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Questions? You’ve Got 30 Minutes!

February 1st, 2008 Amanda
Tags: Posted in Amanda

Comments closed! See below!

Good morning, sisters! My mom already spoke to this in a little paragraph she added to the previous post, but I want to say that I was blown away by all the amazing testimonies of freedom that we shared! We were astounded at how they ministered to the first group of Breaking Free comments. I could not keep from praising our Savior. He is so mighty! There were several comments that addressed things I was dealing with that very day and they gave me an extra measure of faith to believe God for my victory. Thank you to everyone who shared and most of all, thank You, glorious Jesus, for setting us free!

Whew! Okay! Now for a breather! Mom and I thought it would be fun to do a Question and Answer post. We are going to open up comments for thirty minutes and see what you girls come up with. So if there’s something you want to ask, bring it on! I’m sure we won’t be able to answer every one, but I think it will still give us lots to talk about. Here’s a hint: we are hoping to give lots of shorter answers rather than a few very long ones. Okay, you’ve got thirty minutes! One, two, three, go!

TIME’S UP! Can’t wait to see what we’ve got! Watch for answers over the weekend! You guys are such a blast!

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Titus Advice

January 24th, 2008 Amanda
Tags: Posted in Amanda

I’ve got some water boiling on the stove for lunch. We’re having reduced fat Velveeta Shells and Cheese. Yes, very nutritious! It’s been years since I’ve had Shells and Cheese and I couldn’t resist the temptation when I saw the box at the grocery store. Since a watched pot never boils, I thought I would come and blog for a minute.

(Pause to cook and eat.)

Mom and I had a very interesting conversation last week in which I was telling her that Curt and I had been at each other’s throats for a couple of days. She suggested that if I would go and “tend to my ministry” (wink, wink), maybe it would help things. At that point we both busted out laughing because, in our family, Mom is known as “The Titus Woman From Heck.” She gave herself that name, actually.

Titus 2:3-5 says, “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

(Pause to wipe cheese off my child’s body and put him down for a nap.)

We got to talking about some…

(Pause to change his diaper.)

Ahem. We got to talking about some of the more unusual, humorous, or even downright good Titus advice we’d ever given. When I shared mine, my mom laughed really hard about it. It might have been a little funny, but I tell you what! It was needed!

So we thought it would be fun to share some Titus advice. Whether it’s your best, your worst, your funniest, or your most unusual, as long as it’s family friendly, let’s hear it. I’ll share mine in a comment. Let’s hear from some single sisters as well as married ones!

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Hurricane Tod

January 23rd, 2008 Amanda
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Hi ladies! I just got an email from a siesta asking if we are okay since it had been so long since the last post. I’m so sorry! Yes, we are okay! I took a weekend road trip to my parents’ house in Houston with one of my best friends and her little girl. Needless to say, my mom is recuperating from that and so are we! We had an incredible time together at the Great Toddler Invasion of 2008. I spent three hours yesterday sorting through the pictures and preparing to make a full report. There were over 200 pictures! Janelle took most of them because my camera battery kicked the bucket upon arrival.

In case anyone is new and hasn’t heard me talk about Janelle and Ella, you should know that Janelle and I went through our entire pregnancies together and then ended up having our babies two days apart. We were right down the hall from each other in the hospital. We, along with our sweet friend Sunni and her daughter Ava, have had the craziest, most wonderful two years with our babies. They are a huge blessing in my life.

The babies, recently renamed “The Tods” by my sister, played so hard the whole weekend. I noticed that Jackson was particularly well-behaved and I think it’s because he never had one moment of boredom. He was thrilled to have a friend at his Bibby’s house. By the way, he learned to say “my” and “mine” this weekend. I can’t imagine why!

It’s been a while since I shared any pictures of Jackson and I’m going to more than make up for that here. Here you go! Hurricane Tod!

Hit the road, Jack.

We had to make a stop on the way to Houston. Can you guess where?

Amen.

When Jackson had had enough of the car ride, he took off his shoes and socks and picked fuzz out from between his toes.

At The Houston Zoo

Janelle and her Tod.

Me and my Tod.

The Goat Whisperer.

Ella enjoyed brushing the goats’ hair.

That is one intriguing animal.

The Tods looking under the fence to get the best view.

Our favorite picture of The Tods.

Amanda, Jackson, and Bibby looking at something.

Mom and Tod looking at another Mom and Tod.

Big mom, big tod.

The Tods racing up the jungle gym stairs at the zoo.

Jackson was much happier going down the slide than brushing the goats.

Jackson jumping on the bridge, catching air under his feet. Mommy holding her breath.

In the car

Guess who wanted to ride in the back every time we got in the car?

Guess who’s faking it in this picture?

Guess who’s not faking it here?

Ella’s hat hair.

A cookie liquefied in Ella’s mouth.

At the house

One Tod’s favorite thing is to put water on his hair and the other Tod’s most hated thing is to have water on her hair. This was an interesting time.

We like to do draw-rings.

Mexican food. What else?

The Tods dancing.

The Tods in a moment of sharing.

Ella and Bibby doing their floor exercises.

Ella imitating Bibby’s stretching moves.

The Tods trying to spy The Dogs in the backyard.

Ella being adorable.

Me and both Tods. I was the luckiest person in the room.

At the mall

Janelle and Ella at the Memorial City Mall playland.

Jackson relaxin’.

Ella at the playland.

Ella climbing some cute stairs.

The Tods on a carousel.

Playdate

The Tods at their friend Keegan’s house.

The Tods in a tent.

The Tods thank Bibby and Pappaw for a great weekend!

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Breaking Free

January 8th, 2008 Amanda
Tags: Posted in Amanda, Bible study, Prayer

My mom will be back soon for more wedding talk, but in the meantime I am bursting to tell you all that today is the first day of Bible study for 2008! Beth is incredibly excited and encouraged to meet our group. We will be studying Breaking Free. The core message of this study is simply freedom for the captives. I think it’s fair to say that many, perhaps even most of us siestas have been involved in this study before. I know that everyone who has been changed by Christ’s message of freedom will share in our joy as we set out to proclaim that wonderful message for the next 10 weeks.

We are excited to get to tell you that Breaking Free is being revised, much like the Tabernacle study (A Woman’s Heart, God’s Dwelling Place) was. Some of the messages will stay exactly the same and others will change completely. The updated sessions, which will mirror those taught this semester, will be taped in the fall. We could not think of a better location for the filming than Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, where the study was originally filmed ten years ago! (Having to add in a little note here with information we didn’t originally have so that we can help prevent calls to their church. The taping is a special occasion between Beth and their church and not open to the public. Thanks so much for your understanding!)

Siestas, may we incite your intercession yet again? (I was going to say “one more time,” but I know as long as there is a Living Proof Ministries, we will be asking for your prayers!) The enemy loves to see God’s people in bondage, and because of that we know he will come against us and against those who will participate in this study. Even so, while we want to be alert and aware, we march into this semester of Bible study with a spirit of victory and not of fear! Amen? Nothing could be dearer to God’s heart than ministering freedom and victory to captives, so we will do it with confidence, fearing no evil.

We claim 2 Timothy 1:7, which says, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” (The Amplified Bible) And we wholeheartedly believe 1 John 4:4, which tells us, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (NIV)

Our primary prayer request this semester is for the captives not to grow discouraged. Please pray that they will indeed be set free! Pray that each one will finish and make freedom in Christ a reality in her life. I am getting excited just typing these words! I am filled with faith that God is going to do a huge work in each life.

Other things to pray for include anointing for Beth to teach, anointing for our praise team to lead worship, wisdom and endurance for our Bible study coordinator (Jennifer) and other staff members, peace and calm over the parking lot and in the sanctuary as the women arrive, that many will come early, that the parking lot will accommodate every car, and for there not to be even one distraction while Beth is teaching tonight. The list could go on and on! Thank you in advance for your prayers. May God’s glorious name be praised!

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Five Years

June 9th, 2007 Amanda
Tags: Posted in Amanda, Marriage

I should be packing right now, but I’m stopping in to say Hasta luego! This weekend Curtis and I are dropping off Jackson at Camp Granny and then we’re off to a Mexican beach for five days. Why, you ask? On June 15 we will celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary! Praise God!

I think we’re more excited about this trip than we were for our honeymoon. And needless to say, we were very excited about that. Maybe it’s because we’re not planning a party for 600 of our closest friends before we go. We have been working out and trying to eat right since January and now we get to enjoy being as beach-worthy as we were willing and able to get. And I do not plan on dieting on my vacation. Thank You, Jesus!

So if the Lord brings us to mind, pray that Camp Granny will be really fun for camper Jackson, camp director/camp cook Pappaw, head counselor Granny, and co-counselor Melissa. We are praying for great weather and for no crises to pop up at home while we’re gone. We’re also asking God for a really fun and meaningful time as we just concentrate on each other and celebrate how far we’ve made it in the marathon of marriage. Not far compared to many of you, but you have to pass five before you get to twenty!

My mom will probably have some good stories to tell next week, but your comment moderator is going to be far, far away from a computer. When your comments don’t show up, that’s why.

And I didn’t tell you this, but someone you love very much has a very special birthday on the 16th. Shhhhh. Don’t let on that I told.

Curtis and Amanda – June 15, 2002

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Inked

June 7th, 2007 Amanda
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These are the only two pictures I took at camp. My child is a hunter and gatherer of pens. He was oblivious to the ink in his mouth. But when I took the pen away, an F5 tantrum blew through the room. At least it helped me get a good shot of his mouth.

Beth and some of our LPM girls are on their way to the Women of Faith pre-conference in Ft. Lauderdale today. She will do five of these before the end of the year. Since our Living Proof Live friends are not involved, I’m not sure what kind of recap we will have for these events. We might have to adjust our expectations. Rich set the bar pretty high with those videos!

*Edited to add: Ironically, it looks like all of our YouTube videos have disappeared. I have no clue what happened but I will try to get it figured out. Pray for me!

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A Camp Do-Over

June 5th, 2007 Amanda
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Posted in Amanda, Marriage

Don’t you love it when God gives you a do-over? He has graciously given me MANY do-overs, and my most recent was at camp last week. This camp was for the church I grew up in – where I got saved, where I got married, where I interned in college, and where I served with my husband for our first year of marriage. Last year we kicked off our summer with this very same camp. Curt had been invited to be the camp speaker and we were so honored and excited. Since college, I had been at that camp as a co-counselor and then as a counselor with my eighth grade Sunday School girls. I was used to running around with my middle school girls, getting really muddy on the rec field, enjoying worship and the Word, and getting to witness God’s work in the hearts of these kids. Some of my favorite memories happened there. I always left with a new picture of God in my mind and joy in my heart.

When I returned last year as a nursing mom of a three-month-old, it was just a little different! Now my eighth graders were all grown up and old enough to be co-counselors. The baton had been passed. It rained the entire time and Jackson and I were largely confined to our room. It seemed like just when the sun came out or something fun or meaningful started to happen, it was time to go back to my room and feed him or let him nap. I was still very new to motherhood and my insides were still grasping for my old freedoms. That is a frustrating time for new moms. Once that dies it’s a lot easier. I was also struggling with being around old friends with my new baby for the first time. I wanted to look like I had this motherhood thing down. Ha! Even if that were true, I was so thrown off by the rhythms of camp that any semblance of having it together was out the window.

Needless to say, camp was a struggle. Isolation and self-pity set in and I became what I hate most in myself…the needy wife. Just what every camp speaker needs, right? Gross! I’d been defeated.

When Curt was invited back this year I was determined not to go with him. I had one of my best friends praying for me because I was having such a hard time with the thought of going back. God worked on my heart and I eventually changed my mind.

I’m so thankful that God gave us the opportunity to go back this year. I still didn’t get to play on the rec fields, have meaningful conversations with kids, or experience much of worship and the Word, but my heart was different. I decided to enjoy fellowship with old friends rather than use that time to “prove myself.” I decided to let my husband be free and not make him feel guilty for having fun when I had to be in the room. I decided to take advantage of Jackson’s nap time and early bed times and catch up on sleep and some good reading. God gave me victory over self-pity, over the desire for old freedoms, over isolation, and over being a needy wife. He redeemed the personal failure that last year was for me. I walked away with joy and not shame. Praise be to our God who loves to redeem, who loves to get glory through second chances.

To our delight, my parents got to swing by camp on their way home from the Life Today taping. The 400-something of you who commented on the PMS post might be relieved to know that they seemed as happy as ever. He must have called. And Mom’s probably getting really excited about her own do-over in a few weeks.

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It’s That Time of Year

May 29th, 2007 Amanda
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Posted in Amanda, family, Marriage

When I married a student minister and speaker, my wedding vows included, “I promise to love you, cherish you, be faithful to you, and follow you to as many camps as I can humanly take as long as we both shall live.” I think the second summer of our marriage we were only home for three weeks. This summer, our sixth married summer, will be a little less hectic. I’m thankful for that since I have no idea what I’m getting into by taking a toddler to camp. Tomorrow is the big day when we’ll load everything but the kitchen sink into our car and head off to our first one of the summer. We’re so excited!

Since your one and only comment moderator is going to be off in the piney woods of East Texas, presumably without Internet access, the blog is going to be a little quiet this week. My mom might post, but you won’t see any of your comments until I get back into town. My parents will be at a Life Today taping at the end of the week, so Bethie might be a little out of touch too.

For our Boone girls who are eager to get their commissioning, keep an eye on the LifeWay event recap page. They should post it soon. I’ve provided a new link to it on the left side of the page for future reference. They have recaps for a ton of events, so if you’ve attended one in the last two years you might see yours listed.

Yesterday, Memorial Day, I thought a lot about my grandpa. If he had still been alive I would have written him a little email or left him a message thanking him for serving our country so bravely. Last month I took a picture of the shadow box we have that contains his medals.

If you look very closely at his picture within it, you can see the hole in his cheek where he had been shot. Part of the bullet traveled down to his heart and remained there for the rest of his life. He had that picture taken to mail to my grandma so that she would know what he was going to look like from then on. Fortunately, the doctors were later able to patch it up better so that you couldn’t see the hole.

And this is a picture I forgot to post of my grandpa with that bunny I told you about in this post. One of the bunnies is a decoy and the other is the famous Thumper.

See you next week!

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