I Am Secure

Good Morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the brisk, cool day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! The wind has picked up as predicted and so the air feels much cooler, but the sun is shining, and always feels warm when one is sheltered .

I did not do much yesterday..just took a walk around the yard, and noticed that the new shoots are growing out from the crape myrtle that was trimmed way back last month. I did not know whether that would kill it or not, but it had never been cut back, so it was time. I know one down the street was always cut back drastically each year, and is now a huge tree.  I don't want a huge tree, but just pretty blooms in the spring!

Well, I noticed the front porch is getting full of acorns again, but no point is sweeping while the wind is blowing so strongly, but God is good!

Who Am I? (con't.)

I Am Secure

Romans 8:1,2  I am free forever from condemnation.
Romans 8:29  I am assured that all things work together for good.
Romans 8:31  I am free from any condemning charges against me.
Romans 8:35     I cannot be separated from the love of God.
2 Cor. 1:21,22  I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.
Col. 3:3  I am hidden with Christ in God.
Phil. 1:6  I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected.
Phil.3:20  I am a citizen of heaven.
2 Tim. 1:7  I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.
Heb. 4:18  I can find grace and mercy in time of need.
1 John 5:18  I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

I Am Accepted

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! Clouds have begun to take over the sky as the front that is bringing our first cold spell will move in tonight. We have already had sun  and yesterday the sky was gorgeous, as I saw contrails criss-crossing across the very blue of space!

Last night I looked at brightly shining Venus in the southwestern sky and in the other direction, the half moon was very bright! " The heavens declare the glory of God!"...

I did a couple loads of laundry yesterday, which is unusual because I usually keep small loads done a couple times a week. But I just let it accumulate this time. I also did not feel like cooking for my dinner, so I tried Boston Market. They told me that they only close the drive thru when the dining room is very busy, so it was open when I went yesterday. I was very happy about that!

Before I drove to B. M. I visited the park, and saw two beautiful egrets standing together on the bank of the canal, and a couple ibis on the berm in the circle. Not too many people were out and about, but then, it was just after school and before work let out. But God is good!

This is from "Living Free in Christ" by Dr. Neil Anderson;
"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your
behavior will begin to reflect your true identify."

Who Am I?
I Am Accepted

John 1:1-12  I am God's child.
John 15:15  I am Christ's friend.
Romans 5:1  I have been justified.
1 Cor.6:17  I am united with the Lord and am one spirit with him.
1 Cor. 6:19.20  I have been bought with a price. I belong to God.
1 Cor. 12:27  I am a member of Christ's body.
Eph. 1:1  I am a saint.
Eph. 1:5  I have been adopted as God's child.
Eph.2:18  I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit.
Col. 1:14  I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Braveheart

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!  It is another beautiful day for all the parades and ceremonies taking place to honor our veterans, living and dead. I know there is a ceremony going on right now at Bay Pines, but I wanted to wait until the crowds left before I visited. I will never forget the two years Louis spent in the service and the affect it had on our lives...

My yard crew have come and gone already, and for about five minutes the driveway and front porch are clear of acorns and leaves. That is about all the time it will be clear! I swept a big pile off Saturday, but more fell as I was sweeping.

I wasn't feeling too well yesterday, so I missed church for the first time in a long time. God has blessed me with health good enough so that I don't have any excuse for staying home, and I am grateful for that.

I felt well enough to drive to Boston Market, but discovered their drive thru was closed! I have not called them yet to see if this is permanent. I hope not, because it is really convenient for me to just drive thru, ordered my dinner and come on home! So. I went to Arby's right next door....not as good as B.M., but different.

After that, I watched the exciting Ravens football game with Joe Flacco winning in overtime! Good job! Then went to the park where lots of people were, and saw the large brown gopher tortoise munching some weeds, and an anhinga stretching his wings on the weir. God is good!

From the devotional book Quiet Moments with God:

 Beloved, thou doest a faithful work in whatsoever thou
doest toward them that are brethren and strangers withal.
3 john 1:5 ASV

Kevin tells the story of a dear friend and fellow church
member who passed away after a long life of love and service.

At the funeral, his children stood up one by one to tell stories
about their father, and soon you noticed a recurring theme: that
his single most outstanding trait was his willingness to serve
others, no matter what the need.

He was one of those people always ready to lend a hand--to
run an errand, do odd jobs, or give someone a ride home . One
of his daughters mentioned how everywhere he went , he kept
a  toolbox and and pair of coveralls in the trunk of his car, "just
in case somebody needed something fixed."

More often than not, when we hear the word courage, we think
of heroic acts in times of crisis. But in our everyday lives, we
shouldn't overlook the courageousness of simply being there.
Lives are changed when we faithfully provide for our families,
care for the elderly, or lend an ear to a troubled friend. Persistence
in making this world a better place to live--for ourselves and others--
is definitely a form of courage.

Albert Schweitzer, the great Christian missionary, doctor and theologian,
was once asked in an interview to name the greatest living person .
He immediately replied, "The greatest person in the world is some
unknown individual who at this very moment has gone in love to
help another."

As you go about your work today, remember that you could be
someone else's hero.

The greatest work any of us can do
for another, whether old or young, is to
teach the soul to draw it's water from
the wells of God.
          F. B. Meyer

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! Cooler temps and lots of sun this morning, makes for a beautiful day. Because of the different cloud formations yesterday, I drove out Gandy, almost to the bridge, just to look at the clouds.

I could get a different, uncluttered view out there, unlike here in town. It was a nice, warm day, but because it was a working day, not many cars were on the road. I also noticed that gas has gone down again, which reminds me I must go gas up the car today.

I visited the Park and saw an egret looking for food and the moorhen family on one side of the lake. Nearer the boardwalk, there was an ibis. Quite a few people were out, including two mamas pushing strollers, mama getting exercise and baby getting fresh air!

My cleaning ladies tell me that tourists are back in town, because the traffic was really heavy as they were on their way here, Wed., which delayed them a little bit. But with the beautiful weather we have had, no wonder people are coming! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Ephesians 1:15-18

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith
in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians
everywhere, I have never stopped thanking
 God for you. I  pray for you constantly, asking
God , the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light
so that you can understand the wonderful future
he has promised to those he called. I want you to
realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he
has given to his people...

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 150

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 clouds and sunshine today, but it is still very warm and will be up in the eighties today. Another beautiful day!

Yesterday, my cleaning ladies came and we caught up on the neighborhood news...since they clean a lot of houses, they get to hear a lot about people's lives and what is going on around here. They put a lot of mileage on their vehicles, switching one to the other,because they go as far as the beaches with their customers. The house is fresh and clean when they leave and I am happy to have them!

I visited the park later in the afternoon, and as I was leaving, saw the big, skinny raccoon once again. He is very skittish, and immediately heads for cover when someone stops to look at him. He is only supposed to come out in the dark, anyway. But, God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his heavenly dwelling;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unexpected greatness!
Praise him with a blast of the trumpet;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
praise him with loud clanging cymbals!
Let everything that lives sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 112

Good Morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will be glad and rejoice in it! Our warm weather continues with sun and clouds and a slight breeze. The wind from yesterday has died down, but the warm weather continues. Great!

All the acorns and leaves that the yard guys blew off Monday are gradually coming back on the porch. Sometimes the acorns hurt when they land on my head! I was backing the car out of the garage yesterday and one hit the roof, making a very loud noise and startling me!

Well, yesterday afternoon, I had a mystery going. I heard beeps and knew the kitchen smoke detector was going out. Since I can't reach it to change the battery, I knew i would have to wait for Brian to stop by after work, Well, I came back to the bedroom and the beep was louder...still louder in the hallway. I looked and looked for one on the wall, but could not find one. By that time I was about to go bonkers from all the beeps! When Brian came, he changed the battery in the kitchen and bedroom, (two 9 volts were all I had) and then we started the hunt for the rest of the beeping detectors..found one in the sewing room, and two in the hall closet! A total of five! All beeping intermittently  all over the house! Plus, the garage door opener in the van also has a weak battery. Guess the firefighters know what they are talking about when they put out the sign, "Change clocks, Change batteries!")

I got to the park  yesterday and found a freshly mowed, clean looking park, with a few people enjoying the great weather and exercise. One ibis was all the wildlife I saw, but all was quietl and peaceful. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 112

Praise the Lord!

Happy are those who fear the Lord.
Yes, happy are those who delight in
doing what he commands.
Their children will be successful everywhere,
an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
They themselves will be wealthy,
and their good deeds will never be forgotten.
When darkness overtakes the godly,
light will come bursting in.
They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
All goes well for those who are generous
who lend freely and conduct their business fairly.
Such people will not be overcome by evil circumstances.
Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
They do not fear bad news,
they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
They are confident and fearless
and can face their foes triumphantly.
They give generously to those in need.
Their good deeds will never be forgotten
They will have influence and honor.
The wicked will be infuriated when they see this.
They will grind their teeth in anger.
They will slink away, their hopes thwarted.

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! Looks like our cool weather is gone for awhile, because it is going up into the eighties today with more humidity. There is a good wind blowing right now and sunshine peeking through the clouds, so a good day in paradise!

I took my ten dollar coupon to the Publix yesterday and came out with almost everything on my list, which was a lot more than I had anticipated. It looked like they had a big shopping day on Sunday, because a lot of the shelves were empty of the Bogo items. I took advantage of some of them, which were not on my list! I was at the fish counter where I picked up crab stuffed tilapia for my dinner and remarked about a huge whole snapper propped up in the display. He must have weighed about ten pounds! I can only imagine the cost! What a catch!

After I got my groceries home and put away, I drove to the library, which was loaded because of book returns over the weekend, chose my  books in just a few minutes and then checked out. By this time, I was tired, so after lunch I rested a bit, and then went to the park, Lots of people were out enjoying the beautiful weather. I saw woodstorks, not at the park, ibis, an anhinga, and lots of dirt at the entrance to the gopher tortoise hole in the ground, so he has been coming and going. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Ephesians 3:14-23

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 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
ever dare to ask or hope. May we 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