My unexpected fairytale

Tonight 14 years ago my best friend proposed to me and by his definition it took an eternity for me to say yes (it took 30 seconds ;) I remember we were at his house with nobody else around...Jim is not a fanfare person and doesn't like a crowd. The lights were down and the Christmas tree lights were on..he knew that Christmas was seriously my favorite time of the year and this memory was only going to add to the magic of the season. On bended knee, he has always been a hopeless romantic, he proposed. I remember thinking oh my goodness this is happening to me...me! I was never the girl that wanted to get married early, had never thought about my wedding day (mainly because I was always a bridesmaid so I was probably too busy thinking about everyone else's wedding day), and certainly didn't think of myself as the mom type (I hated babysitting...the thought of sitting with a little person on a Saturday night was less than desirable) and I was too much of a free spirit to settle down.

When a lot my girlfriends were racing to the altar and were marrying the first guy to ask, I just enjoyed working and hanging out with friends and traveling. I knew God would bring the perfect guy to me when it was the right time. Now, don't get me wrong, I thought about it...but I was watching some friends marry losers and I thought I would rather be alone then be with a wrong idiot! So, by the time I turned 25 my family was getting nervous, my mom and sister both married at 19 and what was taking me so long? I knew that when I met him I would just know...and shortly after my 25th bday I met Jim and we both just knew...one year later exactly we were married.

So many people questioned my quick decision..they kept saying he was too quiet and how would that work and would say he wasn't my type (which was hilarious to me b/c how did everyone else know my type and I didn't) All I knew was that to me, he wasn't quiet. Reserved? yes...but to me he gave me his heart and he was the most sincere and compassionate person I had ever met and he talked to me and that was all that mattered. I knew he would always love me and always make me laugh and if I ever wanted kids he would make the best daddy ever.

I look at so many troubled marriages that I know and I am so thankful that God put Jim and I together. I enjoy every moment with him. Every step of life, every battle, every victory we walk through together...now he is definitely not the quiet guy I married...he has all sorts of opinions now (he has 3 daughters so that rocked his world at the thought of having to ward off boys so he started having a lot more opinions about all 4 of us!)..he speaks his mind (which I adore) and never waivers...ever...he is as constant in every decision he makes as anyone I have ever known in my life.

So, as we have been together for almost 15 years now I couldn't have asked for a better guy to grow old with...We've grown together, we've changed our ideas together, we've made some good decisions and maybe a few bad decisions together.

I was just talking to my hairdresser yesterday...when she stopped me and said you are one of the only women I have come in here that is still in love with your husband and you've been faithful to each other..and then she asked me my secret. I had to stop and think about what makes us different...is it that we are Christians? Sadly, no because I know way too many Christians and non Christians alike that have a mess of a marriage. I sat for a second and then answered...dedication and commitment..always reinventing ourselves and guarding our marriage (with everything inside of us) from distractions. As, soon as we feel like we don't have something in common we change that and get on the same page...we work at always having a common ground (besides our children...which now I wouldn't trade being a mom for the world...truly my greatest accomplishment to date), we make an effort to constantly communicate...sometimes louder than other times ;) But we always work it out and never let anything put a wedge in our relationship...everything gets talked about.

We work at it...I love when people tell me "oh you don't understand what it's like to have a bad marriage" they are right I dont...but they are usually the same women tearing their husbands down, never speaking words of encouragement into their lives, never believing in their husbands and just being plain out moody! Ladies, your husband wants...no NEEDS to know you believe in him...he needs to know you trust his judgement...it does wonders for them...and in turn as you are pouring into their lives they will adore the mess out of you and so it goes back and forth...just love him don't nag him...he hates it (and if a women were honest with herself she hates the sound of her nagging too!) Love unconditionally and by doing that you will be pleasantly surprised!

All that to say...thank you, God, that you brought James into my life almost 15 years ago now and began a fairytale I never even knew I wanted!

How to train a dragon (I'm mean tween-aged daughter)

Quick post this morning as I'm left here in a quiet house laughing to myself. This morning, was our regular routine. I walk through our hallway upstairs singing good morning, good morning, gooood moorrrning...(I know it's weird but it's a true story..I don't mind mornings) to get my girls up and going! Maya pops up first and sings back (my little joy baby) or in a cute little rhaspy voice says hi mama, Brooke hits the ground running...she says hi and starts talking about all of her day, opinions and how to end world peace! Then Emma always takes a few minutes to get moving but I've always called her my morning dove because she is the one who loves the quiet of the morning and slowly waking up (which does not blend well with Brookes vivacious way of viewing the morning by talking out EVERYTHING!)

Anyways, the mornings move rather well and we all manage to make it downstairs and out the door without any hiccups. Except this morning Emma wasn't feelin' it! She kept snapping at her sisters for no reason and at me...by the time we got downstairs I said Emma that's enough it's too early to do crabby and besides we don't do moody in this house! She just looked down and was a little sad. This is completely out of character for her (she would do that when she was 7 or 8 but not anymore). Well, she just turned 12 and I tease her about all those emotions running through her that she herself won't understand and she will just say MOM stop it....that's soooo embarrassing! But I think it's cute!

Anyways, Jim comes downstairs and hears and sees what's going on when (here's the training part) he scoops her up to give her a hug and says I love you Emma in the cheesiest voice he can do to get her to laugh!! We all started laughing..except Emma...so then we all start singing (yes, Jim and I, doing a duet which is hilarious in and of itself) You're never fully dressed without a smile from Annie until she just breaks down and starts laughing! We broke through her tween hormones and got her to laugh!! I remember my mom and dad doing the same thing to us girls until we would just say being moody wasn't worth it and we would begin to laugh! Now, I'm not sure if I'm over simplifying it or if it really good be this easy...but my solution on how to train a tween aged daughter is lots of love, lots of communication and a boat load of laughs along the way....

Keepin' it real

What's the thing most complimented about you? For me it's always an odd thing...my entire life the compliment I hear most ISN'T my great skin (wrinkles and pimples...oh the joys) or my great toned stomach (with 3 kids later...a road map"ish" pound puppy"ish" stomach is what I've got) which I wasn't allowed to show off for the first 25 years and wouldn't WANT to show it off now for the next 25 years now that I could (oh the irony of life)....no it's a compliment that goes something like this...You are one of the most real people I have ever met.

I still slightly taken a back by this comment...mainly because I am never sure if it's a compliment or slam. (A slam maybe because it usually comes on the heels of me saying something unexpected or not correct :) Either way it's intended, I just believe it to be a compliment.

But the comment itself tends to puzzle me and make me slightly sad. It often comes from somebody who has met more "Christians" then they choose to ever know...I never announce to anybody anywhere "hey, I'm a Christian" because I know I'm "real" I'm human and I know I make mistakes but I so desperately want to bring honor to who Jesus is. So, I live out my life in front of people and wait for them to ask me what's different...that's usually when the "you are so real" comment comes..they realize that I am human and I'm not trying to be anybody other then who I am and that is, a redeemed child of God who is not afraid to admit that I don't have all the answers and for sure don't always get it right but I just so happen to know somebody who does! They realize I'm not here to play judge or look down on anybody I just love God and want to share how He can give them peace and hope too, despite our faults, but not pretending we don't have any faults.

But even more than that is when it comes from people who are Christians...it's those times when the people I am surrounded by will say "you are real" ...what does that mean? Think about your own life..who are you most able to be yourself around? I'm not talking about who can you get away with sin with (you should be steering clear of them anyways)...I'm talking about the people you can share your pain, your heart, your joys, and your struggles with and they not look down on you or judge you but encourage you, lift you up, pray for you and keep you accountable or just simply rejoice with you...what a friend to have...a friend you can let your guard down with and TRUST. Not one that you have to act like you have it all together for...what's the point of that friendship...it only brings discouragement to your life because you are not measuring up...guess what? They aren't either...those people builds walls and facades that they themselves can't even live up to! Instead choose a friend or two "to stick closer to than a brother" be real. love. encourage. trust. It's alright to say you don't have it all together...it actually allows others to be free to share their heart and together you can work through life "stuff"!

I just read a blog about just that, people in the church feeling like they have to look perfect...says who? We are treasures in jars of clay..clay....that means we are being worked on all the time..and that's perfectly alright! Let's allow people to be real around us so we know how to pray for each other and not judge each other.

