Good morning, dear Friends and Prayer Partners and Happy March 1st! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!
Since January and February were a lot different than I expected, I am hoping for a brighter March and hopefully, spring is on the way! Today is sunshiny and will be warm, but I know winter is not finished with us yet, so the heat goes on! (In the house).
Today is the day that the staples come out of my neck and after the swelling goes down and the bruises fade, I may begin to look more normal. :o) But God is good and is the Great Physician!
I went for a drive through the park, yesterday, and once more, a big black gator was sunning on the bank of the borrow pit lake. Seems like they are on the move these cold days!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
What purposes do endurance and perseverance serve in my life?
1 Peter 1:6,7 Be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
2 Peter 1:5-9
Make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin.
Endurance is like the fire that purifies precious metals and hardens valuable pottery. It cleanses, clarifies, and solidifies our faith. Living through the trials and tests of life is often the most significant way to discover the riches of our faith.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
