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! When I stepped outside this morning, clouds covered the sky, but I heard an airplane and looked up and I could see the lights of the jet under the clouds, which must have been very high. Now the sun is breaking through and it promises to be a very warm day. God is good!
Well, I put down my book long enough to take a walk yesterday, and I was really rewarded. It was a great day to walk, with cool breezes and very warm sun. I stopped at the first shelter to look at the baby gators, three of them, with Mama hidden in the cove, and just across the canal, a Hawk was calling and calling. When I looked closer, I saw that a baby hawk, almost as big as Mom was in another tree. Ma hawk was talking to the young'un and then she flew right close to it, so the feathers flew out. I watched for a few minutes, as the little drama played out, then walked on to the tower,
Just as I approached the tower, I saw an osprey hovering right above the roof! I hurried to look over the lake and watched as three ospreys circled the lake, with the one hovering three more times! I was so in awe of how God created these creatures who are able to hover in mid-air so beautifully! It was amazing!
Good Friday
We acknowledge, O Lord, that there is so little in us that is lovable. So often we are not lovely in our thoughts, in our words, or in our deeds, And yet You love us still, with a love that neither ebbs nor flows, a love that does not grow weary, but is constant year after year, age after age.
O God, may our hearts be opened to that love today. With bright skies above us, the fields and woods and gardens bursting with new life and beauty, how can we fail to respond? With the clear notes of bird songs challenging us to praise, with every lowly shrub and blooming tree catching new life and beauty, our hearts indeed would proclaim You Lord, and we would invite You to reign over us and make us truly Your own. May Your healing love invade our inmost hearts, healing sorrow, pain, frustration, defeat, and despair.
May this day create within us a love for You of stronger stuff than vague sentimentality-a love which seeks to know Your will and do it. So grant that this day of hallowed remembrance may be the beginning of a new way of life for each of us, a new kind of living that shall be the best answer to the confusion and to the challenge of evil in our day. This we ask in Jesus name.
Amen
-Peter Marshall
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs, and Happy Easter!
Amaryllis
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Maundy Thursday
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 snoozed a little later this morning, because I stayed up late reading a new book I bought yesterday..The Shack. It is a very interesting book that I highly recommend to all.
Anyway, I just found out this morning, thanks to my Moody devotional, that "Maundy" means "Commandment". How many of you knew that, and am I the only ignorant one? Just thought I'd throw that in.
Well, the black, shiny gator was sunning himself again yesterday afternoon at the park. He always attracts a lot of attention from people coming and going. If you don't see one on your walk, you can see him on the way out. :o) God is good!
From the Hymns For the Family of God:
Manhood
The world needs men
who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their identity in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it,";
who are true to their friends through good report and evil report,
in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness and cunning are the best
qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with emphasis, although the rest of the world say "yes";
God, make me this kind of man.
Leonard Wagner
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Anyway, I just found out this morning, thanks to my Moody devotional, that "Maundy" means "Commandment". How many of you knew that, and am I the only ignorant one? Just thought I'd throw that in.
Well, the black, shiny gator was sunning himself again yesterday afternoon at the park. He always attracts a lot of attention from people coming and going. If you don't see one on your walk, you can see him on the way out. :o) God is good!
From the Hymns For the Family of God:
Manhood
The world needs men
who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their identity in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it,";
who are true to their friends through good report and evil report,
in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness and cunning are the best
qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with emphasis, although the rest of the world say "yes";
God, make me this kind of man.
Leonard Wagner
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Easter
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! When I stepped outside this morning, the air was cool, but clear and no wind! Now the sun is shining and the weather is warning up and all is good!
Yesterday , when I drove into the Park, a large black gator was posing on the bank for people taking photos. He had his mouth open, looking dangerous, and a great blue heron was a few feet away, calmly looking down at the water, for his lunch. No doubt it had one eye on the gator! I was surprised so many people were out on such a windy day! I found it hard to walk against the wind, so today's calm is a blessing. God is good!
This quote is from Hymns For the Family of God. I thought it appropriate for this coming Sunday:
Easter
Some years ago a newspaper editor telephoned and asked me to tell in a few words what Easter means to me. My testimony was this: Easter means Christ to me. It means Christ in His kingly splendor, Christ in His serene glory, Christ in His gracious condescension. This is because Easter is the return of Christ from inflicted violence, from induced death, from imprisonment in a tomb. Easter is Christ triumphant over all that sin and death and man could do to Him. Easter means Christ.
And where Christ goes, drama goes. For it is impossible to look anywhere in the Gospels and fail to find something powerful happening. This is because Christ is Himself the Gospel and He is life, abundant life,and His life means action, pilgrimage, arrival.
Easter means life. Christ defeated death in order that life in Him might always live. And it is life that we want, life in Christ. Whether we put it in words or not, our constant thought is "Life, more life, always more and more life." We want life in ourselves, in our loved ones, in our friends, the kind of life that cannot be diminished, the kind if life that always expands. Easter is Christ's victory over all that would restrict, deny and strangle life. "For to me to live is Christ." That is Easter.
-Raymond Lindquist
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday , when I drove into the Park, a large black gator was posing on the bank for people taking photos. He had his mouth open, looking dangerous, and a great blue heron was a few feet away, calmly looking down at the water, for his lunch. No doubt it had one eye on the gator! I was surprised so many people were out on such a windy day! I found it hard to walk against the wind, so today's calm is a blessing. God is good!
This quote is from Hymns For the Family of God. I thought it appropriate for this coming Sunday:
Easter
Some years ago a newspaper editor telephoned and asked me to tell in a few words what Easter means to me. My testimony was this: Easter means Christ to me. It means Christ in His kingly splendor, Christ in His serene glory, Christ in His gracious condescension. This is because Easter is the return of Christ from inflicted violence, from induced death, from imprisonment in a tomb. Easter is Christ triumphant over all that sin and death and man could do to Him. Easter means Christ.
And where Christ goes, drama goes. For it is impossible to look anywhere in the Gospels and fail to find something powerful happening. This is because Christ is Himself the Gospel and He is life, abundant life,and His life means action, pilgrimage, arrival.
Easter means life. Christ defeated death in order that life in Him might always live. And it is life that we want, life in Christ. Whether we put it in words or not, our constant thought is "Life, more life, always more and more life." We want life in ourselves, in our loved ones, in our friends, the kind of life that cannot be diminished, the kind if life that always expands. Easter is Christ's victory over all that would restrict, deny and strangle life. "For to me to live is Christ." That is Easter.
-Raymond Lindquist
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Calming down
Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the windy, chilly day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! I am a little later this morning, because our friend, David, who mows the yard for us just finished his work. I did not really expect him this morning, but am glad he came. Just a little rain caused the grass to grow! God is good!
Yesterday I saw a roseate spoonbill in the lake near us, and wondered if they know how breathtakingly beautiful they are. I am sure the peacocks do, because they strut, but the spoonbills just go on scooping along gathering whatever it is they eat. God gave us pretty critters to enjoy. Speaking of critters, a new crop of squirrels have taken up residence in our trees and they seem to look for peanuts. One chased the other all over the tree, before listening to me and getting his own peanut. Little rascals!
From Quiet Moments with God:
It's virtually impossible for you to sleep if you are wound up. Do memories of the day's events keep you from falling asleep? Do you sometimes feel as if you spent the day pushing a boulder up a mountain with a very small stick? If so, memorize these words.
I lift up my eyes to the hills---where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
Are you worried about making mistakes, disappointing your boss, or letting your family down? If so, memorize these words.
He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 121:3-4
Does unnecessary anxiety sometimes get the best of you, causing you to fear for your own safety or health? If so, memorize these words:
The Lord watches over you--the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
Psalms 121:5-6
Are you already starting to agonize over next month's deadline, next year's taxes, the college tuition that has to be paid ten years from now, or funding your won retirement in thirty years? Are you asking all of that on when your head hits the pillow at night? If so, memorize these words:
The Lord will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121:7-8
You have just memorized an entire Psalm! Repeat ti to yourself every night. Substitute My for Your and Me for You. Then rest in the knowledge that God has you, your life, and the rest of the universe under control.
Worry is an indication that we think God cannot look after us.
Oswald Chambers
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday I saw a roseate spoonbill in the lake near us, and wondered if they know how breathtakingly beautiful they are. I am sure the peacocks do, because they strut, but the spoonbills just go on scooping along gathering whatever it is they eat. God gave us pretty critters to enjoy. Speaking of critters, a new crop of squirrels have taken up residence in our trees and they seem to look for peanuts. One chased the other all over the tree, before listening to me and getting his own peanut. Little rascals!
From Quiet Moments with God:
It's virtually impossible for you to sleep if you are wound up. Do memories of the day's events keep you from falling asleep? Do you sometimes feel as if you spent the day pushing a boulder up a mountain with a very small stick? If so, memorize these words.
I lift up my eyes to the hills---where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
Are you worried about making mistakes, disappointing your boss, or letting your family down? If so, memorize these words.
He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 121:3-4
Does unnecessary anxiety sometimes get the best of you, causing you to fear for your own safety or health? If so, memorize these words:
The Lord watches over you--the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
Psalms 121:5-6
Are you already starting to agonize over next month's deadline, next year's taxes, the college tuition that has to be paid ten years from now, or funding your won retirement in thirty years? Are you asking all of that on when your head hits the pillow at night? If so, memorize these words:
The Lord will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121:7-8
You have just memorized an entire Psalm! Repeat ti to yourself every night. Substitute My for Your and Me for You. Then rest in the knowledge that God has you, your life, and the rest of the universe under control.
Worry is an indication that we think God cannot look after us.
Oswald Chambers
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, April 6, 2009
Wisdom from Ecclesiastes
Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the overcast, windy day and birthday for Daryl that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! When I arose at about 5:45, the temp was 75, but that is supposed to be as warm as it gets today, with the cold front moving in and bringing cooler weather the next two days! Well. we know that it will be a long, hot summer, so we enjoy the coolness while we can!
Lots of people were at the park yesterday...even a truck selling T-shirts and other stuff. I don't know what was going on, but the same thing happens every year about this time.
We saw a peacock with the tail feathers spread out, strutting his stuff in front of a garage door. Funny, how different the tail feathers look from the back! Not nearly as pretty! But God is good!
This is for people who make a major job change:
What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has make everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor---it is the gift of God.
Ecclesiates 3:9-13
Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I mist leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. this also is vanity. Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.
For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight, but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:18-20, 26
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Happy Birthday,Daryl!
Lots of people were at the park yesterday...even a truck selling T-shirts and other stuff. I don't know what was going on, but the same thing happens every year about this time.
We saw a peacock with the tail feathers spread out, strutting his stuff in front of a garage door. Funny, how different the tail feathers look from the back! Not nearly as pretty! But God is good!
This is for people who make a major job change:
What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has make everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor---it is the gift of God.
Ecclesiates 3:9-13
Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I mist leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. this also is vanity. Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.
For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight, but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:18-20, 26
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Happy Birthday,Daryl!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Guidance
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! Rain, rain, beautiful rain. I don't have a rain gauge, but we must have gotten about two inches. I could almost hear the grass and bushes slurping it up! It's still pretty dark and cloudy, but the rain is supposed to be over. God is good to provide for our needs!
When I went in to the park yesterday, I noticed something shiny blue by the water and, being curious, parked and walked up on the berm to see. Well, somebody did a big "Uh, OH,!"
The shiny blue thing was a tractor mower that had the front end in the water. Three guys and a truck were standing around deciding what to do to get it out. The truck did not have a winch, but I have seen the crew that used to work at the park, winch large trees across the canal and guide them in place. I guess that is what inexperienced workers can do when mowing on a slope. Not a good thing!
From the little book God's Promises for Men:
God's love is with a man When;
He relies on God to Guide His Life.
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He
increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk, and not faint.
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
Yes, I will help you.
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
HOPE
"Of all the forces that make for a
better world, none is so powerful as hope.
With hope, one can think, one can work,
and one can dream dreams. If you have hope,
you have everything."
Anon.
When I went in to the park yesterday, I noticed something shiny blue by the water and, being curious, parked and walked up on the berm to see. Well, somebody did a big "Uh, OH,!"
The shiny blue thing was a tractor mower that had the front end in the water. Three guys and a truck were standing around deciding what to do to get it out. The truck did not have a winch, but I have seen the crew that used to work at the park, winch large trees across the canal and guide them in place. I guess that is what inexperienced workers can do when mowing on a slope. Not a good thing!
From the little book God's Promises for Men:
God's love is with a man When;
He relies on God to Guide His Life.
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He
increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk, and not faint.
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
Yes, I will help you.
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
HOPE
"Of all the forces that make for a
better world, none is so powerful as hope.
With hope, one can think, one can work,
and one can dream dreams. If you have hope,
you have everything."
Anon.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Hope
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! When I stepped outside this morning, the fog was still in the air and the sky was overcast. Then, while we were eating breakfast I heard a sprinkle, and sure enough, it was raining for a second or two. Well, every little bit helps! Now the sky is clearing up and the sun is shining. It promises to be another warm, humid day! God is good!
I noticed a hawk at the park, zipping across in front of us with something trailing from its claws...either a long twig or a snake. Seems like spring has brought all kinds of feathered friends building nests and feeding their young. I was in the Publix parking lot and saw the osprey on her nest. They have to go a long ways to get their food when they are in the city like that, but water is everywhere, so I guess they can fish or get lizards or small animals to feed their young. They provide somehow!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can I have hope when times are tough?
Hebrews 10:23
Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
Our hope is rooted in God's integrity and faithfulness. When everything else falls apart we can cling to the fact that God keeps his word.
John 14:1 Don't be troubled . You trust God, now trust in me.
John 10:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
Our troubles do not surprise the Lord and should not surprise us. Trouble is rampant in this fallen world. Our focus should be on Jesus who has overcome this world and all its troubles.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
Psalm 130:7 O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is unfailing love and an overflowing supply of salvation.
Our hope is rooted in the wonderful acts of God in creation and history. The Bible gives full testimony to the fact that God is able to deliver us from any and every circumstance. He will either get us out of it or bring us through it --for his glory and our joy.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I noticed a hawk at the park, zipping across in front of us with something trailing from its claws...either a long twig or a snake. Seems like spring has brought all kinds of feathered friends building nests and feeding their young. I was in the Publix parking lot and saw the osprey on her nest. They have to go a long ways to get their food when they are in the city like that, but water is everywhere, so I guess they can fish or get lizards or small animals to feed their young. They provide somehow!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can I have hope when times are tough?
Hebrews 10:23
Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
Our hope is rooted in God's integrity and faithfulness. When everything else falls apart we can cling to the fact that God keeps his word.
John 14:1 Don't be troubled . You trust God, now trust in me.
John 10:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
Our troubles do not surprise the Lord and should not surprise us. Trouble is rampant in this fallen world. Our focus should be on Jesus who has overcome this world and all its troubles.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
Psalm 130:7 O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is unfailing love and an overflowing supply of salvation.
Our hope is rooted in the wonderful acts of God in creation and history. The Bible gives full testimony to the fact that God is able to deliver us from any and every circumstance. He will either get us out of it or bring us through it --for his glory and our joy.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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