God's plans

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! Yes, we had rain again yesterday, and, so far, no rain this morning, However, I saw a radar picture showing a large rain band off the coast in the Gulf again, so we will probably have more rain this evening. We are ten inches above normal, already in Sept.!

I had a phone call from my nephew, Russ, in Albany, Ga. that his brother, one of my other nephews, Paul, was in the hospital scheduled for surgery this morning for a collapsed lung and multiple other health issues. Paul is in his fifties and unsaved as far as I know. I later heard from Russ that Paul came through the surgery well. Please pray for him not only for recovery, but for salvation. I would appreciate it.

I was able to do a little shopping, and visit the park before the threatening dark clouds released their loads yesterday. Not many people were in the park but several were walking their pooches; some with two or more doggies on their leashes. I guess it was the time of day for a walk.The large, brown tortoise was looking around for a munch, and a majestic white egret was poised at the edge of the full canal, looking for lunch. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They
are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future
and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen.
If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me."...

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

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! We have already had a shower and now the sun is shining and I see blue sky, but more showers are expected during the day and probably thunderstorms in the afternoon. We had a really strong storm last night with lots of thunder and lightning.

Well, the yard crew is here mowing and edging the wet grass. Jim, the head guy, said he thought he would get a chance to let things dry out, but no such luck, since the sun started to shine. Seems to me they are already behind in their work, but maybe he has been able to keep up.

Brian took me to Carrabbas (?) for dinner Saturday, and it was sprinkling and looked very threatening as we went in, and, sure enough, it was pouring as we got our dinner. We could not see it, though, because Brian requested seats near the open kitchen. One of my favorite TV programs is" Chopped" on the Food Network, so as I ate a delicious meal, I was able to watch all the chefs as they were really busy preparing different dishes. We also watched Flare-ups of high flames once in a while.

After we shared a yummy dessert, we had to walk through a lot of people waiting to be seated, among them a group of young people dressed up for a special night out. I saw later that it was dance night for middle schoolers. Even though it was wet and rainy, it looked like they were out to have fun!

After church yesterday, I went to Boston Market and bought my lunch, then went to the park after eating. The large brown gopher tortoise was ambling about, and I saw a large white egret standing in the water looking hopeful. The canal is very high from all the rain, so the fish must be enjoying that! God is good!

From the Amplified Bible:

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come before his presence with singing!
Know-perceive, recognize and understand with
approval--that the Lord is God! It is He Who has
made us , not we ourselves {and we are His}! We
are His people and the sheep of His pasture. [Eph. 2:10]
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and with a
thank offering, and into His courts with praise! Be
thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!
For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting:
His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

More wisdom from John

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 lots of sunshine this morning and although rain is predicted for sometime this weekend, it may miss this area again. I heard rumbles of thunder for a time last night, but no rain around here. It would be good if all the high schools were able to get through their games tonight with dry weather.

Well, the Rays were really bad again last night, but Derek Jeter gave the Yankees a walk off win for his big celebration night! I am hopeful the Rays will have a better season next year. Now the Gators have to win tomorrow!

As I was walking in the back yard yesterday, I noticed several birds enjoying the fruit from the Beauty Berry bush, which is really loaded!  If people still hung clothes on lines, they would have purple stains all over from the berries. Fortunately, that doesn't happen any more, but clothes really smelled good when I used to use my lines! Can't be duplicated with softening sheets...

The duck family is still hanging around the neighborhood. Funny thing, when I left the house yesterday, I waited for them to cross the street from their resting place under a tree next door, and then, saw many ducks as I drove around the lake and all were huddled down resting. There must be a siesta time for the feathered, waddling population! But God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

con't. from yesterday, John 15:9-16

I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain
in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just
as I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that
you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
I command you to love each other in the same way  that
I love you. And here is how to measure it--the greatest love
is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.
You are my friends if you obey me. I no longer call you servants,
because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now you are
my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and
produce fruit that will last, so the the Father will give you
whatever you ask for , using my name to command you to love each other.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Jesus, the True Vine

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 overcast skies and a bit cooler this morning, but there is bound to be some sun later on. Right now, there are different colored mushrooms and toadstools in the yard, and I see signs of earthworms in the dirt in the front yard. This is a result of all the rain we have had.

Yesterday, I pulled the Welcome mat back in front of the door, and there was a small frog hiding there! He must be the one who leaves his calling card under the light where he must enjoy a feast of bugs hanging around the outdoor light. I don't know where he went, but he was uncovered.

