Author Archives: Amy

Amy is the wife of 17 years to her own Mr. Incredible, and mom to one princess/artist 6-year-old girl and one politician/preacher 10-year-old boy. She is a recovering perfectionist that you will usually find speaking at Epilepsy Awareness programs, volunteering at her children’s school, updating her Facebook status , or writing about faith, music and epilepsy at her blog .

Rest Area Closed

rest area closed3

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31)

I was helping her wash her hair in the bathtub when it happened. I was called out by my 9 year old. Once again, we were rushing to get ready to go somewhere and as usual, I was hurrying her along. While “discussing” the fact we were running late, she said it. “Mom, I don’t want to be like you, you are always tired and irritable because you are always running around too busy and in a hurry. You need to rest more.”

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No More Tangled Messes

I stood at the bathroom counter having the same argument with my daughter for what seemed like the 100th time. The conversation went something like this:

“But I don’t want to wear my hair that way!”
“Why not, it looks cute.”
I don’t care, I don’t like it.”
“I don’t care if you don’t like it; you are wearing it like this.”
“But, Why?!”
“Because you have pictures today and I want them to be cute.”
“But they are my pictures!”
“Actually they are my pictures of you because I’m paying for them.”
“Well I don’t care. I’m not wearing my hair like this!”

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At The End Of My Rope

As a wife, mother, daughter, friend, speaker, writer, Bible study teacher, school volunteer, (the list could go on) I sometimes feel pulled in a thousand different directions. I have responsibilities in each of these areas and it’s often difficult to juggle them all. There are days I find myself paralyzed, not sure which item to tackle first on my never-ending list of things to do. I feel like I’m hanging on the end of my rope. Can any of you relate?

It is during these times of feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed, that I sometimes slip into the trap of negative self-talk.

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The Blessing

The man opened the mail and couldn’t believe what he saw. A jury summons, for the week before Christmas, one of the worst off all times to be called to service. With so much to do before the holidays, he couldn’t believe he would have to spend every day, possibly in a courtroom. He was a person who believed everything that happened to him had a purpose, so as he went to the courthouse each day, he asked God what in the world he had planned for him. Why did he need to be there this particular week? Could there possibly be any good reason?

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The Morning Circus

Are there days you feel you could be a better parent? Do school and church mornings start like a circus at your house?

Earlier this year, I vowed our morning “getting ready” time was going to run more smoothly – you know, to avoid the three-ring circus. I began to pack lunches and book bags and lay out clothes the night before.

“I’ll have more patience,” I promised myself. “I won’t be so quick to yell.” Unfortunately, the promise was broken. Even with the advance preparation I carefully executed, I still had to raise my voice to the level of surround sound for my children to listen and obey.

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Sitting Still

My seven-year-old daughter has quite a bit of energy. In fact, she almost never sits still. Unlike my son, she is not the type to cuddle up on the couch and snuggle. She would rather be running around the house or playing in the yard. Many days I find myself asking her, “Would you please sit still for just a few minutes?”. My husband says she’s just like me. She always has to be doing something.

A few days ago, she woke up early and came to my bedroom. I invited her to climb into my bed and snuggle. To my surprise, she did.

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God Cares About the Details

Ever had those days when you felt you were throwing up emergency prayers that seemed unimportant in the big scheme of things? You know the ones. “Lord, please let me find my car keys or I’m going to be late, again.” “Lord, please let me find a parking place close to the door, because I have to get these children and all this stuff in that store quickly in the rain.” “Lord, please let my child sleep through the night, because I have to get some sleep.”

If you are a mom, I’m sure you’ve prayed one or more of these prayers on some occasion.

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Why?

If you have children, you are probably familiar with the stage they go through where everything has “why?” attached to it.

“Why is the sky blue?” “Why do dogs bark?” “Why do I have to go to bed?” It’s been some time since my children have been through this stage, but they still ask why quite often. Usually it’s when I tell them they can’t do something.

Last night I was at Redbox renting a movie. There was a father with two boys who looked to be about ages 6 and 12. They kept suggesting movies to rent to which the father would reply no, and then they would argue, “But why can’t we watch that movie, Daddy?”

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