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 prediction is still for maybe a little bit of snow sometime Monday or Tues., but I will be mighty surprised if that prediction comes true! It looks like the clouds are blowing in now, and it is definitely cooler than yesterday, but nowhere near snow temps. I started out with a jacket yesterday, but took it off when I realized how warm the day turned out to be. It was around seventy at noon time.
I had to take the van to Cartek yesterday to have a new battery installed. When I hear the car making noises like it doesn't want to crank up in the morning, I know something is wrong. Sure enough, after Ray tested and charged it, the tester said to replace the battery, so, since this one is guaranteed for five years, it will be good long after I quit driving. In fact, it may out last me! After I took off from Cartek, I went on to do some shopping and then Arby's to get a Reuben for lunch.
I stopped in at the park, to see several Progress Energy trucks there, for what reason, I do not know, since the only power is in the public building, the shop, and the house on the property. Whatever they were doing, required four large bucket trucks. Oh, well...I wish I had taken a picture of two ibises across the canal. They were outstanding in their whiteness,against the dark, muddy background of the swampy earth as they pecked very near to the water. God is good!
From the little devotional book; Knowing God
Be cheerful, no matter what; pray all the time;
thank God, no matter what happens.
This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
Thessalonians 5:16-18 MSG
If you genuinely desire to know God, then you must pray ...a lot.
Is prayer an integral part of your daily life, or is it a hit-or-miss habit?
Do you" pray without ceasing," or is your prayer life an afterthought?
Do you regularly pray in the quiet moments of the early morning, or
do you bow your head only when others are watching? If your
prayers have become more a matter of habit than a matter of passion,
you're robbing yourself of a deeper relationship with God. And how can
you rectify this situation? By praying more frequently and more fervently.
God is always near, and He's always ready to hear from you. So don't
worry about things; pray about them. God is waiting and listening!
-Great Thoughts-
Don't be overwhelmed. Take it one day and one prayer at a time.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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 definitely cooler this morning as the cold front gradually moves down on us, and the blowing wind makes it feel even cooler. So I guess this means March is coming in like a lion, so maybe it will go out like a lamb!
I was watching TV while eating my breakfast and saw the live broadcast from the Plant City strawberry festival. MMM! the shortcake really looked good! I had fresh strawberries on my oatmeal this morning and they were good and sweet, so it is a good crop this year. This is also the year of the worms, since I noticed yesterday, much to my dismay, webs hanging down from the oaks. They swing in the breeze and dangle and sway when the wind blows.. While the shade is a power saver in the summer, still trees require a lot of sweeping, yard cleaning and grumbling on my part. I am still grateful that we planted them forty or more years ago!
I went to Sweetbay after my cleaning ladies left yesterday, and Jason had come to clean up the yard before them, so I took off to get some milk and other stuff. After I finished shopping I drove to the park, and saw the water in the canal was higher since the good rain we had Tuesday. I spotted three or four ibis as white spots on the berm, pecking around one of the picnic tables.. A small crowd was there walking dogs, jogging, and enjoying the good weather. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Psalm 111
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
as I meet with his godly people.
How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
His righteousness never fails.
Who can forget the wonders he performs?
How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
He gives food to those who trust him;
he always remembers his covenant.
He has shown his great power to his people,
by giving them the lands of other nations.
All he does is just and good
and all his commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true,
to be observed faithfully and with integrity.
He has paid a full ransom for his people.
He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
Reverence for the Lord is the foundation
of true wisdom.
The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey him.
Praise his name forever!
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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 cloudy now, but we have had sun this morning. I was just standing outside talking with my yard man and the air was definitely cooler than it has been, so I guess the prediction of the cold weather coming this weekend is true. Well, we take what the Lord gives!
With the shed gone and a sprinkler system in my future, soon, the outside will be looking better, then I have to think about painting the inside of the house. There is always something, but I am thankful for the people that I have helping me. My cleaning ladies are coming today, so I am getting quite a payroll!
The only place I drove to yesterday was the park, after the hard rain. I noticed about a dozen or more cars and people walking their dogs and even picnicking, so everything must have dried off pretty quickly. I noticed a young gator on the bank by the weir and stopped a minute to look at him, and then admired the azaleas which are still pretty. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Romans 12:6
God has given each of us the ability to do certain
things well. So if God has given you the ability to
prophecy, speak out when you have faith that God
is speaking through you. If your gift is that of
serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher,
do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage
others, do it! If you have money, share it generously.
If God has given you leadership ability, take the respon-
siblity seriously. And if you have a gift for showing
kindness to others, do it gladly.
Don't just pretend that you love others, really love them.
Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love
each other with genuine affection and take delight in
'honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but
serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in
trouble, and always be prayerful. When God's children are in need.
be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting
guests home for dinner, or, if they need lodging, for the night.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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 in the midst of a storm right now, with the wind blowing and rain pouring. However, it is supposed to blow over quickly and then the sun will shine again, although cold weather is if the offing by the weekend. We surely needed the rain!
My handy man, Rick, came an hour early so he could beat the rain in doing his work, which he did. I now have a nice brick patio in the backyard, where the shed once stood. Rick beat the short concrete foundation out with a sledge hammer and broke it up, then took down my old clothes line poles which have been standing for perhaps forty years... No end to maintenance!
I did a little shopping yesterday and then wound up at the park, where the small flock of ibis were pecking away in nearly the same spot as the day before...in the hollow between the circle roads. I also saw an almost invisible great blue heron standing by the weir, with a large, wet snapper turtle a short ways away. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
1 John 2:9-14
"If anyone says, "I am living in the light", but hates
a Christian brother or sister" that person is still
living in darkness. Anyone who loves other
Christians is living in the light and does not cause anyone to stumble.
