Go Rays!!

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 waning moon was still visible through the clouds scudding across the sky when I stepped outside this morning, very early. The very cool breeze was blowing still as it has been the past few days. In fact, I had the A/C off and some windows open yesterday.

We had a wonderful weekend at church celebrating the 30th Anniversary and meeting and greeting old friends and former pastors. Lots of activities and good preaching!

Daryl and Matthew came down from Tennessee for the celebrating and it was really good to have them for a few days! God is good!

And then, last night, the Amazing Rays won the AL and will play in the World Series. It doesn't get much better than this!

Oh, yes, I did walk in the park and saw the baby gators under the bridge and Mama hidden in the shrubs. Beautiful weather for walking!

Excerpts from scripture from the Promise Bible NLT:

Deuteronomy 33:26,27 There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you; across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.

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 well 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 could 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

Guidance Part 2

Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the beautiful, cool day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Once again, the moon was shining almost as bright as day, when I stepped outside about 5:30am, and stars were visible in the night sky. God is Awesome!

Because of having to take hubby to the new Oncology Center early, for setting up treatment for his ear, I was unable to take time to walk, but did drive through the park later and enjoyed the peace of the squirrels scrambling, the ibis forever pecking, and the anhingas drying their wings. Some things in our lives are constant. God is good!

In one of my devotions this morning, the writer said after attending a memorial service, that she would start saying nice things and her appreciation for certain people in her life before they passed away, I think it's a wonderful idea, and so I am thankful for friends who call just to check on us, and for those who email encouragement. You all are a blessing!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

How can I experience God's guidance?

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths..

The first step in guidance is knowing where to put your trust. Travelers rely on maps when visiting new places. In the same way, we must trust God to lead us and realize our own limitations. We do not understand all the complexities of life, but the Lord does.

Matthew 7:7-11 Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. You parents--if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

God invites us to pray so that we will know him more fully as our loving Father and understand ourselves more clearly as well. Even as a parent gives more and more responsibility to a child as he or she grows, so the Lord expects us to take responsibility for seeking and following his direction.

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

Love and hugs,

Amaryllis

(due to Daryl and Matthew arriving early tomorrow morning, or late tonight, there will be no "gator bytes" tomorrow.)

Guidance

Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the beautiful, cool day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!

Wow! Did you see the full moon once again casting shadows and lighting up the world like sun! What a sight! God is Awesome!

Due to having to stay at home while the carpet was cleaned, I didn't get to walk yesterday before it got too hot, but did ride through and saw lots of people enjoying the beauty. I probably won't get to walk today, either, since Louis has a doctor appointment at 9:30am. But I enjoy looking at the wildlife everywhere, anyway. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

How can I be sure God will guide me?

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

Psalm 37:23-24 What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.

Jesus gives this promise to all his followers: If God values the littlest things of his creation, how much more must he value us for whom he gave his own precious Son. When we are anxious or concerned, we need to remind ourselves that God does indeed care about us and is watching over us.

Jeremiah 29:11 "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."

God is always seeking the best future for us. there are times that we delay it through our disobedience, but when we come back to God, he is always ready to give us his best.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

The Bulldog Way

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! Did you early risers see the magnificent full moon this morning? I was so startled when I stepped outside and almost blinded by the huge brightness of the moon over the house! I saw many stars, also, for the first time in many days. God is the Creator of all things beautiful!

I was pleased to see the baby gators were still at the first shelter, but not so pleased on my walk, to see a man feeding Mama gator cracker crumbs. There was a sign right in front of him, warning against feeding or molesting them, but I restrained myself from saying anything. After I walked out to the tower, where he was with his two little boys in a stroller, I walked on back to the building and told Francia about the incident. We were both in a quandary about what to do, or who to call, since there is no one there permanently any more to take care of things like that.

I described him to her and she went out to meet him coming off the bridge and was talking to him when I left. Hopefully, he received an education about why it is so dangerous to feed the animals. I think and she does to, that more and more of this will be happening, as people realize that no one is there to stop them. Sigh.

Anyway, I enjoyed the walk, but the wind blowing and a little cooler. God is Good!

From Quiet Moments with God for Teachers:

Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season, we shall reap , if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9 KJV

Are you in the midst of a frustrating struggle? Before you throw in the towel, remember this story about the bulldog.

A man once owned two very fine bird dogs, and he had spent many hours training them. One day he looked out his window just in time to see an ugly little bulldog digging his way under the fence into his bird dogs' yard. As the dog wriggled under the fence, the man realized it was too late to stop him.

He thought to himself how uneven the fight would be. The poor little bulldog was surely no match for his animals. Snipping, barking, growling--tails and ears flying--the battle raged. When the little dog had had enough, he trotted back to the hole under the fence and shimmied out.

Amazed that none of the dogs looked any the worse from the fight, he didn't give the incident another thought until the next day, when he saw the little bulldog coming down the sidewalk toward the hole in the fence. To his amazement, a repeat performance of the previous day's battle began. And once again, the little bulldog picked his moment to end the fight, left the bird dogs barking and snarling, and casually slid back under the fence.

Day after day for over a week, the unwelcome visitor returned to harass his bigger canine counterparts. then the man was obliged to leave for a week on business. When he returned, he asked his wife about the ongoing battle.

"Battle?" she replied, "Why there hasn't been a battle in four days."
"He finally gave up?" asked the bird dog owner.

"Not exactly," she said. "That ugly little dog still comes around every day. He even shimmied under the fence until a day or so ago. But now all he has to do is walk past the hole and those bird dogs tuck their tails and head for their doghouse whining all the way."

Sometimes persistence is the key to success. If well thou hast begun, go on foreright; it is the end that crowns us, not the fight.
Robert Herrick

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psoaring through 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! When I stepped outside this morning, the cool wind was blowing and clouds were obscuring the stars and the moon which will be full in a day or two. But the sun is trying to shine now, and it will be a beautiful day!

We had a quiet day yesterday, and Saturday we watched the Gators win and the kept switching over to the Rays who also won! Go Rays and Go Gators!

We drove through the Park and I saw some beautiful roseate spoonbills beside the road. Their pinks are so colorful... it makes them stand out. God is good!

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 will 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

Rescue Part 2 (again)

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 power came back on within thirty minutes yesterday and we rushed to get to the Dr. appointment on time, only to sit and wait for an hour and a half because he was running late. That's the way it goes sometimes.

We drove through the park in the afternoon and all was quiet and serene. Very few people were out... just the usual ones walking their dogs. It is a popular place for dog-walking. Some people have two or three, large and small.

I saw a great blue heron on the way in and we saw a very large snapper turtle, which must have come out of the lake, trying to dig under the fence to get to the canal. He would have had to cross the road to get to the canal, but I don't know what would be better there than in the lake. Oh, well, God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Why can't we depend on our own resources and rescue ourselves?

Psalm 33:16:22 The best equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don't count on your warhorse to give you victory--for all its strength, it cannot save you. But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in protecting us like a shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.

When trouble comes, our first reaction is usually to try and solve the problem using our financial assets, human connections, talents, and abilities. Though these will all fail us in time, God never will. God alone is our greatest defense. God alone has the infinite resources we need.

Is there anything we can do to rescue ourselves?

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.

There are times when we bring problems on ourselves through our own disobedience. Our rescue depends on our faith and obedience. God calls us to humility and repentance to make way for his rescue.

How does God rescue us from the spiritual forces of evil and darkness?

Matthew 6:13 Don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Prayer is the primary means by which God rescues us.

Ephesians 6:10-13 Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil, for we are not fighting against people make of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Matthew 10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.

Though we are embroiled in a spiritual war with this world, we stand tall because we have full confidence in Christ's authority. We stand strong in the strength and protection of the Lord. This faith overcomes all fear.

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

Love and hugs,

Amaryllis Go Rays! Go Gators!

Rescue Part 2

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! Although the sky is overcast now, I think the sun will shine later on, and it will be quite warm.

When I opened the side garage door this morning, a tiny frog, no bigger than my thumbnail, hopped from in front of the door. I have no idea how it got in, but I tried to get it out and it just hopped away. Then I heard a loud bird call, and on top of a very tall Norfolk island pine tree was a big black crow.

Well, strange things happen. When we make plans, God smiles. Remember hearing that?

Our power failed this morning as I was typing this, so I had to quickly get ready for a doctor's appointment, and rushed to get there, then had to wait over an hour and a half because the doctor was running late.

Sooo... I will send the today's email tomorrow.

Love and hugs,
amaryllis