RED MARBLES

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners. this is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!

I think this story will take the place of anything I could send , so have a wonderful weekend and remember to be kind to someone, because you may meet an angel unawares.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 6:52 AM
Subject: RED MARBLES
To:

RED MARBLES

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'

'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller..

'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'

'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller..

'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'

'I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not zackley but almost..'

'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.

'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.

They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her, and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes..

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size......they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.'

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath...

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself...An unexpected phone call from an old friend...Green stoplights on your way to work...The fastest line at the grocery store...A good sing-along song on the radio...Your keys found right where you left them.

Send this to the people you'll never forget. I just Did....

If you don't send it to anyone, it means you are in way too much of a hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when they occur.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED

Have a Great Day!

Psoaring thru Psalm 20

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 almost have to wear my sunglasses indoors for a few minutes each morning since our trees were trimmed! The sun comes in now under the branches and shines across the living and dining rooms, very brightly for about five minutes, now. Quite surprising how much difference a little trimming can do!

But it was good for the grass, because now where there was no sun and the grass died, now it is slowly growing back, so it looks much better. Not good, yet, but better. I haven't seen anyone else using their sprinklers lately. Our gutters are still running with water and it is oozing out of the driveways. We are wet!!

I could see over at the park where the water came up over the weir and lots of weeds were wrapped around the posts. Someone picked up all the trash, though, so it looked really good. I saw a bedraggled anhinga drying out on the concrete drive. For some reason he did not preen his feathers, so he looked unkempt. A great blue heron was fishing and the usual squirrels were scampering across the road and up the trees.They scare me sometimes, when they race out in front of the car! I am always afraid I will hit one. But they are swift and so far I have missed them. God is good!

Psalm 20 NLT;

In times of trouble, may the Lord respond to your cry.
May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.
May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
flying banners to honor our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.

Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
Some nations boast of their armies and weapons.
but we boast in the Lord our God.
Those nations will fall down and collapse
but we will rise up and stand firm.

Give victory to our king, O Lord,
Respond to our cry for help.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Protection

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!. "Sunshine on my shoulders, makes me happy"...can you hear John Denver singing that? While I liked the coolness that the rain and overcast skies brought, I do like the sun shining brightly, and perking everything up. Water drops are still shining like diamonds on plants and bushes, and my porch is wet, but will soon dry up. God knows our needs and He provides.

My crape myrtle is still showing beauty with pink blooms, although it is in the back yard and not visible from the front, but I can see it from my prayer room. Also. I saw a lavender one in front of the Christian Bookstore when I visited them yesterday. I had never seen that color before on a crape myrtle. The yellow golden rain tree in a yard on the way into the park, had shed yellow blossoms all over the driveway of the house. They looked very pretty , but the house is vacant and no one is there to look after it.

I saw more white toadstools scattered around the ground in the park , which we used to call "fairy rings" when I was a kid. There are dozens of them all over, which shows how wet the ground is. Sometimes the squirrels eat the ones in my yard, but the ones in the park must not be good for them, because they are untouched. I saw the great white heron fishing with his neck stretched out. They are so lovely and graceful! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

How does the Lord protect me?

Joshua 23:10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised.

When enemies come against us, they really come against the Lord,. we are continually reminded that victory is assured when we let the Lord fight our battles. He can turn our enemies against each other so that they destroy themselves while we walk away unscathed.

Psalm 91:1-4 Those who live in the Shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord. He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I am trusting him. For he will rescue you from every shelter with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

God guards us from the dangers that stalk us. God is a refuge, a shelter, and a place of safety from all threats. His promises shield us and inspire our faith and courage.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

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! Well, it's overcast this morning, but no rain so far. Hooray! Maybe the rain is finally moving off, although I will certainly miss the cooler temps. that we have enjoyed the past few days. Back to the 90's soon!

I decided to take a walk last night after supper, because the rain had let up and it was just sprinkling a little, so off to the Park I went. Very few people were there, and no one when I started across the bridge. I stopped to watch an anhinga try to swallow a rather fat fish, He was so determined, he was paddling in circles, all the while juggling the fish in his beak, trying not to let it get away. I think he was headed for the bank which is quite overgrown where he was, but since he disappeared, I walked on. Coming toward me from the Hammock trail was a rather large, raccoon. He looked at me and I looked at him, and told him to stay where he was, because I did not care to have a close encounter with him. I walked on to the first shelter and kept looking over my shoulder to see where he was, and he was just ambling along some distance behind me.

After waiting at the shelter for a bit, I decided to walk back, and sure enough, he was still coming. I walked steadily toward him, and Mr. Raccoon turned around and found a rail he could fit between and off he went into the brush. I must say, I was relieved! Then, as I walked off, who should I meet but David Massey, coming from a run. Now, that was a divine encounter that I was happy for, instead of the raccoon! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Zephaniah 3:11 The Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.

Our joy springs from God's love, which is not dependent on circumstances nor on our performance. When we trust in his love for us, we are far less vulnerable to the depression and despair that could come from our problems and disappointments.

Revelation 21:4 He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.

Our joy is rooted in the certainty of heaven, where we will be fully anf finally liberated from the trials and troubles of this life.

How can I be joyful in hard times?

Habakkuk 3::17-18 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine, even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren, even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet i will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.

Joy is a choice. We may not realize it, but we choose our moods and our attitudes. God's promises in Christ are the basis for choosing joy no matter what we face.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

July Fifth

Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the wet day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Even though it rained nearly all day and night, it did not stop the fireworks from popping off in the neighborhood until well after eleven last night. I stayed in bed as long as I could this morning, because of the loud popping, which sounded like it was right outside my window. I didn't want to call the authorities, because they have enough to do without chasing down illegal fireworks.

Church was pretty well attended yesterday, in spite of the rain. The very appropriate theme this year for VBS, is "Rainforest" . I know God is laughing at that. However, the people in charge of activities are probably having to exercise the children inside, instead of in the rain.

Denny was practicing "random acts of kindness" yesterday, as he met me at the car door with a big umbrella and escorted me to the overhang out of the rain. That was very thoughtful of him. Thanks again, Denny! We had a good preview of the puppet show, and I am sure VBS will be a big success again this year, due to the volunteers and Miss Jan and Jeannie's planning.

Brian and I decided to drive down to the outlet mall in Ellenton, even though it was late in the afternoon. The skyway was beautiful in the overcast light, but the water was choppy enough that there were few boats out. The mall was very crowded as it most always is, but there were special sales yesterday, so I got a bargain in sandals!

I have noticed the gorgeous display of golden flowers on what I think are "golden rain trees". It seems like a good name for the tree because the blossoms are falling like rain all over the streets and yards, just as the jacaranda dripped lavendar blooms all over for a while. There is always color on something! God is good!

I thought I would send along something written by Arthur Gordon for Guideposts planning calendar a few years ago;

Isaiah 43:4
Since you were precious in my sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you.

I once heard a talk given by Gen Mark Clark. Honor, the general said, is the ability to put morality ahead of expediency, duty ahead of self-indulgence, and to do this instinctively and every time. But, he added this shining quality does not occur spontaneously in people. It has to be learned. Parents have to teach it. Schools have to teach it. Churches have to teach it. Unless they do, our society will begin to crumble.

The sense of honor that our ancestors knew, the general said, has become weakened and diminished. We no longer understand how important honor is in the conduct of our daily lives. The men who signed the Declaration of Independence did understand, In the last line of that document, so dangerous to the signers, all of them pledged to one another "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." To them, honor was not just some casual concept. It was sacred.
---Arthur Gordon

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 146

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 had rain all morning, but my friend, my yardman came and mowed and edges in the sprinkle. He also trimmed the azaleas, which look much better.
However, before he left, I listened to his diatribe on why he doesn't believe in God. I told him I still pray for him, and he thinks that is OK, but he won't change his mind. He was raised in an ungodly home with sisters who have been in trouble with the law and a brother who is a drinker, so , although he was raised in a Catholic church, he still is convinced that he can get to heaven, (if there is one) he says, because he is a good person. Sigh. I have known him for about ten years or more, but I am not giving up on him! He still doesn't mind if I pray for him...says he is covering all his bases. Pray for him. His name is Dave.

I felt ambitious yesterday, so I vacuumed the house and mopped the kitchen floor, then ran a few errands and visited Publix, getting more than I went in for. Lots of cakes, decorated with red, white and blue, and cookies, the same and lots of picnic stuff prominently displayed. There was a short checkout line which I was waiting in, when an assistant mgr. opened up a register for me, so shopping really is a pleasure at Publix!

I went on to Sawgrass and saw very few people there, but it was shady and cool, so I parked and drank my bottle of water, (Thanks, Cheryl) I saw an egret looking for a tasty fish, but not much else. The city mowers were mowing around Lynch Lake near my house and lots of ibis were pecking in the newly mown grass and a couple of moorhens were walking on it, also. Mowing must stir up the bugs. God is good!

from The Message

Psalm 146
Hallelujah!
O my soul, praise God!
All my life long I'll praise God,
singing songs to my God as long
as I live.

Don't put your life in the hands of experts
who know nothing of life, of salvation life.
Mere humans don't have what it takes,
when they die, their projects die with them.
Instead, get help from the God of Jacob,
Put your hope in God and know real blessing!

God made sky and soil,
sea and the fish in it.
He always does what he says--
he defends the wronged,
he feeds the hungry.
God frees prisoners--
he gives sight to the blind,
he lifts up the fallen.
God loves good people, protects strangers,
takes the side of widows and orphans,
but makes short work of the wicked.

God's in charge---always.
Zion's God is God for good!
Hallelujah!

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis Have a happy and safe fourth of July weekend!

Change

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! Well, I will try a repeat of yesterday's email that did not go through and hope the computer works the way it is supposed to.

We had more rain yesterday evening and night, so everything is soaked and weird looking toadstool are popping up in the yard. That's how wet it is. Can't complain, though, because now the water level is up where it should be and for once we do not have a drought.

The sky is overcast again today, so we may get more rain this morning, but I finished all my running around yesterday, so let it rain!

To continue the saga of the gecko; A friend volunteered to come over and catch it for me, but Mr. Gecko had decided to hide someplace other than the chair, so we gave up. Then Brian Sanford came over later to check out some repair work that needed done, and meanwhile, I spied the gecko on the windowsill watching me. When I mentioned it to Brian, the chase was on! He took it as a challenge and chased the gecko down the wall, on the floor, and behind the large sofa. Out came the sofa from the wall , moving a lamp and a basket and Mr. Gecko was captured and put outside, where he belonged. Score one for Brian and zero for gecko! My hero! It is good not to have the gecko laughing at me from the chair, anymore. :o)

I went to the park yesterday and everything was very quiet and still and wet. The canal will soon be totally filled with Hydrilla, which is not a good thing, so we will see how long it takes to clean it out. But it is still a peaceful place to be and walk. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Where can I find security and hope in the midst of tumult and change?

Lamentations 5:19 Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.

Malachi 3:6 I am the Lord and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already completely destroyed.

James 1:17 Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes for casts shifting shadows.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Both our security and our hope are rooted in God's unchanging character. People will make promises one day but disappoint us the next. Sin or circumstances beyond their control prevent them from keeping their promises. God's faithfulness and love, however, are not subject to the fluctuations of time, space, or human mortality. We will never suffer because of God's fickle whims, irrational mood swings, or inability to handle the circumstances.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis