Thankful Thursday #7

May 31, 2012 by Amanda Conquers

This week I have been making good use of the practice of gratitude and it is paying off. I have been taking pictures, AND scribbling down notes in my Joy Journal. Joy and peace have been mine! (And not because everything is all perfect here... this momma had to pull a tick out of her baby girl's head and battle some "slapped cheek" disease). I even tried applying the whole gratitude thing to my marriage. Mike and I have been fighting much more regularly, I think just from him being gone so much. I decided to intentionally thank him for everything on our love notes board (in my organization station), text him and send him voice mails... thank you for taking out the trash, thank you for unloading the dishwasher, thank you for all your hard work, plus a couple "hey baby you're sexy" notes. I feel better just remembering how much he does, and he does better feeling appreciated. Plus, he remembers to tell me how much he appreciates me. This whole gratitude thing really can change a life, a family, and a marriage!

#57 The smell and sound of valley oak leaves beneath my feet.

#58 The way a thistle can be even more beautiful when it's found amongst dead grass

#60 My sanctuary

#61 Pink Princess Shoes

#62 The girls who are going places

#63 Hay in the background... just something about the sight and smell of hay bails

#64 Balcony seating for 4

#65 The way a momma can love this face just as much as the happy faces. Grace. Love.

#66 Beautiful sights... the curls of brittle browned ivy around the barbed fence.

#67 Her excitement for friends and her first (non-family) birthday party... but still needing to bring Dawson IN the carseat with her.

#68 The company of this boy, bubbles and the morning sun during my prayer time.

#69 Addy wanting to play school. She's the teacher (in only her underwear) theatrically teaching me about bugs, "It's a hooded praying mantis. A poison praying mantis in the whole wide world. It's SO STRONG. And SO BEAUTIFUL!" Raises arm and twirls in dramatic fashion, plastic praying mantis in hand.

#70 The 5 fleeting and precious seconds this adventure-spirited boy offers his mother before he is off and climbing the heights of the chair (and making his mother's heart stop.)

Heart is full of gratitude!
Hope yours is too!
xo
Amanda

Dreams: 5 Things Every Farmer Knows About Farming that Every Dreamer Needs to Know Too

May 30, 2012 by Amanda Conquers

Farming.

The farmer goes out. Tills the soil. Plants the seeds. And waits. He waters. He waits. He watches for pests. He watches for weeds. He gets to drive around on a tractor (the most romanticized part of it all... "She Thinks My Tractors Sexy" anyone?? That song... it makes me smile big). He waits.

The farmer works and does so much to try to bring in a great harvest. But really, the farmer knows that he does his part and the rest is up to God.

I think it's like that with our dreams.

A dream is placed in your heart... maybe it's something you've always wanted to do, maybe it was in your yearbook next to your picture "Amanda, most likely to... be a meteorologist" (True story), maybe you stumbled across it while casually doing something you fully intended to do for just a short time or just for fun, maybe you are stuffed full of a thousand things you feel compelled to do before you leave this planet, or maybe you still haven't had your "A-ha! This is what I was born to do!" moment... whatever it is, I truly and fully believe with ever fiber of my being that you have a purpose. I believe God made you with a wonderful, awesome, needful way that you can impact your world. Maybe it'll touch the lives of thousands, maybe it'll touch the lives of a couple children and one handsome husband, maybe it'll change a city, maybe it will encourage those in your circle. No matter the impact, You were made to dream. AND You were made to be a dream-fulfiller.

Dreaming is all fine and good, but means nothing until you put it into action.

Having a pocket full of seeds is all fine and good, but it will mean nothing until those seeds are put into soil.

And God made the seed for the harvest.

{Do you know what seeds you have to plant? Your talents, your passion, your gifts... the things God places in you that forms into a dream so that you could bring glory to your Maker... these are your seeds.}

Embarking upon a dream is terrifying. You could fail. The fear of failure would like to keep your seeds in your pockets... and God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and discipline. 2Timothy 1:7, NASB.

A thousand "what if" scenarios may want to rack your brain, keep you from setting out, make you want to shrink back... but we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Hebrews 10:39, NASB.

Thing is, even a farmer knows, that there ARE a thousand things that could destroy the crop, and failure may happen. A farmer knows he has no say so in the weather, the locusts, the birds, disease... a lot can cause a crop to not produce, but one thing is certain... a field will not yield a harvest unless the seed is put in the ground.

A dream will just be a dream until its put into action.

I compiled a list of some things every farmer knows about farming that every dreamer should know too:

1. Know the season- farmers put seeds into the soil at the right time of year. You may need to know that it's not time yet. The best way to figure out if its time? Fasting and prayer. Farmers know to look for the signs of the season... look for the signs in your own life that it is time.

2. Know you may fail- farmers know that some years yield a lot of fruit and some years do not. You may do everything right, but it may not work out. That does not mean you should stop.

3. Know that it will be hard work- farmers know that just preparing the soil is a lot of work. And so is the daily upkeep. And so is the harvest. A. Lot. Of. Work. Yeah. So is putting a dream into action. Expect this. Anticipate it. Plan for it. When you are frustrated because it is so hard, remember... it's SUPPOSED TO BE.

4. Know that it will take daily work- Farmers don't plant a field and then sit back and watch it grow. They work hard daily. There are daily problems. Daily chores. Your dream will require your day in and day out stamina.

5. Prepare for the harvest- A farmer may not be able to plan for the exact size of the harvest, but he can't collect the harvest unless he's prepared for it. If you are working towards a dream, would you be ready for it if it came to pass?

I may have just caused you to let out a big huge sigh... work. hard. failure. not time. planning. But here's the beauty of this:

I till. I plant. I water. I tend. But it is God who gives the increase.

I can't predict the weather. I have no say-so in the million "what-ifs."

But at the same time, I just do my part and I get to leave the rest to God. I don't have to strive, grind myself into the dirt trying to make this work. I do my part and let Him decide how much fruit I will bear. And truly, even if you are able to touch the lives of even a couple of people, isn't it worth it?

I bet you are with me in saying, yes it is!

So dream.

Dream big. Work hard. Trust God.

Let Him take your beautiful dream-field and work it into a great... or a small... harvest.

You were made for the harvest.

Alright, now, go, pray, and seek God, and get to fulfulling those dreams!

xo
Amanda

Organization Station

May 29, 2012 by Amanda Conquers

Welcome to Made Monday...

...on Tuesday. Our good old faithful computer bit the dust, so Monday just simply wasn't a possibility.

I am finding it humorous that I am about to reveal my new organization station... late.

So much for organized. Ha! But I find that the best organization system is a flexible one, so there you go.

Here's my flexible Organization Station.

I was at my friend's house for a monthly preschool meet-up. While in her kitchen, I noticed her wall dedicated to the running of her home. She had pictures-frames-turned-dry-erase-boards up for all her shopping lists and meal planning. She had a weekly calendar and a monthly calendar. She used scrapbook materials to create sections for her dry erase boards. I thought it was brilliant. Thank you Christina for your awesomeness!

The kitchen is the heartbeat of our home. So, it makes the most sense to do all of our planning for the home in the kitchen.

I like/need flexibility in my plans. Dry erase boards are perfect for flexibility. But, I need some kind of way to form a system, some kind of constant. That is what makes the scrapbook organizers in the picture frame so brilliant. Organized on the inside, flexible and very erasable on the outside. Works for me!

One board is for planning my week. This includes appointments, to-do's, meetings, and places I would like to go. I made room to write in a chore for each day. I have decided in an effort to organize my life and home, I need to simplify my chores into one chore a day.

In case you are curious here's my chores:
daily: A quick pick up of the the house and do the dishes
weekly: bathroom, floors, vacuum, laundry, windows and mirrors, computer desk (i.e. "the pile" and bills), and then one monthly chore
monthly: dusting, baseboards, kitchen deep clean, organization project

Everyone needs a "Win!" I do anyways. So I decided that if I can manage to put food on the table, do the dishes once, pick up the house for 5 minutes, and do one chore then I have accomplished something great for the day. WIN! Perhaps, it's because I have small ~~mess-makers~~ children, perhaps it's because my husband is rarely home, perhaps it's because I am a writer, perhaps it's just that life happens and it happens all over the place, but this girl is having trouble keeping her head above ~~the crazy amount of cheerios and toys strewn everywhere~~ water. I am hoping this new system of organizing helps this home and the sanity level of all persons living in this home.

The other board is for meal planning and my shopping lists. I don't do well when I plan a meal for each specific day, that's not flexible enough for me. I just need a list of options, so that when I go into the kitchen to start cooking I know what meals I have bought for and can cook whichever meal works best for that evening. My shopping lists are divided into groceries, costco, and walmart (which actually isn't necessarily "walmart," it's just the list of miscellaneous household items that aren't food.)

I had read the seriously life-changing book, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and if you have read that book you know why there is a journal on my wall... if you haven't read the book, seriously, read it! The journal is for counting my gifts... and I am hoping Mike will add to it too. I am also thinking it would be a great place to scribble down the cute things my kids say and do... like when I was asked if I wanted hot sauce, and I said "yes," and Addy turns to me and says in her most grown up voice, "Mom, I want the cold sauce, please." You know, the fleeting and precious "cute stuff" that I will forget 15 years from now when she's bringing dates home and I need some ammunition to scare them off with (I kid!). I know that stuff could go in a baby journal, baby book, or scrap book, but it's not handy enough and I forget by the time I got to write in the aforementioned items.

The metallic board is for quotes or scriptures or things I need to remember. It's also for love notes for me and my husband. I really don't see enough of that man and we need another way to communicate some affection.

To do something like this for yourself:

Week Planner and Meal Planner were made from old 11x14 picture frames. I took out the old pictures and mattes and used that for my guidelines for my scrapbook paper. I painted the frames to match the kitchen (and cover up what was underneath! It was screaming 1993 and not in a good way.)

You will have to come back next week if you want to see how I made the journal. wink wink

The metallic board was purchased at Walmart for $4. I bought the pencil cup there too. Cups with flat sides are ideal so you can easily mount them to the wall. The calendar was from the dollar section at Target.

Here's to a life slightly more organized!

Amanda

Thankful Thursday #6

May 24, 2012 by Amanda Conquers

This week has been busy. I am feeling a bit swamped... no really, like one must wade through a pile of papers to get to the computer, a pile of laundry to sit on the couch, and a slew of toys to get, well, anywhere in this house. Welcome to the Swampland! My name is Amanda and I will be your tour guide. I will guide you through the thick of this marshy laundry pile. Do watch out for plastic dinosaurs and various miniature farm animals lurking beneath the surface. They've been known inflict great pain upon your toes...

(Yeah, it's late as I type this. I am a little weird. Hopefully, I am entertaining if nothing else... fingers crossed. ha!)

Needless to say, my thankful list is short. Mostly because I don't have the time to edit many pictures. I know you're understanding :)

#49 Eyes to see a teeny-tiny praying mantis nymph... and the wonder of a child at it.

#50 Watching a serious-faced little girl inhale the sweet goodness of fragrant little blossoms

#51 Cherry juice lipstick

#53 The way a carwash can create an intimate family moment... and monkey faces too.

#54 The look of anticipation before I "get him" and the look of joy after I "get him."

#55 The simple fun of peek-a-boo and the way it never gets boring to a little boy :)

#56 3-year-old prayers. Addy's made-up mumble words when she prays and knowing God understands her heart. (No picture but I wanted to share it. It was one of those "wow, I am doing something right as a parent" moments. Those need to be written down for the rough days. My little girl prays, and she loves to pray! Why? Because I started letting her sit with me when I pray... and started praying out loud in my car when I drive. I may want to be selfish and keep that time all to myself, but getting to listen to her prayers is a GOOD gift. I've taught her to pray! Heart Is Singing!)

Happy Thursday Friends :)

Amanda

Comparison: Dream Killer, and 3 Ways to Keep Your Dream Alive

May 22, 2012 by Amanda Conquers

The other night, I participated in my first ever “twitter party” in an effort to get out of my comfort zone and meet some other women who are doing the same thing I am. A twitter party is essentially a glorified chat room, with a host, a topic and a bunch of people madly carrying on conversations simultaneously... all using # and @ to identify topic and person. You blink and you could miss 20 tweets. I felt overwhelmed... like sick-to-my-stomach, I-have-no-clue-what-I'm-doing overwhelmed... or, to bring a whole new definition to the word of one wise old owl, “twitterpated”... extremely and completely twitterpated.

Yeah.

What came out of it was this incredible sense of self-doubt. I was amongst twitter-pros, blogging giants, women with experience, know-how, and followings greater than my own. Women who not only maintain a blog but write books as well... and raise a family.

I felt defeated, miniscule, silly, like the 7^th grade girl in the bathroom whose nightly prayer is for boobs and a period amongst girls all complaining about their times of the month and their bra straps. I am clueless, but so desperately want to be in the know. (Side note: Why, why, Amanda, did you pray so fervently for those things? Ha!)

Have you ever been there? You have a God-given dream in your heart and desire to pursue it. You pray, you fast, you step out... and then you find others with a similar dream doing what you want to do and doing it 100x's better. You can't help but look at them and wonder what in the world you are doing here. And maybe you even go so far as to wonder why God didn't give you the same measure of talent and overall awesomeness.

The day after the Twitter party, I made the blessed mistake of leaving my Bible within the reach of my son... the son with lightening fast reflexes who can clear a side table with the swipe of one arm. I came running as I saw the boy reach for the Bible, and by the time I got to him he had already made quick work of three pages.

As I was putting the torn pages back into the Bible, my notes in the margins from ages past struck me. Big time.

God talked to me in my mess.

So let me give you a frame of reference for the notes:

Saul was the current and anointed King of Israel, but because he was disobedient God had appointed a new king to take his place, David. In this passage, David is running for his life from Saul who wants to kill him. My little revelations are from how David conducts himself when he finds Saul (who wants to KILL him, mind you) unarmed and completely helpless on two different occasions. Instead of killing Saul, David attempts to prove to Saul that he means no harm.

1 Samuel 24:6 “So [David] said to his men, 'Far be it from me because of the Lord that I should do this thing to [Saul], the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord's anointed'.”

my notes: It even bothered David to cut a piece of robe off of the one who was trying to kill him. David allowed God, who anointed them both, to be God.

David led by following God. He was NOT a man-pleaser. He didn't do what his men encouraged him to do... he sought God. Followed God.

1 Samuel 26:9 “But David said to Abishai, 'Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be without guilt?' David also said 'As surely as the Lord lives, surely the Lord will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down in battle and perish'.”

my notes: Once again, DAVID ABSOLUTELY TRUSTS GOD. Be patient, honor God's way.

David knew that he was anointed to be King... that God had a plan and a purpose for his life. And David trusted God enough to bring it to pass.

In the pursuit of my dreams I have gotten worried

-that I am not enough

-that others are better than me

-that I don't know enough

-that I need to go about everything a better way

Comparison.

It's like the track runner who looks into the lane of his competitor and begins to accidentally step over into the other lane. A sprinter has to keep his eyes focused forward so that his foot-steps are sure. A sprinter has to run his own race... in his own lane.

Photo Source

Ultimately, comparison will dis-qualify you from your God-dream. And reminder: it is God who does the qualifying in the first place.

David knew that God had chosen him to be king. He knew that Saul was still king. He knew he had to wait. He knew that God was going to work it out. He knew that he could trust God.

And there it is.

He knew that he could trust God.

He could trust God to destroy his enemy (by the way in case you are following the parallel of my circumstance or even yours... other women bloggers are not my enemies. Those with similar dreams are not your enemies. But if there is an obstacle, know that God will see you through it).

Three things to learn from David about God-given dreams:

David knew that he could trust God's word for his life. He was called. Anointed. He never questions this.

David knew that he could trust God's timing. David might have wanted it to be time, instead of running for his life. But he waited. He didn't try to rush God. Be patient and honor God's Way.

David knew that he could trust that all the waiting was full of purpose and just as important as the dream itself. David grew so much in that time of running for his life. He might not have seen it at the time, but he became a sure-footed, strong leader who trusted God fully. Also, during this time God gave David allies in his hiding places, a smoking hot wife named Abigail, children, and mighty and faithful men whose loyalty and friendship stayed with him during his reign as King. This time of my life may not be the most productive in terms of writing and pursuing the God dreams in my heart... but they are important, wonderful, purposeful, needful... and who am I anyways to determine what productive is? Is it not a God-dream that I pursue? This husband, these kids, this home, all that I am here and now IS the dream, don't miss it by looking at what other people are doing with their lives. Different people. Different times of their lives. Enjoy the NOW. Live in the NOW. Thrive in the NOW.

And Trust God.

No really, Amanda, TRUST GOD.

Run YOUR race. Be the woman you were called to be. Trust God, His Word and His timing. Know that HE will make a way.

I've got a post, maybe a couple, in the works about pursuing dreams... somethings God has totally downloaded into this brain. If you want to know how to pursue your dreams, do return!

Amanda

Thankful Thursday #5

May 17, 2012 by Amanda Conquers

Ever have weeks that aren't very busy and you aren't being lazy, but it seems you are unable to get anything accomplished?? Hi, welcome to my week. It's been full of moments that required a whole lot of joy-seeking and gratitude-giving. But, you know, joy is always worth the fight, and, yes, I think sometimes it is a fight.

One rough day VS. Joy... And only Amanda can decide who will win.
A kitchen that looks like it's been raining cocoa powder and frosting globs (you know, in writing that out I actually think that is something that is easy to be thankful for... kitchen of yum-making), a shredded scouring pad, a curious and quick son coated in blue dust, blood, a brand new dress soaking in oxy clean, 20 minutes late to deliver the surprise happy birthday love for an amazing couple, and candles forgotten. And now so thankful for the grace in the matter: it looked much worse than it was. So thankful for a distance to drive, that while it may not help with my timeliness issues, it surely allows me the chance to breathe and commune with Christ. So thankful for grace-giving people, for my 2 beautiful kids, for 2 lane roads, the beauty of my country drive, and for remembering that on a long list of to-do's, my kids should always win my attention. And Grace! Thank you God for Your Grace!

#41 For creative names straight from a little girl's imagination and a stuffed animal that's important enough to insist that we take the time necessary to ensure it's safety. Hello World, meet Dawson The Tiger [insert our last name here].

#42 Empty laundry baskets and new ways of wearing make up.

#43 Clapping for the vacuum.

#44 Busy helpers.

#45 Simultaneous zerbils and "stacks on dads"

#46 Wet eyebrows and gapped-teeth grins

#47 This sight at the end of our long grocery shopping day: precious and unprompted sibling love.

#48 The chance to relive a particular time in my life when it made perfect sense to have a butterfly mommy, a lizard daddy, a cat sister and a dog brother in the same family.

Happy Thursday friends!
I may have another post for you later today. My mom is coming to watch the kids so I can have time BY MYSELF. Whoo-hoo. I have big plans for my laptop and a comfy chair at Panera bread. We'll see how it goes. Inspiration has not been lacking. (I think I have a good 3 posts in the brain and 2 posts in the laptop unfinished.... and maybe even enough idea for a book) Time is lacking. But, that's okay. I get to choose how to spend my time and Addy and Jed WIN! :)

Amanda

Thankful Thursday #4

May 10, 2012 by Amanda Conquers

#30 Sunsets in clear skies

#31 Life friends- even though we may not live close to each other or speak often, we are always able to pick up right where we left off as though no time had passed. Oh and for hikes and friends that will help you carry your child.

#32 Mike's random days off. Few and far between, but oh how we savor them when it happens.

#33 The little girl who takes her own path.

#34 Not only did make God big, beautiful, and bright flowers, He also made teeny-tiny, intricately-wrought flowers. I am in amazement.

#35 Man. While this girl stops and smells the flowers, this man gets out his knife and sees how fast he can cut them down. I am in amazement at how different the two sexes are.