inspiration.

i would consider myself a creative person, often inspired by many things. the beauty in creation, things i see in people, things i create, things i read , music i listen to, God, anything really.

lately though i have found myself "creatively constipated". a funny way of putting it, but quite honestly that's how it feels. anytime i go to write, or draw, or listen, or even deliberately open my eyes to see, it's like nothing comes. i try but, nothing.

so the other day i started asking this question, what inspires?

i came across this scripture today...

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." ~2 Tim 3:16-17

God inspires. at least i realized in that moment once again what i already knew, that ultimately it's God who inspires me, because in all those things that i find inspiration and can respond creatively to, it's because God has revealed something to me.

am i still "creatively constipated"? i guess we'll see....

*Photo taken by Sophia Dorozio

distance.

well friends, as you can see it's been a while since i last wrote something for my blog. why you may wonder? well i have been going through a HEAP of change the past few months. now change is no reason not to write, so i apologize for being so "distant".

but i'm back, living in canada now with the most amazing man in the world...stephen john bryde, my husband! yup, i was married this summer and it's wonderful being married, challenging, confronting, full of love, wonderful.

so anyway...i'm back and no longer keeping a distance.

*if you are interested in reading about our wedding day or seeing wedding photos you can check out... www.amandaandstephen.com (click on "news" and there you go!)

leaving...

there are so many things that come coupled with this action. it depends on the setting and context which determines the outcome. you may be leaving a party, or even just the room, but as soon as other people are involved one's presence is almost always missed.

i'm starring into the face of leaving something that's just a bit more difficult than exiting a room full of people. i'm leaving a home, a family, and closer than close friendships that i have come to rely on for daily life. i'm walking away from one dream onto the next. how does one even begin to describe how this feels? why do it then you may ask? to be honest at times lately i have even wondered that myself, why would i leave something i love and know and am comfortable doing?

but then i remember Peter. Peter was just a man, a man who while on that boat i'm sure was quite comfortable doing what he knew, what he had loved, fishing. until that night he looked out and saw Jesus walking on the water. full of emotion, fear, excitement, shock, awe, wonder, curiosity, and i'm sure much more he did it...what so many of us long to do so often yet at times fail to. he stepped out of the boat to walk along the water with Jesus. in faith, pure, honest faith (and hope) he took that step. that's why i'm leaving, to take that step of courage, to go wherever, to trust, to grow, to see new things and face new challenges. it hurts yes, but i'm trusting that the pain is worth it...

a perfect proposal...

on a cold winter's morn, the eve before christmas she awoke feeling as though there was something special in the air. she couldn't quite put her finger on it so she wrote it off as christmas "fuzzies" and went on to enjoy the day.

a little later that morning her parents told her and her boyfriend that as a christmas gift they had bought them two tickets for a wine tour at a beautiful winery on the local mountain for later that afternoon. she knew this was a great idea and was so excited she couldn't wait for the time to come.

around 1pm that afternoon they were dropped off at the winery to enjoy the aromas and tastes of so many world renown canadain wines. the tour was amazing and with the snow covered ground it was a beautiful afternoon. nearing the end of the tour it came time to taste the wine. elizabeth their tour guide had four wines out to taste each one very specific and delicious. not a moment later elizabeth began to say that it was a "special" tour this day because there was an australian with them, so they were going to taste a "special" wine. she went on to say that this australian gentleman (her boyfriend) had something that he wanted to say and winked at him.

she was turned toward him as he proceeded to tell her that..."since the day he told her he loved her, he knew that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with". he then bent down on one knee, pulled out the most PERFECT ring she had ever seen and asked those four precious words she had been longing to hear..."will you marry me?" as it all set in she realized she needed to respond, and so of course she said "yeah"! they embraced and he placed the ring on her finger. her parents then entered the room from where they had been watching with two dozen long stemmed pink roses! they were all able to taste the wine and then for the next half hour snap photos so they would be abel to remember the most...."perfect proposal".