American Idle

Ever feel like God is trying to get a message to you? Not just once or twice but many times through many different means...BIG MEANS? Well, He's been trying to get to me...and I finally heard it loud and clear.


My name is Amy and I am an American Idle. Basically, I am lazy or rather I have become even more so as of late. I can't blame it on much. Winter blues use to be a good reason but not so much any more. Its just that I LOVE TV and watch too much. (sigh) I don't exercise enough and the guilt is getting to me. I eat out too much because cooking takes time and effort. I live by the motto..."Diet Starts Tomorrow" but tomorrow never seems to come. I haven't even worked on new hobbies or talents in a long time. I hope I can find them under that bushel where I left them. So basically...I'm dating my sofa (its a nice lay...LMAO, I crack myself up).

I didn't EVEN go into the things of a more spiritual nature but you get my drift...I have let myself go to (spiritual) pot too.

Lets face it...I am not happy. I am wasting my life away here! Hence the giant blimp from the Lord. "I hear you loud and clear now."

I wrote down a quote about a year ago...it haunts me today: "Don't let *someday* get away from you. In this aspect, time becomes your enemy." Tell me about it...its how I spent most of my 20's and the ememy won that battle...but not the war.

What a mess...where to start, where to start? I think the first baby step has to be a BIG step....I think the TV has to go. DID I JUST SERIOUSLY SAY THAT!?? (cold sweats). Honestly, if my leg is sceptic, it has to be cut off to save my life right? (Too much E.R. and Grey's Anatomy...case in point.) I think I'm to this point.

Hopefully I can talk my roommate into the elimination of our satellite dish STAT (while I'm still hearing God's message ringing in my ears and feeling brave). How bad can it be? Lowder and Michelle without. (Oh man, this is gonna hurt.)


Now...what to do with five extra hours a night? Oh boy...I've been working on a list for quite some time waiting for "tomorrow" to come. It would include the basics of exercise, cooking dinner, scripture study, etc. But some other things I'd like to try:

- reading more...(I pretty much suck at it but have longed to be an avid reader)
- golf and more golf
- take karate lessons...REALLY!
- attend a tea party (no, a real one)
- play the guitar more
- learn to sew (and sow)
- under water basket weaving
- plant a garden....or maybe just a herb or two
- I could really stand to do some service
- exercise some more
- actually socialize with people rather than objects that require a mouse or remote
- perfect my origami skills
- photography
- catch up on 3 years worth of music (talk radio is such a downer)
- paint (this one is for Carrie)

I am NOT judging anyone that watches T.V. I am just saying that you likely have much more self-control than me. 40 hours a week CANNOT be good for the soul (or sole).

"Slothfulnes (laziness/procrastination) casteth into a deep sleep; an idle soul shall suffer hunger." - Proverbs 19:15

...and its time I wake up because man, I am hungry.

Thank you Lord for loving me despite myself and keeping after me. I was "Lost" in my own
lazy hell "24" hours a day. Please help me with a "Prison Break" of my old self with an "Exteme Makeover" so I can go from living a life in "Scrubs" as "Ugly Betty" to the "Biggest Loser". No more living the life of an "American Idle".

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

THE GOOD: So, apparently everyone in my family is doing the horizontal mambo except for me...(thats not the good part) and they are doing it "unprotected". The latest to prove this statement true is my cute baby sister Sarah and her husband John. Last night at family dinner a cleverly illustrated cake (made by Sarah) joyfully announced they are going to have a baby. The cake said "We Reep what we sow" with a pregnant stick figure (their last name is Reep)!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!! They have been married 1.5 years and this is their very first. I'm very excited for them and know that they will be amazing parents. I will, again, be an amazing aunt.

THE BAD: The bad news is that this poor baby will be born mid-December and share birthdays with its mother, it's uncle Jeff , auntie Amy, and Jesus too. Poor kid.

Just to recap, my family is growing faster than the national debt. In the last 1.5 years, our family has:

- had 2 marriages (so a new brother-in-law & sister-in-law for me)
- adoption of Anthony (my step-nephew) through one of these marriages
- given birth to 2 babies (Phoenix & Kylie Sue)
- AND now we have 4 brand new babies due this year!!!!! FOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! INSANE but I do love being an aunt.

THE UGLY: Now people, this is where I make this all about me. I'm the oldest here. There are only 5 of us and with 4 of my siblings (again, younger than me) being pregnant, that leaves only me being the single one...and the non-pregnant one. The one with the dying eggs. I never imagined I'd be in this situation. I can't think of anyone right now who can relate to my placement here but again people, I'm making this about me.

In all seriousness, I am deeply troubled by what this all means, mainly where my cute little family is concerned ..... because I'm being left behind. They are all moving on and progressing with their marriages and now all their babies...growing their own families, while my own personal family is still dinner for one. To top it off, in the last year I took a big step closer towards a family of my own and then a GIANT and painful step backwards...for hell's sake. It isn't for lack of trying but nothing makes you feel like more of a failure, more lost, more lonely than this kind of data right here...and its called MY LIFE!

Now, please don't tell me its not a race...I know this. Please don't tell me I should be happy for them, because I truly am. And PLEASE don't tell me it'll be my turn soon...as I've been telling myself this for YEARS! Try walking in my shoes...and tell me that this doesn't hurt just a bit. I know that a man, a marriage and a family doesn't define me. I know that those things are not the only way a person can be happy in life BUT it is what I so desire and want more than anything. And I don't want every family dinner, holiday, reunion, party, trip, shower and BBQ to remind me that I've failed thus far and that I just don't plain fit in with my own family anymore. I've tried, and I do try and I really just want to have a little pity party for a while before I do the Amy thing and pick myself back up and go on being so damn optimistic.

The Morale of the Story is...

FACE YOUR FEARS...OVER COME YOUR WEAKNESSES!

I was in charge of coordinating our stake blood drive for my ward. This required me to spend a number of hours with the Red Cross workers during the drive.

Well, a few hours into the bank we heard a loud "bang". Someone had fainted but NOT JUST ANYONE...a phlebotomist!!! Turns out, the poor guy passes out at the "sight of blood". ITS HIS JOB! Its his job and not because anyone made him. I doubt its the only job he could ever have. Its his job because he chose it. He wanted to face his weakness...his fear, and make it his strength and according to his supervisor, he was doing really well.

What an example to me. I just might stop and think about that next time I fear something or question my ability to do something.

I Need A Hero!

As a citizen on patrol, I've been known to call 911 a few times (a week). Today I learned a very valuable lesson when my dear friend Carrie was the one to call 911 which resulted in the 911 operator requesting her to do heart compressions on a homeless guy! Phew, that was a close one....that could've been me. That'll teach me to be so quick to dial 911.

In all seriousness though, Carrie was a hero today. Not only did she fearlessly jump into action as she was flagged down by a homeless guy (a scary situation for a single gal) and called 911 at his request, she also did 200 chest compressions until the paramedics finally arrived. It seemed like forever.

But Carrie wasn't done being the hero yet. Seeing that the victim's brother was very upset, she stepped up and helped to console him. And though she hates to touch people, she managed to rub his shoulder for 10 minutes to calm him down. A hero again.

A part that I'm leaving out is that when I happened on the scene, just 60 seconds after Carrie (we had been shopping together but driven separately; I was behind her on the road) the victim's coloring was so very poor and he laid lifeless. I seriously thought I was witnessing a spirit leaving a body. I've never seen a person die before (nor did I want to.) It was a very surreal moment and I just couldn't believe it was happening.

I don't know if Carrie was praying as hard as I was but I KNOW that Heavenly Father heard my prayers and blessed Carrie to follow through with what she'd been tasked to do. I know He blessed that man to start breathing again and regain consciousness. A miracle.

By the time the paramedics arrived, the victim was breathing again; his color was a shade better but he was still a very sick man.

All in all, Carrie was a good example to me in her brave actions. I thank the Lord for allowing us to be there at the right time ....and for making Carrie a hero tonight.

"You're Not Alone..."

...rang between my ears today... and it turns out it wasn't a lie.

Today I attended a local Tea Party downtown and we partied like it was 1776. It was so much fun!!! (Lots of seriously hot guys too.) But in all seriousness, I felt a surge of patriotism as I participated in an act so fundamentally American...no matter our message.

But there was a strong message, one that I adamantly believe in...PASSIONATELY in fact!! I have found that despite a very few people, I've stood relatively alone in my beliefs within my social circles. My beliefs have not been popular at all and that is fine...truly because I'm secure enough in them to stand on my own two feet. But I have to admit that it was SO NICE to be amongst similar minded people today (and not just a few but 2,500 to 3,000 in my little city.) Additionally, it gave me so much hope within me that the America I know and I love still exists on some level. I had really worried that this wasn't the case and it has bothered me A LOT (that's an understatement).

Notable SLC rally highlights (besides the uniting message):

1. While I'm yelling "booo" with the rest of the crowd, Michelle insists I'm saying "moooo". LOL. Stop with the fat jokes.

2. At the mention of Senators Hatch and Bennett, the crowd started chanting "Send them home"...hell ya! Vote their out of office already! TERM LIMITS!

3. It was pouring down rain, then (sideways) snow...IT WAS COLD yet we all stuck it out. Us Rocks!

4. A sea of umbrellas...normal for Seattle, not SLC.

5. Non-partisan responsibility: A call for both Democrates and Repulicans change or else...

6. Hot guys, kids, business people, moms, veterans, grandparents (one couple with a sign saying "Stop stealing from my grandkids"), dogs...did I mention hot guys. Congressman Jason Chaffetz too...I love that guy (but I still think even he needs term limits).

7. And finally losts of great signs that sum up our purpose for gathering with these messages...

"Elephants and Asses are screwing the masses."

"Stop DC Pirates."

"I'll keep my guns, freedoms and money, you keep the CHANGE."

(I don't know what that means.)

Now to those friends, family and co-workers who disagree with my thoughts, opinions and beliefs there is something that you need to know...

The liberal media have and do call me an "idiot" and "freak" (and worse) just for having different beliefs from theirs. However, I totally expect you to be respectful to me where they they have failed. You can count on me to be respectful to you. This doesn't mean that we have to agree and we can have conversations but I will not be made fun of or put down. There are many things for which I can laugh at myself about and endure the teasing...but on this subject, I cannot. I take this stuff very serious and as result I have no sense of humor on this.

To those who share my beliefs...don't be afraid to stand up for them because the morale of this story is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Anyone Excited For Tax Day?

I am!! Wait. Huh? Thats right...I am excited for Tax Day this year as I will be attending a nationwide Tax Day Tea Party.

What's a Tea Party? Here is the scoop, particularly on the Utah Tea Party but they are happening all over the U.S. for the same reason. Its a non-partisian group of the "Silent Majorty"...but we aren't going to be silent any more!!!! "A Revolution is a Brewing"....

THE DETAILS:"It's easy to see the damage that recent decisions in Washington Democrats are doing to our freedoms and to our economy. But it's not just Washington. And it's not just the Democrats. We believe that the best way to fix Washington is to start closer to home and present the case to Utahns that our Republican leadership is supporting much of the same big-government socialism that is constantly creeping in. We believe that many Utahns support the Republican leadership by default and don't pay much attention to politics. But if presented with the evidence, many would join us in replacing our local politicians with those who will uphold the founding principles. It's our mission to awaken our neighbors and fix our own state first. Then...we'll be united and ready to take on Washington.
WHEN: April 15, 2009 Noon-2PM
WHERE: Federal Building, 125 S State St., Salt Lake City
WHO: Everyone! Spread the word
SPEAKERS: Attorney Gen. Mark Shurtleff, Rep Jason Chaffetz, Rep Rob Bishop, Author and Activist Candace Salima
WANT TO KNOW WHY WE ARE DOING THIS:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp-Jw-5Kx8k

If you believe in this message and want to join me, give me a call.

(On a personal note, I thought it was pretty great that I got to meet Rep. Jason Chaffetz about a month ago. I respect him greatly (he hasn't been spoiled by Washington yet...I hope he never is). I got my picture with him that I would LOVE to post but lets just say its a much better shot of him than it is of me. All in all, my mother was very impressed that I was off meeting honorable conservative congressman and not off chasing Bono around. Then I broke the news that I was going to chase Bono around this fall. She didn't even hear me. She was still beaming with pride about Congressman Chaffetz. LOL. I love my dear little politctial driven mom.)

People...Its TEA TIME!

A FEW QUOTES I FEEL *REALLY* GOOD ABOUT

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help." --Ronald Reagan

"Patriotism is easy to understand in America; it means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country."-- Calvin Coolidge

"When I die, I desire no better winding sheet than the Stars and Stripes, and no softer pillow than the Constitution of my country." -- Andrew Johnson

"We must always remember that America is a great nation today not because of what government did for people but because of what people did for themselves and for one another." -- Richard Nixon (We've totally forgotten this and it will be to our demise if we don't do something about it quick.)

A Week (or so) In Review.....

Al Gore can KISS MY ASS!!!!