An Invitation

Join us
August 15th at 6pm at
 SIMPLICITY COFFEE SHOP
In Lebanon, Missouri
and hear the stories of
EMBRACING HOPE ETHIOPIA 

I introduced you to EHE just a little over a year ago when we were in Ethiopia and saw first hand the work they are doing. We want you to come and experience the work they are doing too. 

 I'm telling you, you MUST come and hear their stories, learn about these women and see what God is doing to restore their lives.  Trust me, you don want to miss it! 

The {well} call

Yesterday I had the honor of being featured on The Well Studio! This site is there to encourage and support women like you and me who want to live{well} while balancing work and pursuing God's plan for us. (check them out- you will be inspired plus the share these adorable work place Wednesdays- adorable I tell you!  I discovered The Well Studio  around the same time as the IF:Gathering and felt God pushing me.

Y'all know, seriously-I am not a writer. I have awful spelling (and by awful I mean terribly hideous) and horrible grammar ( I blame the grammar on 3 years in England during the prime years of elementary but now that I'm in my 30's and have a masters degree I am told I cant use that excuse any more). If you have noticed, I also tend to write run on sentences and use these things { } or ( ) way to much!

But, the more I read the Well blogs the more I felt "the nudge". Until finally in April I wrote from my heart and submitted it with some crazy please accept this written piece and know I am no professional. (Note- my amazing best friend Ashlee who happens to have a degree in English did me the honor of editing for spelling and function. However, I didn't hear back so I thought- Okay, not my thing, maybe the nudge was wrong.

Then last week, I got this awesome e-mail....

love love love this post! thanks for your patience in us getting back with you!!!!! we are going to get this scheduled within the next week

WHAT????????   I could not believe it....Me- the horrible speller and whacked out grammar typer... Published!!! I realize this is not like a novel or a series, however here is the deal. I was inspired, felt "the nudge" went for it and BAM... out of no where validation and confirmation! God is indeed teaching me and growing me bigger then I ever though imaginable. Now, this growth is hard, hard stuff and causes lots of anxiety for me but oh so good too. Love how God has my life in his hands!
 {Can someone please tattoo that on my forehead and my heart so I will remember
 my life is in HIS hands?-thank you}

I was super excited to share it with you. Hope you check it out and for those entrepreneurs and business peeps out there, may this encourage you to grow too!

5 ways to work a full-time job and grow a side business {well}

July 24, 2014 By Amanda Collins   <-----THAT'S ME!!!!! 

5 things that make me beautiful

Disclaimer:this is not to offend or condem, simply my own self examination of beauty. 

I saw this trending line on facebook and it stumped me. Post 5 pictures that make you feel beautiful. Facebook became plastered with women posting selfies and glammed out pictures. They tagged their girlfriends asking them to continue on the thread of posting "pictures that make you feel beautiful".

That is until one of my sweet friend really put some thought into the question. She choose not to focus on her beautiful pictures but instead the things in life that make her beautiful.

                              [While at first I avoided this knowing isn't my beauty 

                               I decided to share what I feel is.  I challenge any lady 

                               that would like to show off their beauty]

                                              -keeping her anonymous in case she wants to remain so. 

You know what she shared? 

     God's opinion
      Her church
      Her family
      Time with her daughter
      Sleep

This made me question, what does make us "beautiful" and what is "beauty". How often do we see beauty as this outward appearance- how the world sees us and defines us, rather than who we are? 

I really appreciated her take on this thread and the thought she gave to it. I think we so often times loose sight of what really makes us beautiful and instead get in our heads that our worth is created by our "beauty" and our "beauty" created by our looks. That this outward appearance defines how beautiful we are and thus how valuable we are. 

Because last time I checked I didn't pick out this face. I didn't choose to be born a red head or choose to have freckles, nor can I change having freckles. It has no determining factor on who I am or how I act other than the simple fact of melanin gathered in my skin. Why should my "beauty" be determined by something I didn't determine? 

   

                            

                                    

You know, yesterday I had an amazing evening getting to honor and pray over a sweet 13 year old girl. During this time of sharing with this new woman, the theme of beauty kept flowing in and out of our conversations. The verse was shared that really hit home with me and I hope it will hit home with you too. 

1 Peter 3:3-4

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Then I went searching with my hand dandy glossary and found this too-

1 Samuel 16:7 

....For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but The Lord looks on the heart.

       

2 Corinthians 4;16 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

I am one of the worst at worrying about how I look and certainly a personal offender of using more than one filter combined before I post a selfie or two. I'm not saying having pride or self respect is bad. Just thinking that maybe our looks don't really define who we are and what we can do which is our REAL BEAUTY! 

