Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... April, May and June 2016

April 1, 2016 | JustAmy; Meg33, The Mayor; Trisham; St.Louie1, Friends, MamaBear

[stephenjohnbanker]

I send a prayer . My tad taught at Tufts in the late 60’s.

[Kitty Mittens]

I'm Sorry to Hear this, Dear Trisham!
(((((Lifting Heartfelt, Loving Prayers)))))

[MEG33]

I am so sorry your dog Dinah is so ill. Healing prayers.

I will be away from the computer until late Sunday. My son is here.

[MEG33]

~Welcome To Sunday At Amy's Place~

Psalms 55:22
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

~I Wish You A Blessed Lord's Day~
My son is here so I will not be here in the morning.

[The Mayor]

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The Blacksmith and the King

April 3, 2016

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23

In 1878, when Scotsman Alexander Mackay arrived in what is now Uganda to serve as a missionary, he first set up a blacksmith forge among a tribe ruled by King Mutesa. Villagers gathered around this stranger who worked with his hands, puzzled because everyone "knew" that work was for women. At that time, men in Uganda never worked with their hands. They raided other villages to capture slaves, selling them to outsiders. Yet here was this foreign man at work forging farming tools.

Mackay's work ethic and life resulted in relationships with the villagers and gained him an audience with the king. Mackay challenged King Mutesa to end the slave trade, and he did.

God calls us to know Him more fully--and He will show us how to serve Him

In Scripture, we read of Bezalel and Oholiab, who were chosen and gifted by God to work with their hands designing the tent of meeting and all its furnishings for worship (Ex. 31:1-11). Like Mackay, they honored and served God with their talent and labor.

We tend to categorize our work as either church work or secular. In truth, there is no distinction. God designs each of us in ways that make our contributions to the kingdom unique and meaningful. Even when we have little choice in where or how we work, God calls us to know Him more fully--and He will show us how to serve Him--right now.

Father, grant me an awareness of my place in Your work. Help me to see You at work in the people and places where I spend my time.

God will show us how to serve Him--wherever we are.

INSIGHT:

The tabernacle was to function as God's dwelling place where the Israelites could come before His presence (Ex. 25:8). It was built according to God's blueprint. He especially appointed two craftsmen--Bezalel and Oholiab (31:1-6)--and gave them the ability to lead the work and teach others (35:30-35). God spoke of a special empowering of Bezalel: God "filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills" (31:3). God also provided the skilled workers needed to build the tabernacle and gave each of them the ability to make everything exactly as He wanted it made (vv. 6,11; 36:1). Sim Kay Tee

[luvie]

Providence~Mansion Robe and Crown.wma

Glad~Before the Throne Of God Above

Cathedrals~Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Glad~Arise My Soul, Arise

Gaither Homecoming~Heaven's Joy Awaits.wma

Ray Walker~How Great Thou Art.wma

Vocal Majority~Deep River

Have a blessed Sunday
God bless our troops!

[The Mayor]

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Wisdom and Grace

April 4, 2016

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. James 1:5

On April 4, 1968, American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated, leaving millions angry and disillusioned. In Indianapolis, a largely African-American crowd had gathered to hear Robert F. Kennedy speak. Many had not yet heard of Dr. King's death, so Kennedy had to share the tragic news. He appealed for calm by acknowledging not only their pain but his own abiding grief over the murder of his brother, President John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy then quoted a variation of an ancient poem by Aeschylus (526-456 bc):

In life's darkest times, we find what we need in Him.

Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.

"Wisdom through the awful grace of God" is a remarkable statement. It means that God's grace fills us with awe and gives us the opportunity to grow in wisdom during life's most difficult moments.

James wrote, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you" (James 1:5). James says that this wisdom is grown in the soil of hardship (vv. 2-4), for there we not only learn from the wisdom of God, we rest in the grace of God.

Father, in the face of life's sometimes awful circumstances, may we find Your grace to be a source of awe and wonder. Instruct us in our trials, and carry us in Your arms when we are overwhelmed.

