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 sunshine in the morning, and thunderstorms in the afternoon, day. Wow! What a storm we had yesterday! Loud thunder and pouring rain and high winds! The power flickered a couple times, but I was glad it did not stay off, unlike some areas. When Brian got home from work, the power was off in his apartment building. Not a happy homecoming after a long day! I heard from the weatherman that we can expect more of the same today, so I will have to do my shopping and errands earlier. But it did not rain hard enough to wash the newspaper off my roof where it was delivered the other day!
After I did my errands yesterday, I went to the park and noticed that the grass has not been mowed all over. I thought it would be yesterday, but I think the trucks have been working on clearing and trimming trees, because I followed the big truck out. I saw the egret in the usual place looking for a tasty fish. Although, I guess they don't taste the fish, since they swallow them whole. A squirrel was dashing across in front of the car and racing me along the road, just as fast as he could go. I won, though! Deep shadows and brilliant sunshine are the contrasts always in the park, A calm place to be.! God is good!
From the little devotional book Knowing God:
Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith,
because we have been made free from a guilty conscience,
and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22 NCV
God gave you a conscience for a very good reason; to make your path conform to His will. Billy Graham correctly observed, "Most of us follow our conscience as we follow a wheelbarrow. We push it in front of us in the direction we want to go."To do so, of course, is a profound mistake. Yet all of us , on occasion, have failed to listen to the voice that God planted in our hearts, and all of us have suffered the consequences.
Wise believers make it a practice to listen carefully to that quiet internal voice. Count yourself among that number. When your conscience speaks, listen and learn. In all likelihood, God is trying to get His message through. And in all likelihood, it is a message that you desperately need to hear.
Great Thoughts
Spiritual life without guilt would be like physical life without pain.
Guilt is a defense mechanism; it's like an alarm that goes off to lead
you to confession when you sin.
John MacArthur
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 went to sleep with the sound of thunder and rain falling last night, but today, although everything is still dripping, the sun is shining and it promises to be another hot, sunshiny day!
I was able to do some shopping yesterday, and even though I make a list, I always seem to forget something. Oh, well, just means another trip! I drove downtown a few days ago, and saw many people sitting at outdoor tables and doing shopping. Downtown is a lively place in the" Burgh" these days!
Yesterday I went to the park and was surprised to find it almost deserted. The mowing crews were across the canal with large trucks and the chipper on a trailer. Then I saw two of the large mowers working back in the woodsy area around the circle. But only one picnicker and about five cars total . It was hot for one thing and it seems like not so many tourists are around right now. But I saw a very pretty sight that was typical Florida with an egret leaning and looking into the water. It was good to see him making such a nice picture. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Romans 12:14-21
If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can say you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.
Dear friends, never avenge yourselves,. Leave that to God. For it is written,
"I will take vengeance
I will repay those who deserve it, "says the Lord.
Instead do what the Scriptures say:'
"If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink,
and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you,"
Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.
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! Barely a breeze this morning, but lots of sun and promises of a hot day to come! I noticed the dark clouds yesterday and heard the thunder, but nothing happened in this neighborhood. I also heard thunder this morning, but nothing here.
I had an interesting weekend...I started out to go to Gateway Mall for shopping, but almost right away, noticed the car shuddering. When it car doesn't act right, I always start being nervous for fear of a breakdown. When it got worse as I started up from a red light, I changed my route and headed for Cartek, praying Ray would not have left for lunch, since it was about noon on Friday. Well, he hadn't and so he took it for a short drive and diagnosed the problem as a spark plug or coil failure. He turned the van over to Danny, and Danny discovered that it was the coil, so he called Honda and had to leave to get the park, leaving me in charge of answering the phone should it ring, because Ray went on to lunch. Thankfully, the phone didn't ring, and Danny was back in a few minutes, installed the coil, and I was off again to do the shopping I had originally planned to do. I am so thankful for a place where I know the mechanics to be reliable and honest, and also thank God that the problem happened during a weekend day while they were open!
I went to the park a couple times, but it was just too hot to get out of the car. The squirrels don't mind the heat, and the egrets and moorhens enjoy the water. While the shade is somewhat cooler, people were still enjoying picnics.It is a cool looking place with all the shade trees and canal, but very hot in the sun. But we have a mighty God, and He is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
A Living Sacrifice to God
Romans 12:1-5
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice----the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
As God's messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others...
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! Lots of sunshine and a few clouds, but our summer weather continues with no surprises. This is our unexpected thunderstorm weather, with scattered storms about that don't last very long, but are welcome because of the clouds when they appear. We had one at our neighborhood Wed. When I was driving home I saw the dark cloud right overhead, and by the time I got home, a few drops had landed on the van. As soon as I drove into the garage, the downpour came! Good timing!
The yard got mowed, trimmed, and edged yesterday and looks nice for awhile. It's growing much faster these days, because of the rain and sun. I always hear a mower going somewhere in the neighborhood. Speaking of that, I saw the debris left from all the fireworks that were going off and booming around until midnight on the 4th. I could tell who had the noisemakers, but I'm happy I wasn't any closer. I'm wondering if I will see any debris cleaned up today...
When I drove into the park yesterday, hardly anyone was there. I saw only two or three cars, and no one walking. Of course, it was hot and close to noon, but still unusual. However, the squirrels, egrets and ibis did not mind the lack of people and went about their business of pecking and scampering. The canal is still full, and the current is moving swiftly, with interesting fish swimming about, normally gar and tilapia. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
1 Corinthians 4:14-18
"We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you. All these things are for your benefit. and as God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great Thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now, rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last 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!
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now, the Lord is the spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. and as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
Happy Birthday, America!
God Bless America
God bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her,
Through the night with the light from above.
From the mountains
to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam.
God bless America,
My home, sweet home,
God bless America,
My home, sweet home!
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love! Have a happy, safe, fourth!
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! While the rest of the country sizzles, we are having normal summer temps, including sun and a few clouds, but nothing unbearable. Still, I am grateful for A/C and cold water! After I was finished with my errands yesterday, I stopped in at Steak and Shake and got a nice, cold milkshake for half price! Delicious!
As I was coming home, I saw a little drama overhead. A squirrel was running as fast as it could along a telephone line, trying to escape the onslaught of a mockingbird! The squirrel leaped into a nearby tree to make his escape and the bird took off. That's one time the squirrel lost the battle! When I went to the park yesterday, the squirrels were racing all over the road and sitting under the trees nibbling. Since the mowers were there a couple days ago, the ibis were finding good pickings, as they grubbed along. Not many people were out, but the lady with the three whippets was there, taking the dogs to get a drink at the water bowl provided for them at the dog fountain.I saw a white egret , but not much else walking around. But God is good!
From the devotional book, Quiet Moments with God:
Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.
Isaiah 40:31
A Botanist, exiled from his homeland due to political unrest, took a job as a gardener in his new host country in order to support his family. His employer received a unique and rare plant from a friend. There were no care instructions with the plant, so the man put it in one of his hothouses, thinking it would do well there.
Only a few days passed when he noticed the plant was dying. He called in his new gardener, the botanist, and asked if he had any ideas that might help to save the plant. The botanist immediately recognized this plant as an arctic variety that needed cold weather in order to survive. He took the plant outside in the frigid winter air and prepared the soil around it so the plant would gradually adjust to its new home. Almost immediately the plant went from wilting to vibrant.
Unaccustomed to the climate in the hothouse, the little plant must have felt the moisture draining from its small veins. The struggle to hold itself up to look the park of an expensive plant gave way under the weary load. The plant began to wilt and became only a shadow of its original beauty.
When the botanist rescued the plant and placed it in an environment suitable to its unique needs, the bowed-down foliage soaked in the nourishment and experienced renewal. Just like that rare plant, we can lose our spiritual strength if we live in an unhealthy environment. Seek God's help to find the right atmosphere for a joyous and productive life.
Spiritual rose bushes are not like
natural rose bushes; with these
latter the thorns remain but the roses
pass, with the former the thorns
pass and the roses remain.
Saint Francis of Sales
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! Well, it's kind of overcast today , but still very warm, with sunshine peeking through the clouds. We had a beautiful weekend with lots of sun.. The street gutters are still full of water from the rains last week and water is still draining from the yard, which gets very wet down in front. I watched the wind blowing through the branches of the oak trees last week when the wind was so high from Debby and was happy that I had the trees trimmed last year, just for that reason. I think when the wind blows through the branches, it keeps the force from affecting the trunks so much. Of course, the trees are so huge. I am hoping nothing can uproot them unlike some of the trees which fell over and are still being cleaned up.
The crepe myrtle trees are blooming beautifully at church and all around town. White, lavender and pink are the colors I see most often. There is even a pretty one at Sawgrass Park, along with a blooming magnolia tree. I saw anhingas drying out wings and ibis pecking. as usual, and egrets hopefully fishing. There were a few people at the park both days I visited and the tree people were there to thin out the branches of the many trees and to clean up the ones that fell. Lots of work, but God is good!
From the devotional Quiet Moments with God:
I have raised you up for this very purpose
that I might show you my power and that
my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
Exodus 9:16
Feb. 26, 1844, is one of the most infamous dates in the history of the United States Navy. The most powerful warship of that time, the Princeton. was taking the president of the United States, the secretaries of state and navy, members of Congress, and other government officials down the Potomac.
For the entertainment of the guests, the great gun on the Princeton, the Peacemaker, was fired. At the second discharge, the gun burst apart, killing the secretary of the navy and a number of others.
Just before the gun was fired, Senator Thomas Benton of Missouri was standing near it. A friend laid his hand on his shoulder. Benton turned away to speak with him, and much to Benton's annoyance, Secretary of the Navy Gilmore elbowed his way into his place. At precisely that moment the gun was fired, and Gilmore was killed.
That singular moment of providence has a great impression upon Benton He was a man of anger and feuding and had recently had a fierce quarrel with Daniel Webster. But after his narrow escape from death on the Princeton, Benton sought reconciliation with Webster.
He said to him:
It seemed to me, Mr. Webster, as if that touch on my shoulder was the hand of the Almighty stretched down there drawing me away from what should have been instantaneous death. That one circumstance has changed the whole current of my thought and life. I feel that I am a different man; and I want in the first place to be at peace with all those with whom I have been so sharply at variance.
Few of us ever know the many times we are spared from death, but in reality each day we live is a gift from God. And no matter how long you live, never waste a day in anger or unforgiveness. Live each day in peace with God and all people.
FORGIVENESS IS A FUNNY THING--
IT WARMS THE HEART AND COOLS THE STING.
WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
