Amy J. Bennett

(in)RL Conference: Sign Up Now—for FREE!

January 14, 2013 by Amy Leave a Comment

Last year I “attended” (in)courage’s first (in)RL conference. I have attended in quotes because it was all online. Or, at least it was for me.

The idea is everyone watches from home on Friday and then on Saturday, small groups around the ~~country~~ world meet and watch the rest of the content together.

I signed up at the last minute last year—actually 20 minutes after it started! I couldn’t make it to a get-together Saturday but watched all the content from home and it was such a blessing.

Registration for this year’s conference on April 26th and 27th starts TODAY!

The best part of (in)RL is that it’s FREE.

AND if you register today, you get a copy of (in)courage 365 Daybrightener while supplies last (US residents only).

AND everyone gets a copy of the eBook: “Best of the Beach House 2012.”

This year they’re taking a closer look at what it takes to stay rooted in community when sometimes just walking away would be so much easier and tons more convenient. Women share stories of how they’ve chosen to stay through hard marriages, challenging parenting, worthwhile friendships. How choosing to stay has freed them more fully and unexpectedly than if they’d cut and run.

I will definitely be registering today and hoping to make it to a meetup on Saturday. Scott is working that weekend so I don’t think I can host but I’m eyeing the Cornelius meetup so I can finally meet Tracie—check out her blog if you don’t read it already, love her!

Check out the trailer for (in)RL below

How to Finally Quit Fearing

January 11, 2013 by Amy 7 Comments

Write on “Dive” for 5 minutes…no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

One of my dreams for you, my dear daughters, is that you dive–dive with abandon and joy and courage from whatever platform you may be standing on. Not with baby steps to the end and a falling off, hoping that the jump doesn’t fail but a running from the start, no-second-guessing, free-falling dive.

I asked you to fly with me. Literally, to take a little trip.

You started with your baby steps. “Do we really have to go?” “It’s not like riding in a car! It’s in the air"!” “What if the plane falls from the sky, mother?” My heart fell. Run, child, run! No need to fear! If you’d only let go, you would laugh with abandon and fly without fear.

But baby steps and more baby steps. Weeks and weeks of baby steps on the diving board and still no sign of that diving I dream for you.

I finally ask myself why I dive. Why is it that I’m able to run from the back of the board and dive without fear?

Aha, the answer is always the same.

I assumed that she has learned that it’s always the same, but no, I need to remind her, no teach her, the answer—the key to learning to dive, or fly, as it were without fear.

“You do know, dear daughter, that the very worst case scenario is that we go get to meet Jesus? That is the worst that can happen.”

She giggles because how funny that sounds.

“Yes, daughter, that’s what I mean. If the worse case scenario is actually the best case scenario after all, you have no need to fear.”

And she gets it. I can see it in her eyes she’s backing up from the baby steps, starting over at the beginning of the board and planning her run to the dive at the end.

It’s the same answer for all of us when we’re too afraid to dive isn’t it?

Jesus is waiting at the end of our worse-case scenario. No matter what we’re asked to do, no matter how badly we fail or fall or hurt or even die, Jesus will be there waiting to meet us.

A Kindness and The Valley of Vision

January 10, 2013 by Amy 13 Comments

I’m feeling a little spoiled this week. Not even the fact that our 3 year old washing machine decided to die Monday night has deterred me from celebrating a small random act of kindness. You’d like to hear about it and celebrate too, yes? {Oh, and there’s a giveaway at the bottom}

Last week I got a direct message on Twitter asking for my address. Immediately, I thought it was spam but after a quick conversation realized it was not. One of my long-time Twitter friends Joshua had seen something I’d posted online and wanted to send our family a gift.

I couldn’t for the life of me remember saying we needed or wanted anything in particular so I waited to see what might be coming.

I was all smiles when I opened the package Tuesday night to find two books–The Valley of Vision and Godspeed.

I don’t even remember where I heard about the book The Valley of Vision anymore. Somewhere in the social media world is all I recall. The collection of Puritan prayers has been on my Amazon wish list longer than any of the others.

Upon opening, I did an ohhhhh… I immediately remembered someone recently posting a picture of The Valley of Vision on Instagram as one of four books they had purchased for the new year. I had commented saying it was on my wish list and I needed to bite the bullet and get it.

