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 have huge white clouds and blue sky , and maybe no rain. Yesterday, we did not have a drop, which is good, because the gutters in front of my house are full and the front yard is still draining,
I am amazed at the many different cloud formations there are. Paul Dellegatto posts on FB the shelf clouds, which I never heard of, and all different pics that are sent to him. It must be fascinating to know all about clouds!
Well, we had an enthusiastic service yesterday at church. We had a dancing, praising the Lord preacher who had a lot of congregational participation! Nobody slept through that one! Pastor Michael had some smooth dance moves! He also presented a good message. Two friends came out of first service and informed me they did not need their hearing aids! :o)
When I drove around Lynch Lake on my way to church, I saw another wood stork. Maybe some of them do stay all summer. And when I went to the park later in the afternoon, I saw the ibis and lots of squirrels, but most of the wildlife were hidden or taking an afternoon siesta. But God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Psalm 106:1-3
Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
Who can ever praise him half enough?
Happy are those who deal justly with others
and always do what is right.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving
joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, July 22, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
You are one of us
Good Morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will be glad and rejoice in it! Water was dripping off the roof when I looked out the window, but no rain that I could see, so it must have been from last night. We have overcast skies, but I admired a beautiful sunrise, and now the sun seems to have disappeared. Well, we are still cooler here than anyone else on the east coast!
I did a little shopping yesterday and visited the park, where lots of ibis were pecking their way along, not looking up. And mama duck is still on this street waddling along beside her ducklings. Sometimes they lead her and sometimes she leads them! When they settle down to rest for a minute, then she does also, but for the most part, they stick very close together. A lesson in family togetherness! God is good!
From the devotional book, Quiet Moments with God:
Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another. Ephesians 4:32 KJV
"It's all right; sometimes I don't know why I do things either.
You are part of our group,and we support you." With that one
statement, the tension evaporated from the room, and other
teens expressed their support to Sara.
The setting was a community meeting of adolescents in a
mental health treatment facility . Sara suffered from chronic
schizophrenia , and she often did not comprehend her actions\or control them.
The previous evening, upon returning from a visit home, she
had promptly set a small fire in her bathroom that created
major problems for the unit, including an evacuation as well
as a canceling of evening activities.
The next morning the staff and patients met to work through the
problems of Sara's actions and the anger it created among the
other teens. For nearly an hour she sat mute in the group as
everyone tried to get her to explain. She would not meet anyone's eyes.
But when Sam, another patient, came across the room, knelt
down before her, looked up into her face, and expressed his
support for her, she responded. Sara how her mother became
angry with her and screamed at her, "Why don't you just stop
being schizophrenic?"
"I just wanted to die, that's why I started the fire," Sara said
in a barely audible voice.
Sam's willingness to forgive her in spite of this error in judgement
made it safe for Sara to share her heart with the group.
It is the "Sams" of this world who make us a community because
of their forgiveness and compassion. For as St. Francis of Assisi once
said , "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned."
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with
thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I did a little shopping yesterday and visited the park, where lots of ibis were pecking their way along, not looking up. And mama duck is still on this street waddling along beside her ducklings. Sometimes they lead her and sometimes she leads them! When they settle down to rest for a minute, then she does also, but for the most part, they stick very close together. A lesson in family togetherness! God is good!
From the devotional book, Quiet Moments with God:
Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another. Ephesians 4:32 KJV
"It's all right; sometimes I don't know why I do things either.
You are part of our group,and we support you." With that one
statement, the tension evaporated from the room, and other
teens expressed their support to Sara.
The setting was a community meeting of adolescents in a
mental health treatment facility . Sara suffered from chronic
schizophrenia , and she often did not comprehend her actions\or control them.
The previous evening, upon returning from a visit home, she
had promptly set a small fire in her bathroom that created
major problems for the unit, including an evacuation as well
as a canceling of evening activities.
The next morning the staff and patients met to work through the
problems of Sara's actions and the anger it created among the
other teens. For nearly an hour she sat mute in the group as
everyone tried to get her to explain. She would not meet anyone's eyes.
But when Sam, another patient, came across the room, knelt
down before her, looked up into her face, and expressed his
support for her, she responded. Sara how her mother became
angry with her and screamed at her, "Why don't you just stop
being schizophrenic?"
"I just wanted to die, that's why I started the fire," Sara said
in a barely audible voice.
Sam's willingness to forgive her in spite of this error in judgement
made it safe for Sara to share her heart with the group.
It is the "Sams" of this world who make us a community because
of their forgiveness and compassion. For as St. Francis of Assisi once
said , "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned."
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with
thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Thursday, July 18, 2013
God's source of energy
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! Once again, sunshine in the morning, with floating white clouds and then, this afternoon, we will probably have more rain, or I should say torrential rain and thunder!
My computer was down for a couple days, simply because I did not know which plug to pull out and plug in again. We had a power blip while I was typing the blog for the day, Tuesday, and the computer would not come on again, so I called my repairman and he said to unplug it and plug it in again. Well, I did the wrong plug, so he came out yesterday, and did the right one, and the pc came right back on! He did not feel like charging me, but I gave him a small fee for his trouble.
Now I know!
The mama duck and her five ducklings come up to me whenever I open the front door and step out. They did that when the repairman came, and he squatted down and talked to them for awhile before he left. I do not feed them, because they are very messy, but I am sure other neighbors do.
I attended an ice cream social at the church Tuesday afternoon, and had a good time visiting and chatting with friends. Then the rains came down really hard, and I was fascinated watching the steam clouds rise and blow like fog, in the parking lot! I guess the black in the lot was hot enough to fry an egg, and when the rains came, it just steamed!
It slacked off enough, so I could get in the car without getting wet and then drove on to the park. I saw some downed branches and small stuff that had blown off the trees from the high winds, and all the canals are full! But God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
What has God given me as a source of continual energy?
Zechariah 4:6
He said to me, This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel. It is not
by force nor by strength, but by my spirit, says the Lord Almighty."
Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from his glorious , unlimited resources,
he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the indwelling power of God in the believer.
When we yield control of our lives to the Lord, He releases his
power within us. The spirit sustains us moment by moment.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with
thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Once again, sunshine in the morning, with floating white clouds and then, this afternoon, we will probably have more rain, or I should say torrential rain and thunder!
My computer was down for a couple days, simply because I did not know which plug to pull out and plug in again. We had a power blip while I was typing the blog for the day, Tuesday, and the computer would not come on again, so I called my repairman and he said to unplug it and plug it in again. Well, I did the wrong plug, so he came out yesterday, and did the right one, and the pc came right back on! He did not feel like charging me, but I gave him a small fee for his trouble.
Now I know!
The mama duck and her five ducklings come up to me whenever I open the front door and step out. They did that when the repairman came, and he squatted down and talked to them for awhile before he left. I do not feed them, because they are very messy, but I am sure other neighbors do.
I attended an ice cream social at the church Tuesday afternoon, and had a good time visiting and chatting with friends. Then the rains came down really hard, and I was fascinated watching the steam clouds rise and blow like fog, in the parking lot! I guess the black in the lot was hot enough to fry an egg, and when the rains came, it just steamed!
It slacked off enough, so I could get in the car without getting wet and then drove on to the park. I saw some downed branches and small stuff that had blown off the trees from the high winds, and all the canals are full! But God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
What has God given me as a source of continual energy?
Zechariah 4:6
He said to me, This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel. It is not
by force nor by strength, but by my spirit, says the Lord Almighty."
Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from his glorious , unlimited resources,
he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the indwelling power of God in the believer.
When we yield control of our lives to the Lord, He releases his
power within us. The spirit sustains us moment by moment.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with
thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, July 15, 2013
Planning
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! Sunshine, blue skies, gentle breezes and puffy white clouds are the sights that greet the day! Of course, now that the pattern of afternoon thunder showers is upon us, that will change shortly.
Yesterday, although the thunder was all around us, we never got rain here, but it was coming down about six blocks away! That's the way it is in the summer!
The mangoes on the tree next door are bigger than the ones I saw in Publix Thursday, but they are still green. I remember as a kid trying to eat a green mango and being told they were poison. Also they were hard as rocks!
We had a sparse attendance at church yesterday. The pastor is away on vacation, so a lot of people followed suit and also were absent. But we had a good sermon and invitation to accept Christ for those who had not. I noticed several people I had not seen before, so visitors are still coming.
After church and lunch from Boston Market, I had a nice visit from Brian, while watching the Rays win. Then I drove over to the park to see what was going on, and had to wait while a man with two large dogs walked across in front of me. There were a few people out and a couple smooching on top of the hill. Ah, love in bloom! The gopher tortoises are more active now, and have come out of their holes. I wonder if they ever get flooded?? Lots of butterflies and ibis floating and pecking..God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How am I supposed to plan my life?
Proverbs 2:1-11
My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. Turn
your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them
as you would for money or hidden treasure. Then you will
understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will
gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He
grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their
shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards
the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to
him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will know how to find the right course of action
every time. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge
will fill you with joy.
Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
A plan is only as good as the information upon which it's based. Our
human intellect is limited and inadequate. Apart from the Lord, our
plans are liable to fail . The Lord promises wisdom to those who
rely on his word and depend on his spirit.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with
thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday, although the thunder was all around us, we never got rain here, but it was coming down about six blocks away! That's the way it is in the summer!
The mangoes on the tree next door are bigger than the ones I saw in Publix Thursday, but they are still green. I remember as a kid trying to eat a green mango and being told they were poison. Also they were hard as rocks!
We had a sparse attendance at church yesterday. The pastor is away on vacation, so a lot of people followed suit and also were absent. But we had a good sermon and invitation to accept Christ for those who had not. I noticed several people I had not seen before, so visitors are still coming.
After church and lunch from Boston Market, I had a nice visit from Brian, while watching the Rays win. Then I drove over to the park to see what was going on, and had to wait while a man with two large dogs walked across in front of me. There were a few people out and a couple smooching on top of the hill. Ah, love in bloom! The gopher tortoises are more active now, and have come out of their holes. I wonder if they ever get flooded?? Lots of butterflies and ibis floating and pecking..God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How am I supposed to plan my life?
Proverbs 2:1-11
My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. Turn
your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them
as you would for money or hidden treasure. Then you will
understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will
gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He
grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their
shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards
the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to
him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will know how to find the right course of action
every time. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge
will fill you with joy.
Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
A plan is only as good as the information upon which it's based. Our
human intellect is limited and inadequate. Apart from the Lord, our
plans are liable to fail . The Lord promises wisdom to those who
rely on his word and depend on his spirit.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with
thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Friday, July 12, 2013
Integrity
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 must have had a little rain already, because water is dripping from the roof and the air seems to be still and waiting. Not a breath of breeze or wind right now. I can see blue sky and white puffy clouds in the north, but darker toward the east and Tampa Bay. More thunder showers in the afternoon, as usual.
I went to Publix in the heat of the early afternoon, and was glad for the cool air in the store. I had made a list and attached my $5 coupon to it, but while going through the deli and produce, it must have fallen out of my purse. I retraced my steps, looking on the floor for it, but could not find it, so I hope whoever picked it up, used the coupon! Pffft!
A retired man was the bagger, and he could have been better. He lifted my insulated bags out for me, but left the rest in the cart. Now, Publex check out lanes are not very wide.,so I had to squeeze around the cart to finish emptying it, and then ask him to zip the bags closed when they were full. When I got home and unloaded, I found regular stuff in the cooler bags that did not require refrigeration. Sigh. I think younger kids do a better job and are more enthusiastic. Just my opinion....
I drove through the park later and saw the water is still very high and has not gone down much. Quite a few people were there, even in the steamy heat. When I got home I drove through a flock of ibis, separated by the driveway, and all they did was look at me, and continue their pecking. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How does God respond to my commitment to integrity?
Psalm 18:20-25 The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He
compensated me because of my innocence. For I have kept
the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow
evil. For all his laws are constantly before me. I have never
abandoned his protection. I am blameless before God. I have
kept myself from sin. The Lord rewarded me for doing right
because of the innocence of my hands in his sight. To the
faithful you show yourself faithful, to those with integrity,
you show integrity.
The psalmist claims a high level of personal integrity that
makes some of us uncomfortable. It makes sense, however,
when we realize that he isn't boasting in his accomplishment,
but thanking God for giving him the power and direction for
living according to God's ways. This passage offers us the same
promise to us. God will empower our obedience.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with
thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I went to Publix in the heat of the early afternoon, and was glad for the cool air in the store. I had made a list and attached my $5 coupon to it, but while going through the deli and produce, it must have fallen out of my purse. I retraced my steps, looking on the floor for it, but could not find it, so I hope whoever picked it up, used the coupon! Pffft!
A retired man was the bagger, and he could have been better. He lifted my insulated bags out for me, but left the rest in the cart. Now, Publex check out lanes are not very wide.,so I had to squeeze around the cart to finish emptying it, and then ask him to zip the bags closed when they were full. When I got home and unloaded, I found regular stuff in the cooler bags that did not require refrigeration. Sigh. I think younger kids do a better job and are more enthusiastic. Just my opinion....
I drove through the park later and saw the water is still very high and has not gone down much. Quite a few people were there, even in the steamy heat. When I got home I drove through a flock of ibis, separated by the driveway, and all they did was look at me, and continue their pecking. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How does God respond to my commitment to integrity?
Psalm 18:20-25 The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He
compensated me because of my innocence. For I have kept
the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow
evil. For all his laws are constantly before me. I have never
abandoned his protection. I am blameless before God. I have
kept myself from sin. The Lord rewarded me for doing right
because of the innocence of my hands in his sight. To the
faithful you show yourself faithful, to those with integrity,
you show integrity.
The psalmist claims a high level of personal integrity that
makes some of us uncomfortable. It makes sense, however,
when we realize that he isn't boasting in his accomplishment,
but thanking God for giving him the power and direction for
living according to God's ways. This passage offers us the same
promise to us. God will empower our obedience.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with
thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Psoaring thru Psalm 25
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 have clouds, wind and sunshine this morning, so I don't know if we will have an early shower or the usual late one, But, regardless of the weather, I have to do some shopping because I am out of very low on some essentials!
After the cleaning ladies came, still groaning from their very satisfying lunch at the Stone Soup Cafe and Pub, I just took it easy and talked myself out of going anywhere.
When I tried to get the baby lizards in the garage to leave the door, they still refused, then, last night, when I went out to close the window, there was one of the funny looking tiny anoles on the window. At least, I think that's what it is. Only about three quarters of an inch long and missing the tail. They have to be hatching out someplace in the garage! But God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Psalm 25:8-10
The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
He leads the humble in what is right,
teaching them his way.
The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving,
joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
After the cleaning ladies came, still groaning from their very satisfying lunch at the Stone Soup Cafe and Pub, I just took it easy and talked myself out of going anywhere.
When I tried to get the baby lizards in the garage to leave the door, they still refused, then, last night, when I went out to close the window, there was one of the funny looking tiny anoles on the window. At least, I think that's what it is. Only about three quarters of an inch long and missing the tail. They have to be hatching out someplace in the garage! But God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Psalm 25:8-10
The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
He leads the humble in what is right,
teaching them his way.
The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving,
joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Temptation
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! Once again we have a ditto day, which is what we had yesterday and the day before. Apparently, there was quite a show of lightning with the storm that rolled in over Tampa Bay last night, but I did not go outside to see it, even though it was not close. I did think it was going to pour again, but got skipped . A small tornado touched down and did some damage in the upper part of the county. Seems to me, we never had so many tornadoes in the past, or maybe we just did not have so many ways to warn us.
When I went out to the garage to close the window in the door, I tried once again to get the two tiny lizards to leave, but one just kept going between the window and the screen, where I could not touch it, so I just had to trap him all night. I went out this morning to open the window and tried once again to let him go free, but he was not having any of it!
Yesterday I drove to the park, after I finished my ironing, and saw the big, brown tortoise ambling alongside the road. An ibis was all alone pecking around in the circle, but very few people were out. Then I drove to Steak and Shake and had a half price strawberry shake! Tasty on a hot day!
God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can God break the power of addiction in my life?
Galatians 5:22-25 When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this
kind of fruit in us; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Here there is no conflict with
the law.
Romans 8:5-9 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature, think about sinful things. But those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Holy Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls my mind, there is life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You have the Spirit of Christ living in you. (And remember, that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them, are not Christians at all.)
God can break the power of addiction in your life when you give him
control. He will come into your life and change your hear and your desires.
Surrender to the Holy Spirit and God will replace addictive drives with
life affirming desires.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving,
joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
When I went out to the garage to close the window in the door, I tried once again to get the two tiny lizards to leave, but one just kept going between the window and the screen, where I could not touch it, so I just had to trap him all night. I went out this morning to open the window and tried once again to let him go free, but he was not having any of it!
Yesterday I drove to the park, after I finished my ironing, and saw the big, brown tortoise ambling alongside the road. An ibis was all alone pecking around in the circle, but very few people were out. Then I drove to Steak and Shake and had a half price strawberry shake! Tasty on a hot day!
God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can God break the power of addiction in my life?
Galatians 5:22-25 When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this
kind of fruit in us; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Here there is no conflict with
the law.
Romans 8:5-9 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature, think about sinful things. But those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Holy Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls my mind, there is life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You have the Spirit of Christ living in you. (And remember, that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them, are not Christians at all.)
God can break the power of addiction in your life when you give him
control. He will come into your life and change your hear and your desires.
Surrender to the Holy Spirit and God will replace addictive drives with
life affirming desires.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving,
joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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