Make My Path Straight

I love Nashville at Christmas time. Actually, I love Nashville anytime, but the holiday season feels extra special. I am currently on a plane cruising somewhere between Nashville, TN and New Orleans, LA where I will grab another plane to take me back "home" to Dallas, TX. I had an incredible weekend catching up with amazing friends who are sending me back to Dallas feeling uplifted, renewed and rejuvenated. How thankful I am for them! It is fun to look back at the life's happenings and see how God places the perfect people within your life and uses them in ways that they (and I) are completely unaware of.

The half way mark to my Dietetic Internship is around the corner – unbelievable! Naturally I have been catching myself daydreaming about what comes next. I have been looking online at job postings and fantasizing about the endless job opportunities and the possibilities of relocation. Just as I was starting to get overwhelmed by the timing and lack of focus I have as far as where I see myself ending up, I encountered someone in the hospital who spoke very wise words to me. (Again, funny how and when God decides to pop up!) She reminded me that it has very little to do with doing something we feel called to "do", and so much more to do being WHO we are called to BE. This was impactful to me for a couple of reasons, but mainly it was a reminder that God is in control (which in and of itself served as much needed stress reliever) and my willingness to be used will lead me into the exact place I need to be.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Mrs. Glover, one of my favorite people from the Houston area, gave me a shadow box upon my graduation from high school. It's beautiful, which is no surprise to you if you know her and her creative ability to make ANYTHING! Well this shadow box sits on my kitchen counter to this day and I love looking back at it for encouragement. It quotes the verse Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Without fail, acknowledging that the Lord is in control is the first step, but it is hard to be led by someone you are out of touch with. I was discussing this weekend with a girlfriend my desire to improve my "staying-in-touch" skills. If it weren't for Facebook I would be in big time trouble! Even still, those special friends have a way, despite the distance, of knowing just when I need that pick me up. They know me and what makes me tick and what I need.

I think the same struggle I have with keeping up with friends 600+ miles away correlates to my struggle of "keeping in touch" with the daily works of the Lord in my life. To a much more expansive level, God knows what I need, and want, and love and etc etc. There are several things that relax me when life seems to be just too much: outdoors, music, exercise to name a few. When I really take the time to look around, the Lord has made all of these attempts to stay in touch with me. Walking outside, the trees, water and wind were all placed there as if he was saying, "Amber you need this, and I wanted to give this to you" and remind me of his majesty. It's easy to get caught up in life and neglect the little (but really NOT so little at all) tokens of God's love He places around us.

I pray your Holiday season is full of love, family and laughter – and that you recognize whatever great gifts the Lord decides to send you!

Hangin' out in the back seat

I am in this role as a Dietetic Intern, and not that this is a new realization, but I have been reminded over and over that I am in a field saturated with Type A, perfectionist, OCD women*. It's a bit overwhelming at times - everyone seems to have it totally together, a career plan firmly in tact and a clear vision as to where they are headed. Exhausting.

My plan all along has been to complete this internship, sit for my boards, become an RD, and then transition to get my masters in Nursing. I would be crazy amounts of marketable, be extremely effective in medical missions and be able to pass along my passion for nutrition through the validity of being a Nurse Practitioner. Seems like a error proof plan - right?

I am 8 weeks into this program (unbelievable!) and I am starting to question, well, EVERYTHING! And depending upon the day - no scratch that. Depending on the hour the direction I feel I should go changes. I love clinical. I hate clinical. I'm in the right field. I couldn't have picked a less appropriate field for me... (you see the stressed Type A personality coming out?? Yeah!)

When I'm able to sit down and think, it is clear to me that this is the very reason this internship exists and why we are forced to tread through it. It's challenging and stressful but it makes you value where you are.

I was talking to my dad not to long ago, and after I was through with my rant about going from having a foul proof plan to having no idea where on earth I was headed, he plainly reminded me that my lot has already been made secure. God has this map already planned out - all I have to do is watch for his hand and his guidance and He will lead me straight there. What a stress reliever! I am not asked to plan the route or even know the destination - just be willing to jump in the car!

Excerpts of Psalm 16
Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."
...
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
...
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.


Here is to enjoying the ride! :)


*Way over generalization. Not all RD's qualify. Please, no offense taken!

The last few weeks have been crammed with lots of excitement!

Of most importance, my (not so) little brother got engaged! Still so hard to believe! I'm excited about having a sister for the first time and inviting a wonderful young lady into the family! Congrats Richard and Callie!

My High School Alma mater (Westbury Christian School) put on an awesome event (of which my family was actively involved) - Charlie Ward's Evening of Excellence featuring Tony Dungy. It was an awesome afternoon! It was wonderful to see so many people I hadn't seen in so long, lots of celebrity guests, and most of all a huge success for the school!

This past weekend I was able to get a long weekend off from my Dietetic Internship (Residency) and went home and hung out in Galveston with the family! We had such a good time and it was so nice to get a breather! (Not that I could completely walk away from hospital work, but doing so in a hammock on the beach is just so so much more pleasant!)

Fall is on it's way in and this reprieve from a month of 100+ degree days straight is much welcomed! I am getting more and more acclimated to Dallas (and hospital) life, and I have several things to look forward to in the not too distant future (friends to visits and events to attend) - life just seems pretty good!

Through these times were life is good, it is often easy to get caught up in the fun and excitement and forget where these great blessings come from. Conversely, when times are rough and things are not coming easily, I am usually quick to question, blame and be angry with God for not keeping my path smooth.

For this reason, this week I pray that God keep my life continually balanced with both blessings and trials; trials so that I can be constantly reminded that I am in need of his help and strength, and blessings to be reminded of his power and love for me.

Days in Dallas

Well  I am three weeks into Dallas life - whew! There is lots going on and a lot of new things to get used to!

The internship I have started is going well! There are 10 of us interns, and everyone is great and we are going to have a blast getting through this program together! Our Directors are also wonderful will make this experience challenging but extremely rewarding. I have finished one rotation in the hospital and have just finished day 1 of my second. I'm learning lots - and getting used to some not so normal hours on occasion! In the next ten months, I will be stretched farther than I have ever been stretched before, and while the process might not always be "fun," I am confident that it will be so worth it!

The biggest change I have had to get used to is the whole living alone thing. I like it - for the most part! It has just been so long since I have spent so much time, well, alone! In college I always came home to roommates and was constantly surrounded by people! I am slowing getting acclimated to life here and gradually meeting more and more people - but as I said, it is in deed an adjustment!

Sunday was a rough day for me (you know...just one of THOSE days. Nothing went as planned and of course there was the wrong person in the wrong place saying the wrong thing), so what do I decide to do? Paint my apartment! Well paint one wall of my living room anyway. This picture does not do it justice, for I am NOT a photographer, but I'm pleased with how it came out!

Lately I have been really praying and looking for God's hand in my life. I may have spoken on this before, but it is an area of my life that is needing much help! I am much better at looking back and understanding what God was trying to accomplish through me or tell me or lead me to. As they say, hind sight is 20-20. It has been an adventure to really see how God is working through me and talking to me on a daily, immediate basis. Old news for most people, I'm just a little slow getting there!

At times of life like this, where I'm in an intense academic program and God is also aggressively working on my heart, I am left at a point where my learning curve is no longer a curve at all, but a straight shot up. As Dr. Earl Lavender would say, "Yesterday I was always stupid." I can now totally relate to this!

I have gone a while without posting! No excuse – just haven’t made the time!
Life has been going fast and furious as always! I have made the official move to my place in Dallas! I LOVE my apartment! I’m so excited about getting into a routine, getting life set up, exploring the city, meeting a bunch of new people and getting some last minute preparations done for my internship (which starts TOMORROW! Woah!)

I spoke in my last post about marriage from an outsiders view, and it led to some conversations, which inevitably led to conversations of having kids. When I get into discussions about this with people, the statement I have been known to reply with is “Well, I’m just not ready for life to be about someone else right now! I just can’t imagine it not being all about me yet!” That is about as honest as I can be, seemingly. I mean really, I am basing my decisions in life about what I want, need, desire and hope to obtain. Egocentric? I think so!


While I’m not sure that I apologize for this stance, it is causing me to think, again, about “my story.” If the page of my story that I am currently living had an illustration, who would be in it? Doing what? Who am I making the protagonist of my story?
I want to live in a way that makes Christ the main character and me the supporting role.
In Ephesians is says that the Holy Spirit has been set as a seal on my heart. This says to me that when I surrender to the work God desires to accomplish through my life, the Spirit is in complete control and therefore He is the main character. The driver of my plot.

I’ve heard the saying that God doesn’t want to be number one on your list followed by everything else – He wants to BE the list. He wants to be number one is my desires, goals, relationships, career, finances, hobbies, and the list goes on.
I am far from being at complete surrender, but what a beautiful place that seems to be. Kelly Minter wrote a Bible Study of Ruth intended for small groups. In her study she brings up the point that when we don’t feel willing to have God in our lives, we can simply tell God that we are willing to be made willing. And that is a great place to start. How awesome that God is so loving that we is willing to work with that!
God, I am willing to be made willing for you to BE my story.

Buddy System

I am 22. Single. Female. A college graduate. From a private Church of Christ University (also referred to as a “Marriage Factory”). I am, therefore, somewhat of a rarity.

When I came home, the recurring question I kept receiving was “So is there a guy? No? How come?” Then there are the jokes. “Aren’t you supposed to be married with a couple kids by now?” They are all out of love and for giggles, and I take them as so - I truely don't mind!

On my first Sunday back in Houston, my dad was facilitating a Bible Class on marriage to, well, married folks. They allowed me to tag along and I enjoyed it so much, I stole my Dad’s book and did some flipping around.

Here are some concepts I took away from the class, comments that were made and the book*…

• You must find a way to be happy before you find the person you want to journey with. The burden of “making me happy” is way too heavy a load to place upon one person and, thus, an awful reason to get married.

• “Marriage is not meant to be the place where one gets completed as a person. It is meant for complete persons to come together and build a “we” that is bigger and better than either one of the “I’s” involved.” – Compliment, but NOT complete!

• Honesty is the best policy (as we all know) however how, when and why you are telling the truth is even more important.

• Consequently, how you receive this honestly dictates how it is given to you. Therefore be mature, gracious and SELFLESS enough to take responsibility when you are at fault.

• Don’t keep the mindset of keeping score – being together is not about fixing each other or holding grudges, but growing together.

• Enjoy the ride! No one said that it would be easy – but hard does NOT mean misery. It means you will value each other and the relationship that much more.

• Keep the little things, well, little things.

• Try to put yourself in your partner’s shoes – “What would it be like to be married to me?” “What would it be like to argue with me?” etc (Yikes!)

Seems to me that while there is no doubt that these are excellent topics for married couples to be discussing, isn’t the right time to start thinking about these things now (for me)? I mean pre-marital counseling is great, and I’m sure one day I will partake in that, but isn’t it a little late at that point. If I need to be a complete person in order to compliment my spouse (and vic versa), isn’t singlehood the time to work on that? I think we need Pre-dating counseling!

I have prayed for my future spouse for years, yet I have ignorantly been neglecting the part I can do the most about. I need to be praying for God to prepare ME for him.



*Boundaries in Marriage by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Turbulence Ahead

I spoke before about how I have been busy and getting to bed early and gaining back some of the sleep lost through the late nights of my college life. Well it came back to haunt me. This weekend I spent 30+ hours in a car, got little sleep, had an awesome Father’s day, floated 1,200 ft in the sky and was reminded how proud of a sister I am. Ok hold on. I’ll back up.

Wednesday the 16th at about 6:00pm (most of) the Glenn gang piled in the car to started the 15 or so hour drive to Lakeland, FL where my Dad’s father lives. Cody (my youngest brother) is a pretty stellar baseball player (not that I’m at all biased) and he had an event at Tropicana Field in Tampa, FL. It was perfect timing – Father’s Day weekend with my grandfather + Cody pitching on the big field + any chance to go to Florida = YES!

My learning moment from this stop on my “road trip” happened on Friday. I had set in my head for a while now that I was going parasailing this summer, so when we had some free time I set out with my parents for a boat, a sail and some open water. It didn’t take long until we found Treasure Island in St. Pete; we hopped on a boat and made our way up, up, up. (My Dad and I went up together) I wish I could have safely taken a camera up with me – the view was awesome. There was a storm brewing behind us, sunshine in front of us, the awesome coast line to our right, turtles swimming to our left and birds flying below us! Once you get up high enough, everything is silent – no roar of the boat or city sounds. It was completely peaceful. And everything below was so small!

I didn’t think about it at the time, but reflecting back on the time up in the air, it is amazing how we selfishly convince ourselves how important we are. My current discussion making process consist of trying to figure out where I’m going to be living in about a month when it comes time to move to Dallas, and (seemingly) more important, how I am going to get the money to pay for all this! Monday rolled around, and I’m back in Houston calling and traveling around to banks being denied again and again and again for loans. I don’t qualify as a “Student” and therefore no student loan for me! I don’t “break down” just all the time, but Monday was a break down kind of day for me. I hate those days! The days when you know it’s unreasonable and not helpful in any way to cry, but logic is not efficient at drying tears in days like this. My problems seemed too important and still unfixable.

Now, when it is easier to think with my head versus my emotions, I think back to the city as we looked down from the sky. We could see cars going by, and in each car was someone with their own problems ranging from lame problems (like mine!) to much more sizeable concerns. My problems will not cause the earth to stop rotating – life will continue to go on. And more amazingly, we serve a God who is deeply engaged into each of these problems, great or small.

I think it is important to keep each of these realizations in balance. One, that we are just a small piece of a huge picture, but also that this small piece we make up is hugely important.

Thank God for family, road trips and timely lessons.

Traveling Companion

Wow. Life has been a whirlwind this last week. As a college student, I became very accustomed to late nights. Since I have been home, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen the other side of 11:00pm – mostly due to the fact that we are just going all the time! Not that I can complain. We have been craming in some really fun activities. My (2nd) cousins are intown and so we have enjoyed Galveston, the pool, Schlitterbahn, the Science Museum, Arcades, shopping all on top of this wellness program for my dad which has us running, biking, lifting, etc. I know you pity me in my rough life…

Lately I have been doing a lot of thinking about grace. With this effort of eating healthy, we have established “Grace Meals”. These are for the times where it is socially inappropriate to impose upon others the high maintenance of a weight loss initiative – especially for my father in professional situations, hence our implementation of “grace.” Not that this kind of grace resembles the grace we receive from our Father at all (in fact, our “Grace meals” really are falsely named!) but it has triggered thought none the less.

It is not shocking to God that we mess up. This is why He is prepared with Grace. Not that this serves as an excuse as it does in a wellness program, but what a relief that we have not been pressured with the burden of perfection. It is for me. It is easy for me to put that exact pressure on myself. These are not mind blowing or new thoughts, but so important (for me anyway) to remember as I continue this pursuit of “Amber’s Story”.

The story doesn’t have to be perfect to be profound.

Thank you, God, for your grace, your blessings and unconditional love. Thank you for the doors you open and grant us the courage and wisdom to walk through those doors boldly and confidently knowing that through You those opportunities will make the Story powerful.

Mapping Out Your Route

I am officially in summer mode! Vegging out, reading, hanging out at the beach and being with the family – I could get used to it!

I’ll be “home” in Houston for about 2 months, and in that time my Dad has labeled himself as my project. He wants to get into better shape for the next school year (He is in education) while evaluating if this Dietetic degree of mine is worth anything! We are on day 2 and all is going well so far! I am really excited about the kitchen/cooking time with my Mom, drilling my Dad (and him having to take it!), and the challenge of having a goal that will directly affect each member of my family positively.

Along with my free time I have decided to do some reading. The list of books on my “To Read” list has been growing for the last couple years, but textbooks have had higher priority in my life pre-graduation! One of the first books I picked up was Francis Chan’s newest book, "Forgotten God". Before I started I figured I would flip through his first book, “Crazy Love” and reread through my highlights and side notes. I stumbled upon a quote he included in “Crazy Love” and it has had me thinking lately as I look to make my life’s story relevant.

"Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."  Tim Kizziar


I think our society praises many different successes that can easily be worthless. My graduation for one. Some teachers wrote some fairly high numbers in red on pieces of paper in my honor to vouch for how much knowledge I have gained. In and of itself, that means nothing. Yet I know that God can take the knowledge I have gained and make it something really wonderful and change lives with it. It is all in how intentional we are living.

I have a lot of dreams, as most of us do. I pray that you and I are in search of these dreams in a way that will “matter”.

Pit Stop: Reflection

April 24th 2010 I ran in my first half marathon, which also means I ran farther that day than I have ever run in my life. It was an incredible experience - one of those things where I sincerely doubted my intelligence level for committing money to this kind of torture, nearly talked myself out of participating multiple times, dreaded fiercely up until race day and now having finished, count it as one of life’s greatest moments so far.

I complied with all the appropriate pre-race rituals. I stuck with the training schedule (mostly!), carb loaded and drank more water than I thought was humanly possible. Race day came, I woke up around 3:30 am to eat breakfast, catch a shuttle, meet up with a girlfriend who was also running and begin the torture I was sure to unfold. 6:45 am came pretty quickly and it was time for my coral (#13) to start the race. I remember my prayer at that moment, “God, I’m needing for you to show up with a miracle here!”

Little did I know the journey I began in that race was far more spiritual than physical. It didn’t take me long to get completely swept away in the enthusiasm of an event as huge as the Country Music Marathon - Over 33,000 runners plus thousands of volunteers and spectators. Honestly, I was very much baffled by the excitement and over the top optimism just pouring out of everyone involved. Initially, I was drawn to a race of this magnitude because I missed the thrill of competition, yet I experienced ‘competition’ in a way I had never before seen. Everyone was fighting for their best time, yet also wholeheartedly rooting for the success of the person running next to them. Strangers were yelling and cheering at the top of their lungs, especially to the many runners who were wearing shirts stating their reason for running. Things like cancer survivor, “26 miles on my 26th birthday”, “On my way to loosing 150 lbs”, etc.

As I took in this whole scene, it dawned on me that this would be a perfect picture of what community should be. We are all on this same journey, headed to the same finish line. We are all struggling, hurting and trying to stay strong, but held up by the encouragement and support of those running with us. Not all the runners bought into the same training schedule, nutrition regimen or running strategy, however, they are all giving everything they have to get across that finish line.

What would our church look like if it resembled a picture like this?

What if we lived so much in community with each other that we all took down our guard and lived freely in our imperfection; we can “wear” our imperfections on our shirts- liar, cheater, worrier, drunk - and know that my brothers and sisters are right beside me cheering for my success!

What if we were so passionate about God and the way He is moving in our lives that we can’t help but have our conversations centered on Him in stead of gossip, current events, weekend happenings, media, etc?

What if we were so intentionally dedicated to our “race” that we are doing everything we can to prepare – Loading up on the Word, immersing ourselves around people that build us up and developing spiritual disciplines that make us stronger.

What if there was no judgment between us but complete pride that we all simply showed up! We are all out there giving it all we have at whatever “speed” we can.

What if we allowed ourselves to reach so far out of our comfort zone that the only hope we have is for God to show up with a miracle?

What if we were doing things so crazy that thousands of people not only stopped to take notice, but then wanted to join in!*


I finished the race. My time was not impressive – 2:38. The amazing part was that after all 13.1 miles, never once did I loose my wind and this I consider my own personal miracle, as my extremely limited training did NOT lend itself to such results. (We won’t talk about how badly my legs, knees and ankles hurt!) I’m not typically a very emotional person, but when I crossed the finish line my eyes welled up with tears. I can’t explain the feeling I had – overwhelming accomplishment, I suppose. Makes me wonder how much better it will be to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have completed the race!”




*Borrowed from an awesome devotional written by Tammy Farris – while my ideas are more from a runners view point, hers are from a spectator’s stance and it’s VERY good!

Here we go...

The last several weeks have been eye opening for me in ways I can only partially understand at this point, but will continue to grow from and appreciate as the mile markers of my life continue to pass.

Many monumental events have occurred in my life recently, and with these events come change. One of these big changes consists of my uprooting from life in Nashville, TN and replanting in Dallas, TX. The first step in this process begins tomorrow.

Starting fresh in a new city with new people and new opportunities exhilarates me while simultaneously causing a constant swarm of butterflies in my stomach. I have never been one to set Resolutions per se, but in a strange way I feel this is my “New Years” and an opportunity to evaluate my life and gauge where I stand versus where I want to be. As I think about this, I can’t help but reflect on one of Donald Miller’s latest books, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”. He opens his book with this:

"If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn’t cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn’t tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you’d seen. The truth is, you wouldn’t remember that movie a week later, except you’d feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.
But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to feel meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won’t make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either."

I am, here in my empty apartment, committing to live a life that will accumulate to a story that I am proud of. For goodness sake, we only get one of them! Donald says it well (and consequently one of my favorite quotes from his book)…

"We have to get up off the couch and turn the television off, we have to blow up the inner-tubes and head to the river. We have to write the poem and deliver it in person. We have to pull the car off the road and hike to the top of the hill. We have to put on our suits, we have to dance at weddings."

It has been two and a half weeks since I walked across a stage in front of a lot of people, wearing a bulky gown and ridiculous hat (really – who came up with those anyway!?!) and received an absurdly expensive piece of paper. It was a great time! Family was in town. Tests were done. Pressure was off. It is sincerely insane to me that 4 years have flown by so quickly (cliché, I know, but so very true). I have really loved my time here, learned from many amazing people and leaving will be nothing short of difficult. One of said amazing people suggested a while back I journal through this life transition, and coupled with my horrible ability to stay in touch with people I figured I should give blogging a try! I ask for prayers, love and patience (especially while reading my less than eloquent blog) as I learn and grow and fail and succeed.

Dallas here I come….