Rekindling fires

This weekend I realized three things that make my heart soar. First, I love watching God be faithful in how He provides extraordinarily so that others will believe Him for bigger things. Second, I'm a sponge when people come back from mission trips and need to simply verbally process. Third, I constantly crave for God to take me out of my comfort zone, and get jealous when He does that in others but fail to recognize it in my own life at times.

On Independence Day, I spent a few precious hours welcoming a dear friend back to the States after her 2 week trip to Tanzania. To be honest, I'm incredibly jealous of her experience. L touched a part of the world that I desparately want to know and constantly pray for. She was able to hold African babies, walk alongside women who needed to know who Christ is, and allowed God to break her heart and humble her spirit. She also had the opportunity to serve people in Southall, London that I embraced 6 years ago. And then, she pushed her physical limits and summitted Mt. Kilamanjaro. Yes, friends... summit. I am inspired by her.

As she spent a few hours describing her trip, her struggles, her joys and fears, one thing stood out the most: She CRAVED for Christ to move in and through her life and wanted Him to have authority, no matter the situation. She shared her story and I was just caught up in the fact that this craving lives in me too. Sometimes the stirring is small, sometimes the rumble is overpowering. At all times, the hunger is there.

I left her house praising God not only for the ways He brought her closer to Himself in Africa, but also for the fact that there are a group of women in my life who exemplify that hunger and thirst for God's word that I strive for as well. There are 10 women(and you know who you are) who give God authority in their lives, the direction of their paths, and their sole goal is to know Him and make Him known among others.

That kind of vision is unstoppable and passionate, and I pray that for that fire in and through my life. Iron sharpens iron, and I long to be around those who want to know Him more and sharpen me through that experience. I love when others around me point others to God by exemplifying His love, and I'm constantly encouraged by those whose desire to know God is unparalleled. I want to engage in that more and more each day. I want to put God first and do His work, His way, no matter what (as the great Hudson Taylor would say).

Super Secret Sangria Recipe

A few weeks ago, the Chesapeake Girls had a BBQ. Apparently, we were incredibly popular as people filed in and out from 1 - 11pm. My contributions were the veggies, burger fixins and sangria.

Now I don't brag about much when it comes to food preparation. I do like to cook, but I can't claim to be a top chef. I just follow the recipe. With this one, I'm bragging. Its GOOD!

So, here it is by popular demand..... sangria:

Ingredients:
-3 bottles of white wine (I generally used red, and you can really combine the two depending on what you feel like. For white, I go with a couple chardonnays and a sauvignon blanc. For white, I go for pinot noir and a merlot or malbec).
-1 two-liter of ginger ale
-1/2- 3/4 cup of sugar
-Whatever fruit you want to put in it (I usually put strawberries, lemon, lime, and oranges)

Directions:
-Cut up the fruit into wedges or smaller pieces
-Pour in the bottles of wine and sugar - it isn't going to be sweet when you taste it then, but it will be the next day.
-Let it sit overnight, preferrably for 24 hrs
-About an hour before serving, pour in as much ginger ale as you want. Mix it really well

See.. it isn't rocket science, is it? So, make a cold drink and enjoy the summer! If you're ever in the area, I'm sure we'll have it on hand for another bbq with these fun girls

Stories from Hearst Tower

Let me first say that I am incredibly lucky. I have a job that gives me a wide range of experience and allows me to develop specific skills relative to my career in public relations. It also gives me the opportunity to meet some of the most unique people in some extraordinary circumstances. For example, let's flash back to a week ago last Monday.

We have been planning our May 11 Board meeting and dinner for a few months. The two weeks leading to the event were especially hectic, arranging materials, planning Web sites, doing seating arrangements, and figuring out how-in-the-heck we were going to do a live auction. I walked into the Hearst Tower and was automatically blown away. How many people can say that in their first year at a job, they helped plan a cultivation event in the Hearst Tower in NY?

The Future of the News panel was amazing and the experts were incredibly insightful. I felt as if I was in the room of greatness. However, two people stood out in my mind, and they didn't even attend the dinner.

I was responsible for greeting guests at the main entrance and giving them directions to their table. The hustle and bustle of the day made me crave a chance to sit down and be still, and I welcomed the opportunity to be silent and wait for guests to arrive. This was not exactly how the hour went down.

My table was situated next to the front security guard who allowed guests to enter as they checked in. I heard stories from these two men, we'll call them W and E, and their words captivated me. We talked about Judy Garland (my all time favorite ruby red slipper wearer) to Barbara Streisand, to the other famous faces that walked into the Tower.

Conversation flowed to their ambitions as one moved to NY to be a musician and the other's dream was to create amazing movie trivia games. Both had a great place in life. Both were overjoyed at their station. Both knew that they were ultimately happy and believed in the absolute best for themselves, the employees they interacted with each day, and the company they worked for.

Their passion renewed my passion. What struck me is that one said "Amy, you're such an amazing young woman. You'll do anything you want in life. Party planner? Sure. President of the United States? I see it in your future. I believe in you."

Sometimes you just need someone to tell you that at a moment when the soundtrack of your life is playing the most uplifting song that it's sung in a while. I love those moments and the stories of the amazing people who walked past those two men each day.

Twitter theology

A few nights ago, I was reading my Twitter feed (of all things... shocker), and came across Mark Batterson's tweet. He's the pastor of NCC here in DC and I find his thoughts really intriguing. His tweet:

"not one detail has failed of all the good things God, your God, has promised you." Joshua 23:14

and then...

"Not one word failed from all the good words God spoke." Joshua 21:45

It brought me back to Joshua for the first time in a long time. I really needed a reminder of God's faithfulness this week. I mean, if you think about it, there are times where we all feel like the Israelites. We have blessing and provision, yet we don't see it as a burden at times. We have everything we need and, most times, more than we ever desired... and yet we're not satisfied. We keep striving for this ultimate "grass is greener" syndrome, and fall short by spinning our wheels...

"So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took posession over it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them, the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed;
every one was fulfilled."

Joshua 21:43-45

I like Joshua.. he reminds me of the attitude I want to have.

What is your passion? (pt 3 of 3)

Finally, right? Finally she updates her blog. Let's just say the last few weeks have been an incredible ride so far. I just haven't had a chance to update.

A few weeks ago I finally got the chance to sit down and journal. I typically go through a journal a year, but I'm slowly working through this one. DC life tripled my normal pace and I've been trying to keep up. So, I sat down one Sat morning at a Sbux and wrote:

"It has been a rough week. Just one of those weeks that has made me question why I'm here, what God is doing, and if there's really a hope and a future in DC. I feel like all the creativity in me is sucked dry. So, I'm taking some breathing space to rediscover my passions - the things that make me tick:

*Lattes - specifically skinny gingerbread lattes WITH whipped cream during Christmas
*Great handwriting
*Clean lines
*Organization
*Worshiping to a God I want to desperately seek with people I don't know
*Relationships that are strong, vibrant and productive
*Smart ways for people to give back to the community, earth, etc.
*African babies who need love
*People with bright and brilliant eye colors
*Embracing the many complexities of me
*High impact, high energy
*Fleur de lis
*Romantic wistful graphic designs
*Pedicures
*Yogi tea
*Music that is thoughtful and frees your soul
*Intricate fashion designs coupled with strong fabrics and colors
*Yoga and yoga pants
*The cleansing power of water
*Wine and it's ability to bring people together
*Strength in weakness
*Being purposeful with your words
*Photography that allows you to enter into the shot and wonder what is happening
*The tension of order vs chaos
*Spontaneity in the midst of routine
*Singer/songwriters who put their all into their music to create more than a catchy hook
*People watching
*Intelligent and genuine conversation
*The hard work ethic and wide open wheat fields of ks
*Classic pop culture icons
*Sensible and rational choices
*Being observant in the every day life to learn lessons that I otherwise may have never seen
*The "alive" factor of God's Word and how it affects people differently
*Songs that transport me back to a certain place and time
*Jackets, scarves, and handbags with lots of pockets and great liners
*Deep earthy tones in tiles and back splashes
*Comfy sheets and fleece jackets
*Reaching new audiences with a message through new forms of communication
*Cooking with wine and trying new recipes I know I'm going to screw up.
*Growth: plants and people."

