Standing Alone

I couldn’t help but be moved by the image of the boy standing alone at the flagpole that showed up in my newsfeed this week. If you haven’t read the story, I encourage you to do so. It was quite touching and was an instant hit of sunshine in the sometimes cold, dreary landscape social media has become.

But there, in an American flag t-shirt embellished with a cross, a gangly young man stood his ground solo at his school’s See-you-at-the-pole gathering. His prayer slamming me between the eyes…  

“God, as people drive by, let them wonder, let their hearts be pricked.”

Right then I was reminded of the power of our actions. As a writer, I tend to view myself as a “words” girl. And as a Christian and a mother, I do my best to speak words that are edifying, even when my opinions or my impatience beg I unleash sentiments far more cathartic for the occasion. I pray my actions speak when my words are absent, but very seldom do I find myself standing alone. Simply standing and letting words that would fall on deaf ears be replaced by positing myself for all to see.

Here I am, Lord. Use me.

I often hide behind social acceptability. My comfort zone is seldom stretched in the real world. The words from my laptop might be bold, but how often do I shut up enough to let God speak through me in my everyday interactions?

In the article, the mother of the boy went on to say …

My son says at first, he thought he would simply pray until someone else came along. 

Eventually, he realized no one else was coming. Then, the cry of his heart changed. 

He asked that God would do something with his standing alone.

I was sharing the story with my five-year-old son, explaining how much courage that took to not only stand up for God while other’s looked on, but to do so without support.

Peer pressure affects people of all ages. My kindergartner is learning firsthand what seems cool and what draws attention he may not want. Even as an adult, it’s impossible to avoid social pressures and expectations, especially when tensions are strung so high and tempers so unexpectedly volatile.

My five-year-old admitted that standing alone would have been hard. Scary. Yet he also acknowledged that if the boy had “chickened out” we wouldn’t have heard his story. He wouldn’t have inspired so many people. He didn’t have to say anything. He stood for Jesus. 

Simply stood.

It made me realize how quickly we disqualify ourselves. Maybe we’re not well versed or particularly talented. Maybe we have virtually no platform or feel too small to make waves. Let me tell you something... No one is under-qualified to make a difference. In fact, the Bible is full of examples of seemingly inadequate individuals being called and promoted for His glory. 

I profess to be a believer but I often get slammed for peeling back the layer of politeness in my stories and exposing the gritty reality we live in. My honesty can be jarring, and I won’t apologize for integrating a view of God’s perfect grace in an imperfect world. But this young boy’s story stopped me enough to think about myself outside my identity as a words girl. Are there times when I could be better heard if I stopped speaking and instead chose to just stand in the truth?

Now, I’m not saying God can’t or isn’t using our words. He is and He does. Mightily. But I am up to taking a new challenge, of standing, even when it’s hard. Even when it’s unpopular. Even if I’m the only one bowing my head to pray. And I’m empowered and excited to find more opportunities to make my stand.

Something to chew on: Words are powerful. Undeniably so. But they say actions speak louder. Is there an instance in your life where this proved true? And have you ever had to take a stand for your faith?

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Amy Leigh Simpson writes romantic mysteries with honesty and humor, sweetness and spice, and gritty reality covered by grace. When she’s not stealing moments at naptime to squeeze out a few more adventures in storyland, she’s chasing around two tow-headed miscreants (Ahem)—boys, playing dress up with one sweet princess baby, and being the very blessed wife to the coolest, most swoon-worthy man alive. Amy is a Midwestern-girl, a singer, blogger, runner, coffee-addict, and foodie. Her Sports Medicine degree is wasted patching up daily boo boo’s, but whatever is left usually finds its way onto the page with fluttering hearts, blood and guts, and scars that lead to happily ever after.

Check out her NEW romantic mystery novel FROM WINTER'S ASHES! Available NOW!

Small Beginnings...

Repost: Needed the reminder. :) 

Ever felt miserably small? Or wonder if you're stirring the water at all?

I think, at a certain point in all our lives we get a glimpse of our significance. Becoming a spouse. Birthing a child. Making a discovery. Creating something special. Touching someone's life. Achieving a certain success. These are glorious moments of triumph that don't often last as long as we need them to. The initial impact might still be making waves in the distance, but those are beyond our reach. From where we stand, nothing looks different than before. Of course, there are other times--coming with more frequency and ease--that can reduce our influence to a drop of a pebble in still water, the ripples barely inching out before the status quo returns.

The thing of it is... beginnings, while they might seem enormous in all their newness and splash, often start feeling small... especially when compared with others.

It's impossible not to notice someone else effortlessly cruising on by in their mega-yacht, while you are treading with all you've got in your silly little water-wings, sputtering on their wake and fighting to keep your head above water.

Some of us are natural born swimmers, playing to our strengths, but still miles behind that luxury liner. Others have to fight the tide every gasping stroke. But we all have to start somewhere and we're each fighting for some version of that big moment when we hit just the right stride and start smooth sailing.

Last year was a year of many beginnings for me. And let me tell you, no amount of natural talent or self-confidence will guarantee you a spot on that ship. But as much we may try to make all our beginnings big and bold and beautiful, well... sometimes we are just reminded how small we really are.

And I felt small this past week. Having a moment where I felt acutely aware of the futility of one gigantic effort. Let me tell you, feeling small doesn't feel good.

But then my mom (wise wonderful woman that she is) reminded me of this scripture.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin...

                                             -Zechariah 4:10

It struck me like a fist to the gut. O ye of little faith. I felt like I was staring down at five loaves and two fish to feed the multitudes, my doubts and unbelief superseding all the confidence keeping my hopes afloat. You see, I can increase my efforts and use what I've been given... but I can not multiply those rations. It is simply not in my power. But there is a source of wisdom, provision, and favor right there in my battered little dinghy getting tossed by the waves. You just gotta trust Who's in your boat, and realize that it's okay to start small. Some of the very best things do and they also don't sprout up overnight. The first spark of attraction. Those first inklings of love more often than not trickle in when your not looking instead of slamming you with the force of a monsoon. That first little heartbeat on a monitor, or those first flutters of movement in your swelling stomach. The long months of nurturing that little life until that tiny fist can curl around your finger. Small beginnings. Or even your friendships. Your promotion. Your story. Your publishing journey and your success as an author. Do not despise these small beginnings. You are where you're at for a time and for a reason.

And if you step back and get some perspective, you might just find joy you would have otherwise missed. Even right there on your little dinghy. :)

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Amy Leigh Simpson writes romantic mysteries with honesty and humor, sweetness and spice, and gritty reality covered by grace. When she’s not stealing moments at naptime to squeeze out a few more adventures in storyland, she’s chasing around two tow-headed miscreants (Ahem)—boys, playing dress up with one sweet princess baby, and being the very blessed wife to the coolest, most swoon-worthy man alive. Amy is a Midwestern-girl, a singer, blogger, runner, coffee-addict, and foodie. Her Sports Medicine degree is wasted patching up daily boo boo’s, but whatever is left usually finds its way onto the page with fluttering hearts, blood and guts, and scars that lead to happily ever after.

Check out her NEW romantic mystery novel FROM WINTER'S ASHES! Available NOW! 



The first post is always the hardest

There really should be a song with that as a line.

The first step is the hardest...

The first date the most uncomfortable...

The first page the hardest to fill...

Hence, the first blog post is always a wee bit disconcerting.

Will they like me? Do I have anything to add to the conversation? Was I crazy to volunteer for this assignment? (Yes, I actually volunteered :-) )

My handsome boys

I am many things. I play many roles. Maybe you can relate... This week, I will be a wife (well, every day for 19 years!), I will be a mom, I will homeschool my kiddos, I will teach graduate level classes, I will prepare for the MBA classes I'm taking, I will write, I will lawyer, I will be a friend, a mentor, a house painter, a box packer. I will be many things, but most of all I am a Christ follower.

My two beautiful girls

It's easy in the rush of life to say I'm a Christ follower, but not take the moments to pause. To read my Bible. To pray. To pick up the phone and encourage a sister who needs it. To ask God to help me see the world as He sees the world.

Yet, if I don't, everything else I do is meaningless.

A waste of effort.

A puff of hot air that will disappear without notice.

So today, I sit next to you (go ahead, imagine I'm in the room with you). Maybe I have a white latte. Maybe you have a mug of exotic tea. Maybe a candle burns in the corner, scenting the air with spice. Either way, I'm with you. As your peer. As your friend. As a fellow Christ-follower who doesn't get it all right. But as someone who wants to.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Oh, I'm also having a big giveaway this month on my blog. Feel free to pop over and join the fun. There's fiction, nonfiction, Christian living, and pampering in this little giveaway. You can join in here.

Waiting on God with an Impatient Heart

I first posted this blog in July 2012, but felt today was an appropriate time for a reminder about God's grace for waiting (as well as impatient) hearts. He is always faithful. He is always good. Whatever you are waiting for, take heart: our God is good.

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Picture this.

There's an old man sitting on a park bench with $10, 000 cash in a bag and a signed, first edition copy of your favorite book in his hand. And maybe some donuts. He owns a publishing house, and he's ready to make you a great offer on your work in progress.

The catch? He'll only be sitting here five minutes. And once he's gone, that's it. He's gone for good.

What lengths would you go to to get to that man on time? Too early or too late, and you will have missed the opportunity. It seems obvious, doesn't it? We would do anything it took to get there at the right time.

And yet it hit me the other day that metaphorically speaking, this is exactly the situation we are in every day as writers. We have a story inside our hearts. We have faith in God's call upon our lives. The man is sitting on the bench, so to speak. So why do we struggle so much to believe it's all going to work out?

We operate with such a limited perspective. Remember the kaleidoscopes you played with as a kid? When we look at just this one moment in our lives, it's like we're viewing the world through a kaleidoscope. We color the limited landscape in all different ways with just a turn of our hands. The thing is, God's got so much more planned. He has a purpose for your whole life. He sees it all.

Source: Uploaded by user via Joanka on Pinterest

Have you ever looked at a book you've written and felt anxiety about it? Maybe you feel that way now. I think most writers operate with a certain level of worry existent all the time. Is my book going to be good enough? Will I ever find the right agent? How long before a publishing house buys it? And then, what about the reviews that roll in?

But these worries come because we allow ourselves to get out of sync with God's timing. We believe in His promises, but we try to get ahead or behind the pace He's set. Doing so causes all sorts of trouble for whatever season we're facing in our writing lives.

Imagine yourself running with a crowd of people. Yes, I know that for some of you, the image of yourself running is difficult to picture, as, if you're anything like me, it hasn't happened since high school. But bear with me here. The race starts, and you all start running together. Before long, you fall into a rhythm. Some people rush ahead of you, and others fall behind. Some are running right alongside you and help you find your own groove. (We call these critique partners, and they rock.)

Before long, you become very observant of everyone else. Those in front of you are getting all these opportunities, and those behind are learning from your mistakes.

How much easier is it to look at everyone around us rather than to see the opportunities right in front of ourselves?

The thing is, God has equipped you with a particular pace, and operating outside of that is going to throw you off. If you rush ahead, you're going to get tired, and if you lag behind, you're going to miss the opportunities He's set in your path.

I want to encourage you today that God knows right where you are in this season of your life and your writing journey, and He has you there for a reason. Resist the urge to look ahead or behind. Instead, look around. You don't want to miss the opportunities He has placed before you because, like the man on the park bench, once those are gone, they're gone for good.

We can avoid so many of the things we worry about if we just press on. If we stop telling God we need to be faster, or things need to slow down. Forcing something that's the wrong timing will never make the timing right.

And when the timing's right, we will have peace in that. Imagine what would've happened had you never gone to the place you met your spouse, had you never met your best friend, had you never decided to write. A few moments, a few choices different, and your life wouldn't have been the same.

So whether you're waiting to hear from an agent, a publishing house, or even to hear God's next step for your life, be of good heart. God has not forgotten you or let go of His plans for your life. He is holding them, carefully tending to them, as He has been doing all along. Every day, every moment, is just another step toward the next chapter of His plan.

Your moment will come.

Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." 


Can you think of a time in your life where you waited and you're glad you did?

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Ashley Clark writes romantic comedy with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.