Joan Ambu Archives – Page 55 of 96 – Strength Of The Small

Birthday Blessings Love Children Family Gratitude

To My Son (My Silent Strength)

By JM PerezJuly 26, 20132 min read1.3K views

“You have filled my heart with great joy. It is greater than the joy of people who have lots of grain and fresh wine.” ― Psalm 4:7 (NIRV)

I woke up feeling thankful this morning. Perhaps it had something to do with the sun streaming through the windows or the sweet sound of my Son’s voice echoing through the house. He turned 6 today and remembered we promised to take him to a fun place. It’s amazing how one simple action can change so much …

He is the complete opposite of his Sister: he is calm while she is feisty and together they form the perfect and inseparable pair. He is the one who literally kept me safe and sane while I was pregnant with his Sister. I remember and I will cherish those moments forever. He is handsome, respectful, mindful, smart, determined, a storyteller and an artist. He loves Muscle Cars (which he collects) and has been drawing since the age of two and a half.

Being a Mother has affected everything in my life. It has made me more productive, a better achiever, a better wife (mother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor, a better somebody) as well as a happier and positive person. I thank God everyday for giving me such a generous and ever so sweet Child.

“Learning who our children are and shaping who they will become is one of the most rewarding and ultimate pleasures of parenting.” ― Joan Ambu

I’m so grateful to you, my Child, for everything you add into my life. I cannot imagine life without you. You have taught me so much with your innocence and generosity. I’ve been blessed in so many ways because of you. I hope you grow up to become a positive force in the Universe. You are my little boy who isn’t so little anymore. May your star shines forever as we do our best to raise you in a safe and loving home.

God bless you on your special day.

We Love You Tremendously,
Mom, Dad & Sister ♥

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ― Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

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By JM Perez

Scripture Love Inspire Life Lessons People

Love and Acceptance

By JM PerezJuly 25, 20133 min read765 views

“Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.” ― 1 Peter 4:8 (NAB)

A few years ago I received a ‘forward message’ in the mail. I greatly dislike forward messages which I never read pass the titles and I personally do not send such emails to others. This particular message moved me. I am sure I was bound to read; so I did and I kept it. I can’t remember who I received it from, but I am glad I read it. I am sharing it with you today given that it compliments my thoughts on the current topic.

The Nail in the Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.” A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Acceptance begins with self-love. To love oneself is to acknowledge that we are unique and therefore, different. We may feel and live things which are irrational to others, but real to us. Still, those are our emotions and moments which we guard defenselessly. We need to recognize that we live in a World full of individuals we may or may not get along with or particularly like for countless reasons. We are probably unlikable ourselves, but that’s beside the point. We need to reconcile with the fact that these individuals have as much rights to be here as we do. We need to accept their presence, adjust to the many differences and learn to live peacefully.

Our differences are both what divide us and what make our strengths. There’s hardly anything new to learn from an individual with similar vision as us and so much to acquire from someone different. It’s our right to be cautious around others; but it’s unfair to hold someone’s mistakes as an excuse to love and/or assist them.

Wolves Face to Face. — *Image Source: Flickr.com.*

Dissent is one of the main causes of hatred. When you reject someone, be it openly or secretly, they feel it. No one can fake a genuine smile and a good heart is transparent. Unlike the tone of the voice which can be controlled; we cannot fake the true nature of our hearts. What’s the point then of disliking and rejecting others? Does having those individuals out of our lives make us bigger or better? Does it take our pain away? Does it solve our issues? Words are powerful and people never forget how we made them feel.

So, my dear readers and fellow citizens, let’s strive to be more tolerant, more loving, more forgiving, more generous, more patient. As Mahatma Gandhi simply put it, “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind;” therefore, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

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By JM Perez

Summer Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Hectic Weather

By JM PerezJuly 23, 20131 min read663 views

The weather is fresh and we have experienced cooler temperatures all weekend long, which is precisely what we need here in the High Desert. We had such a wonderful time outdoors earlier in the day.

We secured all the openings around the wooden fence to prevent the ground Squirrels from using them as entry and exit points to and from the front yard. We had a Twister in the backyard. Although it lasted just a few seconds, it brought so much debris from the empty lot at the back of our property into our yard.

My Longiflorum-Asiatic Lily ‘Birgi’ all in bloom. Such a delicate beauty.

I am sure tomorrow will be a better day.

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By JM Perez

Childhood Friendship Love Gratitude People

I Remembered

By JM PerezJuly 21, 20131 min read694 views

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ― A.A. Milne

We had a beautiful weather this weekend in the High Desert. It was mostly cloudy with some cool breeze and a few rain drops starting Saturday afternoon and a little more around 2:00 AM Sunday morning. Just lovely and perfect to spend the entire day outdoors relaxing and finishing up projects.

Today, I was blessed to reconnect with yet another awesome Friend; a Sister at heart and my voice of reason back when the pain was too much to bear. She always made me promise to remember how great Life once was; promise to smile after the tears dried; promise to shake things off; Promise you will not do something stupid. “Promise me, Joan, promise me.” Those uplifting words still echo in my mind. At the time I was so deep into my grief that I couldn’t see the Support Team I was given and the circle I found myself into prior to that bitter day.

I quietly listened to everything she said to me and I remembered. After a good thirty minutes of updates and expressing our gratitude to one another, we laughed a lot. An hour well spent reconnecting. A definite throwback for both of us. Until next time, I am holding on to good memories.

To you, Evelyne, from the bottom of my heart: Thank You.

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By JM Perez

Fun Activities Kids Craft Children Education DIY: Projects

DIY: Grass Pet {Making Shoes}

By JM PerezJuly 18, 20131 min read841 views

A week and a half ago we decorated my Son’s Grass Head Pet.

After watering it and placing it on the kitchen window sill for some warm Sun light, it grew its first hair six days later. Today we spotted two more tiny hairs underneath and above its nose. We gave it some feet/shoes.

Materials/Tools Needed:

Scissors
Craft glue, Hot glue gun
Toilet Paper roll, Craft Paper, Card Board (for the shoe)
Pencil, Permanent Marker (to draw and decorate the shoes)
Small Ice Cream/Yogurt container or Toilet Paper Roll (for the body)

How to proceed:

Squeeze the toilet paper roll to make it flat. If you are using craft paper, fold the paper in two
Using a Pencil, draw a foot or shoe on one side of the toilet paper roll or the craft paper
Use your scissors to cut around your drawing (you will end up with a set of foot or shoe)
Use your Hot glue gun to glue the shoes/feet to the bottom of your body.