Joshua hadn’t commented and I didn’t even know he had read it. Actually, I’m still assuming that’s where he saw that I wanted it. He had a copy sitting in his office and decided to pass it on as a family gift. He also sent Godspeed, a book his pastor (and boss) had written.

Scott and I were so blessed to be recipients of this random act of kindness. We agreed we wanted to read them together. It was such a small gesture, but huge in my eyes. Please don’t doubt the impact a small gesture can make on someone.

I cried the first three prayers I read. All of these were written hundreds of years ago by Puritans—Christians that were very devoted to prayer and meditation.

I don’t know how much I can reprint here but I wanted to share snippets of a prayer I read this morning.

It’s entitled “Morning Dedication”

Let those around me see me living by the Spirit,
trampling the world underfoot,
unconformed to lying vanities,
transformed by a renewed mind,
clad in the entire armour of God,
shining as a never-dimmed light,
showing holiness in all my doings.

Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands.
May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain.

May I speak each word as if my last word,
and walk each step as my final one.
If my life should end today, let this be my best day.

Whew. That last line is a doozy.

I don’t know if you can get the full effect of the prayer but there’s something about it that centers me.

I’m all for talking with God in conversation and just putting my concerns and worries out there as they are. But, I admit, having these as a guided prayer, reminding me of the basics, if you will, and knowing they were written hundreds of years ago by Christians following the hard and narrow path has been quite a blessing.

Not only are they a gift in and of themselves, knowing they were given as a gift has made them all the more powerful.

So two things today—do that random act of kindness and consider buying The Valley of Vision.

And finally, in the spirit of passing on the random act of kindness, I’d like to pass on a copy of a book on my bookshelf that meant much to me—The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg. Just leave a comment and I’ll randomly (ha) pick a recipient.

What I Wore Wednesday: 01.09.2013

January 9, 2013 by Amy 14 Comments

Today’s the day I share my outfits from the week with The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday. I pair my outfits with inspirational photos. Read more about that here.

Source: geeknaut.com via Amy on Pinterest

I’m loving this mustard color so much this season, I decided to go all out and do a monotone look. I liked it.

Source: jjones186.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

T-shirt from the concert. I wonder if this little Cockatoo is a Jesus Freak too. His hair says definitely possible.

Source: thisispaper.com via Amy on Pinterest

50 Movies to Watch With Your Family

January 8, 2013 by Amy 6 Comments

img credit:djnorway

Now that Emma and Lexi are 8 and 10, they’re showing more and more interest in movies that are like “real movies.” A few weeks ago Lori Wilhite of Leading and Loving It asked for recommendations on movies to watch with her family on her Facebook page. Her criteria was no animation and no talking animals–perfect for us.

Her followers jumped right in and gave a ton of great suggestions, some we’ve seen as a family and others I haven’t even heard the name. Some are recent and some have been around since before I was born. I thought I’d compile, add some of our favorites and share with you.

As with all movie viewing with your family, please pay attention to the rating, description and reviews and decide appropriateness for your own kids. PluggedIn.com is a great resource.

And in no particular order, here are 50 movies to check out with your family:

1. August Rush
2. We Bought a Zoo
3. Joyful Noise
4. Parent Trap
5. The Ultimate Gift
6. Dolphin’s Tale
7. The Odd Life of Timothy Green
8. Soul Surfer
9. Bedtime Stories
10. Cool Runnings
11. Jumanji
12. The Boy Who Could Fly
13. Sand Lot
14. Sky High
15. Harry Potter
16. Richie Rich
17. My Girl
18. Nim’s Island
19. Blue Butterfly
20. Whale Rider
21. The Secret of Roan Inish
22. Stand By Me
23. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
24. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
25. Nanny McPhee

26. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
27. Penelope
28. Freaky Friday
29. Night at the Museum
30. National Treasure
31. Where the Red Fern Grows
32. Nancy Drew
33. Ramona and Beezus
34. Cheaper by the Dozen
35. Pacifier
36. Matilda
37. Secondhand Lions
38. School of Rock
39. Big Miracle
40. Journey 2
41. Swiss Family Robinson
42. Princess Bride
43. A League of Their Own
44. Cop and a Half
45. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
46. Christmas Lodge
47. Princess Protection Program
48. Hugo
49. Summer Eleven
50. Hook

Which have you seen? What would add?

The Suite Life of Emma and Lexi

January 7, 2013 by Amy 3 Comments

One place you should know that I come from is a big youth group from the 90’s. And one result of that is I have loved DCTalk for oh, about 20 years. More importantly, I have come to love TobyMac who has since gone solo—quite successfully, I might add.

My girls have caught the bug for TobyMac’s music because *ahem* I might play it a lot at my desk. The cool thing about Toby is that he really, really loves Jesus. In fact, one of lyrics that still follows him around is from DCTalk’s “Jesus Freak”.

Several years back another Christian band NewSong started The Winter Jam Tour, a Christian concert targeted at all those youth groups. For as long as I can remember, TobyMac has been involved and often as the headliner.

Winter Jam was scheduled for Charlotte this past weekend. I really, really wanted to go myself and Lexi really, really wanted to go hear TobyMac. She has a special affinity for his latest radio hit, “Me Without You”. It’s a fantastic upbeat song with great lyrics.

The problem with going to Winter Jam is that they don’t sell tickets. You have to wait in line all day outside the arena. If you manage to get in, it’s just $10 at the door. Youth groups from all over the Carolinas come and sit outside together. I’m talking 20,000 people.

Once you get in, it’s another hour until the show starts and THEN the whole show is over 4 hours long. TobyMac is the last one to sing. Add in parking logistics and cost and you can see why I decided taking Emma and Lexi was just not feasible.

I probably could have forced the issue but it really wouldn’t have been pleasant. I could have gone myself and gotten a babysitter but really, I wanted to go more for Lexi than myself. Although, trust me, I wanted to go too.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon of the concert about 2pm—you know, when all those 20,000 people are already in line—and my sister and I both get a message from a friend we’ve known since grade school, but haven’t seen in YEARS, saying her company owns a suite and they have several unused tickets—with a parking pass–do we want them?

Sign. me. up.

The only hiccup to the plan was that I had to get Lexi early from a birthday party scheduled to end at 8pm and we were late but ya’ll…every single worry about going was solved.

I didn’t have to worry about parking because we had the pass.

I didn’t have to worry about being late because they were reserved seats.

We didn’t have to wait AT ALL with the kids.

I didn’t have to pay for a ton of snacks over all those hours because they were provided in the suite.

We had a large, comfortable space in case the kids got sleepy—which they did.

It was just the best. ever.

I’ve gone to a concert in a suite before but I don’t know, I just didn’t appreciate it as much as I did with kids this time. As you can see, the kids settled in just fine.

Poor thing, Lexi just about fell asleep during TobyMac’s set but you better believe when we heard the beginning of “Me Without You”, we were up dancing and singing along. Turns out it was the very. last. song. of the night. Being in the same room with TobyMac singing, a beat that you can feel, not just hear, 20,000 people singing along and your little girl in your arms singing with you? The best ever.

I’ve heard that upwards of 2,000 people didn’t get in. I honestly feel like crap I couldn’t invite the ones I knew into our suite. All I know is to be SO GRATEFUL for what was given to us. I can’t help but think once again God saw the desires of not just my heart, but Lexi’s little heart (and probably my sister’s too), and made it happen. Jenny, thank you again so much for being part of that. Great memories and SO THANKFUL.

The Least I Could Do

January 4, 2013 by Amy Leave a Comment

Do you have one of those stories in your family where it gets told over and over and you laugh every single time?

Everyone loves to laugh about the time I woke up at 3am, got ready for school and then tried to make everyone else do the same, insisting we were all going to be late. Or the time I was complaining about a knife not working until my mom pointed out I was using the wrong side. What? The ones with the pointy end are confusing sometimes.

Our family experienced one of those times this past Christmas.

Two weeks before Christmas, Emma asked me if she could have some money to go buy me, Scott and Lexi some Christmas presents just from her–just something small, maybe $5-10 a piece. I said yes and then she got the idea to ask my sister to take her that weekend when we were going to be in Pennsylvania the weekend before Christmas to visit with family. My sister, of course, was thrilled to take her shopping.

Saturday morning came along and we decided that we would all go to town. The kids would go with my sister and grandmother to a store and pick out gifts while Scott and I did a little shopping of our own in another store.

On the way, Lexi decided that she wanted to buy a gift for our hosts. She said, “It’s the least we could do.” I’ve written about the couple we stay with before and she was right, we needed to do something a little extra in thanks.

So we dropped the kids off at a bargain store and I wished them all well thinking it could be quite the shopping trip. It wasn’t 20 minutes or so though and we got the call to come pick them back up. They were done. And with money to spare. Wow, they must have gotten some good deals, I thought.

After a not-so-quick stop at CVS to pick up some picture prints needed for gifts, we all decided to eat at the mall. The kids got Chick-fil-a and I got a smoothie from Orange Julius.

So we’re all eating and my sister says, “Just to warn you, they picked out a candle for Mike and Deanna. It’s kind of small because the scent they really wanted was out in the larger sizes.”

And in the sarcastic way sisters are, I said, “So, what, we basically bought them a tea light for Christmas? Could you not, you know, have managed that a little better?”

We start laughing because I know we’re both starting to picture the scene when we express our unending gratitude with a berry scented tea light.

Then Lexi sets her chicken nugget down, throws her arms up wide, her head back and earnestly says, “It’s the LEAST we could do!”

And then Heather and I look at each other and realize the irony of it. Most people say “It’s the least I could do” when they do something that’s not so small but want to be humble about it. But no, this truly was the very least we could do.

We’re belly laughing, but in the silent way where your whole body is shaking, you’re smiling and yet not making a sound because Lexi doesn’t get what she just said. I’m almost certain smell is one of her love languages. In her little heart, she’d picked out the perfect scented candle and she can’t wait for them to smell it. Ah, it was such a great moment.

Our family has now started saying, “It’s the LEAST I could do,” in reply to any thanks and always with a belly laugh.

And for those wondering, yes, we did buy them something else. But I’m pretty sure it’s the candle they’ll remember.

Living Room and Kitchen—Let There be Light!

January 3, 2013 by Amy Leave a Comment

One of my presents this year was getting Scott to finally put in recessed lighting in the living room and kitchen. I have been wanting to for years but for some odd reason (cough, cough) Scott didn’t want to climb in the attic and do the job. In the summer, I’d hear it’s too hot. In the winter, I’d hear it’s too cold. I can’t say I blame him. But the weather here has been decent the past few weeks and it was time, baby!

Our living room and kitchen both had dated ceiling fans. Because neither room get direct sunlight, it was dark, dark, dark. Throw in our dark floors and dark cabinets and dark furniture and the rooms were desperate!

The kitchen from the living room now:

I can finally SEE when I’m cooking and don’t have a huge shadow on what I’m prepping.

We added a light above my favorite yellow cabinet from IKEA and picture and gah, I just LOVE it (I think I need to move that picture up, don’t you?).

Not only did we add lighting in the living room but we rearranged in there. Here is the new view from the kitchen.

Folks familiar with our room will see we just flip-flopped the couch and recliner. I love it though.

This is my view from my office instead of looking at our old black leather recliner all day.

I love the recessed lighting in the four corners. Just where everyone sits, there is now light to actually SEE what you’re reading or doing.

And while we’re talking changes in the house, I’ll go ahead and show you the new green bedspread my mom got me for Christmas and we FINALLY hung a few pictures up above the couch.

Here’s the before:

Now:

Mom originally bought me an orange bedspread but we just couldn’t find the right shade. One looked peach and the other was too orangey red. The green matches perfectly with the couch so it’ll do.

Don’t worry, we’re getting another green sham. They only had one at the store last week so we have to hunt another down at another location.

I just love how the pictures at the couch tie into the chairs. I love my funky chairs!

Slowly but surely we are getting our master bedroom together.

Three changes you can take from this to give your house a little boost:

Add light to a room. You don’t have to force your husband into the attic. Adding a floor or table lamp will do. Even moving a lamp around will change the dynamics of a room.
Rearrange a room! Even the smallest change can make a huge difference. The flow of our living room is completely different now!
Hang up pictures. I’m sure you have some pictures lying around or some prints that need frames. Get them on the wall!

Loved coming out of Christmas break with these changes. Felt like we had a nice new start to our year. Hope you’re having a great one!