Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... January, February and March, 2017

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

[MEG33]

75 here, too! The house is cooler inside.

Weird winter!

[luvie]

It sure has been. I think I dread summer this year! Ugh!

[trisham]

Beautiful! I always look forward to your posts, MEG!

[MEG33]

Thank you, (((trish))).

[MEG33]

So much, dear FRiends, for coming by and sharing
your comments and cute graphics.
I Wish You A Pleasant Evening

[The Mayor]

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

The Advocate

February 9, 2017

If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1

From a Florida prison cell in June 1962, Clarence Earl Gideon wrote a note asking the United States Supreme Court to review his conviction for a crime he said he didn’t commit. He added that he didn’t have the means to hire a lawyer.

One year later, in the historic case of Gideon v. Wainright, the Supreme Court ruled that people who cannot afford the cost of their own defense must be given a public defender—an advocate—provided by the state. With this decision, and with the help of a court-appointed lawyer, Clarence Gideon was retried and acquitted.

Help us to know what it means to have the freedom of Your love and presence.

But what if we are not innocent? According to the apostle Paul, we are all guilty. But the court of heaven provides an Advocate who, at God’s expense, offers to defend and care for our soul (1 John 2:2). On behalf of His Father, Jesus comes to us offering a freedom that even prison inmates have described as better than anything they’ve experienced on the outside. It is a freedom of heart and mind.

Whether suffering for wrongs done by us or to us, we all can be represented by Jesus. By the highest of authority He responds to every request for mercy, forgiveness, and comfort.

Jesus, our Advocate, can turn a prison of lost hope, fear, or regret into the place of His presence.

Father in heaven, please help us to know what it means to have the freedom of Your love and presence. May we experience this freedom even in places that we have only seen as our confinement!

The one who died as our substitute now lives as our advocate.

INSIGHT:

John encourages us to be honest about ourselves. Actually, his words are more of a warning than they are encouragement. Writing to a struggling church, John reminds his readers that we all struggle with sin and the claim that we don’t struggle has several drastic consequences: We deceive ourselves, the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8), we make God out to be a liar, and His word is not in us (v. 10). But John’s point is not a downer. Those warnings surround a very familiar promise. Our sins do not keep us from God—because when we acknowledge (confess) them, we are forgiven for them (v. 9). What do you need to confess as sin and then trust that God has forgiven?

[trisham]

"Sometimes the questions are complicated

and the answers are simple."

Dr. Seuss

Have a wonderful thankful Thursday, everyone!

[left that other site]

18” of snow, and 50mph winds. Penny REFUSES to go out, even with her purple coat.

I can’t say that I blame her.

[trisham]

Wow! I don't blame her either! We only have 10+ inches of snow here. I'm glad. Mr. trisham used the snow rake on part of the roof and shoveled off a section of the deck so that Bongo could go out. Clearing the driveway is going to be difficult, but that's his job. I usually do the deck and stairs, the front steps and walk. The front walk is at least 100 feet, plus steps down to the driveway and steps up to the front door. It's good exercise, though.

Bongo and Frankie:

Bongo has a big head but his body is little.

[left that other site]

I bought a roof rake, but don’t even know how to put it together.

I shoveled out to the street, but it is all filled in again. I am hoping the high wind will blow the snow off the roof.

I am really discouraged.

[The Mayor]

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

Leaning on Jesus

February 10, 2017

One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. John 13:23

Sometimes when I put my head on my pillow at night and pray, I imagine I’m leaning on Jesus. Whenever I do this, I remember something the Word of God tells us about the apostle John. John himself writes about how he was sitting beside Jesus at the Last Supper: “One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him” (John 13:23).

John used the term “the disciple whom Jesus loved” as a way of referring to himself without mentioning his own name. He is also depicting a typical banquet setting in first-century Israel, where the table was much lower than those we use today, about knee height. Reclining without chairs on a mat or cushions was the natural position for those around the table. John was sitting so close to the Lord that when he turned to ask him a question, he was “leaning back against Jesus” (John 13:25), with his head on his chest.

God, I cast all my cares on You and praise You because You are faithful.

John’s closeness to Jesus in that moment provides a helpful illustration for our lives with Him today. We may not be able to touch Jesus physically, but we can entrust the weightiest circumstances of our lives to Him. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). How blessed we are to have a Savior whom we can trust to be faithful through every circumstance of our lives! Are you “leaning” on Him today?

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to lean on You today and to trust You as my source of strength and hope. I cast all my cares on You and praise You because You are faithful.

Jesus alone gives the rest we need.

[MEG33]

Good Morning To Amy's Place

Everyday And By Wearing Red
On Friday
*Wishing You A Great Weekend*

[MEG33]

Hoping you get warmer weather and the snow melts.
(((HUGS)))

[luvie]

Chris DeBurgh~The Lady In Red

[JustAmy]

Graphic by Billie

Wishing everyone a Happy Friday.
Wearing red to remember our troops and our veterans.

The Mayor .. thank you for bringing us coffee with Our Daily Bread every morning. We appreciate you.

Meg33 .. Thank you for opening the doors with you wonderful graphics and messages. I appreciate all of your work on FR and Amy's Place. HUGS

Trisham .. Thank you for sharing your cute graphics and poems to help keep our doors open. Thank you for your dedication on the fundraiser threads and for being here. HUGS

LTOS ... Always enjoy your messages and your graphics. Thank you for being here.

Luv ... Thank you for bringing music to Our Place. I love our Friday theme song.

Kitty Mittens ... I really enjoy your good night graphics. Thank you for sharing them with us.

All.... Thank you for being here. It is always good to see you and your messages. I appreciate you.

[luvie]

You’re welcome, Amy. Love your graphic!

[The Mayor]

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

I Know Everything

February 11, 2017

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Psalm 139:3

Our son and daughter-in-law had an emergency. Our grandson Cameron was suffering from pneumonia and bronchitis and needed to go to the hospital. They asked if we could pick up their five-year-old son, Nathan, from school and take him home. Marlene and I were glad to do so.

When Nathan got in the car, Marlene asked, “Are you surprised that we came to get you today?” He responded, “No!” When we asked why not, he replied, “Because I know everything!”

Our knowledge will always be limited, but knowing God is what matters most. We can trust Him.

A five-year-old can claim to know everything, but those of us who are a bit older know better. We often have more questions than answers. We wonder about the whys, whens, and hows of life—often forgetting that though we do not know everything, we know the God who does.

Psalm 139:1 and 3 speak of our all-knowing God’s all-encompassing, intimate understanding of us. David says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. . . . You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” How comforting to know God loves us perfectly, is fully aware of what we will face today, and He knows how best to help us in every circumstance of life.

Our knowledge will always be limited, but knowing God is what matters most. We can trust Him.

Thank You, Lord, that You know everything about me and what I need.

Learn how to enjoy the presence of God. For help, go to discoveryseries.org/q0718.

Knowing God is what matters most.

INSIGHT:

God knows who we are (Ps. 139:1–6), who we are becoming (vv. 7–12), and how we got where we are (vv. 13–18). Consider praying Psalm 139:1 as both a confession and an invitation. Take comfort in the fact that God knows and loves you, and invite Him to take you to places of greater intimacy with Him.

[trisham]

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen passed our way last night,
Between the darkness and the light,
And flowers from an enchanted star,
Fell showerlike from her flying car.

And silently through all the hours,
The trees have borne their magic flowers,
And now stand up with dauntless head,
To catch the morning's gold and red.

Dollie Redford

Happy Caturday, Dogurday and Bunnyday, everyone!

[luvie]

What a beauty!

[MEG33]

*The Mayor*

*Wishing You A Wonderful Day*