This seems to be a very random list, but it's a great start to rediscovery.

What is your passion? (pt 2 or 3)

Finally, a new blog update and a chance to breathe. The last 4 weeks have been hectic with my bro, sis-in-law and cousin coming to DC. Pile that on top of work and other commitments, and you have one incredibly exhausted Amy. I still haven't learned the art of saying "no," but I was too excited to have visitors that tiredness didn't matter.

I was ecstatic to have a chance to be still and took advantage of the opportunity this weekend. It seemed like the perfect time to take a Saturday morning and fill it with a latte, a great book, and my journal. Here is part of the result:

First, I finally finished Crazy Love. Oh my gosh, folks. If you want to read a convicting book about what it truly means to change the world, read this. Francis Chan asks the simple, yet complex, question: What would it look like if we actually did love others as Christ called us to? What if we took God at His Word, let His Word guide our lives, and simply do what it says? What would happen if we were so captivated by God's love for us that we acted upon it in radical ways? It was an eye-opener for me - I would treat people with so much more respect and much less judgment. I would sacrifice more.

It's a lot to think about, even though it seems like it could be so simple. I'm faced with people who are incredibly disillusioned by Christianity all the time. Either it was a friend who was a Christian that hurt them or a pastor or minister who rubbed them the wrong way. Maybe it was a really difficult personal situation, and no one was there to walk with them through the darkness. Whatever the situation, there seems to be this great disconnect between our actions and what we ought to do. I'm as guilty as the next person - I'm human and I've hurt others deeply. If there is a disconnect and people feel there is a miscommunication between what God says and what we do, there's a problem. At the end of the day, it is all about continually seeking God, pursuing a relationship with Him, and loving others as He loves us - and that love will automatically be what the world needs to see to signify what God is truly all about.

The second part of the morning was a bit of rediscovery...and since I've rambled on and on, it will have to come in the next post :)

Let's hear it for my mother

The Inter-webbiness of our lives is insane. In elementary school, I remember when we got our first Apple MacIntosh computer. Aaaah, the floppy disks... Oregon Trail (I always died of typhus)...memories. Then, we moved onto more important technological things on our new PC, like Carmen SanDiego. Those were the days. Life was more simple then.

Now, we have social networking coming out our ears. I cannot count the number of accounts I have: Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and my unfinished Linked In account, among others. I still hold onto some sense of privacy - I pride myself that it truly is a treasure hunt to find me on Facebook. As I signed up for all of these, I thought that our generation was the best because we were so advanced in this area. So technologically savvy. I mean, I can't build my own web site, but I have a blog - that counts, right? And surely, my parents will never figure out how to run this thing...much less see what I'm posting on all of these sites, right?

Wrong. I discovered I was incorrect when my mother found my blog and started following me on Twitter. She not only blogs, but also tweets (Who came up with these words, anyways? SERIOUSLY?!?!). I'm amazed that, sometimes, I can read enough about her life on her blog to catch me up for a few weeks. Of course, this doesn't and shouldn't replace the phone calls, but it makes life a bit more interesting (hint hint, mom... call me).

So, check out her blog... tell her I sent ya. Also, while you're at it, check out Remember the Milk. It is a web application and organizational tool, helping those who can't plan ahead to begin prioritizing tasks. You can add it as an app to your iPhone or iPod touch. I'm all for anything that helps disorganized individuals get back on track :)