Friday, June 13, 2014

The Ripple Effect

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 is overcast this morning and we have already had thunder nearby and I heard rumblings in the distance, but. so far, no rain. We had no rain yesterday, either, but the earth is still damp from other downpours, and I am sure we will have sun shortly!( BTW,
it is pouring and dark now!)

Yesterday I went to my doctor for a checkup and he was so pleased with my BP and weight loss that he told me not to buy a Ferrari on time, because I would probably have to pay for it! A little humor there...Anyway, I did feel good and some days are better than others as far as my back goes. Guess you can't reach my age without a few aches and pains along the way!

After leaving his office, I stopped by the church to drop off some craft stuff for VBS which starts Monday. Things will be busy around the church at that time! I had a nice chat with two friends while there. Then I went on to the park and noticed that few cars were there, but it was quiet and peaceful with the deep shade from the trees and the beauty of gnarly brown and gray branches holding up the deep green leaves and the whiteness of the egrets in the mass of green growth in the canal which still has more water in it than it used to before the rains. God is good!

From the devotional book Quiet Moments with God:

Matthew 13:32 KJV
The mustard seed! Indeed is the least of all seeds
but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs,
and becometh a tree so that the birds of the air come
and lodge in the branches thereof."


Not all people who commit their lives to Jesus Christ will be called to be world
famous. The majority of us are called to fulfill less noticeable roles in our churches
communities, and families. Yet only God may know how significant our roles are to the
future of thousands----even millions.

A century and a half ago a humble minister lived and died in a small village in Leicestershire. England. He lived there his entire life and never traveled far from home. He never attended college and had no formal degrees but he was a faithful village minister.

In his congregation was a young cobbler to whom he gave special attention,
teaching him the word of God. This young man was William Carey, later hailed as
 one of the greatest missionaries of modern times.

The village minister also had a son---a boy whom he taught faithfully and encouraged
constantly. The boy's character and talents were profoundly impacted by his father's life. That son grew up to be a man many considered the mightiest public orator of his day; Robert Hall.

When you think you are having no impact in the world by teaching a Sunday school class or visiting those who are homebound, remember the little country preacher who influenced two nations for the Lord.

We never know what ripples of healing we set in motion by simply smiling on one another.
Henry Drummond

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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Planning

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 now, but the sky was overcast a few minutes ago and water is still dripping off the roof. So I don't know whether it is from the rain last night or if we had a shower early this morning, We had a thunderstorm last night again, in this area , but it was not raining downtown, so it is still scattered thunderstorms in the forecast!

My cleaning ladies came much earlier yesterday than they had planned, so it was good to see them. I always catch up on where they have lunch. They check out all the sandwich shops, but did not know that Earl of Sandwich was open on 4th St. so I will let them check it out before I go. I showed them the group photo of all the graduates who attended the reunion last Friday and they thought everyone looked pretty good considering our advanced years.

I have what I think is a dead anole in my bathroom. He has been there for about three days, and was scooting around the room. I told him he better not come into the bedroom or be in the middle of the floor if I had to get up in the night. But now he has been in the same position for several hours and I think it is curtains for him R. I. P. anole!

I made my way to Wendy's later for a baked potato and Strawberry Fields salad. The potato I ate for my supper and I will have the salad for lunch today.  It was worth going through the construction, (destruction) going on at 83rd and 9th St.  Looks like that will going on for a good long while!

Then I took a trip to the Park and saw a feathery egret and one in the canal. I also saw three ospreys sitting on a wire at Lynch Lake Park. God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

How Am I supposed to plan my life?

Proverbs 2:1-11
My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. Tune your
ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for
insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for
lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will understand what
it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.
For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge
 and understanding . He grants a treasure of good sense to the
godly. He is their shield, protecting  those who walk with integrity.
He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful
to him. Then you will understand what is right, just and fair and
you will know the right course of action every time. For wisdom
will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise
planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
A plan is only as good as the information upon which it's based. Our
human intellect is limited and inadequate. Apart from the Lord, our
plans are liable to fail. The Lord promises wisdom to those who rely
on his Word and depend on his spirit.


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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Greetings from James

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! I see sun and a dark cloud outside my window, so instead of the late shower we had last night, we may have an early one today. Which is fine with me, because I have laundry to do later, and don't need to go out.

Well, I called the plumber yesterday to unclog my shower, and he did a great job! The problem now is, since the tiny plastic plugs have been removed, the water comes out so forcefully that before I can rinse off, I am standing in a couple inches of water! I may have to call him back!

My cleaning ladies are not due until later this afternoon, so perhaps I can do grocery shopping before they come. I took a trip to the library and got an armload of books, then stopped and got iced tea since yesterday was National Iced Tea day.

Afterwards I drove to the peaceful park and saw that the canal was still half full with water and I could only see one egret in it! But God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

James 1:2
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity
for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance is fully developed, you will
be strong in character and ready for anything.

If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do---ask him
and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him,
be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled
as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should
not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds.
They waver back and forth in everything they do....


God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Psoaring thru 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!  Just like yesterday, we have sun and a little breeze, but we had a fierce thunderstorm in the afternoon!

My handyman, Rick, was power washing the house when the storm came up, and he did not stop. By the time he got to the driveway, the rain was slanting because the wind was blowing so strongly. I was afraid he was going to get hit by lightning, but he kept on working and was soaking wet! He said it didn't bother him, but it bothered me to see him in the rain.  I must say the house looks really good, now. Dirt and cobwebs gone..looks almost like a new paint job.

Before Rick started on the house I had him work on my shower, which only had a trickle coming out of the hose. He discovered it was stopped up with residue from hard water, and this morning I was able to enjoy a full stream of water, but then suddenly it stopped, and now, hardly any water is coming out. So I called Rick, but he is out at the beaches today, so I called the plumber and hopefully he will be able to fix it permanently!

After Rick left, I did some shopping, and stopped at the Park to see more water in the canal, and a few people enjoying the aftermath of the rain Just a few ibis were around and, of course, the squirrels. I guess they just get in the trees and hang on during a strong storm! Just like the ones in my trees! But, as always, God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 57:7
My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises!
Wake up, my soul!
Wake up, O harp and lyre!
I will waken the dawn with my song!
I will thank you, Lord, in front of all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.


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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Monday, June 9, 2014

Roamin' thru Romans

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 seem to be all the same lately...sunshine, heat and breezes, but the car gets so hot when parked in the sun for any length of time! Summer is here!

Seems like each time I think I have a free week in front of me, God has other plans. I look at my calendar and see blanks, but before I know it, activities pop up and off I go!

Some of you may have read the article in the TBT about the reunion of the class of "44 from SPHS. Well, that was my graduating class! It was historic, because we graduated the evening before D Day, when the world, as we knew it, changed. I had invited Brian as my guest at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, so he was able to take time off work to pick me up and take me there.

There were a surprising group. larger than I had thought, and even though there were walkers, canes and wheelchairs, we all had a good time seeing old friends. Lots of pictures were taken by a pro photographer, the daughter of one of our classmates. I have not seen mine yet, but the class picture taken of all of us, turned out pretty good! I was one of the "younger" ones since I graduated when I was 17. Ah, Memories...

We had a good lively church service yesterday, with all the youth leading, including worship, singing, playing instruments and giving testimonies. Since the service ran over time, the pastor said he would hold his sermon for another time. I stayed afterward talking to Drew and Tim about iphones and how to send pics. Very helpful, but I still don't know how. Sigh.

Well, I drove to the park later on in the afternoon, after returning books to the library book drop, and saw quite a number of people there. The roseate spoonbill was there pecking away in the grassy bottom of the canal. and squirrels were zipping all around. Speaking of wild animals; I had gone to Boston Market for my dinner, and a beautiful egret was hanging around the drive thru window looking for a handout. When I was ready to go, I saw Victoria Egret's head right in front of the van. so I had to slowly keep rolling toward her, so she would keep backing up. she finally took off in the air! God is good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Romans 8: 35-39

Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer
loves us if we have trouble  or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold
or in danger or threatened with death?( Even the scriptures say, "For your sake
we are killed every day ; we are slaughtered  like sheep." ) No, despite all these
things overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't
 and life can't. The angels can't and the demons can't. Our fears for today ; our
worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away.
Whether  we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean , nothing in all
creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed
 in Christ Jesus our Lord.


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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Paul's Final Advice

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! Lots of sunshine and not much chance of rain, and even the air is still right now, without a breeze. It will be a hot one later on, like yesterday.

Speaking of yesterday, I made it a point to be at the Lab for work early, so did not get time to send my usual blog. I walked in the door at Quest and saw a friend from church standing at the counter, so had a chance to speak with her for a few minutes. I had not made an appointment, but did not have a very long wait. Afterwards, I went over to MacDonalds for a very salty cheese, bacon, and egg biscuit. That is probably the first meal I have bought there in a few years. They are not my favorite fast food place. However, I could hardly wait to get home for my cup of tea!

Cheryl had called to say she was cleaning by herself, so she came at 10, and I did not even have time to clean up my few dishes, which she was happy to do herself. I had no energy after giving about 5 0r 6 vials of blood, so I just sat and vegetated while she was here.

I felt much revived  after lunch and drove on down to the cleaners to pick up my Amish quilt, and then visited the park on the way back home. It was very quiet, few people and cars, and peaceful and calm. I saw the tan gopher tortoise and egrets and herons in the canal. And, BTW, I have an amaryllis blooming!! They bloom around Christmas, and this is the first time I have ever had one bloom in June! God is good!

From the Promise Bible  NLT:

1 Thessalonians 5:12-19

Dear brothers sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the
Lord's work. They work hard among you, and warn you
against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them
your wholehearted love because of their work. And remember to
live peaceably with each other.

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy.
Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who
are weak. Be patient with everyone.

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good
to each other and to everyone else.

Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens,
always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to
 Christ Jesus.

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test
everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from
every kind of evil.


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

Love and hugs,
 Amaryllis

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Psoaring thru 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! We had no rain yesterday, and even though it is overcast this morning, I don't think rain is in the forecast . It is still very warm, though.

I noticed from my window there are some tiny, crazy looking bugs that fly dizzyingly around and around in circles, just in front of the hedge. I don't know what purpose they serve, but, just like mosquitoes, God must have had a reason for them. Maybe they are food for some larger critter.

Well, I drove out to Walmart yesterday to gas up the van, and was pleased to see gas prices have dropped lately! The gas pumps were not very busy, so I picked a good time to go. I stopped in at the park, on my way, of course, and enjoyed the peace, deep shade and ibis, one turtle basking in the sun on the weir, egrets and herons in the canal, but did not see and roseate spoonbills. But, anyway, God is always Good!

From the Promise Bible NLT:

Psalm 92:1-4,  12-15

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to the Most High.
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love
in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening
accompanied by the harp and lyre.
You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done!

But the godly will flourish like palm trees,
that grow like the cedars of Lebanon
for they are transplanted into the Lord's own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit
They will remain vital and green.

They will declare, "The Lord is just!
He is my rock!
There is nothing but goodness in him!"


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

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis