Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Thinking things through

Good morning, Dear friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Another cool morning, with the almost quarter moon and bright stars lighting up the sky and casting shadows as I stepped outside this early morning,
Reminds me of the poem of long ago, "October's Bright Blue weather." We really do need rain, though, so we trust in God to provide.

As I walked yesterday, I enjoyed the chirping of a cardinal which perched briefly on the top rail of the boardwalk, I stopped to try to find another chirper in the bushes, but could not spot it. Soon all the birds will be returning from the North as the weather turns cooler. God is Good!

I stopped to look for the baby gators, and only saw one, which appeared to be lifeless under the bridge. They disappear so fast from their hangouts. I have no idea what happens to them.

I talked with Mike and Francia about the Rays. Mike was at the Trop to watch the Rays win the AL title. He is such a fan that he has a "Rayshawk" and has dyed his nice gray, wavy hair black. He comes to Sawgrass several times a week now, from Ft. DeSoto so he can take care of the snakes and fish... very interesting to talk with because he has traveled just about every place in the world.

From Quiet Moments with God:

Psalms 65:9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

One of America's most popular contemporary painters. Andrew Wyeth, portrays life in rural Pennsylvania and Maine so meticulously and naturally that it sometimes appears surreal. A story told by his brother Nat, gives a great deal of insight into the source of Wyeth's intensity.

Andy did a Picture of Lafayette's quarters near Chadds Ford, Pa., with a sycamore tree behind the building. When I first saw the painting, he wasn't finished with it. He showed me a lot of drawings of the trunk and the sycamore's gnarled roots, and I said, "Where's all that in the picture?"

"It's not in the picture, Nat," he said. "For me to get what I want in the part of the tree that's showing, I've got to know thoroughly how it is anchored in back of the house."

The act of thinking things through is important to every task in our lives. For example; we cannot overlook the importance of good preparation when we are planning our garden, or we risk damaging the plants with poor soil or by setting them too close together to grow freely.

Bernard Baruch emphasized this need, stating, "Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in private and public life have been the consequence of action without thought."

It is a joy to commune with God and ask His advice as we plan our daily activities. When you have an important task to think through, take time to ask, "Lord, what is Your will?" He will be glad to help.

Four steps to achievement:
Plan purposefully,
prepare prayerfully,
proceed positively,
Pursue persistently.
William Arthur Ward

I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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