Abbey's Shout Out

To my dear friend Abbey:

Thank you so much for coming over on Monday and hemming my jeans.  You do such professional work!  It will be nice to be able to wear them without tripping over the hems or them getting all wet because they are dragging on the ground.

I appreciate you!  You have a servant's heart and a fun and uplifting presence!  I am thankful to call you a sista!

Love you girl!  Have fun sanding and painting!

Flashback Friday - God Moments

I have been spending some incredible time with God this morning.  It started out as a frustrating, patience testing morning, but then God broke into it!  Part of the time I was reflecting on how God has spoken to me in the past.  I am currently reading Hearing God by Dallas Willard - just started it - and it has me thinking about how I've heard Him in the past and how I long to hear Him now and forever more.

I wanted to share with you one of the most tangible times in my life when I felt His presence.  It was the summer before my senior year of high school.  I was at church camp and we were at the ropes course.  It was the first and only time I've had the opportunity to do the course.  You may have done one before - and if you are as scared of heights as I am, you'd understand what a daunting experience it can be.  

My first task was to climb a tree that had the top cut off.  You climb the pegs that have been driven into the tree, and when you get to the top, you stand on the tree top and jump off of it attempting to grab a ring.  I was TERRIFIED and completely shaking.  I even peed my pants a little!  I tried it twice, but apparently it is extremely hard to grab the ring when you can't see it because your eyes are closed!

Then the second task was the course itself.  You climb up into the trees and complete several steps, like walking across a tightrope with two guidelines for your hands.  I was petrified and the only thing that was getting me across was the peer pressure of people cheering you on from below the ground and the line of kids waiting for me to finish so they could go.  There was probably also some cute guy that I was hoping to impress around as there usually is at church camp!

I finally got to the last step and froze.  I was on this platform strapped to a zipline.  Some of you are probably thinking - COOL!  But I felt like stepping off of that platform would lead to my painful death and I wasn't ready to meet Jesus yet.  I couldn't move.  I was sitting there, shaking, probably crying, and then I prayed.

And God met me there.  I felt His peace wash over me as if someone poured a pitcher of warm, refreshing water over me.   Once I was covered in His peace, I was no longer afraid.  I was calm and I smiled, then hopped off that platform and loved every second of my descent.  I was on a God high and had so much fun telling everyone my experience.  I have never felt anything like it before and I will NEVER forget how God met my need and blessed me with His physical touch that afternoon.

Now, if you've read this, consider yourself tagged!  I want to read a post about a time in your life where you heard God!

Works for me Wednesday...

I have been indulging in a relaxing treat for myself this past week - NAPS!  You see I've been struggling with bad tension headaches due to my neck & shoulder pain and so I've been trying to go easy on myself.  So last week, I took naps during Sam's nap time each day.  Wonderful!

Then on Monday, I got this horrible stomach bug (I'll spare you the gruesome details), so I called in the hubby reserves and spent the day in bed.  Even though I felt horrible, man, did I ever relish just laying there in my super cozy, comfy Tempurpedic bed with nothing to worry about except getting better.  

Sam has been having a rough week since he is teething and so we decided to put him back on 2 naps, since he isn't taking long ones.  So yesterday, even though I was feeling a bit better, I took not one, but 2 luxurious naps!  What a wonderful day...

Today is the first non-nap day and the only good thing so far about skipping that nap is that I have had a chance to catch up on my blog reading...

Here's to naps - may you ever be a part of my life!

My prayer

Create in me a pure heart, Oh God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from  your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:10-12

Amber is...

Amber is: my best friend

She thinks: about others

She knows: she is forgiven

She wants: more babies

She has: three precious children

She wishes: Clint were home

She hates: laundry

She misses: Clint

She fears: missing a party

She feels: others' pain

She hears: kids, kids everywhere

She smells: good

She craves: Coke & chocolate

She searches: for the RIGHT spiral notebook

She wonders: if she'll ever have more children

She regrets: not getting something out when she had the chance

She loves: Christ

She aches: for her loved ones who don't know Christ

She cares: about YOU!

She always: makes me laugh

She is not: a fast typist

She believes: in me and helps me believe in myself

She sings: praises to her King

She dances: every chance she can get

She cries: in private

She doesn't always: give herself credit

She fights: for people

She writes: much better than she knows

She never: turns away a visitor

She listens: to me

She needs: a break in the form of a long pedicure

She is happy: when she is with family & friends

Love you girl!

I am...

I am: learning

I think: too much sometimes

I know: I am loved

I want: my own home again

I have: an abundance of blessings

I wish: my father would be healed

I hate: my father's illnesses

I miss: running into a store for a quick errand by myself

I fear: losing my child

I feel: deeply

I hear: the sound of the rain on our house

I smell: leftover curry

I crave: Coke & chocolate

I search: for a deeper relationship with Christ

I wonder: if I'll ever change

I regret: not spending more time with God

I love: my family

I ache: in my neck & shoulders

I care: about YOU!

I always: struggle with guilt

I am not: a good dancer

I believe: in Christ

I sing: to my son (the only one who can't yet complain)

I dance: poorly, but make people laugh in the process

I cry: less often these days

I don't always: take good care of myself

I fight: against the sniper and those darn ANTS

I write: from the heart

I never: drink coffee

I listen: to the story behind the words

I need: a massage

I am happy: with the family & friends God has given me

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Manic Mondays no More...

One of my favorite times in my new life as a SAHM are Mondays.  It used to be that when I was working "pre-Sam", on Sunday afternoons, my stress level would start rising until Sunday evening I almost had panic attacks.  Why?  Well, all my loco brain could think about was everything I hadn't gotten done over the weekend, including fun, relaxing things, and then everything I had to do over the next week.  It was always a losing battle of overwhelming frustration.

Now, I look forward to Mondays with Sam.  Typically, I don't plan much.  I clean my house from the weekend activities & relax with Sam or do projects.  I stay in my pajamas instead of getting up & ready and riding the bus to Seattle.

What more could I want for a Monday?  

Oh I know... a Monday massage! =)

Happy Monday everyone!