Go, in the Strength You Have...

Our God is SO amazing!

Our God is so good!

Our God is ..........indescribable, at times.

My family is finally coming to a turning point in our lives.  I won't reveal details just yet, but it has been over a year long in the making.  God has been speaking to Seth and I, and preparing us little by little for this point in our life together.  We are both so excited, yet we are clinging to a bit of fear;  fear of the unknown, I guess.

We know God will take care of us and provide for every need.  We trust that God will honor our decision to step out in faith even if it isn't a perfect step.

So, why are we holding on to a smidgen of fear?  Aren't we past this?  *Sigh*

As we sat and worried if our decision was the right one or not, we turned to God and just asked Him.
He answered:

"Go in the strength you have...am I not sending you?"          Judges 6:14 

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."  2 Timothy 1:7

Amazing!  I would call that a clear response from the Father; wouldn't you?

I will share more about this awesome time in our life as the story continues to develop.  Seth and I appreciate any and all prayers as we seek God's face in this next chapter of our life together.  All I can say is that it is VERY exciting and God is SO VERY good!

More details to come soon... :-)

Thanksgiving Week: Post by Ann Voscamp via (in)courage

I feel led to share a fantastic post about Thanksgiving to round out my month of thankfulness this year.  The following post is from the (in)Courage website.  Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts, published a post at that particular site, and it is amazing.

I want to share it with you all.  Please click on the link below & take a few moments to read her posting.  You will see Thanksgiving in a new light!

Also, if you like her writing, please subscribe to Ann's blog.  Also, (in)Courage is a great community to join filled with wonderful Christian women.  You may want to consider that as well.


Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!


Click here --->  Because Thanksgiving is More than a Holiday

Day 16-17: Thankful for the RCBC Youth Group

RCBC Youth Group 2011---Such sweet kids!

Days 16-17:  Today I want to throw out a little mention about our church's youth group.  I am so very thankful for them.  The picture above is of most of the kids in our group at summer camp.  I do not have a current picture of the whole group.  That is something I definitely need to work on.

Yes, my husband is the youth pastor so therefore I am heavily involved in the group; but, this group has something special.  The only thing they really all have in common is that they live in Brown County in Texas and they love the LORD.  The 35-40 kids we have in our youth group represent 7 different schools and 4 different towns.  It's really cool how they all come together despite all of the school rivalries to worship God.

They are such a blessing to teach and to spend time with.  All of our youth workers would agree that these are some special kids; but I'm sure most youth pastors/workers think that about their group.  They just meld together so well and love to worship and learn together.  We don't have a bunch of kids staring back at us for an hour or so.  These kids engage in the conversation and hunger for knowledge of the Word.  Awesome!

I love the "A-Ha!" moments when I (or someone else) is teaching them God's Word, and they GET it.  That is worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears we put into that ministry!!!  Praise God!

This is the "theme scripture" for our youth group out at Rocky Creek Baptist Church:

"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity."  Psalm 133:1

This is probably a more realistic picture of the group. Haha!

Thank you, Rocky Creek Youth Group, for making ministry so much fun!  Love you all.

Are you in involved in an amazing youth group at your church?  If you are, I am so excited for you and I will keep you fervently in my prayers.  If you aren't, I am positive that the youth Pastor would welcome volunteers at any time.  God Bless!

Day 15: Thankful for Technology

Day 15:  I have been gone for almost a week.  Life has come and stood in my way of doing a lot of things this past week.  I have spent the weekend just trying to regain my footings and get going again.
But, I am back now. Yay!

Technology.  What do you think of when you hear that word?  I think of the newest electronic gadget or vehicle.  Technology is so cool!  It definitely makes life a LOT easier.

This is my iPhone.  My husband has been so sweet to me over the past few years and bought me 2 different iPhones.  This thing is awesome (despite the dog-chewed upper edge of the case)!  Technology in a maximum capacity.  I do everything on this device:
1.  Make calls/text
2.  Internet
3.  Notes/Reminders
4.  Calendar of the family events
5.  Calculator & other cool tools
6.  Weight Watchers App to track my food, etc. (So cool!)
7.  Bible App when I don't have my bible around./ Read books (Also cool!)

The list could continue on, but I'll spare y'all.  I'm sure many of you have a smart phone and love it just as much as I love mine.  Most of us have come to depend on these things.  In fact, if I accidentally leave the house without my iPhone (eek!), I will turn back to get it or jump through a lot of hoops to get it sometime during the day.  I actually can live without it, but it just makes life so much easier for me.

Why aren't we that way with the Word of God?

I'm not saying you have to carry your Bible around everywhere you go, but why isn't it such a priority that we will jump through all kinds of hoops to get into it and study it?  Some of you may have that discipline already established in your life, and that is FANTASTIC.  I commend you for that; but so many people put studying God's Holy Word off until the very last.

This should be the most important thing we do.  Studying/reading God's Word should rank #1 on the list (right above "Remember your smart phone when you leave.", "Eat.", and "Take care of your kiddos.")

Do you do that?  Is God's Word high on your list of priorities?

If it isn't, it can be.  God is waiting to commune with you.  He will bless you and your efforts.  And.......I'm pretty sure you will handle your day better when you make HIM a priority.

Turn around.  Go back and get into the Word.

Day 9: Thankful for......electricity!

Day 9:  Today, I am thankful for the wonderful convenience of electricity.  The picture above is of the ugly  convenient outlets on one of my office walls.  Where would I be without these ugly convenient outlets, though? I really couldn't do very much...

We, as Americans, tend to take such things for granted.  We need power; we look for the outlet; plug in the plug, and magically, the device comes to life.  This amazes me---probably because I don't get how electricity works.  It makes no sense to me!  The ironic thing is that my husband's trade is as an electrician and my brother is a master electrician.  Maybe THAT'S why I don't understand it---they are both  withholding the info from me.  Maybe not.

Can you imagine life without electricity?  Feel free to comment below.

"Jesus said, 'You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.'" (John 1:50)

Days 7-8: Thankful for family

"You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours." Psalm 128:2

For Days 7-8, I am thankful for each of my family members.  My husband and the 2 kids we share are everything earthly to me.  I think I have the best family, but I 'm pretty sure most Moms think that about their own family.

• Seth and I have been married 16 years, 164 days, & 18 hours.  I love this man dearly.  We really have become "one."  It's awesome!  He accepts me for me, and then continues to love me in spite of my shortcomings.  He's big and strong, yet soft and gentle.  My love.....thank you LORD!

• Jordan is my daughter.  She is intelligent (top of her class!), athletic, loves the LORD so very much, and can be so gentle and patient.  She is very responsible. In fact, I consider her my "external brain"--if you know what I mean.  This child sometimes is my personal assistant.  If I forget, she will remind me.....and I forget things more and more these days. Ha Ha!  She's perfect.  She's such a blessing from God.  I just wanted to be a good Mama and for God to give me a good child.  Jordan isn't only good, she excellent.  My baby girl--15 years old this Nov. 18th--my "punky."

• Hunter is my boy.....and boy-o-boy what a boy he is!  God took all of my brother and all of my husband and condensed them down into one small, yet explosive, boy.  He is all boy, all the time!  He is so very different from Jordan.  Hunter has been moving and constantly going since I was pregnant with him.  He beat me up on the inside with all the kicks and twists.  Then, he was born so fast (but, a day late!) that his little face bruised.  He hasn't stopped moving since. Just perfect! He's quick physically and mentally.  He loves the LORD and always asks the "hard" questions.Very intelligent--he wants to build robots when he grows up......that is, AFTER his NFL career.  He will be 13 on Friday.  My, how time has flown by!  Such another awesome blessing from God!

How can one Mom be so very blessed?


My heart goes out today to those Moms who have yet to have children and to those who have lost children.  I do not pretend to know what that is like, but I do realize how wonderfully blessed I am to have 2 beautifully healthy kids.  I also understand my huge responsibility with these kids.


My prayers go out to you today!

Days 5-6: These are a few of my favorite things...

For the weekend, this is a list of "a few of my favorite things!"

10 of my favorite November things, to be exact. So, without further ado....

Amy's 10 Favorite November Things

#10.  Football!  I especially like football in November because the weather is much cooler.  My family and I head to the game with blankets, gloves, hot cocoa or coffee, and have a great time. I really like watching my son Hunter (left, in the green)  play football.

http://pinterest.com/pin/209443947/

#9.  Thanksgiving!  I am a Texas girl, and we do everything BIG in Texas.....including Thanksgiving!  I love all of the family and the yummy food.  A new tradition that Seth, the kids, and I have adopted is to serve and deliver Thanksgiving meals to the needy.  I think it's a great way to give back since we have been so very blessed.

http://pinterest.com/pin/186124735/

#8.  Autumn!  My favorite time of the year.

http://pinterest.com/pin/172132182/

#7.  Pumpkin Pie!  Need I say more?  *sigh*

#6.  Next month will be Christmas!  I know that sounds UN-glorifying to November; but the day after Thanksgiving means that the Pitman house will be all decorated up for Christmas!  So much fun.

#5.  Fall Colors!  I love the warm earthy tones that November beckons in.  Oranges, warm browns, dark reds (my favorite), and creamy whites.  Beautiful!

http://pinterest.com/pin/223609733/

#4.  I love the SMELL of November.  Crisp leaves in the air.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, and spice.  Warm creamy cocoa.  Pumpkin pie, turkey, hot rolls, cornbread dressing.......it all smells wonderful!

#3.  Veteran's Day!  November 11th is a day that means so much to me.  One reason is that my family and Seth's family both have a rich military heritage--to include my hubby, Seth.  My sister currently serves in the Air Force and I am very proud.

#2.  Wardrobe change!  I love pulling out the cold weather clothes.  Scarves, hats, boots, gloves, and jackets find their way into the front of my closet.  My favorite coat is a scarf and/or my olive green, wool, waist-length pea coat.  It fits perfect, is so warm, and I got it for a great price!  Bliss...

#1.  Of course I have to save the best for last......My kids!  My son's birthday is November 11th (Veteran's Day), and my daughter's birthday is November 18th.  This year, my son Hunter will be 13 and my daughter Jordan will be 15.  My blessings are teenagers.......LORD help us!  So goofy all the time, and such a GIFT from God.

Day 4: Warmth

Source: dreamhomediy.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Day 4:  Today, I am thankful for such luxurious warmth in my home, in my car, and where I work. It has gotten pretty cold here in Texas the past few days.  All I have to do is push a few buttons and I can be warm in no time (with virtually no threat of fire burning me up.)
There are so many folks in the world that do not have this luxury.  Thank you LORD that you spoil me and my family so much with HEAT.  Such a blessing!

Here's a scripture relating to warmth.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech;   night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;    nothing is deprived of its warmth."  Psalm 19:1-6

What makes you warm?  Hot cocoa?  Crackling fire in the fireplace?  Your favorite blanket?

Comments welcome below!

Day 3: Thankful for God's Word

Day 3:  Today, I want to touch on how wonderful and living God's Holy Word is.  A dear friend of mine and I have been consciously observing the living aspect of God's Word in our day-to-day lives for a few months now.

Let me tell you--it is AMAZING!

In our daily lives, God has been making His presence known very clearly.  We could be struggling with something, and then BAM!-a scripture somehow finds its way in front of us.  Whether we catch a glimpse of a picture, or a book, or checkout a website, God's Word always finds its way into our line of site to respond to our "issue."

That is something only God can do.  If you ever wonder "Is this really from God?", you don't ever need to doubt the validity of God's Word speaking to you.

This is what I read this morning on Lysa TerKeurst's blog:

"I will never doubt the power of a simple note again.  Especially when it contains God’s word that will go forth and will accomplish things human reasoning can’t. I love that about God’s word."  (from http://lysaterkeurst.com/2011/11/the-scribbled-truth-that-changed-my-life/ )

I love that too!  I love how I can receive a card in the mail that contains a scripture verse.  It was written days before, but it speaks to me in THAT exact moment.  It is so amazing how God works.  Such a blessing!

