Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Don't condemn others

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 are having a long string of beautiful days and it will continue right on through Easter. I remember when my boys were little how we would have Easter egg hunts for them in the yard, and how much fun they would have looking for the eggs. I still have their baskets! Now that's a long time ago, since they are both in their fifties now. Hard for me to accept that! :o)

And then, on May first, we would make little baskets out of colored paper, and put flowers and maybe a little treat or cookie in the basket and leave it on the doorstep of the single older lady who lived next door. She was a crafty lady and made a lot of things for the boys. Those were the days when it was easy to know your neighbors and be trustful of them. Sigh. Speaking of May first, I was almost elected May Queen at Woodlawn Elem. one year,, but came down with the chickenpox and had to let the title go to someone else. We actually had a Maypole with ribbons fastened to the top, and would dance in and out until the ribbons were all wound around the pole! Good memories and good fun!

Yesterday was a busy day...we finished up the Stephen Ministry training, then I went shopping to CVS and Publix, came home to eat lunch, collapsed a bit, and then got ready for our Faith Group last night. I did stop in at the Park, and saw a large great blue heron stoically staring down into the muddy waters, hopeful for a snack to come swimming by. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:
 

Luke 7:37-41
Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure to  you , 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."

Then Jesus gave the following illustration: "What good is it for one blind person to lead another? the first one will fall into a ditch and pull the other down also. A student is not greater than the teacher. But the student who works hard will become like the teacher.

And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, "Friend, Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own eye?" Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye, the perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye."

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


Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis