Friday, May 29, 2009

Photo Scavenger Hunt



Photography Scavenger Hunt
Hope you guys like them. I had a ton of fun taking them!


STAPLER
Bad boys what you gonna do when they come for you?


REFLECTIONS
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.


LEAP
"No, I am not a cheerleader!" - EJ


FEARS
My greatest fear... Failure, Disappointment, Rejection.


COFFEE
Life is good! Is the glass half empty or half full?


TIME
Where will you be in ten years?


SQUIRREL
I spent 15 minutes running around the yard , chasing a squirrel, 
and all I got was this lousy picture.


WHITE TRASH
Sorry all you Yank fans, but down here in Texas we don't take to kindly to those who bad mouth us behind our back. 
A-Rod is A-Fraud!

DATE
Don't worry... they're siblings.


POLICE
Thank you to all the men and women who have given their lives in the service 
that we may live in freedom, safety, and security.


SELF PORTRAIT
I'm just your average, ordinary, everyday SUPERHERO!



MAKING A STATEMENT
Actions speak louder than words.


MEMORY
To the man who left it all on the battle field, an empty chair, and a legacy... I miss you Pop.


WEATHER
"When spring is dancing among the hills, you can't stay in a little dark corner." 


BROKEN
What do you see? Broken glass?
I see a beautiful mural of a sunset on hills waiting to be put together.


GREEN
And you thought your living room had a lot of seats!

MUSIC
"If music be the food of love, play on." - William Shakespeare


FAVORITE THING
Crazy friends that hang with you... a big bottle of Diet Mountain Dew...
 These are a few of my favorite things!

TOOL
What is your tool? What will you use? Good or evil? Hate or love? Bitterness or forgiveness?

VANISHING POINT
"Most of us spend a lot of time dreaming of the future, 
never realizing that a little arrives each day."


FUNNY
Funny? You think riding in a bus of 20 sugar packed, caffeine hyper middle schoolers is funny?



Well I was having so much fun I just couldn't stop there. Here are a few more of my favorites.


MISSION IMPOSSIBLE


DON'T MOVE!



... He moved...


AHHHH..... GAMEDAY

Play Ball!

RIGHT FIELD

Monday, May 25, 2009

Mighty to Save

So God, last night you surprised me. There was no class for me this Wednesday, so I went to the Kidmo party to hang out with the kids and I had a blast! While we were in worship, the first song we sang was Your Grace is Enough. At that moment something dawned on me that I had missed so many times before. Your grace is enough. It is all I need to make it through another month of cancer, another month of fear, another month of trials. No matter how weak or incapable I feel, your grace is all sufficient and all I need to live, let alone keep going.

            I don’t remember the name of the next song but the lyrics were talking about coming before the throne with arms raised high and heart abandoned, surrendering my soul to Him who gave His all for me. As I fell before your throne, with hands raised and heart abandoned, I felt my spirit being lifted as my heart was drawn out of myself into your hands. As I sang it and meant it, I felt it and knew it.

            Then I was surprised by You – surprised by joy. As the band kept playing and began to sing Mighty to Save, I found myself surrounded by my fifth grade girls, silently hugging, praying, and crying with me. You can move the mountains in my life. You can stop the cancer, the trials, the swing – you can stop it all. But I now understand you have something greater that I can’t see right now. I know that you love me and I can trust you. You know how much I can handle and I know if I fall you will always catch me. “Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save!”

Friday, May 15, 2009

What Makes You a Leader?

Leadership is influence -- everyone has influence. Your sphere of influence encompasses you wherever you go, and consists of the people you know, see, and come in contact with (such as family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and even the clerk at the store). If you do not believe you impact people, take a look at how your friends influence your thoughts, actions, and more importantly your attitudes.

            So, what is the purpose of becoming a great leader if you do it for the wrong reason? Hitler, Stalin, and Nero may have done “great” things, but they changed the world for the worse because of wrong motives. The key to being a great leader is a servant attitude; Jesus Christ was a successful leader because He led in love and service for others – not Himself.

            There are five pillars that hold up an effective leader. The first is meekness. Real meekness is bridled power – great power under great control. With influence comes leadership, with leadership comes power, and with power comes responsibility. Your success as a leader will be determined by how you use this power and responsibility, and if you control your feeling and attitudes, verses letting them control you.

            The second pillar is integrity, which will reveal the inner character of a person. It is leading, not by popularity but principle, and shows people what you are really made of. We cannot skim over a person’s character simply because they can get the job done well. True integrity’s price is self-discipline and personal sacrifice, but the lack of has high consequences.

            Vision is seeing God’s presence, power, and plan in spite of obstacles. It is seeing life through God’s eyes and being willing to take the leap of faith, even when you do not see the landing. Your vision is useless unless those following you are able to get a hold of it. As a leader, it is not enough merely to see the completed product, you must convey it to others and show them how it can be accomplished.

            Attitude will either make or break your leadership. Your attitude is what you focus on and is shaped by who and what you surround yourself with. It is the greatest thing you admire in your own leader’s lives: the ability to look past obstacles, stay focused on strengths, and conquer the challenges of today in order to reach the goal of tomorrow. You determine your attitude and you attitude will determine you!

            The final pillar is empowerment. The true measure of a leader is not what happens while you lead, but the result after you are gone. Leadership is worthless if you do not enable your followers to continue in your absence, and empower them to lead without you. Empowerment is not solely encouraging others in hard times or inspiring them to overcome challenges, but it is sharing the tools and knowledge you have and imparting your gifts to them.

            God is in control, and is using the situations in your life to mold you into the leader He wants you to become. Be steadfast in your beliefs even in opposition, confident that God is in control whatever the circumstance, and focused on the goal of becoming a great servant leader. You may not see yourself as an amazing leader, but are you willing to take the risk to become one?

Friday, May 1, 2009

Who Am I?

So God, who am I? How do you view me? What do you think of me? Who am I to you? What’s your purpose for me? Why am I here? What do you want me to be doing? What’s your plan for my life? Who am I really?

            Amy, I am your love, your bridegroom, and your soul mate. I am life, joy, peace, and fulfillment. I am your passions, your dreams, and your longings. I am living, resting, and understanding. I am the one who found you at Excel, who held you at Advanced Excel, and the one who carried you through your life.

            You are my Beloved, my child, and my precious. You are already perfect, already beautiful, already amazing. You are the pride of my life and the joy of my heart. I point you out to the angels and ask, “Do you see My Beloved? She is mine.” I wish you could hear the pride in my voice, see the sparkle in my eyes, and feel the joy in my heart when I see you!

            Who are you? You already are everything you desire and dream to become. You don’t completely understand or comprehend what that means, but that’s OK. You don’t need to know right now. I love you and am with you – that’s all you need to know. All that has been happening to you, is so that I will become your all in all. You already are mine.

            I can’t wait to show you everything I have been planning for you and putting into motion for your future! It’s better than anything you can dream up, but go ahead and try – you will be surprised by joy. My purpose and vision for you is that other people will experience Me and My love through you. You think you can’t sing or speak or teach or preach or lead, but you have and you will far above your imaginations. You think this will happen eventually, once you go on the mission field. I’m telling you it’s going to happen sooner!

            I will show my love for others through you. They won’t get it when you tell them, or when they see the change in you. It will become real when my love for them comes through you. It’s like a tide coming in slowly, calmly, creeping until you are suddenly knee deep in water, and are overwhelmed by how far you have come and how fast it happened. That is the earth shattering and world changing part of it all.