. The Fray – The Fray


A Moment in Time I’ll Always Remember:
Hearing about the death of Michael Jackson

A Brief Vacation

Vacations are never long enough…especially during the holidays.

I did have a great time in Kentucky with my family! I miss them a whole big bunch. I can't wait to have a little more time at Christmas to just hang out and not do much!

Wheelwright

This weekend I had an opportunity to serve in Wheelwright, KY with Cross Point. Over the last few years I’ve heard a lot about these Wheelwright trips. Our church takes several groups up throughout the year to deliver school supplies, clothing, gifts, and Christmas presents. The annual Christmas party is usually the larger trip. This year, we took close to 100 volunteers, one 26’ U-Haul and two smaller trailers full of stuff, over 30 dozen cookies, and a massive amount of chili.

The primary goal of this trip was to provide a Christmas party for the community and presents to a group of people who would otherwise be unable to have gifts on Christmas morning. I believe Ryan summed it up best when he said, “We are providing hope to a community of people who are void of hope.”

I volunteered to take candid shots during the trip. At first, I wasn’t sure how taking pictures was doing anything to really “further the kingdom.” I got back to work Monday and went out with a friend for lunch. We were talking about the trip, and I mentioned feeling inadequate and that what I did didn’t matter…he responded with “Amy, people that see those pictures see what it’s really like there and then they’ll want to make a difference whether that’s by sending something, volunteering themselves, or praying for them. That’s bigger than anything else.”

Wow.

Thankful for...

Today, I’m thankful for:

Family
Friends
A job
A place to live

Food
Being able to pay my bills
Clothes
Warmth
The small things
A vacation

Fall Retreat

I started volunteering with the youth back in September. When I first started I only knew a handful of kids through previous trips, missions projects, and volunteer opportunities throughout the years. This past weekend was the annual fall retreat. I knew it would be a great weekend to truly get to know the hearts of some of these students and actually feel like a leader and not just some creepy older person lurking in the corner.

I have never entered into a weekend like that questioning whether or not God would show up…but it’s always amazing to have my expectations completely blown out of the water. One of our campus pastors was the speaker Friday and Saturday. You could look around the room and just see God working in these student’s lives as he spoke. I heard plenty of stories over the weekend about exactly how he was working, stories of strength and determination…stories of hurt and pain…stories of realization and hope.

It definitely took me back to my high school days. I’m incredibly thankful and appreciative to everyone who volunteered with our youth group. For the leaders who invested in me. I am most certain that if it weren’t for them, my life would have been very different. I can only hope that loving on these students, listening to their stories, sharing in their joy, hurting in their pain, and loving them unconditionally will make not only a difference in their life, but in mine as well.

I’m looking forward to the future of what it means to be involved in this student ministry!

5 Million Minus 1

Visit my friend Natalie and JT's blog 5 Million Minus 1 and help them raise money for the adoption process!

New Sewing Machine For Me!

I've been saying forever (and forever, I mean about 5 years) that I want to try to sell crafts as an extra income. I finally took a big step yesterday and bought a sewing machine. I'm excited! I can't wait to start practicing and get to the point where what I invision in my head can be duplicated. Stay tuned! And get ready, because soon...there may even be a website!

Um, I invented Post-Its

Last week’s Bible Study centered around Philippians 2:14-15.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Last night, we got together for our weekly recap and discussion. I feel like every week of this study has applied directly to me. Dang. I complain A LOT! I often speak before I think (or think through it enough to not get me in trouble). And more times than not, it’s something negative coming out of my mouth. This has become very evident to me in recent weeks.

I have a co-worker who likes to call me “Miss Pessimist” or various similar names. I always correct him, “I’m not a pessimist, I’m a realist.” Either way you spin it, I’m definitely a complainer.

Last night, it seemed like we spent a fair portion of the evening trying to find a loophole in the scripture.
“But what if we’re venting?”
“It’s okay if you’re not talking about someone, right?”
“What if we don’t say it to someone else?”

It definitely says “Do EVERYTHING without complaining or arguing…”
EVERYTHING?
EVERYTHING!

Somewhere along the line of the discussion last night, I came up with a brilliant idea. Every time I open my mouth and complain, I’m going to write down what it is I’m complaining about on a post-it note. Then I’m going to counterbalance it with a prayer written out at the bottom. Next week, we’ll gather with our post-it notes and be able to visually see how much we’ve complained and what we spend our time complaining about. I challenge you to follow along and do the same. I’m hoping that over the course of the week it makes us become conscious of the words that are coming out of our mouths, and in return will cause us to complain less.

Texting Without a Phone

The things I would have texted you over the last few days if I'd been able:

• Anyone want to go to dinner?
• Wait...why is Martha Plimpton on Grey's Anatomy?
• I'm at your house. Where are you?!
• Hope your last day at work is going great!
• The girls at the table next to me at Panera are talking about how they only wash their hair every four or five days. Gross!
• I can help out Sunday if you need me to.
• The Batman signal is circling outside my condo. Seriously.

Instead, none of these ever got sent. :(

I'm hoping to get a new phone tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. I think I can make it 28 more hours. I've already made it 4 days. That's huge! It's like living 4 days without being able to use my fingers.

So Out Of Touch With the World...

I still don't have a phone. And it's making me realize just how much I really rely on that little thing and how addicted to it I've become.

I took it to the Apple store and the guy who helped me immediately knew it was water damaged by the pink stickers on the inside. So, he set me up an apppointment for Monday at 7. I guess I'm going to have to pay the $200 to get a new one. Because at this point, it's clear that I can't live without one.

I feel so out of touch with the world! I know it sounds like the most ridiculous thing ever, but I feel so sad without it. It's hard to make plans, hard to know what everyone else is doing. I can't just leave the house and make plans as I go. How were we operating before cell phones. I mean, I know it was possible. But it seems so hard to fathom now.

The things I've been missing out on. Facebook. Twitter. Shazam. Phone calls for no random reason. Phone calls to find out what's going on. Phone calls to tell someone I'm on my way. Phone calls. The internet. IMDB. Text messaging. The internet. Email. Facebook. Twitter. The internet. Phone calls. Text messaging. Picture texts. The internet. Okay, I think you get it. I pretty much use that phone for everything. It's my life line.

I miss it!!