Random Thoughts of Amy Potts

My pastor ended her sermon today with the words; "May you be present and not somewhere else.  May you be found in Christ."  I listened with intent to her words today for many reasons. She encouraged us to look for joy in what we have and to be thankful for this moment.  I like to think that I do this well, but I often find myself living with the "what if" and "I should have" mentality.  This has always been difficult for me and I suspect that I am not alone. I am known to be a positive, upbeat woman who is rarely if ever down or depressed.  Honestly, I do view life differently than some who have experienced similar struggles and have known less heartache.  But I am also a woman who has real hurts, real disappointments and there are times when resilience seems less present.  But why were the pastor's words so meaningful today? This past week our pastor said goodbye to her mom who had been fighting cancer for some time.  As she approached the pu...

I've been reflecting lately on the origin of my faith in God and it seems that unlike some, I'm unable to really pinpoint a day or time when I had that "aha" moment.  All I know is that at a very young age I would listen to the voices of the meadowlark and the red-winged blackbird; curious to know what made them sing.  I believe that God's voice in the wind called me away from the angry voices of people to come out and  dance with the little stream on the edge of town. It was God who called me to safety then and it is He who calls me to a deeper place today.  It was God and it is God. I went away to a monastery recently to reflect on this faith and some things occurred to me.  For many years I worshiped in an evangelical setting.  I don't know how many times a congregation would rejoice when they learned that someone had come out of "Catholicism" to the true Christian experience.  So many times I would hear pastors refer to the "other" d...

Every year I get frustrated with the argument of whether or not retailers should say, "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".  Every year I am perplexed at the number of people who stay up all night just to get the best bargain for Christmas.  Call me a cynic, but I don't think I recognize Christmas anymore.  Or do I? I did some in depth research on the subject of Christmas.  Well, not really, but I did launch a Google search.  I clicked on the first link I found which was, History.com and this is what I learned; "Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenonmenon.  For two nillennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature."   Hmm that's interesting.  So, Christmas is religious, cultural and commercial all wrapped up in one neat package.  Brilliant! So what's the big deal if the checker at Macy's or any other ...

Someone made this statement to me yesterday, "Amy, I'm not like you, I can't always find a reason to give thanks".  Maybe she is more like me than she thinks.  The truth is that some days even I have a hard time finding something to be grateful for.  One year ago tomorrow, I was sitting at my desk when a co-worker approached me to tell me that one of our dear teammates had been killed in a car accident the night before. That was a somber day.  I had to answer the question to customers all day of, "did you have a nice Thanksgiving?" For a whole day I said these words over and over until I believed them myself, "I have so much to be thankful for ". While it is true that there are days when it is hard to find gratitude, there is always something to be grateful for.  Today I am grateful for many things; too many to be counted actually.  But tomorrow could be one of those days when I have to reach deep within and simply say, "I'm thankful for...

I had the honor of accompanying my husband, Mike to another marathon this past weekend.  This one was in Richmond, Virginia.  I love going to his races for many reasons. I usually get him to the start of the race and then head on out to find a place where I can encourage him and the other runners.  Then I rush off to at least one more place on the course where I will spur him on before going to congratulate him at the finish line.  This is always my favorite part.  There is something else I enjoy while I am at the races.  I get to meet people from all over our country and beyond.  This race was memorable.  I met a lady who was from Poland, there to watch her husband run his first marathon in the United States. I also met a lady whose friend was running her 15th marathon this year! The most important interaction of the day was with a local homeless man.  As I was standing along the street cheering for runners I noticed a man begging money to...

After listening to break-room talk today, I decided to come home and compose a letter to Dear Abby that may have come from any one of the conversations that I witnessed.  This is in no way to be a reflection on my marriage.  I have trained my husband much better than this.  Enjoy the read and have a best day! Amy Dear Abby, Today is the day I have chosen to finally sit down to write you a letter.   I have been married to Jack Ass, (his real name) far too long.   When we met he was a perfect gentleman.   He always opened the car door for me and waited on me to be settled before closing it.   I in turn would reach across the seat to unlock his door and open it for him as a sign of returning my love.   When we would sit down at the dinner table we would hold hands and gaze lovingly at each other, sometimes forgetting why we were there.   It was bliss, I tell you, pure bliss.   We have been married for one year now and suddenly that ...

I didn’t know as a little girl that I would find myself relying on the profound words of a children's book when I was grown.   But many times when I look back at where I have been and who I have become, I can’t help but to remember the words of Margery Williams in “The Velveteen Rabbit”.   “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse.   “It’s a thing that happens to you.   “Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.   “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”   Does it happen all at once…or bit by bit?”   “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse.   “You become.   It takes a long time.   That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.   Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.   But these things don’t matt...