Monday, December 9, 2013

Power 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! After seeing brief glimpses of the snow covered gridirons of the football games in the north, once again, I am thankful for the weather in my home town, St. Petersburg! Sunshine and low eighties with cool nights are just perfect for me!

I had sort of an active weekend. Brian had invited me to a Life Group catered Christmas get together at his church, so we attended and there must have been over a hundred people there at lovely decorated tables and even decorated comfy chairs! Good company, where I met new people, and a couple old friends, good food, (even tho' mine was not warm by the time I was served) good music, and a fun game, which our table tied with another for the most correct answers. This was due in large part to Brian, who was the Bible Challenge winner many years ago as a teenager!

Then, yesterday, at church, three birthday cakes were served between services, for birthday people, including Cora, who was 102 years old!! She is pretty sharp for her age, and very tiny.

I also visited the park a couple times; saw the anhinga with wings spread wide, drying out, an ibis perched in a tree, hanging over the water, the moorhen family swimming all in a row, and people everywhere! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

What is God's power like?

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.


God's power is greater than that of the greatest kings who ever ruled or
the mightiest armies that ever marched. This power is ours as we trust
him, obey him, and honor his name.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Psoaring thru Psalm 148

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! More warm temps and slight breezes continue, which makes it feel more like spring than almost Christmas! We are blessed to have such beautiful weather right now!

Well, I got more decorating done yesterday, but not the outside lights, yet. I still have a lot more to do, but a little day by day gets things done. I was called in to the doctor's office yesterday to take a breathing test. Fortunately, I still am, and passed with good grades! After that, I zipped over to Krispy Kreme and bought three donuts to take home to my cleaning ladies who were hard at work while I was gone. I had a cruller, and they had a chocolate cream filled and glazed chocolate. Yum! They stopped work immediately so they could have a snack and really appreciated it! I also heard more about their train trip from Hollywood to Tampa and how much they enjoyed it. Only $39 one way and a four hour trip without worries about the traffic! Sounds like the way to go!

Later, I drove to the Park, and saw an unusual sight...a roseate spoonbill very close to an anhinga on the weir. Looked like beauty and the beast! As I drove on in, I pulled in and watched the very large, gopher tortoise at the entrance to his new tunnel. Apparently, he got tired before he slid in and just put his head down for a little nap.
Also, speaking of wildlife, as I opened the sidedoor in the garage, a pretty black snake slithered off against the house. He was either snacking on ants, or looking for water, as it is still very dry around here. But God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him all the armies of heaven!
Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him all you twinkling stars!
Praise him, skies above!
Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command and they came into being.
He established them forever and forever.
His orders will never be revoked.


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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Psoaring thru Psalms

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 in paradise! The sun is shining and the gentle breeze has just sprung up. Birds are singing, butterflies are flitting and spring training starts in Feb.!

I was able to get a little more done around the house yesterday, but because I cannot dare to climb on a stool to put stuff up, I have to wait for Brian or, my handy man will call later this afternoon to set a date to put up the outdoor lights, so maybe he will have time to get some things down for me. I used to be able to get everything done in one day, but time marches on!

I did not get the car washed yesterday, so maybe I can get that done today. It is really dirty from our Thanksgiving trip, but I did get to the park and enjoyed the scenery and the water. An anhinga was drying out the wings at the weir and the moorhen family was visible on the other side at the lake. God is good!

Psalm 1 NLT

Oh, the joy of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join with scoffers.
But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants;
day and night they think about his law.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing their fruit each season without fail.
Their leaves never wither,
and in all they do they prosper.

But this is not true of the wicked.
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watched over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.


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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Give God Your Complete Attention

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! And it is a beautiful day! The sun is shining brightly and very little breeze is blowing, butterflies are flitting about and not a cloud in the sky! Temp is supposed to warm up to almost eighty today, while the rest of the country prepares for a deep freeze!We are blessed!

My yard men came a while ago, and I told him I expected him last week, but he said he had gone to Alabama for Thanksgiving, and was stuck in the airport for sixteen hours, was told to go to another an hour away, and the same situation happened there,, so he did not get home until 1 AM and took the day off Monday. Since the grass does not grow much in the winter, it was just messy from the twigs and acorns and leaves that are still falling. Anyway, they mowed today and edged, so it will be good for a couple weeks, now.

Yesterday,, on my way to the park, I spied the Metlife blimp cruising along over the interstate. I was hoping to get to a spot where I could take a picture of it, but by the time I got to a stopping place, it was already gone. Since today is so pretty, maybe they will have it up again. I guess it is in town or the area for bowl games coming up!

There weren't many people at the park, but lots of ibis and squirrels. The joggers and runners are really enjoying the space and exercise, and I even saw a lady pushing her walker all the way down the sidewalk, getting a good bit of exercise! Good for her! God is good!

From the little devotional book, Knowing God:

Worship the Lord your God and...serve him only.

Matthew4:10 HCSB

Who rules your heart? Is it God, or is it something else?Do you give God
your firstfruits or your last? Have you ever given Christ your heart, your soul,
your talents, your time and your testimony , or have you given him little more
than a few hours each Sunday morning?


In the book of Exodus, God warns that we should place no gods before Him. Yet all
too often we place our Lord in second, third or fourth place as we worship the
gods of pride, greed, power or lust. When we unwittingly place possessions
or relationships above our love for the Creator , we must seek His forgiveness
and repent from our sins.

Does God rule your heart? Make sure that the honest answer to this question
is a resounding yes! In the life of every righteous believer, God comes first.
And that's precisely the place that He reserves in your heart.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Monday, December 2, 2013

Luke 1

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! The fog is still hanging on, but we will probably have bright sunshine once the fog burns off. This is what happened yesterday, as the weather gradually warms up. Once again, we are in the seventies in the day and high sixties at night. Not bad for December!

Well, I got started on the decorations over the weekend, with Brian's help. Without small children around any more, it is difficult for me to be enthusiastic about decorating.  I am always pleased when it is done, though! I will have to call on my handyman for the hanging of the outside lights.. I like to see houses that are lighted up. They look so cheery!

We had the lighting of the first Advent candle to start off worship yesterday...always a good family event. Then a good sermon and singing by Pastor Jim followed by communion. It is always good to sing the Christmas songs and worship songs.

I saw a large flock of ibis around Lynch Lake on my way to church and afterwards, went to the Park and saw more ibis and an anhinga . A few Ontario cars and several runners going into and out of the park. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Luke 1:26

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. "Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, " for God has decided to bless you!" You will become pregnant and have a son and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!"

Mary asked the angel, "But How can I have a baby? I am a virgin." The angel replied, " The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born will be called Holy and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative, Elizabeth, has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she is already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God!"

Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant  and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true." and then the angel left."

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Friday, November 29, 2013

Greetings from Paul

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 still have the heat on in the house, but the temp is slowly warming up, and if the sun decides to shine, it will feel even warmer. Then I will have to get out the broom and clean off the porch. With all the wind we have had, I have a carpet of acorns, leaves and twigs covering it.

Brian and I had a good drive to Dunnellon yesterday, going up the Suncoast Parkway, and back on 41 as far as Brooksville. I really like that part of Florida, because of the rolling hills, and pastures still in use...cows and horses. That is a rare sight any more!

As Brian was driving with the sun almost in my eyes the whole way, I noticed an unusual sight to the side of the sun, some distance away. It looked like a rainbow stripe, and I mentioned it to Brian, but then I noticed the same thing on the other side of the sun, and that the colors were just a peachy and yellow, not like a rainbow. Then when the thin clouds cleared away from the top of the sun, all that was left were the two colorful stripes! It was like an aura, but I have never seen anything like it!  They stayed beside the sun until the sun set. I wish I knew what caused the phenom! Any meteorologists out there know?

As we came over the bridge into Pinellas County, the sunset was spectacular and the sun was not in my eyes any more!

We had a really good time catching up with family news and enjoying lots of good food, thanks to Kim for her work in preparing everything! God is good!

-- From the Promise Bible NLT:

Colossians 2:6
 And now, just as you have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord,
you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let your roots
grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him , so
you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were
taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.


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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

A Thanksgiving 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! Well, the wind is blowing and we have overcast and sunshine and the temps will be dropping all day, so it looks like we will have a freezy Thanksgiving as we head to Dunnellon tomorrow.

I drove to Sweetbay yesterday to get some things for my contribution to the dinner. I had already checked out Winn-Dixie, and their parking lot was so full, I gave up. That the parking lot at Sweetbay was not, does not speak well for their business, but it was good for me. I am blessed that I have five or six supermarkets within about five miles of my house!

I took a cruise through the park after shopping and although there weren't many people there, it looked neat and freshly mowed. It will be closed tomorrow and Friday, so all the little critters will have the park to themselves!

Well, today I celebrate the memory of my wedding to the love of my life 65 years ago. Memories are bittersweet! But God is always good!

Thanksgiving Day   (a prayer)

Father, we around this table thank Thee; for Thy great gift of life,
That Thy love for us is not dependent upon any
unworthiness of ours, for good health,
that we know neither hunger nor want,
for warm clothes to wear,
for those who love us best,
for friends whose words of encouragement have often chased away dark clouds,
for the zest of living,
got many an answered prayer,
for kindly providences that have preserved us from danger and harm.

We thank Thee that still we live in a land bountifully able to supply all
our needs , a land which still by Thy Providence knows peace, whose
skies are not darkened by the machines of the enemy, who fields and
woodlands are still unblasted  by the flames of war; a land with peaceful
valleys and smiling meadows still serene.
O help us to appreciate  all that we have, to be content with it,
to be grateful for it, to be proud of it ; not in an arrogant pride that
boasts, but in a grateful pride that strives to be more worthy.
In Thy name, to whose bounty we owe these blessings spread before
us, to Thee we give our gratitude. Amen.
                                           Peter Marshall

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, TO ALL!