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! We have sunshine and clouds already, and it looks like we may have a shower , but these days it is hard to predict. Yesterday, I started out for the front porch to trim a hanging plant, which has grown so much, it has tendrils dragging on the floor, but much to my surprise, it was raining! The sun was shining brightly, but a gentle rain was falling!  I was told as I was growing up, that that meant it would rain tomorrow at the same time...so we will see if that comes true.

Later in the middle of the afternoon, I decided to take a ride to beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, so I drove down 16th st. to Central Avenue and all the way down to Beach Drive. It was a beautiful afternoon, but very hot. Not many strollers, but parking up and down Central was at a premium, so there must have been a lot of shoppers inside enjoying the A/C. The water was beautiful and very calm. I am glad this is my city.

I also checked out the park and Lynch Lake. Lots of ibis were around Lynch and a flock of smaller ducks were gathered in a cove. I also saw a moorhen walking around the shore.All was quiet at the park, with quite a few cars parked, which means people on the boardwalk. The speed limit is 15 from the entrance, all the way down the road, but a car behind me was on my bumper all the way, trying to get me to go faster. She finally pulled in to park at the circle and I noticed it was a young woman. Maybe she will learn to slow down and enjoy the beauty surrounding her sooner rather than later. But, anyway, God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 25:1-5
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
No one who trusts in you will ever be
disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to
deceive others.

Show me the path where I should walk,
O Lord,
point out the right road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in 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! We did not have rain yesterday, but it was so hot! Today will be more of the same, so I will be careful not to say outside too long.

But I got to enjoy worship since the weather was so nice. It seems like the attendance was down and I can think of several people who are on vacation, but I also saw many faces I did not recognize, so new people are still coming. Pastor Dave was preaching in Pastor Kevin's absence due to a prior commitment in Detroit with a Mission's outreach. But we had good worship music with one of my favorite's "O Happy Day"!, a rousing song with a good message!

My yard man came this morning, even though he was just here last Thursday. I think he is trying to get back on schedule which has been disrupted because of the rain. Also, I am to hear back from my handy man about his schedule so he can start work on the roof. Ray and Tim stopped by unexpectedly Sat. morning to look at what needs to be done with the fence and another friend volunteered to help whenever they decide to go ahead with the repairs. I am blessed with good friends!

I drove to the Park yesterday and saw the large brown gopher tortoise speeding along on the freshly cut grass. There were lots of people out enjoying the heat and sun, and most of all, the shade from the trees. The water is still quite high in the canal and was over the weir during the heavy rain, but is now, just below the top of the weir. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 139:1-5
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

Gems from Joshua

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! More sun, white clouds and a humid breeze, the same as yesterday, greets us today. But everything is still drying out from all the rain, so we don't need any for awhile.

I had a busy day yesterday...the yard crew came and mowed, even though the grass was soggy, then I had a delightful visit with my friend David, who gave me some advice for fixing the roof and also encouragement for the wallpaper, which he says is dry and okay, so that was a big relief. I still have to have the stained ceiling painted, and the tarp over the roof removed, so the drying can begin.

Then, shortly after David left, with instructions not to open the door to strangers, which is the same thing my sons have told me over and over, I heard a knock on the door and there was a man I did not recognize. I did not answer, but then I saw him turn away and take a picture. After I saw the City emblem on the side of his car, I recognized him as the code inspector, so stepped outside and he came back to check to see if the wasps had been sprayed next door. I did not know they followed up on these things. And BTW, he was taking a pic of my giant staghorn fern to show his wife. He has never seen one that big!

So, after that, I went shopping, and by the time I finished with that, I was very tired.I have to go back today and exchange what I bought yesterday. Sigh

But I stopped in at the park, and saw a group of people looking at the brown gopher tortoise, and a graceful white egret, with its head just visible, beside the canal. The grass had been recently mowed and it looked good. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Joshua 1:6-9
Be Strong and courageous, for you will lead my people
to possess all the land I swore to give  their ancestors.
Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses
gave you. Do not turn away from them and you will be
successful in everything you do. Study this book of the Law
continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure
to obey all that is written in it.
Only then will you succeed. I command you---be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord
your God is with you wherever you go.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Faith brings Joy

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 have sunshine again and a warm, moist breeze, which means it will be very hot later on. I don't think we can complain about the heat after the steady rain we had for a week. Many people are still flooded in parts of Hillsborough County, with lots of damage done to roads that were under water. Not to mention foolish people who tried to drive through deep water and stalled their cars, causing damage.

Yesterday the cleaning friends came and we caught up on the neighborhood news. The wasps got sprayed next door. I happened to be in the garage when I saw him, (the sprayer) in the back yard jumping back each time he sprayed.. Hopefully, he got all of them.

I am hoping to get some info from my friend about who to call for the wallpaper/drywall damage inspection and repair. That needs to be taken care of soon. Then the roof which is still covered with a tarp needs to be repaired. That's the joy of owning your own home!

I received a letter from Teco gas, offering sympathy for my loss. (which was 5 1/2 years ago) and basically wanting to know who was going to pay the bill. I have been paying online for all that time, so someone is just waking up at the gas company.  Oh, well.

It is good to see the birds and butterflies out and about now and enjoying their pursuit of food. The sky is blue, the sun is bright and all is well. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems
and trials, for we know that they are good for us---
they help us to learn to endure. And endurance
develops strength of character in us, and character
strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.
And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we
know how dearly God loves us, because he has given
us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Teaching about Prayer

Good Morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the sunshiny day that the Lord has made and we will be glad  and rejoice in it! Once again it is a beautiful day with no rain in sight as was yesterday.

I was able to get out to do some shopping and from the traffic, that was the idea of a lot of other people. I had made a list of my goals for the day and got most of them accomplished before I ran out of "get up and go". It was interesting ...I went to the library and the parking lot was full, so I expected a crowd. It was fairly quiet, though, because nearly all of the many computers were busy. That's where the crowd was. I say "fairly quiet" because libraries aren't necessarily quiet places any more. There is a large children's section with computers for them, and, of course, children are not very quiet. Adults talk loudly to each other, and so the shushing and quiet down signals I used to get in the library, don't apply any more. It is still much calmer than dept. stores, however.

Much water is still evident in retention ponds, and as I visited the park with my half price shake from Steak and Shake, the canal was way up, and I noticed a tree had fallen over into the canal near the entrance. There is a very swampy area all along the roadway where the canal has overflowed, but all the trees and shrubs are welcoming the wetness! It is good to see the birds, squirrels and butterflies back after not seeing them because of all the rain. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Matthew 6:7-13
When you pray, don't babble on and on as people
of other religions do. they think their prayers are
answered only by repeating their words again and again.
Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly
what you need even before you ask him!
Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,'may your name be honored.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done here on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us our food for today,
and forgive us our sins,
just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
And don't let us yield to temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

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! It is so good to see the sun today, even though it will be hot and humid! Puddles are everywhere, and my yard is soggy in the side and back. God's timing was perfect, because Monday was Ray's day off and I am so blessed that he was able to come out and get the tarp, working in the rain, to cover the roof.

Ray got a tarp and covered my leading flat roof, but very little rain is expected for the next few days, so that will give it time to dry out. Meantime, I need to find a wallpaper person to see if the covering over the drywall can be saved, because of the leak. Brian came by after work to poke holes in it and press the water out that was being held in. I turned the ceiling fan on so it could run all night, but unless the wallpaper is removed, the air will not hit the drywall. Sigh. It could be much worse.

At least, I did not have to evacuate like a lot of people. When I called my handy man, he said he had three buckets catching water from the leaks in his roof, and he was getting a tummy ache from thinking of the expense to fix it. So, like I said, mine could be worse!
But God is in control and God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 106:1-3
Give thanks to the Lord,for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
Who can ever praise him half enough?
Happy are those who deal justly with others
and always do what is right.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Letting Go

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! Rain, rain, and more rain!  I did not sleep well last night and was up at 3:30 because I heard rain, and it has been raining off and on since then. My handy man was scheduled to come for outdoor work, but I cancelled last night and that was a smart move.

I wish the sky would be clear tonight, though, because this will be the "blue moon" which only happens when there are two full moons in the same month. This is why we have the saying "once in a blue moon." It won't happen again until 2018. Doesn't look too promising. though.

The code inspector came next door yesterday, just as I was getting ready to leave for the library, so I circled around and came back to talk to him. He is not allowed to go into back yards, so I told him he could go in mine and assess the problem. He said my name would have to go on the complaint, and that is okay with me. I tried to call Jeremy, my neighbor, but don't know if the phone is a working one or not. He and his girlfriend may be on vacation.

As I came around Lynch Lake, a large flock of ibis took off right in front of the car, and landed gracefully on the other side of the street. Then I went on to the Park and saw a black, shiny wet turtle at the weir, and a very dry, brown tortoise. further along. God is good!

From the Devotional book Quiet Moments with God:

"Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.'
Philippians 3:13-14 KJV

The spider monkey is a tiny animal native to South and Central
America. Quick as lightning, it is a very difficult animal to capture
in the wild. For years, people attempted to shoot spider monkeys
with tranquilizer guns or capture them with nets, but they discovered
the monkeys were nearly always faster than their fastest draw or
quickest trap.

Then somebody discovered the best method for capturing this elusive
creature. They found that if you take a clear narrow-mouth glass bottle,
put one peanut inside it, and wait, you can catch a spider monkey.

What happens? the spider monkey reaches into the bottle to get the peanut,
 and it can't get its hand out of the bottle as long as it is clenching the
peanut. The bottle is so heavy in proposition to its size, it can't drag it along--and the spider is too persistent to let go of a peanut once it has grasped it. In
fact , you can dump a wheelbarrow full of peanuts or bananas right next to it, and it still won't let go of that one peanut.

How many of us are like that--unwilling to change a habit, be a little flexible,
try a new method, or give up something we know is bringing destruction
to our lives?
We stubbornly cling to our way, even if it brings pain and suffering.

Today, don't cling to a negative situation that may be draining you of your
full vitality, energy, creativity, and enthusiasm for living, as the well-known
phrase advises, "Let go, and let God!"

Trust the Lord to lead you to the wise counsel and new opportunities He has
for you. Have faith in Him to provide what you truly need to live a peaceful,
balanced, and fulfilling life. You may never lose your taste for peanuts, but
with the Lord's help, you can discern when they are trapped in a glass bottle!

I asked God for all things so I
could enjoy life. He gave me life
so I could enjoy all things.
Unknown

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis