Warning about self confidence

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! Those cooler temps felt good as I was standing outside talking with Jason, the yard man. I noticed he had not broken a sweat, so he was appreciating the cool breezes, also. I never know when he will come, but I heard the sound of his trimmer as I was finishing dressing and starting to go prepare my breakfast. He did some extra work today, like trimming the neighbor's hedge, which borders my yard, and also taking care of the podacarpus in the back yard. The grass has slowed down in growth, so he only comes about every ten days now...,the acorns are blown off the driveway for the next fifteen minutes, then, I suppose it will be covered again. Sigh. If I want the shade, I have to put up with the tree fall.

I had kind of a busy Sunday. After church, I went home for lunch, then got ready to go back to church for a dear friend's memorial services. I picked up Phyllis and drove her to church and stayed awhile afterwards while she greeted and chatted with a lot of her friends. I went to speak to Max's son, who gave a nice eulogy and thanked him for posting updates on FB about his dad. I was surprised when he asked if I was Amaryllis, because I had not introduced myself! He said his Dad and Mom had often spoken of me and Louis. I am still a little puzzled about how he knew who I was, but I guess the Holy Spirit spoke to him.

Saturday, I decided to get the van washed at the Touch-free car wash, but the machine would not take my 5 dollar bill. It kept spitting it out, so I finally backed up and drove away. Maybe I will try the one on 66th St. So, later on, I drove to the park, which was really busy with lots of people and cars. Everyone was out enjoying the weather!  I watched a flock of ibis ignoring the people and doing their pecking thing. God is good!

-- From the Promise Bible NLT:

James 4:13-17

Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town
 and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.
 "How do you know what will happen tomorrow?
For your life is like the morning fog--it's here for a little while, then it's gone.
"What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that."
Otherwise your will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

God offers comfort to all

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, few clouds and cooler temps on the way! Should be a beautiful weekend! Yesterday it was very hot in the sun, which I usually try to stay out of, but I was walking into Beall's in the sun, and couldn't help that!

I returned a book and checked out some more at the Library, and there was a younger male librarian checking books. Now, I don't want to seem prejudiced or anything, but it just seems strange to me that a guy would choose library science as his future career. Maybe that is because I hardly ever see men in that profession...just a thought. But, anyway, he was efficient, but not as friendly as the other, older man that works there. After I left there, I went on to the park and enjoyed the quiet, sunny, shady shadows on the freshly mowed berms; long strings of gray moss swaying in the breezes and squirrels scampering across the road and climbing up the trees. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of  every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation! For when God comforts us, it is so we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you.Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that  as you share in suffering, you will also share God's comfort.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Living to please others

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! What a contrast between today and yesterday! Lots of sunshine and very few clouds today...yesterday all clouds and the sun didn't peek through until about 5 PM just before sunset! I noticed the rain delay in St. Louis for the ball game and the postponement of the game in NY,  I know Tropicana Field has a lot of drawbacks, but games were not called because of rain!

I had a call from my house cleaners yesterday, that they would be coming in 45 minutes or so, so I thought I would have time to go to CVS, to pick up a few things. When I got back, they were already cleaning and kidded me about being gone. They know where the key is hidden, so they just let themselves in. I now have them coming every week, instead of two weeks. This is a luxury I allow myself at this time in my life and I am thankful for it!

When I opened the front door yesterday to get the paper, a little frog hopped away. Guess he was in a good place under the light, to catch bugs for his breakfast. Speaking of the paper, this morning I was reading about the fallen champion, Lance Armstrong. I thought it doesn't pay to put your hopes in humans because they fail, but Jesus never does! God is good!


From the Promise Bible NLT:

Romans 15:5-9
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you, then God will be glorified. Remember that God came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to his ancestors. And he came so that Gentiles might also give glory to God for his mercies to them. 

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Love God and get busy

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! No sun this morning and the prediction is for rain later on, but that's okay, since we have not had rain for a week or so. We are slowly creeping into fall with high temps in the eighties and low at night in the low seventies. Feels good!

After I did some grocery shopping yesterday, I drove to the park and saw freshly mowed grass, squirrels, of course, and an egret in the canal.There were quite a few people out enjoying the sun and fresh air. Then, later on, I went to the Post office and since it was close to the Dunkin' Donuts, I picked up three pumpkin muffins. They are huge and so good! I am glad when pumpkin season rolls around, just so I get their muffins! I can only eat half at a time, but that makes them last longer. God is good! ( am not brave enough to try the latte.)

From the little devotional book Knowing God:

So 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.
Galatians 6:9 NLT
The old saying is both familiar and true: actions speak louder than words. And , as believers, we must beware: our actions should always give credence to the changes that Christ can make in the loves of those who walk with Him.

God calls upon each of us to act in accordance with His will and with respect for His commandment. If we are to be responsible believers, we must realize that it is never enough simply to hear the instructions of God, we must also live by them.
And it is never enough to wait idly by while others do God's work here on earth; we, too, must act. Doing God's work is a responsibility that each of us must bear, and when we do, our loving Heavenly Father rewards our efforts with a bountiful harvest.

It is by acts and not by ideas that people live.
Harry Emerson Fosdick

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, I have heard your Word, and I have felt Your presence in my heart; let me act accordingly. Let my words and deeds serve as a testimony to the changes. You have made in my life. Let me praise you, Father, by following in the footsteps of Your Son, and let others see Him through me.
Amen

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 51

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 are still waiting for the lower humidity to come, but maybe one of these days....The temps are lower, though, and the water is gradually drying up in the street gutters. I called the city rep about a pothole in front of the house and sure enough, someone came to check it out, but nothing has been done about it yet. Guess it takes a while to schedule something like that. Actually, to my knowledge, this street has not been resurfaced or had anything done to it since we moved in 43 years ago. Amazing the shape it is in!

Well, yesterday I had a quiet day, which I will have to make up for today. Shopping, etc. So. whenever I procrastinate, I have to make up for it all in one day. Serves me right! One thing that needs doing again is sweeping off the acorns from the porch! I can be hit on the head while sweeping, because they are falling so fast! They are getting crunched all over the driveway, and that makes them hard to scrape up.

I got to the park and saw the usual anhinga sunning the wings on the weir, and a couple of great blue herons down in the canal near the entrance bridge. They are so beautiful! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 51:7-15

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again,
you have broken me-- now let me rejoice.
Don't keep looking at my sins,
Remove the stain of my guilt.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
Renew a right spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence,
and don't take your Holy Spirit  from me. 
Restore to me again the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
Then I will teach your ways to sinners,
and they will return to you.

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

Love and hugs, 
Amaryllis

Cruisin' thru Colossians

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 was overcast when I slid out of bed and maybe it was just fog, because now the sun is shining and it looks like another beautiful day . Should be less humidity tomorrow, because yesterday, while sweeping off the porch (acorns falling faster than I can sweep) it was warm and not too comfy. 

My cleaning ladies who are friends and live across the street, had a yard sale  Saturday. They had invited me and other neighbors to join in, but I could not face digging out all the stuff, and then having to gather it all up if it did not sell. Well, they were up at 5:30, and set everything out in one driveway, had a lemonade stand for the granddaughter, and they intended to shut down by 3:30. They did not have nearly the traffic I thought they would have, and they actually were working until 5:30 or 6 getting leftovers packed up. I was so glad I did not take anything over! Cheryl said, "Never again!". She has a lot of energy, but she was exhausted! They advertised in the Times and put a lot of signs out, but still did not have much traffic.

On the way to church yesterday, I noticed a large flock of ibis at Lynch Lake and two somber looking woodstorks all hunched up. There seemed to be lots of activity with the feathered friends! Later on, at Sawgrass, I saw lots of people but not too many birds. However, the butterflies were flitting all over. I wish I knew the names of most of them. They used to have a display of butterflies in the building, but I have not noticed it lately. On my way out of the park, I saw the wet anhinga drying out his wings on the weir. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Colossians 1:9-12

So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good kind things for others. 
All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins....


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

Love and hugs, 
Amaryllis

Be Silent

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! Love this cooler weather and drier air! Temps in the low seventies this morning and the A/C is hardly working! Great! 

Well, I watched the debate last night and was trying to read a novel at the same time, but really got caught up in it! All I can say is, I will be glad when all the election stuff is over, so the phone calls and campaign literature will stop.. and the ads on TV! Seems to me, all the money contributed to the candidates to get them elected or re-elected could be put to better use by helping suffering people out. Just sayin'.

My yard got mowed, edged and blowed yesterday, and it really needed it! My yard man lost his helper, so he now works alone. But he does the extra work that I point out to him, actually, it is not extra, he just doesn't notice what needs doing unless I tell him. Then I went to get my hair done and got there too early because I was reading and misread the time. So, I drove to Mickey D's and got a fish sandwich. Now, I probably have been to that place maybe one time in the past several years, so because I read a good review in the Times about their fish sandwiches, I decided to try one. Actually, it was good, if you like tartar sauce, which I do!

I drove through the Park on my way home, still enjoying the Twix bars that Mari gave me. I really think they are my favorite! The grass was freshly mowed and the water remains high in the canal. I think the work on the lake is just about finished, and that may be why the water is high. I saw an anhinga sitting on the weir and ibis near the canal. It was a beautiful day and God is good!

From the little devotional book, Knowing God:

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him.

Psalm 17:7 HCSBSometimes God speaks loudly and clearly. More often he speaks in a quiet voice--and if you are wise, you will be listening carefully when He does. To do so, you must carve out quiet moments each day to study his word and sense His direction.

Can you quiet yourself long enough to listen to your conscience? Are you attuned to the subtle guidance of your intuition?

Are you willing to pray sincerely and then to wait quietly for God's response? Hopefully so. Usually God refrains from sending his messages on stone tablets or city billboards. More often, He communicates in subtler ways. If you sincerely desire to hear his voice, you must listen carefully. and you must do so in the silent corners
of your quiet, willing heart.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis