Well - it's been a while since we had a Friday Fellowship but it's the perfect day for one!!! Today's guest is Amy Metz Williams. I got to know Amy YEARS ago through our blogs. I have known her through YEARS of horrible infertility and the adoption of her precious daughter Landry (who looks JUST LIKE HER!) and her divorce and now she is remarried and PREGNANT with another sweet girl!! Amy has a heart for adoption and she has written the sweetest children's book "Custom Made Kid" that is on preorder right now! If you have an adopted child or any child that might be curious about adoption - it would be a wonderful gift! And she also has a foundation that will help other families adopt!
Check out her website to read more about her foundation and order the book!!! And if you go to my instagram post today - I'm giving away two CMK shirts and books!!!
Amy and I (and another friend Lianne) about 7 years ago! And I know I talk about OBU a lot but Amy actually went there just not at the same time so we had that connection! It's just a small small world!
1. What is your favorite Food?
Hands down, chips and guacamole. Mexican food is the best…although I can’t find a favorite place here in Alabama. I miss Texas.
2. What is your very favorite piece of clothing right now? (FASHION)
I am not what anyone would call a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination. Ha! I’m a well-worn pair of blue jeans kind of girl so I’d have to say that. Or yoga pants.
3. Tell us about your Family?
As a child, I grew up as a military brat and we moved a lot. My parents were intensely committed to each other, even during the hard times and they’ve been married over 40 years. I also have one brother who is a couple years younger than I am, married, and has a little boy on the way. By no means did we have a perfect family but I was shown what real love looks like and was taught about being honest / sticking to my values.
I recently married an incredible man who I literally put through the ringer during the dating process to try to figure out if he really was / is who he claimed to be. I’m not sure why he stuck around but I’m soooo glad he did. Turns out, Matt is the real deal.
I am the mom of a beautiful, strong-willed little girl who I call my “Custom Made Kid”. She’s adopted but she’s everything I’ve ever wanted and needed…and looks and acts JUST like me. I am so blessed that Matt loves her as much as I do. I am also currently pregnant with a second daughter after well over a decade of infertility. One of the main hang-ups I had about marrying Matt was my very long history with infertility. I wanted better for him and told him so but he never blinked or wavered. “I just have a feeling…” he’d say. “I’m not worried.” And I’d roll my eyes and think to myself that maybe he was a little crazy. Turns out, he wasn’t crazy after all. And we are thrilled!
4. What is the most important quality in your Friends?
Although openness and honesty are very important qualities to me, I’d have to say “loyalty” is the number one quality for me. I think that one word covers a lot of traits that are needed for great friendships and, let’s face it, not a one of us are perfect. So having that friend you can trust to stand by you through the good and the bad and the mistakes you make throughout life is worth its weight in gold. And so rare it seems!
5. What's something you have learned recently in your Faith journey? And/or share your favorite scripture right now and why or your favorite Bible Study or book you have read recently.
I’m not even sure where to begin on this. He has taught me so much in the last several years…first and foremost, that He is NOT a cookie cutter God. He didn’t make us to be perfect and He definitely didn’t make any of us (or our stories) the same. I’ve also learned to trust Him with my “blank check”. And by that I mean to believe that His will for my life is better than my will for my life. I’ve learned that I can truly, fully trust Him with all aspects of my journey. He won’t call me to something I’m unable to handle. Not that it won’t feel like it sometimes.
For example: the infertility I mentioned. I raked myself emotionally over the coals with wanting a baby for a very long time. I felt betrayed by my own body. It hurt my friendships because pregnancy seemed to come so readily and easily to everyone but me. I questioned my own value as a woman and as a potential mother. Sadly, I very much questioned the character and sovereignty of God. (What was He doing up there because He sure wasn’t listening to me?! I remember thinking. But, as it turns out, He was. And in a greater way than I could have ever dreamed.)
During that infertility season, I very openly, publically, and immaturely rejected the idea of adoption as a possibility (“that’s for good people…better people than me”). I thought biology was best for me and (cringe) said to everyone who mentioned adoption: “If God is going to call me to adoption, He’s going to have to drop a baby in my lap.”
Long story short, He did. And from that day on, my life has never been the same.
I love that little girl He provided with a ferocious love. And while I might not have given physical birth to her, I longed for her for years and I labored for her with countless tears. She couldn’t’ be more “mine” if she’d grown in my tummy versus my heart. And because of this crazy, hard, sad, wonderful journey – that included a painful season of infertility - I’ve written a children’s book on adoption (although it’s about ALL kids), started a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to help families adopt, and have a sweet little t-shirt line for the book / foundation. All of the proceeds from the t-shirts go right back into the Foundation to help financially support adopting families.
And I fully intend to adopt again one day if ever the opportunity presents itself. Turns out, adoption is for me. Ironically, Landry was the puzzle piece that put my whole life and future into perspective and my wait wasn’t about me. It was about her! He’s an on-time God.
Favorite verses (I have two):
I love Isaiah 43:19 because it was a verse that I’d never, ever read but, in the days just before I found out about my daughter, it seemed to be everywhere. Now I just love it because God is always doing a new thing. He’s always in the process of restoring and making a way where there seems to be none
“See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:19
I actually have this Psalm written in my mom’s handwriting and tattooed on my ribcage.
“He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”
Psalm 91:4
That’s easy. My biggest fear is not seeing myself right. Whether that’s seeing myself better than I am or worse than I am, I just don’t want to be that person that can’t see themselves for who they really are. If I’m messing something up, I hope I see it. If I’m doing something right, I want to do more of it. If I hurt someone, I want to learn how to be the type of person that doesn’t care so much about whether I meant to do it or not but erring on the side of caring for their heart and not causing someone else pain. I’m sorry isn’t as painful as I once thought. I don’t know…I guess I just mean I hope I am who I believe I am. I’m terrified of being a fraud.
7. What are some of your Favorite things right now?
I love the show Blindspot when I actually get to sit down and watch TV. I love tattoos and currently have two. I’d probably be covered in them if it wouldn’t put my mother in an early grave. ;-) The gym is my happy place. Mostly because when I’m busting it, it’s the only time my brain isn’t in overdrive. I actually relax when I’m working out, strangely enough. Obviously, I love being a mom and I adore this unexpected little addition to our life recently. I love reading but I don’t do that anymore for sheer lack of alone time.
8. What has been your biggest Failure?
Marriage. It’s embarrassing and I don’t like to talk about it because I don’t even really understand myself but I wanted to be honest. I’m learning to accept the fact that the people who know and love me accept this part of my journey and this area of failure doesn’t define me.
Also, the best part is that God did not wake up one morning and say, “OH! I really didn’t see that coming for her! This surprises me and I love her less.” He knew my journey would include this and He also knew that my brokenness would decrease me and increase Him in my life. I think that’s why He’s allowed it and why I have to learn to be okay with this journey, just like it is.
9. What do you do for Fun?
What’s that? Just kidding…but kinda not. It’s a busy, busy season right now with one kid and one on the way, a full time job, starting the Foundation, getting the book published (which I struggled to accomplish because something always comes up!!!), etc. I’m having fun doing it all but, at the same time, there’s not much down time.
10. Tell me about what animals you have? (Furry things)
I have one black Lab named Samson. We call him Sam or Sammy and he’s the sweetest dog ever. He’s a rescue and so I feel like he’s an extremely “grateful” dog. He doesn’t do any of the typical bad dog things and lets my kids crawl all over him. His happy place is at my boyfriend’s lake house so it’s hard to get him to come home to “real” life during the week.
11. What is your favorite FILM? (movie)
Unashamedly, “Love and Basketball”. I bet I watched it a thousand times in college. For a serious movie, one of my all-time favorites is The Count of Monte Cristo.
10. What is one Fact we might not know about you?
I love old houses. I know these big, wonderful new houses are beautiful and great but I love to take something that’s a little broken down and making it beautiful again. I think maybe this hobby is a metaphor of my life and faith and journey. Ha! Beauty for ashes!
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