Anyone who hates a Christian brother or sister is
living or walking in darkness. Such a person is lost,
having been blinded by the darkness.
I am writing to you, my dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven because of Jesus.
I am writing to you who are mature because
you know Christ, the one who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young, because
you have won your battle with Satan.
I have written to you, children, because you have
known the Father.
I have written to you who are young because
you are strong with God's Word living in your
hearts, and you have won your battle with Satan.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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 burning through the clouds and fog, so once again, we will have a very warm day ahead. Yesterday, the temp reached 80. I wear a pendant around the house that I can press in case I fall, and since the light on the home unit was blinking, indicating that the pendants needed testing, I called the number and got an operator with a very southern accent, who said her name was Jeannine. When she saw my address on her pc, she remarked on "pretty St. Petersburg." I told her that the temp. was 80 and she was impressed. At the end of the testing I asked her what part of the south she was from and she said Tennessee. I told her my grandson and son lived in TN and she said "Enjoy your eighty degrees". I'm thinking it was not that warm where she is.
Well, I am the excited and ignorant owner of a new iphone 4. Brian upgraded his phone to the iphone 5 and put me on his family plan. I managed to text a couple times yesterday, and Gil showed me how to take a photo with the camera, which turned out to be a good one of him, but I am not too swift in picking up new electronic workings. Brian will go to a class and wants me to accompany him, but I think I will let him go and he can teach me. I have difficulty with the small keypad, because the lightest touch results in a letter and mostly not the one I want. I know it will open up a whole new world, once I learn how to utilize all the features. So, I will plod along until I get up to speed with it. We were at the Verizon store about 2 hours, waiting an then getting taken care of. It was the middle of the day, so after that, we went next door to Larry's and had lunch. I know it won't take Brian long to learn his phone, So there is hope for me!
I visited the park after church yesterday, and saw an anhinga airing out the wings on the weir and more people driving in, since it was such a nice day. A small group of ibis were pecking away in the hollow between the circle drives and a great blue heron was standing in the canal fishing. Lots of activity with people walking, running, and eating at the picnic tables. The azaleas are really pretty in the park, because they were not trimmed back last year, so that means more blossoms. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
James 5:13-18
Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it.
And those who have reason to be thankful
should continually sing praises to the Lord.
Are any among you sick? They should call for
the elders of the church and have them pray
over them, anointing them with oil in the name
of the Lord. And their prayer offered in faith
will heal the sick. and the Lord will make them
well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer
of a righteous person has great power and wonderful
results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when
he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell
for the next three and a half years! Then he prayed for
rain and down it poured. The grass turned green
and the crops began to grow again.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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 just heard from the meteorologist on TV that we have the best weather in the whole country! Yay! Florida! It is beautiful today...lots of sunshine and, even though the wind is blowing, it is already in the seventies. We are blessed!
I had a quiet day yesterday, just doing some things in the house and finishing up a book, I had been reading. Later on, I went to the park and saw few people there, but the anhinga was on the weir, drying out the wings, and the ibis were pecking around, I noticed a couple weeks ago that blue recycling cans has been placed where the trash cans are, and I have seen different people taking advantage of that and taking cans out so they can do their own recycling. I don't know what the county was planning to do with the recycling money, but they aren't getting as much as they had hoped with some patrons taking the cans for their own monies. If this goes on at Sawgrass, it is probably the same at the other parks. Oh, well, someone will get caught. But God is still 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
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 beautiful day is in store for us. with few clouds, cool breezes and warm sunshine. Perfect! The only thing marring this beauty is the pollen that is still filling the air.
I took my van to the car wash yesterday and, after wrestling with the cash machine for five minutes to get it to take my dollars, I made it through and now the car is gleaming. I know clean does not last, either in the house or on a car, but it makes me feel better to know the dust and grime are gone for a little while. While I was cleaning the windows, I notice little spots of yellow, which is really hard to clean off. That is from some kind of tree, but I am thinking maybe pine trees.
I visited the Park yesterday, and noticed more azaleas are blooming, as mine are, looking very pretty for a little while. My large one in the back yard is gorgeous with the deep pink blooms all over and falling on the ground. Going into the park, I saw turtles plastered on one side of the weir and on the other side of the street, the large gator was sunning in his personal spot. Lots of people were walking or looking over the bridge at the water. God is good!
From the devotional book Quiet Moments with God:
You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.
2 Samuel 22:29
An Illinois pastor had six couples enrolled in a new members class that met on Sunday evenings in one couple's home. Even after all the couples had completed the course work and joined the church, they continued to meet on Sunday evenings. They enjoyed each other's company and developed a deep sense of commitment to one another.
One night, the pastor received a call from one of the wives in the group. Her husband's plane had gone down, and she didn't know if he was dead or alive. The pastor immediately called the other group members, who rallied around her. They sat and prayed with her until word came that her husband was dead. Then various women took turns baby sitting and staying with her during those first difficult nights.
Group members opened their homes to out of town relatives who came for the funeral.
The men kept her car running and did yard work. And when she decided she would have to sell her house and find a smaller place to live, they helped her locate an apartment, pack, unpack, and settle into her new home.
For many people, this experience would seem like a night without end, a shadow on their lives that would never be erased. But because her friends let their lights shine into her darkness,they reminded her of the God who understood her pain and promised to see her through it.
"You are the light of the world," Jesus said. "A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." Matthew 5:14-15
In a world that seems to grow darker day by day, let the Lord turn your darkness into light. Then you can brighten the lives of those around you by being one of "God's bright lights".
I don't have to light all
the world, but I do have
to light my part.
Unknown
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
