One Year of AmazingGrace.Life
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations..."
- Matthew 28:19
When Shannon and I wrote the children's book, Amazing Grace, I had no idea it would end up in countries all over the world! In the past year we have printed 110,000 copies of the Amazing Grace book. It has been printed in 6 languages so far, and more are in the queue. It makes me smile to receive emails from children, one even from as far as Sudan. I can't believe our little books are in the hands of children in Africa, Korea, Albania, Cuba, Guatemala, India and Germany. I felt like the Lord impressed on me to take it to a higher level, and that's when we began AmazingGrace.Life. The educational and informational website came first, then we started with social media. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the driving force of the ministry. In the past year, we've had 50,000 people come to the website! On Facebook, over 3.6 million people have been reached! People... this is ONLY something GOD can do!
Serving the Amazing Grace book with lunch at Village Oaks with Behind Every Door
Whenever there is a disaster like a tornado, hurricane, flood, or even police shootings, we post photos from the area and ask people to pray for the victims. I believe prayer is the most powerful action we can take when a crisis occurs. When large groups are praying for the same thing, I believe it unites people, and I know it glorifies the Lord and brings peace to the victims.
I feel like the Lord has called me to "enlarge my territory" for the sake of unbelievers. My goal is to expose the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. If they knew how the Lord can bless them, and change their lives, they would run to Him, seek Him, and ask Him to be Lord and Savior of their life!
My hope is that by this time next year, we will have quadrupled the number of people reached! To God be the glory and may his Amazing Grace fall upon you!
Peace and blessings,
Amy
Give Your Worries to God
Sometimes it feels like I'm watching speed skaters racing down the ice, wondering if they will careen off the edge. Or maybe it's the horses running the Palio in Siena checking against the corners on the cobblestone streets. Life can feel like a roller coaster, especially when juggling work, friendship, charitable pursuits, and stewardship of three almost adult children. My most important job is answering the summons, "Mama!"
Launching the first two of my beautiful children happened at light speed. One minute they needed my help with homework, the next minute they were all grown up. It's the baby that brings me to my knees. Literally. He's charming and brilliant and gifted and headstrong. He woke up every morning as a toddler thinking, "I wonder if the rules are the same today? Let me find out." Now that the culture in which we live has gone off the rails, and profane rappers are the poets of his generation, he doesn't have the balance or grounding to know where the guardrails should be. How do I help but worry about what he sees, where he goes? If there is no right and wrong anymore, are sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll not just okay for his age group, but required? Is life in polarized America full of hate and despair? Will he live the life that God intended for him?
Now that young men shoot police and police might even shoot a young man, life feels dangerous. The stakes feel higher. What do I do with the worries that plague me late at night? If it's approaching midnight and he hasn't come home, how do I reign in the worries that torment me? Has he been in an accident? Has he been tempted by alcohol? Something worse?
I remember when he was a baby and he'd had so many crashes and falls, trips to the emergency department and unusual symptoms, that the pediatrician ordered an MRI of his brain. The doctor paused and held my hand and said, "do you know what we're looking for?" I was terrified. That's when I learned that worries can paralyze. That's when I learned that when you have nothing left, all you have is Jesus. And Jesus is enough.
I take heart in the words of my Savior. When I stood over my toddler in the MRI, giving him to the Lord, letting go and trusting because I had no other choice, I learned what trust really looks like.
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" Luke 12:25–26
I remember saying, "okay, Lord, he is yours, my soul is disquieted. I will yet praise you." And then I remembered His promise. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water and sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17: 7,8
I have a healthy son. Two healthy sons and a beautiful daughter. I envision them planted with deep roots, growing as the mighty oaks, with green leaves and lives that bear fruit. I thank God for the imagery. The 2016 world feels upside down, but we have an anchor. Our hope is in Jesus. Jesus is enough.
How to be a Light this Halloween
Halloween is the perfect opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus with the children who come to our doorstep! We've pulled a few favorite Bible verses that we will be passing out to our neighbors with Halloween candy. We hope you will join us! Click here to download the verses as a PDF
Halloween Candy Bible Verses
IF you are handing out candy for Halloween, AmazingGrace.Life wants to encourage you to use the opportunity to be the LIGHT of Jesus!
Choose a Bible verse below to attach to the individual pieces of candy you hand out.
Dum Dums
If someone makes you feel like a Dum Dum, just remember this: Jesus loves YOU! To Jesus, you are NO Dum Dum! (Read John 3:16 in the Bible.)
Reeses Pieces
When life seems to fall to “Pieces,” turn to Jesus. He loves you and will help you. (Read Hebrews 13:6 in
the Bible.)
Smarties
“Smarties” know that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their lives! Be a Smartie! (Read Jeremiah 29:11 in the Bible.)
Whoppers
If you have a “Whopper” of a decision to make, be sure to pray about it. (Read Proverbs 3:5-6 in the Bible.)
