Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... July, August and September, 2018

July 1, 2018 | Meg33, The Mayor, Trisham, JustAmy

[luvie]

Beautiful! ((((hugs))))

[luvie]

Thankful that the lowly squash blossom
...is so beautiful!
Happy Thankful Thursday!

[left that other site]

Happy Thankful Thursday!

I am Thankful for my freedom!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[potlatch]

(((HUGS))) back Kitty! :)

[potlatch]

(((HUGS))) back to you Luv, and to everyone.

[The Mayor]

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Hidden Beauty

July 6, 2018

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Our children needed a little coaxing to believe that it was worth putting on snorkeling gear to peer beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea off the shore of the island of Tobago. But after they dove in, they resurfaced ecstatic, “There are thousands of fish of all different kinds! It’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen such colorful fish!”

Because the surface of the water looked similar to freshwater lakes near our home, our children could have missed the beauty hidden just below the surface.

When the prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king, Samuel saw the oldest son, Eliab, and was impressed by his appearance. The prophet thought he had found the right man, but the Lord rejected Eliab. God reminded Samuel that He “does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

So Samuel asked if there were more sons. The youngest boy wasn’t present but caring for the family’s sheep. This son, David, was summoned and the Lord directed Samuel to anoint him.

Often we look at people only on a surface level and don’t always take the time to see their inner, sometimes hidden, beauty. We don’t always value what God values. But if we take the time to peer beneath the surface, we may find great treasure.

Heavenly Father, thank You for not valuing people based on outward appearances but instead by looking at our hearts. Help me to take the time to see beyond simply what my eyes can see in order to discover true and lasting beauty. 

God can help me to see the inner beauty in others.

INSIGHT

Who taught you how to think about yourself and others?

Long before Samuel looked for a king among the sons of Jesse, God was teaching His children to see below the surface of our skin. From the days of Eden, He has been showing people like us that what happens in our hearts is more important than our outward appearance.

How has God’s interaction with the men and women of the Bible helped you to think about yourself and Him?

[MEG33]

GOOD MORNING TO AMY'S PLACE

WEARING RED ON FRIDAY TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
*HUGS*
Wishing You All A Wonderful Weekend

[trisham]

The Life Of A Cat

Sleep.

Eat.

Sleep.

Play with string.

Sleep.

Eat.

Sleep.

Hunt a bug.

Sleep.

Eat.

Sleep.

Sleep.

Sleep

Laurence Overmire

Happy Caturday, Dogurday and Bunnyday, everyone!

[left that other site]

Summertime!

AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY! For a cat, anyway. :-)

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[The Mayor]

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Declaring Dependence

July 7, 2018

Apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Laura’s mom was battling cancer. One morning Laura prayed for her with a friend. Her friend, who had been disabled for years by cerebral palsy, prayed: “Lord, you do everything for me. Please do everything for Laura’s mother.”

Laura was deeply moved by her friend’s “declaration of dependence” on God. Reflecting on the moment, she said, “How often do I acknowledge my need for God in everything? It’s something I should do every day!”

During His days on earth Jesus demonstrated continual dependence on His heavenly Father. One might think that because Jesus is God in a human body, He would have the best of all reasons to be self-sufficient. But when the religious authorities asked Him to give a reason for “working” on a legally ordained day of rest because He healed someone on the Sabbath, He responded, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing” (John 5:19). Jesus declared His dependence as well!

Jesus’s reliance on the Father sets the ultimate example of what it means to live in relationship with God. Every moment we draw breath is a gift from God, and He wants our lives to be filled with His strength. When we live to love and serve Him through our moment-by-moment prayer and reliance on His Word, we are declaring our dependence on Him.

I need You for everything, Lord! Help me to live to serve You. I praise You for being my Savior and my strength!

Prayerlessness is our declaration of independence from God. Daniel Henderson

INSIGHT

In John 5, Jesus had just performed a remarkable miracle by healing a man disabled for thirty-eight years. This feat indisputably established Jesus’s unprecedented power, yet He encountered controversy despite the miracle. When challenged by religious critics, the Lord didn’t grow defensive, as we might have. Nor did He flaunt His great power, though we are often tempted to boast of “our” abilities. Instead, the One who created everything directed attention away from His own remarkable works and toward His heavenly Father (v. 19).

Am I tempted to take credit for my abilities and deeds? Do I feel a need to vindicate myself? When we understand our inherent dependence on God, we are far less likely to boast in our accomplishments or to retaliate in the face of opposition.

[luvie]

🌼Happy Lazy Summer Caturday!🌼

[MEG33]

And Wishing You All A Great Caturday

[Kitty Mittens]

Thank you for the Cute Caturday Pings, Dear FRiends.
(((((Hugs, and God Bless)))))

[luvie]

LOL! Soooo cute!

[luvie]

Casting Crowns~Praise You In The Storm

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir~How Great Thou Art

Daniel O'Donnel~Church In The Wildwood

Statler Brothers~Amazing Grace

Gaither Vocal Band~Heaven's Joy Awaits

St. Olaf Choir~When Peace Like A River

Providence~Sweet Beulah Land

GOD BLESS YOU THIS LORD'S DAY!

[The Mayor]

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Many Gifts, One Purpose

July 8, 2018

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12

Corn, also called maize, is the staple food in my home country of Mexico. There are so many different types. You can find yellow, brown, red, and black cobs, even ones with a wonderful spotted pattern. But people in the cities usually won’t eat the spotted cobs. Restaurateur and researcher Amado Ramírez explains that they believe uniformity is a synonym of quality. Yet the spotted cobs taste good, and they make excellent tortillas.

The church of Christ is much more similar to a spotted ear of corn than to a cob of just one color. The apostle Paul used the imagery of a body to describe the church, because even though we are all one body, and we have the same God, each of us has been given a different gift. As Paul said, “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (1 Corinthians 12:5–6). Our diversity in the ways we help each other shows God’s generosity and creativity.

As we embrace our diversity, may we also make every effort to keep our unity in faith and purpose. Yes, we have different abilities and backgrounds. We speak different languages and come from different countries. But we have the same wonderful God, the Creator who delights in so much variety.

Father, may we make every effort to be one, respecting and valuing each other and our various gifts and talents.

We need one another in order to be what God wants us to be.

INSIGHT

Romans 12:6–8 and 1 Corinthians 12 provide important instruction about spiritual gifts: All Christians have been given gifts; all gifts have different but equally important functions; all are from God; and all are to be used to build up others in the church. We have no reason to boast about our gifts because they are products of God’s grace. “In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (Romans 12:5–6).

How can you use your gifts to promote unity?

[MEG33]

~Good Sunday Morning To Amy's Place~

***
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you
may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

~I Wish You A Blessed Lord's Day~

[left that other site]

Have a Blessed Sunday!

"The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance..” Psalm 33 NASB

God Bless America!

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[Jane Austen]

Beautiful thought.

[Kitty Mittens]

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