My dear friend Traci and I have a mental picture to go with times like these when God is speaking directly to us.

Think of a beautiful spring day.

A lovely cool breeze.

Your bare feet running through a field of perfect daisies.

Source: dosfamily.com via Prudence on Pinterest

I call it my "field of daisies" times.  Traci knows exactly what I mean.  I hope you have something similar to describe that beautiful conversation between you and our Heavenly Father.  Something that will minutely describe what your heart feels like when God speaks to you so clearly.  It's such an awesome, indescribable place to me.  The field of daisies is my feeble attempt at describing that feeling; but it works for me.

Do you have a "feeble attempt" at describing God's grace in speaking to us?

I welcome comments at any time!

Day 2: Thankful for my husband, Seth

Seth at Cowboys Stadium

Day 2:  This is my husband, Seth.  I love him so very much--he is my best friend. We got married right out of high school and have been married nearly 17 years.  The success of our marriage these days is extremely rare.  We have grown up together, been through the military together, are raising 2 teenagers together (prayers please!), and now I assist him as he pastors the youth of our church.

Absolute....*bliss*....(sigh).

Life has not always been great, though.

We have had lots of ups and downs; but the one thing that has always kept us together on the same track is God.  We have learned to keep Him in focus through our everyday life, and especially when we are going through tough times as well as wonderful times.

Forgiveness has been a key in our marriage as well.  I'm not going to embellish and say that it is easy.  It's not.  But, since Seth and I are both believers, we have been forgiven of our sins by Christ.   How could we not forgive when we fail each other?

Renee Swope is talking about "I'm such a failure..." in chapter 7 of her book, A Confident Heart.  She says:

"How many times has the enemy used a little distraction to lead you into a pattern of destruction and then condemned you for it?" (pg. 123)

That happens a lot.  We start having a bad day; or HE is not doing things the right way; or, I can't seem to do anything to please HIM.  We start to feel like a failure.  All of a sudden, this marriage thing is too hard.  Maybe we should give up.

Jesus says in the Bible:

"Let any one of you who is without sin cast the first stone."  (from John 8:6-8)

Don't ever let Satan win and just give up.  We all fail at some point--whether it is in our personal life, our  marriage, or our job. Ask forgiveness and freely give forgiveness where it is needed.  Ask God to help you do that very thing, because it is hard.  You can't do it alone.  Supernaturally, God works in our lives and helps to change our hearts to be able to forgive freely. It is amazing!

Seth and I have become better with forgiveness--with God's help.  God can do amazing things in your marriage if you and your spouse will just let Him have the reigns.  It can be better than you have ever dreamed!  We have to remember that Satan wants to tear us down.  God wants to build us up.

I love you Seth, and I always will.  I am so thankful to be able to go through life with you!

"I have found the one whom my soul loves."(Song of Solomon 3:4)

Day 1: Thankful for Renee Swope

(This was yesterday's post and life happened, so I never got it published.  It's amazing how that happens sometimes!)

I decided, coming off the heals of "31 Days of A Confident Heart", that I would participate in the "Days of Thanksgiving" that many of my friends and family members are doing right now.  I think I will relate it to the Bible study that a group of us are doing surrounding Renee Swope's book A Confident Heart.

Day 1:  I am thankful for Renee's obedience in writing this book.  As many of you know and have experienced, it is tough sometimes to be fully obedient.  Satan is prowling around like a lion waiting to devour us.  Our dear friends tend to discourage us inadvertently.  Our family may distract us from completing the task God has asked of us.
That is why I am thankful for Renee.  Despite how tough it may have been at times, she relied on God's strength and guidance in order to write a fantastic book that touches the hearts of many women around the world.

She also has a wonderful blog that I currently follow that is great as well.  You can check it out here.

Thank you Renee!  Thank you for being so obedient to God's calling on your life.  Thank you for spelling out the hope for a confident heart that we can have when we trust in Jesus.