Sweet Home Santa Barbara

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

31days // The Introduction

It's 12:15AM, and I literally just walked into my house. I just got off the plane that took me home from my Influence Conference + Chicago 5 day long adventure, and even though my body is craving my bed, my heart is craving this laptop. Ever since the very first night in Indianapolis, all I wanted to do was pour out my thoughts onto a blank Blogspot screen. And so here I go. 



I have so many pictures like those two above. Pictures that make my heart swell with love for these women who I was blessed enough to spend a weekend with. Pictures with people who once were strangers, and by all normal standards, still should be. Pictures with people who live scattered across various states, with various accents and various lifestyles. 

And I am blessed to call these women my friends because we have one thing in common. 

I'm sure a word that may come to mind is blogging, but that's not the one I'm referring to. It may be true, but there's another word that is truly responsible for these incredible friendships. And that word is Jesus


This weekend was incredibly powerful for me, for so many reasons. Yes, the teaching was wonderful. Yes, it was mind blowing to get to hug so many of my closest friends for the very first time. And yes, I am fairly certain I broke the world record for the amount of Starbucks to be consumed in a 5 day period. 

But the real reason that it was powerful? Was because Jesus met me in the middle of the beautiful chaos to speak straight to my soul. In the middle of a room full of hundreds of women, I felt His presence so profoundly that it brought tears to my eyes, each and every time. 

I looked around the room and saw my people. And that brought tears to my eyes, because I was reminded that not too long ago, I wouldn't have felt that way at all. Not too long ago, I would have stood in a room full of women on fire for Christ, and felt like the outsider. I would have wanted to fit in, I maybe would have tried. But I would have felt like a phony, and I would have walked straight out of that room full of Jesus, back to my world full of sin where I felt comfortable. 

As I realized how different my world looks now, the weight of it all sat on me. Not the kind of weight that is a burden, sitting on your shoulders. The kind of weight that you feel as you become overwhelmed with the realization of how much Jesus loves you. And that weight, I hope to carry my entire life. 

My world is different because Jesus Christ came crashing through the walls that I had build around my heart. My life has radically changed because He so graciously poured truth into a mind that desperately needed it. 

Once you've seen how incredible our Savior is, it's impossible not to crave more. I once looked to the world for comfort and acceptance, and found myself tangled in my own messy broken heart. But now, I find myself craving Jesus, and in turn, craving purity, holiness and righteousness, things that I never thought would be attainable for a sinner like me. 

And the truth is, they're not, and they won't be until I meet my Savior face to face. But what's changed between the past and the present, is the lesson that 
just because they're not attainable, doesn't mean you don't strive for them. 

So now, I do strive. And I fail, a lot, but I keep striving
And that, my friends, has changed everything. 

I'm joining the 31 Days challenge with Nesting Place, writing for 31 days on one topic. I wasn't gonna do it, it sounds a bit daunting. But the Lord made it pretttyy darn clear what I'm writing about, and I'm up for the challenge. I don't have a schedule, I don't have a plan. I'll just be praying my little heart out, and plopping myself on the floor with my laptop once a day to see what happens. 

My topic? Right here:


Until tomorrow, lovelies. 

14 comments:

Tiffany said...

Beautiful words, lovely writing!~ Excited to read more during the next #31days!

. said...

So beautiful, Amy. You should be a writer, you have a wonderful way of explaning things into words on paper or in this case on your blog.

So happy you are home. You are a special child of God. ❤

Too Many Brain Tabs said...

SO excited to see how your #31days series evolves! :)

Heather Leigh_A beautiful ministry said...

Love this girl!! I can actually feel the excitement for your post. I'm soo hoping I can go next year. :)

Julie said...

SO beautiful Amy! I can't wait until I'm right there worshipping next to you, girl! I could relate 1000000 percent when you said that not too long ago, you would have felt like the outsider. It's crazy how Jesus changes hearts and lives so radically. He truly is AMAZING! My heart was so full reading this post today. Love you!

P.S.- I cannot wait to read your heart about purity this month! So excited :)

The Pink Growl said...

I can't wait to read what you have!

Leah said...

love your heart girl. i so wish i could have given you the tightest hug and prayed with you. one day though!

Jennifer said...

Oh my gosh! I am so so excited to read your posts on this subject. Love your heart, girl! Can't wait!

xoxo

katie_shannon said...

I am so excited to read all about this! God is using you in BIG ways girls, so blessed to have met you!!!

Susannah said...

I'm so glad you had such an amazing, God filled time!!! What a complete blessing!

Unknown said...

Amy I was so blessed to meet you and so many other amazing women there I could totally relate to your words about how you would have felt like an outsider not too long ago but Jesus came crashing in and changed you he has done the same for me!

Courtney said...

ahhhhh. seriously. I'm just sitting here sighing, grateful for our time together. I'm excited for you to move forward in the month to come! xoxo

Annie said...

love this. love you more. miss you much. is it march yet?

Kerrie Williams said...

I read this on my phone earlier but had to come by and leave a comment saying how much I LOVE YOU and I am over-the-moon happy that we got to room together this weekend. I'm thankful that I got more time with you than I really did anyone else. I'm thankful for our talks and for the gospel-conversations and life you spoke into me from the starbucks line to yoga to the hotel room floor. I just love ya. :)