Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... April, May and June, 2017

April 1, 2017 | JustAmy; Meg33, The Mayor; Trisham;

[MEG33]

Weare having a thunderstorm...If I disappear today it may be from a power loss.

[MEG33]

Weare having a thunderstorm...If I disappear today it may be from a power loss.

[MEG33]

Beautiful devotional, Rus.
I Am So Grateful To You For Our Daily Bread

[luvie]

Beautiful! We saw lots of them on our way to Houston! I wanted to stop and take picture, be we were on a mission, as it were.

[luvie]

Nathaniel Ladies Ensemble~Thanks To God

Statler Brothers~Sweet Beulah Land

Casting Crowns~Praise You In The Storm

Providence~O Come Angel Band

Bill Gaither/Velstal Goodman~The Lighthouse

The Trevecca Madrigalians~It Is Well With My Soul

Jeff Beck~Amazing Grace

Have a blessed Sunday

[MEG33]

Thank you, (((LUV))).
We just had a downpour..It’s later today that looks dangerous...especially for E Texas.
The rain is so welcome!

[left that other site]

Good Morning!

May You Have a Blessed Sunday!

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

A Heart of Compassion

April 3, 2017

Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

Seven of us were attending a musical production at a crowded amusement park. Wanting to sit together, we tried to squeeze into one row. But as we did, a woman rushed between us. My wife mentioned to her that we wanted to stay together, but the woman quickly said, “Too bad,” as she and her two companions pushed on into the row.

As three of us sat one row behind the other four, my wife, Sue, noticed that the woman had an adult with her who appeared to have special needs. She had been trying to keep her little group together so she could take care of her friend. Suddenly, our irritation faded. Sue said, “Imagine how tough things are for her in a crowded place like this.” Yes, perhaps the woman did respond rudely. But we could respond with compassion rather than anger.

Compassion is understanding the troubles of others.

Wherever we go, we will encounter people who need compassion. Perhaps these words from the apostle Paul can help us view everyone around us in a different light—as people who need the gentle touch of grace. “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12). He also suggests that we “bear with each other and forgive one another” (v. 13).

As we show compassion, we will be pointing others to the One who poured out His heart of grace and compassion on us. 

Your compassions never fail, Father. May we mirror Your heart by showing compassion to others.

Compassion is understanding the troubles of others.

INSIGHT:

Compassion is not just feeling pity for a needy person; our emotions must move us to relieve the misery of that person. The apostle Paul calls us to “be kind and compassionate to one another” (Eph. 4:32) and “to follow God’s example” (5:1). Jesus commands us to be “compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate” (Luke 6:36 nlt). In one of the greatest self-revelations in the Bible, God described Himself as “the compassionate and gracious God” (Ex. 34:6). We echo with the apostle James, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11).

Imagine a world without compassion. What would it be like? How is showing compassion essential for God’s children?

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

His Word the Last Word

April 4, 2017

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 63:6–7

Dawson Trotman, a dynamic Christian leader of the mid-twentieth century and founder of The Navigators, emphasized the importance of the Bible in the life of every Christian. Trotman ended each day with a practice he called “His Word the last word.” Before going to sleep he meditated on a memorized Bible verse or passage, then prayed about its place and influence in his life. He wanted the last words he thought about each day to be God’s words.

The psalmist David wrote, “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings”  (Ps. 63:6–7). Whether we are in great difficulty or enjoying a time of peace, our last thought at night can ease our minds with the rest and comfort God gives. It may also set the tone for our first thought the next morning.

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 63:7

A friend and his wife conclude each day by reading aloud a Bible passage and daily devotional with their four children. They welcome questions and thoughts from each child and talk about what it means to follow Jesus at home and school. They call it their version of “His Word the last word” for each day.

What better way to end our day!

Thank You Father, for Your Word in our hearts and our minds—our last thought at night as we rest securely in You.

The Spirit of God renews our minds when we meditate on the Word of God.

INSIGHT:

Psalm 63 can encourage us as we reflect on how the psalmist David brought his struggles to God. First, he expressed his thirst for the living God as being like a thirsty man yearning for life-giving water (vv. 1–2). Second, he observed God’s glory in the sanctuary and compared it to eating and being satisfied by delicious and nourishing food (vv. 3–5). Third, even when he was on his bed at night, he meditated on his Creator and Savior and felt the closeness of God’s love (vv. 6–8). Fourth, he trusted God for protection when he encountered real-life enemies (vv. 9–10). Finally, the psalmist admitted that his power didn’t come from his regal position. Instead, it was rooted in the living God who brings joy to the heart and glory to His name (v. 11).

What can we learn from David’s example? Why not spend some time today reflecting on the character of God.

[trisham]

Koko Tenno

It is for thy sake
That I seek the fields in spring,
Gathering green herbs,
While my garment's hanging sleeves
Are with falling snow beflecked.

Ogura Hyakunin Isshu

A Happy GratiTuesday to everyone here at Amy's Place!

[MEG33]

Love this...I hope your snow is gone!

[left that other site]

Happy Gratituesday!

I am grateful for crocuses,
Who bravely peek their heads through the snow,
To see if Spring has arrived.

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[MEG33]

Happy GratiTuesday To Amy's Place

This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the
spheres.
This is my Father's world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker's
praise._ Maltbie Davenport Babcock,
I'm Grateful To God For His Beautiful Spring World

[luvie]

Grateful for the scent of lilacs!
God is Good!
Happy GratiTuesday!

[trisham]

Thanks MEG! We still have about 3 inches of snow in the part of the front yard that is in shadow all day. It’s shaded by the house. It was in the high 50s yesterday but it’s still getting near freezing or below most nights. We’re at about 400 feet elevation here in the foothills.

I’m guessing that you have some trees and flowers blooming? I can’t wait!

[MEG33]

Oh yes ...Spring comes here much earlier.
(So does summer heat)

[Kitty Mittens]

Thank you for the Beautiful Daily Pings, Dear FRiends.
(((((Hugs, and God Bless)))))

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

Kossi’s Courage

April 5, 2017

You shall have no other gods before me. . . . You shall not bow down to them or worship them. Exodus 20:3, 5

As he awaited his baptism in Togo’s Mono River, Kossi stooped to pick up a worn wooden carving. His family had worshiped the object for generations. Now they watched as he tossed the grotesque figure into a fire prepared for the occasion. No longer would their choicest chickens be sacrificed to this god.

In the West, most Christians think of idols as metaphors for what they put in place of God. In Togo, West Africa, idols represent literal gods that must be appeased with sacrifice. Idol burning and baptism make a courageous statement about a new believer’s allegiance to the one true God.

You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

As an eight-year-old, King Josiah came to power in an idol-worshiping, sex-obsessed culture. His father and grandfather had been two of the worst kings in all of Judah’s sordid history. Then the high priest discovered the book of the law. When the young king heard its words, he took them to heart (2 Kings 22:8–13). Josiah destroyed the pagan altars, burned the vile items dedicated to the goddess Asherah, and stopped the ritual prostitution (ch. 23). In place of these practices, he celebrated the Passover (23:21–23).

Whenever we look for answers apart from God—consciously or subconsciously—we pursue a false god. It would be wise to ask ourselves: What idols, literal or figurative, do we need to throw on the fire?

Lord, forgive us for those things we turn to that show our hearts are not focused on You. Show us what we need to give up, and replace it with the presence of Your Holy Spirit.

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21

INSIGHT:

Ask God to help you see false trusts that are robbing you of the joy of living in the presence and joy of the One whose mercy and love are more real and sure than the air we breathe.

[MEG33]

Welcome To Warm Fuzzy Wednesday
At Amy's Place

Bluebonnet Time In Texas

Children Are Flowers

Children are flowers.
That you didn’t know?
Why else would the dirt be,
A place that they grow?

They glory in showers,
Of rain that may fall,
And wave in the breezes,
That Spring brings to call.

Their laughter and smiling,
Are perfumes of mind.
Yes, children are flowers,
My favorite kind.

NicknamedBob . . . . . May 4, 2008

I Wish You A Warm Spring Day

[MEG33]

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