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 cloudy, sunny, breezy day in the string of good, hot weather we have been having. Good for picnicking, going to the beach or working outside...
I was on my way shopping yesterday and saw a woodstork at Lynch Lake. They are rare around here in the summer, but plentiful in the winter. And over at the park I saw an ibis close to the water, doing the usual pecking in the ground. They always have dirty beaks from grubbing. There were only a few cars in the parking lot, but school was not out, and I guess people were still working. The shadows were plentiful from the shade of the trees and the sun was bright, which made interesting contrasts.
Looks like another street is getting traffic bumps in the neighborhood. That's the short stretch of my street where I always used to use to avoid speed bumps on another street! Oh, well, just have to get used to slowing down for them. We could use some on the street in front of my house, since we have some speeders going by here daily. But, God is good!
From the devotional book, Quiet Moments with God for Teachers:
Be patient then, Brothers, until the Lord's coming,
James 5:7
Rush hour traffic. What comes to mind when you hear those words? Chances are they don't put a smile on your face, cause your heartbeat to slow, or drop your blood pressure to healthy levels. More likely they bring up images of exhaust smoke, angry drivers, brake lights, and those ever-popular "Detour" or "Lane Closed Ahead" signs.
Rush hour has become an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp. Too many cars have taken the rush out of rush hour. Despite the number of people working part-time, on late shifts, or at home, more cars seem to be on the road between 8:00 and 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M and 6:00 P.M. than there are people on the planet. And we all know there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it--unless you live in Thailand.
Proving that traffic cops have a sense of humor, an officer in Bangkok gave his men some rather unusual instructions. During morning rush hour at one of the worst spots in town, these traffic directors suddenly looked more like dance-troupe hopefuls than ticket-writing law enforcers.
Since the traffic wasn't going anywhere anyway, why not do some pirouettes or some break dancing? Why not smile at frustrated motorists? Why not lighten the mood (if not the load) on the road?
The result has been all they had hoped. The traffic is still tied up in knots, but people are more cheerful about their situation, and the cops are happier too.
Sometimes we feel pressed on all sides, and there seems to be no way out. Perhaps those around us keep turning up the heat, and we can sense we're getting closer and closer to the breaking point.
That's when we need to realize how far we've already come and that the rest of the journey will have bright moments if we'll only reach out for them. That's the time to laugh anyway and do a few pirouettes!
We must wait for God, long, meekly in the wind and wet. In the thunder and lightning.
In the cold and the dark. Wait, and he will come. He never comes to those who do not wait.
Frederick William Faber
I always thank God for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs
, Amaryllis
