Be a Practical Christian

Good morning, Dear friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will be glad and rejoice in it! And it is a beautiful day. Sun shining, and warmer today. Even if we get some rain tomorrow , it will still be beautiful along towards Christmas day.

I need to take time to bake cookies today, for the arrival of Daryl and Matthew sometime early Sat. morning.

I did some more shopping yesterday, and got my homeowners' insurance taken care of, so I don't have to worry about that. Lots of paper work.

While I was on my way to Gateway Mall, a huge bird swooped in front of the car, and I looked to see what it was, hoping to see an eagle, but it was only a vulture. Ugh, Not very pretty, but useful. I guess God created every creature for a use or purpose, but I haven't figured out the use of some of the pesky insects, yet...maybe to get minds to work to learn how to eradicate them. :o).

The maple trees are deep red now, and soon will be gone, I think. Also, I noticed a huge, old sycamore tree in the neighborhood which is losing leaves now, and they are very large leaves. I know my oak trees make a mess, but not like the sycamores. the wind blows them all over! But, as always God is good!
I will be taking a week or so off, while we all prepare for Christmas, and I pray everyone has a most blessed celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus.

From the little devotional book Knowing God:

Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. James 1:27 NLT

As Christians, we must so our best to ensure that our actions are accurate reflections of our beliefs. Our theology must be demonstrated, not only by our words but, more importantly, by our actions. In short, we should be practical believers, quick to act whenever we see an opportunity to serve God.

Are you the kind of practical Christian who is willing to dig in and do what needs to be done when it needs to be done? If so, congratulations; God acknowledges your service and blesses it. But if you find yourself more interested in the fine points of theology than in the needs of your neighbors, it's time to rearrange your priorities. God needs believers who are willing to roll up their sleeves and go to work for Him. Count yourself among that number.Theology is a good thing unless it interferes with God's work. And it's up to you to make certain that your theology doesn't

Great thoughts-
Had Jesus been the Word become word, He would have spun theories about life, but since he was the Word become flesh, he put shoes on all his theories and made them walk.
E. Stanley Jones

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

What's the Plan?

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 temp. is climbing, already up to 50 and supposed to be in the low seventies by this weekend and then turn cold again. Well, this is winter in Florida. I looked at the weather map on TV this morning, and all over the south, nothing but white showing, from Atlanta on up. Daryl said schools were closed again today because of icy roads. He was the only one who made it into his office in the dark.

He and Matthew leave tomorrow for here for Christmas, so I am praying them down...for no rain and a safe trip. They probably won't get here until sometime in the wee hours .

I did some more shopping yesterday, and stopped by the church to pick up the flowers I did not get Sunday. The bouquet was lovely with five red carnations and a white rose and lots of baby's breath. The vase was a tiny red heart-shaped one with LOVE written on it. A beautiful little remembrance of Louis.

My last trip was to the park, but I didn't take pictures of the red, maple trees, yet. Maybe today. I watched a squirrel give a flying leap over the weeds at the side of the road and then he was lost to sight in the tall grass. A flock of ibis was busy pecking along the grass and a lone egret had its neck all crooked while preening the feathers. A beautiful, cool day. God is good!

This is the Advent season with a New Year coming shortly. As I was going through some very old albums yesterday, I came across this church bulletin from 1987. This is a word from Pastor Don Logue; ( I didn't ask his permission to use it, so don't tell him).

"What's the Plan?"

This week we welcome the arrival of another new year. As the old year goes, we think of it as the removal of many things we are glad to see go. We think of the coming year as a clean slate with the promise of wonderful and fulfilling events. In fact, we often hope that the new year will be filled with pleasure, success, accomplishment. We want to miss any hardship, inconvenience, or failure.

But, remember, God is in charge of your life in the coming year, just as He was during the past year. Instead of planning for a year filled with success and void of all difficulty, give some thought to what God may have on His agenda. If He is going to build more of Christ's character in you, will he not require you to face situations that call for courage, risk, new levels of trust? Will he not offer opportunities to develop through hardship? suffering? disappointment? failure? Peter says a life that is genuine and brings honor to Christ is one that has been "refined by fire" (1 Peter 1:7.) Amy Carmichael, God's servant to the poor of south India captures what our commitment to the Lord should be in 2011.

From prayer that asks that I may be
Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee,
From fearing when I should aspire,
From faltering when I should climb higher,
From silken self, O Captain, free
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.

From subtle love of softening things,
From easy choices, weakenings,
Not thus are spirits fortified,
Not this way went the Crucified,
From all that dims Thy Calvary,
O Lamb of God, deliver me.

Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire.
Let me not sink to be a clod;
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.
(From "Toward Jerusalem," by Amy Carmichael)

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Protection scriptures

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! Whooee! My fingers are so cold, it is hard to warm them up to type! I saw a frosty landscape across the street this morning and on the roof of the house which has no trees. While my oak trees are really messy, they give protection to the plants underneath the overhanging branches. The staghorn doesn't seem to be suffering, except from lack of rain, so I water it once in a while.

I went to the park yesterday and was impressed by how red the maple trees are now. It looks almost like NC or TN did when I visited there a few weeks ago. I never thought to take a picture, but I will today. The water is way down with lots of mud. I remember one year the lake was dried up. so it was all mud. A sad, sorry sight. Hopefully, God will send rain again soon, so that won't happen again.But God is good!

I am including some scriptures that I pray every day for friends including pastors-all from the NIV. translation:

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, Eph. 1:16

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
For your struggles are not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God , so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand . In addition to the armor, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Eph. 6:10-13

You, dear friends, are from God, and have overcome, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

"No weapon forged against you all will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of you all, servants of the Lord, and this is your vindication from me", declares the Lord. Isa. 54:17

The Lord is good, a stronghold in times of trouble. He cares for you, who trusts in Him. Nahum 1:7

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen!
Eph. 3:20,21

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Habbakuk'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! The wind has died down and my indoor-outdoor thermometer says it's 40 outside, and if I don't keep moving, it feels like 40 inside, but, of course, it's much warmer than that! I will be able to sweep off the porch today which is covered with leaves, twigs, and acorns.

But I hope some of you saw the brilliant half moon last night. with Jupiter a short distance away at the bottom! It was gorgeous! I saw it while getting in the car after Faith Group. God creates some beautiful skies for us to enjoy. Since I did not leave the house yesterday, I have not been to the park to see how trashy it is, but if my porch is any indication, the park is probably just as bad, but I am thankful that it will warm up this weekend and be good weather for travel...at least in Florida! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Habakkuk 3 ( excerpts)

This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk;
I have heard all about you, Lord, and I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as you did in years gone by. Show us your power to save us. And in your anger, remember your mercy.

...Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine, even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren, even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Blessings

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, actually, it is hard for me to rejoice in this blustery, cold weather today. I went out a few minutes ago to walk to the dumpster and picked up branches and sticks on the way. the yard is a big mess with leaves, twigs and trimmings from the trees all over. The trees are really getting a beating! The porch is full of leaves and twigs, also, but no use even thinking of cleaning up until the Arctic wind Quits blowing.

We are in for a freeze tonight, so the weatherman says. I am thankful for a warm house and a fireplace, which hasn't been used for a couple years. Good day for staying in and making soup or chili and lots of hot tea!

I escaped the hard rain yesterday which lasted only a few minutes, but was much needed. By the time my after church meeting was finished, it was just raining lightly. I don't know where the birds and squirrels go in this kind of weather, but the squirrels would most likely get seasick hanging on the a swaying branch today! But we needed rain, so God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Can we do things that affect how much God blesses us?

Psalm 84:11 The Lord God is our light and protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right.

God promises to bless those who do what is right; he doesn't extend the same promise to those who don't do what is right.

Proverbs 19:17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord--and he will repay you!

God promises to bless those who help the poor.

How does the promise of blessing affect us when we are weary or discouraged?

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Galatians 6:9 Don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.

When we are tempted to give up, new resolve comes from remembering that God promises to bring a harvest in his perfect time.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

The Humanity of Jesus

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! A few clouds are scooting in ,but the sun is shining, in preparation of the little warmer weather expected for a couple days. Then more cold, but we don't have to shovel it or blow white stuff off our driveways! So that's a blessing.

Thanks fo David C. my friend and yard man, I have more decorations up inside the house, and the lights are up and working outside. So, gradually, it is looking more festive around here. I have to wait this morning for the wind mitigation man to come and inspect so I can get insurance on the house, since State Farm canceled. But I have plenty to do while I wait.

Yesterday after I got finished with what I could do indoors, I left for the bank and took a ride through the park and saw the chubby gator curled up on the mud enjoying the sun. There were more people in the park than usual, because the weather was so nice. And, also, I watched hundreds of birds flying around before landing on the telephone wires. Just hundreds, every day. There must be lots of food for them to eat around here! I was saddened to see one of the squirrels lying in the street after not making it across the street from my house to the neighbor's. Poor little guy! But they do take chances all the time in their dashes in front of cars! Sigh. But I am looking forward to attending the Annie Moses Band concert tonight with Brian. God is good!

This is a Peter Marshall Prayer from Hymns from the Family of God;

May our prayer, O Christ, awaken all Thy human reminiscences, that we may feel in our hearts the sympathizing Jesus.
Thou has walked this earthly vale and hast not forgotten what it is to be tired , what it is to know aching muscles, as Thou didst work long hours at the carpenter's bench.
Thou has not forgotten what it is to feel the sharp stabs of pain, or hunger, or thirst.
Thou knowest what it is to be forgotten, to be lonely.
Thou dost remember the feel of hot and scalding tears running down Thy cheeks.
O we thank thee that thou wert willing to come to earth ansd share with us the weakness of the flesh, for now we know that dost understand all that we are ever called upon to hear.
We know that Thou, our God, art still able to do more than we ask or expect. So bless us, each one, not according to our deserving, but according to the riches in glory of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Unity

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! Not so long ago, I was complaining that it was too hot. Not any more! I forgot to turn up the heat before going to bed last night and so the house was a little chilly this morning...66, but to me that's chilly! It's still only 48 outside and we apparently had a little rain during the night. Every little bit helps, but we still need more. I am sure God will send it in his time.

I had more running around to do yesterday, including filling the gas tank at Walmart. Yikes! Gas is really going up, and I was very cold putting it in, because the wind is always blowing at the pumps. I really don't mind parking in the sun these days, when I shop. There were a few more people in the park yesterday when I visited, because the sun was shining brightly and the wind had died down. But I notices the water is very low, so I'm thinking they must have opened the gates at the water control near the interstate. But God is good and will send rain in his time!

From my old daily devotional calendar and also the Promise Bible NLT:

"A gathering of two or more brings Christ into the midst. The prayer of agreement, if any two pray and agree, looses the answer.
Being in accord brings forth the power of God."

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis