Will of God

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 sun and a few puffy clouds this morning, just like yesterday. Although, in the late afternoon I saw the massive piling up of the storm clouds, but nothing happened around here. Cloud formations are so interesting and vary so much, I enjoy looking at them.

Well, along with many others, I stayed up until I was part of the celebration of the Rays victory over the Rangers! What a game! and then, the celebration with the champagne and beer flowing in the clubhouse! Glad I don't have to clean that mess up! Even Todd  Kallas got drenched! Now, on to the Indians!

I am expecting my new yard man this morning since he did not come yesterday. He said they fell behind because of the rain last week. So, he is here now, and I just gave him his check. Now, I have to call a tree trimmer because the oaks have grown so much this year, some of the branches are hanging down too far. Always something going on in the yard...sigh.

I drove to the park yesterday, and saw a few more people there. out enjoying the sun and animals. A few ibis were pecking around and a white egret was silhouetted against the dark green foliage. looking like a painting. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

 Does God really have a plan for my life?

Psalm 139:3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where
to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am.

Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best
pathway for your life and will advise you and watch over you."

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will work out his plans for my life--for your
faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me,
for you made me.

God has a plan for our lives. It is not an unthinking, automated
script that we must follow. It is a journey with various destinations
and appointments and a great deal of freedom as to the pace
and scope of the travel. God's plan for us will always have a
sense of mystery, but we can be certain that he will guide us as
long as we rely on his leading.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Paul's Final Advice

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 can definitely feet a touch of fall in the air the past couple mornings. Even though it gets hot still in the afternoons, there is a lowering of temps and cooler breezes in the early mornings. We have lots of sun this morning and I am waiting for the yard men to come. The ground is still very wet from all the rain, so it will take a while for it to dry out.

Well, what a weekend! The Rays just about gave me a heart attack and definitely raised my blood pressure from watching them play yesterday, and finally winning so they could have one more game tonight! I won't mention the Bucs. Maybe they will get their act together soon.

Speaking of acts, I watched the multi-talented Curt Cloninger at church last night with his Witnesses  performance. He is amazing! We got to meet him up close and personal at our table before his show. Almost had me in tears with the part of watching Jesus being nailed to the cross.

I went to the Park a couple times and while the water is still high, some cleaning has been done in the canal in front of the weir and it looks better. I saw an anhinga stretching out on the weir, and an egret across the street. Just as I drove in, a hawk took off right in front of the car, and flew all the way down the street, before disappearing into the trees. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-23

Always be joyful. Keep on praying .
No matter what happens, always be thankful,
 for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ  Jesus.

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
Do not scoff at prophecies, but test
everything that is said. Hold on to what
is good. Keep away from every kind of evil.

Now may the God of peace make you holy
in every way, and may your whole spirit and
soul and body be kept blameless until that
day when our Lord Jesus comes again.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Paul's prayer

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 saw sunshine earlier, now it is overcast, but cooler! Maybe just as preview of fall? The temp is supposed to climb to 90 today, but right now it is only 75. so that feels really good!

After doing some chores that I had been putting off, including my ironing, I felt like rewarding myself with a trip to Krispy Kreme. I went to the drive-thru, which had a line clear out into the street, and had to wait about ten minutes for my turn. Meantime, some guys were setting up a tent and speakers in the driveway, and started playing music, which was pleasant. I finally ordered one glazed and one pumpkin cheesecake do nuts. When I got home I made a cup of tea and had the glazed for afternoon tea!

After that, I drove to the Park and saw that the water had receded just a bit, but is still very high. An egret was patiently waiting, some bird watchers were standing in the street, looking up through binocs, and very few people were there.

Well, I watched the Rays sweep the Yankees last night and saw the moving tribute for Mariano Rivera, in front of over 48 thousand people. It was a good game and a good ending. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Ephesians 3:14-

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall
to my knees, and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything
in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited
resources, he will give you mighty inner strength through his
Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at
home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down
deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people
should , how wide , how long, how high, and how deep his love
really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so
great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with
the fullness of life and power that comes from God

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us He is
able to accomplish infinitely more than we would dare to ask or hope.
May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever
and ever through endless ages.
Amen

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 25

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 is back!! We have a nice breeze blowing and puffy clouds and sun . While everything is still very wet, still it is good to have the sun back.

My cleaning ladies came in the rain and so I visited with them while they worked and they said the rain was so heavy on the road, that they could hardly see to drive when they started out in the morning.

I drove to Boston Market for my supper and on to the Park, where the water had been up and over the weir, and the canal was very high. There were quite a few people there and some were walking their dogs and others just enjoying the peace.  I don't know what the birds do when it rains, because I never see them, but their wings must be mostly waterproof. But God takes care of his creatures, big and small . God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 25:8-10
The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
He leads the humble in what is right,
teaching them his way.
The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees....

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 23

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! Okay, the Lord decided to give us more rain, so it has been coming down steadily all night and all morning.

Yesterday, the meteorologist from 13 posted instructions on how to build an ark, in case we had forgotten his previous posting!  Ha!

Well, I had an unexpected day brightener when a good friend paid me a visit and we chatted for an hour. When he was leaving, I spied two bunnies in the front yard, and then, another one, so when I mentioned last week that we must have a bunny family living around here, we do! David took pics of them and I was going to, but he said he would email me his.  They are cute!

Then I drove to CVS after he left, and on the way, came upon the bad accident at 77th and 16th. Two cars were in the canal, one totally upside down and the other almost in the creek. Turns out no one was hurt, thank God, but there were cars lined up on both sides of the canal with neighbors and parents taking pics and just looking. When I came back about thirty minutes later, the crowds were still there, but the ambulance was gone and the cars were still in the water. The story was featured on TV and the front page of the Times this morning. Scary!

My ladies are coming to clean today, and I look forward to that God still provides for all my needs and God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd
I have everything I need.
He lets me rest in green pastures,
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk,
through the dark valley of death,
I will not be afraid
for you are close beside me
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me in
the presence of my enemies.
You welcome me as a guest
anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing
love, will pursue me
all the days of my life
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

God can handle it

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! Rain, rain, rain. That's about it for the weather report. From the looks of Radar on Fox 13, this will last pretty much all day and maybe all day tomorrow.

This makes it hard for the yard men and people who work outdoors, to make a living. I am thankful my grass got cut yesterday, even though it was sprinkling lightly. I did not go out at all yesterday, but will have to today. Maybe I can perk myself up with a sugar overload if I stop at Krispy Kreme which opened Friday!

No butterflies are flitting by today, and the birds are not as numerous, but I have tiny frogs hopping around the yard, I don't know where they hide when there is no rain, but God is good!

From the little devotional book; Knowing God:

So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith.
Anyone who wants to come to him must believe  that there is a God
and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 NCP

Every life, including yours-is a series of wins and losses. Every
step of the way, through every triumph and tragedy, God walks
with you, ready and willing to strengthen you. So the next time
you find your courage tested to the limit, remember to take
your fears to God. If you call upon him, you will be comforted.
Whatever your challenge, whatever your trouble, God can
handle it.

When you place your faith, your trust, indeed your life, in the hands
of your Heavenly Father, You'll be amazed at the marvelous things
He can do with you, and through you. So strengthen your faith
through praise, through worship, through Bible Study, and through
prayer. And trust God's plans. With him, all things are possible, and
He stands ready to open a world of possibilities to you...if you have faith.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Habits

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, the Lord has made a rainy day today. Already we have had a shower, and last night it must have rained quietly. So, the wind has picked up and the sky is overcast, but it is still a great day!

Still, the rain does not matter to my new yard man. If he says he will be here on Monday, then he  is, no matter the rain!

There must be a family of rabbits living in the neighborhood.  Saturday evening, I saw one in my side yard, well camouflaged, but I spoke to him and he just looked and still sat in front of the neighbor's fence, trying to get into their yard. They don't seem to do me any harm, so maybe they eat on the other neighbor's fruits.

I saw something; either a bird or squirrel attacking a mango hanging in the tree next door, and , sure enough, the next day, all that was left was the seed! So. whatever it was, liked the fruit!

Brian and I had lunch at the Hangar yesterday after church. We had planned to go to the Columbia for their 1905 prices day, but got to thinking we would have not only a long wait, but it was a long drive to Sand Key, so we changed our minds, and got home in time to watch the Rays win again!

I later saw a menu posted on Facebook, and the highest priced item on the menu was 2.95! Ah, those were the days, until you consider the wages were not much higher! But God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

How can God help me cultivate good habits?

1 Timothy 4:7-8
Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives tales.
Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness.
Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more
important , for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.

1 Corinthians 9:25
All athletes practice strict self control. They do it to win a prize  that
will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
Godly habits ----such as reading the Bible, praying, and giving our
time and money in service---give us spiritual standing , purpose and
direction for our lives. They also help us keep our eyes on the eternal prize.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis