How "big" is your testimony?

Ok I know some of you are like, the nerve of her to ask that question. But I only say that because I believe that is how we all feel from time to time. We think our testimony is one not worthy of sharing because it is not on a grand scale. Well there are some that seem more touching than others in our eyes, but in the eyes of our Savior, who saved us to give us a testimony they are all the same! We have a testimony and how awesome is that! The core of everyones testimony is the same if you think about it, God transformed your life into something so wonderful how can we not share it, or he has put you through a season and is glorified through and through. We sometimes let satan tell us that our testimony is not worthy enough to share or that people will judge me for it! Grrr ooo.. that makes me so mad, mad at myself for allowing him to do such a thing, this past weekend at the conference the theme was "Free to be Real" and I believe that means with our testimony as well. God has done such wonderful things in our/MY life how can I be ashamed to tell people about it!! And people who do judge should maybe reevaluate their heart, sorry if that sounds harsh but that is really how I feel, I am not trying to judge but I just don't understand how someone could talk bad about something wonderful God did, even if it was going through a storm before seeing the rainbow. God will use your testimony in so many ways, it may be to help someone who is going through a situation we went through and we can encourage them that He will prevail! Well I don't want to ramble on but I urge you to share and not be ashamed, God loves you so much and is so proud of you. I would love to hear anyones testimony if they want! You can e-mail me ambergoon@hotmail.com. I pray each of you have a fantastic day! Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:10-12 (NIV)

Wow there is so many women!

So this past weekend I was able to attend the Extraordinary Women Conference, and let me tell you it was so amazing, I went with 4 other extraordinary women and got to know them alittle better. But it was just so awesome to see so many women come together to glorify Him is just awesome! I caught myself occasionally looking around at all the women praising God and what a sight to see! I wish I could have taken each of you with me to experience this time, but since I can't I will try to share alittle of what I got. Well we started off with comedian Chonda Pierce and she was so funny my cheeks are still hurting! She was able to give her testimony through laughter, she spoke on how we should just feel real and to quit pretending, we shouldn't try to be somebody we are not. Oh I forgot to mention that the theme for this year was "free to be real". About how we have freedom in Christ and we shouldn't let things shackle us up. Well we then got a concert from Mandisa and that girl has got some lungs! She sang so beautifully! She also shared some of her testimony, well actually all the women shared theirs. But she has tried to turn her grief with life into wonderful music. And I believe she is doing a great job. Well on Saturday we started off with our praise and worship leader Charles Billingsly who also led music Friday night and he is a great worship leader but he too is so funny! Well then was Mrs. Stormie Omartian herself, ok here is the part where I will have to apologize because she just got the wrong time slot and I was still alittle tired and really could not concentrate on her, I did hear here testimony and what inspired her to write all the wonderful "Power of a praying..." series. We then had some music which helped me out alot, got me moving. Then Angela Thomas came out, she was awesome she told us that sometimes we have our spiritual eyes closed and we need to open them to what God has for us or what he really is doing in our life! We broke for lunch, and came back for another mini concert with Mark Harris, he used to be in a group called 4Him and he was great, he sang a song with his 14 year old daughter, who did a wonderful job, but to see him look at her with such love and such pride made me start to cry! Well me ended our conference with author Karen Kingsbury, I have never read any of her books, ok if I am getting some gasps I got the same thing when I told the group I went with. Apparently she does alot of books with the Baxter family, and I told them the only Baxter family I knew of was from Boz the bear, you know with Drew and Gracie, oh well if you don't I guess I am just crazy :). Well I guess people really get into these to the point where you feel like you want to pray for them, at least that is what one of my friends said. Well she gave a little about herself and she is so down to earth, she makes you feel like she is just talking to you. But my friends did warn me of a book she wrote that would bring me to tears, well lol and behold she read it!. The book is called "Let me hold you longer". And there was not a single dry eye in the house. It really makes you take a good long look at your children and not to take anything for granted. So to tell you all what I learned would take days, I am still trying to process it all in, but I did learn that I need to keep my eyes open and not to pretend, allow myself to be real with everyone, so they might see just what God is doing in my life and help me have freedom in my life. Well I hope I didn't lose you to much in this blog but I was so excited I just wanted to share a small portion of it. May you all have the power to be set free, free to be real! "The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and the Lord' spirit sets us free" ~ II Corinthians 3:17

Where is my identity?

So this is a subject that I sometimes get embarrassed by because I am ashamed by the way I feel sometimes. But a very close friend to me open up on her testimony/story and I thought I could share just alittle about mine. I tend to look around a various people all the time and admire their skin on their face, strange I know but I do! Ever since we moved to Mississippi my skin has gone to puts! Now I have always had an issue with acne but it has never been as severe has it is now. There have been many days that I would just sit in front of the mirror and just cry! Now I know that just seems so vain, but I just would. Ok somebody can just say how horrible that is. And I hear all the time you were created in God and in His image so you are not ugly! But I really just got so tired of hearing that, I know they meant well it just was not sinking in! My poor hubby he always tries to offer me the most kind, beautiful words about how beautiful he thinks I am, but it still was just not enough. See I am also the kind of person that tries not the leave the house without make-up and it is really not for me, it is because I want people to see how well my wonderful husband takes care of me! Well I have been praying for God to help me through this because it was taking over and I was not able to be the person God wanted me to be for Him, and that was making me angry, which then is horrible in itself! UGGGHHH!! I kept trying to tell myself "Amber it does not matter how you look, it is who you are" and I was fine until I would go look in the mirror, then it would start all over again. Well low and behold I was listening to our christian station in Oxford and they was a commercial about how girls are too obsessed with how they look on the outside and not on the inside. Can you say WOW!! that hit me in the gut, I should be more concerned about how I look in Christ then how I look on the outside! Well that really changed my outlook and I have been striving everyday to keep that attitude, it is a daily struggle but the Lord is helping me each day! I know we all have flaws and insecurities about ourselves and I also believe that is why it is so important for us as women to help each other out because I bet you can't name me one person who does not struggle with some kind of image issue, and we should try to lift one another up offer up compliments, because we could all use a bit of boost. But just keep in mind where your real identity is! There is a song from Jonny Diaz that is just awesome "More beautiful you" I will post a few of the lyrics so that I do not have somekind of copyright lawsuit on my hands but you should listen to the whole song it is just awesome! "There could never be a more beautiful you Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do So there could never be a more beautiful you" Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices. And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ~Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV)

Tis' this season!

As I sat on Sunday afternoon while everyone was napping, I was looking out the window, just chatting with God about some things and looking for some encouragement. I was reminded of the changing seasons and the changing of the seasons in mine and my family's life and how they have brought me closer to God. People who know me well know that I am not a person that lives with regrets, sometimes I wish that I would have done things differently but those things only brought me closer to Him and how can I regret that! Right now my family is in a new season of our life, though I do not believe I have been the best example of showing Christ through me, I do feel Him surrounding me everyday! And just when I thought I wanted to give up, our pastor preached today about 4 different things 1.) The call of God in your life, will require you to play hurt sometimes. Meaning that sometimes we might have to live out Christ in our life even though we are going through some tough times! 2.) Quitters never finish, and finishers never quit. I think this one speaks for itself 3.) There will never be a situation that God is not aware of, or will never fail to provide for. This is one of the ones that hit me hard, because sometimes I just feel like I can't feel Him but that is my fault because my heart is not where it needed or needs to be! 4.) Refuse to let the present rob you of God's ultimate goal! This is just an awesome statement I think! I know that what we are going through is in God's hands, I just need to lean on Him, so that in the end His glory will shine! So are you changing seasons in your life, if so I pray that you can see God's handy work at hand. "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer" ~Romans 12:12

The Day I Became a Mommy!

It was around 1:00am on October 8th, 2005. I heard a sound in the house that had not been there before, it was the sound of a hungry crying baby...wait that is my baby. It may have been early morning but that was such a wonderful sound to wake up to. Just two days earlier at 2:04pm my status was changed from not just a wife, daughter, friend but now I was also a mommy. Caleb you did something no one else could; you gave me the great gift of becoming a mommy. Something I longed for for a long time. I can still remember the first time I felt you kick in my tummy it was May 31st. Man what an awesome feeling that was. You changed the lives of so many people. You helped unite our families. I feel so blessed that God allowed me to be your mother. Thank you for blessing your father and I for the past four years. Daddy named you Complete Altering of Life's Enjoyment Being.