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 bright, sunshiny day with a strange smell on the wind. I don't know if there is a forest fire someplace, but when I stepped outside this morning, there was an unpleasant odor in the air. Sort of reminded me of the muck fire when I was a kid, that burned for a long time in what is now the Central Plaza area, but back then was called the Goose Pond area. That was really bad!
Well, I was busier yesterday morning, than I had planned to be, but I had a lot of errands to run, so I started out at Walmart to gas up the van and was pleasantly surprised to pay less for it than last week. Then, on the spur of the moment, I decided to see how crowded the parking lot was, and found a space without too much trouble, so I went in and shopped. Got my exercise going from one end of the store to the other and back again, since I did not have a list. I remembered to take my bags in, and the cashier was very helpful in filling them and putting them in the cart for me.
Then, a banking trip and to the library completed my errands. By that time, the sun was really hot, and so was I, so after a trip to the park, where I absorbed the peace, and watched the moorhen family, which had moved across the road to the lake on the other side, I called it a day and drove home to relax a bit. God is good!
From the Quiet Moments with God devotional:
Hebrews 13:6
We say with confidence, "the Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid."
He was a really skinny, little kid even though he was a junior in high school. And to his younger brother, it was unbelievable how loud Don wheezed when his asthma struck in full force. About once a month, Bobby would be awakened by the sound of Don gasping for breath. Just as soon as he could suck in air, Don would be shaking and gasping for the next breath. Sometimes their parents would rush him to the emergency room for treatment.
The doctors said that it was the hot, sticky atmosphere or perhaps the smog of the down town streets that triggered the attacks. They advised Don to stay indoors during the summer months when the himidity was highest. the doctors said that if he stayed indoors, he might be spared from the worst of his attacks.
The problem was that Don and his church youth group had a standing commitment to conduct street revival services every Friday evening, and Don was usually the one to preach. He was determined to never miss an opportunity to fulfill his life calling. So, he continued to preach, no matter the weather, and every once in a while he would fight off the asthma attacks. He counted the cost and decided to take the risk.
More than thirty years later. Don is a seasoned missionary in South America. His dedication to sharing the Good News continues to provide inspiration for others. And, he still never misses an opportunity to preach. For his brothers, Don's Friday night bravery still remains a source of encouragement as he, too, grows in his faith.
Trustfulness is based on confidence in God, whose ways I do not understand. If I did, there would be no need for trust.
Oswald Chambers
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs, Amaryllis
