Amy Brady Ministries Blog

Amy Brady Ministries
www.amybrady.com
407-758-8687
2582 S. Maguire Rd. #332
Ocoee, FL 34761

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both….Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

-Robert Frost

I am continually amazed at how many lessons can be learned from earthly parenting. There are plenty of opportunities for growth when raising children. In the end, I often feel I’m being raised myself; and being grown in the process. At least I should be.

Today in fact, as I was battling with my children over things like responsibility and initiative, cleaning rooms without being asked and cleaning up after yourself without being told, I realized parenting is not for sissies. I thought of how much easier my life would be if I didn’t care. If I cleaned their rooms for them or told them what to do every minute of every hour. My life would be so much easier if I just let it all go and frankly sometimes I do. Parenting would be so much easier wouldn’t it, if we never had to say “no” and we never had to say “stop” and we never had to discipline our children?  Or would it?

I remember vividly a VBS not too long ago, where myself and a friend were assigned to the 4yr old, soon to be kindergartners room. The room was full of children who came from large families, you know more than two kids. :-)  I use to think, “Lord, what is wrong with me? I don’t even desire to have more than 2 and she keeps popping them out like popcorn.” I would think how much work her house must be to keep all these kids in line and teach them right from wrong and manners and all sorts of honorable behavior. Then, I had her kid for a week. A very, long week. No manners were displayed, he could not share, he was very disrespectful and just downright defiant and rude. And then it dawned on me, that her life looked easy to me because there WERE no rules or restrictions in their home. The poor child was simply the way he was because he wasn’t challenged to be any other way.

There are days I stand in front of my two boys and its like Robert Frost standing before the two roads diverging in the wood. I stare into behaviors that need correcting and lives that need disciplining and I want so badly to travel both roads. I want to just let it go, no arguments, no tantrums, just peace, you know….the Burger King method of parenting….let them have it their way.  Then there is the other road, the one less traveled. (At least in our generation.) The road that calls on us as parents to work through the refining process that is called family. The road that is bumpy and has its fair share of potholes. The road that often floods and seems impassable. That road, that’s the one I long to avoid. Give me the lush, green, grassy path of the first road diverging in the wood. But as Mr. Frost acknowledges in his renowned poem, he decided to take the one LESS traveled. And boy, oh boy, has that one made all the difference.

And so I believe it will be with parenting. If I choose to be different and take the road less traveled by this generation’s parents (and many times I’m included in that lot), I truly believe it will make a difference. I pray the responsibility my children are held accountable for today and the lessons I try to teach concerning initiative and honorable behavior will in the end cause them to shine in THEIR generation like stars in the darkness.

As I’ve pondered all this today, the Lord has ever so gently tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that He too, took the road less traveled. He took it all the way to the Cross. And my Heavenly Father still takes the road less traveled as He seeks to discipline and train me in the way I should go. And it too, will make all the difference in my life as well. He understands how hard it is for me to choose the more difficult path rather than the leisurely one. It is hard. But He has blazed that trail ahead of me. He knows where each pothole and each washed out road is. If I will just but keep my eyes on Him and walk in His footsteps, perhaps His parenting will not only make a difference in my life, but in the lives of those I encounter as well.

So….here I stand in the wood of parenting and life and before me lie two roads diverging. I want to take them both…but I- I will take the one less traveled and I will believe and trust my Father that it will indeed make all the difference.

I love that no matter what I’m going through in life, God is always there to teach me. Rick Warren once said,

“Every time you forget that character is one of God’s purposes for your life,you will become frustrated by your circumstances.”

Our family has been experiencing a lot of “circumstances” as of late. We’ve had financial circumstances (who hasn’t?), work-related circumstances, educational circumstances, marital circumstances, parental circumstances, scheduling circumstances, personal circumstances, ministry circumstances, home improvement circumstances and the list goes on. It’s been a rough and trying several months in the Brady home. Sometimes, my default is to take the Chicken Little approach and indeed declare that the sky is falling. It sure feels that way at least. But in all these situations, God is showing me that I am not depending on Him nearly as much as I need to. I’m depending on Amy. I’m depending on Amy to know what to do, what to say or how to solve a problem. I’m depending on Amy to behave correctly, say the right thing, have the right attitude and manage her life. Trouble is….well frankly, Amy stresses me out. She is a perfectionist at heart. She wants to do the right thing, the right way, the first time. She also wants everyone else to follow suit. She wants to be good, oh, how she wants to be good, but she stresses so much about it that she ends up being the opposite. Her brother Paul, had the same problem. (Read Romans 7)

God is teaching me that He alone is capable of managing Amy and all that concerns her.  He alone can perfect the things that eat away at her and cause her worry and anxiety.  Jesus is the Rock, the One, True, solid foundation. On Christ the Solid Rock I must stand, everything else is sinking sand. My ways are sinking sand, my efforts are sinking sand, my attitudes are surely sinking sand (they’re connected to my hormones unfortunately), my plans are sinking sand. Everything but Jesus Christ is quicksand to my soul…..and yours.

Let’s remember that every circumstance has been sifted through the hands of our Father and Almighty God. He is a character cultivator. He uses the sandpaper of circumstance to buff and polish our rough edges. To smooth away the worries, to remove the impurities that strangle our ability to trust Him in all things. I am truly grateful to Him for the gift of His holy classroom. If He didn’t take the time to teach me, I might never have moments where I could stand back from the fear and chaos of life and say, “It is well with my soul” because my soul is anchored in Him.

I cannot urge you enough to go and see the newest release from Sherwood Pictures, (the makers of Facing the Giants)…..FIREPROOF. It is the most realistic movie I have ever seen on the human struggle we call marriage. The overall theme is that like a firefighter, you never leave your partner behind. It doesn’t sugar coat the disintegration of American marriages today. Fireproof’s portrayal of marriage is as real as I’ve ever seen. An open and growing marriage is not an easy one. There are a lot of “me” issues to address, a lot of boundaries to establish and a lot maturing to do. Forgiveness, mercy, grace and perseverance are just a few of the virtues we all need in order to survive our culture with a solid and loving marriage relationship. It’s hard, but man is it worth it.

Please go see this movie. If you’re married, go see it with your spouse. Check out the movie website to see where its playing and how you can Fireproof your own marriage.

www.fireproofthemovie.com

Hello new friend…I’d like to personally welcome you to The Shame Game. If you are reading this post, it may be because your church is currently hosting The Shame Game Bible study. I am thrilled that you are joining several hundred other women who have done the study already this year.

I say, “Welcome to the rest of your life”, because if you can (and you can…) through Christ begin the journey to conquering fear, guilt and shame in your life, life as you know it is about to change. And for the better! I must tell you how proud I am of you and how brave you are. Most people never have the courage to face the ugliness that fear, guilt and shame have created in their lives. But you have! Remember that in the weeks ahead….

Join your friends in Bible study and me here on the blog whenever you like. You can share what you’re learning, ask me questions, etc. I’m excited to hear what God is going to do in your life. Stay faithful to your study, dig in the Word and prepare to experience freedom like you’ve never known!

Susan Blount, me, Cathy O'Neal and Maureen McDirmit - The Fearsome Foursome

One year ago today, I climbed the Great Wall of China. Yep, I sure did. It is without a doubt one of the greatest and hardest experiences of my life.  It’s uphill both ways if you get my drift…and I mean that literally.  It was the last hurrah of a trip of a lifetime. Myself and 11 other women from my church ventured to the red light districts of China to pray for and minister to girls caught in the web of human sex trafficking. You don’t return from a trip like that the same, at least, you shouldn’t. And I did not. The last year of my life has been in slow motion as every single day has been filled with some memory of my two weeks in China. Such an incredibly complex society, so dark and yet…..and yet….He was there.  There in the bowels of China, I experienced a Jesus I had never encountered before. I saw Him. I felt Him. I could almost smell Him. He was right where He has always been found, with the hurting, with the crushed in spirit, with the brokenhearted, with the hopeless. And I fell madly in love with Him all over again.

I remember one moment in particular as I sat listening to “The Face of Love” by Sanctus Real. Here are the words that were the soundtrack to my heart as I sat and pondered what I was  experiencing. ”

I‘ve seen your face on stained glass, in colored lights
In pictures of you looking to the sky
You’ve been portrayed a thousand different ways
But my heart can see you better than my eyes
‘Cause it’s love that paints the portrait of your life

The face of love
The face of love
You look more like love every day

You are the face that changed the whole world
No one too lost for you to love
No one too low for you to serve
So give us the grace to change the world
No one too lost for me to love
No one too low for me to serve
Let us see… let us be your face

I knew right then and there, that Jesus really was alive. Not in an Easter morning sense that we worship once a year. But right then I could feel His Presence and He wasn’t just alive in Heaven, He was alive right there on that street in China…with me and with them.

The Great Wall is made of many steps, all different sizes, some a few inches in height and some a foot or so in height. Once we had climbed the first portion, four of us realized that there was a summit and we knew we had to climb it. There was an ultimate destination and though we were already tired, we had to go for it. For several more hours, we climbed. Honestly, the other women were all older than me and they whipped my hiney all the way up that wall. I took MANY breaks and at times didn’t think I could finish it. But as I continued an amazing thing happened. He met me there. I began to write what He was speaking to me as I climbed and some times just flat sat down for a while and wrote. (see the above picture, my journal/pen in hand) I begged my team to go on, but they wouldn’t hear of it. I wrote and talked and cried with Jesus all the up that mountain. What a metaphor for our lives! There is an ultimate destination and it’s Jesus Christ, being with Him. Not personal perfection or accomplishment, but Jesus Christ. And as we climb the mountain to the summit, it will be grueling, we will tire and grow faint. But He will be there to lift us up, to cheer us on Himself and through others who are further along than we are. He will speak to us and commune with us and walk with us and even cry with us. When we think we can’t take another step, He’ll be there to give us the strength to do it, one…step…at a time.

Those on the journey that day all knew we were apart of something special. We met people from over 12 different countries, several continents and many cities on our way up and down that mountain. Those coming down cheered those going up. There was a great little group of Chinese women in their 60’s or older, cheering this 30 something on as she climbed up, breathless, holding onto the wall. What a sight that was! When we arrived at the top, it was the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever beheld. Ancient ruins beneath my feet, new dreams in my heart and a Savior who was there for both.

As we descended, we came down off the wall, the four of us, to a group of people awaiting others who had gone to the summit. I guess seeing a group of women who DID IT, was inspiring, because many of the women below, who we did not know, began to clap for us. Women…..we just love to cheer each other on, don’t we? It was as if that great cloud of witnesses was cheering us home, much like I imagine it will be in heaven one day, when I finish this earthly climb, reach the summit and head for home.

Celebrating our victory!

Really….I did. I won’t go into the details because it only probably makes sense to me. But I left an appointment this morning and it was a heavy one. I had some time to kill while I waited for my boys to get out of school, so I drove to a shopping district in Winter Park, which is in Orlando. I was going to do some heavy study in the Word time, but really felt like the Lord was saying, “Just rest today…just be with ME.” I had no idea where I was going to eat, but had a sneaking suspicion my lunch guest did.  As I drove down the main strip (Park Avenue) I remembered a little deli John and I took the boys to once before. I wasn’t in the mood for “deli” if you know what I mean, but everything else was a little too swanky for dining alone. I wanted “chick” food as my guys call it…you know….quiche….salad…croissants. I may even splurge and have a Coke.  As I turned down a road trying to find the little deli, I “happened” upon a new restaurant/bakery called CROISSANT GOURMET on East Morse Blvd.  I knew this was the spot He’d picked for our lunch date. CROISSANT GOURMET is this delightful little French bakery.

I have French in my blood. Half of my family is from/lives in Louisiana and the other half live/are from Mississippi. (Yes, that’s why I talk the way I do. Now you know.)  Anyway, French food is pretty much in my DNA. Croissants, Beignets, Po-Boys, French Bread, Bread Pudding, Red Beans and Rice (Louisiana French), and oh yeah….really sweet tea, though that’s more of a Southern thing across the board. When I walked in, I just about went into a diabetic coma from the sweet aromas filling my senses. Sigh….it was a beautiful thing. The pastries, the bakery items, the quiche…yes….the quiche….he knew that after my meeting today, I needed quiche. What a gentleman Jesus is. I think I may have scared the poor girl behind the counter as I was almost giddy looking at all the goodies behind the glass. I ordered and sat down. I love to eat alone sometimes. Window seat, bakery smells, DELISH quiche, the perfect fountain Coke and Jesus. Can life get any better than this? I submit that it cannot! (a line borrowed from comedian Brian Regan)

Sigh….Jesus, lover of my soul, Jesus, I could never let you go……You’ve taken me from the miry clay, you’ve set my feet upon a rock and now I know…I love you…I need you…YOU….not more Christian to-do’s, not more pressure from myself to be perfect, not more of me…more of you. You spoil me, you love me and you are the best lunch date a girl could ever have.  Sweet friends, let’s let Him out of our God-box, so He can just plain love on us sometimes….He knows better than anyone what you really need…even if that happens to be quiche.

This time when the Olympics came around I was ready. We had more reasons than ever to sit by night after night and watch. First, I’ve been there. Not the Olympics, but China and Beijing to be exact. I was there almost a year ago to the date. I’ve seen the “Birdsnest” where the opening ceremony was with my own two eyes…on the way back from climbing the Great Wall to be exact. Second, my daughter will be from China. After reading countless books on China and living there for half a month myself, the Olympics were more personal than ever.

The other reason we watched was the fact that my two boys, now 10 and 13 were simply mesmerized by the whole thing. For the first time ever, they “got” it and they loved it. We had a blast cheering Michael Phelps on each and every time he swam. We sat in awe of the high divers and the world’s fastest man…a man named “Lightning” and rightly so. We were also spellbound as the women’s marathon went on for over 2 hours! I have no idea what the official name is, but the race with the hurdles was interesting to me. I noticed that the competitors were of all sizes and statures. They jumped the hurdles with such ease, you could see that it was second nature. And I got to thinkin’.

I wished that my life, my race, the one marked out for me, could be run with the same kind of precision, the same kind of instinctive response. How I wish that as I met a hurdle or an obstacle in my own life, I could just leap over it without even thinking twice. These athletes dedicate their lives to training in such a way that produces the results we watch unfold on the track.  My training is also something I must dedicate my life to as well. I must pursue the goal, the prize…Jesus Himself. There must be a passion for Him that drives me to meet with Him, share my life with Him and even partake of His grace when I knock the hurdle down instead of jumping over it.

I found this quote below and felt like it was a great encouragement for those of us who are running the race of life. Those who find themselves meeting obstacles in the forms of our own attitudes/mindsets, difficult family members, challenging people, ungodly work/school environments, financial disaster, illness, depression, divorce or failure. Instead of fearing the obstacles, I hope to embrace them and every lesson each one is ready to teach me. With God as my Father, Jesus as my Savior and the Holy Spirit as my Teacher, I’ll never train alone.

“Our trials are great opportunities, but all too often we simply see them as large obstacles. If only we would recognize every difficult situation as something God has chosen to prove His love to us, each obstacle would then become a place of shelter and rest, and a demonstration to others of His inexpressible power. If we would look for the signs of His glorious handiwork, then every cloud would indeed become a rainbow, and every difficult mountain path would become one of ascension, transformation, and glorification.”-A.B. Simpson

This is what I have resorted to lately to make decisions. Eeeny, Meeny, Miney and Moe method of highly -skilled decision making.  Is it the thyroid?  Is it the summer with the kids and no break? Is it not enough caffeine?(I’m trying to half my intake….what was I thinking?) I cannot make a decision to save my life.  I stare and think and stare and think some more. I have taken over 3 hours before to pick out sunglasses in a Brighton store. They began to look at me so suspiciously that I think they thought I was shoplifting. They began to stare at me and follow me around the store. I was embarrassing myself but could not decide which I liked better. I picked one finally, bought it and you guessed it….I took it back.  I am the “return” Queen.  So I lost my beloved Brighton watch that I have had for about 5 years sometime over spring break. I rarely ever lose anything, so it has distressed me much.  And yes, I’ve even prayed for its return, but apparently it is not returnable, because it hasn’t shown up. I must have a watch, must.  So I had this great gift card to Millenia Mall in which resides one of my favorite all time stores….Brighton.

I have waited to find my old watch, knowing for sure that as soon as I buy a new one, the old one will appear. I broke down and bought a new one, different from the old one and felt as though I were betraying my old watch. (Does anyone want to pay for the counseling I need…not b/c of the watch, but b/c it has caused me this much grief? Move on Amy!) Now…..I’m home with my new watch and you guessed it….I’m not sure if I like it.  It’s got all the bling I love. My motto: It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that bling.  Sigh……..I guess I’ll wear it a few days and see……I’m just thankful I didn’t have to buy it, my sweet gift card from Women of Discovery bought this watch for me, so I want to make sure I love it!

Here are some pics below of my new watch.  What do you think?  Is it too big?????

I am so glad that my Heavenly Father allows me such pleasures in life like a new watch and that He’s patient with me as I pick it out. He blessed me with the money for this watch before I even lost the old one. And isn’t that just like Him? How many times have we been blessed with something long before we even realize why we needed it in the first place. My mentor, Mrs. Ethelyn says that “Sometimes you don’t know what you need until God blesses you with it.”  Guess it was time for a new watch.  Maybe God has brought someone into your life that will prove to be a huge blessing. Maybe that new transition that seemed to come out of the blue is positioning you for a huge blessing from God.  Perhaps we will even find that some of our trials are gateways to great blessing.  May it be so and may we be found believing it to be so as well!

Keep living freely-

Amy