My cleaning ladies came an hour late yesterday, which is unusual. I had tried calling Cheryl's cell but she had left it at home, so I just had to wait until they came. But, Cheryl was bold enough to pick up the tiny lizard that had been residing in my shower for the past few days, and deposited him outside. . She is not afraid of the tiny ones, because they cannot bite.

After they left, I took off to attend to a few errands and went to the library, where I was checked out by the young librarian who put my books in my tote bag as she scanned them. I thanked her for that and told her she was very thoughtful.

Then I went on to the park and saw one roseate further down in the canal that leads from the weir, and another one near the entrance bridge. There were also a couple egrets nearby. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

John 15:5-11

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who
remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.
For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts
from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.
Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But
if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you,
you may ask any request you like and it will be granted!
My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great
glory to my Father.,

I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in
my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as
I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this
so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will over flow! ....

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Easin' thru Ephesians

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 had no rain yesterday and today is sunshiny and a slight breeze is blowing. Also, the temp has gone down some, so fall is really here! It's 75 right now, and while that is not as cool as a lot of northern areas, still it is better than the eighties where the mornings have been!

Since it did not rain, I ran some errands I needed to do, including the Post office. My mail does not come to my house until about 6 in the evening, so sometimes I forget to get it in until around 8. Maybe because the P.O. is in the red. Email is much quicker, but it is always nice to received a written note or letter.

I stopped in at the park and saw the light brown gopher tortoise at the entrance to his tunnel and in the canal there were about three roseate spoonbills. So pretty! They are spots of beauty in the green of the foliage and the dark water. BTW, the canal is still up from all the rain. It has not drained out yet! And we still have mama duck and her grown kids waddling around in the yards and gutter water on this street. I don't know at what point in their growth, they go their separate ways, but she is still watchful and they are as big as she is. But God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Ephesians3:14-21

Paul's Prayer For Spiritual Empowering

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
ever 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 139

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 no rain yet, but looks like later on it will be a repeat of yesterday. Actually, this pattern is supposed to hang on most of the week, then a "cold" front will come in. We have the first day of fall today, so the day and night will be the same length.

Although the temps have been down in the fifties in Tenn., my son, Daryl, says that only the maples have begun changing colors in the leaves. I remember going to North Carolina on one of our many trips while the boys were growing up, and always made a point to go to the Great Smokies National park to see all the different colors. Such beauty! Brings back fond memories!

I remember climbing up to the top of Mt. Mitchell many times, each time saying it would be the last, until finally it was. It was fun, even though I had to stop and rest along the way!

Since I did not have to go out yesterday, I stayed home and just let it rain, but I did find what a rainy day is good for...I did my ironing! Yay, me! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 139:1-6

O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my every thought when far away.
 You chart the path ahead of me
and tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You both precede and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to know!

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Paul's Final Thoughts

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 days are really getting shorter, because while it is darker in the evening at 7:30, it is also darker later in the morning, Maybe it was the cloudiness, but at 6:30 it was still pretty dark outside. That means fall is coming at last!

The yard crew was here early this morning, trying to make up, I am sure, for the days missed from all the rain.They were gone before 9. There are three of them working now, so they are not here more than five minutes!

There is still water in the gutters from all the rain, and yesterday I looked out the front window and saw the mama duck and her now grown duckling huddled in a clump in the water across the street. She stands guard, still, while they rest. She is really vigilant!

Something unusual happened in church to me yesterday. A lady who was in charge of four small girls sat in my row, and turned to me and said, "you used to work at Berean, didn't you." She did not ask, she just stated it, which was surprising, since I retired 30 years ago! She obviously recognized me, which must mean I have not changed that much over the years. Once you have white hair, it stays pretty much the same, unless it's colored, which I never have. You never know, who is going to recognize you. Beware how you act!

I drove down into the park after church, and saw a gracious white egret standing majestically by the water in front of the weir, and further on.another egret by the canal, which still has higher water from all the rain. Everything is very green, unlike the dryness at the first part of the summer. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Ephesians 4:4-14
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it
again--rejoice! Let everyone see that you are
considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord
is coming soon.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about
everything. Tell God what you need, and thank
him for all he has done. If you do this, you will
experience God's peace, which is far more won-
derful than the human mind can understand. His
peace will guard your hearts and minds as you
live in Christ Jesus.

And now , dear brothers and sisters, let me say
one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your
thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.
Think about things that are pure and lovely and
admirable. think about things that are excellent and
worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you
learned from me, and heard from me and saw me doing,
and the God of peace will be with you.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis