JOY

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 sun is shining and the air is full of the scent of orange blossoms. My north bedroom window lets in all the fragrance of the blossoms from my neighbors fruit trees..gets really strong in the afternoon, but that is one sign of spring!

While I was sweeping windrows of oak tree seeds off our front porch yesterday, I happened to pause to watch two squirrels sitting on the ground eating acorns and noticed a fluttering of leaves up above. I looked up and saw a bird upside down pecking at leaves. When it turned right side up, I could see the red head. A red headed woodpecker! I had no idea they could hang upside down! Fascinating! That was a whole lot more interesting than sweeping, so I watched until it was out of sight.

I went to the park yesterday and enjoyed the wild look of the brush and water. Saw an immature ibis by itself for a change, but did not see the gator. However, I saw the peacock once again on the way in. Beautiful, as usual. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Where does joy come from?

Nehemiah 3:17 Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.
Our joy springs from God's love, which is not dependent on circumstances nor on our performance. When we trust in his love for us, we are far less vulnerable to the depression and despair that could come from our problems and disappointments.

Revelation 21:4 He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.

Our joy is rooted in the certainty of heaven, where we will be fully and finally liberated from the trials and troubles of this life.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis ( Happy Birthday, Daryl!)

A Time for Everything

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 a glorious Easter day, it looks like another warm, sunshiny day, full of pollen from the oak trees. My van stayed in the church parking lot for several hours, when I was taken to the hospital on Friday and it got covered with yellow dust from all the shedding oak trees there. I have seen cars on the road covered with the stuff. Guess I will have it washed again after the air clears!

I drove through the park after church yesterday and saw a gorgeous peacock in a spot of sunshine that was highlighting the "eyes" on his folded tail. The shimmering blues and greens were just beautiful...would love to have a dress with those colors! :o) I didn't see the gator in his usual spot but did see the ibis, and egrets going about their business, not knowing that it was Resurrection Day! God's Creation is beautiful and He is Good!

Thoughts from Ecclesiastes NLT:

Ecc. 3:1-8
There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

What do people really get for all their hard work? I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do. God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Adventures in the ER at St. Anthony's

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

After nearly fainting at a memorial service at church Friday, I was taken to the ER and spent an interesting 3-4 hours there. One of the episodes involved a very drunk man who was Shouting obscenities at the top of his voice, then singing "On a clear day..." then Climb every Mountain" and shouting that he needed to go to the bathroom, until someone finally took him He would not get back in bed and kicked one nurse then tried to hit a male nurse. After an hour of this and me wishing for duct tape for his mouth, a big, husky nurse came and took him off to the psych floor.

I was finally admitted for dehydration and renal failure due to the dehydration, The doctor said it could be corrected easily with IV's which I had all night. No sleep because of beeps from the breathing equipment used by the patient in the next bed and my IV every time I bent my arm.

It was discovered after tests today that I have a kidney infection, so I start an antibiotic for that tonight. I hope to be at church tomorrow, but it depends on how I feel. But God is good and he looks after us all!

Have a blessed Easter!

Love and hugs, Amaryllis

Then Came Sunday!

Good morning, dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the Good Friday that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Our beautiful weather continues with fresh blooms on azaleas, amaryllis, and now the hedge plants are blooming bringing lots of bees. Seems like the birds are enjoying this weather, too, with lots of mockers flying around, even more than usual.

Yesterday, I got brave and decided to take a walk on the boardwalk...the long way. I took Louis' cane and started off on the hammock trail. I wanted lots of shade, because the anti-biotic I just finished warns about staying in the sun--not good. Well, I kept walking, stopping to look in the water, and to enjoy the real Florida. Swampy, smelling of green shrubs and moisture.. Lots of water everywhere, and fresh, light green leaves on all the trees. I just kept going and walked to the entrance of the dirt trail, then back and on to the third bridge. I did not sit down to rest, but did pause and enjoy the breeze on my face.

A pair of ducks were serenely paddling along the canal toward the third bridge, leaving a wake behind them. I was getting a little tired by the time I started back to the second bridge, but made it down the sidewalk and was glad to get in the car and rest!
The gator was in his usual spot on the bank as I came in but was gone when I left about thirty minutes later. I only passed about six people in my venture, while the other walk to the tower was full. I am thankful for returning strength! God is good!

From Hymns for the Family of God:

Easter
-Raymond Lindquist

Some years ago, a newspaper editor telephoned and asked me to tell in a few words what Easter means to me. My testimony was this: Easter means Christ to me. It means Christ in His kingly splendor, Christ in His serene glory, Christ in His gracious condescension. This is because Easter is the return of Christ from inflicted violence, from induced death, from imprisonment in a tomb. Easter is Christ triumphant over all that sin and death and man could do to Him. Easter means Christ.

And where Christ goes, drama goes. For it is impossible to look anywhere in the Gospels and fail to find something powerful happening. This is because Christ is Himself the Gospel and He is life, abundant life, and His life means action, pilgrimage, arrival.

Easter means life. Christ defeated death in order that life in Him might always live. And it is life that we want, life in Christ. Whether we put it in words or not, our constant thought is "Life, more life, always more and more life." We want life in ourselves, in our loved ones, in our friends, the kind of life that cannot be diminished, the kind of life that always expands. Easter is Christ's victory over all that would restrict, deny and strangle life. "For to me to live is Christ." That is Easter.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis He Is Risen!!

A Prayer of Concern for Others

Good morning, dear Friends and Prayer Partners! Happy April first and Maundy Thursday! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Our weather has been so perfect the past few days, it is an incentive to get outdoors and enjoy it! Cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon..doesn't get any better than this!

Well, the gator was in his usual spot yesterday, curled up on the bank of the borrow pit. Two cyclers were ahead of me on the road and when they spied the gator, decided to ride over and look at him up close and personal. I was glad because they were taking up the road and I hate to blow the horn at people for fear of startling them. Anyway, I continued on and saw that the big maple tree is still in the canal. Back in the old days, before budget cuts, the tree would have already have been sawed up and disposed of back in the mulch pile.

The big turtle was still in his favorite sunning spot across the canal on the point and a beautiful white egret was letting its feathers blow in the breeze while waiting for a fish to come along.

After Sonnie and Sam had raked up and bagged my leaves yesterday, apparently something attractive to birds was uncovered, because several mockingbirds were hopping across the yard enjoying treats. Also, while the guys were working, a gorgeous cardinal was overhead just twittering his little heart out. First I have seen this spring. A tiny wren was also in the tree last night nervously flitting from branch to branch. In contrast, huge black crows have been coming around with their raucous caws. God's creation is marvelous and He is good!

From Hymns for the Family of God:

Father, help me to talk like a Christian:
to speak in such a way that I build up another person's confidence in himself,
instead of tearing down his reputation.

Father, help me to drive like a Cristian:
to be watchful and careful lest I cause harm to someone else
on the highways.

Father help me to give like a Christian:
without thought of return, without anyone knowing what I do,
and with Your approval as sufficient reward.

Father, help me to dres like a Christian:
by not attracting attention to myself for being too fashionable
or too casual; and help me to show by my appearance
that I want people to know me for what I am inside myself.

Father, help me to sleep like a Christian:
at peace with myself because sin is forgiven; and at peace
with others because I do not allow my anger to last through a day.

Father, help me to eat like a Christian:
to eat healthily, to eat moderately, to eat gratefully, giving thanks
to you who provide my food, and for the one who prepares my food.

Father, keep me from being so pious that I keep You out of the practical
areas of life. Be with me when I am alone, and when I shed my inhibitions.
lest in those moments I cancel out all that I seem to be when I'm on my best
behavior.

Father, I ask this because I follow a Master who was never guilty of the
slightest wrong-doing, and who always showed His love in the small
details of living.
Amen
Bryan Jeffery Leech

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Psoaring thru Psalm 63

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's a little cooler this morning, but will be up in the seventies later today. Perfect!

I went to the park yesterday and walked across the entrance bridge to look at the fallen maple tree. It is still lying in the water, so it looks like the Park tree crew will have to come and get it out. It is massive! Not a job for amateurs! There weren't a lot of people at the park, but some were having picnics and others walking dogs and themselves. The wind was blowing, so I did not walk far, since I did not have my walking shoes on.

On the way in, a gator was lying on the bank of the borrow pit lake with his tail curled up. A couple of cars had stopped so the people could take photos. That's why they come to the park. I think...just to see the gators in the wild.

I watched about 9 ibis aerating my yard yesterday and it looked like they were finding plenty to eat. I could see grubs and worms hanging from their beaks as they walked and snacked. Must be interesting underground! Also, I walked around to the north side of the house and my little neglected azalea bush was covered in pretty pink blossoms! I passed a home near here with a bed of amaryllis blooming well, Mine, on the other hand, are not even showing buds. Oh, well, God is good!

Psalm 63 NLT

O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
In this parched and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better to me than
life itself.
How I praise you!
I will honor you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest of
foods.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
I think how much you have helped me;
I sing for joy in the shadow of your
protecting wings.
I follow close behind you:
your strong right hand holds me
securely.

But those plotting to destroy me will
come to ruin.
They will go down into the depths of
the earth.
They will die by the sword
and become the food of jackals.

But the king will rejoice in God.
All who trust in him will praise him,
while liars will be silenced.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

To Your Health

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's a little cooler this morning, but according to the weatherman, this will be the last cold spell of the spring. We will see. But the sun is shining and it is a great day to be alive!

Yesterday, on my visit to the Park, a gator was lounging on the bank on the left side as I entered and he was accompanied by at least a dozen turtles of varying sizes. Seems that when a gator is not hungry, he doesn't care who or what he shares his space with. The canal was full and had overflowed over the weir, leaving lots of trash behind.

The very large, old maple that was beside the entrance bridge is now gone. The lower limb had been hanging very close to the water for months and finally must have toppled. The tree trimmers had already cut the trunk and the long branches were in the water. A boat has to be used to hook a line around the base and haul it over to the other bank to be cut up and taken away. I have watched the men do this to other trees that have fallen in the water. It is quite a job. It looked like the county was using prisoners to do the tree work for free, since I saw the truck and workers taking a break. The workers were wearing bright orange and white stripes along with their orange vests. The two guards,( supervisors), were at a picnic table keeping an eye on them. Hmmm. Interesting. But, at least the workers were out in the fresh air, doing some good. God is good!

From Moments with God (a devotional)

Mark 11:25 If you have anything against anyone, forgive him.

According to a popular children's song, tea is a "drink with jam and bread." But in a recently released study, nutritionists recommend you have and apple rather than jam and bread with your tea. The Dutch research group found that drinking tea and eating apples together reduces the risk of stroke.

The newly completed study showed health benefits resulted from long-term consumption of black tea--the type most Americans and Europeans drink. Drinking tea, plus eating other fruits and vegetables containing flavonoids, lowered the incidence of strokes. Flavonoids make blood cell platelets less likely to clot and act as antioxidants, which reduce damage to arteries.

Four-fifths of all strokes result from blood clots, which can lodge in arteries that have been narrowed by damaging oxidation. Flavonoids found in tea and fruit inhibit blood clots and minimize damage to arteries from oxidation, this allowing a healthy flow of blood and oxygen to the body.

Our spiritual and emotional well being also depend on good circulation: positive thoughts which keep our minds and hearts healthy. Any blockages that would prevent a life-affirming outlook need to be dislodged.

Experts tell us that unforgiveness is one of the biggest obstacles to mental and spiritual health. Author and professor Lewis Smedes outlines four steps to forgiveness:

1. Confront your anger; don't deny it.
2. Separate the wrongdoer from the wrong. Be angry at the deed, not the doer.
3. Let go of the past. Once you have forgiven, you can more easily forget.
4. Don't give up on forgiveness--keep working at it. The deeper the hurt, the longer it takes. But keep working at it. You will eventually realize a new attitude.

Smedes adds, "Forgiveness breaks pain's grip on our minds and opens the door to possibility...to heal the hurt and create a new beginning."

He that demands mercy, and
shows none, ruins the bridge
over which he himself is to pass.
Thomas Adams

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis