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

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

[JustAmy]

Welcome To....


'Amy's Place' welcomes all poets
and those who enjoy poetry.
'Amy's Place' is more than just about poetry.
Come in, relax, and share with fellow FReepers
your thoughts about any of the things on the *Menu*.

Enjoy! :)









Never Forget!





Bad Penny



Amy's personal guardian ~
the ever charming, lovable, huggable,
LouieWolf




Many thanks for stopping by. : )

[The Mayor]

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Singing with Violet

May 11, 2017

I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Philippians 1:23–24

An elderly woman named Violet sat on her bed in a Jamaican infirmary and smiled as some teenagers stopped to visit with her. The hot, sticky, midday air came into her little group home unabated, but she didn’t complain. Instead, she began wracking her mind for a song to sing. Then a huge smile appeared and she sang, “I am running, skipping, jumping, praising the Lord!” As she sang, she swung her arms back and forth as if she were running. Tears came to those around her, for Violet had no legs. She was singing because, she said, “Jesus loves me—and in heaven I will have legs to run with.”

Violet’s joy and hopeful anticipation of heaven give new vibrancy to Paul’s words in Philippians 1 when he referred to life-and-death issues. “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me,” he said. “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (vv. 22–23).

When God gives us a new beginning, we find a joy that’s never ending.

Each of us faces tough times that may cause us to long for the promise of heavenly relief. But as Violet showed us joy despite her current circumstances, we too can keep “running, skipping, praising the Lord”—both for the abundant life He gives us here and for the ultimate joy that awaits us.

Lord, when times are tough, help me to find joy. Help us to live in the tough times of this world with happiness while looking ahead to something “better by far.” 

 

 

When God gives us a new beginning, we find a joy that’s never ending.

INSIGHT:

Paul’s mixed feelings about life didn’t seem to be rooted in a moment of crisis or despair. Ever since his encounter with the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus he’d found a different understanding of what it means to live with purpose and to die with gain. Before he met Christ, his goal had been to inflict pain and suffering on followers of Jesus. But then he learned what it meant to consider it an honor to accept whatever it took to help others discover the mercy and kindness he’d found in Jesus.

Describing the love that he now wanted others to know for themselves, Paul wrote, “I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more” (Phil. 1:8–9). Now—whether in life or death—Paul believed he couldn’t lose. 

[MEG33]

Good Morning To Amy's Place

Psalm 107:1
O Give Thanks To The Lord, For He Is
Good

I Wish You All A Lovely Thankful Thursday

[MEG33]

Thank you for this beautiful lesson, Rus.

[left that other site]

Happy Thankful Thursday!

May You Have a Blessed Day!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[givemWatts]

Glad to hear ‘all is well’. Thank you for lovely pic.

[givemWatts]

Amen

[luvie]

I am thankful...
Happy Thankful Thursday!

[Jane Austen]

Among my favorite flowers!

We used to have a lot of lilacs. Now, however, we have no luck in growing them. None of the florists sell them perhaps because they don't last as long as other blooms.

[The Mayor]

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

The Advocate

May 12, 2017

When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. John 16:13

As I boarded the airplane to study in a city a thousand miles from home, I felt nervous and alone. But during the flight, I remembered how Jesus promised His disciples the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’s friends must have felt bewildered when He told them, “It is for your good that I am going away” (John 16:7). How could they who witnessed His miracles and learned from His teaching be better off without Him? But Jesus told them that if He left, then the Advocate—the Holy Spirit—would come.

We who have accepted God’s offer of new life have been given this gift of His Spirit living within us.

Jesus, nearing His last hours on earth, shared with His disciples (in John 14–17, today known as the "Farewell Discourse") to help them understand His death and ascension. Central in this conversation was the coming Holy Spirit, an advocate who would be with them (14:16–17), teaching (15:15), testifying (v. 26), and guiding them (16:13).

We who have accepted God’s offer of new life have been given this gift of His Spirit living within us. From Him we receive so much: He convicts us of our sins and helps us to repent. He brings us comfort when we ache, strength to bear hardships, wisdom to understand God’s teaching, hope and faith to believe, love to share.

We can rejoice that Jesus sent us the Advocate.

Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to save us and Your Spirit to comfort and convict us. May we bring You glory as we thank You for Your goodness and love.

 

The Holy Spirit fills Jesus’s followers.

INSIGHT:

When Jesus comforts His disciples before His impending crucifixion and eventual ascension (going back to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father), Jesus says He must go away so the Holy Spirit will come. The disciples didn't know the Holy Spirit, so how would His coming comfort them? Jesus offers the answer. The Spirit will continue what Jesus started. He will bring conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He will speak to the disciples not simply on behalf of Jesus, but He will speak to them the very words Jesus speaks (John 16:13–15). The Spirit would be with them in a way that Jesus couldn’t be. No matter where each of them went, together or separately, the Spirit—and therefore Jesus Himself—would be with them. 

For more on the Holy Spirit read Filled with the Spirit at discoveryseries.org/q0301.

 

[MEG33]

Amen

[MEG33]

Good Morning Everyone

~Amy's Place Wears Red On Friday To Show Support For Our Troops~



Hope You Enjoy A Wonderful Weekend

[left that other site]

I May Be Maltese...

But I'm 'Merican All The way!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[luvie]

Chris DeBurgh~The Lady In Red

[trisham]

Red Friday, at Amy's Place
to support our troops!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

[The Mayor]

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

Camping Psalms

May 13, 2017

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:1

When my husband and I go for nature walks, we bring our cameras and take close-ups of the plants at our feet, which are like microcosms of the world. What amazing variety and beauty we see, even in the fungi that spring up overnight and dot the woods with splashes of bright orange, red, and yellow!

The snapshots of life that surround us inspire me to lift my eyes to the Maker who created not only mushrooms but also the stars in the heavens. He designed a world of infinite scope and variety. And He made you and me and placed us in the very middle of this beauty to enjoy and to rule over it (Gen. 1:27–28; Ps. 8:6–8).

How amazing that the great God who created the world in all its splendor cares for you and me!

My thoughts turn to one of our family’s “camping psalms”—psalms we read as we sit around the fire. “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. . . . When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Ps. 8:1–4).

How amazing that the great God who created the world in all its splendor cares for you and me!

O Lord, our majestic Maker, our hearts turn toward praise when we see snapshots of Your beautiful world. Thank You for creating us! Help us to rule Your world with wisdom.

Our Daily Bread welcomes writer Alyson Kieda! Meet Alyson and all our authors at odb.org/all-authors. 

A God wise enough to create me and the world I live in is wise enough to watch out for me.  Philip Yancey

 

INSIGHT:

The power God displayed in creation (Ps. 8) is not limited to creation alone. God also expressed His power when He raised Jesus from the dead, proving that Christ was (and is) the Son of God (Rom. 1:4). We also have the assurance that His power is available to work in and through us to carry us during the challenges of life. In fact, our weakness is the perfect platform to exhibit His power. Paul wrote, “[The Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Cor. 12:9).

Are you struggling with weakness? Reflect on the expansiveness of God’s power and then ask Him to help you discover that power in your situation.

[trisham]

My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet.

Edith Wharton

Happy Caturday, Dogurday and Bunnyday!

[trisham]

What an adorable little dog!!

[left that other site]

I used to have a Maltese who looked just like that. He used to ride on the Harley with me, had his own leathers, lived to be 17 and died in my arms of a heart attack.

RIP Odie, Riding Buddy.

[trisham]

What a great dog. You must miss him very much.

[left that other site]

I have had 3 dogs since, 5 in all, and i love them all. But Odie was the only one who rode with me.