The Rose and The Thorn

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 day started out overcast, but all at once, a hard rain started falling and after about twenty minutes, all of a sudden, the sun came out!. Seems like all I want to do when it rains, is sit and watch the rain pour off the roof!

The gloomy weather seems appropriate for the end of the Rays race for the wild card spot in the playoffs! Well, it was fun while it lasted, and, hopefully, they will come back next year and make it!  I really enjoyed watching them and will miss baseball when the season ends.

I took a walk around the house outside yesterday, and discovered some plants that had sprung up as weeds, but were now bushes. I have another beauty berry bush growing right beside the corner of the house. That will have to come out, because they grow really large. Also, a podacarpus tree is growing where it should not be, but they come up all over the yard. I also found another oak tree growing up through a hibiscus. My yard man mows and edges, but does not do anything extra, unless I ask him to specifically. Unlike my former yard man, who was not a professional, but did a lot of extra things, to keep the yard tidy. Sigh. Guess I can't have everything!

I took a trip through the park and saw an anhinga on the weir drying the wings, several people on the bridge, looking at the water, and lots of cars. It was quiet and peaceful with lots of shade from the trees. God is good!

From the devotional book Quiet Moments with God:

 The Rose and the Thorn

Samuel grew, and the Lord was
with him and let none of his
words fall to the ground.
1 Samuel 3:19 RSV

There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or played;
He never risked, he never tried,
He never sang or prayed.
 And when he  one day passed away
His insurance was denied;
For since he never really lived,
They claimed he never died!
    Unknown

Progressing through life is so risky, and we all must face it at one time or another. In order to learn to walk, toddlers must risk painful falls time and again. Teens with their first driver's licenses immediately face the most dangerous time of their driving careers. Couples taking the vows of marriage must face the possibility that the very union they expect to bring life's greatest joy could also bring them their greatest heartache. And entrepreneurs trying to launch or expand their businesses know that it could easily bring about a substantial loss.

Therefore, if there is such potential for pain in our attempts to grow and achieve throughout our lives, why do we even try?

One reason is that God has blessed us with an inner drive that compels us to improve our life. To paraphrase  Anais Nin, the day comes when the risk to remain tight in a bud is more painful than the risk it takes to blossom. And we know that we cannot gather our beautiful roses without the possibility of being pricked by the thorns.

But when the prospect of facing those thorns seems too sharp and painful, remember that as God urges you to reach for new roses, you can  also rely on His strength and guidance to help you manage your way through the thorns.

The weaker we feel, the harder we lean on God and the harder we lean the stronger we grow. 
                       Joni Eareckson Tada

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 138

Good first of October 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 always think of my childhood poem when we have such a  blue sky and puffy white clouds like today.."When the goldenrod is yellow and the fields are turning brown" It's about October's bright blue weather, but that is all I remember, even though my friend sent me the poem. It is not exactly those words, but close. Guess I will have to Google it again..

Anyway, October is a dividing month...and ending to summer, but not quite fallish,yet. We still have mostly unexpected showers popping up and slightly cooler breezes in the early morning. Nice! I took a drive through the park yesterday after church, and saw the falling leaves, the bright sunshine and quite a few people, jogging, the Ranger on a bike, picnickers, and lots of people. It was a great day to be out! One lone anhinga was on the weir as I came out, but no sign of the gophers. But God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

--Psalm 138


I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.
I will sing your praises before the gods.
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship
I will give thanks to your name
for your unfailing love and faithfulness,
because your promises are backed 
by all the honor of your name.
When I pray you answer me,
You encourage me by giving me
the strength I need.

Every king in all the earth will give you thanks, O Lord,
for all of them will hear your words.
Yes, they will sing about the Lord's ways
for the glory of the Lord is very great.

Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud.

Though I am surrounded by troubles,
you will preserve me against the anger of my enemies!
You will clench your fist against my angry enemies!
Your power will save me.
The Lord will work out his plans for my life--
for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don't abandon me, for you Made me.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 145

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! This is another day just like yesterday, sunny and warm with a few clouds, high and puffy white. When I stood outside for a few minutes this morning, I watched a flock of ibis across the street, growing larger as singles kept flying in and joining them while they paid no attention and kept pecking, meanwhile moving slowly into the next yard.  I was also watching a couple squirrels playing and climbing high in my oak trees. They don't seem to be putting acorns away for the winter. Maybe it will be a mild winter, although I have already heard predictions that it will be severe. Only God knows!

Well, the Rays won again last night. I have to confess I almost gave up on them, but thanks to Longo, and Rodney, they won their 8th straight! I am going to miss baseball when the season is over. And, on another positive note, but totally unrelated to baseball, Brian got moved into the downtown office of his bank yesterday, so no more long trips to Bradenton! He said he even got a day's work done after getting everything settled and in place. One negative in the new place, is lack of good lighting, but that will soon be corrected. Since he works in accounting, good lighting is essential! I am hoping to be able to go visit when they have the open house.

I drove over to the park yesterday, after completing my errands, and found it peaceful, with just a few people, ibis, and egrets here and there. Even though the weeds are high in places, it still looks good! God is good!
 
From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 145:13-21

The Lord is faithful in all he says!
He is gracious in all he does.
The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.
All eyes look to you for help...
you give them their food as they need it.
When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
The Lord is close to those who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
The Lord protects all those who love him
but he destroys the wicked,

I will praise the Lord,
and everyone on earth will bless his holy name
forever and forever.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

The Final Judgment

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! Bright sunshine and blue skies and  lots of birds singing to welcome the new day! I walked around outside on the dewy grass and was listening to the music of the different birds all awake and chirping. They were just filling the air with song! There is a thick moss like weed  that has taken over the grass and there are pretty, tiny flowers blooming on it. I don't know how long it will last, but it feels soft under foot. I actually like it better than grass!

I talked with Jason, the yard man, yesterday, about future plans for a sprinkler system and how to get grass or ground cover to grow under the oak trees, where nothing is growing now. He seems to have plans, but no firm date. But I have learned to be patient and wait, because I know I am unable to do things myself, so I wait for someone else to work for me. 

I drove to Boston Market for my supper yesterday, and was amused to see Victoria egret standing right in the middle of the drive-thru waiting for a handout in front of the window. She reluctantly moved, but only off to the side, still wary and watching other cars coming behind me. Then, after my order, I drove to the park and saw another egret , along with two ibis and one anhinga, all on the weir, just having a nice chat with each other.. There were a few other people there, which seemed like a nice time to come after a long day at work. A place to come and wind down and relax. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Matthew 25:31-40

But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on the right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me.

Then these righteous ones will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and gave you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you? " and the King will tell them, "I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me"!

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 97

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 is shining and it is still in the high seventies, but the humidity is slowing coming back and we will be close to ninety today, so fall is still knocking at the door, but not here to stay yet.

I did a little shopping yesterday and drove on over to the park, so see a few cars, but no people in sight walking. I did see a couple at a picnic table, enjoying being outdoors on a beautiful day. A bedraggled looking anhinga was sitting on the weir drying out the wet wings, but no other birds were visible. I have not seen the gopher tortoises in a while, so I am wondering what has happened to them. Mike, the naturalist who retired, showed me a photo taken from the air, which showed all the gopher holes and there were plenty! 

One thing I have noticed around here, are the many pretty butterflies flitting back and forth! All kinds, big, little, yellow and yellow and black. My beauty berry bush is supposed to attract them when blooming and birds when the berries show. I love butterflies! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 97
The Lord is king! let the earth rejoice!
Let the farthest islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him and burns up all his foes.
His lightning flashes out across the world.
The earth sees and trembles.
The mountains  melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens declare his righteousness,
every nation sees his glory.
Those who worship idols are disgraced-
all who brag about their worthless gods--
For every god must bow to him.
Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced
and all the cities of Judah are glad
because of your justice, Lord!
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth,
you are exalted far above all gods.

You who love the Lord, hate evil! 
He protects the lives of his godly people
and rescues them from the power of the wicked.
Light shines on the godly
and those who do right.
May all who are godly be happy in the Lord
and praise His holy name!

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 37

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 turned up the A/C yesterday, because I was a little cool. If I could have opened all the windows, I would have, because the weather outside was so nice. Most of my windows are balky, though, and don't get opened up much, so I just leave them closed. This morning, the temps are in the seventies and, once again, it feels like fall. We've waited a long time!

Maybe the acorns will not be as plentiful as I thought, because I have not swept the porch this week and it is not covered with the pesky things. There are a few, but nothing like I thought. When I was outside yesterday, the noisy bluejay was sounding off in the oak tree, and very loudly!  I would rather hear a mockingbird going through his repertoire than the jay. Speaking of mockers, I saw one fly into the hedge outside my window and a few seconds later another flew in right behind the first! I thought perhaps there was a nest in that spot, but I have not seen them since. If there is an early cold spell in the north, we may be seeing much more of the northern birds shortly.

I got to the park later in the afternoon yesterday, and the only bird I saw was a great white heron, posed by the canal, fishing. A spot of beauty! God is good!
 
From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 37:3-9

Trust in the Lord and do good. 
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord and he will give you your hearts desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord,
Trust him and he will help you
He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don't worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

Stop your anger!
Turn from your rage!
Do not envy others--
it only leads to harm.

For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord
will possess the land.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 19

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 air is definitely cooler and it looks and feels like fall is definitely here! It will warm up soon and we will probably be up to ninety, but change is in the air!

I attended a birthday party last night with a lot of friends, old and new, and had a really good time, staying out a little later than I usually do. And, another dear friend and prayer warrior is having her 97th birthday today! She lives alone and gets around with just a cane and is pretty healthy. The Lord has blessed her and me with her friendship. She is a blessing to all who know her!

I stopped in at the park after church yesterday, and saw a lot of cars, so the boardwalk was busy. The air was nice and it was a beautiful day, so people were out enjoying nature. The water is still high and now that the hydrilla as washed in again, it looks very pretty with the water rushing, the shade trees and the falling leaves. My beauty berry bush, and other flowering shrubs are very pretty and the grass has really greened up from all the rain, so God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 20:8-14
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight to life.
Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true, each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.

They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to those who hear them;
There is great reward for those who obey them.

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep me from deliberate sins!
Don't let them control me.
Then I will live free of guilt 
and innocent of great sin.

May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis