Amy's Place .. Poetry and Potpourri .. Dec. 19-20-21, 2003

12-19-2003 | JustAmy, St. Louie1 and Mama_Bear

[The Mayor]

Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. —2 Peter 1:21

You can trust the Bible—God always keeps His word.

[The Mayor]

December 21, 2003

Always Right

Read: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. —2 Peter 1:21

Bible In One Year: 1 Peter 3-5

---

A weatherman boasted, "I'm 90 percent right—10 percent of the time." That's a ridiculous statement, but some people resort to that type of doubletalk to cover up a poor record.

The Bible's prophetic record, though, truly is accurate. Let's look at a few examples.

The Lord Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) at the time specified (Daniel 9:25). Infants in Bethlehem were massacred as prophesied (Jeremiah 31:15). Jesus went down into Egypt and returned (Hosea 11:1). Isaiah foretold Christ's ministry in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-2). Zechariah predicted His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a colt (Zechariah 9:9) and His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver (11:12-13). David had never seen a Roman crucifixion, yet in Psalm 22, under divine inspiration, he penned a graphic portrayal of Jesus' death. Isaiah 53 gives a detailed picture of our Lord's rejection, mistreatment, death, and burial. These few prophecies (and there are many more) should impress us with the reliability of the Bible.

Since these predictions have all been fulfilled, let us also accept with confidence what the Bible says about the future. Remember, we have a book of prophecy that is right—all of the time! —Richard De Haan

I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever;
For though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever! —Luther

You can trust the Bible—God always keeps His word.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Morning, ((((((Sis)))))))

Happy Sunday to ALL!

Hey, Donnie....any hugs for Wolfie today? : )

Er....or from any of you? : )

[JustAmy]

Good Morning, Bro!


I think there is a lesson for sisters in your cartoon. LOL

((((((( Bro )))))))
I've been saving these for you!

[JustAmy]

Angels, Once in a While...

In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two. Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared. Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. He did manage to leave 15 dollars a week to buy groceries. Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no food either.

If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, I certainly knew nothing about it. I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress. I loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job. The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town. No luck. The kids stayed, crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince whomever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job. Still no luck.

The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in that had been converted to a truck stop. It was called the Big Wheel. An old lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids. She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 cents an hour and I could start that night. I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for people. I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal.

That night when all the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-fully half of what I averaged every night.

As the weeks went by, heating bills added another strain to my meager wage. The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home. One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires! There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires. Had angels taken up residence in Indiana? I wondered.

I made a deal with the owner of the local service station. In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office. I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tires. I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough.

Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids. I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning. Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair.

On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. These were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up. When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning I hurried to the car.

I was hoping the kids wouldn't wake up before I managed to get home and get the presents from the basement and place them under the tree (we had cut down a small cedar tree by the side of the road down by the dump). It was still dark and I couldn't see much, but there appeared to be some dark shadows in the car-or was that just a trick of the night? Something certainly looked different, but it was hard to tell what. When I reached the car I peered warily into one of the side windows. Then my jaw dropped in amazement.

My old battered Chevy was full-full to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes. I quickly opened the driver's side door, scrambled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat. Reaching back, I pulled the lid off the top box. Inside was a whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes: There were candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll.

As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning. Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop.

I BELIEVE IN ANGELS! They live next door, around the corner, work in your office, patrol your neighborhood, call you at midnight to hear you laugh and listen to you cry, teach your children, and you see them everyday without even knowing it!

- Unknown

[deadhead]

A big bear hug for ya Louie.
Hope you are feeling better.

Just finished my shopping, now I am
going out to buy my tree (finally) LOL

[Libertina]

Joyous Sunday morning Amy and FR's Finest!
May the Lord shower you with His abundance,
blessings, and peace in this New Year 2004

[The Mayor]

What Christmas Ought to Be

When the Christmas time draws near
We think of joys and Christmas cheer
Of Santa with his reindeer and his sleigh.

But long ago, we should recall,
The Bethlehem Babe was born for all
To show the world the life, the truth, the
way.
To show the world His mercy and grace

The spirit of Christmas
Is the spirit of Love. God's LOVE
It's something that you cannot buy,
It's something from above.

The presents that you give and get
Are nothing but a token,
For if they don't come filled with love,
The Christmas spirit's broken.

Just singing Christmas carols and
Just ringing Jingle Bells,
Means nothing if you do not know
The story that it tells.
Of a Savior (God's Son) that came
To Sacrifice His life to pay for our sins
Of a Savior that rescued us from eternal condemnation
Of a Savior that inputted His righteousness on us
so we may be acceptable to the Father.
Of a Savior that transformed men's heart.
Of a Savior that cleanses us as white as snow.
Of a Savior's unconditional love for you and me.

So, 'midst the din and tinsel as you
Trim the Christmas tree
Let a newborn love for Jesus an others
enfold you embrace you, uphold you; uplift you
That's the true idea of Christmas.
That's is the "reason" for the season
It is not about Santa and his reindeer
It is not about the a new shirt or a new jacket
It is not about the latest Nintendo game
It is all about Christ and our eternal destiny
It is all about "God in flesh" that came to save us
It is all about accepting Jesus as our Lord and Master
It is all about walking through the gate to Heaven
That's what Christmas means to me
And I hope this is what it means to you also

Have A Merry Christ centered Christmas
God Bless you and keep you always

[The Mayor]

Very heart felt and telling story.

The first paragraph could have been of my life in 1962

Thankyou, there are Angels out there right around us all the time.

[Mama_Bear]

....any hugs for Wolfie today? : ) Er....or from any of you? : )

From me to you...

I'm off to brave the crowds one last time before Christmas. (If I'm not back by sundown, send a search and rescue team out after me.)

SMOOOOOOOOCH!

[larryjohnson]

* Missing *


I'm not lost;
I need a poem,
When I post:
I shall return.

[Mama_Bear]

"The word is celebrate. C-e-l-e-b-R-a-t-e!"

LOL!!! Tell Sheila that one made me laugh.

[Mama_Bear]

Just stopping by to say hello before I go out and brave the crowds. Hope you all have a wonderful day.

.........

[The Mayor]

A BABY'S HUG

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a
high chair and noticed everyone was quietly seating and talking.

Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi!" He pounded his fat
baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes we crinkled in laughter and his
mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose
pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of
would-be shoes.

His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and Unwashed. His whiskers
were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it
looked like a road map.

We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands
waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby; Hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?"

Erik continued to laugh and answer, "Hi, hi !" Everyone in the
restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was
creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.

Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya
patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo."

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed.

We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his
repertoire for the admiring skidrow bum, who in turn, reciprocated with
his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot.

The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed.

As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and
avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm,
reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up" position. Before I
could
stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his
tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder.

The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged
hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and
stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a
time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine.

He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." SomehowI managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest lovelingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received
my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my
Christmas gift." I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms,
I ran for the car.

My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly,and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me."

I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind,
holding a child who was not.

I felt it was God asking, "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?"
when He shared His for all eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."

[lonestar]

Christmas Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup of water

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup of brown sugar

1 T. lemon juice

4 large eggs

1 cup nuts

2 cups of dried fruit

1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequilla

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer...Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one teaspoon of sugar...Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still OK, try another cup ... just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit, Pick the frigging fruit off floor... Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.

CHERRY MISTMAS

[JustAmy]

Oh My Gosh ...... what a beautiful story. I'm sitting here with misty eyes and feelings of joy for the drunk. I'm so happy he was given the gift of love by that baby. I kinda got all shivery reading that.

Thank you for that story of Christmas. A little child shall lead them.

[The Mayor]

This is the first time I have sat and checked my e-mail.

Both of those posts were sent to me by friends.
Glad you enjoyed it, I felt the same when i read it..

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hi everyone!

I love the Christmas prayer and poems you're posting, Amy. Oh, and the graphics are awesome! Thanks so much.

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Christmas Bliss

Christmas comes but once a year,
with it presents and good cheer.
Presents bought and exchanged with all,
some returned the next day to the mall.

Parties and rich foods are plentiful,
making us forget we have a weight goal.
There are never enough hours in the day,
to buy all the things, or money to pay.

We go in debt for this occasion,
it doesn't take much persuasion.
Our children have such long gift lists,
and plenty of dreams of Christmas Bliss.

Then it passes for another year,
and we have bills up to our ears.
But in the year of 2004,
We'll do it again -- Happily.

Merry Christmas!

-- Author Unknown

[JustAmy]

Good Afternoon, Meekie.

Looks like it is going to be a fine day in Texas.

Make sure you tell Carl that we appreciate the coffee.

[JustAmy]

I know how you can become a millionaire ......
set up a booth at the Democratic National Convention.