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A Dog and a Little Person

June 6, 2014 by Amy 3 Comments

A little funny for your Friday staring my nephew and parents’ dog Luke.

What is this little person with a spoon and no clothes?

Pst, I don’t have to talk to him, right?

What is that face you’re making?

I can’t do it.

I refuse.

That cracks me up every time I read it. Even though his looks tell a different story, Luke is actually extremely affectionate with people (and who couldn’t love that little person!) Actually, now that I think of it, Luke was probably miffed because he wasn’t petting him. Love you, Lukey!

Updated with A Dog and a Little Person, Version 2.0:

My mom had to do a version to show what Luke was REALLY thinking.

I’m sitting here real pretty for you to pet me.

Uhhh, hello, I’m still here. You’re not petting me!

Love the face, kid, but you’re still not petting me!

Mooom, he’s not petting me!

Maybe if I ignore him, he’ll want to pet me!

Yep, that’s our Luke!

Are We All God’s Children?

June 5, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

I’ve been thinking a lot about adoption lately. And not just about our adoption, but our spiritual adoption as Christians.

There’s a child somewhere that we will eventually adopt, but right now he’s not a part of our family. We don’t call that child our son yet and we don’t treat him as our son. We have to go through the adoption process and then we will begin grafting him into our family. We will begin doing all the things that parents do.

Even though an adult doesn’t give birth to a child, when he provides for, protects, trains, teaches, looks after, favors and advocates for that child, then that makes him the child’s parent.

But it is the adoption that is the turning point. At one time he is not our child, the adoption happens and then he is our child.

I thought about the implications of that spiritually and realized there’s a statement that gets tossed around that’s simply false: We’re all God’s children.

We’re not. We are not all God’s children.

Yes, we are all created by him and loved by him. Isaiah 30 even says he longs to be gracious to us. But that does not immediately make us his children, just as a biological father is not necessarily the one to actually parent a child.

I started thinking on this because those feel like strong words. It feels icky to think about one person being in while another one gets left out. It doesn’t feel very loving to say you’re not a child of God.

I started doing some reading in the Bible to see what it has to say.

First, let’s see the concept of adoption. We know adoption simply means that at one time a person is not a part of a family and then at some time, he is.

Ephesians 1:5 says, “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

This confirms the idea of spiritual adoption and explains that it comes through Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself explains this spiritual adoption as a spiritual rebirth in John 3 “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit give birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’”

Romans 8 explains who children of God are by saying “…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

So, not only do we become children of God through faith in Christ, but the Holy Spirit helps us know that we are children of God.

1 John 3 really drives home the point, though, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”

And so, this is telling us some people are children of God and some are children of the devil. Those are hard words!!

So why do I bring this up? It seems sort of depressing, right?

Well, in an attempt to be accepting and loving to everyone, I think our culture many times has either replaced the gospel message or simply forgotten how powerful it is. The gospel says we must be adopted into God’s family through faith in Christ to be a child of God.

As Christians, we need to be aware of that truth first (and rejoice) and then, that should burden us to share the true gospel!

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

That’s the turning point and the good news! It’s EASY to be adopted into God’s family. No paperwork, no interviews, no money. When we believe, we are grafted into God’s family. God is then the one that spiritually feeds us, protects us, His word trains us, His Spirit teaches us, Christ goes before the Father to advocate for us. He becomes our Abba Father. And we can know it.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1

On 5th Grade Graduation

June 4, 2014 by Amy 2 Comments

It’s the night before her 5th grade graduation and I throw myself on her bed, “You’re going to be a middle schooler!”

“Yeah,” she responds as a matter of fact. She laughs and plops her iPod down on the bed. “You need to read these, they are so funny.”

“Teenager Posts”, the images are labeled on Pinterest. I read through a few.

#5410 “Whenever I try cleaning my room I either end up making a bigger mess, or just playing with the things I thought I lost.”

#18599 “Saying, ‘I hate this song!’ then start singing every lyric.”

I laugh, remembering Jen Hatmaker’s words about teens just a few days ago.

“The weird thing is, those tiny sweet precious littles you are raising? The teens are the same people, just bigger. That humor? Same. That personality? Same. Those tendencies and leanings and giftings? Same. Your quirky 6-year-old who loves science and animal husbandry? Same, he just gets bigger with a lower voice.
Stop imagining that aliens will take over your darling preschooler at age 13.”

I think back to how sad I was at preschool graduation. Like, I could barely hold myself together so I wouldn’t bawl at them singing “I am a Promise.” I remember how much we struggled about whether to send her to private school or public school. We were so worried about putting her in the right environment to flourish. And then, how hard letting her go to Kindergarten was. I was terrified she wouldn’t have any help opening her milk carton.

I feel like I should be sad that we’re finishing elementary school and be panicky about middle school, but I can’t be. Elementary school has been simply a gift.

Yeah, we struggled through making a penguin, multiplication facts, spelling lists and the unending packing of lunches (kill me now), but the teachers she’s had and the friends she’s made, has been nothing but a joy. Not every kid has that experience and my heart aches for them, but we have to celebrate where we can and that’s what we’re doing today.

She’s had the best teachers and the best friends and the best education and you know, I’m simply excited for who my little Emma is becoming. She’s the same little Emma she was at 5 when she started, but also a new little Emma we’re watching bloom.

I’ve spent so many years being scared of the next step. I was scared of middle school before she’d even started kindergarten. If I’ve learned anything these past 6 years it’s that we don’t have to be anxious about 10 steps from now, we just have to be ready to take the next one. And we are.

Congratulations, my sweet girl.

In Which She Returns

June 3, 2014 by Amy 5 Comments

Hi!

I’m back.

It’s been a whole month since I announced I was taking a bit of a blogging break and I’m thrilled to finally be back. It turned out to be quite a month and I tell you all about it in the video below:

For those unable to view video, here’s the cliff notes:

I needed the break more than I realized it when I took it. I did need a social media break, but I think there was a bit more.

First, we ended up spending the entire month, up until Memorial Day weekend installing our new above ground pool. Our other one died last fall and we decided to replace it ourselves (mistake). We had so much rain. What really should have taken an afternoon or two took weeks. Scott even got a big gash one Saturday we were working on it and had to get 8 stitches at the emergency room! It never seemed to end. But finally, we are done and I have to say it turned out really, really well and I’m super proud of all the work and very, very grateful for great family and neighbors that helped.

Here is one of many moments of Scott shoveling sand.

Here is my ah-dorable great nephew enjoying it on Memorial Day.

Second, just a day or two after I announced our break, we got a “lead” on a child to foster and adopt. Unfortunately, we found out just today that we were not the family chosen for him. However, we spent the entire month preparing for the possibility we’d have someone with us in mid-June. Of course we were preparing emotionally, but also we were starting to get the house in order to make the play room into the bedroom. We also were crossing off punch-list items around the house that had been building up while we were working on the pool.

While we are very disappointed the adoption isn’t moving forward, I trust fully that God has it under control and that we will meet our child one day.

Somewhere in mid-May I had Psalm 91:4 come to mind, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” I have no doubts God knew to put us in a little bubble this past month where we could concentrate on the tasks at hand.

So, thank you for letting me take a break and coming back. And please, if you’re feeling burned out yourself, it’s ok to take a break. Shut down the laptop and the phone. Turn off the TV. Say no to a few people and get some rest. We are all better mothers, daughter, sisters, friends when we invest in our emotional and mental health by resting.

And ya’ll, I’m glad to be back.

Fly a Little Higher

May 8, 2014 by Amy 1 Comment

It’s last February and my daughter and her friend come in the house with great drama, “Mom, you have to download this song. We heard it on CNN Student News today. This guy Zach Sobiech has cancer and wrote this song called Clouds. It is sooo sad!”

I hear Zach singing the catchy chorus, “Up, up, up” and my heart bends to the joyful sorrow of the song.

A few months go by and we stop for a moment to grieve when we learn of his death. So young, so talented, so joyful.

It’s a month ago and I get an email with an announcement that Zach’s mother Laura Sobiech has released a book called Fly a Little Higher and they want to know if I want to read and review it. I jump at the chance.

It’s Tuesday and I’m on page 283 of a 325 page book and Laura talks in passing about the song being featured on CNN Student News, creating even more media attention that it already had. By this time, Zach is very sick and they are near the end of their journey, this journey I’ve been traveling with them through the book. At this time, they are ignoring much of the Internet buzz just because there are so many hateful people with unhelpful suggestions and they are intent on spending their last days in peace together. Laura says,

Whatever was going on in cyberspace didn’t have much to do with what was going on in real life.

I wrote my post Tuesday and read this line late Wednesday. It hits me hard.

I cry when he dies at the end.

I’ve known the end since the beginning, but experiencing it with them, it breaks your heart.

And yet.

They had so much hope, so much strength in Christ, so much love for one another. It was beautiful to watch it unfold.

One of the only reasons the Sobiech family agreed to share the song and so much media was to raise awareness and money to help save others with cancer. In fact, Laura’s prayer when she found out Zach was terminal was that if he did indeed take Zach, that God would do something BIG with it. Given the success of the song and story, I’d say God is answering in abundance.

If you want to be a part of this answer to prayer, download the song, buy the book or donate to the cause. And more importantly, heed Zach’s wisdom:

You don’t have to find out you’re dying…to start living. –Zach Sobiech

This post is part of the Fly a Little Higher Blog Tour with hundreds of bloggers raising awareness and giving hope to those with cancer. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!

On Not Hurrying

May 6, 2014 by Amy 3 Comments

I read a book last week called Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. He quotes his friend (and author, philosopher, professor, speaker, Christian—after reading his bio, I’m feeling very left out of knowing much about him) Dallas Willard in the book multiple times speaking to how we take care of our soul saying,

“You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”

Then I watched this video with over 2 million other people. I was convicted of the time I had begun to spend scrolling through social media.

I love social media and blogging, but there is an inherent “hurry” aspect to it. There’s always something new and never a way to catch up. I knew these two ideas were connected for me.

And as much as I love writing here, many times I feel hurried and pressured to dole out posts. And then to Facebook and tweet about the post, and then check for likes and comments on the post. And on and on it goes.

So, I’ve been taking a break. I took social media off my phone. I’ve been leaving my phone in my purse. I’ve been reading more and trying to enjoy what I’m presently doing instead of trying to read more about what others are doing. I’m sitting on my back porch and soaking in some Vitamin D. I’m playing school with my daughter. I’m sitting still at red lights.

Like so many things in my life, I have to pare back to nothing to figure out what, if anything, I can add back in.

I have one more review post I’m committed to here this week (ironically, very related to this topic) and after that, I’m not sure. Maybe I just need this week off or a month off or the summer off. I’m not sure yet. I just know social media and blogging are tangled in this hurry and I’m ready to let some of it go.

Email me in the meantime if you want—maybe send me the really funny videos from Facebook I’m missing? amyjbennett AT gmail DOT com

My Yes in My Mess

May 1, 2014 by Amy 4 Comments

After visiting Kenya with Compassion several years back, Kristen Welch was led to make a difference for young, pregnant women in Kenya. She founded Mercy House Kenya which continues to thrive and grow. In fact, TODAY they move into a new house for the women.

Rhinestone Jesus is her newest book chronicling her journey from a Christian teen wearing her sparkly Jesus pin to the founder of a non-profit in Kenya.

As I read Kristen’s new book Rhinestone Jesus, I began questioning what my yes might be.

If you’ve been reading for the past 6 weeks, you might remember a post in which I wrote about coming to terms with my working mom status. It’s been such a freeing last month to not carry the weight of the false guilt. But still, even though I was coming to terms with working, I still didn’t see it as my YES IN MY MESS.

God began pressing on me, though, that indeed my yes right now was to my job in that cubicle.

But how could God ask me to say yes to that? Isn’t that the extreme opposite of any God-work? Doesn’t that reek of the American Dream that Kristen wrote against in her book? Aren’t I supposed to leave the cushy job and 401K to say yes?

As I continue to seek God, though, I realize he has been asking me to say yes all these years.

Even without my joyful yes, he’s been using my job to teach me, not to embrace, but to let go of the American Dream.

He’s taught me to live simply and give generously.

To let go of faith in income and benefits and understand it could all be *poof* gone in an instant.

He’s taught me not to rely on the security of a job and rely on Him.

He’s taught me not to chase after fulfillment in a title, but my title as daughter of the one true King.

He’s taught me to be a light for him, no matter where I go.

He’s taught me to have integrity and character in a place that at times is so very lacking.

He’s taught me to work as unto Him and not to man.

He’s taught me to put family first among so many other duties.

He’s been doing God-work all this time and I refused to see it.

God is not working in me and others in spite of my job, but directly through my job.

My yes has been a very stubborn yes, but in the past month I have been whispering a joyful yes. Yes, Lord, if you really do want me in this space I’ll do it. I’ll do it unto you until you move me.

And yes, there’s a mess in my yes. There’s laundry that sits in baskets for days and dishes that sit in sinks. There’s tired mornings and missed school functions. *I* am the mess most of the time.

I resonated so much with Kristen’s husband who wanted to leave his corporate job to devote more time to Mercy House Kenya but stays right now to make their yes possible. And I realized, my yes to my job has in part made their yes possible as we’ve been able to support Mercy House Kenya over the years. And there’s many more yeses we’ve said to help others say yes to their calling.

So, I suppose it is as they say–we can’t put God in a box. His plans sometimes don’t look like what we thought they should. One person’s yes will look wildly different than the next. Someone else’s wrong might be our exact right. We are all different parts of the body working together. Watching Kristen’s yes unfold has taught me how to let go of the American Dream while working and in doing so, my working has helped support her yes. How cool is God?

So what does your yes look like? Is it something big or maybe a little yes with a big impact? All of our yeses to God matter and make a difference.

Rhinestone Jesus is so much more than about calling. It’s about faith and parenting and marriage. I was so encouraged and I know you will be too.

Pick up Rhinestone Jesus on Amazon or any major retailer. For more posts about Rhinestone Jesus, check out the link-up over here.

I was provided a copy of the book for the review but all opinions are my own.

What I Wore Wednesday 04.30.2014

April 30, 2014 by Amy 2 Comments

Happy Wednesday to you all. It’s been pretty warm here this week, so shorts! I am so much happier without winter!

This is a Stitch Fix shirt from last year and some new shorts I bought from The Loft on clearance at the end of last season. I wore this Saturday when we went grocery shopping, helping my sister move some of her stuff into her fiance’s place (so weird!) and out to eat.

I wore this…some time last week. I’m pretty sure I was just working at home. Oh, I think this was the day I went to eat lunch with Emma at school. I had spent the last 3 days working away from home so I was ready to have a comfy day. I bought these Keds when we were in Tennessee the other week. It brought great memories back of wearing Keds as a teenager. Who else had pair after pair of white Keds??

I wore this Sunday after church. We did NOTHING aside from eat lunch at Scott’s parents and it was glorious.

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