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!
I saw the moon trying to peek out from behind clouds when I stepped outside this morning, but couldn't tell if it was full or not..."The moon was a ghostly galleon riding upon cloudy seas..." from The Highwayman", a poem I learned in school.
It was so warm yesterday, we didn't walk after church , but spent a quiet afternoon at home.
However, we did drive through the Park, and saw about three peacocks and many ibises. There weren't many people enjoying the heat and beauty surrounding them...probably all at the movies!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Romans 12:3-13
"As God's messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.
God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophecy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others , do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously, And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. When God's children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get in the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night....
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Blessings
Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the overcast day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! I didn't know rain was forecast for this morning, but, so far, the sun has not shone itself for sunrise...doesn't matter, though, I will be cleaning house. :o)
Yesterday I was pleased to see Mama gator lounging gracefully directly under me, with her tail curled, so I had to take a couple pictures of her full length. Already, someone had thrown a water bottle at her, and it was right beside her head. What satisfaction people get from that, I'll never know! When Mama gator is not hungry, squirrels don't even tempt her. I saw one on the branch of a maple tree right over her head and she didn't move. Maybe the squirrels know this?
The butterflies seem to be in great abundance this year. One large black one fluttered right by my face as I was walking and the yellow ones are flitting all over, from flower to flower. The butterfly gardens are really blooming, and that is probably why there are so many. I don't know them well enough to know their names...just the Monarch and the sulphur. God's Creation is marvelous!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How has God promised to bless his people?
Numbers 6:24-28 "May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace."
God's blessing encompasses all of life. We live in his protection, his presence, and his peace. Nothing this world offers can compare in scope or duration with the blessing of God.
Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence."
We are tempted to base our hope and confidence on worldly circumstances such as a good job or financial security. But these cannot compare to the promises that we have in God. the creator of heaven and earth. Put your hope where it cannot and will not be shaken.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday I was pleased to see Mama gator lounging gracefully directly under me, with her tail curled, so I had to take a couple pictures of her full length. Already, someone had thrown a water bottle at her, and it was right beside her head. What satisfaction people get from that, I'll never know! When Mama gator is not hungry, squirrels don't even tempt her. I saw one on the branch of a maple tree right over her head and she didn't move. Maybe the squirrels know this?
The butterflies seem to be in great abundance this year. One large black one fluttered right by my face as I was walking and the yellow ones are flitting all over, from flower to flower. The butterfly gardens are really blooming, and that is probably why there are so many. I don't know them well enough to know their names...just the Monarch and the sulphur. God's Creation is marvelous!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How has God promised to bless his people?
Numbers 6:24-28 "May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace."
God's blessing encompasses all of life. We live in his protection, his presence, and his peace. Nothing this world offers can compare in scope or duration with the blessing of God.
Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence."
We are tempted to base our hope and confidence on worldly circumstances such as a good job or financial security. But these cannot compare to the promises that we have in God. the creator of heaven and earth. Put your hope where it cannot and will not be shaken.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Thursday, July 26, 2007
More Work
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, we did not get any rain yesterday, although it thundered and I saw lightning seemingly close by. Still it didn't seem quite so warm when I stepped outside, but it is heating up fast as the sun comes up.
As I drove down the road in the Park yesterday, a very low-flying helicopter went zooming over our heads, so I knew the boardwalk would be closed for mosquito spraying. So, I walked along the sidewalk, stopping to watch the 'copter each time it flew by so low. I could see the pilot inside the bubble. Wish I could have been up there!
I was rewarded for walking up the sidewalk to the second bridge, by seeing the quiet still water reflecting the overhanging trees like a mirror. I snapped a picture, and also took a picture of some large toadstools that had sprung up in the wet grass. I saw a "fairy ring" of the smaller ones. Fat turtles were sunning and fish were making circles in the quiet water. It was a good walk, even if I didn't see Mama gator.
From the Promise Bible NLT:
What does the Lord promise to those who work hard?
Proverbs 22:29 "Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than ordinary people."
Faithful work makes a way for us to do greater work. God promises to bless us as we use the gifts he has given us.
Proverbs 10:4 "Lazy people are soon poor, hard workers get rich."
Proverbs 21:5 "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty."
Colossians 3:23,24 "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ."
God promises a reward to those who work hard. That reward can include-but is not limited to-financial prosperity. It may be the rewards of respect and personal satisfaction or the joy of contributing to the welfare of another.
How will God help me when my work is hard?
Psalm 145:14 "The Lord helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads."
As with any burden we bear, we can trust God to help us on the job.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
As I drove down the road in the Park yesterday, a very low-flying helicopter went zooming over our heads, so I knew the boardwalk would be closed for mosquito spraying. So, I walked along the sidewalk, stopping to watch the 'copter each time it flew by so low. I could see the pilot inside the bubble. Wish I could have been up there!
I was rewarded for walking up the sidewalk to the second bridge, by seeing the quiet still water reflecting the overhanging trees like a mirror. I snapped a picture, and also took a picture of some large toadstools that had sprung up in the wet grass. I saw a "fairy ring" of the smaller ones. Fat turtles were sunning and fish were making circles in the quiet water. It was a good walk, even if I didn't see Mama gator.
From the Promise Bible NLT:
What does the Lord promise to those who work hard?
Proverbs 22:29 "Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than ordinary people."
Faithful work makes a way for us to do greater work. God promises to bless us as we use the gifts he has given us.
Proverbs 10:4 "Lazy people are soon poor, hard workers get rich."
Proverbs 21:5 "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty."
Colossians 3:23,24 "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ."
God promises a reward to those who work hard. That reward can include-but is not limited to-financial prosperity. It may be the rewards of respect and personal satisfaction or the joy of contributing to the welfare of another.
How will God help me when my work is hard?
Psalm 145:14 "The Lord helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads."
As with any burden we bear, we can trust God to help us on the job.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Work
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! I stepped outside in the darkness this morning and was only able to see one star, because of the haziness, but now the sky is mostly clear and the sun is coming up, so maybe no rain this morning.
Even though thunder was booming and the sky was dark, I took my walk yesterday, and was happy to see Mama gator back in her apartment. While she was away, the cleaning crew came in and took away all the trash that thoughtless people had thrown in, and pushed away the limbs and broken branches that had been covering her special watering hole. I snapped a couple pictures of her, while she gazed at me with wary eyes... maybe they will turn out, maybe not.
On our way out, I saw a Cooper's hawk on the ground right by the road, pecking at something. I couldn't see what it was, but looked at the hawk until it flew a short ways off. God's Creation is Awesome!
From the Promise Bible:
How is my work important to the Lord?
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 "This should be your ambition; to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before. As a result, people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others to meet your financial needs."
Work is God's plan for our lives. Those who work diligently experience many benefits in their own lives and bring benefits to others. God promises two basic rewards for faithful work: (1) having a more credible witness to nonbelievers and (2) having our needs met without having to financially depend on others.
Proverbs 13:11 "Wealth from get-rich schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows."
Honest hard work is much better than get-rich-schemes. Money quickly gotten is quickly wasted.
Romans 12:8 "If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."
God blesses us when we do work that is in keeping with our gifts and abilities.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Even though thunder was booming and the sky was dark, I took my walk yesterday, and was happy to see Mama gator back in her apartment. While she was away, the cleaning crew came in and took away all the trash that thoughtless people had thrown in, and pushed away the limbs and broken branches that had been covering her special watering hole. I snapped a couple pictures of her, while she gazed at me with wary eyes... maybe they will turn out, maybe not.
On our way out, I saw a Cooper's hawk on the ground right by the road, pecking at something. I couldn't see what it was, but looked at the hawk until it flew a short ways off. God's Creation is Awesome!
From the Promise Bible:
How is my work important to the Lord?
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 "This should be your ambition; to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before. As a result, people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others to meet your financial needs."
Work is God's plan for our lives. Those who work diligently experience many benefits in their own lives and bring benefits to others. God promises two basic rewards for faithful work: (1) having a more credible witness to nonbelievers and (2) having our needs met without having to financially depend on others.
Proverbs 13:11 "Wealth from get-rich schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows."
Honest hard work is much better than get-rich-schemes. Money quickly gotten is quickly wasted.
Romans 12:8 "If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."
God blesses us when we do work that is in keeping with our gifts and abilities.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Time
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! Sort of a peculiar looking sky this morning... the sun is coming up, but the sky has lots of clouds, and the sunrise paints them yellowish.
The Park has lots of water now, almost over the weir, so all the gators should be happy. I saw a roseate spoonbill right beside the street preening at the lake near our home, as I was coming home, so I stopped and took a photo, but I am not sure it will turn out. The pink feathers are so pretty! God's Creation is good!
From the Promise Bible:
How can I best use time?
Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 "There is a time for everything; a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. A time to cry and a time to laugh. a time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. What do people really get for all their hard work? I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do. God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end."
Valuing time begins with seeing it from God's perspective. When we do this, we learn that there is always time for accomplishing God's plans for our lives.
Ephesians 5:15-20 "Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts. And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Time is a gift. God gives us time so that we have the opportunity to serve Him. When we give our time back to the Lord, he promises that it will not be wasted.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
The Park has lots of water now, almost over the weir, so all the gators should be happy. I saw a roseate spoonbill right beside the street preening at the lake near our home, as I was coming home, so I stopped and took a photo, but I am not sure it will turn out. The pink feathers are so pretty! God's Creation is good!
From the Promise Bible:
How can I best use time?
Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 "There is a time for everything; a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. A time to cry and a time to laugh. a time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. What do people really get for all their hard work? I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do. God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end."
Valuing time begins with seeing it from God's perspective. When we do this, we learn that there is always time for accomplishing God's plans for our lives.
Ephesians 5:15-20 "Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts. And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Time is a gift. God gives us time so that we have the opportunity to serve Him. When we give our time back to the Lord, he promises that it will not be wasted.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, July 23, 2007
Double Blessings
Good morning, Dear friends and Prayer Partners! This is the wet day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Yes, we have already had some rain, but it looks like the clouds are moving out for a little while. We had a drought for so long, and now God is bringing plentiful rain.
The water at the Park is up and that's good for the fishing of the water birds. I saw a great blue heron pluck a fish from the canal yesterday, and gulp it down, without even turning it around. It must feel funny swimming around in the gullet!
2 Peter 1:7
"In your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love."
From Quiet Moments:
Cecil Rhodes, British statesman and financier, and endowed the famous Rhodes Scholarships, was known as a stickler for correct dress - but not at the expense of someone else's feelings.
Once it was told that Rhodes invited a young man to an elegant dinner at his home. The guest had to travel a great distance by train and arrived in town only in time to go directly to Rhodes's home in his travel-stained clothes. Once there, he was distressed to find that dinner was ready to begin and the other guests were gathered in their finest evening clothes. But Rhodes was nowhere to be seen. Moments later, he appeared in a shabby old blue suit. The young man later learned that his host had been dressed in evening clothes but put on the old suit when he heard of his guest's embarrassment.
Rabbi Samuel Holdenson captured the spirit behind Rhode's gesture, saying:
"Kindness is the inability to remain at ease in the presence of another person who is ill at ease, the inability to remain comfortable in the presence of another who is uncomfortable, the inability to have peace of mind when one's neighbor is troubled.'"
The simplest act of kindness not only affects the receiver in profound ways, but brings blessings to the giver as well. It makes us feel good to make others feel good. So do something nice for yourself today-commit a random act of kindness!
You cannot do a
kindness too soon
because you never
know how soon it
will be too late.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
The water at the Park is up and that's good for the fishing of the water birds. I saw a great blue heron pluck a fish from the canal yesterday, and gulp it down, without even turning it around. It must feel funny swimming around in the gullet!
2 Peter 1:7
"In your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love."
From Quiet Moments:
Cecil Rhodes, British statesman and financier, and endowed the famous Rhodes Scholarships, was known as a stickler for correct dress - but not at the expense of someone else's feelings.
Once it was told that Rhodes invited a young man to an elegant dinner at his home. The guest had to travel a great distance by train and arrived in town only in time to go directly to Rhodes's home in his travel-stained clothes. Once there, he was distressed to find that dinner was ready to begin and the other guests were gathered in their finest evening clothes. But Rhodes was nowhere to be seen. Moments later, he appeared in a shabby old blue suit. The young man later learned that his host had been dressed in evening clothes but put on the old suit when he heard of his guest's embarrassment.
Rabbi Samuel Holdenson captured the spirit behind Rhode's gesture, saying:
"Kindness is the inability to remain at ease in the presence of another person who is ill at ease, the inability to remain comfortable in the presence of another who is uncomfortable, the inability to have peace of mind when one's neighbor is troubled.'"
The simplest act of kindness not only affects the receiver in profound ways, but brings blessings to the giver as well. It makes us feel good to make others feel good. So do something nice for yourself today-commit a random act of kindness!
You cannot do a
kindness too soon
because you never
know how soon it
will be too late.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Friday, July 20, 2007
Psoaring thru Psalm 34
Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is another warm day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! I couldn't see the stars this morning for the haziness, but now the sun is coming up and casting beautiful light on everything.
Not many people were out at the Park yesterday, except the regulars. There's a lady who walks around the boardwalk four times each morning..doctor's orders, I think, and the old man who shuffle-jogs around a couple times..never looks up, just keeps on shuffling. The man with the foreign accent who is fit and uses weights when he walks and is very friendly to all. Most of these people have been coming for a couple years and try to stay healthy with their walking. Trouble is, they don't take time to "smell the roses". I stop and look and listen and linger sometimes, just admiring God's handiwork. Life is good!
From the Promise Bible:
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
Let all who are discouraged take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness,
let us exalt his name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me,
freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy:
no shadow or shame will darken their faces.
I cried out to the Lord in my suffering
and he heard me.
He set me free from all my fears,
For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear him,
and he rescues them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!
Let the Lord's people show him reverence.
for those who honor him will have all they need.
Even strong young lions sometimes go
hungry, but those who trust in the Lord
will never lack any good thing....
...The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right
his ears are open to their cries for help.
But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil:
he will erase their memory from the earth.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
Praise the Lord!
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Perhaps today!
Not many people were out at the Park yesterday, except the regulars. There's a lady who walks around the boardwalk four times each morning..doctor's orders, I think, and the old man who shuffle-jogs around a couple times..never looks up, just keeps on shuffling. The man with the foreign accent who is fit and uses weights when he walks and is very friendly to all. Most of these people have been coming for a couple years and try to stay healthy with their walking. Trouble is, they don't take time to "smell the roses". I stop and look and listen and linger sometimes, just admiring God's handiwork. Life is good!
From the Promise Bible:
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
Let all who are discouraged take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness,
let us exalt his name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me,
freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy:
no shadow or shame will darken their faces.
I cried out to the Lord in my suffering
and he heard me.
He set me free from all my fears,
For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear him,
and he rescues them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!
Let the Lord's people show him reverence.
for those who honor him will have all they need.
Even strong young lions sometimes go
hungry, but those who trust in the Lord
will never lack any good thing....
...The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right
his ears are open to their cries for help.
But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil:
he will erase their memory from the earth.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
Praise the Lord!
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Perhaps today!
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