Dear Child

On April 19,2006 I wrote this poem called Dear Child. It is a summary of scriptures and promises I have read in the Bible that have encouraged my heart and helped me to understand more of who God is and His love for me as His child. I hope it brings encouragement to your heart to know how much God loves you too! :)

Dear Child

Dear Child,

Although you may not know Me, I know you

I knew you before you were born

I formed you and molded you in the palm of My hands

Those same hands of Mine carefully knit you together in your mother’s womb

I watched you as you grew within her and waited patiently for your arrival

When you were born, I greatly rejoiced over you because I created you and you are Mine

I heard you the first time that you cried

I saw your two little eyes open for the first time, the eyes I gave you to see all the beauty I have made

I heard your soft and gentle breath little one as your mother rocked you in her arms

I breathed that air into your lungs and I gave you a desire to one day know Me

I calmed your fears little one as you continued to grow from birth each day and
I held your two tiny hands

I watched you as you took your very first steps

I gave you ears to hear My words of love for you

You are always on My mind.

You are very special to Me dear child because you were made in My image

I know you inside and out and love you deeper than you could ever imagine or comprehend.

My love for you is greater than the numbers of sand upon the seashore and extends farther

Than the east is from the west

There is nothing in this world that can take away My love for you, it never ends.

Look at the number of stars in the night sky, do you see them?

I made those just for you and I know every one of them by name just as I know you and
have called you by name

I have numbered the hairs upon your head and I have numbered your days.

I made you and I desire to spend time with you.

I was there the first time that you prayed and You asked Me to come into your heart and be a part

of your life forever

I rejoiced over your decision to invite Me in and start a relationship with Me

I will be with you always and hold your hand through life's journey

I will be your strength in times of weakness

I have given you a new clean heart and as you

Come to know Me better, I will teach you many things and reveal wonderful things to you

I will guide you and help you to grow and mature into who I have created and made you to be

In times when you run from Me and My teachings, remember this child, that My arms are always open

I will greatly rejoice when you come back to to Me

I am slow to anger and quick to forgive

When you fall down, I will help pick you back up

When you wander down dark roads in life and you lose your way

Call to Me, I will answer you and show you the way

As I teach you and you follow Me,I will reveal wonderful things to you my dear child

In this world of darkness,My Word will be a lamp to your feet and I will be your light

Follow Me and I will shine My light through you so that others who do not know Me yet will see that

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life

I have wonderful plans for you dear child and I desire to use you in great ways

When you feel alone and afraid, do not fear because I am with you

My promise to be with you will never change

I weep with you when you are sad and hurting and I rejoice with you in your joys

I am preparing a home for you in Heaven

Someday you and all others who know Me will one day live forever with Me

I know this life is not going to be easy for you; it was not easy for Me either

But take heart my child; I have overcome the world

Remember, my love for you dear child will never change

It is stronger than any storms that will ever come your way.

Be careful and watch out for the evil one, he is dangerous and his goal is to harm you and steal your joy

Keep your faith and trust in Me, I will be with you always

I will be your help in times of need and your strength when you are weak

As you continue to grow older, remember My child

There is nothing you can do that will change My love for you, it is everlasting

I died for you dear child, so that you could have a relationship with Me

I know there will be many times you will fall, stumble, and even run from My teachings

Remember even then, that when you are at your weakest moments in life, I am there and I still love you

When trials come your way, lean on Me, I will help strengthen your faith and build character in you

Do not be afraid to run to Me when you are broken and hurting, I desire to be your Comforter and Healer

There is no burden of yours that is too heavy for me to carry

I want to carry you and mend your heart when you are broken and wounded from the battles of this life

Rely on Me to be your strength, I am here for you always

I will be there for you when you are sad, lonely, scared, and confused.

I will comfort you, hold you, listen to you, weep with you, guide you, and protect you

I will rejoice with you, bless you, and most of all love you

I will always love you dear child

I have known you and loved you since before time began; you are so very precious to Me

Even when you near the end of your journey in life and your body grows old and worn

Remember this, you are still My child and my love for you will never change

Your journey to a new life with Me forever has only just begun

When the time comes to stand at the end of your road and your time on earth comes to an end, I will be there to welcome you home

Until that day comes when I call you home to Me,please share My love with others I put into your life

You have been made by Me for a purpose and a reason. You are not an accident.

I created you to be a shining light of My love in this dark and dying world so that others can know who I am

While it is My desire that no one should be separated from me, sadly many will choose that path that leads to destruction

Take heart my child-I promise to someday return and make all things right and all those who put their faith in Me will one day live with Me in Heaven forever

Hang in there and remember to stay close to Me

I know this life is sometimes very hard for you,but please remember that I will never leave you and remember this most of all dear child-I love you!

Love Your Daddy,

God

 

 

Worry

So yesterday I had a bit of a scary experience with our yellow lab who is 6.We went to go to a friends house yesterday afternoon to do some baking and let all the dogs play in their backyard together. I had kept checking on our 2 labs to make sure they were behaving themselves and noticed our yellow lab crazy sniffing their bush out in their yard,he was soo intrigued by something on it or in it that he continued to go crazy smelling it(not uncommon for him,he does it all the time in our yard too) so I didn't think much of it until a few hours after I brought them home and I was standing in our bathroom washing some sticky stuff off my hands and looked down the hallway to see him stumbling to walk and his whole body was vibrating(shaking) and he was looking into our bedroom like something was scaring him so I ran over to him.

Nothing was in there so I got in front of him and started calling his name and waving my hand in front of his face and his eyes just stared off and never once did he blink while I clapped my hands and waved them in front of him.I tried to get him to focus on me by calling his name and I told him to come in the living room so I could have him sit down and he didn't move from that spot.
I ran into his room to get him some water because he had been playing outside for hours and even though they had water outside in my friends shaded backyard,sometimes he gets busy playing he forgets to drink some so I thought maybe he had gotten a little dehydrated or had some heat exhaustion so water might help.

As I turned around to leave his room,he had followed me. Even though he was still not blinking and he was stumbling around as if he was drunk..he was hearing my voice so I splashed some water on his face and it was than that I began to wonder if he was maybe having a seizure.

He has never had this happen before. As I got him to sit down while he was still shaking and staring off, I just hugged him and I began to cry.I prayed asking God to heal him and told God I didn't know what to do and that I was worried about him and didn't know what was going on with him. About two minutes or so after I got done praying for our dog,the shaking stopped and he blinked and whatever was going on-he just snapped out of it. He began playing and running around like it never even happened.It left me really shaky for a few minutes just because I thought maybe he was going to die right than and there in my arms. If you know me,you know how much I love our dogs. They have become like my children over the years(especially because we don't have any kids right now) and we are best buds.We do so much together and I couldn't imagine my life without our 2 fun super loving dogs.
While I think he may have had a seizure after doing some research and seeing a video of a dog having a seizure and it looked just like what happened with him,I am not exactly sure what happened or what caused it. I read that seizures could be caused by allergies(which he does have the vet said) and he was going crazy in my friends bush in her backyard so I wondered if maybe he just had an allergic reaction to the plant in her yard or if it was caused by something else..like maybe he licked a poisonous frog outside and those can also cause seizures. If it happens again(hopefully this was his one and only time) we will take him to the vet,but he is now back to himself and I have God to thank for that.

Some people may think it is silly that I pray for my dogs,but He has answered every prayer I have prayed for them which shows me how much God cares about them,even more than I ever could.Aferall- He made them.When I begin to worry about them,I pray. I ask God to help me trust Him and to please calm my anxious heart. Last night after all this happened,I was reminded of some verses I learned as a teenager that have stuck with me over these years. Anytime I begin to feel worried about an event(like last night) and I have had many of these events over the years, God always brings these verses to mind. This one is found in two different books of the Bible. First found in Matthew 10:29-31 it says, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
The second one which is quite similar is found in Luke 12:6-7 and it says,"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

1 Peter 5:7 says,"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

Philippians 4:6-7 says,"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I am so thankful that God cares for my animals even more so than I ever could,but even more importantly I am thankful for how much He cares for me as His child. Even though there are many times when I forget to trust Him and I DO worry a lot,it is comforting to be reminded how much God cares for the things that matter to me,like my silly yellow dog! It is amazing to be reminded that I can come to Him with my worries and it is soo true,His peace that He gives is beyond understanding and I can't even begin to describe it.When I come to Him with my worries,He calms my anxious heart with His Words and His love-all because He cares.
I just love that I can go to my Creator with anything and everything and not be afraid to tell him what is really on my heart even if it is ugly.I don't have to hide from Him. I really just wish I wouldn't worry soo much.It is an area in my heart I need to just keep surrendering to Him to let Him change and as He continues to change me and I continue to trust Him more,I am sure I will worry much less.

My Song

I really love to sing and I just love music,especially worship music! In fact I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't like to sing or didn't like music. It is central to who I am as a person.My family gave me the nickname Tweetybird years ago because I was always singing. I love writing songs, singing songs, learning songs, and playing songs. I am learning more and more that I can rarely pick up my Bible and spend time in God’s presence without having to run to my piano in responsive worship. Music is so powerful and it is something God has given me a passion for and a gift I want to use for His glory.I just think back to a time when I was in highschool in San Diego California and got the opportunity to go to the Billy Graham Crusade at the Padres Stadium with my youth group at the time and as I heard the hymn song "Amazing Grace" written by John Newton being sung by thousands and thousands of people,just how powerful and beautiful that was! We as the body of Christ were singing and worshipping our Maker,the God of the whole Universe and what an amazing sound it was! It is one of the sweetest sounds I can remember ever hearing! I haven't heard anything like it since!
Because music touches something at the core of our being, it should not come as a surprise that one of the names of God found in Scripture is My Song. Found in Exodus 15:2, My Song is a name that Moses used to describe God as he celebrated the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. Can you imagine how his heart must have felt as he watched God turn a massive body of water(the Red Sea) into a walking trail for millions of Israelites so that they could escape Pharoah and the Egyptian army which consisted of over 600 chariots? Moses and his people threw a party on the victory side of the Red Sea praising God through song!

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and My Song; He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him."(Exodus 15:1-2)

Moses had to sing because his heart couldn’t contain the gratitude and awe he felt for God. He called the Lord My Song. He felt compelled to worship and I totally get that. God had freed His people from slavery performing miracle after miracle so how could they not respond in grateful worship? How could He not be their Song and after all He has freed us from, how could He not be ours, as well?       

The greatest commandment of God to His people is not vague in any way. It is crystal clear. Both the Old and New Testament tell us that the most vital calling in life(your greatest purpose) is to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).  
Bam! That’s it. What better way for us to express love to God than by living out a life that sings His praise and features Him as the ultimate object of our desire,living a life that really counts?
I really want to live a life that counts,don’t you?        
I will be the first to admit that my attempts to live out the greatest commandment to love God fall short every single day. I want to love Him perfectly, but I’m just not able to and I want to love Him with all of my heart, soul, and mind,but the reality is I can't because I am a sinner. My love for God no matter how hard I try will ever be perfect because I am not perfect,but He is and because of that He deserves to have my whole heart and my worship! It doesn't seem like much to offer the King of kings in comparison to what He has done for me,but He loves it when we,as His children sing songs to Him in Praise and worship Him through our obedience. He knows we will fail at this,it is why He came to die for us,to save us from that debt that we could never pay. I am so thankful for what Christ has done for me and for His Amazing Grace. He is My Song, so I will continue to raise my voice to Him in praise because He deserves it and so much more!
In Psalm 40:3, King David expressed God’s loving deliverance this way, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.”
Has God given you a new song? Give Him thanks and praise Him!
If you had to pick a song that captured your feelings for God today, what would it be?! Mine was Amazing Grace :)

Happy Anniversary!

On August 17,1985 my parents were married and today they celebrate their 28th year of marriage! What a blessing it is to have two wonderful parents who love one another and take their wedding vows seriously.I am so thankful that they have stayed together through all these years and I thank God for their example of a loving Christ-centered marriage! Happy Anniversary you two! What a blessing you both are! :)

A Beautiful Moth :)

This moth was up at our church women's retreat back in June up in Cedar City. It was soo pretty and neat to watch! :)

 

 

 

La Paz Waterfall

 La Paz Waterfall Garden Park in Costa Rica

 

Costa Rica Trip

Hi everyone! Well,I finally caved and created a blog which is something I have wanted to do for quite some time now but just never knew what I would even write about in a blog,but anyways here I am! Please bear with me as I try to figure out how this thing works.Just to give you a little background on why I chose the name Real Zoe,I have always loved the name Zoe,which means Life so my blog name RealZoe means Real Life. It is just something I thought to be quite fitting for sharing my real zoe(life)experiences on this blog with you.

I wanted to start off by saying welcome and share a little bit about who I am. My name is Amber.I am 26 years old and I have been married to my best friend James for nearly 7 years now.We have two fun loving labs Midnight(our black lab) and Bentley(our yellow lab).My husband and I love to travel and have done quite a bit over the past 6+years of being married and are now currently living in our 3rd state together,Utah.This last week we took our first trip out of the country together to Costa Rica,which was a super neat and eye opening experience,one I will never forget! We went out there to celebrate my husband passing his multi commercial engine license exams over a week ago! A big accomplisment for him! :)

What an adventure it was to travel to another country where we weren't fluent in their language and the culture was so different. Our first day there,we drove from San Jose Costa Rica to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens which was an hour drive away and so beautiful! Some of the highlights of that day were hiking to the 4 different waterfalls within the park,holding live toucans on our arm, having a little monkey hold my hand, walking through the butterfly garden where we had never seen so many butterflies in our life, and being followed by coatis who wanted my rice crispy treat snack more than I did! All of those things were not something I get to experience everyday in the United States,it was soo neat! That night we drove to Guanacasta which is a 4 hour drive and remained there until the end of our trip and we made the 4 hour drive back to San Jose to head home. Our second day there we hung out at the beach quite a bit,walked around the town in Tamarindo where I tried a blackberry,coconut,banana smoothie which was super yummy and we went to a sushi bar that night back at the hotel where we met some people our age who were visiting from Michigan and we all talked and visited for over 4 hours,that was fun.

The people of Costa Rica were very friendly,but a lot of them didn't speak very much English so it was a little challenging for someone like me who hadn't brushed up on her Spanish in quite some time,but I learned a lot! This trip made me realize just how much I take for granted living in the United States and how blessed we really are and how much we complain a lot as Americans. The people there do not have much,yet they are very happy and thankful and even very generous with what they do have and they smile a lot and try their best to communicate with you and help you with any questions you have.I hope to someday go back there,I already miss it! I do not miss the driving out there,people drive out there quite differently than in the US and would be considered a huge danger driving on US roads. We only spent a week out there but I am still getting used to the roads back in the states not being quite as rough as out there and instead of miles per hour,they use kilometers per hour. Even the cars have the speedometers set to kilometers rather than miles. It was very interesting. They also don't use much of american money so we had to figure out their money system out there which was quite different than ours. Overall it was a very unique and memorable trip! Here are some pictures of our adventures out in Costa Rica this past week.

 

                                             Playing in the sand in Tamarindo

 At the Playa Langosta-this beach was so secluded that we were the only ones there,it was beautiful watching the sunset with my husband

 

At the La Paz Waterfall Garden,one of the 4 beautiful waterfalls we saw on our hike in the park

Holding a beautiful butterfly in the butterfly garden at La Paz Park

This Coati REALLY wanted my rice crispy treat,it kept following us, eventually I caved and shared : 

Holding a pretty butterfly

My husband holding a toucan

                                    

Holding a toucan

La Paz with my best friend :)

La Paz :)

These bulls were pulling a cart around the La Paz park and let us pet them

 Bull Ride

 

 

 

This wild spider monkey was just hanging out in a tree in the town of Tamarindo while we were eating breakfast one morning while in Costa Rica

We saw hundreds of dogs walking the streets just doing their own thing with no leashes or collars while in Costa Rica,these two cuties were just hanging out and chillin on the beach with us

This iguana was right outside our hotel door

 

It was fun for us to relax out on the hammocks at the hotel

 

 Overall, we had a great trip and a very memorable time together in Costa Rica. We hope to someday soon go back there and visit again! Hopefully we will know more spanish next time! :)

I hope you all have a great night!

~Amber