Wedding Video

We finally have a "shortened" version of our wedding video to share!  For those of you that were unable to attend, we hope this helps you feel a part of our special day last fall.

Enjoy :)

Love Has Won the Day!

Oh man…what an awesome week!  We often hear the words, “He is risen,” and reply with, “He is risen indeed!” during the Easter season and Holy Week.  Instead, my husband Taylor always says in response, “He is risen; so act like it!”  Our church gathered a few times this week as we approached and celebrated the greatest day in history, and what a holy week we experienced as a Church here in OC.  How can we not act like our lives have been transformed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ? How can we not respond? 

Good Friday

On Good Friday, we gathered to remember the love and sacrifice that brought Jesus to the cross.  He fulfilled a prophecy long talked about: that the Son of God would suffer and die for the sins of the world…

"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.  Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.  The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray.  We have turned, every one, to his own way.  And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all...Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.  He has put Him to grief.  When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.  He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.  By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-11)

"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

There is so much power in that event in history when Jesus died on the cross and bore the sins of all mankind. We no longer have to be separated from our Creator.  His dying on the cross bridged the way for us to have a forever relationship with our Creator. He made all things new! 

The Stirring

Then, on the Saturday before Easter, over 3,000 people from all around the OC gathered as one Church at the OC Pacific Amphitheatre for The Stirring.  We worshipped the Lord together—led by many worship leaders around the county.  Our hearts gathered to pray for our county, pray for our schools, pray for our leaders, pray for those that we invited to Easter Sunday to hear the message of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.  With reckless abandonment, we worshiped and prayed with complete expectancy and eagerness for the gospel message to be shared and received by those that we love. 

Francis Chan, the author of The Forgotten God and Crazy Love, lead The Stirring.  Francis’s passion was contagious as we yearned for God to heal, save and renew our cities, county, country, and world in a profound and significant way.  We wrestled with our feelings as we experienced the overjoyed feeling that Jesus Conquered death and how we can now live in freedom, while also experiencing the burdening feeling that we felt for those that don’t know Jesus.

We were convicted as a Church and spurred on to respond to the fact that Jesus Christ has overcome the world!   “In this world you may have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!” Jesus said (John 16:33).  There is no fear in this world…if Jesus has conquered death, He can conquer our issues. 

Easter Sunday

Then arrived Easter Sunday.  Francis Chan taught again as we heard the story that continued after the cross...that Jesus is ALIVE! Freedom is here and is ours!  "We learned that mundane, without joy, and hopeless living is not what God has intended for us.  He is the giver of Freedom and life in ways that make us new and bring ultimate purpose and joy." (I quoted this from the RH recap of the evening because I loved it so much!)

Through his teaching, many people encountered God—even for the first time. We witnessed hundreds come to be baptized and experience newness in life that morning--even one of our dear friends, Maria :) 

“Ultimately, through each baptism, each shout of victory, each prayer, each heart turning, each splash of color, each life set free, and each day that lead us to this one, God showed us…

Love has won the day!” (from the RH Blog).

Click here to watch the celebration!

Death once reigned...but, with Christ we can Reign in Life! Thank you for the cross!

"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!" Romans 5:17

Happy 27th Tay!

Taylor turned 27 yesterday!  To celebrate, we invited some friends and family over to enjoy a dessert bar at our apartment.  Having no work this week, since we are on spring break at my school, I spent the day preparing and baking while Taylor was at work.  I realized that I wouldn't mind doing this as a full time job everyday...baking, doing crafty things, cleaning, planning birthday parties...so fun! 

I decided to make it Easter/spring-themed to try out some new dessert recipes appropriate for the season.  At the bar, we had: robins egg nest chocolate espresso brownie cupcakes, banana chip cupcakes, carrot cake cookies with cream cheese icing, Starburst jellybeans, Easter m&m's, fruit, chocolate croissants, Red Vine ropes, bunny peeps, and for Taylor's birthday cake, I made his favorite dessert: cheesecake with strawberries.  It was a good time with friends and family...chatting, eating, laughing, watching the Angels/Red Sox game, singing "happy birthday" and Taylor blowing out his 9 candles.

Taylor's feeling a little insecure about his age...realizing he's getting closer to being in his "thirties."  So, make sure you to tell him how young he looks next time you see him :)  He is looking pretty good for being so old :) His mom actually brought over a blown up picture of Taylor in his prime--when he was 4 years old and rockin' little boy beauty pageants in his day :)  Taylor wore a crown on his head and that picture taped to him all night to remind him that he was once a young beauty king.  We had a good night :) Happy birthday, my wonderful husband!  I love you so very much!

 

 

 

An Everlasting Love

On March 19th, Taylor and I were given the honor of standing beside Taylor's sister Kendall and her now-husband Tommy, as they became one in marriage. Tommy and Kendall had been patiently waiting for this day to arrive as they had been dating for over 4 years. The wedding took place at a beautiful ranch here in Southern California.  The day was covered in prayer and overflowing with the Lord's grace and love. To all who prayed for the weather to hold up, it was a gorgeous day for an outdoor ceremony and reception! Kendall has been in the wedding planning business for many years and added so many creative, do-it-yourself touches that made the day even more personal to them. She did such a remarkable job!  I have never been to a more beautiful wedding!  We were honored to celebrate that day with them and witness their forever union begin on that day :)  We are excited to grow even closer with them as we are now both engaged in newly-wedded life together.  We are already learning so much from each other--about living our lives for Christ as newly married couples as well as what it means to live in Christ-centered community with others.  Can't wait to continue to grow closer together in the years to come. 

Click below to see the videographer's recap of the night (look out for Taylor's entrance dance):

 

Also, check out my Flip video showing the pre-wedding footage of the beautiful day and beautiful bride:

Prayer for Jim on Wednesday...

Please lift up Amanda's dad (Jim Stookey) this week in prayer, especially Wednesday.  He is having surgery on Wednesday morning for his inner-ear disease (Meniere's Disease).  The purpose of the surgery is to help minimize the frequency of his vertigo attacks caused by the disease or potentially take them away completely.

A little apprehension comes with this surgery as they do have to drill into his skull, and it could also have a tremendous impact on his hearing (risk of hearing loss).  Because it also affects his balance, he will have a significant amount of vertigo attacks for 2 weeks as an immediate side effect of the surgery.

We believe in the power of prayer, and I love that we have so many prayer warriors we can call upon around the country. 

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:15-16

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Ephesians 6:18

Going to the Chapel

Finding ways to kill time as we anxiously waited to walk down the aisle, my bridesmaids and I decided we would sing before the wedding ceremony.  I have some of the most musically talented friends around :)  Kendall happened to catch it on her Flip video camera...Click the link below to watch :)

 Click Here to Watch

Praises and Prayers!

Current praises:

>Thank you Jesus for providing us with community! 

Taylor and I have been fervently praying, actively seeking out relationships, and asking God for a new community of believers to grow with together as we enter marriage and as I, Amanda, am new to the OC area.  We have been praying and asking some of you to pray for the Lord to provide passionate believers to come alongside each other, encourage each other, meet together, pursue God together, and serve passionately together. And, after some tears and the Lord teaching Amanda patience for Christian women, friends and community to surround her and Taylor, the Lord has blessed us with a group of married couples (some already in our lives and some connected to us in some way) who have been praying and asking the Lord for the same thing in their life.  We have now been connected with 5 couples who are passionate about the Lord and His Word. We meet in each other’s homes every Thursday, share a meal together, pray for one another, help each other when we are in need, serve on Sundays together and look for ways to share God’s Love with others.   It’s just a rich time of fellowship, and an even greater answer to our prayers than we expected!  

God promises, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11). And, to his disciples, Jesus promised, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:22-26, 31)

The Lord is good and faithful.


Current prayer needs:

>Safety for Taylor

Pray for Tay as he has been given many traveling opportunities this month for work (some overseas).   Pray for energy, health, and safe traveling!  He is currently in Germany, until Friday.  Lord Jesus, bring him back safely to me :)

>For the Lord to show us where He wants us to give our time and our finances. 

We’re finally starting to get settled here in many different ways, but are still seeking the Lord’s plan for our time in serving and pouring ourselves out to others as we begin our marriage.  Through our small group study and conversations, we have been really energized, spurred on and convicted by the Holy Spirit to live like the first church in Acts—consistently and frequently joining in fellowship with other believers, consistently in the Word, sharing the Gospel boldly, serving and loving zealously, generously giving of our finances and resources, etc.  We are realizing that this zealousness can be hard to maintain in a world that directs you be self-sufficient and independently minded, and in a world that persuades us as a new couple to feel as though we should be saving and protecting our finances for the future we are beginning. We want to be good stewards of our money, and we also want to rid ourselves of that fear of our own financial protection and live for the calling we have received through our Christ Jesus.  We want to continue to live knowing that nothing on this earth is eternal or our own.  We want to continue to be spurred on towards the reality that our time and our resources belong to God and this is only our temporary home. So, were asking for prayer to continue that alive in our spirit and for us to continue to be lead by the Holy Spirit to where he wants to spend our time, money, resources, and energy.  Our prayer is that we will “not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2) and that we will continue to be convicted by this Truth spoken by Jesus, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  God, lead us and use us for your glory!

>For blessings, more hands and resources for Mary’s Kitchen and its staff

Going along with our above prayer request, one cool thing we’ve been doing as a small group is serving at Mary’s Kitchen (a volunteer organization that provides food and services to the homeless of Orange County, CA) a few weekends per month with our small group—cleaning, sorting through food/clothing donations, food-prep, etc.  That has been a rewarding time for us, as the kitchen volunteer staff has needed a lot of help on the weekends as their organization grows and their body of people they serve grow as well.  There are men and women who have served there for over 20-years. Pray for the lives that are being impacted by this God-driven organization and that the Good News can be spread to them through the love and servant’s heart of those that have given so much of their lives working and serving there.

>For the Lord to continue to lead and teach Amanda in her job.  

The Lord is teaching Amanda a lot right now, as she is teaching in a new and unfamiliar school setting as well as teaching a new type of student than she has ever worked with before.  Having taught in very diverse settings thus far—inner-city Columbus, OH teaching underprivileged and academically struggling students, rural and suburban settings in Charleston, SC and now teaching in a private school in Orange County—she is thankful for the richness of her experiences as a teacher, but still learning as this new setting is different than anything she has worked with.  The Lord is not only guiding her and teaching her new things as a teacher, but He is also stretching her in different ways and teaching her a lot about herself as a person through this new experience.  Thank you, Lord, for blessing her with a job with so much support and passion found in its staff.  Continue to mold her as a teacher!

Our Reception Video

This is the video Chris Babbit made for us for our reception.  Both songs in the background are the ones we danced to with our mom and dad on our wedding day. I will say, I just watched it for the first time since the wedding, and...i cried a little.  I will also say...Taylor was a sweet little baby :)

2010: Our Year in Pictures

2010: Our Year in Pictures

1/2/10- Was honored to stand beside my high school bestie, Kendra Cosko, and watch her become Mrs. Kendra Franke!

...caught the bouquet :) (me next?)

1/31/10- Traveled to Miami, FL with Megan for Super Bowl Weekend to meet Taylor and some more of the Power Balance Crew.

...and for Chad Ochocinco's Super Bowl party, sponsored by PB.  

2/20/10- Went up north to go skiing with Jessie.

4/3/10 - 4/9/10 Roadtripped to Charleston, SC for my Spring Break to see my college friends!

4/8/10...was surprised to see Taylor there in Battery Park later in the week...

And he asked me to marry him :) (video below)

I said YES! So, we celebrated!

4/10/10- Drove to Cleveland with Taylor and Ryan to do some PB work at the Cav's game...and run a PB promotional "meet-and-greet" with Shaq...

5/8/10- Traveled to Atlanta, GA to celebrate my sweet college roommate and friend Lulie's wedding!

5/29/10- Flew to CA on Memorial Day weekend to see my new fiance and celebrate our engagement with friends and family there.

 

5/31/10- Got our engagement pictures taken by the wonderful Matthew Morgan (http://matthewmorgan.net/) in Laguna Beach, CA.

6/4/10- Finished my first year of teaching 6th/7th grade math at Columbus Collegiate Academy, an amazing charter school in inner-city Columbus.  Was very sad to leave the wonderful things going on at our school and to leave my students :( But, excited to start a new life in CA with my soon-to-be husband!

6/18/10- Celebrated the marriage of one of my best friends from high school, Olivia, and her new hubby Dana!

6/27/10- Roadtripped across the country with my high school best friend, Katie Jacobs, to move out to CA.

 

7/10/10- Taylor stood alongside Clark Hardman as his best man in his wedding as he married his new wife Val :)

8/3/10- Drai's in Hollywood for a PB celebrity poker tournament and benefit, raising money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.  Met some Westerville friends there!

8/5/10- Traveled to Charleston for my Bachelorette weekend!

June-August- Had a some beautiful wedding showers...hosted by sister and Taylor's aunt :)

August- Got a job teaching 7th grade math at LePort Schools here in CA!

10/9/10- Married my best friend :)

10/15-10/22- Honeymooned in Bali, Indonesia

11/25-11/28- Traveled back to OH to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

11/26/10- Had my 5-year high school reunion.

12/11/10- PB Christmas Party

12/19-12/26- Daddy and Megan came to visit us and spend Christmas in CA!