That's the kind of friend I want to be...that's the kind of friend I want...be that friend for somebody today..until the day somebody compliments me on my beautiful (insert sarcasm) skin I'll be keepin' it real with my crazy life...

Amy

Key of Hope Christmas Gifts of Hope Last year we collected over 130 Christmas boxes for aids orphans in Durban South Africa! The looks on these children’s faces were priceless and a true gift of hope indeed! This year we are collecting them again and giving these children a gift that will make a lasting impression on them that they have not been forgotten and that there is a very real God who loves and adores them! We are hoping to send over 200 Christmas bags this year! Please help us reach this goal!! The kids will all be receiving the same kind of gift this year. In order to keep it fair I have supplied a list of the exact gifts Key of Hope has given me that the kids need throughout the year. I realize the list is exact but this will allow all the children to receive the same gift so no one child will feel left out by not getting the same kind of gift as the other children! Thank you for your understanding! You will be able to choose a boy or girl gift bag though. I am so excited to be able to do this again this year for these kids! Please know that as you sow into the lives of these children you are sowing into the eternal Kingdom of God! What an honor to be used in this way! I encourage you to take your children shopping for this too. What a way to get your kids involved in giving during this upcoming season! We are starting this program very early this year in effort to collect as many gift bags as we can. We need to ship all of these gifts by November 15, 2010 to ensure a Christmas delivery! Please go to Key of Hope’s website to learn more about this outreach and how you can get even more involved! It is www.keyofhope.org. Please, forward this on to as many people as you know so we can get everyone involved in this project! This is a great project to do as a family, business, school event!! I will periodically post on my facebook and twitter the number of bags we have collected! Heres the list. I found everything at Target or Walmart for the least expensive price. One plain red 10” long bag. Put all the gifts in with no tissue. Pack of yellow pencils 8 pack 3. Pencil sharpener small plastic .69 cent one - any color 4. Black Bic pack of pens (7 count) 5. Crayola crayon set 24 count 6. Crayola colored pencil set 12 count 1 Large Pink Eraser 1 Elmers glue stick 9. Trial size bar of soap (I found a caress bar for .84 cents) 10. Toothbrush any color adult size 11. Trial size crest toothpaste 12. Small black comb 13. Candy - Blow Pops suckers (a small pack of them) 14. Small pad of paper (4”x3” size that folds the paper up and over) ***Number 15 on the list will be the difference for each bag. Please mark on the front of the bag if you want to send this to a BOY or GIRL and the age. A BOY BAG 15. A small hackie sack type of ball or any kind of small ball A GIRL BAG 15. 1 Lip smackers lip gloss any flavor or chap stick Like last year include a check for $10 made out to me Amy TerMarsch for each bag you send me to cover the shipping and handling costs. Thanks again for helping to make a difference! If you have any questions please email me at amyterm@gmail.com or contact me on facebook or twitter. You can start dropping off your Gifts of Hope as soon as you would like to 17757 Kenai, Macomb, MI 48042. Thank you and be sure to check out their website! Lets make a difference together! Amy

Run the race...

So, I really should be doing my ridiculous amount of homework but I just can't seem to get the focus I need right now and would rather just write then do my sales presentation part 3 million 200 thousand (I'm slightly exaggerating) or study for my algebra/trig exam (which, by the way, it turns out 20 years later my high school teachers really did lie to me...you really don't need algebra for everyday life!)

I'm 4 weeks away from finishing (well almost finishing...I have one more class in the spring) and completing the degree I started four years ago. I sat here on the couch tonight and told Jim I just don't have the focus or energy to complete this and I don't want to put all my energy in this for the next month because I'm tired...but then as soon as I said that I quickly said out loud...Nope, I can do this...just a little more time and my payoff is near! When I think about that and running the "race" my mind jumps to the obvious verse....I have fought the fight I have finished the race. It's what my sisters and I were raised always being told (fight the good fight run the race), it's what is on my dad's grave stone, it's what Jim and I live by and what we teach our girls. This is an action...not something that just happens...it's an action verb.

I look back over the last 4 years of my life and think, wow, has my life changed dramatically. Never in my craziest thoughts did I think I would have to take a year and a half off from school to grieve the loss of a parent, or that my husband would quit an awesome job to begin his own ad agency in a crazy economy but I think, no, I know that with God all things are possible and it is possible to run the race in the midst of storms! I was reading this week about the Israelites being brought out of Egypt and something struck me as odd...I've read the story a million times but this time I read something I had never seen. The Israelites were walking before they got to the red sea and they were complaining to Moses, they said WE didn't want to leave Egypt Moses you brought us out here it wasn't our choice. We know the rest of the story, that they just wandered around the desert for years and complained even though God showed Himself to them over and over and OVER again. And it hit me, they were walking a walk that they said they didn't choose so therefore they complained...and I applied that to our modern day world. Everyone knows somebody in the "church" who complains about everything and it occurred to me that if you, me, anyone who calls themselves a Christian does not make it their own choice, they will constantly be complaining because their heart is not in it, whereas, if it is YOUR choice to pursue God and love and serve Him, even though life can and will be hard, you know that you are running a race for a reason and that because you love Him all you can think about is your life glorifying Him alone.

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought, hey, I didn't choose this situation?? I know I have! About 6 months after my dad passed away I hit a brick wall and was an absolute mess. I didn't share it with anyone because I knew I just needed to step back and re assess what I was doing and as I sat there I remembered the day my dad died, in the morning I had my girls conferences and I knew I would go to the hospital after I talked with their teachers. As I pulled into the school I looked down and saw that my diamond had fallen out of my wedding ring, I've never taken my ring off, never lost it and definitely had never lost a diamond. I just sat in the car and thought, yeah, I could really have gone without that happening today...he died that night and as I looked down at him I remembered I had lost my diamond...banner bad day I thought! Two days later (after Jim searched the entire house and car for it he couldn't find it) it was the morning of his funeral and I got out of the shower and walked over to where I always pray in my bedroom...I collapsed on the floor, face to the ground just crying out to God for strength and as I wiped the tears from eyes right in front of my eyes, exactly where I kneel to always pray was the diamond to my ring..and I just felt God say "Amy, kneeling before me right here will be the only way you are going to get through this next year." I thought that was weird because that would be an obvious thing to do....it wasn't though... through the grief I didn't take time to pray because I was in a situation I didn't choose!

Everyone kept saying that I would just have to live with this sadness and I would just get used to it! That always infuriated me because my whole life I was a glass half full kind of person and now my glass was not only not full but it had been picked up and thrown against a wall and I didn't want to "get used to" being so sad...so for 6 months I didn't kneel or choose to ask for His help to run this crazy race I was thrown into....until a friend said Amy your life doesn't stop here...you keep going and instead of thinking everything is done begin to think about all the things God is going to use you to do and when you get to Heaven then you can tell your dad everything. It was at that point those few words encouraged me to get up and begin running the race again and making a choice to walk even when I was in a situation I didn't choose...even though I found myself in a difficult time I could still choose God! It literally changed the way I looked at my situation! I didn't learn to live with the sadness I let God use it to grow and eventually there was joy again.

So, here I am ready to complete my degree and it's so cool to see how God just works everything out in our lives if we allow Him! I get to be a designer which is something I've always wanted to do and I get to sing almost every Sunday which is the other thing I love to do and I count it all a privilege to have an amazing husband and awesome kids and be able to pour my life into so many things while hoping to bring glory to God through everything I do on this race...and all the while collecting quite a list to share with my dad when I get home...

Check Mate..

When I was a kid around 7 or 8 my dad taught me how to play the game chess. Now looking back and having girls that age I think it was kind of a young age to learn such a difficult game but as I would play he would beat me at the game over and over again. He would tell me he wasn't going to let me win and I had to earn a win on my own. If you know anything about the game it requires at every turn for the players to think ahead several moves at a time..always having a game plan in place and knowing what your next moves will be til the end...whoever has the better game plan in their mind gets to say "check mate" at the end and wins. Because I was so competitive I wanted to play him every few nights until I could say check mate to him...it took me years..literally I was that unrelenting. I remember the day I finally had all the right moves in my head and I told him check mate...probably at around 10 or 11 years old it happened I got up out of the chair and started screaming (because that's what girls do) and yelling check mate, check mate, check mate dad! I beat you and you didn't let me win! I was so excited and thrilled that I conquered the game and beat him on my own without him helping me!

So, as I fast forward through this life of mine and from time to time review in my mind what turns my life journey have taken me on and think about where I am going I realized that at a young age I was taught a life lesson by my dad (whether he intended it or not). Two things really.

The first is, in my life, my mind always and I mean ALWAYS is thinking a few moves ahead. My mind always plays out everything...if this happens in life then I'll do this, if this person says this to me (in every conversation..whether easy convos or difficult) than I'll say that. My mind has played out life like a chess game. My. Whole. Life. Always looking down the road for the next "move". So, I guess I could make the argument that this wasn't the result of a silly game I played as a kid but rather the way God designed my brain to think. But, like with everything else in life a healthy perspective is needed. Yes, I can plan my "moves" but the Bible says that even though we plan our lives it is HIM and Him alone that determines our steps! Looking back over my life, your life (if anyone is reading this) and if you have been a Christian for any length of time you can see the hand of God on your life. I know I can! Over and over again I make a plan and God, at times, seems to derail it to bring purpose and glory to Him through my life...often times in ways I would have never planned or chosen! Yet, it truly works out for His good purpose like the Bible says. At times, it is difficult for me to let go of my agenda and let God have His way with my life but over and over and over again as I submit (which that isn't my favorite word) to Him and His ideas there is a fulfillment when I know I am walking in God's perfect plan for my life and I see Him working all the details out!

The second thing that game taught me is that I have never wanted anybody to go easy on me and let me "win". I push myself constantly to excel in everything and I expect everyone else to be painfully honest with me if they are giving me advice. I consider true friendships to be honest...not mean because there IS a difference..but honestly at times give constructive criticism. I was raised by an ex marine dad and a mom who never minced words...always done in love but they always let me know when I was off in anything resulting in me not being an over sensitive typical girl but rather somebody who wanted to know the truth about myself. I married Jim for that reason too. He is always honest and will tell me if I need to change something and I love that because who wants to stay the same?? We should all be striving to be growing in God and allowing Him to challenge us and stretch us!

Where it can become a problem is when I can't let it go and even if somebody, anybody, says that I am doing something good enough I don't believe them...I think I have to excel more or fix more or achieve more! And to that type of personality God tells you and I to rest and know that He alone is God and has got the plan and that striving for excellence (albeit good at times) can be damaging to your morale and your spirit when taken to the extreme and can cause you to just want to give up if you feel that you are not measuring up to a goal that you made up in your own mind. So, I am learning to stop sometimes, not push, not strive but just listen for the next step without trying to run ahead but just wait for God to give me direction by asking Him to encourage my heart and not expecting anyone else to do this because it is God alone who knows the plans He has for me and for you.

So, be free to allow God to plan your steps and give you direction! His map and His way of playing this "game" we call life is filled with peace and for our good and His glory!

The Backpack Give Back....A huge Success!

The Backpack Giveback was a huge success!! Thank you everyone who participated! Underprivileged kids from all over received a backpack! Including The Refuge Youth/Runaway Assistance, Turning Point Women's Shelter and Washington Elementary

in Mt. Clemens! 76 backpacks in all collected for these kids!

Hi everybody!

If you've signed up to give a backpack please drop it off to The Well 46000 N. Gratiot, Chesterfield, MI, 48051, by Friday August 26th or contact me to meet you to collect them from you!

So far we have 55 backpacks collected and wanted to get at least 70! We are giving them to some kids in Chesterfield, Mt. Clemens Washington Elementary and Turning Point Women's shelter.

There's still time...please consider donating to help these kids!

If you've already donated thank you so much for helping!!

Amy

Rita Springer was taking a break and Laine thought it would be a great idea for me to "sit" there and just play for a while! Ha!

You're alright...I'm alright...God's got it!

So, today I sit here at my computer with so many thoughts racing through my mind...nothing new for me really...but today's thoughts are a little different. My dad always used to tease me that I was the daughter that gave him gray hair. I would always laugh and tell him he was exaggerating because I wasn't that bad! Sure, at times I was a little driven or extreme..at times a little strong willed or opinionated. I just defined it a little different...I would say I am just passionate and focused dad that's all! None the less, he would laugh and just shake his head at me! After all I was most like him. My sister Sara is more the Mary type and I am Martha. I never have done well at sitting or waiting and letting things work themselves out. Sara my sister is sooo much better at that than I am...I always have to be moving and fixing something always trying to make things right...even if there wasn't an answer I tried to find one. I often have thought of myself as the one who had more questions than answers. I always thought because of my more outspoken nature I should be quieter like my mom and sister because it would be a lot easier...I probably wouldn't put my foot in my mouth so much!

Since my dads death 18 months ago I've done a ton of deep soul searching...really trying to define my life to see how something good come from his death. That's a hard concept I know to think about, but I truly believe it can happen...that God can and does bring something good out of a death. In my family I had an amazing mom and dad and I am the oldest of 3 girls and we always were so aware of who we were and our place in the family. I was the oldest who always wanted to be "on" always the talker and always wanted to be in front of everyone making them laugh, Lisa was our middle sister, the heart of our family with her disability that taught us so much more about life and compassion than any text book could ever teach and then there was Sara, a self proclaimed princess who always was more mature, more maternal, more patient than myself. In my mind I always knew Sara was like mom, I was like dad and lisa was a combination.

My mom decided a couple of months ago she wanted to sell the dream house her and my dad had built only a few years ago mainly because on the last day of his life his request was to be brought home to pass away in his own bed. My mom never really wanted to be back in that room again so in a matter of 1 month after listing it and one walk through she sold it. Totally a God ordained sale in this economy! But over the course of this last month...really 18 months I have been so aware of how I grieve and deal with all the stress that comes with this compared to how my mom and sisters do it. Friday was the closing...all the hoops we've had to jump through to get to it was ridiculous but still I sit here on the other side of yet. After all was said and done I realized this week leading up to Friday and even this weekend as we approach the closing for her new house that it's alright to have some questions and that my personality wasn't the wrong personality...it is just different from my mom and sisters. Her house still sold despite who I am or who my mom and sisters are...God is still God and can work in any situation at all times if we allow him! I so many times in the last 2 years of my life have just had to let go and not worry about the path or outcome but just trust that God has got every detail of my life already set and He created me and my mom and sisters all very different because He will use us all in different ways in different areas..such an easier way of living life...so freeing!

I just had a church sign up to donate 50+ backpacks to thewww.backpackgiveback.org to help kids in Macomb county with school supplies on August 27! Email me if you or your church or business want to participate, too!

So, this was the weekend I've been waiting for for about 2 years now...pretty exciting eh? Probably not to anybody else but me. Sometimes I feel so redundant when talking about the last 2 years of my life but the reality is...is that it has been the darkest time in my life until last weekend when I finally felt my heart again...finally felt something other than pain. Ok, so you would say but you've seemed so happy....I have had awesome times with my husband and kids and friends...I've kept living, pressing on, making the best out of every moment...everything I knew how to do...everything I've been taught in life to do when "storms" come. I almost got to good with going through all the motions and being strong enough on my own..or so I thought. While walking out the last couple years of my life while watching my dads sickness deteriorate the man I knew and then grieving his loss, I had built such a wall around my heart of pain that nobody could get through to it to touch it...not even God it seemed. I kept pursuing Him the only way I knew how...I loved Him with everything and I knew that he was the one carrying me through this whole mess but my heart felt cold and far from Him even though I didn't want it to. I'd beg him to speak to me and help me to feel His presence again like I used to but it just wasn't happening...it was horribly dark. You may say that I may be being slightly dramatic..maybe...but last weekend I got to be who I remembered being before my dad got sick! I was invited to go to a women's "retreat" getaway with an amazing friend of mine to spend a couple of days with worship leader/songwriter Rita Springer. I thought this would be a pretty good idea since I was going there mainly to ask her some questions about worship...that never happened..God had a different plan for me this weekend. I went there but not for the reason I thought I was going there for! As soon as she sat down at the piano to start the Friday night service tears began streaming down my face because for the first time in 2 years I felt the presence of God! We started to just worship God and tears kept streaming down my face as I pleaded with God to allow me to see His face again...to make my heart soft again...to infuse my soul with Joy again! That was, after all, what I was known for before this whole mess began...JOY! And with each song I began to feel all the walls I had been building around my broken heart just fall away. I could feel God around me again. For the last 2 years I've known in my head that God was around me, holding me, carrying me, bringing peace into a seemingly impossible situation, but Friday night it went from knowing it to finally feeling it...feeling something more than hurt or anger or frustration or pain or nothing at all...I can't tell you how liberating this feels! But then an even more amazing thing happened. Rita said a short phrase that has completely changed my life..she was talking in John 11 about when Lazarus died Jesus turned to Thomas and said let's go see Lazarus and, being obedient to Jesus, he said ok let's go...Thomas immediately followed Jesus...well when you think of Thomas what automatically comes to your mind? Doubting Thomas right? Rita made a connection at that point that rocked my world...she said Thomas was obedient to Jesus...after the death of Jesus the Bible said He doubted Jesus...in his grief he doubted Jesus. She said his doubt was his grief..The Bible wanted to make a statement before that grief that Thomas was obedient before to God and that's how God viewed him...obedient..his grief and doubt wasn't what God saw in Him and wasn't how God defined him! Do you know that after his grief and doubt Thomas was the disciple to take the gospel and spread it into Asia?! God used him AFTER his doubt because what was really in his heart that defined him was obedience! The grief tripped him up for a moment but God used him in an awesome way after that! At that point I literally had to take everything inside of me to not fall on the floor and weep! My heart has doubted for the last year and a half and I've hated every second of it...begging God to take this doubt from my heart and I kept trying to press in to make that horrible feeling go away! I've questioned more than I ever have until Friday night! God you can still use me despite my failures and questions and doubts!! He knows my heart and loves me still! I can sing about Him with confidence now knowing He still loves me and can work through my life even after all my doubts and my grief!! I can soar with eagles wings now because He brought freedom to my broken heart!

• Starting Sunday, Meijers has backpacks for $7.99

  
  

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  Backpacks $7 at Old Navy right now

So far we have 20 people who are bringing backpacks to the Backpack Give Back to hand out to kids in Macomb county on August 27th at The Well in Chesterfield! Be a part of giving back! Email me with questions...

• HERE IS THE LIST OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES FROM WALMART FOR ONLY $16.79..
  Backpack $9.00
  24pk crayola crayons .40
  10 pk Bic pens .97
  12" wooden ruler .47
  Folder (green or blue) .15
  2 2pks of glue sticks .40 ea
  24pk pencils .94
  1 2pk pink erasers .97
  12pk colored pencils .97
  10pk markers .97
  green, blue, black or yellow notebook .20
  
  THAT'S IT...ALL FOR $16.79 YOU CAN HELP A CHILD IN A LOW INCOME HOME HERE IN MACOMB COUNTY.
  
  Thanks! Email me with any questions. Please forward to all your friends, churches and businesses. Look at the pictures below...
  
  Amy TerMarsch
  

  3 minutes ago · ·

• Amy Termarsch

  

  The Backpack Give Back

I just went to Walmart and bought the backpack and school supplies all for a mere $16.79. That's all it will take to send a child to school ready for the year! I will post the supply list on my website and blog today. Pass this information along to as many people as you know. Thanks!

The Backpack Give Back

As the month of August is starting another summer will be winding down but anticipation is sparked for a new school year. All the new binders, glue sticks and pencils fill the isles of all the stores! While most kids are excited there are some who dread this time when every other kid in their classroom comes to school with their new backpacks filled to the brim with new stuff! This year The Backpack Give back wants to do just that....give back! Link arms with us by giving kids a chance to start the new school year with the same kind of backpacks! For the month of August we will be collecting a backpack filled with new school supplies and will distribute them at The Well in Chesterfield August 27 at 12 noon. I am making a website that will give more detail about this organization that I have started. I will post it by tomorrow. It will give you the detailed supply list and what kids will be getting these supplies. I will be teaming up with Target for this event. If you or your church are interested in teaming up with us to make a difference in these kids lives email me and I will give you all the information you need to involve your church, work or friends for this event. Thank you for helping us Give Back to our community! Amy TerMarsch

Not just another pretty place...

So, yes, interior design is my latest and greatest but there have been so many years leading up to this decision of spending what little free time I have on going back to college! I am the proud mom of three beautiful and delightful young ladies (yes I said delightful..and yes having girls can be the most amazing experience if are up for a bit of a challenge! I wouldn't trade it for the world) I've been married for 13 years and have been with him for 14. It seems like my life life was never without him...he makes me smile and laugh almost every day of these last 14 years of my life. When asked what most attracted me to him first I always say hands down his sense of humor! God knows I've needed some of that...we've needed some of that in our lives in the last couple of years! Our girls are 8, 9 and 11 1/2. When my 8 year old was born I had more serious complications than I can really remember but what took place for a couple of years after that was far worse...I began to really think about how fragile life was and how it could be taken in a moment! It kinda freaked me out so after struggling for a couple of years with irrational fears I remember sitting across the table from my husbands friend who also struggled at times with somewhat irrational fears too and he said Amy you're creative and your mind is finding things to be creative about (my fears) and so he said just give your mind something else to be creative about...bingo! That was it...I new I had always loved design and it was creative and I could just let myself go and think up big ideas and it wasn't going to leave me freaking out about irrational fears...but instead I knew I would be getting a feeling of accomplishment with every step I got closer to my degree and then every room or home or business I could leave my handprint on! It has been an crazy amazing journey through school these last four years during which my husband decided to jump and free fall into starting his own business in the worst economy EVER, while raising 3 little girls who themselves are school age with tons of projects, my dads untimely and quite unexpected death and then all the mess that goes along with that! But somehow I've managed to stay the course and pour myself into something creative, something that let's my mind wander to someplace good and not extreme and irrational, something that will eventually pay for all our little girls college and weddings. So I continue to walk out this journey and see where it takes me. I'm praying that it will one day be even more than a career I want to not only make just another pretty place but I want to be able to use it to give back to other people. I'm not sure how that will all work out but I have lots of thoughts whirling through my mind as to the possibilities...like I said earlier...I'm creative so a million thoughts at once is not impossible for my mind! That's it for now...goodnight

Take Five

These chairs were a great find at a garage sale my sister and I made a quick stop to. I spotted them way in the corner of the garage and they were $5 a piece! I thought that's an easy gamble! One of my clients needed a set of chairs for their commercial space restroom but were on a fixed budget. So, I thought I would take a chance and refinish them to see how they turn out....

Take Five...

I took a dark brown spray

spray paint and sprayed the arms and legs. *Designer note before painting any old wood furniture take a

lightly textured sand paper and lightly sand it so that the paint will adhere to the wood. After I lightly

sanded it and painted it I took some leather softner/cleaner and buffed the worn leather and brought it

back to it's original shine. Any hardware store or furniture store carries this kind of cleaner. I used some

from Art Van. After that I had some furniture tacks and lined the arms and back of the chair by

simply eyeing where they went and hammered them in. I found cute little accent pillow at a dollar store for

$1 and voila! Good as new! I find that any piece of furniture can be spruced up with a small accent pillow.

I love that something so small and inexpensive can change the look or color scheme of a room. It's

a perfect little touch for a splash of color or different style. In addition to that, you won't feel guilt

if in one year you become bored with the color or style like I do and feel the need to run to the store and buy

a different color pillow!

So, that's my take on a garage sale chair for $5! Until we shop again....Amy Elizabeth

Introducing my brand. My name. My definition of sorts. Amy Elizatbeth Designs. I am an Interior Designer married to an artsy ad guy so our combination isn't really balanced when it comes to big picture. We both look at life as a very large canvas that we can design however our minds lead us. However, this is the beginning of my journey as an Interior Designer. I will complete my degree in the next couple of semesters after four long years of studying. There have been a few hiccups along the way and lots of lessons learned but now I will begin the next part of my journey....sharing my love of art with the world by helping to make living spaces more livable...but more than that I will set out to make living spaces places where people come to relax, unwind, build relationships, get away to quiet oasis' or enjoy a party or two in a beautiful space. One color. One texture. One piece of furniture at a time. Stay tuned! I will attempt to every few days give pointers, tips from the pros and how to's as I navigate through my new career. Tomorrow I will be taking two old beat up chairs and transform them to elegant focal pieces to a room.....pictures to come... Bye for now! Amy Elizabeth

Well, this is my first post onto a blog. I've always laughed at people who post on blogs because I thought really, who cares about my life and what's going on here other than my immediate family...but then I decided it's been one year almost to date of the death of my father...I have more balls up in the air than I can count at the moment and more stress than I'd like to think about! So, this is going to be my outlet...don't really mind if nobody reads this...it can be just for me or if something in it helps somebody else walk through this crazy life than bonus!

That's all for now!