OR
If you’ve made a “Whopper” of a mistake in life, God will forgive you. Just ask Him. (Read Psalm 51:3 in the Bible.)
Crunch Bar
Whenever you are in a “Crunch,” call out to Jesus. He will help you. (Read Jeremiah 33:3 in the Bible.)
Life Savers
Jesus is the True “Life Saver.” (Read John 10:10 in the Bible.)
M & M’s
God’s plan for your life is that you grow up to be “Mighty” & “Marvelous.” He will help you. (Read Isaiah 55:8-9 in the Bible.)
Almond Joy
Jesus will put real “Joy” into your life. (Read Psalm 51:12 in the Bible.)
A Heart for the Hungry
I remember it like it was yesterday. I woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning with hunger pains. I wasn’t sure why. So I went into the kitchen and made my favorite meal. After I ate, I went back to my bedroom and I sat on the side of my bed. I remember sitting there looking at Buddy, my springer spaniel, both of us wondering why we were up at 5 am.
All the sudden I felt the Lord calling me to consider the kids in Dallas who can’t get up in the middle of the night and address their hunger pains. The Lord told me, ‘you need to help feed the kids.’
It was so clear, and so prominent. It was impossible to ignore.
Eventually, I finally fell back asleep. I woke up the next morning to a phone call from my longtime friend Lilly. We hadn’t spoken to in several months. Years before, we fed the homeless together through an organization in Dallas called Hunger Busters.
As we were catching up, he lord nudged me, so I said, ‘what’s going on with Hunger Buster’s these days?’ She told me how they had turned their efforts to feeding the hungry kids of Dallas. She explained that Hunger Busters sponsors 8-10 schools each year, daily supplying dinners to for the kids. Without Hunger Busters, the kids at these schools don’t eat dinner.
All of the sudden I started to cry. Just hours before I had this moment from the Lord, then Lilly called out of the blue and told me about feeding hungry kids in Dallas. It was a sign.
That was seven years ago. Since that time, my mom and I have had the opportunity to feed thousands of kids each year by supporting local schools in Dallas.
Hunger Busters Volunteers
It’s hard to believe that there are people in the city of Dallas that don’t have dinner at night. After years of investigating, I’ve found there are several different organizations that do the work that Hunger Buster’s does on different levels. Several of the organizations I support are Feed 3, Sharing Life, The North Texas Food Bank, and The Soup Mobile. I am passionate about being involved in these organizations, rolling up my sleeves, and feeding the homeless and the kids.
Seven years ago I had this call, seven years ago I felt the Lord impress this on me, and I’ve been feeding the kids ever since.
Great Bibles for Kids
Thankfully in this day and age, it's easy to find Bibles for our young children. The question we often ask ourselves is what type of Biblical stories our children actually want to engage in. Below we've listed 5 Biblical books that we know your children will love.
From ChristianBook.com: Every story whispers his name. A Bible like no other, The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation--and at the center of their own story too!
The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the story beneath all the stories in the Bible. At the center of all is a baby, the child upon whom everything will depend. From Noah, to Moses, to the great King David---every story points to him. He is the missing piece to the puzzle---the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the story unfolds, children will pick up the clues and piece together the puzzle.
The Jesus Storybook Bible makes an excellent gift at Christmas, when we all remember that he is the puzzle piece that makes all the other pieces in our lives fit.
The perfect introduction to timeless stories from the old and new testaments the Lift-the-Flap Biblecombines breathtaking illustrations with delightful text. With flaps to open on every page (and surprises to find underneath), children join in the thrill of discovery as they take part in each of the stories from the Old and New Testaments. Through the pages of this stunning Bible, the greatest story ever told is traced and the wonderful news that God loves us is brought home to the heart of every child.
Perfect for taking to church or using at home, young children will love this beautifully illustrated first Bible. A Child's First Bible is a collection of 125 of the most familiar Bible passages, from both the Old and New Testaments. Beginning with the story of Creation and ending with Revelation, the text is retold in simple words by well-known author and translator Kenneth N. Taylor. With its charming illustrations and clear, inspiring text, A Child's First Bible is a must for every child's bookshelf. FEATURES All the great characters and stories of the Bible are included in this beautiful treasury Clear, easy-to-read text is appropriate for young readers, and also fun to read aloud to the pre- school child. Simple questions at the end of each Bible passage are designed to highlight important biblical truths.
A gentle look at Jesus' birth, childhood, teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection. Written in a simple, warm style that will captivate and inspire, and colorfully illustrated with seven new pages of artwork, it's a perfect introduction to Jesus for very young children.
This child-focused collection of Bible stories is perfect for first readers. Simple, engaging text retells classic Bible stories, and questions are included to encourage interaction with the content. The perfect inspirational gift for christenings or holidays, this title is sure to remain a treasure in any children's library.