After all, at my funeral they are not going to talk about how pretty I was or stunningly georgeous, instead I hope they will talk about the impact I made and how I made people feel. 

So...What makes me beautiful???


         I am who God says I am. My family makes me a beautiful person.  The impact I may have on others. The the way I make others feel. My ability to laugh constantly {which may often time lead to snorting} 

                    

Until next time, 

   

          -Amanda 








  


        

Late night meanderings

Some things on my mind (in no particular order)
   WARING -This is what you get when I am all wound up on coffee and my ADHD is running rampant at 11:40pm.


We are already a week into July and I have very few weeks of summer left! Aahhhh.....How am I "intentionally" spending my days?


I started running again today and I feel great. For motivation, I drive where I just run to see how far I go. Something about that inspires me. What inspires you?


I love reading the #styleforjustice updates on the Noonday Rwanda blogger trip and pretending I am right there with them. Amazed at how little I really knew about the genocide that occurred. See how much you can learn too.


Because I ran, I am now hungry.


Still struggling for God's whole plan for my life. Don't you wish he could give us like little previews for where he has you going?


Remembering not to focus on my "whole life" and trying to just live in the moment and rest.


Yes, I should rest (after all I did run today) and eat.


I have only bought Starbucks once since my last blog post....When I think of starbucks I now associate it with kids, hungry and lonely. How is it I so easily forget? (And yes- for those of you thinking- my coffee money has been redistributed to a better cause).


With our garden, I have enough squash and zucchini to feed an army- so we are sending it to the army of missionaries. New tribes- I hope you like your veggies!


Embracing Hope Ethiopia will be here in a month, cant wait to share their story with you!


I really have some cute kids, just saying,


Chickens (IE- my free range chickens) are dumb. We are now down to 4, apparently they love our car tires.


Three of our four children have been in the ER multiple times this past 4 weeks and two of the four had surgery but yet not one has had a viral bug-crazy! Another tidbit, I have been to or consulted with doctors at least three times each week this summer and we don't even have dental appointment's yet.


Hmmm...how well did my kids brush their teeth?


Okay, It is now midnight, I must go to bed.


Night,


   -Amanda

Waste

For this week I already was at an advantage. We have been raising 4 chickens free range style since they were little baby chicks and we now get about 4 eggs a day and have added three more chickens to our flock. So the hubs and I decided to plant a garden this year. After a weekend of us {okay G} tilling and pulling weeds we had a garden all set up. I was so excited as we picked out organic seeds and planted them in the earth {I did not listen to my husband who says organic is just a word liberals made up to charge more}.....

Every few days we tend to our garden. Check it out! 

I felt like the previous work was kind of a cheet so I dug a little deeper into this whole "waste reform" and tried to fast harder from waste. I worked hard to buy concentrated products and add wart like soap and cleaners. I already make my own laundry detergent but we did do a huge recycling run and burned a large set of boxes. I did try to recycle cans one night when we had over 50 people at our house but it soon became overwhelming and I gave up. What does that say about me? I care about the world and the environment, but only when it's convenient to me? I think that point it the basis of in his study. 

Jen Hatmaker had us read from Job and Isaiah. I loved reading about our Creator in Job 38:1-15. I think this week started to hit home for me when in Isaiah we read about desolation and waste from plundering. I realized I may not be responsible for changing the world but I am responsible for my actions and my decisions. To be a STEWARD instead of a CONSUMER! I am going to continue to try my best to recycle out old packaging, continue donating our clothes, keep working on our garden and creating our own food and visiting the farmers market for more local foods. (Which we did however we also brought back cookies, bread and pie!) 

I think Jen sums it up pretty well when she shares the quote 

        

           "If we believe it is part of our task as earth keepers to recycle, then we ought to recycle, 

              whether or not it will change the world. Do the right thing .... Our calling simply depends 

               on our own identity as God's response-able human image bearers." 

A different kind of blog today

I have to take a short break away from my 7 journal to share what is on my  mind.....


I am struggling right now. I am. I have been able to follow along and communicate with one of my friends who is in Ethiopia adopting right now. We are so close to our one year anniversary of having N home and the memories and emotions are flooding back to me. I remember the way the country smells of burning wood, petroleum and dirt. The sounds of the city with the bajaj's running around late into the night along with the chickens crowing and the chanting of the priests. Most of all I remember the people. The love they have for one another and the desperate need to access resources. Each person that I met on the street or in the mission groups that we met had a desire to work and to support themselves, they just lacked the resources to do so. Sometimes that was be medication to help them well, a way to send their child to school or an ability to do a job or just simple access to food and water.

I have heard a story about a 5 year old little girl who, like so many street kids, has been abandoned outside one of the guest houses. She is there getting food from people at the guest house but that is the extent. You see, as I have shared before, there is no DFS to call. No one to whisk her away within 24 hours and take her to a foster home or a hospital to get checked out. No family to call and have them come pick her up. This is the story of so many children, the story that could have been our sons. This story is told day in and day out by living, breathing individuals just like you and like me and like our children.

I am compelled to do something. I am so angry at myself for forgetting what I saw and what I experienced. Has my life changed since Ethiopia- absolutely! We partner with several groups in Ethiopia to help children like this little girl and I am part of Noonday where I can share the message of poverty around the world, but is that all I can do? Is there not something more????

How dare I get Starbucks coffee three times a week when I could be using that money to help provide resources for other families. I am overwhelmed at the injustice that is MY FAULT. I have allowed myself to go back home, love on my family, do a little difference here and a little difference there...but how have I changed? All my fancy drinks and nice things aren't bad, but how are they making a difference?

I don't need your justification or your pity. I don't need your way to go's or your criticism. What I need is a wake up to be reminded- this life is only temporary. That I am called to love others as Christ loves us. That means I cant just forget these people. I am called to Ethiopia, to Africa- I know it in my bones. You may be called somewhere completely different and that is okay. No judging, just eye opening but we have to do something !!! 

In the great words of Anna Voskamp- We are the Esther Generation! We must MOVE!

                          " There is a whole Esther generation rising right here 

                                and now and it is us....

 

Who are done with easy

Who know that being like Christ and caring for the poor in body and soul

Means more than just caring about easing our consciences

It means living real sacrifice

That we may BELIEVE and LOVE and PRAY and FIGHT and REST and LIVE!"

 

 

 

{For those of you compelled like me to help this little girl: Individuals are moving and working towards helping her and getting her connected to resources in Ethiopia that can take care of her. But, for every one of this little girl are a hundred more right in that same situation} 

 

 

 

Week Four: Media

Hello...my name is Amanda and I am addicted to Facebook.

 This week was on Media. The premise being how much of my time do I fill up with "media" i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, E-mails, Chat Groups, Movies, TV, Music. This list could go on and on.

I spend so much of my day on the computer at work and for Noonday that I really had to think about this one. So here was my rules:

1.  Only check my personal e-mail 2x a day.
2.  30 minutes of "personal"time on the Internet (so facebook, instagram combined)
         (This one I really dogged around on because I used the need to post about Noonday
         things as a "work" reason for being on Facebook so I still allowed 30 minutes of personal time.
3. The 30 minutes must occur AFTER the little ones go to bed and AFTER I spend quality time
         with just the big kids. 
4.  No TV
5.  No movies


I did follow this for a week...and I epically failed!!!! As in, failed with in my first hour.

The first day I was in such a habit I actually checked my personal email like three times before 11am. I don't even have that many emails but I'm so afraid to miss one. You would have thought I was waiting for a email from publishers clearing house.

By the time I got home I reminded myself of the rules and had no problem with TV or movies but the computer taunted me. I mean, I think at one point it started calling my name. I had fun with the kids but secretly counted down my time to be on Facebook. Then once I was on there I couldn't think what to do first. My time flew by and before I knew it I was only half way through my news feed. (Oh the humanity!)

By day three I started to get come control on the Facebook cravings. I would notice as I waited in the drive through lane I instinctively picked up my phone to check face book. It had become by go to boredom fighter.  That's when I think it became a game changer for me.

I haven't always had access to the Internet.We only joined the smart phone club about 3 years ago so what did I do before all this access to media? I may have missed knowing that a friend of a friend got a new car or one of my co workers went to the beach. But what I was really missing was quality time. I had allowed media to sneak into the little moments of time that I use to spend with my children doing songs or rhyming games or just chatting about their lives.I was missing the nightly check and connect with my husband each night because he was watching Fox News (his other wife) and I was on my tablet.

I'm still working on this little addiction of mine. I know there is a problem and I have to daily think of what is truly important in my life. Ultimately I'm thinking what do I want my kids to do with their free time. If they see me with media all the time, then what am I showing them. There were some good blogs on this...if only I had more than 30 minutes I'm sure I could find them :)

Keeping it real y'all,

    -Amanda