I am Barabbas

This past weekend, my family loaded into the car for a roadtrip...to Vegas.

It was not what you might think; Scott was hired to lead worship at the church of an old friend of mine and so  4 hours, 15 minutes, 8 oranges, a bag of Doritos, and 2 cups of coffee later, we arrived in Las Vegas.

On the way there, we listened to Adventures in Odyssey, a radio show produced by Focus on the Family.  This group of shows was based on Bible Adventures where students got into an invention that transported them into a virtual reality in a Bible story (not unlike a Holodeck in the Star Trek: the Next Generation series, and yes, I am a Trekkie). 

The story centered around the story of the passion week.  The actors and actresses beautifully portrayed the story and events of that week.  They even included a Barabbas - the criminal with whom Jesus traded places.  In a strange turn of events, when the traditions of the day allowed for the freeing of a prisoner, the people chose the vile Barabbas to be released while the perfect Jesus went to the cross.

In all my years as a Christian, I never realized the parallel to my own life that this man represents.  My sins deserved death and yet, Jesus took my place and gave me life.  Barabbas deserved condemnation and yet was given freedom.  I deserved punishment and yet I was given grace.  I am Barabbas.

This Good Friday, remember the sacrifice that was made for you in Jesus.  Remember the love He has for you.  Remember that He willingly shackled Himself to our poor choices and freed us from the bondage of sin.

It is a Good Friday indeed.  For you.  For Me.  And for Barabbas.

Have a blessed Easter!  Amberly

Latin Lovers

Yesterday was awesome.

My 6th grade Spanish students, after weeks of preparation, were participants in what I called a Spanish Wax Museum.  Each student had chosen a famous Latino/ Latina from history, written and memorized a monologue about their person, and donned costumes and props.  They filled the gym with their energy, nervousness, and paraphernalia.

Their task was to stay "frozen" in place until someone pressed their name card.  Each then came to life, reciting their monologue and teaching the listener all about people ranging from Jennifer Lopez to Queen Isabella, Ponce de Leon to Cheech Marin, NBA players to Nobel Prize-winning chemists.  Almost fifty students were involved (including my daughter who was a famous Mexican chef) and they were amazing. I was blown away by their creativity and effort.

Weeks before, however, when choosing their "person", I asked them to do some research about the person to make sure he/she is someone worth studying; despite the fact that we all fail, was the person someone who made the world a better place because they were in it.  Ouch.  Due to some HUGE moral failures, some fell by the wayside.

We all fall short of the glory of God, but my question is: is the world a better place because I am here?  Do I give more than I take, love more than I disappoint, extend grace more than I forgot how much grace has been extended to me?  If 6th graders were assigned to "Loud Women with Big Hair Day", would my name be included among those whose lives are marked with benevolence?

I sure hope so.  I sure pray so.  I sure should live so.

!Bien viaje! (Good journey!)  Amberly

Derby or not Derby...that is the question

Our son is in the Cub Scouts.  It is our son who wears the uniform, earns the badges and belt loops, and it is our son who had a Pinewood Derby race yesterday.  Therefore, we allowed him to design and decorate his car. 

Big mistake.

When Pinewood Derby cars come out, so do the childhoods (and tool sets) of their fathers.  Scott said there were AMAZING cars there yesterday... and then there was Josiah's...

Josiah did have help from our friend, George who used his saw and sander to follow Josiah's design.  Josiah did use my Sharpies to decorate it (it looked amazing, by the way), but there was NO WAY it was going to win against the modern marvels waiting at the race.   These boys and their "pit crews" had spent hours shaping, weighing, painting, re-weighing, repainting, etc. to create the masterpieces.

Although he consistently got third in all but one of his races and came home only with a Participation ribbon,  he is proud of his car.  He made it.  He designed it.  His name is neatly written in 3rd grade writing on the underbelly of his creation. 

I don't remember the last time I did something I was truly proud of; I know, good Christian women should not be proud, but you know what I mean. I don't recall the last time that I felt joyful about a project on which I worked, assignment I completed, or hoop through which I jumped.

I need to change that.  I think my perspective on work would change if I remembered the reason I started doing it in the first place. 

Make it a great week...or take our some Sharpies and at least make it LOOK like a great week :)

Amberly

Snack Attack

I blame it on the snacking.

You see, I have not only hit a plateau in my weight loss, I have taken a few steps (pounds) back.  It is so discouraging.  Ugh.

I have a lot on my plate right now (figuratively and otherwise).  Trying to be a good mom to my kids, wife to my husband, teacher to junior highers, an online professor for Grand Canyon University to two English classes, a cook,  a Kern County Children's Choir adult helper, a blogger, a Cub Scout and Band mom, allergy sufferer, and motivational speaker, and still get up to go the gym each morning is proving to be more arduous in this season.

When I am stressed, I eat.  When people in my life say they are too stressed to eat, THAT stresses me out (and makes me feel violent toward them as well).  I eat too much food and have since the fifth grade.

But right now, I am snacking.  There is always food in the teacher's lounge at work and it is NEVER quinoa, it is always cupcakes and similar carbohydrate by-products.

And then, I come home and snack while I cook dinner.  I chop a little, snack a little, cheep, cheep, cheep. 

The scale is telling my story.  The snacking is an issue and a WONDERFUL example of integrity (or lack thereof).  Snacking communicates a lack of trust.  Snacking communicates going to food instead of God for sustenance.  Snacking communicates that I am not being faithful in the "little things".

Pray for me to trust more and snack less...

I am praying for you!  Amberly

Holy Shopping, Batman!

We are currently searching for a new church home.  There was no drama leaving Kaleo, we had just fulfilled our commitment to them and knew God was calling us, for the first time in our 20 years together, to church shop.

It has been awkward.  We miss our friends and the comfort therein, but know that new friends await- somewhere.  Nice thing about Bakersfield - we have a shortage of clean air, but not of churches.

Yesterday, we visited a church close to our house.  The kids went there for VBS one summer, I have spoken there a few times, and I know some wonderful people who attend.  It was a nice service, but I was particularly struck by two things: the visiting choir and the lady in the pew in front of us.

The visiting choir was from Teen Challenge, a Christ-centered recovery program.  They did not sing every note correctly according to the scale, but according to thankfulness, they hit every note perfectly.  I was moved to tears as they shared their stories through song and testimony.  They praised God for His redemptive power and healing.  I responded by wiping tears and blowing my nose in agreement.

The woman in the pew (yes, pew; it is a traditional church) in front of us was clearly in her seventies.  She looked like the quintessential cute little old lady.  She even spoke quietly when we greeted one another.  There was nothing meek or mild about her worship, though.  She put her hands in the air during every song.  I LOVED her enthusiasm.  Then, she did it.  During the last song, she got down on her creaking and probably sore knees and knelt down.  She was so moved by the sovereignty of God, she feel prostrate at His feet.

I want to be that lady when I am 70.

I want to be that lady when I am 43! 

I get so caught up sometimes in the "stuff" of life and the opinion of others, I fail to recognize that each Sunday, no matter where we visit, I am in the house of the One who created the Universe.  Who put the stars in their place.  Who made coffee beans and zebras and three-toed sloths.

We probably won't go back to that church to visit again, but I won't soon forget the reminder I received yesterday.

Have a great week!  Amberly

Weed Wacky

Wednesday, I made the mistake of going into our back yard.  I honestly have not been out there in a month.  It is a very small yard and frankly, its only purpose right now is to serve as the environment for our barbecue.

I bought some fresh herb plants and optimistically (stupidly) hoped I would not kill them.  I took them out to place them on our back table when I saw them.

Two giant weeds (taller than I am) were growing in our yard. Josiah called them "Jack and the Giant Slayer weeds". Because they are not visible from our back window, they went undetected.  They were the healthiest foliage in our yard by a long shot.

I called to Josiah to help me.  We donned our gardening gloves and went to work.  We heaved and hoed (yes, my past English teachers are shrieking) until they were finally unearthed.  They are sitting in our green trash barrel as I write.

I have had sin that acted the same way.  I have let hurt feelings, gossip, overeating, and under trusting (to name a few) get out of control in my heart. Because it stayed undetected to most, I did not pay enough attention to keep it at bay.  When I finally do a spiritual self-exam, I realize that I have giant problems.  Although confession kills the power of such issues, I still have weeding to do: prayer, action plan to avoid recurring issues, and humility before God.  I need to rid myself of the debris that is left: regret, self-doubt, and pride.  There is not a trash barrel big enough for some of those things :)

God's blessings on your weekend!  Amberly

Lights, Camera, Accent

I just got hired to do an IMAX movie.  Well, not DO an IMAX movie, but be IN an IMAX movie...well, not be IN an IMAX movie, but NARRATE an IMAX movie.  Technically, not really NARRATE it, but provide my voice for all the narration until someone fabulous like Meryl Streep or Sigourney Weaver lends her voice for the final cut and records over me.

I have a recording gig tomorrow in Bakersfield which will be linked to Australia where my director (doesn't that sounds professional???) will be able to provide instant feedback and guidance. 

The writers of the narration work for Disney Nature (the Planet Earth people) and will be penning an eloquent narration to parallel the 3-D Hubble images of planets and stars that make up the 30 minute IMAX film.  Those ridiculously talented men will hear my voice all the way from the cultural mecca that is Bakersfield.

My friend, Chip, who threw my name in the ring said that what elevated my recording over the rest was the way I relished the description of the planets.  He had sent me a rough cut of the film and I was mesmerized by the Hubble pictures of the planets.  They are AMAZING.  AMAZING.  When I recorded the piece, I just kept thinking about the intricate detail and awesome beauty of each planet, as well as the One who holds them all together.  My job was easy.

I think the planets are a wonderful reminder to each of us about the truly AMAZING nature of God.  He made those giant celestial orbs, yet He cares about the minute details of our everyday existence.  I think I have been problems, yet when in view of Jupiter, so large we could fit over a thousand Earths inside it, my problems are dwarfed.  And yet He handles them with loving care.

Psalm 136: 1, 4-9 

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever. 
⁴ to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.

⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters,His love endures forever.
⁷ who made the great lights—His love endures forever. 

⁸ the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

Speaking of stars, I think it may be awhile before my name appears on a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame....

Amberly