Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is another cool day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! The misty quarter moon and the misty Venus were valiantly striving to cast their light when I stepped out this morning. But the day is clear and cold now, with promises to warm up to the sixties.
Yesterday, Mama duck with her five ducklings were right outside the garage door when I opened it, and did not seem to be bothered by the cold. They just seem to bed down in someone's yard for the night and she spreads her wings and keeps them all warm. I always thought ducks liked to be near water, but no water is near in our street and they waddle up and down all day. God has created all things!
I drove through the park yesterday and very few people were brave enough to be out walking... only those intrepid people with dogs! Everything was quiet and green, except for the trees that are now barren. I saw ibises and anhingas with feathers ruffled, but no sign of gators! Too cold!
"I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
God is in control of all things and always has been. Jesus Christ, who is now resurrected and ruling, will govern and guide us in the best possible ways.
"God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure. And this is his plan: at the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth." Ephesians 1:9-10
Do not doubt God's good intentions for us. The wonder of creation, the evidence of his constant care, and the priceless gift of Jesus Christ for our salvation give us confidence that he will establish all who trust in him.
A Prayer for the New Year
For answering my many prayers,
For helping me through trials and cares,
I thank you!
For dreams to dream, for plans to make,
For brand new goals to undertake,
I thank you!
For giving me the zest and will
To keep me reaching higher still.
I thank you, Lord, I thank you!
Alice Joyce Davidson
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Friday, January 4, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Abundance
Good morning, Dear friends and Prayer Partners! This is the cold day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! I am glad the furnace is working and keeping us warm inside.
I stepped outside this morning to see the clear sky with Venus and the crescent waning moon shining brightly in the pre-dawn chill. It was 35 by my indoor-outdoor thermometer, so I did not linger long, admiring the sky!
But, this being Florida, it is expected to warm up by this weekend and, once more, we will be in the seventies. God is good!
The squirrels have been nesting this time of year, for some reason, and cutting twigs all over the yard. Also, a mama duck and her babies started out with ten and now she is down to five, but I didn't see her yesterday. I saw her rush at a dog the other day, whose owner let the dog get too close to her. She fiercely defends them!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Malachi 3:10-11 "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,"says the Lord Almighty, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not shrivel before they are ripe," says the Lord Almighty.
Philippians 4:19 "This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."
God's abundant provision is a gracious gift. When we give what God requires we receive more than we could ever desire.
Deuteronomy 30:9 "The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and your fields will produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. "
Why does God give us abundant gifts?
2 Corinthians 9:8 "God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty lift over to share with others."
God wants us to have everything we need. But we don't get to keep what we receive : we get to give it away. God is looking for us to share his abundance with others.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I stepped outside this morning to see the clear sky with Venus and the crescent waning moon shining brightly in the pre-dawn chill. It was 35 by my indoor-outdoor thermometer, so I did not linger long, admiring the sky!
But, this being Florida, it is expected to warm up by this weekend and, once more, we will be in the seventies. God is good!
The squirrels have been nesting this time of year, for some reason, and cutting twigs all over the yard. Also, a mama duck and her babies started out with ten and now she is down to five, but I didn't see her yesterday. I saw her rush at a dog the other day, whose owner let the dog get too close to her. She fiercely defends them!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Malachi 3:10-11 "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,"says the Lord Almighty, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not shrivel before they are ripe," says the Lord Almighty.
Philippians 4:19 "This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."
God's abundant provision is a gracious gift. When we give what God requires we receive more than we could ever desire.
Deuteronomy 30:9 "The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and your fields will produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. "
Why does God give us abundant gifts?
2 Corinthians 9:8 "God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty lift over to share with others."
God wants us to have everything we need. But we don't get to keep what we receive : we get to give it away. God is looking for us to share his abundance with others.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Philippians 4:8
Good Morning, dear Friends and Prayer Partners! Even though it is a very windy and very cold day, this is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!
I hope you all had a wonderful and joyous Christmas with family and friends. The weather was warm and perfect for our family from Tenn., so we were most thankful for that!
New Year's Eve brought a five hour stay in the ER to discern whether or not Louis had pneumonia, which he did not, Praise God! That is not what I would recommend for anyone! The pneumonia or the ER wait! He has a bad cold and cough which he is recovering from.
Well, Brian did a masterful job of taking the decorations and tree down yesterday, while I spent twenty or thirty minutes standing in line at Walmart. Bad decision to go as late as I did! But, now, all I have to do is finish the de-decorating and clean up... a good day to stay indoors.
I have driven through the Park almost daily, and talked to Terry yesterday, but have not walked for awhile. Lots of people were out over the holidays having picnics and walking their pooches. If you live in the snow covered north, even cooler weather here seems warm!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Philippians 4:8
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember that the Lord is coming soon.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all that he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure, lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I hope you all had a wonderful and joyous Christmas with family and friends. The weather was warm and perfect for our family from Tenn., so we were most thankful for that!
New Year's Eve brought a five hour stay in the ER to discern whether or not Louis had pneumonia, which he did not, Praise God! That is not what I would recommend for anyone! The pneumonia or the ER wait! He has a bad cold and cough which he is recovering from.
Well, Brian did a masterful job of taking the decorations and tree down yesterday, while I spent twenty or thirty minutes standing in line at Walmart. Bad decision to go as late as I did! But, now, all I have to do is finish the de-decorating and clean up... a good day to stay indoors.
I have driven through the Park almost daily, and talked to Terry yesterday, but have not walked for awhile. Lots of people were out over the holidays having picnics and walking their pooches. If you live in the snow covered north, even cooler weather here seems warm!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Philippians 4:8
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember that the Lord is coming soon.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all that he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure, lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Blessed Assurance
Good chilly 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, our warming trend is supposed to take place today, and while I welcome the opportunity to wear winter clothes again, I have to admit that I prefer it a little warmer.
Yesterday, I didn't take a long walk because of the wind and chill, but I did take a short walk along the sidewalk, and saw the trees that had bent almost to the water from the storm and one branch was in the water. Terry said a large maple had broken off and fell on the rail of the boardwalk on the hammock trail. The Park was a mess of moss and branches from the storm, and so was our front yard. We didn't have the moss, but lots of leaves and twigs and branches from the oak trees. The front porch was piled with leaves, which I swept off. Hard to do against the wind, but I got it pretty clean. But God is good, because we did not have a tornado like Land O Lakes!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can I be assured of God's lasting care for me?
John 6:37 "However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them."
John 10:28-30 "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me. the Father and I are one."
Lamentations 3:22-23 "The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day."
Our confidence is rooted in God's hold on us, not our grip on God. His mercy and love are eternally new and never exhausted..
How can I be assured of God's love in difficult times?
Isaiah 43:1-2 "Now, O Israel, the Lord who created you says," Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."
Life's circumstances don't come between God and his people. They don't get in God's way. Hard times are often when God reveals his infinite love and care for us.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday, I didn't take a long walk because of the wind and chill, but I did take a short walk along the sidewalk, and saw the trees that had bent almost to the water from the storm and one branch was in the water. Terry said a large maple had broken off and fell on the rail of the boardwalk on the hammock trail. The Park was a mess of moss and branches from the storm, and so was our front yard. We didn't have the moss, but lots of leaves and twigs and branches from the oak trees. The front porch was piled with leaves, which I swept off. Hard to do against the wind, but I got it pretty clean. But God is good, because we did not have a tornado like Land O Lakes!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can I be assured of God's lasting care for me?
John 6:37 "However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them."
John 10:28-30 "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me. the Father and I are one."
Lamentations 3:22-23 "The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day."
Our confidence is rooted in God's hold on us, not our grip on God. His mercy and love are eternally new and never exhausted..
How can I be assured of God's love in difficult times?
Isaiah 43:1-2 "Now, O Israel, the Lord who created you says," Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."
Life's circumstances don't come between God and his people. They don't get in God's way. Hard times are often when God reveals his infinite love and care for us.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Jammin' thru James
Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the cool day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! This may be the last day of our 80ish weather if the cold front comes through this weekend. I heard a prediction that rain will come, and if so, it will be really appreciated. We are dry!
I was noticing at the Park yesterday, that the sprinklers are working again, because the grass is greener than it has been. The gators seem to be hiding lately, but I am sure they are someplace under the water or off in the shrubbery. Terry came over after work and put up our outside Christmas lights, so we look festive on this side of the street. The other side is pretty bright already. Terry also invited us to the outside party they always have at Christmas, so we will go. Hope it is not too cold next week! But God has blessed us with great friends! He is Good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
James 3:13-18 "If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. "
When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I was noticing at the Park yesterday, that the sprinklers are working again, because the grass is greener than it has been. The gators seem to be hiding lately, but I am sure they are someplace under the water or off in the shrubbery. Terry came over after work and put up our outside Christmas lights, so we look festive on this side of the street. The other side is pretty bright already. Terry also invited us to the outside party they always have at Christmas, so we will go. Hope it is not too cold next week! But God has blessed us with great friends! He is Good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
James 3:13-18 "If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. "
When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Endurance
Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the lovely day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! It's a cool 69 degrees outside this morning and a little mist earlier, but the stars were shining brightly and no clouds visible. We have another warm day in store for us, but cooler this weekend. And that's the weather report!
I enjoyed the shade on my walk yesterday, because the sun was blinding and quite warm. The leaves are still falling from the maple trees and so I scuffed along the boardwalk, looking for the birds I heard, but couldn't see them. The shrubbery is still quite thick from the trees and bushes that do not shed, so it is difficult to see through them.
I stood on the second level of the tower, exchanging greetings with a regular, and let the wind cool my face, while I watched a skimmer dive down into the water. It did not come up with a fish, however, but circled around to try again. A green heron flew and landed on a branch underneath the anhinga who picks the same tree each morning to dry his wings. Also, I was thrilled to see a roseate spoonbill perched on a limb over the canal. They are so pretty! God is Awesome!
From Hebrews NLT:
"Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will, then you will receive all that he has promised." Hebrews 10:36
"With Jesus' help let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. Don't forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God."
"And now , may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen"
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love.
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I enjoyed the shade on my walk yesterday, because the sun was blinding and quite warm. The leaves are still falling from the maple trees and so I scuffed along the boardwalk, looking for the birds I heard, but couldn't see them. The shrubbery is still quite thick from the trees and bushes that do not shed, so it is difficult to see through them.
I stood on the second level of the tower, exchanging greetings with a regular, and let the wind cool my face, while I watched a skimmer dive down into the water. It did not come up with a fish, however, but circled around to try again. A green heron flew and landed on a branch underneath the anhinga who picks the same tree each morning to dry his wings. Also, I was thrilled to see a roseate spoonbill perched on a limb over the canal. They are so pretty! God is Awesome!
From Hebrews NLT:
"Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will, then you will receive all that he has promised." Hebrews 10:36
"With Jesus' help let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. Don't forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God."
"And now , may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen"
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love.
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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