Protection

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! The forecast is for rain later on today, but right now the sun is bright and puffy, white clouds are floating around. It is very warm and expected to go to 87 as we look forward to another record setting day.

Well, I had another adventure yesterday. One I could do without. I decided to go to KMart for some reason. Just had not been there for a couple years and will not go back. I had to park a little distance from the entrance, but walked in and secured a cart, then shopped all over, but did not see anything I really liked, so just bought a bottle of lotion, paid for it, and went out.Instead of going straight out down the slope, I pushed the cart along the walkway in front of the store. There is a yellow painted stripe all along the edge and I thought it was level with the street. Wrong!

As I pushed the cart to the edge it tilted sideways, and started to tip over, so I grabbed at it and then I tipped over and down I went, landing on my right elbow and knee.Right away, two kind people came and helped me up, then the man went on his way, but the woman held tightly to my arm and was giving instructions to just let me stand a few minutes. I don't even know what she looked like, because I could not even look at her face., but she was surely an angel the way she took charge. One of the Kmart workers came out and had to take info for their report. He asked if I wanted an ambulance, and I said no, because I was not hurt that much. So, He took me inside and I sat on a bench while he got a Band-Aid for my elbow, which was bleeding a little and then took down the info he needed. I told him I did not want the insurance people to call, because there was no need.So, by that time, I was ready to go home. I was not shaken up, just stinging a bit on my knee from two small scraped spots, but today my elbow looks terrible. That's the same arm the books fell on at the library and that bruise is still large and ugly. I am still a little tender on the right side, but was so blessed that it was not any worse!

So I got home safely and took a pain pill for the aches and today I am feeling none the worse for wear. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Where can I find protection and safety?

Psalm 121:2-8
My help comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth!
He will not let you stumble and fall. The one who watches over you
will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and
never sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands
beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not hurt you by
day nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all evil and
preserves your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come
and go both now and forever.

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

 Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalms

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 heard the meteorologist say yesterday that this is the 21st day for temps. that are above normal for this time of the year. Once again we have sun, breezes and humidity, so it's not time for winter clothes yet.

I took a walk around the outside of the house yesterday..got a lot of sun, but was glad for the shade from the oaks.I don't usually walk in the yard, because of uneven ground, which is difficult with the cane, but I used Louis' three wheeled walker and that gave me the balance I needed. I noticed the beauty berry bush was in full bloom with lots of purple berries on it for the birds to enjoy!

I also went to the park later on, and saw a few cars, but not any wildlife. Only the two and four legged kind...people walking their dogs. But it was very peaceful and I enjoyed the quiet. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 139:1-6
O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my every thought when far away.
You chart the path ahead of me
and tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You both precede and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
too great for me to know!

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Worry

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! It is warming back up today and will reach the high eighties again, but the air is still a little cooler, so it feels nice.The sun is shining and the yard guys have come and gone, so I know they are glad for the good weather.

We had another good sermon and singing at church yesterday, with Pastor Kevin still teaching on Love Illuminated. I was impressed by some of the answers to his question about what is Faith Covenant noted for? (not exactly the way he put it). It is always interesting to hear what people respond to questions like that. I see new people nearly every Sunday and it looks like some of the people who left for one reason or another have now started to come back.

I have mentioned before the young man who comes during or right after the singing, slips in unnoticed, and leaves right away without speaking to anyone. I asked him his name the first time he came and he said "Michael", so I always try to greet him as he is leaving. He seems to be very shy. Anyway, I am glad to see him when he comes. By sitting on the back row, I get to see people come and go.

As I drove by Lynch Lake Park on my way to church, I saw an anhinga with wings outspread, and the usual ibis, and an egret, along with the ever present ducks. When I stopped by the park Saturday, it was packed! The weather was beautiful and everyone was out and about enjoying the beautiful outdoors! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

What can I do with the problems that worry me?

Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will
take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Philippians 4:6 Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about
everything. Tell God what you want and thank him for all he has done.

1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares
about what happens to you.

Prayer and a godly perspective drive worry from our minds and hearts.
Peace comes when we pray. release all our cares to the Lord, and
focus our minds on the promises of God.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Paul's Final Greetings

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! Lots of sunshine and cooler temps mean the "cold" front has passed and we will enjoy fall weather the rest of the weekend.

After Ray returned my van yesterday, along with the bad news of the costly repairs, which I decided not to have done, I drove to Trader Joe's and did some shopping. It is definitely not like Publix. I had to backtrack a lot just to see where everything was. I had my list, but because  TJ's has mostly organic, they do not carry the things I usually buy. However, I did get some good pumpkin stuff, along with creme filled carrot cookies. Not on my list! But I took the last half gallon of pineapple juice from the cooler and also some fresh pineapple strips. I really like pineapple. But I still have to shop at Publix to get  my usual things.

I drove through the Park on my way home and all was quiet and peaceful. Saw the anhinga airing his wings, and noticed that the water was high and mostly clear. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace make you holy
in every way, and may your whole spirit and
soul and body be kept blameless until
that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes
again. God, who calls you, is faithful; he will
do this....
And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with all of you.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalms

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! Cooler weather is coming this weekend, but already I can feel the difference in the humidity, so the breeze feels nice. We are supposed to get down in the sixties at night. That, to me, is cool!

Well, I had an adventure yesterday. I had to leave my cleaning ladies, who always make sure to lock up when they leave, and go to my podiatrist. When I got through there, I was to go down to my mechanic, Ray, so they could take a look at the van and see what part they needed to order to stop an oil leak. So, I knew the address which was downtown, but I had never been there before. I turned on the correct street,but missed it somehow, and due to a lot of one way streets, circled around for about twenty minutes, still missing the shop, and wound up on the interstate, which I never drive. After shooting a short prayer, I drove with the flow and got off at 22nd, circled back around to downtown, and still could not find the shop. By this time, it was 3:30, so I came back home to call the shop to explain my situation. And, yes, I did pull over a couple times to call Ray's cell, but found out he leaves it in his tool box while he is working. All turned out well, because he came this morning to take the van in until noon, so they can look it over and try to discover the oil leak..

Who said growing old was not without its adventures? Some I could do without, but anyway, I look forward to each new day! To top it off, Brian called and invited me out or he could bring take home, so since I was a little tired, he brought over some Sonny's Barbeque, which I enjoyed. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 59:18
But as for me, I will sing about your power,
I will shout for joy each morning
because of your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
a place of safety in the day of distress.

I always thank God for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

God Bless America

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! It is a beautiful day for all the Veteran's Day parades and ceremonies, especially the one at Bay Pines.

The sunshine is bright and the humidity low. As I was hanging out the flag, I saw a young man walking his dogs across the street, with a coffee cup in one hand and two leashes in the other. I gave him a wave, which he acknowledged with a lift of the cup. Just being neighborly!

Yesterday I started out to gas up the van, and then headed to the library. It was the first time I have ever been attacked by the books! I was reaching up on the top shelf, which is too high for me, when the bookend slipped away and 3 or 4 books came tumbling down on my arm and left side of my face. I said, Whoa!" and one of the librarians who was shelving books came to my rescue, picked up the books and went to get an antiseptic wipe and band aid for my arm which was cut by one of the books. She said I should ask for help next time I want something from the top shelf, but I hate to pull them away from what they are doing just because I want to browse. Anyway, I now have an ugly bruise on my right arm. But I did get five books I selected...

After that I did some more shopping at CVS and then headed home. I had also visited the Park, and saw the gopher tortoise and an anhinga at rest. It was very quiet with not many people around. God is good!

God Bless America
God bless America, land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her,
with the night with the light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,
to the ocean, white with foam.
God Bless America, my home sweet home.

And My grateful thanks to all men and women serving our country!

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Wisdom from James

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! The sun just went behind a cloud but because we had rain last night some time, I was looking at the drops shining like rhinestones on the hedge right outside my window. We have blue skies and sunshine for most of the day, with a little taste of cooler weather coming this weekend.

After all the activity yesterday morning, I finally got my laundry done and a few other chores, but did not take the car out because it was still overcast and rainy until dark. Brian came by and put the recyclable bin down for me. He is good to take care of me, even though he works long hours.

I am seeing more and more ads for Christmas sales, and was remembering Pastor Kevin's words Sunday about giving gifts to his children. This is not an exact quote, but he said since Baby Jesus got only three gifts for his birthday, why should his kids get more. They will make it up on their birthdays. Makes sense to me! Of course, when there is a Christmas Eve birthday, like Brian's, that's a different story!

I saw two huge flocks of ibis wandering through a couple yards, with their beaks dirty from grubbing. They follow each other without even looking up! Amazing! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT;

James 1:2-5,13
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever troubles come
your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when
your faith is tested,  your endurance has a chance to
grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully
developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants
you to do---ask him and he will gladly tell you. He will
not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure
that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful
mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven
and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect
to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up
their minds. they waver back and forth in everything they do...

God blesses the people who patiently endure testing.
 Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God
has promised to those who love Him.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis,