Connectedness

You know when I was on vacation, one day I got to just sit outside of my grandparents house (yes it was that nice outside) in the quiet and read!  I have been reading this really great book by John Ortberg called “The me I want to be”.  There was this chapter on connectedness and how much we need it. 

At the beginning of the chapter it actually talks about the way the a theologian named Abroham Kuyper talked about the way the Temple was set up

And how our hearts are like each section:

The outer court is where everyone had access just like that is our public self, the part most people see of us.

The inner court was called the Holy Place not everyone had access to this area, we too have this place where we allow certain people like friends and family to see this part of our hearts, where we share some of our deepest thoughts/feelings.

But there is one place a very guarded place, deep inside.  It was entered by only the chief priest and it was only him and God. We too have this place where it is you and God.  Now please do not think I came up with this reference it is a reference from the book I am reading.

Is this not the most beautiful illustration of our hearts, when I read this it gave me chill bumps and opened my eyes to see something new. 

For this blog I kinda wanted to focus on the inner court where we allow certain people in but doing some thinking, I think I want to also talk about the beautifulness of the Holy of Holies in our hearts.

Having a relationship with someone is really important to the human body, when we are in company with people we love, I know for me I feel so comfortable and like I can share anything and that person will never judge but just continue to love me for me! 

Love brings the power to become the me I want to be.-JO

For myself I really want to try harder to make long, loving and lasting relationships with friends and family.  I know that we won’t always be singing kumbaya  all the time, but I don’t want to have a lot of contacts in my life I want to have true friendships.  In the book it gives some ideas on how to help build those relationships.  One way is what he calls the gift of delighting, I call it the gift of servanthood.  Have you ever noticed when you do something out of love for someone whether they know you did it or not, that it just fills them with a lot of joy.  For me when someone does something for me and I know it was truly out of love it makes me feel special and in forth I want to pass that along to someone else.  Kinda like the pay it forward system J  When we can observe the words that flow from others, you can actually read part of their heart.  John says when love grows people grow!

Another is the gift of love, have you ever noticed that when someone tells you that they love you how that makes you feel, or how about seeing the face of a person who is down and needs a bit of encouraging and saying those three words they mean a lot to that person.  I was feeling pretty down the other day and on fb said that I was a little down, and when I was on the next day I had some of the most uplifting messages from some awesome friends and it made me feel loved!  Love is not an emotion it is an action of the heart. 

Do you ever feel like you take God for granted?  I know that I feel that way and sadly enough I also do that.  I take for granted that He is always there for me and will always love me.  And I do not come to his throne with humbleness and brokenness, that really bothers me.  How can I take for granted a God who has pulled me out of the toughest times in my life with love, and by love I do mean when He is being just too.  Seeing this beautiful illustration of the place of my heart the Holy of Holies just seemed to click in my head and strive to make each day a step forward.

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love~~Ephesians 3:17

A birthday party on Onion Mountain...? Ramblings from my trip to NC

Well I am now back from my trip to North Carolina to go see my granny and grandpa, and to celebrate my great granny’s 99^th birthday!! I had a really great time, it made me miss my grandparents so much. I am thrilled too because I got to take this trip by myself, my missed my boys(including my hubby) but it was nice to just spend time with my family and do some thinking, please say some of you mommies out there understand J

Well since I got to do some thinking…and some reading! I would love to tell you a few things I learned, realized and just plain random thoughts of mine. J

On the way, there I was cruising along and this cop pulls out a couple of cars ahead of me and all of sudden I see an array of red brake lights, well that made me giggle. I wonder if cops ever get a kick out of people slowing way down from them and trying not to pass them even though they are not going above the speed limit. Then I wondered if they ever go really slow just to see if others will follow suit. J

why is it when you are coming over a hill and you see the sight of all the HUGE buildings, that it just seems so intimidating?

see what I am saying :) yep that is kinda intimidating!

Oh did I mention that I had a TomTom with me and it got me lost…in the mountains!!! I have not been so scared in a long time. It was so winding that I could not remember where I came from and that stupid GPS lady kept telling me to turn…off the stinkin mountain! But I was proud that even though I freaked out a bit and bless my hubby’s heart for having a psycho wife sometimes, he finds a way to always calm me down, that I was able to get myself back to where I started without the GPS. Afterwards my grandpa told me that my uncle Kenny got lost on the very same mountain because of umm yep you guessed it, his GPS and when my parents came up their GPS tried to do the same thing. So lesson learned don’t turn onto Onion Mountain. J

My grandpa said the sweetest thing to me, when we were going to the store to get the fixins for the enchiladas I was making for him, we walked in and I was just going to grap a basket and he went for a cart. I told him that I could use the basket and then he said “No I want to feel like I am still needed from you!” That made me just smile and filled with JOY! So he walked around the store pushing the buggy for me, and I really cherished that time.

I realized what an inspiration my granny is, she goes and sits with her mom just about everyday just to spend what time she can with her. My GG does not quite remember who we all are so most days she does not realize who my granny is but that does not stop her at all. I just that so inspiring, I saw my granny in a different light this trip.

When I come to spend time with my family in North Carolina, they make me see how special family truly is. And how blessed I am to have so many, Aunts, great Aunts, cousins, second cousins, of course my grandparents and my GG.

I had such a great time with them and thankful for all the time I got to spend with each of them and can not wait till I can spend more and bring my boys to see them all! So this is just a little bit of my trip and the ramblings of it, I pray each of you has a family member that is just as special to you and if you have more you are truly blessed, and I feel truly blessed!

I apologize for the randomness of the photos blogger is acting up and I just can't seem to make it do what I want it to do!

This is the view from grandparents porch is it not beautiful!

My gg loves this babydoll, I think it is so sweet!

here she is with ALL of her children!

These are some clouds I saw coming home, are they not just beautiful, what a majestic God we serve!

Just one of those great weeks!!

Man what a great week this has been at the Gregory household.  You know that old say “if the momma ain’t happy ain’t no one happy” well I am actually starting to think it should be “if the children are grouchy EVERYONE is grouchy”.  They really have a way of changing your moods.

The boys this week have been in the best moods and have been the sweetest, most respectful children this week and that has made everyone just a bit happier in the house.  I have heard a lot of “mommy I have missed you”, which just does my heart in! And so many yes ma’am and no ma’ams (and yes and no sirs).  They have listened right away, no arguing!  And they have said the funniest things like Caleb saying the sun was in a time out and that is why it was not out.  To when you ask Taylor why he needs something he replies with a “because I LOVE it!” And I have been in the best mood because almost everyday this week either both or one of the boys have woke up before I went to work so I got to see them and get the best hugs to start my day!!! I also got to eat lunch with them yesterday and that is so special to me!  So I know all you mama’s out there fully understand why it has been such a great week.

I kinda think that they have actually had a pretty good week due in part to a little girl who came to visit and who the boys got to play with a lot!  Her name is Mary Dogen, is that not the sweetest name, and Caleb just thinks the world of her.  And in true mommy fashion am already planning a pre-arranged marriage J 

On Wednesday they played all morning on the huge slip-n-slide and had a blast, then had a picnic outside.  I am told Taylor kept looking at the two of them like “really guys”.  They also said they looked like a bunch of teenage kids, so Mary’s Aunt Courtney walked over and asked what they were talking about and Caleb said “fatness!”  I believe I need to tell Caleb there are just some things we do not talk about with girls J 

Yesterday they got to go to the fire station, I think at first they were all alittle taken back by everything that was there but I am told that soon after warmed up and then got to pretend they were driving the fire truck, spray the water hose (which I must say I am a bit jealous of this one J), play on the fire truck and took a tour around the fire station.  Well being a firefighter for the day will build an appetite so we all went to Chicka-filay-a (that is how Caleb says it) for lunch.  That lunch made my day wait make that my week!  So thank you Nana for asking me to come!! 

Mary Dogen is leaving to go back to Jackson today but I know that we will get to see her soon and I really do hope that they do get to grow up together alittle even if they are alittle bit apart.  They are just so darn cute together.  But that was most of my week and it has just been one great week!  I hope you all have had a blessed week too!

JOY Story! VBS week

Man what a great time we had a VBS this past week. Want to know what the theme to ours was…JOY STORY!! How awesome is that and our church staff came up with all of the material themselves, it was so awesome. We also did something different this year (I say we but really this was our first year) we had live music, my very talented hubby played the music on his guitar, he did an awesome job. A friend of mine at church named Shari and I were to come up with the moves for the songs and of course we gave ourselves plenty of time to come up with them, I think we started around the beginning of April well time got away from us, then she had to go out of town a couple of weeks for her work, so now it is the week before and I only have like one song down and it is the one that already has moves J ha. So Josh and I stayed up for most of the night Saturday and on Sunday night coming up with these moves for the songs, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised how they came out! Now since you see I had Josh helping me you know there were a couple of moves that we just WAAAY too funny, but I enjoyed them all. We were under great leadership with our friend Melissa who led the music to the kids; God has blessed her with an amazing voice! I had a great time sitting in with the music and teaching the kids the motions. It just did my heart in when I would see my boys singing and doing the moves. Taylor is still going around singing some of the songs, he sounds so sweet!!

I really wish you all could have been there for our kick off day the Sunday before we began. Every year our staff does some kind of skit to get the kids pumped up for VBS and this year was so funny. Our youth pastor drew and painted these HUGE cardboard cuts of the characters on the stage and they were just awesome, God blessed him with the talent to draw. Well our pastor dressed up as Woody and it was funny to see a like 6’3 man dressed like a little cowboy! Our children’s pastor who came up with our theme and wrote the materials dressed up as Buzz, man that was some funny stuff. He showed the church that he was so mad dance skillsJ. Then our youth minister was Zurg and he made his costume himself and did a great job. Their skit was so funny and cute, I guess since it is men that were in it I should say it was umm funny that’s it funny.

Monday came and went along with the rest of the days. It was a lot of fun to be in there with all the kids not just a few kids that you have in your class. I loved getting to see Caleb and Taylor singing, just warmed this little mama’s heart! On Thursday night which we call Gospel night 2 children came forward to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior!! Can I get an AMEN, I have always wanted to say that. Friday was water day. Water Day is a huge day for the ending of VBS. They set up a big water slide down the side of the hill. But I think the adult girls had the most fun, we planned a sneak attack against some of the uh umm older men, and we succeeded. We poured buckets of ice water all over them. JThen I got caught off guard and bam I was hit with lots of water guns and balloons, then some of the teen girls poured a bucket of water right on top of me and it was cold! Well my little poesy ran off without me and ran through the church to the Jenny’s house (youth pastors wife), see they live in the church parking lot too EmilyJ.

The other girls thought they got off with no worries but Jenny came back into the church to put away the buckets we took and got stuck in the church. She kinda got tricked into coming out and when she did BAM! Hit with a 5 gallon bucket of ice water. Melissa too thought she got off scratch free but that was sooo not the case. When everyone had left it was our family, hers and a couple others that were left well a couple of youth boys and my hubby got the bright idea to get her at her house when she returned so she pulled in, opened the door and BAM! She was hit by her own son and umm my hubby.J So now the only girl left was my friend Maria. We had a Sunday School lunch that afternoon and we told her hubby to bring an extra set of clothes for her. So we got the youth boys together and they were waiting inside the fellowship hall and when she went to open the door to go in BAM! She was hit too! It was so much fun and so funny!!

We had a blast this VBS, not just me but I think my kids had a great time too! I can’t wait till next year to see what they have instore. So what is your JOY Story?

These are the bigger than life drawing/stage props Scott did!! Just amazing!

 

Josh leading the music, isn't he handsome ;)

WATER DAY!!!

 

Caleb was trying to sneak attack me :)

In better hands

Let me just start this blog by saying we serve an faithful and mighty God!! I just want to give you all an update on Caleb. May of last year Caleb started having these random fevers(reaching as high as 104.something at times), then in July of last year they started coming once a month we noticed a lump about the size of a golf ball under his chin. Well at the present time we could not really go to a specialist because we did not have insurance. We heard about this program in MS that would help you with medical insurance if you qualified. Well we did indeed qualify and come to find out alittle later we actually had full on Medicaid and did not have to pay for a single thing that Caleb had to go through this year. Where some people might be ashamed to say they had Medicaid, I am just thanking the Lord that we did and I do know it was his plan for it to happen that way because Caleb went through some rough patches and we did not have to go deeper into debt because of it. I just find that so awesome! Ok sorry got a bit off track, so we took Caleb to a ENT and said that is was some kind of non-cancerous tumor and needed to be removed….(insert sobbing mother) So in January of 2010 Caleb had his first surgery and had his lump removed. So we thought this would take care of the fevers he had been having but he continued to have fevers so I took him to his doctor and she ran some blood work and one of his test came back abnormal, she thought he could have rheumatoid arthritis. My heart just broke and I just kept thinking what next, what could happen to him next(note to self not a good thing to ask) So in May I sat at work and was reminded of times where God just brought Caleb through many things and will do it again. I checked out for lunch and then received a phone call that Caleb had cut his face open and for those who read that blog, I was surprisingly not worried because of the things God reminded me of that morning. Well Caleb got a plastic surgeon to stitch his little face up and his face his healing up great! Oh and that would be surgery 2 we would have had to pay for but God had a plan!! Well at the beginning of June he got referred to a pediatric rheumatoid specialist. And I am so beside myself to tell you that his test came back normal and he had not had a fever since April. I just love the times shows himself directly because his stubborn children (me J) forget how great He is! Thank you all who prayed for my little man, we felt every one of them. When I think of this chapter of our lives I am reminded of a song I love by Natalie Grant, “I’m in better hands now” ~~ “There is hope when my faith runs out cause I'm in better hands now” I heard this song on the way home from work yesterday and just started crying funny how God will place something even like a song to make Himself known, I just love that! Well you also said something that seems to fit for the end of this blog…God will always get the last word!!

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this~~~Psalm 37:5

Billy the Bee

(I wanted this in color but the file was too big :P, I also wanted some others but again were too big :) )

Man you look at that picture above and you might think that everything looks peachy keen. Well I not trying to brag but I will brag about what God has done with my family. Remember that God’s glory will always shine!!

See about 8 years ago our family was torn apart and from the outside you would think that there was no way to repair it, but that is where you never say never when God is in control. At one point I really thought like Naomi did when she said the Lord as dealt bitterly with me. Little did I know what He had in store. He worked through my bitter heart and a lot changed for me at a Life Action Revival and our speaker was talking about when people squeeze you what comes out and what would you like to see come out! Man I was like I do not want people to see nastiness coming from me and I prayed and prayed for my bitterness to be taken away and over time it became easier and easier. Now my family is on a road if you asked me 8 years ago if we would be on that road I would tell you there is no way.

Josh(he is an amazing storyteller J) told the kids a story before bed the other night about a bee name Billy, so he was named Billy the Bee and he had gotten lost from his beehive and it was becoming dark and he was afraid that he would not be able to find his way home. So he stopped and prayed asking God to help him find his way home. So God lit one flower and Billy hopped on, then God lit another and another. Billy had hopped on a dozen flowers and said God I am tired and just want to get home, and about that time he looked up and saw a light to a house and the light of that house lit up his beehive. Funny how a story my husband told our kids encouraged me! See too often I feel as if I stay on a flower and just tell God I am too tired and miss out on all the growth and blessing He supplies to me along the way. So I love looking at my picture above because we still have many miles to travel but God is in control and I think I will be a Billy the Bee J

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ~~Romans 5:1-3

This could be a birthday to remember

Wow doesn’t that old tune just bring back old memories! Ok, Ok, yes,yes I know it is suppose to be A Christmas to remember but I thought that fit much better for me J

I was not sure what I was going to think of this birthday because this was the first one I have spent away from my family. And in my family birthdays are HUGE!! Don’t know why but they just have always been. I think that is why I try to come up with these huge party ideas for my boys!! Some years I think about how I would love to throw a big fun party for either me or Josh but just never do it! Anyways sorry to get off track. It turned out that I had one of the best birthdays. Tuesday of my birthday I woke up to my hubby making me breakfast and an awesome card from him, he knows how much cards mean to me! Then off to work but then I got to have lunch with three of the most handsome men I know J Caleb told me "Mommy we can go eat wherever you want but I think Chicka-fil-a would be a great choice" J So we went to Chick-fil-a and it was just so nice to have lunch with my family, have not had that in a very long time and I treasured every minute of it! Well when I got home that night I walked into the kitchen to see two men standing there scratching their heads and looking at a cake mix box, I must say I was a tad bit nervous of the outcome of this cake and asked if they wanted me to just go ahead and make the cake. They shooed me away and told me they had this all under control. About 20 minutes later we got called down for dinner. Pop had made his famous lasagna but there was something very special about this lasagna it had my name written in noodles, how many people can say that they had their name written in noodles on a lasagna J So now came the time to blow out the candles and have some cake, now remember how I said that the last time I saw the cake mix box and the men, they were scratching their heads. So can you blame me that I was just a hair hesitant to try a piece. Well I braved it and took a bite and it was actually really yummy, they then preceded to tell me that I probably should not ask what was in it……umm what? I just took a bite of the yummy cake and now you want to tell me that. Well what had happened is that we umm ran out of oil so Pop looked in the pantry to see what we had, we had some shortening so he melted it and used that for oil. Kinda smart and that was actually not to bad to be what was in it. I was really afraid yall at what might be in there since they know how picky I am J That was such a great birthday, loved every minute of it!

Well then on Saturday I got to have my birthday gift and my Mother’s Day gift. I got to spend my morning with a really great friend and we got to have facials!! Can you say AWESOME!!! It was so nice to just relax and not have a care in the world, kinda takes you to those calgon commercials when you wish that calgon would take you away, well I was away…far away! We then headed out for some lunch and to do what girls do best…SHOP!!! Oh can I just tell you here that since we had a facial we were not aloud to wear make-up for a couple of hours, WHOA I apologize to anyone who may have saw me, which I guess without my face on you probably did not recognize who I was, I will look at that as a blessing J Well in true girl fashion we got back just in time to put on our faces and touch up our hair a bit and then it was time to leave. And then we headed off to Memphis to go have dinner at the Melting Pot!! It was so yummy and we had so much fun. It has been a long time since me and Josh have had that much fun. Oh I do have to say that I tried a nibble of a strawberry with chocolate, Josh won't say that I actually tried it cause I did not eat a whole strawberry but I consider this to be a huge success and milestone. It only took 27 years :)

I have felt so loved this birthday and am so thankful for all the cards, messages and messages on FB. This has been a birthday to remember J

Emily at Speaking the Truth in Love and Laughter tagged me in a fun little game. I am guessing in hopes of learning something new and just wonderful about me J If anyone else would like to play along you can leave some in the comments box, I would love to hear some answers!!

Three names I go by:

1. Amber

2. Mommy

3. Amber Q

The jobs I have had:

1. first job was at Winn-Dixie

 2. teller and then work in accounting at PEFCU(Panhandle Eductators Federal Credit Union.

3. Current job is Head Teller at Southbank, hopefully not for too long J

Three places I have lived:

1. Panama City, FL.

2. Abbeville, MS

3. can I count the 18 houses/apartments I lived in before I got married J

Three fave drinks:

1. COKE!!!

2. sunkist

3. Smart Water (I promise it tastes better than any other water!)- Emily I am so with you on this one J

Three TV shows I watch:

1. Lost

2. Days of our Lives, yes I am one of those soapies J

3. The Biggest Loser, it makes me cry every week!!

Three places I have been:

1. Disneyworld!! LOVE this place

2. Las Vegas, NV

3. Mexico

Three places I would like to visit:

1. Ireland

2. Italy-have to see my sissy, I am thinking of having a fundraiser, anyone want to donate, just kidding J

3. anywhere tropical

Three fave retro TV shows:

1. Loved the Dick Van Dyke Show, weird I know

2. Saved by the Bell

3. Can I pick the old Let’s make a deal

J Three fave dishes:

1. Cheesy Garlic Chicken (you know something with garlic had to come up)

2. my mama’s lasagna

3. any kind of breakfast casserole

Three things I am looking forward to:

1. being able to stay at home with my boys again!

2. to maybe being called Auntie Am one day

3. A date night with my hubby Friday night. The WHOLE night!!!!- up Emily I think I am with you on this again!

Three bloggy friends I am tagging:

1. Well I am such the loser that I only have two people J

2. Patti @ Ain’t Life Grand

3. And my awesome hubby @ Excellence in Mediocrity