Has the Lord led you through a crisis? Tell us about His faithfulness on Facebook.com/ourdailybread

The darkness of trials only makes God's grace shine brighter.

INSIGHT:

The epistle of James was written to a very specific audience--the twelve tribes scattered among the nations (1:1). This scattering refers to the results of the persecution of the early church in first-century Jerusalem. Following the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7) and the execution of James the brother of John (12:1-2), the church became exposed to widespread attack, forcing Jewish followers of Christ to evacuate their homeland in search of safety while taking the message of Jesus with them. This persecution, intended to wipe out the church, instead caused the message of the gospel to spread throughout the world. Bill Crowder

[MEG33]

Happy Monday To Amy's Place

Point agony was triggered in my back and I could not get on the
computer last night.
I had a great visit with my son...and much accomplished.
I will be working on the FReepathon when the back allows.
Trish has her ill dog Dinah to be concerned with and Onyx has
computer problems.
Hope Your Week Goes Well.

[Kitty Mittens]

I'm Sorry your Back is Hurting, Dear Meg!
(((((Lifting Prayers, with All my Heart)))))

[The Mayor]

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Don’t Walk Away

April 5, 2016

Before you were born I set you apart. Jeremiah 1:5

In 1986, John Piper nearly quit as minister of a large church. At that time he admitted in his journal: "I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand." But Piper didn't walk away, and God used him to lead a thriving ministry that would eventually reach far beyond his church.

Although success is a word easily misunderstood, we might call John Piper successful. But what if his ministry had never flourished?

The Father yearns for everyone to turn to Him.

God gave the prophet Jeremiah a direct call. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you," God said. "Before you were born I set you apart" (Jer. 1:5). God encouraged him not to fear his enemies, "for I am with you and will rescue you" (v. 8).

Jeremiah later lamented his commission with ironic language for a man with a prenatal calling. "Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!" (15:10).

God did protect Jeremiah, but his ministry never thrived. His people never repented. He saw them slaughtered, enslaved, and scattered. Yet despite a lifetime of discouragement and rejection, he never walked away. He knew that God didn't call him to success but to faithfulness. He trusted the God who called him. Jeremiah's resilient compassion shows us the heart of the Father, who yearns for everyone to turn to Him.

Do you sense a call from God? Where in your calling have you encountered discouragement? How do you define success, and how do you react to it when you experience it?

Beware of giving up too soon. Our emotions are not reliable guides. John Piper

INSIGHT:

Today's reading recounts God's setting apart of Jeremiah the prophet. The Scriptures tell us that God appointed him as a prophet at a young age. His ministry would last for over 40 years and would coincide with the reigns of five kings of Judah--Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. Jeremiah is called "the weeping prophet," and it was during his ministry that Israel's disobedience prompted the exile and captivity by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. Jeremiah's ministry saw many heartbreaking things, including the forced march of Daniel and other young men from the royal families of Israel into Babylonian exile (Dan. 1:1-6). Dennis Moles

[MEG33]

Amen Thank you, Rus, for staring our day off right every day.

[MEG33]

Good GratiTuesday To Amy's Place

"There's a calmness to a life lived in gratitude...a quiet joy."
_ Ralph Blum
I'm grateful there are periods the back isn't throwing a tantrum!
It's a gorgeous morning with blue skies.
I Wish You A Lovely Grateful Day

[MEG33]

Thank you, dear Kitty, for your prayers...They are helping!

[luvie]

[MEG33]

I love this, LUV!
Amen!

[luvie]

Thank you! Traffic is so light today. I wonder if it’s because of the IP issue.

I started the live thread for the Wisconsin Primary and it’s even slow. LOL!

[MEG33]

I think it is because of the IP problems...No problem with my access to FR yet!

I notice Jim has not started a new thread for the FReepathon today either.

[luvie]

Oh, I didn’t notice that! I’m sure he would have at least posted updated donations by now!

[MEG33]

I think the donation link is not working for many even when they finally gain access to FR.

[luvie]

Just tested. It’s working for me. I’d love for it to go quickly this time! LOL