New Year's EVE

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

I would not recommend spending four hours in the ER on NYE, but God is good! As I was leaving to go to Bayfront while the ambulance was still in front of the house, God sent David Massey running up the street and he ran over just in time to pray for Louis and for me! God's timing is perfect!

Louis is staying in the hospital at least overnight, until he can walk with the help of the walker. He has a severe bladder infection and has already had an antibiotic drip and IV. Brian was with me even with his cough and cold, wearing a mask. I got home after nine and ate some waffles because I was hungry!

Please pray for healing and strengthening for Louis and rest and strength for me.

Love and hugs and Happy New Year!!!
Amaryllis

Merry Christmas!!

Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the rainy day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! It is a dark, wet day and supposed to be this way all day and then turn cold. A good day for staying in and off the streets, but shoppers have to shop and workers have to work, and students have to attend school, so lots of people will still be traveling.

Speaking of traveling, please pray for Daryl and Matthew as they start out this evening for their long drive down here for Christmas. I am really looking forward to having them come!

Yesterday we had a ride in the CARERiDE van to the doctors to have Louis' toenails clipped. It is always interesting to see which driver we will have and how well they know the city. I have good conversations with some of them. God is good.

This will be the last Gator Bytes until after Christmas, as I will be taking a break while the family is here, so I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas!!

Luke 2

...and while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

That night the shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep., Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's Glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger , wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!"

Suddenly , the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God :

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to all whom God favors."

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psalm 145

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! Well, sure enough, our weather is turning cooler, and will be for a few days. Guess it will seem more like Christmas with the cool instead of the heat, but I still like the warmer.

I have seen the tiny wrens again in the yard. When they are on the ground they look just like a brown leaf, except they flit about like the wind is blowing them. Lots of ducks, including babies were at Lynch Lake yesterday, along with the usual woodstorks. When I went to the Park, I saw five sleek, wet turtles sunning on the bank of the canal and the anhinga drying on the drive across the weir. Quite a few people were out, including a party from the skating rink. Looked like everyone was having a good time! God is good!

We have had problems with our Times delivery, and so I have called the circulation manager a couple times. He called me back one day and said he had instructed the deliverer to put it on the porch. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. Yesterday, I discovered a paper on the roof, which had been there two days. I took the long handled grabber and fished it down. Then I had a Christmas card delivered with yesterday's paper. Should I leave a tip or not, that is the question. Sigh.

Psalm 145 NLT

...The Lord is gracious in all he says,
he is gracious in all he does.
The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.
All eyes look to you for help,
you give them their food as they need it.
When you open your hand
you satisfy the hunger and thirst
of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and
rescues them.
The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.

I will praise the Lord;
and everyone on earth will bless his
holy name
forever and forever.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Busyness

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! Well, this is a changing weather day. The front is coming through and while the sun is nice and warm, the north wind is blowing very cool, so I turned off the air, and will probably have the heat on by Saturday! But God is good!

I already swept off the porch this morning...the acorns have just about finished dropping, and now it is the leaves. Hundreds of leaves! It was kind of futile to sweep the porch because the wind was blowing them right back behind me. Oh, well, I tried.

Yesterday we stayed in and I tried to get some Christmasy things done. I am still digging out decorations and cannot find my candle rings anyplace. Well, maybe next year...ha.

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Does God expect me to be busy all the time?

Psalm 23:2 He lets me rest in green meadows, he leads me beside peaceful streams.

Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus said, "Eome to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls."

Activity itself is not a virtue; it can actually be a detriment to our spiritual lives. The Lord invites us to rest and be refreshed in his care.

Psalm 90:12 Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.
The key to overcoming empty busyness is to live wisely for God God empowers us to make the most of the time he's given us.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Better Late than never, I think!

Good afternoon, Dear Friends and prayer Partners! This is a beautiful afternoon that the Lord has gifted us with! Sunshine, puffy clouds scudding across the sky and A/C on. Due to being busy this morning, I never had time to sit down and email before now, but did get the praying done!

I was reminded of these verses, when I heard the bell-ringer for the Salvation Army at Publix yesterday! He was calling out in a very loud voice, his goal for the day and as money was dropped into his bucket, he would lower the goal by how much was dropped in. When I put in my dollar, he was down to 272 dollars after starting much higher than that when I went in.. He had a good personality!

So, anyway, I will send along the scriptures chosen for today:

From Luke 7:27...

But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt, also. Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do for others as you would like them to do for you.

Do you think you deserve credit merely for love those who love you? Even the sinners do that! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return.

Love your enemies...

Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the most High, for he is kind to the unthankful, and to those who are wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving-large or small -it will be used to measure what is given back to you.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psalm 46

Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the foggy day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! The fog crept in on little cat feet again, but should soon lift. Christmas lights glow dimly in the fog and everything seems to be quiet. Even the traffic noise is dimmed.

Over the weekend as I visited the park, I saw an airboat on the canal spraying the weeds and growth that chokes the waterways and also saw three peacocks in front of a house that was getting a new roof put on. Woodstorks seagulls, and ducks were all gathered around Lynch Lake, while the ospreys were over at the mall watching all the shoppers from their perch on top of the light pole. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come,
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam,
Let the mountains tremble as the
waters surge!...

"Be silent and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world."

The Lord Almighty is here among us,
The God of Israel is our fortress.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Romans 15

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! After a rainy day yesterday, the sun is out and the wind has died down, but it is a bit chilly down in the fifties. Compared to the rest of the country, we are blessed to have such "warm" weather!

David came and mowed and cleaned up the yard yesterday before the rain, and then hung the icicle lights during the rain. His work is a blessing to us as are all the other friends who come to help out with different chores that I am unable to do. Later in the day, we were able to get out to pick up some milk, and went to see how the park looked in the rain. Not many cars, but a few hardy souls were actually walking out on the bridge in the drizzle. No picnickers, though, and only some ibis pecking around. Nothing stops them! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Romans 15 verses:

We should please others. If we do what helps them , we will build them up in the Lord.....

May God, who gives you this patience and encouragement , help you live in complete harmony with each other--each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you will join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified. Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. And He came so that gentiles might also give glory to God for his mercies to them.

Romans 15:13 So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Ephesians excerpts

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! Even though it is still very windy and humid, we are not shoveling snow and I am thankful for that! I saw pictures of the frozen north with piled high snow drifts and stalled cars and freezing temps. and thank God that I live in a warm climate. As a matter of fact, I still have the air on to clear out the humidity. God is good!

Yesterday, I was able to run errands while Diane was here looking after Louis, and got a lot accomplished in a short time. I even had time to go to the park and saw some Christmas parties in full swing with tables and the shelter full! It was a nice day for parties. The squirrels always enjoy people having picnics, because they get to beg for forbidden goodies. I saw two anhingas drying out wings on the bank going in, but the usual turtles were missing. Maybe because the sun was not shining. I also stopped by the church and was offered a piece of Debbie's birthday rum cake. Yum, good!

Well, I am almost through with the decorating inside the house and have a few presents purchased, but not wrapped, but am way behind in most things. However, having family here is the most important, anyway!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Ephesians 6

Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

Put on all of God's armor, so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers in darkness who rule this world and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

May God give you peace, dear brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God's grace be upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Fearfully and wonderfully

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 overcast day today, but it is supposed to warm up to eighty today! Quite a change from the past few days, but we will take it!

Yesterday, I went to see The Blind Side, movie, something I haven't done for a long, long time. I was glad I did, though, because it is a wonderful film for all ages! Good story, and true. I also went through the park and saw a flock of ibis pecking alongside the street and turtles sunning on the banks of the canal. In the place where the big gator usually suns, was an anhinga with wings outspread. Very brave. But God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 139

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my every thought when far away.
You chart the path ahead of me and tell me when to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord,
You both precede and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to know!...

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me wonderfully complex!

...Search me,O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

I Always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Freedom of the Will

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! Even though it is kind of gloomy out, I think every morning I can get up and out of bed and breathe and move is a good morning! I thought we were through with the rain for awhile, but guess God had other plans!

While I was driving yesterday, I saw a large osprey perched on the wire spanning Turner's Creek at Gateway Mall. Probably the same one that has the nest near CVS and Publix. I have seen it there before, so it is living in the neighborhood. I went to the park the rainy day Friday,, on my way to get the car serviced, and only five cars were there , so someone was out in the rain! It was wet, drippy and peaceful. No animals in sight. Speaking of animals, we have two feral kittens hanging around the backyard again. I just saw them last night in the hedge between our yard and the neighbors. Same two cats are interbreeding white and black kittens. My neighbor across the street said they were over at her house, so if these are the same ones, they must have crossed the street! Oh, well. I have enough to do without chasing the kittens!

We had a good Annual Meeting at church last night with sweet unity on most items and short discussions. God is good!

From HYMNS FOR THE FAMILY OF GOD...

We remember how Jesus said, "...I have finished the work which Thou gavest me do do" (John 17:4) That statement reveals that God had a definite plan for Jesus' life, that He could and did know what that plan was, and that it was possible for Him to accomplish it. That was true for Christ, it is also true for each one of us. No one of us is here by accident, nor by chance. God has a plan for your life--of that you can be sure.

However, God gave to each person power of choice and freedom of will. We remember how our Lord prayed, "...nevertheless not my will but Thine be done"( Luke 22:43) That prayer teaches two important truths: first, one might have a will for his own life that is contrary to God's will for him, Second, it is possible to follow your own will and turn your back on God's will for you. Were those two facts not true, then Christ's prayer would have been mockery.

-Charles L. Allen

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

1 Corinthians 13

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! We really had a rainstorm roar through last night, with loud thunder and pouring rain, but no damage was done around here, and we thank God for that! Rain is still dripping off the roof and trees, but the wind is still and quiet. I picked up lots of twigs and big branches that broke off the oak trees..the yard is always a mess after a strong wind.

Yesterday, I shopped at Walmart and just about got blown away going in and out! Surprisingly, there were few people there, and when I checked out, I walked right to a cashier with no customers in line! God is good!

As I drove through the park in the wind, leaves and sand were blowing everywhere, but the squirrels were not bothered and the turtle sunning on the bank paid no attention to the wind. Across the borrow pit lake, almost to the interstate, I saw a great white heron standing on the bank and reflected in the lake. What a beautiful, typical Florida sight! It was an awesome glimpse of God's beauty!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear.

It's like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is impartial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.

There are three things that will endure--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 15:58
So, my dear brothers and sister, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

1 Peter 4:7-13

Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! Happy December first! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Not many shopping days until Christmas...just a reminder. :o)

Yesterday, I went to the Park and saw a beautiful peacock in one of the yards outside the park, and then on the bank of the canal lots of turtles enjoying the warm sun. On the bridge was a strange sight. An anhinga was swallowing a fish which was not the strange sight. What was strange was that the bird was out of the water crouching on his ungainly legs, I have seen them many times swallowing fish while in the water. It was kind of comical, because a great blue heron was standing right beside him. I wonder if the heron dropped the fish and the anhinga picked it up? Hmm, guess I will never know, but one thing I do know...God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

1 Peter 4:7

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. All glory and power belong to him forever and ever.
Amen.

Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad--because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displaced to all the world.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis