By amy_import on April 27, 2006
Have you ever done something that seemed good at the time but then you later regretted it?
A few weeks ago I watched about 10 minutes of the movie “Jaws”. I
hadn’t ever seen it because my parents weren’t so keen on it, but as I
watched I thought, “wow, this movie isn’t so bad…it’s so hokey…what
a laugh”.
All seemed just fine until a week later. I was at my grandparents and
decided to do my training swim in the bay at a little beach nearby. I
was swimming in waist deep water parallel with the shore but the waves
were making it really tough. After catching a wave instead of a breath
I tried to stand up only to find my feet couldn’t touch the bottom! 
A wave of panic welled up in me that was much bigger than the two foot
swells I had been battling and I madly struck for the shore, sure that
a huge man-eating shark was right on my tail! (let me explain that as a
young kid I was also afraid of a 20 lb. bass pulling me under in the
lake 
– something about me and deep water
don’t go together) Back in shallower water I tried to reason myself out
the grip of fear while I slowly forced my stomach out of my throat
before resuming my swim. My imagination remained highly active during
the rest of the swim and every 25 yards I would sneak my feet down to
the bottom just to make sure I wasn’t drifting out into the
“shark-infested” sea.
Posted in testifyhim
By amy_import on April 25, 2006
This post has been called for by some of my readers and has been
something I’ve thought about since I took that test on drugs and
alcohol abuse.
Where do I start? Some of my thoughts have been about what is addiction
and why is it bad? If drugs didn’t kill your body or the acquisition of
them didn’t promote violence, would they be illegal?
Most drugs cause physical dependence that make it difficult, harmful
and sometimes fatal when discontinued. Hallucinatory drugs on
the other hand are mostly psychological. All are a type of escape from
life; a way to lose consciousness and ease your burdens. Sometimes the
drugs are sought by those with problems for relief, other times they
are started because of peer influence or curiosity.
With those thoughts on one track, I’d like you to take up a parallel
train of thought. Can people get spiritually addicted? Can something
rule in their life so strongly that it takes over the place that God
should hold in their heart? Is there something that they fall back on
instead of God when life gets too hard to handle.What is the opium of
religion that numbs the conscience and muffles the sounds of God’s
voice. An addiction can be a harmless or even beneficial item, liking
or activity. Sometimes it can be a slow downward association with the
world that lulls it’s addict into a stupor. The point is, has it taken
over to be the most important, what is your reaction to the thought of
giving it up? Could you do without it for a while? When trouble comes,
or a bad mood starts to take over, you’re feeling lousy, bored or even
you had a good day; what do you turn to? If you get strung out on music
or “rave” on exercise, if you spend all afternoon in an “x-box den” or
you shoot up with a dose of the internet then maybe you should consider
a “rehab” program. Those things may be enjoyed in moderation but can be
dangerous and killing to the soul in excess. God wants to talk with
you, but if you shut him out with mind occupying alternatives then you
will miss the reality of living a life with Him.
What are you addicted to?
Posted in testifyhim
By amy_import on April 24, 2006
Posted in testifyhim
By amy_import on April 21, 2006
Tomorrow I take my last test; excited, aprehensive, ready, not ready. Please pray.
Posted in testifyhim
By amy_import on April 20, 2006
If you know anything about me you will know that the above phrase is not characteristic of me. Not everyone lives at my “drum beat” however so it’s good to get a taste of someone else’s world every once in a while. This week we stepped out of the normal pace of life and lived a beautiful day where nothing had to be accomplished.
Toddlers may seem quick when they’re headed for the street or getting into trouble, but if you’re just taking a walk they go slow enough for you take notice and appreciate many things along the way. Connor and I watched a truck come and gather brush trimmings from the roadside, stopped to watch the birds, found a neat stick, laughed at a squirrel, and finally found wonder in making it to the playground! How many adults do you know that can happily climb up and down the levels of a playground for half an hour and not even go down the slide? We also explored the beach. Connor wasn’t so sure about the water until I showed him how to splash – boy was that fun! Next we tried sandcastles; I made ‘em, Conner knocked ‘em down. We threw rocks at the waves, and walked around as he got slower and slower. Finally he fell asleep in my arms as I carried him home. What a morning.
This afternoon I learned to slow down and listen as my grandma tried to remember and tell stories from her school days. She went through a repertoire of ‘bus songs” and relived favorite playground games.
Tomorrow morning I will go “jogging’ with my grandpa. He used to be a marathon runner – now it will take us about 45 minutes to go two miles. Again, it’s not the exercise that’s the point but the fellowship (not that I wanted to get my heart rate up at 3:00am anyway). I look forward to our runs together because it gives us time to talk and solve world problems. That’s why I get up at such an unreal hour, I want to take part in someone else’s life and to do that I have to get out of my own.
*edit* anyone wanting to take part in my life can come watch my triathlon next Sunday, April 30th 9:00am at Lake Bryan. (or meet me at the finish line sometime after 10:00)
Posted in testifyhim
Anyhow, unless I get thrown another curve ball, as afar as I’m concerned I’m done; college is over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
