I Did It

"It" as in I got my tattoo. And I love it. I love just looking at it. It was painful no doubt but not unbearable and when he changed needles, started filling it in, I thought that was much easier on the skin. Except at the end when my skin was getting a little raw and he kept going over the same area. But it's done. Right now it feels good cause it's slightly warm, almost like a sunburn. I can't sleep for some reason. It's around 3:45 am. Usually when I can't sleep, I do something like watch a movie, take a shower, or listen to music. But, tonight, I think I'll just write about how pleased I am witht the outcome of the design. Bugz, from Ancient Art did the tattooing. He's a nice, down-to-earth guy. He has a picture up of an old gas pump out in the middle of Wytheville. The number on it says, 666. He said it freaked him out and he was sober. The guy's a Christian, as far as I can tell. He was raised Catholic, rebelled, and then had an encounter with the power of God when he was about 23. Gracie...if you read this...get a tattoo. It's an experience worth every penny. I wish I could call someone in a foreign country, who'd be up right now.

Something to Chew On

Hey Chris, no hurry, but if you have some time, could I borrow some music? I picture this song having more of a funkier guitar groove. Something maybe like Dave Matthewsish. I don't know...but I feel it'd be beyond my playing skills right now. So if anything comes to mind let me know. :)


When the sun rises find lovingkindness
An addiction to fill up my veins
where my loss is Your gain, Your medicine
Despite what I’ve done, call me friend
Friends enough that I can listen
It’s okay God to be Yourself

I’ve got to be honest, I’m still afraid
That all You give can be taken
But I still believe I’m Your beloved
And I’ll love like a tragic hero
If I die or tears are mistaken
What I’ve given makes the rough smooth

(Verse)
You know why I’m here, why we mesh
I want Your heart or I’ll break apart
More than a guest, less of a slave
I want Your heart or I’ll break apart

A Dream

So last night I dreamed I was walking through some water at night, a lake that wasn't too deep even though I was pretty far off from shore. But I got scared that eels were going to attack me so I ran back to shore. But once there I saw a huge snake and it started moving toward me. I ran but the thing only moved faster. I came to a hill and running up it was too hard. As the snake got near to me, I turned and with a long staff, just smashed its head over and over.

Friday Recap

For some reason I've been finding my old blog site a little tedious to keep up with. It's strange cause usually I love to write anything...it's about getting thoughts down. I'm not sure I have a whole lotta thoughts right now on the subject of Friday night except that I thought it went well. I enjoyed it very much. It's funny cause I got hit with lonliness pretty hard Saturday night. And as I write this, that old feeling is creeping around. I was listening to a Kevin Prosch song today and he sings about the subject. He says something like, "it tells you this is your portion." I guess that's the lie I gotta fight. Tammy prayed with me this morning. She said she admired my strength and knew it was from the Lord. But I don't feel strong at all. I think I'm learning though, something through these past few days, that although the warfare increases, so does His mercy and grace. We say that, but to live it, that's another thing. This means less of me, and more of Him. Less of my strength and more of His. It's bull when you're with people who really love you but you feel isolated all the same. We need each other. As long as you stay in the herd you're not picked off. Anyway, I'm gonna go enjoy His presence for a while.

Come One, Come All

FRIDAY friday friday

NIGHT night night

THING thing thing

8pm 8pm 8pm

Getting My Creative Groove On

Well we needed a banner. The word is tehilla, spontaneous praise. Much bigger in person.

It's our secret weapon. If we don't know what to do...we'll be like, look at the picture! Should look phat under some black lights.

Friday Night Thing Update

Sunday night was an interesting time with the Spirit. I love this passage in John. "Truly, truly I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go" (21:18). It's not that I did not want to be there, at the church, that night but it's hard when you are called to work with a team of people. We're all so different with different ways of seeing things and we all come from different backgrounds and hurts. So what did we do? We started praying, asking God for various things, especially to be among us. We want what He wants and we want to see Him move this Friday night. Then I felt like we were suppose to pray over the men, as leaders, to set them apart and build them up. They lined up and the girls got at their feet. I started weepeing for the things that had been buried in them because of the world's hurts and ways of saying "this is what you're suppose to be." Katie prayed destiny over them and Maranda laid her hand on each of their backs, quoting the scripture that He will lead them wherever they go. Then, Ben said it was time for us and we grouped together in a huddle. The men circled around us. I was filled up with joy. They didn't even have to say anything. A few things were prayed but the Father wanted to pour out His peace and joy over us. Laura, Katie and I laughed for quite some time. Maranda told me later she wanted to run out of there for particular reasons. But all in all, the Spirit moved. Ben prayed that we were His little girls. James got a picture of us pressing wine in a vineyard and Jeremy asked for our faith to arise where it had been perhaps deadened. And then...we worshipped some. That was a good night.

Oh yeah, I figured out how I'm gonna pay for my tattoo. My tax return!

New Looks

Well it all started with a dare. Katie and I had been talking earlier how for me anyway it's easier to do out of the norm stuff if there's a dare backing it. So out of the blue, we're hanging at my house after having gotten back from Roanoke and she says, "Hey Amy, I dare you to dye your hair dark brown." I thought for a minute, grabbed Amber and jetted to the bathroom to see what my face looked like with Amber's locks over my forehead. Maranda convinced me it would look alright so off we went to Kroger. While there, we picked up a cheap box for Jeremy as well. So I ended up having to go back to the store to buy another box for my hair cause it was a little splotchy first time around. But we got the job done and I have to admit I kinda like it. I enjoy the shock aspect when people see me. And it's only temporary, so it'll fade soon enough. A woman at work said I ought to keep it like this but I think I'm gonna miss my blonde. After much toil we convinced Jeremy that his would not be a huge change and he went for it as well. It makes him look younger in my opinion and wasn't really a drastic change.

Cascades

Noah enjoyed his surroundings...little nature boy.
What a beautiful day.
Pixie had a near-death experience.
The pool after the pool where Pixie almost met her maker.

Dream Time

I can remember a fragment of a dream last night, among many fragments none of which seemed to make any real sense but they were remembered all the same. The part that struck me as the most important was the issue of a train. First I was looking out my bedroom window and it was barely morning. I saw a huge black train moving just beyond the treeline in my back yard. It felt as if my house was moving because of the way I was looking at the train (I suppose). Then I went outside and got on a smaller, more futuristic looking train. I strapped in cause it moved more like a rollercoaster (in the same sort of family as the outer limits). We (there was someone else with me but I can't recall who) did several twists and up-side down moves on that train before it stopped. We got off because we had to go back home. I was about half-way home when the young boy who'd been driving the train called out to me. He apologized for not taking me home and said he would go the rest of the way if we wanted him to. That's all I can remember about that.

Some symbolic meanings from Streams:
trains- church movements
bedroom- intimacy
backyard- past or bloodline
window- vision

I remember at some point in another unrelated dream my hair had gotten caught in these hanging thorn branches. I was trying to knock a spider off its string that was hanging in my pathway. And then it changed into a little man (I think) and it started to swing back and forth. That's when I backed up and my hair got caught.

Anyway, just relating a few of the night images. Thanks for emailing your dream Dave. I got it at a crucial time on Sunday, so I don't think it was coincidental.

My Tattoo

Sorry for the blurry image. This is what I'd get...I'll ponder it awhile but I love how it turned out. What ya'll think?

Fridays

I think the first few nights we do this it's gonna be hard. We all arrive before time to start, probably feeling on edge, a few of us handling the last of the sound/decorative details. As the clock rounds 8:00pm, a couple of people walk in, and then a couple more. Someone announces it's time, the lights go out, and we begin. Begin what? What we've all been trained for, prepared for, hoped for. We have nothing to really compare it to, save for our own experiences throughout this small world. The things that have left a mark on who we are today. I know we are more than ready. And this year, being a year of change, is just the right temp and environment for such an endeavor. It's like the Lord has opened the door to a great, big mansion w/ passages and hidden rooms, and secret wealth. We don't have to do anything but be a child within the boudaries He's given us. So, I'm excited, tired, anticipating, a little fearful, all mixed in with some typical amy fierceness/i don't care. Count on probably the preparation meetings doubling until we get started or at least those of you who can come. I think the next wise decision would be to put expresso machines in each household. ;)

Sunday

Like I told a few people, I really, really did not want to do that song Sunday. Something in me was like "hey they're not gonna understand what you're trying to say." It's funny that Chris was thinking the same. The first time was really good. The second time was great in that I felt the beginning of a release that I think is only going to keep coming. When I was done singing, I could barely stand. All I know is the Lord is on the move and real change is coming. I'm barely hanging on but it's been a fun, stretching few months. So, hoping to record Hosea (and Name) soon.

Got tha Blues?

Part of this post is due to the fact that I have two pics, the same pic, of me and I want to push them farther down the pic. So I mentioned I am working on some kind of bluesy song. Here are some of the lyrics I was playing with. I love the fact that the blues was about everyday life, and how the undercurrent beat helped put pain into some kind of manageable/expressible form. Not that I was feeling pain today. But I was feeling a little bluesy.


I heard a bell, it rang
in the early morning wind
Don’t know from where it came
Looks like I got the blues again

(Chorus)
There are mothers without husbands
There are children without fathers
Restore the love that’s run dry
If You’re a man who knows our sorrows

I saw a dog, it died
when the sun was hot and high
Just another dirty day
Looks like I got the blues again

I met a man, he lied
A black-suit lord of the night
He said you do what you can
Looks like I got the blues again

I'm not trying to be vain here. I want to use this as my blog pic too. Anyhoo...massive revelation today. Feels good to hear from my Father and just know who I am in relationship to Him. "A Father disciplines the one He loves." Not that that's all my time with Him consisted of but it was refreshing all the same. It was such a long day yesterday. Lots going on and by the end of the day I was sort of in close-my-heart-off mode. So I repented of that this morning, among other things. It's so easy to do and you feel all dead inside but you don't really realize what's going on until He mentions something about it. I'm working on a blues song. At least the lyrics for it. The tune is another issue. But I thought it would be fun to try.