Preparing Your Heart for Christmas

I can remember the thrill of receiving the big shopping bag full of wrapped gifts from my great aunt every year just before Christmas, and the utter delight my sister and I had unwrapping them one by one. Each gift, thoughtfully selected and wrapped, represented a surprise. Our childhood hearts stirred with the anticipation of the unknown. Jesus said that to come to know the Father, we must come as little children. I think Jesus well understood the purity of a childhood heart. Children long for something good. We were born knowing that something good exists.  We all have some happy childhood memory, that may fade over time, but that once brought us great joy.  Much of the joy is in the anticipation, the longing.  

While Christmas can be overwhelming with the lists, events, and rushing about, it's so important that we prepare our hearts for the anticipated joy of celebrating our Savior’s birth. When the virgin received the annunciation, and the angel told her that she would bear the Christ child, she said, "let it be unto me.“ And then she pondered these things in her heart. (Luke 2:19 ) I love the concept of pondering things in my heart. When something exciting happens, particularly when I am able to anticipate it, I try to hit the pause button. One of my favorite prayers during Christmas season is, "bestill my heart, Father." I don't want to miss the joy in my hurry.  It’s important to cultivate the longing, anticipation, and joy.  

The Lord will help us prepare our hearts for Christmas if we seek Him. One thing I’ve learned to intentionally plan is time set aside each day to read the narratives about the birth of Jesus in the gospels.  I often read through them all in one sitting. It simply feels different when I read it that way.  New aspects make the story real to me each time.  There's nothing like the written word of God to thrill our hearts, especially when we ask the Lord to use it for His good purposes. If I just pray, "please Lord, help me to focus on your story of the birth of Jesus. Please nourish my heart and mind, so that I may receive the knowledge and understanding that you have for me," I often recapture that childhood thrill. I love the message translation of the Bible that says, “thrill to God's word. Chew on scripture day and night." (Psalm 1:2)  That’s why I am intentional in reading the bible at Christmas time.  It’s a wonderful practice to read each day of the advent season.  That special time with God, as I read His gospels in anticipation of the celebration, makes me feel like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, with “my heart burning within me.” (Luke 24:32)  Each day I look forward to those moments in His word, like a child unwrapping a gift.  I simply hit the pause button.  The list will still be there, the tasks can wait.  I ask the Lord to multiply my time so that I can ponder His word in my heart.  Every year it seems new, with new insights I’ve never noticed before.  And every year I am filled with gratitude and joy.  

One Year of AmazingGrace.Life

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations..."

- Matthew 28:19

When Shannon and I wrote the children's book, Amazing Grace, I had no idea it would end up in countries all over the world! In the past year we have printed 110,000 copies of the Amazing Grace book. It has been printed in 6 languages so far, and more are in the queue. It makes me smile to receive emails from children, one even from as far as Sudan. I can't believe our little books are in the hands of children in Africa, Korea, Albania, Cuba, Guatemala, India and Germany. I felt like the Lord impressed on me to take it to a higher level, and that's when we began AmazingGrace.Life. The educational and informational website came first, then we started with social media. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the driving force of the ministry. In the past year, we've had 50,000 people come to the website! On Facebook, over 3.6 million people have been reached! People... this is ONLY something GOD can do!

Serving the Amazing Grace book with lunch at Village Oaks with Behind Every Door

Whenever there is a disaster like a tornado, hurricane, flood, or even police shootings, we post photos from the area and ask people to pray for the victims. I believe prayer is the most powerful action we can take when a crisis occurs. When large groups are praying for the same thing, I believe it unites people, and I know it glorifies the Lord and brings peace to the victims. 

I feel like the Lord has called me to "enlarge my territory" for the sake of unbelievers. My goal is to expose the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. If they knew how the Lord can bless them, and change their lives, they would run to Him, seek Him, and ask Him to be Lord and Savior of their life!

My hope is that by this time next year, we will have quadrupled the number of people reached! To God be the glory and may his Amazing Grace fall upon you!

Peace and blessings,

Amy

Give Your Worries to God

Sometimes it feels like I'm watching speed skaters racing down the ice, wondering if they will careen off the edge.  Or maybe it's the horses running the Palio in Siena checking against the corners on the cobblestone streets. Life can feel like a roller coaster, especially when juggling work, friendship, charitable pursuits, and stewardship of three almost adult children. My most important job is answering the summons, "Mama!" 

Launching the first two of my beautiful children happened at light speed. One minute they needed my help with homework, the next minute they were all grown up. It's the baby that brings me to my knees. Literally. He's charming and brilliant and gifted and headstrong. He woke up every morning as a toddler thinking, "I wonder if the rules are the same today? Let me find out."  Now that the culture in which we live has gone off the rails, and profane rappers are the poets of his generation, he doesn't have the balance or grounding to know where the guardrails should be. How do I help but worry about what he sees, where he goes? If there is no right and wrong anymore, are sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll not just okay for his age group, but required? Is life in polarized America full of hate and despair? Will he live the life that God intended for him? 

Now that young men shoot police and police might even shoot a young man, life feels dangerous.   The stakes feel higher.  What do I do with the worries that plague me late at night? If it's approaching midnight and he hasn't come home, how do I reign in the worries that torment me? Has he been in an accident? Has he been tempted by alcohol? Something worse?

I remember when he was a baby and he'd had so many crashes and falls, trips to the emergency department and unusual symptoms, that the pediatrician ordered an MRI of his brain. The doctor paused and held my hand and said, "do you know what we're looking for?" I was terrified.  That's when I learned that worries can paralyze. That's when I learned that when you have nothing left, all you have is Jesus. And Jesus is enough.

I take heart in the words of my Savior. When I stood over my toddler in the MRI, giving him to the Lord, letting go and trusting because I had no other choice, I learned what trust really looks like. 

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" Luke 12:25–26 

I remember saying, "okay, Lord, he is yours, my soul is disquieted. I will yet praise you."  And then I remembered His promise.  "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water and sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17: 7,8

I have a healthy son. Two healthy sons and a beautiful daughter. I envision them planted with deep roots, growing as the mighty oaks, with green leaves and lives that bear fruit. I thank God for the imagery. The 2016 world feels upside down, but we have an anchor. Our hope is in Jesus. Jesus is enough.

How to be a Light this Halloween

Halloween is the perfect opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus with the children who come to our doorstep! We've pulled a few favorite Bible verses that we will be passing out to our neighbors with Halloween candy. We hope you will join us! Click here to download the verses as a PDF

Halloween Candy Bible Verses

IF you are handing out candy for Halloween, AmazingGrace.Life wants to encourage you to use the opportunity to be the LIGHT of Jesus!
Choose a Bible verse below to attach to the individual pieces of candy you hand out. 

Dum Dums
If someone makes you feel like a Dum Dum, just remember this: Jesus loves YOU! To Jesus, you are NO Dum Dum! (Read John 3:16 in the Bible.)

Reeses Pieces
When life seems to fall to “Pieces,” turn to Jesus. He loves you and will help you. (Read Hebrews 13:6 in
the Bible.)

Smarties
“Smarties” know that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their lives! Be a Smartie! (Read Jeremiah 29:11 in the Bible.)

Whoppers
If you have a “Whopper” of a decision to make, be sure to pray about it. (Read Proverbs 3:5-6 in the Bible.)
 
OR

If you’ve made a “Whopper” of a mistake in life, God will forgive you. Just ask Him. (Read Psalm 51:3 in the Bible.)

Crunch Bar
Whenever you are in a “Crunch,” call out to Jesus. He will help you. (Read Jeremiah 33:3 in the Bible.)

Life Savers
Jesus is the True “Life Saver.” (Read John 10:10 in the Bible.)

M & M’s
God’s plan for your life is that you grow up to be “Mighty” & “Marvelous.” He will help you. (Read Isaiah 55:8-9 in the Bible.)

Almond Joy
Jesus will put real “Joy” into your life. (Read Psalm 51:12 in the Bible.)

A Heart for the Hungry

I remember it like it was yesterday. I woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning with hunger pains. I wasn’t sure why. So I went into the kitchen and made my favorite meal. After I ate, I went back to my bedroom and I sat on the side of my bed. I remember sitting there looking at Buddy, my springer spaniel, both of us wondering why we were up at 5 am. 

All the sudden I felt the Lord calling me to consider the kids in Dallas who can’t get up in the middle of the night and address their hunger pains. The Lord told me, ‘you need to help feed the kids.’

It was so clear, and so prominent. It was impossible to ignore. 

Eventually, I finally fell back asleep. I woke up the next morning to a phone call from my longtime friend Lilly. We hadn’t spoken to in several months. Years before, we fed the homeless together through an organization in Dallas called Hunger Busters. 

As we were catching up, he lord nudged me, so I said, ‘what’s going on with Hunger Buster’s these days?’ She told me how they had turned their efforts to feeding the hungry kids of Dallas. She explained that Hunger Busters sponsors 8-10 schools each year, daily supplying dinners to for the kids. Without Hunger Busters, the kids at these schools don’t eat dinner.  

All of the sudden I started to cry. Just hours before I had this moment from the Lord, then Lilly called out of the blue and told me about feeding hungry kids in Dallas. It was a sign.

That was seven years ago. Since that time, my mom and I have had the opportunity to feed thousands of kids each year by supporting local schools in Dallas. 

Hunger Busters Volunteers

It’s hard to believe that there are people in the city of Dallas that don’t have dinner at night. After years of investigating, I’ve found there are several different organizations that do the work that Hunger Buster’s does on different levels. Several of the organizations I support are Feed 3, Sharing Life, The North Texas Food Bank, and The Soup Mobile. I am passionate about being involved in these organizations, rolling up my sleeves, and feeding the homeless and the kids. 

Seven years ago I had this call, seven years ago I felt the Lord impress this on me, and I’ve been feeding the kids ever since.