Good morning, Dear friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it1 When I stepped outside in the darkness this morning, the half moon had lost some of its brilliance, so I could see the stars faintly twinkling all around it. Now, I think it must be a little misty because the sun is not shining, yet.
I spied two peacocks yesterday on our trip to the Park...the male has very long tail feathers, which do not seem to bother him when he hops up on cars or fences. I have seen them roost in trees, with the long feathers hanging down. Sometimes they fly up on roof tops. I also saw a beautiful egret reflected in the canal and yesterday a lady cardinal came to get water from a bowl I put out on our wall. She just sat and let the breeze blow her tiny feathers on her top knot. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Ecclesiastes 4
The Advantages of Companionship
I observed yet another example of meaninglessness in our world. This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, "Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?" It is all so meaningless and depressing.
Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, March 16, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
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! When I stepped outside this morning, the moon was hidden by clouds, but I could tell it was valiantly trying to shine through them. The sky is still pretty cloudy, but I don't think it will bring rain.
Yesterday, I walked to the tower at the Park, stopping along the way, to look at Mama gator, still in her spot at the first shelter. She was in the water, with her head out at the bank. She is gray, but the large one on the bank across from the entrance bridge, was very black. The sun was hot, because it was almost noon, so I should have carried an umbrella for shade, but I enjoyed the walk, anyway, It was odd that I didn't see any squirrels and no birds, but God is good!
From Ephesians 1:15-23
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 pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday, I walked to the tower at the Park, stopping along the way, to look at Mama gator, still in her spot at the first shelter. She was in the water, with her head out at the bank. She is gray, but the large one on the bank across from the entrance bridge, was very black. The sun was hot, because it was almost noon, so I should have carried an umbrella for shade, but I enjoyed the walk, anyway, It was odd that I didn't see any squirrels and no birds, but God is good!
From Ephesians 1:15-23
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 pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Send in the Clowns
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 about 6 AM The moon was still brightly shining, even though a little lop-sided. Now, the sun is shining, as usual, and the day will be warm.
Yesterday as I was taking some lemon cake to Mike at Sawgrass, I saw a gator's tail on the bank, but the rest of the gator was in the water..guess his tail needed some sun.:o) Mike and a volunteer have been working on locating all the gopher tortoise holes in the Park, and were using an Earth Google photo. I was amazed that the white sand shows up clearly, indicating where the holes are. Mike is worried about the gophers being vulnerable to the dogs and people that can now walk to where they are, since the fence was taken down. He is very interesting to talk to. While I was there, he had a phone call from someone who wanted to know who owned the place. Mike told him "As a matter of fact, you do. This is a public park belonging to the taxpayers." Click. End of telemarketing. He gets several calls like that periodically.
From the book Quiet Moments with God for Teachers:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 3:23
When the circus came to town, posters, bulletin boards, billboards announced the performance dates, and TV commercials urged everyone to "Come one, come all!" The most anticipated performance of all the acts were the clowns. With their crazy antics and outlandish costumes, they livened up each performance.
Clowns work hard at their profession. In fact, in order to travel with the Ringling Bros. Circus, clowns must successfully complete clown college-an intense course of study that covers everything from makeup to pratfalls,costuming to making balloon animals, juggling to sleight of hand. Only after clowns have mastered all of these skills can they take their place in the circus ring.
As Sheila stood at the stove sauteing vegetables for supper, she sensed a connection to this group of performers in the circus. Though she didn't wear a costume or makeup, she worked hard at juggling-balancing her time among home, family, students, friends and church. She wasn't skilled at card tricks or sleight of hand, but she could work "magic," explaining math concepts in ways any student could understand. And while she might not know the ins and outs of balloon animal art, Sheila make lots of other things, from costumes for school plays to crafty Christmas gifts and decorated birthday cakes.
God's Word says that we are to work at whatever we do with all our hearts, remembering that whatever we do is for the Lord. Whether we're clowns or cooks, tightrope walkers or teachers, we need to work hard at our professions. And when we do, we might just provide our students and families with some laughter along the way!
The average person puts only 25 percent of his energy and ability into his work.
Andrew Carnegie
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday as I was taking some lemon cake to Mike at Sawgrass, I saw a gator's tail on the bank, but the rest of the gator was in the water..guess his tail needed some sun.:o) Mike and a volunteer have been working on locating all the gopher tortoise holes in the Park, and were using an Earth Google photo. I was amazed that the white sand shows up clearly, indicating where the holes are. Mike is worried about the gophers being vulnerable to the dogs and people that can now walk to where they are, since the fence was taken down. He is very interesting to talk to. While I was there, he had a phone call from someone who wanted to know who owned the place. Mike told him "As a matter of fact, you do. This is a public park belonging to the taxpayers." Click. End of telemarketing. He gets several calls like that periodically.
From the book Quiet Moments with God for Teachers:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 3:23
When the circus came to town, posters, bulletin boards, billboards announced the performance dates, and TV commercials urged everyone to "Come one, come all!" The most anticipated performance of all the acts were the clowns. With their crazy antics and outlandish costumes, they livened up each performance.
Clowns work hard at their profession. In fact, in order to travel with the Ringling Bros. Circus, clowns must successfully complete clown college-an intense course of study that covers everything from makeup to pratfalls,costuming to making balloon animals, juggling to sleight of hand. Only after clowns have mastered all of these skills can they take their place in the circus ring.
As Sheila stood at the stove sauteing vegetables for supper, she sensed a connection to this group of performers in the circus. Though she didn't wear a costume or makeup, she worked hard at juggling-balancing her time among home, family, students, friends and church. She wasn't skilled at card tricks or sleight of hand, but she could work "magic," explaining math concepts in ways any student could understand. And while she might not know the ins and outs of balloon animal art, Sheila make lots of other things, from costumes for school plays to crafty Christmas gifts and decorated birthday cakes.
God's Word says that we are to work at whatever we do with all our hearts, remembering that whatever we do is for the Lord. Whether we're clowns or cooks, tightrope walkers or teachers, we need to work hard at our professions. And when we do, we might just provide our students and families with some laughter along the way!
The average person puts only 25 percent of his energy and ability into his work.
Andrew Carnegie
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
More 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, there was no doubt where the full moon was this morning when I stepped outside! There it was, like a big floodlight, beaming down right over the house. It outshone all the stars around it. I heard and then saw a tiny airplane very high flying right over it. Their view must have been magnificent!. The plane looked tiny because of the distance, of course.
When we went to the Park yesterday, a lot of people still were there. This is spring break for a lot of kids, I guess, but lots of adults were there, also. PIcnics, reading, strolling, and just walking their dogs; all were enjoying the spring weather. I saw turtles sunning again, and a great white heron looking for a fish, plus the tribe of ibis. They all seem to stick together. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Why is prayer important?
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.
There's more to prayer than just getting an answer. God also does a work of grace in our own hearts through the act of prayer. As we persist in asking, seeking, and knocking, we gain a greater understanding of ourselves and of God.
How will God respond to my prayers?
Psalm 9:12 He who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore those who cry to him for help.
Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and care to God, for he cares about what happens to you.
We experience freedom when we give a burden over to the Lord in prayer--even before the prayer is answered. The assurance of God's love and concern refreshes us and renews our hope.
Philippians 4:6-7 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 wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
There's no limit on prayer. Big requests, small requests, and all sizes in between are welcomed by God. If something bothers us, it should be brought to God.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
When we went to the Park yesterday, a lot of people still were there. This is spring break for a lot of kids, I guess, but lots of adults were there, also. PIcnics, reading, strolling, and just walking their dogs; all were enjoying the spring weather. I saw turtles sunning again, and a great white heron looking for a fish, plus the tribe of ibis. They all seem to stick together. God is good!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Why is prayer important?
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.
There's more to prayer than just getting an answer. God also does a work of grace in our own hearts through the act of prayer. As we persist in asking, seeking, and knocking, we gain a greater understanding of ourselves and of God.
How will God respond to my prayers?
Psalm 9:12 He who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore those who cry to him for help.
Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and care to God, for he cares about what happens to you.
We experience freedom when we give a burden over to the Lord in prayer--even before the prayer is answered. The assurance of God's love and concern refreshes us and renews our hope.
Philippians 4:6-7 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 wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
There's no limit on prayer. Big requests, small requests, and all sizes in between are welcomed by God. If something bothers us, it should be brought to God.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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! When I stepped outside much earlier, I could still see the stars and outside house lights on. All was quiet. There was no sign of the full moon, so it must really zoom around the earth fast, or vice versa.
Yesterday, I spied the kingfisher perched in almost the same spot where I see him looking over Lynch Lake. And I also saw the osprey on the nest at the supermarket parking lot. She left one day and landed on a pole not far away, and eliminated the day's food...not a pretty sight! I was happy the car was not near! :o)
There must be some ospreys nesting somewhere at Sawgrass, but I have not seen them..matter of fact, I have never seen an ibis nest or heron nest. When the tiny moorhens were there, they used to nest in the lilies that were eliminated. One time there were six eggs visible from the bridge, but the creatures move on. God has his plan.
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can I know God hears my prayers?
Psalm 145:18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
The Lord invites us to make prayer our first response rather than our last resort. He always listens to those who are honest with him.
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.
1 Peter 3:12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.
Since prayer is a conversation with God, we must approach God with the same love and courtesy we bring to any relationship we value. We must be humble, not arrogant. We must admit our sin and seek God's forgiveness.
1 John 5:14-15 We can be4confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for.
While we may not know God's specific will for every situation, we do know that his will is to empower our obedience, to overcome evil with good, and to equip us to be his witnesses. We can pray confidently for his power and guidance, knowing that we are asking for the very things he most longs to give.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday, I spied the kingfisher perched in almost the same spot where I see him looking over Lynch Lake. And I also saw the osprey on the nest at the supermarket parking lot. She left one day and landed on a pole not far away, and eliminated the day's food...not a pretty sight! I was happy the car was not near! :o)
There must be some ospreys nesting somewhere at Sawgrass, but I have not seen them..matter of fact, I have never seen an ibis nest or heron nest. When the tiny moorhens were there, they used to nest in the lilies that were eliminated. One time there were six eggs visible from the bridge, but the creatures move on. God has his plan.
From the Promise Bible NLT:
How can I know God hears my prayers?
Psalm 145:18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
The Lord invites us to make prayer our first response rather than our last resort. He always listens to those who are honest with him.
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.
1 Peter 3:12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.
Since prayer is a conversation with God, we must approach God with the same love and courtesy we bring to any relationship we value. We must be humble, not arrogant. We must admit our sin and seek God's forgiveness.
1 John 5:14-15 We can be4confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for.
While we may not know God's specific will for every situation, we do know that his will is to empower our obedience, to overcome evil with good, and to equip us to be his witnesses. We can pray confidently for his power and guidance, knowing that we are asking for the very things he most longs to give.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Monday, March 9, 2009
Night Driving
Good morning. dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the DST day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! It seems really weird to step outside and have the sky dark and stars shining at 7 AM. It takes me awhile to get used to springing forward.
Yesterday I was able , thanks to the kindness of Brian to stay with Louis, to go to Weedon Island to see and hear Jeff Klinkenberg give a presentation about alligators. He was promoting his new book, "A Pilgrim in the Land of Alligators." The parking lot and room was packed. I had to park out by the street, and extra chairs were brought in, so I got a seat in the very back, but felt good to have it because some people had to stand for an hour and a half. Jeff is one of my favorite writers for the St. Pete Times, so I bought the book and had him autograph it. I have emailed him several times when I really enjoyed one of his articles. God is Good!
From the book Quiet Moments with God for Teachers:
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105 KJV
A woman confessed to a friend her confusion and hesitancy about an important life decision she was facing. She professed to believe in God but could not bring herself to rely on her faith to help choose her path.
"How can I know I'm doing the right thing?" she asked. "How can I possibly believe my decision will be right when I can't even see tomorrow?"
Her friend thought and finally said, "Here's how I look at it. You know when you're driving down a dark country road with no streetlights to give you any notion of where you are? It's a little scary. But you rely on the headlights. Now, those headlights may only show you ten yards of road in front of you, but you see where to go for that little stretch. And as you travel that ten-yard stretch of road, the headlights show you ten more yards, and ten more, until eventually you reach your destination safe and sound.
"That's how I feel about living by faith. I may not be able to see tomorrow, next week, or next year, but I know that God will give me the light to find my way when I need it."
When you come to the
edge of all the light
you know and are about
to step off into the
darkness of the
unknown. Faith is knowing one of two
things will happen.
There will be something
solid to stand on, or
you will be taught
how to fly.
Barbara J. Winter
-- I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday I was able , thanks to the kindness of Brian to stay with Louis, to go to Weedon Island to see and hear Jeff Klinkenberg give a presentation about alligators. He was promoting his new book, "A Pilgrim in the Land of Alligators." The parking lot and room was packed. I had to park out by the street, and extra chairs were brought in, so I got a seat in the very back, but felt good to have it because some people had to stand for an hour and a half. Jeff is one of my favorite writers for the St. Pete Times, so I bought the book and had him autograph it. I have emailed him several times when I really enjoyed one of his articles. God is Good!
From the book Quiet Moments with God for Teachers:
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105 KJV
A woman confessed to a friend her confusion and hesitancy about an important life decision she was facing. She professed to believe in God but could not bring herself to rely on her faith to help choose her path.
"How can I know I'm doing the right thing?" she asked. "How can I possibly believe my decision will be right when I can't even see tomorrow?"
Her friend thought and finally said, "Here's how I look at it. You know when you're driving down a dark country road with no streetlights to give you any notion of where you are? It's a little scary. But you rely on the headlights. Now, those headlights may only show you ten yards of road in front of you, but you see where to go for that little stretch. And as you travel that ten-yard stretch of road, the headlights show you ten more yards, and ten more, until eventually you reach your destination safe and sound.
"That's how I feel about living by faith. I may not be able to see tomorrow, next week, or next year, but I know that God will give me the light to find my way when I need it."
When you come to the
edge of all the light
you know and are about
to step off into the
darkness of the
unknown. Faith is knowing one of two
things will happen.
There will be something
solid to stand on, or
you will be taught
how to fly.
Barbara J. Winter
-- I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Friday, March 6, 2009
Wise words from Colossians
Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the beautiful day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! I did get up earlier than usual, and saw the stars in the clear sky, but could not find the moon. I am planning to go to bed and hopefully sleep by 9 PM tomorrow night, since the time changes then. Sigh. I will probably feel the effects for a couple days.
Yesterday, I saw a young peacock with his tail feathers spread. I never noticed before how much prettier the young cocks are in color. It seems to be brighter and the "eyes" more pronounced in the tail feathers than the old guys. God made them very beautiful and colorful. Well, a leaf vacuum has been sweeping up the Park and it looks better...doesn't get up all the leaves, but most of them and is an improvement.I took some brownies over for Mike, but he had apparently left early, so I will try again. I also took some to my across the street neighbor, who very kindly came over and used her chain-saw to cut up a large branch that fell from our tree. She was a blessing!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Colossians 3 excerpts:
Since God chose you to be holy people whom he loves, you must clothe your selves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace and always be thankful'
Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites who can get away with evil.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Yesterday, I saw a young peacock with his tail feathers spread. I never noticed before how much prettier the young cocks are in color. It seems to be brighter and the "eyes" more pronounced in the tail feathers than the old guys. God made them very beautiful and colorful. Well, a leaf vacuum has been sweeping up the Park and it looks better...doesn't get up all the leaves, but most of them and is an improvement.I took some brownies over for Mike, but he had apparently left early, so I will try again. I also took some to my across the street neighbor, who very kindly came over and used her chain-saw to cut up a large branch that fell from our tree. She was a blessing!
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Colossians 3 excerpts:
Since God chose you to be holy people whom he loves, you must clothe your selves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace and always be thankful'
Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites who can get away with evil.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)