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! No rain this morning, but yesterday afternoon, we had a hard shower for about half an hour. so I postponed my errand running until after the sun came back out. As I drove out of the neighborhood, I passed a house with a yard full of black ducks, and a large flock of ibis, all busily pecking around. Talk about contrasts! They were still there when I came back later!
I made a trip to the Family Christian Store and saw a large display of Christmas cards already. Seasons are getting close, because the first thing that caught my eye was a display of ceramic pumpkins . As soon as Sept. comes around, out come the Halloween decorations, Thanksgiving is stuffed in there somewhere, and it should be high on the importance list and then Christmas. It takes me a long time to list all the things I am thankful for, but I try in the morning during my prayers.
One of the things I am thankful for, is the Rays game last night. What a finish! I have really enjoyed this baseball season and while I know the chances are slim, I still hope they get into the playoffs!
I drove into the park on my way back from the Christian store and saw only four cars there. That was really strange. The water is still high and the great white heron was still busy fishing. Every thing is growing and green with all the rain, and there were even puddles on the road from the afternoon rain.
I was telling Daryl about the gecko that lives on my mailbox. When I put a letter out to be picked up, it moved off the lid, reluctantly, and down to the window sill, then curled around and just stared at me until I was finished. Unfortunately, he uses it as a bathroom and I am constantly cleaning it off! He is big and ugly, but one of God's critters. So God is good!
From the devotional book Quiet Moments with God:
I pray you, if I have found favor
in your sight, show me now your way.
Exodus 33:13 AMP
Knowing the will of God--both the big picture and the daily details--concerns every Christian. We all need to ask often, What is it God wants me to do? How is it he wants me to live?...
It is as we know we are doing God's will that we find true meaning in life and a deep sense of accomplishment and purpose. How can we know we are doing God's will? One of the simplest approaches is this:
1. Commit yourself to the Lord each day, and periodically throughout the day, by simply saying,"Lord, I put my life in Your hands,Do with me what you will."
2. Trust the Lord to send you the work and the relationships you need for his purpose in your life to be accomplished.
As Roberta Hromas, a noted Bible teacher, once said: "Simply answer your door, answer your phone, and answer your mail. the Lord will put in your path the opportunities that He desires for you to pursue.
God's will is not a mystery you try desperately to unlock. He does not desire His will to be a secret because the Bible is filled with scriptures about knowing His will. The key is to seek His will, to listen to the Holy Spirit, and to read and study His word. Then you can know what He has planned for you!
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Friday, September 21, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Hope
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 already had a brief shower this morning, which I was not aware of, until I saw water dripping off the roof and saw the porch was wet. Now the sky is overcast, but yesterday was full of sunshine, so it all balances out!
My cleaning ladies came and I always have a chance to catch up with them. They are an interesting couple. One is married and has grandchildren, the other has been divorced for a long time with a bird and a dog, but they get along very well and even take trips together. One smokes and likes to gamble, the other is compassionate and always willing to help. God puts different people together who get along very well. They seem to work well, although I have noticed that one likes to chat more than work, and the other does her job, without stopping. I am thankful for them.
I had a short trip to the park later yesterday and noticed that the canal is way up. It is much higher than usual, but will soon go down if no more rain comes. I noticed a great white heron with his head bent down at the weir, very interested in something in the water. Majestic! God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can I have hope when times are tough?
Hebrews 10:23 Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
Our hope is rooted in God's integrity and faithfulness. When everything else falls apart, we can cling to the fact that God keeps his word.
Our troubles do not surprise the Lord and should not surprise us. Trouble is rampant in this fallen world. Our focus should be on Jesus who has overcome the world and all its troubles.
Romans 14:14 I pray that God who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of his Holy Spirit.
I always give thanks for you remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
My cleaning ladies came and I always have a chance to catch up with them. They are an interesting couple. One is married and has grandchildren, the other has been divorced for a long time with a bird and a dog, but they get along very well and even take trips together. One smokes and likes to gamble, the other is compassionate and always willing to help. God puts different people together who get along very well. They seem to work well, although I have noticed that one likes to chat more than work, and the other does her job, without stopping. I am thankful for them.
I had a short trip to the park later yesterday and noticed that the canal is way up. It is much higher than usual, but will soon go down if no more rain comes. I noticed a great white heron with his head bent down at the weir, very interested in something in the water. Majestic! God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can I have hope when times are tough?
Hebrews 10:23 Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
Our hope is rooted in God's integrity and faithfulness. When everything else falls apart, we can cling to the fact that God keeps his word.
Our troubles do not surprise the Lord and should not surprise us. Trouble is rampant in this fallen world. Our focus should be on Jesus who has overcome the world and all its troubles.
Romans 14:14 I pray that God who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of his Holy Spirit.
I always give thanks for you remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Be Humble
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! After an all day rain yesterday, it is good to see the sun, even though the humidity is very high. When I stepped outside this morning the heat hit me in the face like a sauna! And I see the acorns are starting to fall, which is a sure sign of fall coming. Looks like there might be a large crop again. As I was looking around on the porch, I heard a large truck coming fast, and at the same time, a very large flock of ibis took to the air, and flew by. I watched until they flew out of sight! Beautiful!
My computer froze up sometime Monday and Tuesday when I turned it on, nothing happened. So, after having called my friend, who stopped by and was unable to fix it, I called Dave, the pro, who fixed it last time I had a problem. but later on, I tried again and lo and behold, it had healed itself or thawed out, so I canceled the pro and got busy reading about a hundred emails that had accumulated! Sheesh! Most of them got deleted!
However, after going out to check on the towels in the washer, I discovered that the towels had not been rinsed, were sitting in a tub full of soapy water and the washer would not drain, or rinse or spin. My washer is probably not a year old, yet! Well, I looked in the yellow pages and saw the number one listing was for Anytime Appliance repair, so said a quick prayer and called.They advertise same day service, so, sure enough, he came at 5:45, tested it and discovered the circuit board was faulty. He took it out and it had exploded wide open! He had a new one in his van, installed it, arranged everything back the way it was, gave me the bill, I paid and he left. Of course, the new circuit board cost almost as much as I paid for the washer, but at least. it works!
Meantime, my friend, who with her partner who lives next door to her, called and said today was my cleaning day, so I told her about the washer, and she called me later, and offered to come over and wring out the towels and take them home, (across the street), finish washing them and bring them back. I was overwhelmed by her generosity and told her that the guy was coming later. She is such a caring , thoughtful person. I am happy she lives across the street from me. God is good!
From the little devotional book, Knowing God:
Be Humble
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he
may lift you up in due time.
1 Peter 5:6 NIV
On the road to spiritual growth, pride is an enormous roadblock. The more prideful you are, the more difficult it is to know God. When you experience success, it's easy to puff out your chest and proclaim, "I did that!" Easy, but wrong.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed, "It is very easy to overestimate the importance
of our own achievements," and he was right.
So the next time you're tempted to take too much credit for something you've
done, resist the temptation. Instead of hogging all the glory, give God His fair share of the credit....and His share
by the way, is far bigger than your share.
God exalts humility. When God works in our lives, helping us to become humble,
he gives us a permanent joy. Humility gives us a joy that cannot be taken away.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
My computer froze up sometime Monday and Tuesday when I turned it on, nothing happened. So, after having called my friend, who stopped by and was unable to fix it, I called Dave, the pro, who fixed it last time I had a problem. but later on, I tried again and lo and behold, it had healed itself or thawed out, so I canceled the pro and got busy reading about a hundred emails that had accumulated! Sheesh! Most of them got deleted!
However, after going out to check on the towels in the washer, I discovered that the towels had not been rinsed, were sitting in a tub full of soapy water and the washer would not drain, or rinse or spin. My washer is probably not a year old, yet! Well, I looked in the yellow pages and saw the number one listing was for Anytime Appliance repair, so said a quick prayer and called.They advertise same day service, so, sure enough, he came at 5:45, tested it and discovered the circuit board was faulty. He took it out and it had exploded wide open! He had a new one in his van, installed it, arranged everything back the way it was, gave me the bill, I paid and he left. Of course, the new circuit board cost almost as much as I paid for the washer, but at least. it works!
Meantime, my friend, who with her partner who lives next door to her, called and said today was my cleaning day, so I told her about the washer, and she called me later, and offered to come over and wring out the towels and take them home, (across the street), finish washing them and bring them back. I was overwhelmed by her generosity and told her that the guy was coming later. She is such a caring , thoughtful person. I am happy she lives across the street from me. God is good!
From the little devotional book, Knowing God:
Be Humble
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he
may lift you up in due time.
1 Peter 5:6 NIV
On the road to spiritual growth, pride is an enormous roadblock. The more prideful you are, the more difficult it is to know God. When you experience success, it's easy to puff out your chest and proclaim, "I did that!" Easy, but wrong.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed, "It is very easy to overestimate the importance
of our own achievements," and he was right.
So the next time you're tempted to take too much credit for something you've
done, resist the temptation. Instead of hogging all the glory, give God His fair share of the credit....and His share
by the way, is far bigger than your share.
God exalts humility. When God works in our lives, helping us to become humble,
he gives us a permanent joy. Humility gives us a joy that cannot be taken away.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Friday, September 14, 2012
1 Corinthians
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 bright, breezy, cooler than usual day means a great start to the weekend! Even though it will get up to ninety this afternoon, still the change in weather is noticeable. Already stores have Halloween and Thanksgiving displays, which means Christmas is not far behind!
I am feeling much better today, so I guess my system has gotten used to the antibiotic, but I was careful what I ate yesterday, and had no more upsets. Praise God! I just took it easy, and while eating lunch, I heard what sounded like a huge airplane flying too low over the house. Turned out to be Jason the lawn guy, on his riding mower. That machine is loud!! I chatted with him a few minutes when he was finished, mostly about our various ailments, but also about the grass, or lack thereof, and what to do about it when the time comes. He is interesting to talk to. He always puts banana peels in the staghorn fern when I have one, because he is very tall and can reach, and I cannot. Anyway, God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
1 Corinthians 3:5-9
Who is Apollos, and who is Paul, that we should be the cause of such quarrels?
Why, we're only servants. Through us God caused you to believe .
Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.
My job was to plant the seed in your
hearts, and Apollos watered it,
but it was God, not we, who made it grow.
The ones who do the planting or watering
aren't important, but God is important
because he is the one who makes the seed grow.
The one who plants and the one who waters
work as a team with the same purpose.
Yet they will be rewarded individually,
according to their own hard work. We work
together as partners who belong to God.
You are God's field, God's building--not ours....
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I am feeling much better today, so I guess my system has gotten used to the antibiotic, but I was careful what I ate yesterday, and had no more upsets. Praise God! I just took it easy, and while eating lunch, I heard what sounded like a huge airplane flying too low over the house. Turned out to be Jason the lawn guy, on his riding mower. That machine is loud!! I chatted with him a few minutes when he was finished, mostly about our various ailments, but also about the grass, or lack thereof, and what to do about it when the time comes. He is interesting to talk to. He always puts banana peels in the staghorn fern when I have one, because he is very tall and can reach, and I cannot. Anyway, God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
1 Corinthians 3:5-9
Who is Apollos, and who is Paul, that we should be the cause of such quarrels?
Why, we're only servants. Through us God caused you to believe .
Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.
My job was to plant the seed in your
hearts, and Apollos watered it,
but it was God, not we, who made it grow.
The ones who do the planting or watering
aren't important, but God is important
because he is the one who makes the seed grow.
The one who plants and the one who waters
work as a team with the same purpose.
Yet they will be rewarded individually,
according to their own hard work. We work
together as partners who belong to God.
You are God's field, God's building--not ours....
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Psoaring thru Psalm 100
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, there is definitely a change in the air, at least for a few days! Once again, the air is cooler and drier, with a fallish breeze blowing. Great! It may not last long, and the temp will be up to 90 this afternoon, but that's okay. It's the promise that counts!
Yesterday I tried to phone the doctor for an appointment, but got the voice mail over the span of three hours, so, I got in the car and drove to the office to see if I could get in. I only had to wait about fifteen minutes and got in to see the NPR, which was fine. Got the problem taken care of with antibiotics prescribed and will soon will fine again...usually within seven days! Then, this morning, I upchucked half my breakfast! I am thinking this may be due to the antibiotic, but it never happened before when I took it, so I will read the cautions again. ( I know what you are thinking, and no, I am not pregnant! ) Ha, ha, ha!
After I got business taken care of, I drove to the park to relax and found a lot of people out enjoying the beautiful weather. I passed a great blue heron, waited for a squirrel to cross the road, and had to swing by the big tree trimming trucks. There are a lot of trees to take care of, so that is a never ending job, plus all the other parks they have to take care of. But, God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT;
Psalm 100 (this is one of the first scriptures I learned as a child in SS.)
Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday I tried to phone the doctor for an appointment, but got the voice mail over the span of three hours, so, I got in the car and drove to the office to see if I could get in. I only had to wait about fifteen minutes and got in to see the NPR, which was fine. Got the problem taken care of with antibiotics prescribed and will soon will fine again...usually within seven days! Then, this morning, I upchucked half my breakfast! I am thinking this may be due to the antibiotic, but it never happened before when I took it, so I will read the cautions again. ( I know what you are thinking, and no, I am not pregnant! ) Ha, ha, ha!
After I got business taken care of, I drove to the park to relax and found a lot of people out enjoying the beautiful weather. I passed a great blue heron, waited for a squirrel to cross the road, and had to swing by the big tree trimming trucks. There are a lot of trees to take care of, so that is a never ending job, plus all the other parks they have to take care of. But, God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT;
Psalm 100 (this is one of the first scriptures I learned as a child in SS.)
Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
A Prayer from Peter Marshall
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! When I stepped outside this morning, I was thinking it was fall already! The breeze was so nice and cool and the humidity seemed lower, so maybe cooler weather is not far off!
I got some errands done yesterday that needed doing,...batteries in a couple watches, and glasses nose pieces replaced; all done within a mile of home! Good to have a little shopping strip so close to home! When I went to the park a couple days ago, I saw a big, black, shiny gator sunning himself on the bank of the canal near the weir. I have not seen one there in a long time. There is a lot of trash piled up against the pipes along side the bridge over the weir, from all the rain Sunday. Also the canal is filled up again with water. We have had so much rain lately, but that makes up for the time when the weather is dry. God is good!
Since the election takes place in a couple months, I thought this prayer by Peter Marshall is just as relevant as it was when he was Chaplain of the Senate;
Lord Jesus, we ask Thee to guide the people of this nation as they exercise their dearly bought privilege of franchise. May it neither be ignored unthinkingly nor undertaken lightly. As citizens all over this land go to the ballot boxes, give them a sense of high privilege and joyous responsibility.
Help those who are about to be elected to public office to come to understand the real source of their mandate-a mandate given by no party machine, received at no polling booth, but given by God, a mandate to represent God and truth at the heart of the nation, a mandate to do good in the name of Him under whom this country was established.
We ask Thee to lead our country in the paths where Thou would have her walk, to do the tasks which Thou hast laid before her. So may we together seek happiness for all our citizens in the name of Him who created us all equal in His sight, and therefore brothers. Amen.
Peter Marshall
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I got some errands done yesterday that needed doing,...batteries in a couple watches, and glasses nose pieces replaced; all done within a mile of home! Good to have a little shopping strip so close to home! When I went to the park a couple days ago, I saw a big, black, shiny gator sunning himself on the bank of the canal near the weir. I have not seen one there in a long time. There is a lot of trash piled up against the pipes along side the bridge over the weir, from all the rain Sunday. Also the canal is filled up again with water. We have had so much rain lately, but that makes up for the time when the weather is dry. God is good!
Since the election takes place in a couple months, I thought this prayer by Peter Marshall is just as relevant as it was when he was Chaplain of the Senate;
Lord Jesus, we ask Thee to guide the people of this nation as they exercise their dearly bought privilege of franchise. May it neither be ignored unthinkingly nor undertaken lightly. As citizens all over this land go to the ballot boxes, give them a sense of high privilege and joyous responsibility.
Help those who are about to be elected to public office to come to understand the real source of their mandate-a mandate given by no party machine, received at no polling booth, but given by God, a mandate to represent God and truth at the heart of the nation, a mandate to do good in the name of Him under whom this country was established.
We ask Thee to lead our country in the paths where Thou would have her walk, to do the tasks which Thou hast laid before her. So may we together seek happiness for all our citizens in the name of Him who created us all equal in His sight, and therefore brothers. Amen.
Peter Marshall
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
A Day of Remembrance
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! My flag is flying, even though I did not get it out until around 8, but it is a nice sunshiny day, and so the flag waves on this day of remembering. I know where I was, do you?
I thought since this is such a solemn day that I would just copy the words to America the Beautiful for you to sing a long, or just reflect on;
But in every nation He that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted by Him. Acts 10:35
O Beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain.
For purple mountains majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
and crown thy good with brother hood
from sea to shining sea.
O beautiful for patriot dream
that sees beyond the years.
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee.
And crown thy good with brother hood
from sea to shining sea..
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love! God bless America!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
I thought since this is such a solemn day that I would just copy the words to America the Beautiful for you to sing a long, or just reflect on;
But in every nation He that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted by Him. Acts 10:35
O Beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain.
For purple mountains majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
and crown thy good with brother hood
from sea to shining sea.
O beautiful for patriot dream
that sees beyond the years.
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee.
And crown thy good with brother hood
from sea to shining sea..
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love! God bless America!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
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