Can I Borrow a Cup of Hope? Author Q&A with Amy Lively

October 1, 2023 by Gabriela YarelizAuthor Q&A, Uncategorized

Today, Amy speaks to us about her book Can I Borrow A Cup of Hope? (released September 26, 2023), more books you will want to add to your list, prayer, and thoughts on Peter. Thank you, Amy, for sharing with us!

Tell us a bit about how you grew up and your childhood: I was raised by the sweetest, kindest, most loving Christian parents you could ever imagine! They are my dear friends and biggest supporters to this day, and I’m so grateful God chose them to be his influence in my life. Even though I was raised right, I still chose to do wrong. I wandered from God for 20 years before I returned full force and all-in. Parents, never stop praying for your prodigal!

Because I met my husband when I was in 3rd grade and we starting dating when I was 15, I feel like I should include him in my childhood, too!

Inspiring biblical passage of the moment: I’ve been meditating on 2 Corinthians 12 recently, where Paul talks about the thorn in his flesh. I have constant tinnitus that’s very bothersome (this is an understatement), along with hearing loss; I’ve had hearing aids since my 30s. I am managing it with God’s grace! Paul says his thorn was given by God, a messenger of Satan, to keep him humble because of the great revelation he had received. A thorn in the flesh is worth the revelation from God!

Spiritual growth focus at the moment: I just started at Asbury Theological Seminary! I’m so excited about the opportunity to know God better and love him more.

Profession/Mission: I’ve been many things in my lifetime! I’ve been a pastor and a church planter; I will always be an active church member and volunteer. I’ve led small groups and women’s ministry. My husband and I own a business, I’m a community organizer. But I am also a published author! My first book was called How to Love Your neighbor Without Being Weird, and it’s based on all the mistakes I made being a very weird neighbor.

Tell us about your new book! My new book is called Can I Borrow a Cup of Hope? How to Find Faith for Hard Times in 1 Peter. For every command Peter writes with authority, there’s a story of how he messed it up royally. The early church would have crumpled up his letters if Peter hadn’t been transformed by the Holy Spirit, so his redemption from salty sailor to faithful apostle gives me hope for my own mistakes. I have wanted to write this book for a dozen years! I first taught this material to a circle of women in my living room in 2011, then to the women’s Bible study at my church during the pandemic. If there was ever a time we needed a refill of hope, it was the summer of 2020! It’s a book, a Bible study, a small group curriculum, and a devotional in one—however works best for you. Five of my friends courageously shared hope-filled stories that perfectly align with the themes of 1 Peter, and you will never forget how God filled them with hope during incredible suffering.

When did you first encounter God and how did you encounter Him? I first encountered God as a young girl, and he was very real and present to me. Loving God was an authentic part of my family. After my rebellion, I encountered him in his Word. His Spirit speaks to me through Scripture.

How would you describe Jesus? Friend

How has your relationship with Him changed you? I would hope my relationship with Christ has changed every single thing about me! I don’t want him to leave any part of my heart, soul, or strength untouched.

What has been the darkest time in your life, and how did you see God in it? When I first returned to my faith, I caused a lot of problems in the way I handled this in my marriage. I saw a vision of myself face down on the floor of my living room as light streamed from the windows of my home. This showed me that God can be glorified even in my darkest times, and he has been faithful to do that.

What has helped you grow spiritually in this season? I have a group of four girlfriends who meet by Zoom every other week. They know all the dirt, and hold me accountable when I share something I want to change. They give me a perfect blend of empathy, encouragement, advice, and prayer.

Just read/currently reading (and what has it taught you?): I just finished reading Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America by Russell Moore. Wow, it blew my hair back! It is teaching me to be identified solely by my faith in Christ, not by politics or culture. I also read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller, his wonderful memoir (that can become ours) about making his actual life into a better story.

Top three essentials: Since the rest of this interview has been quite spiritual, I’m going to go with three non-spiritual things:

Coffee
Peeps eyeglass lens cleaner
AnyList app

On the spiritual side, though:

Coffee
Bible
Pencil

How did God speak to you recently? The other day I caught myself thinking, “God can fix this.” Then I heard him whisper to me, “Honey, you know you’re not actually praying, right?” I stopped and truly prayed, turning my attention and my words and my heart toward Him. And you know what? That thing I was thinking/praying about was fixed instantly! I don’t expect all my prayers to be answered on the spot, but He is teaching me that thoughts and prayers yield two very different results.

Hobby: Cooking and taking my dog to the vet. He’s diabetic and went blind, then had cataract surgery and now has glaucoma. His round-the-clock care is an expensive (and worthwhile) hobby.

Top three practical tips for staying spiritually strong: 1) Stay in the game, don’t give up, even when it feels like culture and your friends and the world around you think this is a crazy idea. 2) You can read your actual Bible. Yes, it’s massive and can be confusing, but with patience and the right tools along with steadfast time in the word, you will hear God speak to you like no one else can. 3) Preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (OK, I took that last one from 1 Peter 1:13.)

Favorite person in scripture? Peter! And his wife. According to church historians, they were both martyred for their faith on the same day—and she went first.

What do you want people to learn about God when they look at you? When people saw Peter’s boldness in preaching the risen Christ, they realized this uneducated and untrained man had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). We see the same thing in John chapter four with the Samaritan woman at the well. His disciples were amazed that Jesus was talking with a woman, yet no one questioned her, because she was with Jesus. I want people to recognize that I have been in His presence, and this makes me a safe place for them to explore their faith.

“I want people to recognize that I have been in His presence, and this makes me a safe place for them to explore their faith.”

How do you engage with your community? One of my favorite events is called the BV Strong Community Dinner. We set out 400 tables and 3,200 chairs for a massive dinner down the middle of Main Street in my tiny mountain town. It’s a crazy beautiful glimpse of heaven! I look forward to working with our planning team in the months leading to the dinner, then dining with my friends and family. I’ve been intentional about engaging outside of churchy circles, where I get plenty of interaction in small groups, Bible studies, worship nights, and Sunday services.

Favorite holiday? Christmas because it’s a long, meaningful season.

A goal you have? Graduate from seminary so I can know God more and love him better, and write more and better books.

A special tradition you and your family engage in or keep: We have a secret wave! It’s subtle, no one has ever noticed it or asked what we’re doing, but we know. We use it across a crowded room, when saying goodbye on a video call, or just passing one another in the house.

Question you will ask when you get to heaven? What was Paul thinking? He could have made those passages about women a little clearer. (If you think they are clear… maybe you should ask, too.)

Thing you want to raise awareness about: Every citizen of theKingdom of God is gifted, called, and equipped to minister to the church and community.

What does your morning routine consist of? Did I mention coffee? This is followed by feeding the cat before he dies (or kills me), then the dog, then opening my Bible. And I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I have my phone out, too.

What is on your nightstand? An eye mask and original black Chapstick.

Define Christianity in a sentence: Following the triune God who made us, lived and died for us, and rose again so we can be transformed into His image, rejoicing in expectant hope for today and for eternity.