Hello friends 🙂 In honor of Independence day I’ve got a patriotic virtual replica. God bless and remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
PS: there’s a museum too
The Statue of Liberty in Secondlife:
Inspirational Wednesday: Focus June 27, 2012
(Pic deleted in case of copy right issues)
Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Pic deleted in case of copy right issues)
“Mommy, I feel God telling me something in my heart. He says I should focus on Jesus and keep my eyes on Him.”
These words were spoken by my son yesterday morning and I truly needed to hear them. The night before I was reading the works of Josephus (a well-renowned historian who lived in the time of antiquity- 1st century). I stumbled across an interesting passage about the descendents of Seth (Adam’s son) and pillars of knowledge erected in Syriad (Egypt). I often have OCD tendencies and I am sometimes prone to distraction. I love to research and sometimes that has helped me and other times it has led me in the wrong direction. Thankfully Jesus always guides me back to Him.
My interest was peeked. Josephus is well known by most Bible scholars. So I thought I’d see if the pillars that were seen in Egypt in Josephus’ time could still be seen today and what they might be. I found myself on a bunny trail about the Great Pyramid. I ended up on this man’s website that seemed credible at first. What he said seemed to make sense but I felt a bit uneasy about it. Some of his sources were questionable. I didn’t sleep well and had troubling dreams. The next morning I was still bothered by my research and wondering if I should give any merit to what I had found. That is when my son said those words of truth. Later, I found the man’s website to have heretical sources and I abandoned it completely.
Once again my quest for knowledge led me on a path of distraction. I lost focus. Knowledge in itself is not evil but the worship of knowledge is. Also, we must make sure we seek God’s wisdom and knowledge. Human reasoning is tainted by the fall (the curse). Often human philosophies are filled with half-truths. The enemy may present a half-truth to get us to believe a bigger lie.
The Holy Spirit reminded me that the word of God (the Bible) contains all I need to know for truth and life. Other sources may give insight but they are not necessary. Everything I need is in the words of Jesus. Extra-Biblical sources may aid but they may also distract. I need to be careful what I give my attention. Overall, my focus should stay on Jesus. If research takes my eyes off of Him then it is wrong. Seeking knowledge for enlightenment is almost similar to gnosticism, an evil belief that infiltrated the early church. Though certain subjects are interesting….they add nothing to my Faith. My salvation is already secure in Christ. I’m not saying anything bad about Josephus because he is factual. But often my never ending quest for knowledge brings about confusion and distraction (and it did with this other man’s website). It was such a relief to put on worship music and turn my eyes back to my savior. I don’t have to know everything (and I never will). I just need to know the most important person and that is Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:1-4 KJV
1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
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Matthew 14:24-31 KJV
24But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Peter lost his focus. When Peter kept his eyes on Jesus he was not affected by the wind and waves. He was able to walk on the water with Jesus. But when Peter took his eyes off of Christ he began to sink. Jesus was of course merciful and saved Peter. He asked Peter why he doubted. It seems it is easy to doubt when we are looking at the wrong things. There are dozens upon dozens of false doctrines out there. Also there are plenty of distractions. The internet is a great source of distraction…whether it be Pinterest, Facebook, or Google. These things aren’t evil of themselves. We choose to give them power over our lives. We choose to give more of our time to the world than to God.
Even the News channel can be distracting. We may choose to focus on the confusing and scary things presented by the media. Before you know it, there’s this dark storm cloud around you or maybe even a fog. It’s hard to see Jesus because we are so consumed by the things of earth. If our lives are dominated by fear and confusion then our focus is wrong.
We need to do as the old song says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim…in the light of his glory and grace.”
How do we focus on Christ? It all goes back to abiding with Him. You know by now that I love quoting John 15:4-5
4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
How do we abide? We spend time with Jesus. We talk to him and listen to what He has to say (prayer). We read His word (the Bible). We fellowship with other believers who also spend time with Jesus. We listen to music that glorifies God. I enjoy many types of music but there is something beautiful and comforting about worship music. It really helps us focus on Jesus and give him due praise. It is awesome to worship with other believers as well.
It’s all about Jesus and glorifying Him. It’s not really about us…though we definitely benefit. It’s scary to think of where I would be without Christ. When we focus on Christ and not ourselves we find joy, contentment, and peace. We don’t have to worry about our needs being met etc etc……the Father takes care of us. I’m not saying it’s easy. True Christians will face intense persecution and the world will hate us just as it hated Christ. But when our eyes are on Jesus those things seem trivial. Our earthly lives are but a mist in comparison of eternity. Praise God!
Well, I did not expect my moment of weakness to turn into a message. Truly, God uses the weak things of this world. The world can be a scary place full of so many deceptions. We must keep our guard up. I will pray that you do not fall into deception and please please pray that I do not fall into deception either. I have been down that path before and it is very painful. May we all stay wrapped in the arms of Christ with our eyes fixed on His glorious face!
Enjoy this lovely music video :). God bless and remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
The Hurt and the Healer- Mercy Me
Hear the Writer Roar! Tuesday: More about Characters June 26, 2012
Here is a good article about characters. God bless and remember the High King Lives! ~Amber Dover
http://fairiesfantasyandfaith.blogspot.com/2012/05/those-flat-characters.html
Crafty Monday: Sea horses & Piano lessons June 25, 2012
Hello friends and welcome to Crafty Monday. I should probably call this Homeschool Monday since I enjoy talking about teaching just as much as showing crafts. But sometimes I show my own craft endeavors so for now I’ll keep this “Crafty Monday”. I hope you won’t mind my teacher talk ;).
Next week is our last week of Ocean activities. It’s hard to believe another month is almost over. I’m always learning vicariously through Michael. Michael has had VBS all week and at first I thought I was going to go crazy waiting for him to come home. Our van broke down so for the most part we’ve had to depend on others for rides. Thankfully homeschool is shorter during the summer so we could do VBS (in the morning) and still finish homeschool when he gets home. We school year round and take breaks here and there as we please.
We’ve had a lovely time learning about seahorses this week. I checked out a scholastic book from the library called “Seahorses and Seadragons”. Michael read a chapter each day and I listened. We both learned a lot about the magnificent creatures. We also made a few seahorses.
First, we have the paper plate seahorse. I simply drew and outline of a seahorse on a plate. Michael painted it with water colors. I cut it out and then Michael put glitter and eyes on it. This was a pinterest idea. Michael obviously had a haircut this week :). His Daddy is great for military haircuts which saves us money.
The pastel resist painting was a joint effort. I believe slightly older children can do this on their own easily. I got the idea from: http://kidsartists.blogspot.com/2009/08/seahorse.html
I took a white crayon and traced a seahorse outline on paper. Then I painted inside the lines with watercolor. Afterwards Michael used really watered down blue watercolor to paint over the sea horse and the sea. We completely forgot to add salt for effect. Oh well….if you try it please let me know how yours turns out.
We all live in a yellow submarine……well red actually 🙂 This was a fun craft that also reinforces shape knowledge.
Idea from: http://paintedpaperintheartroom.blogspot.com/2011/03/we-all-live-in-yellow-submarine-or-blue.html
We made ocean sugar cookies and decorated with sprinkles. I found fish cookie cutters at Walmart and I used a starfish sand mold that came with a bucket and pail. The crab and jellyfish shapes were done by hand.
We like to conclude our day with summer fun from our bucket list. This day we did chalk artwork on our trampoline. Michael decided to get a head start on July’s theme: planets. But I made an ocean scene.
Lastly, I’ve been pinteresting to find piano ideas. I’ve been teaching Michael piano for maybe two years. We’ve taken it super slow and though I know myself how to play piano….sometimes I have a hard time teaching it. Playing a musical instrument isn’t easy and it requires time management skills. I know it’s hard at first. Learning to read music is kind of like learning to read period. Also there are all these new words you have to learn and music theory and such. I’d say Piano was harder than the flute for me.
When I first learned how to play Flute in the 6th grade, I couldn’t play a note for 6 months. I was very discouraged and ready to quit. But my mom had just spent a lot of money on that flute and she encouraged me to keep trying and to practice more. By the end of eighth grade I was first chair. When I got to Highschool I made the top band at band camp. I fell in love with music and even considered becoming a band director at one point. I admittedly have neglected my flute and piano in my adult years. But I did play a flute solo for Christmas time at church. I haven’t played with the church orchestra lately because of my health but I hope to play more the better I get.
I found a few neat sites on Pinterest.
Here’s a man who started teaching his toddlers basic piano skills. I really wish I would’ve started out this way. Maybe I’ll incorporate some of these exercises for fun:
http://marioajero.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-start-piano-lessons-for-pre.html
This piano teacher has fun games and some are on the computer. I will be trying these ideas first thing:
http://pianodiscoveries.ca/index.html
Another great site. I love the penny game.
http://musicmattersblog.com/category/teaching-ideas/scales/
http://musicmattersblog.com/2009/04/30/time-for-some-pictures/
My other idea which some people discourage…….is a reward system. I know people say not to do it but rewards worked for teaching Michael to read. So I bought several things at the dollar store. Michael gets to pick something small if he makes it through piano without whining or giving up. If he tries his best and doesn’t whine all week then he can pick something big. Right now he’s going for the big water gun. So for now I’m trying to make piano fun but also instill practice skills. If anyone has any ideas please feel free to share. (Note: I think the reward system is working because Michael has been practicing a lot lately and he gets really excited about prizes.)
Well, God bless and remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
Jump to Part 2 of Ocean Study:
https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/crafty-monday-jellyfish-a-handprint-crab/
Jump to Part 4 of Ocean Study:
https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/crafty-monday-octopus-starfish-last-of-the-ocean-crafts/
My Family Rocks! Sunday: The Beach (a late post), article for wives, & Easy Peach Cobbler
Hello dear ones :). This post is late. I was exhausted last night. I’ve got pictures from our beach trip. I was sick that week with infection but I was very careful. I slept a lot too. We also got to visit my grandparents. At the end of this post I have the easiest Peach Cobbler recipe I’ve seen. I may use it to make blueberry cobbler as well. Below is a great article for wives. Well, enjoy 🙂
tolovehonorandvacuum.com/2012/06/what-lens-do-you-see-your-husband-through/
Pic of St. Simon’s lighthouse (below). My hometown is near Brunswick, Ga. So we stayed there and visited both St. Simons and Jekyll Island.
My guys burying their feet in the sand.
Someone found a starfish and gave it to us. They thought it was dead but it started moving in my hands. We threw it back into the ocean. It was a rare experience. It was the first time any of us had seen a living starfish up close.
We learned the hard way that it’s a bad idea to eat icecream on a windy pier. The wind blew it all over our shirts :(.
I remember the playgrounds from when I was a kid. I visited the beach a lot as a child. Unfortunately, Michael only gets to see the beach twice a year. I really miss the ocean.
South East Georgia (USA) is famous for it’s beautiful large oak trees. I tried to climb one but failed. Chris sat Michael onto one.
Jekyll Island is great for it’s marshes. It’s really easy to catch a fiddler crab as well. Be warned they don’t live long in captivity….or maybe it’s just with us.
We visited Driftwood Beach on Jekyll but the tide was in.
My Dad had a campground ministry on Jekyll. I was actually baptized in the ocean by a missionary. I was 14. Baptism is a symbol of what has already happened in the heart. I became a Christian the summer before. My fondest memory is sitting around the campfire singing “I’ll Fly Away”. A couple played fiddles so it was really fun.
We visited the Jekyll Museum…
and the Tidelands Nature Center
where we got to see a sea turtle up close 🙂
While down home we had several unique experiences. It was super kewl seeing a starfish. But we also got to meet a baby deer that someone had rescued and was nursing to health. It was the first time I had pet a wild deer. It acted just like a dog.
Then we visited my grandparents (I have 3 sets of grandparents because of divorce). My dad’s father has a neat house that always reminded me of a castle as a child. Inside he has tons of souvenirs from Mexico. Michael and I saw our first century plant. It blooms once every hundred years. Once the bloom dies it just looks like the plant from Little Shop of Horrors. Can you say “Feed me Seymore!”
My Grandpa also had a raccoon that kept eating the cat’s food. It was neat to watch.
My Mema (Dad’s mom) has been in poor health but she’s finally getting better. Below Michael is teaching Mema how to do stretches he learned in Karate.
My uncle is a farmer and he took us on a tour of his crops.
I loved growing up in the country but I’m glad to live in a city now.
Anywho, it was a lovely vacation. My hubby got to visit his family the weekend after but I stayed home. I got pretty sick after our first trip. Thankfully I am doing really good now. We are so blessed that our van broke down after vacation and not during. We really needed the family time since my hubby has school on some nights now. Oh and my hometown is known for being one of the few places in Ga that still has a drive in theater. The hubby and I enjoyed a double feature at the drivein and had carhops bring us our concessions. I really miss the drivein….
Well, God bless and remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
PS: Enjoy the Peach Cobbler recipe below. You can probably add any fruit to it and try different flavors.
Southern Peach Cobbler
From the Odum Community Cookbook (Note: this is not my hometown but not far from it)
by Jeanette Bass
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
1 stick butter
1 can peaches (sliced with juice)
3/4 cup of milk
Melt butter in baking dish. Add sugar, milk, and peaches, mix well. Add flour and mix until well blended. Bake in 350 degree oven until top is golden brown. Serve with or without whipped cream; you can also sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Virtual Friday: Egypt June 22, 2012
Hello friends 🙂 Welcome to Virtual Friday. This is the day I take you into the virtual world of SecondLife. There are some amazing places in SL but there are also dangerous places. That’s why it’s good to have a guide. I am that guide :). A couple of weeks ago I started an “Around the World” series. There are many replicas of real world places in Second Life. These sims are often educational and just plain fun (especially if you can only afford to travel by couch).
Today, I take you to Virtual Egypt. I am not including a link because this place is not completely family friendly. If you choose to look this place up yourself be warned. There are several nice spots to take photos and enjoy scenery….outside. But inside (esp the temples) it is not always safe. This is a role play sim so you may run into avatars pretending to be ancient Egyptians. Many of the buildings are people’s SL homes. So who knows what’s inside. So take it from me….be safe….stay outside of most of the buildings.
Outside there were lovely gardens and the architecture felt authentic.
another nice picture of a peacock
The Nile 😉
royal ship
Egyptian Vases
The Great Pyramid- there are certain structures that aren’t very interesting in the virtual world. This is one of them. I believe I would have to actually see the great pyramid in person to feel any sense of wonder.
This is just a lovely picture…
Well, God bless and remember the High King lives!~Amber Dover
June 20, 2012
I love this inspirational message. Thanks God Girl. I’m happy to reblog :). I hope this will show up in email. If not you can read it on my actual webpage. I, too, have played the Martha. But really if the dishes pile up it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture for the pile of laundry. This is a great reminder to see the big picture. God bless & remember the High King Lives! ~Amber Dover
This morning I think I just might have blissed out… And no, not by means of an ayurvedic massage inspired by ancient practices in the Himalayan mountains or anything like that. But in the domestic sense.
Call me crazy, but I had my hands in hot, soapy washing-up water, and could hear the washing machine gently tumbling our clothes a few metres away… And I found this sudden, immense satisfaction in everything becoming clean. Last night’s feasting became today’s dirty dishes, but now they were glistening, spotless and white again. I actually looked forward to the machine finishing its cycle so I could stand in the sunshine and peg them up carefully. In these moments of simple reflection and uncomplicated living, I was completely, unalterably happy.
Before you roll your eyes at me, let’s put this into context of the week I’d had before.
Nothing could bliss me out back then. OK, let’s be honest – I was a nightmare to live with. Everything was…
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Crafty Monday: Jellyfish & a Handprint Crab June 18, 2012
Hello friends 🙂 I hope you’re having a lovely day. Today I’ve got just a couple of crafts to share. I am feeling much better today. I am on antibiotics again but for something else this time. Well, enjoy the pics and check out the links if you can.
Paper plate jellyfish
http://lisastorms.typepad.com/lisa-storms/2011/06/jellyfish-kids-craft.html
I didn’t feel like getting carried away with this one so we just used one paper plate. I taped and stapled the tissue paper underneath. Michael painted the top. This was super simple. We decided not to add eyes since technically Jellyfish don’t have eyes. We read books about these critters while on vacation.
We picked up a few fiddler crabs at the beach. We accidentally brought home a hermit crab and a sea slug. In the end they all died unfortunately. But I did get a funny picture of the last two fiddler crabs facing off in a staring contest.
Lastly, Michael made a crab out of his hand print. Then we glued on eyes. Oops I just realized we forgot the mouth…
Anywho, since I’ve felt bad we just kept things simple. We read several ocean books from the library. One of my favorites is “Rainbowfish”. Also, we watched the Blue Planet and some other sea documentary on Netflix. Another good resource is “Draw Write Now”. We have all the books in the series and Michael used the ocean book to draw an octopus and a starfish.
This week we are learning about Seahorses. I plan on making some ocean cookies too. Well, God bless & remember The High King Lives!~Amber Dover
Jump to Part 1 of Ocean Study:
https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/crafty-monday-lighthouse-an-ocean-view/
Jump to Part 3 of Ocean Study:
https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/crafty-monday-sea-horses-piano-lessons/
My Family Rocks! Sunday: “Poetry Man” (poem for Father’s Day) June 17, 2012
Hello friends! Happy Father’s Day! I want to share with you the memorial message and poem I read at my Dad’s funeral in 2009. I guess you can call this a tribute to my Dad. I believe it’s fitting for this day :). Please do not copy. Thank you.
God bless and remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
Amber’s Speech at Jim Way’s funeral
Oct 3rd, 2009
Before I read my poem I’d like to say a few words about this great man Jim, my Daddy. Daddy could do almost anything. He was a jack of all trades so to speak. He was a chef, a Mr. Fix-it, a musician, a singer, and he used to dance like most white men couldn’t. I’m sure he’s putting on a show in Heaven with his dance moves.
This wonderful eccentric man once woke me and my cousins up at midnight hooping and hollering as he jumped on a pogo stick. He put his back out but we’ll never forget that. Daddy always joked with his nurses and CNA’s …making them smile with flattery and the occasional flowers he would give. Daddy always had to have fresh flowers in his room.
This amazing one in a million man once held in a man’s insides for 45 minutes until the EMT’s came. The man was split from his chest to his leg. Daddy saved that man’s life. One thing for sure Daddy knew Jesus and they were absolutely best friends. Dad’s faith and friendship with God was so apparent even to his earthly end. He witnessed and prayed for everyone who stepped in his room. Daddy reached so many people for Christ. He reached out to people that most would look down on.
And everyone knows he was a mama’s boy. Daddy sure loved his mama. And his only grandson, my lil boy, Michael, was his heart. Daddy loved his family and all people with everything he had. Now most of you have heard this saying that describes our stubborn Jimmy……There’s the RIGHT WAY, The WRONG WAY, and then there’s the JIM WAY.
Intro to the poem: I’m going to explain why I call my poem what I call it. I’m going to read a couple of lines from Daddy’s poem ”Long Time Going” :
“Let me tell you about myself, they call me the POETRY MAN. For with my pen, it’s my objective to make you understand…”
So THIS IS WHY I CALL MY POEM:
POETRY MAN (Memorial version)
In memory of my Dad, James Way
By Amber L. Dover
Pancakes in the morning, love notes in my lunch,
holding your hand as we walk to the car.
All these things I treasure, I hold to them tightly,
as I reminisce on all that you are.
You combed my hair and made sure I said my prayers,
you kept me in line.
You helped me become myself and now I wish
I had more time.
You’re my Daddy and I’ll always be your girl.
You were the biggest man in my world.
As a child I walked upon your feet
as an adult I try to follow in your footsteps.
Now as I see you lying there,
I feel so very helpless.
I wish I could’ve taken away your pain,
and returned to you your song.
But I guess we wouldn’t know our need for God
if the world were never wrong.
The days grow bitter and cold as I let you go,
But you’re dancing with Jesus now on streets of gold.
Sometimes life seems so unfair.
But I remember the sunshine and I see you there.
I’m so tiny and you’re so tall.
I run and skip…you catch me as I fall.
You put me upon your shoulders
and with wings I soar!
You put me back down and I cry
“Daddy, Daddy, please once more!”
I see so much of you when I look into the mirror.
I know I’m stubborn as well.
But I also feel the strength you had
it grows with age I can tell.
I hang on to your wisdom,
I’ve imagined myself in your place.
I think of what you would do
and I can see your face.
I pick up my pen
and I feel your influence run through my hands.
Yes I am forever
the Daughter of the Beloved Poetry Man.
Media Saturday: Courageous June 16, 2012
Hello folks 🙂 Tomorrow is Father’s Day so I wanted to repost my review of this wonderful movie about Dads.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
“Courageous” is a film that challenges men (mainly fathers) to step up to the plate and take responsibility… to be REAL men…to be courageous. It is a call to integrity…..it is a call to protect, provide, and serve your family. The story line follows five different men with different families and situations. Four of the men are cops and it also follows the struggle the cops have with drugs in the community. You see the trials each man deals with and how their lives mix together. You also see how the lack of proper fathers affects the people in gangs. There is a statistic given about how people without a good father are more likely to get into drugs, teen pregnancy, crime, and are more suicidal. The statistics are sad because there aren’t many courageous fathers out there. Some may be “good enough” but it takes a man of excellence to inspire his children to be people of excellence. This movie was tasteful, well-made, and had several funny, sad, and exciting scenes. I loved FireProof but I think “Courageous” went even to the next level. Here’s the website and a preview. I hope you get a chance to watch it.
http://www.courageousthemovie.com/
God bless and remember The High King Lives!~Amber Dover
amberdover 