Speak Up Link Up - Wild and Freeee

Happy 2nd day of 2015, loves! I hope your year is off to a fabulous start. And if it's not, like some of mine have in the past, I hope you're feeling fully wrapped in His love and infinite grace, and encouraged by the idea that January 1st is just another day on the calendar.

I'm here to link up with Annie and Amber for the first Speak Up! vlog link up. I'm beyond excited for this, and was even more pumped when I found out the topic was wild + free. Hopefully, this vlog is the perfect way to kick off consistent 2015 blogging, yes? 

A couple disclaimers & fun facts about this vlog:

One - The sound quality is spectacular. If you're wondering how you can recreate it for yourself, just film your video on the edge of a cliff, on a windy day, directly beside a busy high way. 

Two - The comment I made about the scenic route being "just a tiny bit longer," bahaha. Try 3 hours longer. 

But totally worth it, right babe? 

Three - It's a good thing I filmed this when I did, because hours later I completely lost my voice. 100% gone. Something about the slightly sore throat or the 9 hours of singing along to the radio did me in. 

And with that, I present to you my wild + free vlog. 

Living Water

Happy Monday, lovelies! Today, I'm linking up with my friend Sybil for Make A Difference Mondays, and talking about water. 

This past weekend, some girlfriends and I ran the first annual Vines Into Water 5K up in gorgeous Los Olivos {aka: wine country}.

This race was put on by causelife, an organization that seeks to provide clean water for those in developing countries, an issue that now carries more weight in my heart after seeing its gravity first hand.

In case anyone's new around here {hello!}, I was beyond blessed to go on a mission trip to Kisoro, Uganda earlier this year. I can't even to begin to explain the effect this had on my heart. 

There were two days that our villages hosted medical clinics, where our incredible team of doctors and nurses were able to serve this community in their mission field. During these days, I saw the effects of malnutrition for my very own eyes. 

You know what else I saw though? I saw the love of Jesus at work. I saw the look of unbelievable graciousness in a father's eyes when his son received medical attention. And the look of joy in eyes that saw clearly for the first time in who knows how long with the aid of a new pair of glasses. 

His love heals. Sometimes bodies, but always hearts. And what a crazy privilege that we have to be a part of that?

Today, I want to share how you can be a part of helping to provide clean water to those who don't have access to it. The very team that I was incredibly humbled and blessed to be a part of is actively engaged in this mission, and you can join them. 

Fuel Uganda is committed to bringing Christ's love to Karamoja, Uganda through clean drinking water. Their well-drilling efforts are providing the drinking water, and Christ Himself is providing the Living water for community transformation. 

Watch the video here to see exactly what incredible things are happening over there, and be moved by the desperate need for clean water sources. 

Feel your heart tug? Get involved! You can give here, and trust me, with how Spirit-lead this organization is, you will be making a difference. 

Thankful Thursday // Week 3

Keepin' it short & sweet today. This girl's got a date with the gym at 6am, and I'll be thankful if I make it there! 
{Ba dum chhh}

Here's 5 other things I'm thankful for this week:

What are you thankful for? 

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Hello, My Name Is ...

This is my third time participating in this link up, and it's by far one of my favorites.

{Thanks, Kerrie & Kerry!} 

Each time, it causes me to really pause and reflect. What is my identity? Who am I to you, God? All good questions that I really should be asking myself each and every day. Because the answers to those questions, they change everything.

They change how we look at other people, as those we can serve instead of those who can affirm us. They change the way we serve, as something we are blessed to do instead of something we have to do. And they change the way we feel about God, turning Him from a distant big figure to a near Big Father. 

This round of Hello, My Name Is comes at a good time for me. I'm slap-bam in the middle of a season of change. The kind of change that I can feel God working in, so it's a good change. But it's also 100% something I didn't see coming, and that can cause some discomfort. I've got to re-find that perfect spot on the couch to sink into the cushions and get comfortable again. 

This change is showing me how narrow my vision can be. It's taking long term plans I had made for myself, and shattering them to create new ones. It's a beautiful process, really. But you know what I'm realizing? How much of our identity can get wrapped up in our plans. And really, how much of our identity can get wrapped up in things that aren't God. 

So I'm having to take a step back. It's my natural inclination to think everything through, to dream all the way through to fifteen years down the line, and even if it doesn't happen exactly the way I dreamt it to be, at least there's some false stability in that. 

Today, I honestly couldn't tell you what a month from now will look like. And that thought can get my heart racing. It can get my thoughts anxiously swirling around. But it also brings me to a deeper place of surrender, and puts verses like:

I cry out to God Most High, 

to God who will

fulfill His purpose

for me. 

Psalm 57:2

 to so much more meaning. The fact is, God does have purpose for my life. Whether I can imagine it, or not, that doesn't change His plans.

And so today, I find my rest in a simple, yet profound piece of my identity. 

 

I am His. My plans are His. My life is His. My identity is His.

And knowing that, my friends, is a thousand trillion times better than knowing what my life will look like one month from now. 

Thankful Thursday // Week 2

Haaappy Thursday! First thing I'm thankful for is the fact that today is my Friday! Thank goodness for flexdays. (If you're wondering what a flexday is, check out this post). 

But besides that wonderfulness, here's my Thankful Thursday list:

One // Holiday flavors at coffee shops. 

Really makes it feel like the Holiday season. And when it's still in the 70s, you can use all the Holiday feel you can get.

Two // Lipstick. 

I'm so glad I got over that "I can't pull off lipstick" self consciousness. Trying out new colors is really fun! I'm especially thankful when the lipstick is free. {Thank you, Influenster!}

If you're a lipstick fan like me, you can check out the above color right here.

Three // Fellowship. 

This week, I got a lot of sweet fellowship in. Whether it's a lunch date, a dinner date, or getting together with a community group, I just love fellowship. 

For so long, I tried to do the whole Christian thing without Christian friends. There's something so special about getting together to talk about how good our God is, and to share all of the crazy things He's doing in our lives. I need it, I crave it, and it keeps my heart right with the Lord. 

So to all my fellowship pals, thank you. I love you a whole darn lot. 

Four // This verse. 

It's been speaking some powerful truth into my life, lately. There's been some changes going on in my neck of the woods, but change that brings a whole lot of peace, and excitement. 

I'm starting to learn about what it really looks like to walk in the freedom of the Lord. And I like it, I really do. 

Five // You guys. 

Yupp, you. You who took my pictures for this post {ahem, Madeleine}. You who blasted the post out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. You who prayed. You who offered to give away an item. You who gave your hard earned money to help support this dream. 

I can't even list the way that you guys have blessed me in the past 48 hours. Almost $500 have been raised in those 2 days alone, and I officially have less than $2,000 to raise! 

That may still sound like a lot, but I know God is so ready to do this. It's my prayer that this doesn't just bolster my faith, but your's too. Some of the moments I have heard the most clearly from the Lord were when He was calling me to give financially. Those moments are so special to me, they remind me that God absolutely does talk to His children. 

I pray that everyone who hears about this Uganda fundraiser will see God through it. And you know how they're gonna see it? Through you guys. 

Thank you for showing God through you. You guys bless me more than I can say. 

What are you thankful for? Erin & I would love to hear!

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Thankful Thursday {link up}

Hello, lovelies! 

I am so excited for today's post. My beautiful friend (who I'm sure you all know!) Erin & I will be co-hosting a link up, Thankful Thursday, every Thursday in November. With Thanksgiving coming up, it seems quite fitting that we take some time to appreciate all the wonderful things that God has blessed us with. Big or small, we wanna hear em'! So get your lists, add your blog to the linky tool, and tell us what you're thankful for! 

Thankful Thursday

If you follow along on Instagram (@sweethomesb), you probably already know that I went home this past weekend. Visiting my family always leaves me feeling thankful, so you may sense a trend in this week's list. Today, we're talkin' my people. 

One // This woman. 

I would not be where I am today without my Mom. She is incredibly intelligent and analytical, and she so graciously passed down a portion of those genes to this lucky girl. I would not have been able to major in Math/Economics had it not been for her gift with numbers. 

But a good brain can only get you so far. My mom is the most hard working person I know. She is dedicated to her work; if she says she will do something, she'll do it. She taught me what work ethic looks like, putting me on the road to success from the moment I started to walk. I don't think I'll ever be able to adequately thank her for all that she has done to help me succeed in this life. 

Two // This man. 

My dad has a servant's heart like no other. He never complains about getting his hands dirty, putting in manual labor, or killing spiders. He also never complains when I take blurry photos of him. He always checks to make sure my car is in tip-top safety condition, and I'm fairly certain our pets would starve without him. Either that, or become obese from lack of walks. 

I'll be the first to admit that he doesn't get thanked nearly enough for all of the ways that he serves our family. I will never forget in college, when he drove up to Santa Barbara on Father's Day to help me move. It was the one day of the year that a father is supposed to get served, and here he was, serving me. 

Three // This guy. 

My brother is honestly, one of the best guys I know. For the majority of our pre-18 years, it was just the two of us. I've gotta say, he made growing up fun. We have the same sense of humor, which is a pretty awesome one if you ask me. He is generous, kind, and loving. He may try to pull the "I'm a cool guy" act, but I see the inner softy. 

When I was in elementary school, I had a friend over to do homework. I got thirsty, so I called out to my brother. "Mike! Will you bring me a glass of water?" I hollered through the halls. "Sure!" he called back, and just like that, water was delivered by my 5 year old brother. My friend was astonished at this behavior. "You're brother is so nice!" she said. And she's reminded me of that many times since. 

He came to visit some friends in Santa Barbara not too long ago. We got lunch, and as we were eating, I got up to get a glass of water. "I'll get it for you," he said. And just like that, he got up and did. He never grew out of that. I'd say he got my dad's servant heart, and it's gonna seriously bless some lucky woman one day. 

Four // This little lady. 

This girl. There really aren't words to describe our relationship. It is so special to me, and it inspires me to be the best role model that I can be for her. I feel like every time I go home, there are so many moments where she blesses me. 

She is constantly giving me gifts. Things that are special to her, she gives to me in a heart beat. This past weekend, she went on a camping trip with my dad. As a part of Indian Princesses (which I did when I was her age!), they exchange beads. She came home with a bag full of beads that she was so proud of. 

Before I left, she told me to pick a bead to take home. These beads were so special to her, and here she was, letting me pick one. I want to be like that, I want to freely give away the things that are special to me.  

Five // This place.

Walking the beach with my mom this weekend, I was just amazed at the beauty of this place that holds such a special place in my heart. San Diego holds so many memories, and it will forever be the place I call "home".

Not quite sure how I got lucky enough to have such an amazing family, and such a beautiful home, but I am certainly thankful for it!

What are you thankful for? 

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31days // Hope Spoken Link Up

Since this whole series was prompted by a conference, I think the Hope Spoken link up totally fits in my 31days! ;)

Today, I'll be linking up with my fellow conference attendees, and sharing a little bit about myself! If you're new here at Sweet Home Santa Barbara, hello! I'm Amy. 

{Photo taken by the amazing Megan Westmoreland}

I'm a 24 year old California girl, working as a financial analyst, blogging my nights away, and lovin' Jesus 24/7. He came and changed my life, and now I can't help but life the rest of it for Him. 

The thing I am probably most nervous about for the weekend is asking for the time off work. I know it will be fine, but I'm kiiind of worrying over the fact that I'll be taking two weeks off in January for this. Once I get that part over with, it'll be all excitement from there!

Speaking of excitement, I am sooo looking forward to reuniting with some amazing friends (like Annie & Kerrie) and excited to meet some brand spankin' new friends, too!

What I am most hoping to bring back from the conference is a better understanding of the love of Jesus Christ. I hope to feel refreshed while I'm there, have those tense shoulders relax a little bit. I can never fully grasp just how good our God is, so I hope to come back thinking to myself "dang, He's even better than I thought!"

And something fun/random about me is that I have the goal to visit all 50 states. I'll be crossing off Texas at Hope Spoken! Woo hoo!

Happy Humpday, loves!

Influence Link Up!

Today I am so excited to be linking up with my fellow Influence Conference attendees! I have been looking forward to this since I was commenting on everyone's posts last year saying "I wish I was there!!" Can't believe it's finally almost time to meet all of these incredible ladies who I feel like I already know in real life!

If we haven't already met yet, hello! I'm Amy. 

I'm a southern California girl who most commonly blogs about Jesus, fashion and running, and who only photographs at the highest quality provided by an iPhone. 

Oh, and I cannot wait to meet you!

Speaking of the conference, let's talk about the 

2 things that I will for sure have packed in my bag:

Well, the first 2 items would definitely be my Bible and my journal, but next on the list is my brand spankin' new Erin Condren life planner.

You may have already read all about my obsession yesterday, but in case you missed it, feel free to see more pics and gushing over here. 

Next would be my Sweet Home SB business cards that I made specifically for this occasion!

These bad boys have been ready to go, right in my purse ever since I got them in the mail. You might call that being prepared, but really it's just because I would forget to pack them. 

Kind of like I forgot to put my own name on my business cards. {Feel free to laugh}

But let's be real, it totally looks like I meant to add the personalized touch of a signature. ;)

Next, let's chat about the 2 things that I am most excited for. 

First and foremost is meeting so many of my closest blog friends. All in one place, at one time. I don't think it can get much better than that!

And second would definitely be the learning. Call me a textbook nerd, but I love learning. When you combine that love of learning with learning about Jesus? Well, I'll say it one more time, I don't think it can get much better than that!

Usually, I'm asking time to slow down. But I'm all for the next 2 weeks flying by. 

Happy Tuesday!

THAT Song, THAT Moment

It's here! It's here! The day that Leah and I have been super excited about for just over a week now. The THAT Song, THAT Moment link up! {If you want some more background, check it out here}

Worship is po-wer-ful. I can't even count the number of times it has brought me to my knees, tears streaming down my face, into a beautiful place of tangibly feeling God's love. That tangible feeling, that's what changes your heart, guys. 

The song I chose to share today has spoken to my heart so many times. When I first truly surrendered my life to Christ, still broken and bruised from an ended relationship, this song captivated me every time I heard it. 

No matter what I am facing, whether it's a broken heart, stress at work, fear of the future, confrontation, anything, Strong Enough by Matthew West speaks straight to my heart 

every. single. time. 

It reminds me that this thing called "life"? It wasn't meant to be done alone. 

Any trial that I face, no matter how big or small in relation to the world and others' problems, it matters to God. It all matters. 

And He will carry me through it all. 

every. single. time. 

What song speaks to you? Join in and share with us, will ya?

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THAT song, THAT moment

Good morning, lovelies! Today, I am so excited to announce a link up that I will be co-hosting with the gorgeous Leah of Beautifully Molded. 

Leah is a worship leader in her church. I am determined to hear her lead worship some day (it will happen, Leah!), but in the mean time, I will settle for reading her heart felt words on the topic. She wrote a beautiful and honest post this week called "When I don't feel like worshipping" and discussed how the Lord is so faithful to meet us in moments of worship, even when we don't feel like we're all there. 

Her post really resonated with me, as the Lord especially moved in my heart during worship this past Sunday. It was an emotionally draining weekend, to be honest. I brought myself to church in a broken state, knowing that I needed the Lord to fill my heart. The tears started flowing before the first set of worship, ya'll. Before. 

I couldn't even tell you what the first few songs were, cause I was too preoccupied with kleenexing the tears before I made my very own puddle. But then, it happened. 

THAT song came on. 

And THAT song is different every time, THAT song is God's way of expressing His love for me when my mind can't possibly understand. 

This time, it was "Oh how He loves us," and oh, how He loved me indeed. It didn't matter that most people wait until second set of worship to go kneel in the front. I brought my teary face and handful of tissues right on up to the prayer carpets, plopped myself down, and sang at the top of my lungs. 

And because I'm not very good at condensing blog comments, I pretty much told that entire story in the comments section of Leah's post. 

She had the brilliant idea that we come together and share the songs that have spoken to us at just the right moment. Because I think we all can agree that THAT song in THAT moment can make the world of a difference. THAT song in THAT moment can remind us who we are in Christ, and why we are here in this world. 

So join us next Thursday, August 15th, for a link up all about the power of worship. 

I know it probably seems like I just shared my moment, but lucky for this link up, I seem to have THAT moment all the time. How easily I forget how much He loves me, and how faithful of Him to always remind me. 

Happy Thursday, friends!

Where I Come From

Today, I'm linking up with all of the lovely ladies over at The Influence Network. I cannot wait to meet all of you in September at Influence Conference! Don't even get me started on how excited I am, cause I won't be able to stop!

So, onto today's topic: Where I Come From. 

I'm a born and bred California girl. I was raised in San Diego, where I spent the first 18 years of my life looking like this most of the time:

After high school, I picked up and moved to a little place called Santa Barbara for college. Been there ever since. 

For the record, the Santa Barbara Mission is really beautiful. Definitely a must visit if you make it out to this neck of the woods!

(Give me a shout out if you do!)

And fun fact, my parents were married there!

It's kind of funny (isn't God always funny?), but I never intended on staying in Santa Barbara after college. I planned to move closer to home, some where further south. I imagined myself in Los Angeles or back in San Diego, but never did I see myself staying here. So much so that when I was applying to jobs, I intentionally stalled on my applications for companies here in town. 

But God always has a bigger and better plan, huh? A company reached out to me and seemed very interested, and I think most people would agree that a new college grad will never turn down an interested prospect. Not in today's economy, am I right? 

So I went after the job and ended up having the most wonderful experience at my first full-time job. Here I am on job number 2 (only 2 years post college, ha! God has a thing with finding me jobs, and I won't object to that!), and still in Santa Barbara. 

If I had left town, I would have never found my incredible church. The church that taught me what it looks like to let the Spirit into your heart, to surrender your entire life, and showed me how to stand back and be amazed as God is constantly changing my heart.  

If I had left Santa Barbara, I never would have found this incredible community of brothers and sisters that inspire me, challenge me, pray for me and point me closer to Jesus on a daily basis. 

And I feel pretty darn blessed that in addition to those incredible blessings, I still get to enjoy this:

I come from So Cal, where do you come from?

Hello My Name Is... (Part 2)

This is my second time participating in this link up. Back in April, I wrote about how my name was:

I wrote about how God's love has set me free from my quest for self validation and recognition in this world. How my Savior Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross ends the vicious cycle of constantly searching for love and identity in this world. 

Funny story: when I first saw that this link up was coming back for round 2, it only took me a couple of minutes before I found what I planned to write about. I immediately had a name come to mind, and set it aside expecting to write the post when I sat down on this Thursday evening. 

But as it came time to write this post, the name didn't sit quite so well anymore. Not because it wasn't true or accurate, but just because it wasn't the best way to describe this current season of mine. 

I almost didn't want to write a post, because I couldn't think of a word to accurately depict this very diverse season that I'm facing. This season of incredible blessings, but also a season of a lot of change. And with change comes self reflection. Perhaps it's just me, but with self reflection, I often am faced staring straight at my heart, and can find things that I don't like admitting are there. 

When conflict arises, I typically describe myself as "bad at confrontation." I flee from uncomfortable situations, and because of that, I find it difficult to confront others. 

What God has shown me this week, is that I not only avoid confronting others, I also avoid confrontation with myself. I pack my days full to the brim with activities and plans, and in His kindness, God has revealed to me that I have multiple reasons for doing so. 

Yes, my main reason is because I love community and fellowship. I firmly believe that my ministry field is in lunch dates, dinner dates, coffee dates and anything with one on one interaction. Anything that lets me show a person I care about you. I want to know what's on your heart. 

But, God has revealed to me another motive behind my busy schedule. He has revealed to me that I am most definitely avoiding some confrontation of my own. 

And in this beautiful season of change that I have been blessed with, I choose to stop avoiding that confrontation. I choose to walk with my Father straight into whatever it is that I'm avoiding. Whatever fears or insecurities that I am choosing to overlook, and I say 

now God. Now, I am ready to deal with these. 

So hello! My name is Amy. I am a child set free by God's love, and I am a

Prayer Chain // Week 12

Happy Sunday, lovelies!

 

I'm fairly certain that's how I start almost every single one of my Prayer Chain posts. But you know what, that's okay! Because Sundays are happy days, and you all are lovely, right?

 

Right!

 

Glad we got that covered.

 

Today, I am feeling incredible thankful for the sweet conversations that have taken place this weekend. Conversations with my family, friends who I haven't seen in too long, and a conversation with one lovely blogger who I had the pleasure of meeting in person! {this girl}

 

And for frozen yogurt, because an abundance of that was enjoyed this weekend.

 

I hope your weekend has been equally blessed, and that all is going well in your neck of the woods.

 

Today, I ask for continued prayer that God's will would be done in my life. I pray that He pull me very close during this season of change, and that He help me to walk in faith, not fear.

 

How can we be praying for you? Melissa Jo and I would love to know! Link up a post, or shoot us a comment/email/tweet!

 

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. 

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them 

pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 

James 5: 13-14

 



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Prayer Chain // Week 11

Happy Sunday, beautiful!

Where ever you're at in your day or in your life, I'm so glad that you are finding yourself here at our Prayer Chain link up! If you're new around here, you can read about the vision behind this link up here. 

I am so blessed to co-host with the wonderful Melissa Jo, and we would love for you to join us! Share what's on your heart, either via a post, a comment, an email/tweet, anything!

We would love to pray for you! And I know the incredible ladies who have participated in this link up would love to pray for you, too!

And now, onto the praises!

For one, I mean, how beautiful is His creation? {So beautiful} Praise Jesus for that!

I also want to praise Him today for His timing. There was a lot that went down this week. A lot of changes in my immediate, near & even potentially distant future, and God is teaching me to 100% fall back on Philippians 4:6-7.

The words are true, guys. When you surrender everything to the Lord, and simply trust in Him and His timing, His peace will guard your hearts. And thank you Jesus, for that!

Prayer requests:

I ask this week that you pray that God's will be done in my life. Not Amy's will. 

As I said, there are a lot of potential (& some definite) changes in my future, so I pray that God's will would lead me through those changes. I pray that He would determine what decisions need to be made, and when. 

If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that He knows wayyy better than I do. So I want to trust that, seek comfort in that, and walk in that. 

How can we be praying for you?

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. 

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them 

pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 

James 5: 13-14

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