Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the foggy day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!
I read a poem a long time ago about fog..."The fog creeps in on little cat feet and sits..." don't remember the rest of it, Maybe it was by c.c. cummings, but anyway, that's what I was reminded of when I stepped outside this morning.
David came yesterday to mow and clean up the yard. After he was finished the property looked wonderful with all the acorns gone. However, as I stood and talked with him, we were pelted with acorns again, so it doesn't last long. The squirrels should have enough stocked for two years! David also took care of several wasp nests that were under the porch chairs. I keep spraying and they keep coming back. All God's creatures, but I sometimes wonder what good they do! But God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How does the promise of blessing affect us when we are weary or discouraged?
1 Corinthians 15:57,58 How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
Galatians 6:9 Don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
When we are tempted to give up, new resolve comes from remembering that God promises to bring a harvest in his perfect time.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A Prayer
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! Another chilly morning with the sun already rising and the temps supposed to go up to eighty today! Wonderful weather! I saw our neighbor out taking his morning walk around the neighborhood a little while ago and he was wearing shorts. I think I would be a little chilly in shorts, but not this afternoon!
Yesterday, we saw the firemen at Lynch school showing their ladder truck. It had the ladder fully extended into the sky and was very impressive. The little students were all sitting in front of the fireman and very attentive. They also had a paramedic truck there for educating the kids. I am not a little kid, but I am fascinated with the equipment, also. :o)
There was lots of wildlife around the lake, including the ever-present woodstorks. As I went to the Park later, the turtles were back on the bank sunning, but no sign of the gator. Many of the trees are bare now, having lost their leaves during the chilly spell. Winter is almost here! God is good!
This is a Franciscan Blessing:
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers.
half truths and superficial relationships
so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice,
oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that you may wish for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen!
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday, we saw the firemen at Lynch school showing their ladder truck. It had the ladder fully extended into the sky and was very impressive. The little students were all sitting in front of the fireman and very attentive. They also had a paramedic truck there for educating the kids. I am not a little kid, but I am fascinated with the equipment, also. :o)
There was lots of wildlife around the lake, including the ever-present woodstorks. As I went to the Park later, the turtles were back on the bank sunning, but no sign of the gator. Many of the trees are bare now, having lost their leaves during the chilly spell. Winter is almost here! God is good!
This is a Franciscan Blessing:
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers.
half truths and superficial relationships
so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice,
oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that you may wish for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen!
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Jeremiah 29:11
Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the beautiful day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! I stepped outside earlier just in time to see the feral cat that hangs around, chasing a squirrel up the tree. The cat went a little ways up, but the squirrel was much faster and scampered up to the very top very quickly! I don't want the cat to get the squirrel!
We had a quiet day yesterday with a visit to the doc for a check-up for Louis and a trip to the park. Very quiet at the park, with no animals in sight for a change. Not even a heron or turtle. Unusual! The only activity was a man with his car door open, with the squirrels gathered around, because he was feeding them, which is a no no, but no one is around to enforce the rule. Oh, well, that is why the squirrel was so insistent that I feed it the other day when I was eating in the car!
God's plan for my life:
"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."
Sometimes we are tempted to question God's will for our lives, thinking he has made a mistake. God promises to give us the best as we follow his ways. Ultimately, even what looks like a mistake can become the means to something wonderful.
From the Promise Bible NLT:
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
We had a quiet day yesterday with a visit to the doc for a check-up for Louis and a trip to the park. Very quiet at the park, with no animals in sight for a change. Not even a heron or turtle. Unusual! The only activity was a man with his car door open, with the squirrels gathered around, because he was feeding them, which is a no no, but no one is around to enforce the rule. Oh, well, that is why the squirrel was so insistent that I feed it the other day when I was eating in the car!
God's plan for my life:
"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."
Sometimes we are tempted to question God's will for our lives, thinking he has made a mistake. God promises to give us the best as we follow his ways. Ultimately, even what looks like a mistake can become the means to something wonderful.
From the Promise Bible NLT:
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Ministry and the Spiritual Life
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! Acorns are falling all around and when I stepped outside this morning, I had to avoid stepping on them, even though the porch was swept yesterday! But the weather is perfect and the sun will shine, and God is good!
I saw a woodstork yesterday at Lynch Lake, looking very disgruntled as it stood near a flock of ibis, which were not paying any attention to the woodstork. Usually, the woodstorks just look depressed, but this one was animated. And up above on a wire, was a hawk. Seems like the lake was teeming with wildlife. Must have been good dining around there! I went to the Park and the big, shiny gator was on the bank again, and across the street on the weir bank were three turtles. A little ways down on the grassy bank, were another three turtles, only one of them was a very large, soft shell, snapping turtle. All were enjoying the sunshine!
From Bread for the Journey
by Henri Nouwen
All Jesus' words and actions emerge from his intimate relationship with his Father. "Do you not believe," Jesus says, "that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord. It is the Father living in me, who is doing his works, You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works." (John 14:10-11)
Just as all Jesus' words and actions emerge from his communion with his Father, so all our words and actions must emerge from our communion with Jesus. "In all truth I tell you," he says, "whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works...Whatever you ask for in my name I will do" (John 14:12-13). It is this profound truth that reveals the relationship between the spiritual life and the life of ministry.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I saw a woodstork yesterday at Lynch Lake, looking very disgruntled as it stood near a flock of ibis, which were not paying any attention to the woodstork. Usually, the woodstorks just look depressed, but this one was animated. And up above on a wire, was a hawk. Seems like the lake was teeming with wildlife. Must have been good dining around there! I went to the Park and the big, shiny gator was on the bank again, and across the street on the weir bank were three turtles. A little ways down on the grassy bank, were another three turtles, only one of them was a very large, soft shell, snapping turtle. All were enjoying the sunshine!
From Bread for the Journey
by Henri Nouwen
All Jesus' words and actions emerge from his intimate relationship with his Father. "Do you not believe," Jesus says, "that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord. It is the Father living in me, who is doing his works, You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works." (John 14:10-11)
Just as all Jesus' words and actions emerge from his communion with his Father, so all our words and actions must emerge from our communion with Jesus. "In all truth I tell you," he says, "whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works...Whatever you ask for in my name I will do" (John 14:12-13). It is this profound truth that reveals the relationship between the spiritual life and the life of ministry.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, November 16, 2009
Psoaring thru Psalm 100
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 still a little chilly in the mornings but the afternoons are beautiful. We have waited a long time for cooler weather and now we have it! Yesterday evening at sunset I stepped outside and saw a lovely pink contrail crossing the sky, and then looked to the west and saw the gorgeous sunset. What a display God had for us to enjoy!
We went to the Park in the late afternoon, and the shiny, black gator was in his spot on the lake bank, and on the other side on the weir, a turtle and an anhinga were sunning. As we drove in, a young peacock crossed the road in front of us, splendid in his colors!
We took a walk, with me pushing the wheelchair and looked at lots of people, dogs and children. When you don't want to spend money to have a fun afternoon, head for a park and picnic or just walk and enjoy God's great outdoors! God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Psalm 100
Shout with joy to the Lord, O Earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we are His.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each
generation.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
We went to the Park in the late afternoon, and the shiny, black gator was in his spot on the lake bank, and on the other side on the weir, a turtle and an anhinga were sunning. As we drove in, a young peacock crossed the road in front of us, splendid in his colors!
We took a walk, with me pushing the wheelchair and looked at lots of people, dogs and children. When you don't want to spend money to have a fun afternoon, head for a park and picnic or just walk and enjoy God's great outdoors! God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Psalm 100
Shout with joy to the Lord, O Earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we are His.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each
generation.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Friday, November 13, 2009
Philippians
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! Brr! It is cool enough that I turned on the furnace for the first time this winter, just to take the chill off the house! The extra blanket felt good, too last night, But it is a wonderful change from the heat and good for soup and hot chocolate! God is good!
Yesterday I went to CVS and saw a very unusual looking man waiting at the pharmacy. He obviously had a wig on and was wearing what looked like a woman's shirt. God loves us all , doesn't he? The young man who helped me used to have a wild fro, but has had his hair cut and is very nice looking, so I told him I liked his hair, and he gave me a beautiful smile and thanked me. I hoped I brightened his day.
Later on we took Careride out to the dentist's office for Louis' appointment and had a nice talk with the driver. On the way back, the different driver turned out to have lived here 55 years, so we had a long talk about all the changes in St. Petersburg since I grew up here and he just about did. I saw where the big two story Publix is , out in the Tyrone area...very unusual. It has a parking garage underneath the store! While we were gone, the two cleaning gals from across the street cleaned the house, so it was sparkling when we returned. All in all, a good day! God is Awesome!
Philippians 4:4-9
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice! Let everyone see that you are consideerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all 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 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
Yesterday I went to CVS and saw a very unusual looking man waiting at the pharmacy. He obviously had a wig on and was wearing what looked like a woman's shirt. God loves us all , doesn't he? The young man who helped me used to have a wild fro, but has had his hair cut and is very nice looking, so I told him I liked his hair, and he gave me a beautiful smile and thanked me. I hoped I brightened his day.
Later on we took Careride out to the dentist's office for Louis' appointment and had a nice talk with the driver. On the way back, the different driver turned out to have lived here 55 years, so we had a long talk about all the changes in St. Petersburg since I grew up here and he just about did. I saw where the big two story Publix is , out in the Tyrone area...very unusual. It has a parking garage underneath the store! While we were gone, the two cleaning gals from across the street cleaned the house, so it was sparkling when we returned. All in all, a good day! God is Awesome!
Philippians 4:4-9
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice! Let everyone see that you are consideerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all 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 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
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunrise
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, the cold front came through just as predicted and today is overcast and chilly,in the sixties, anyway. The wind is still blowing and a sweater would feel good outside. It has been a loong summer!
Yesterday, I visited beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, and saw lots of people enjoying lunch at the sidewalk tables outside the cafes and restaurants. Looked like a lot of people were out and about, shopping and sightseeing. Then I went to the Park, and saw the shiny black gator lying on the bank of the borrow pit again and across the road, a turtle resting on the bank of the weir, close to an anhinga, also drying out. God is good!
From the book, Quiet Moments With God devotional:
Luke 1:78-79 The sunrise from on high will visit us...to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Sunrise, shining its beams through the window on a cold winter's morning, is a welcome sight. Even if the air outside is icy cold, sunrise gives the illusion of warmth With the rising sun .the city opens its shutters and makes preparations for the day; in the country, the farm animals are let out to pasture. Kids are off to school, adults are on their way to work, and each has a different perspective of the sunrise.
Sunrise happens whether we see it or not. Clouds may cover the sky so totally that we can't experience the beauty of the sunbeams making their way to the earth. No matter what the climate, the sun still rises in the eastern horizon and sets over the west. Sunrise is set by God's clock, and it is ours to enjoy in the early mornings when we can see it clearly. It is just as much there for us to enjoy when the clouds cover it. We can trust it to be there-even though it may be hidden for a while.
We can also trust God to be there every morning because He is the one, irrefutable reality in this life, and He remains constant and true!
Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain;
laughter and teardrops,
pleasure and pain- Low tides
and high tides, mountains and
plains, triumphs, defeats and
losses and gains, but there
never was a cloud that the
Son didn't shine through and
there's nothing that's impossible
for Jesus Christ to do!
Helen Steiner Rice
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday, I visited beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, and saw lots of people enjoying lunch at the sidewalk tables outside the cafes and restaurants. Looked like a lot of people were out and about, shopping and sightseeing. Then I went to the Park, and saw the shiny black gator lying on the bank of the borrow pit again and across the road, a turtle resting on the bank of the weir, close to an anhinga, also drying out. God is good!
From the book, Quiet Moments With God devotional:
Luke 1:78-79 The sunrise from on high will visit us...to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Sunrise, shining its beams through the window on a cold winter's morning, is a welcome sight. Even if the air outside is icy cold, sunrise gives the illusion of warmth With the rising sun .the city opens its shutters and makes preparations for the day; in the country, the farm animals are let out to pasture. Kids are off to school, adults are on their way to work, and each has a different perspective of the sunrise.
Sunrise happens whether we see it or not. Clouds may cover the sky so totally that we can't experience the beauty of the sunbeams making their way to the earth. No matter what the climate, the sun still rises in the eastern horizon and sets over the west. Sunrise is set by God's clock, and it is ours to enjoy in the early mornings when we can see it clearly. It is just as much there for us to enjoy when the clouds cover it. We can trust it to be there-even though it may be hidden for a while.
We can also trust God to be there every morning because He is the one, irrefutable reality in this life, and He remains constant and true!
Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain;
laughter and teardrops,
pleasure and pain- Low tides
and high tides, mountains and
plains, triumphs, defeats and
losses and gains, but there
never was a cloud that the
Son didn't shine through and
there's nothing that's impossible
for Jesus Christ to do!
Helen Steiner Rice
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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