-
Construction Zone
I am almost finished with my site!! I just have a few final design touches to add, but I am ready to get back to blogging and for the most part the site is functional. I will officially launch it soon..stay posted!!
-
Expiry Dates
Let’s play a game.
Go to your refrigerator and see how many things you can find that are expired. (ok go!)
Welcome back! How many things did you find? One? Five? Twenty-five? None?
I did this the other day and will not admit to how many things I found, but lets say it was a good idea that I played the game. Now, you may be wondering why we are playing this silly little game. There are good reasons, other then the fact that your fridge is now clean and you can eat anything in there with no fear!
We live in a world that is consumed with expiry dates. We look at when milk will expire before we buy it, we put deadlines on everything, and use things until they die or expire. Think about it. Every day your life is filled with things that have eventual expiry dates. And this is a very good thing in most cases. Eating food that has expired can be very bad for your health. The problem comes when we translate this thinking into our spiritual lives and start putting expiry dates on the things that are outside of our control.
If I am not married by this date, it won’t happen.
If they don’t get better by now, its hopeless.If the money doesn’t come today, what will happen?If the scholarship doesn’t come, how will I go to school?
Will I ever figure out what to do or will I be 40 and still wandering around aimlessly?When am I going to get pregnant?And the list could go on..And maybe you have been there. Sitting in the dark, waiting for the impossible and wondering if it is ever going to happen. Maybe you put your own expiry date on the situation. Maybe you stopped believing that we serve a God that has NO expiry dates.Let that sink in.With God there are NO expiry dates.In our eyes, it may seem that way. It may seem impossible, but what is impossible with man is possible with God.But what if they don’t get better you ask? What if I never get married? What if the baby never comes?Have God’s promises expired? NO. Because He doesn’t put expiry dates on situations. He puts due dates. And His due dates are often drastically different then our expiry dates. See, its not about what we can’t do, but what HE can do. It’s about going back to the drawing board and not limiting God to our time table. Even in this life if it appears the situation has expired, we must remember that perhaps God’s due date was calling someone home to Him. Or perhaps the due date is just years after we imagined it would be.Check out Abraham and Sarah (Hebrews 11:8). God told her she would bear a son. And yet, it was years and years later, long after Sarah was considered able to have child, that she was finally pregnant. But because she put an expiry date on the promise, and God failed to meet that timeline, she got involved and caused a whole mess of problems. When we act on our timeline, we fail to see that God’s timeline is really about Him. Its about a God who still does the impossible. Its about a God who wants to show His glory and who still acts in ways that are beyond human understanding and recognition.So, ask yourself. Do you really trust and believe in Him who promised to be faithful? Can we give up our timelines and expiry dates for a God that offers only due dates? Can we begin to live as though we serve a God still in the business of doing the impossible?I am working on it. And today I challenge you. What situation have you put an expiration date on that perhaps God has just put a longer due date on? Where in your life do you need to step out of your timeline and into God’s timeline?(Blog idea credit goes to an amazing sermon I heard at Hillsong)You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
-
Two Weeks In One Dress
The little black dress in the Blue Mountains This morning I did not want to put it on. I have been traveling all week and was heading off to spend 24 hours in airports. I just didn’t want to spend those hours in the dress. And then it hit me…
I was tired of feeling bland.
I love clothes and I spent the week in a city full of fashion and shopping. I was starting to look around and notice the people around me and how cute they looked in their clothes. I saw the girls with shopping bags galore and thought perhaps there is something to the muse shopping is good therapy.
But thats why I started this anyways right?
To debunk the notion that I am the sum of what I own and what I wear.
To fight the advertisers that claim to be more you must buy more.
Yet after spending two weeks in the same dress I am realizing that those battles are not fought quickly. The tendency to accumulate does not die easily. The thoughts and lies and feelings I have believed for so long are deep rooted and unwilling to budge.
I set out on this journey for six weeks and it is already feeling arduous.. I can’t imagine doing this for a whole year. (OneDressProtest) And yet, I can see now that six weeks will not be long enough to defeat the giants of consumerism and shallowness that weigh heavy on my heart. In less than four long weeks, the dress will be retired, perhaps never to be worn again, but the battle will go on-raging and back-talking every time I put those demons in their place.What about you? Have you to been consumed by the notion that you are what you wear?
The LBD and I with a kangaroo Because friend, you are SO SO much more than that! -
One Shirt, Two Shirts, Red Shirt, Blue Shirt
Hi, My name is Amanda and I have a problem.
(That’s where it starts right..)When I find a shirt I like, I buy it in every color. Or at least I buy it in two or three colors.Now, there may be a line of reasoning somewhere that says this isn’t such a bad idea. I mean, when you really like something, why not have multiples of it? The problem comes when this is not a one time process. And I mean, really, how many striped polo shirts does one person need? Because I have a green striped one, a blue one, an orange one, and a grey one. Or how many solid color shirts does one need? Because I could create the rainbow several times over. Not to mention the reality is, I typically have one shirt that I love and wear weekly and then four others that I may wear maybe once a year.Therefore, in my quest to simplify, minimize, and get back to placing my worth on who I am and not what I own, I have begun a purging process to get rid of those multiples.Take my polo shirts for example. I have a grey striped one that I love. I have a skirt that it matches perfectly and grey is a color I wear a lot. It is a key piece of my weekly waredrobe. The orange striped one I bought and wore once. Its just not one of those colors I wear hence it got put in the give away pile. The green striped one is exactly the same as my grey striped one. They are both from Gap and I bought them at the same time. But the green one doesn’t really go with much and I think I have worn it twice. Item number 2 in my give away pile. Lastly, my blue striped one. This one was a bit harder. I haven’t worn in much lately, but it used to be a staple piece and something I wore every week. For now it sits in my “potential give away pile.” It will probably eventually wind up in the give away pile once I get over the sentimentality of it and realize that after 8 years, it may just be time to retire it.I have been doing this with everything I have multiples of and it is amazing how little I wear the multiples. Thus they get put in the give away pile. Best part, because I have been getting rid of so much, I can’t even completely fill one box of clothes to send home! Not only does that save me money, I don’t miss any of those clothes in the give away pile. In fact, I am relieved they are gone.However, its not getting rid of the clothes that is the biggest key. That is the start, but the bigger challenge comes the next time I find a shirt I love. It is then I will have to guard against the tempation to buy it in multiples because really how often are you going to wear the same tank top in blue, purple, orange, pink, black, and grey? (and no that is not an exaggeration of my collection:))You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
-
Want To Do Something?
Make it happen.
If you had told me a year ago I would be leaving for Australia in 3 days, I would have said your crazy. I would have said that I am not one of those people who travel, I am one of those people who are jealous of people who travel.Now I am becoming one of those people who travel and I love it. I just wonder what took me so long.How did I do it? How did I get here?Plain and simple: I decided I wanted to travel.It helped that I moved to a small island on the other side of the world, but really, it came down to a decision to focus on traveling over buying more stuff. I started saving my money. I stopped eating out (so much), stopped shopping (as often), and stopping spending my money on frivolous things. Every time I was tempted, I remembered that if I spent the money now, it would be less I could save for travel. And trust me $1 here or there adds up after awhile.I set a goal and made a budget. I am stubborn and organized so once I made a plan, I stuck with it. Sometimes my stubbornness is a flaw, sometimes it enables me to do things other people cannot.I stopped spending my time envious of people who travel and set out to become a traveler.(note: this is different from a vacationer which I am not. I still haven’t figured out the art of relaxing!)Along the way, I learned some important lessons.1. It’s not easy. The temptation to spend money now vs. save for later is something we bombarded with EVERY single day.2. I am a traveler at heart. I want to see the world. I want to learn about people, cultures, and other ways of life. I don’t want to settle down or sit still. Once I realized that, the decision was easy to put that pair of shoes back or skip eating out when I could cook at home. Every dime saved was another dime I could use to see the world.3. Ask for help and continue to follow people who inspire you. I am still working on this one, but I am learning from those who have gone before. Traveling is not something reserved for the rich, it is something reserved for those willing to work hard and make it a priority.4. Connect with people you have never met. I have made so many friends lately via the blogging world and I cannot wait to continue to develop those relationships.5. Lastly, set a goal, save for it, and then just do it. Buy the ticket and set off on the adventure.Life is about memories, adventure, and people. When you realize that stuff is really just a hindrance to those things, you gain the freedom to travel and live free. And you realize that traveling to Australia is not just for other people, it can be for you too! 🙂 -
Suck It Up and Get Over It…or Lessons I am Learning
Yep. Just do it.
Stop making excuses.
Stop coming up with reasons why not.
Stop letting FEAR control you.
Stop planning for the future or putting off this or that until tomorrow.Stop waiting for someone else……or the right time…or the right placeStop living within the box
Stop coloring within the lines (check this out while your at it)Stare down your fears and kick them to the curb
Start
markingthings off your list
Live as if the world depends on it
Laugh at yourself
Don’t let anyone tell you “It’s not possible”
Don’t accept that it is the way it isBe different.Live LOUD.Because at the end of the day, the world needs people who are willing to challenge the status quo and not accept that it is too hard, too impossible, or too big to do. -
Inspiration from One Dress Protest :)
Wear the same dress everyday for a year.
Fight the tides of consumerism and materialism and status quo for a whole year.Endure questions and ridicule and praise and media attention.Inspire, challenge, and motivate others to do the same.Not only is she an amazing person, who took on an incredible challenge, she is a sister in Christ and an astounding role model.For the past few weeks I have been really convicted over my habits, my desires, and my thoughts about fashion, and clothing and have been really challenged to think differently about my role in this crazy, mixed up world and the endless cycle of fashion. But when conviction and challenge end with happy thoughts, you might as well never have thought about them in the first place. Great thoughts, while needed, are never going to change the world. It is only in turning those thoughts into action that change is bred.Therefore, I have committed for the rest of lent to join her in her fast from fashion.However, it is not just about wearing the same dress everyday. It is about debunking the lies I have bought into about who I am, what I must wear, how I should look, and what I should have. It is about leaving who I used to be in the dust and embracing who I am becoming. It is about living out the passion that for so long has been pent up inside. It is about becoming who I was created to be. It is about being a voice and speaking up. It is about saying “No more.”So join me on this journey to live life to its fullest, kick the status quo to the curb, and spend the next 6 weeks in one little black dress! -
Why Sylvie Is Changing My Life
I woke up this morning a little sore. My neck was a little tight, my hips were a little achy. And I immediately thought, 4 days left…But for people like Sylvie, there is no end.A few friends and I took on a challenge put forth by World Vision ACT:S:
Spend lent digging deep into stories of poverty and injustice and through that, into the heart of God. Each week we will encounter a new story of someone living a life marked by poverty or injustice or both. As we get to know their stories, we are challenged to go deeper than simply reading. We are challenged to respond.
This is week one. Our story (you can read the full text here)
brings us to the Congo where we enter into the life of Sylvie Ngandwe, a 38 year old woman, and her three precious children who spend their days sifting rocks in hopes of putting food on the table. Barely surviving on a little over $2 a day, Sylvie is just one of many stories bred from a life of poverty. Yet this week, we focus on her and through that are studying the idea of worth. What does it mean to be worthless? To be full of worth? Where do we get our worth? In addition to a daily study on this topic, we were given a challenge for the week.Go without something physical.World Vision offered several ideas and I spent some time coming up with several reasons why I could skip this week as I have already given up several luxuries by moving to a small island. But then it hit me.Give up my bed.Sleep on the floor for a week and enter into the lives of those, like Sylvie, that have never had the luxury of a bed.
I ate my breakfast this morning in silence while tears welled up in my eyes. My heart was heavy at the thought that in four days I will go back to sleeping in my bed, while Sylvie will go on sifting rocks. She is changing me. Her story is opening my heart once again to the suffering. This time I will embrace it. This time it will change me.
-
Xterra Saipan 2011
Status: Finished.
I did it.
I swam, biked, and ran my way to the end of my first triathlon. In Saipan. An event called by Triathlete magazine “the crown jewel of Xterra.” This Xterra event also drew the #1 male and female Xterra athletes, a former reigning world champ, and a whole lot of other top athletes. So cool.This is how the morning played out.
Get up at 3:45am.
Talk to parents for one final pep talk and checklist. Eat breakfast. Get dressed and double check transition bag. Head to check in at 5am. Get marked, set up bike, and lay out transition items. Chat with other athletes and try not to freak out.Swim 750meters.
As if I weren’t already nervous, we had a tsunami warning last night and apparently got hit by a very small wave. No damage, but the water was CRAZY. It was so rough, big waves, and the current was so strong at one point I could have sworn I was moving backwards. It was also low tide which meant sometimes you couldn’t swim as the water was too shallow. Needless to say, I may have done more walking than swimming. But I did it. I had a slight breakdown at the beginning (yes, there may have been tears involved), but I got in the water. 16 minutes later I got out and raced to…Bike 20km.
In addition to the rough water, we got a ton of rain in the past 24 hours. This made the bike extremely slick. The trails are slick anyways, add water on there, and they are deadly. This was the most frustrating leg. I had to walk my bike way more than I wanted and by the end, I was cursing that bike and those trails. I was soo ready to be done. Fun was not a word anywhere near my lips at that point. It was beautiful, but it was painful. This should have been a strong leg and under dry conditions would have been much faster, but all in all, I was happy to finish in 2 hours 40 minutes so I could drop my bike and head out to..Run 5km.
Easiest leg as I knew it would be. Running is my strength and first love. The course was not marked real well which was frustrating, but I still managed to average 7.41 minute miles for a finishing time of around 24 minutes. Not bad considering what I had done previous to that.Crossing the finish line was one of the proudest moments of my life. I did it. I did the impossible. I overcame my fear of water, learned how to trail ride, and ran my heart out.
My official time
3 hours 20 minutes
(they started us 1 minute late on the swim). -
I Refuse
I refuse to be told what I can and can’t do; I will make my own path
I refuse to sit still while others suffer; I will suffer with them
I refuse to let my words speak louder than my actions; I will let my actions speak loud and clear
I refuse to get stuck; I will keep pushing forward
I refuse to believe the lie that I am what I own; I am who I am
I refuse to wait for someone else to do it; I am going to do it.
I refuse to keep waiting for something to happen; I am going to go make it happen
I refuse to say an empty prayer; I will believe that there is power in my words
I refuse to to stay cold; I will let the broken break my heart
I refuse to love only the lovable; I will love like Jesus
I refuse to live a boring life; I will seek adventure at every turn
I refuse to take the safe path; I will take risks
I refuse to walk away from the Word unchanged; I will let it change my life
I refuse to buy into trends or fads; I will act based out of conviction and purpose
I refuse to quench my passion; I will use it to change the world
I refuse to live an easy life; I will take on the challenges as they come
I refuse to shop on the backs of slaves; I will be conscious of my purchases
I refuse to buy into the mold of what society thinks I should be; I will be different.
