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Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... July, August and September, 2017
July 1, 2017
| Meg33, The Mayor, Trisham, JustAmy
Posted on 07/01/2017 10:12:57 AM PDT by JustAmy
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To: Jim Robinson; JustAmy; MEG33; jaycee; dutchess; GodBlessUSA; deadhead; LUV W; DollyCali; Gabz; ...
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The Day I Couldnt Pray
September 28, 2017
The Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Romans 8:26
In November 2015, I learned I needed open-heart surgery. Surprised and a little shaken, I was naturally drawn to think about the possibility of death. Were there relationships I needed to mend? Were there financial matters I needed to attend to for my family? Was there work that could be done ahead of time? And what about work that couldnt wait; who should I hand that off to? It was a time to both act and pray.
Except I couldnt do either.
My body was so weary and my mind so fatigued that even the simplest of tasks seemed beyond my strength. Perhaps most surprising, when I tried to pray, my thoughts would drift to the discomfort, or the shallow breathing caused by the damaged heart made me fall asleep. It was frustrating. I couldnt work and I couldnt even ask God to let me live so I could spend more time with my family!
The inability to pray troubled me most. But as with all other human needs, the Creator knew this was happening to me. I would eventually recall He made two preparations for such occurrences: the prayer of the Spirit for us when we cant pray (Rom. 8:26), and the prayer of others on our behalf (James 5:16; Gal. 6:2).
What a comfort it was to know that the Holy Spirit was even then raising my concerns before the Father. What a gift also to hear from friends and family as they prayed for me. Then came another surprise: As my friends and family asked me what to pray for, it became clear that my answers to them were also being heard by God as prayers. What a gift it is in a time of uncertainty to be reminded God hears our heart even when we think we cant call out to Him.
God never leaves the voices of His children unheard.
Anyone who has traveled to a foreign country can understand the value of a good translator. Someone who is familiar with our language and that of the country we are visiting knows how to choose just the right words to communicate clearly.
Have you ever been in a situation so perplexing you didnt know the right words to use when you prayed? Because of our limited perspective and the distraction of our sinful inclinations we can sometimes struggle with prayer. Yet God the Holy Spirit is our intercessor. He groans with our concerns as He Himself makes our prayers conform to the will of God. Its a comfort that the Holy Spirit knows our own limitations and weaknesses and translates our requests to God in conformity with His will.
In what ways does understanding the intercession of the Holy Spirit comfort you when you find it hard to pray?
681
posted on
09/28/2017 5:34:37 AM PDT
by
The Mayor
(Honesty means never having to look over your shoulder.)
To: Jim Robinson; JustAmy; MEG33; jaycee; dutchess; GodBlessUSA; deadhead; LUV W; DollyCali; Gabz; ...
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Fresh Faith
September 29, 2017
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23
When our son was struggling with heroin addiction, if you had told me God would one day use our experience to encourage other families who face these kinds of battles, I would have had trouble believing it. God has a way of bringing good out of difficult circumstances that isnt always easy to see when you are going through them.
The apostle Thomas also didnt expect God to bring good out of the greatest challenge of his faithJesuss crucifixion. Thomas wasnt with the other disciples when Jesus came to them after the resurrection, and in his deep grief he insisted, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were . . . I will not believe (John 20:25). But later, when Jesus appeared to all the disciples together, out of the dust of Thomass doubts Gods Spirit would inspire a striking statement of faith. When Thomas exclaimed, My Lord and my God! (v. 28), he was grasping the truth that Jesus was actually God in the flesh, standing right in front of him. It was a bold confession of faith that would encourage and inspire believers in every century that followed.
Our God is able to inspire fresh faith in our hearts, even in moments when we least expect it. We can always look forward to His faithfulness. Nothing is too hard for Him!
Thank You, Lord, that Your love is stronger than our greatest difficultieseven our worst doubts or fears!
God can change our doubts into bold statements of faith.
Though God may seem silent or even out of sight, He is never absent (Heb. 13:5). He is sovereignly working out things for our good; nothing is ever wasted in the hands of our God (see Rom. 8:28). In 1 Corinthians 10:13 the apostle Paul assures us that God will most certainly work things out for us: The [trials] in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the [trials] to be more than you can stand. [God] will show you a way out so that you can endure (nlt). When going through the difficulties of life, let us in faith see him who is invisible because he who promised is faithful (Heb. 11:27; 10:23).
For further reflection, read 1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and 2 Timothy 2:13. Allow the faithful God to embrace you and give you fresh faith.
682
posted on
09/29/2017 6:21:35 AM PDT
by
The Mayor
(Honesty means never having to look over your shoulder.)
To: FRiends; trisham; The Mayor; JustAmy; LUV W; Kitty Mittens; left that other site; ...
*Happy Friday To Amy's Place*
* Wearing Red To Support Our Troops*
Wishing You All A Wonderful Weekend
![](http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e379/gantelle/militaryflowers/PATRIOTIC/FLAGS/s5bnme.gif)
683
posted on
09/29/2017 9:23:41 AM PDT
by
MEG33
(SUPPORIt's summer her!T FREE REPUBLIC***DONATE MONTHLY IF POSSIBLE)
To: MEG33; ConorMacNessa; LUV W; AZamericonnie; Brad's Gramma; JustAmy; oldteen; Kathy in Alaska; ...
Happy Friday!
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You bet I'm Wearing Red! BUT...the hat comes off for the Flag and the Anthem!
(((HUGS)))
ML/LTOS
To: left that other site; LUV W; Kathy in Alaska; beachn4fun; amysplace
At sun Down Yom Kippur Begins Yom Kippur Significance: Day of Atonement Observances: Fasting, Prayer and Repentance Length: 25 Hours Greeting: Have an easy fast Liturgy additions: Annulment of vows; lengthy confession of sins n the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and you shall not do any work ... For on that day he shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you from all your sins before the L-RD. -Leviticus 16:29-30 Yom Kippur is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year. Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri. The holiday is instituted at Leviticus 16:29-30. The Day of Atonement The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. In Days of Awe, I mentioned the "books" in which G-d inscribes all of our names. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends. As I noted in Days of Awe, Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and G-d, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur. Traditions Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes (Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers, flip flops or even Crocs under their dress clothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur. As always, any of these restrictions can be lifted where a threat to life or health is involved. In fact, children under the age of nine and women in childbirth (from the time labor begins until three days after birth) are not permitted to fast, even if they want to. Older children and women from the third to the seventh day after childbirth are permitted to fast, but are permitted to break the fast if they feel the need to do so. People with other illnesses should consult a physician and a rabbi for advice. Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and continue until about 3 PM. People then usually go home for an afternoon nap and return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, which continue until nightfall. The services end at nightfall, with the blowing of the tekiah gedolah, a long blast on the shofar. See Rosh Hashanah for more about the shofar and its characteristic blasts. It is customary to wear white on the holiday, which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18). Some people wear a kittel, the white robe in which the dead are buried. Yom Kippur Liturgy See also Jewish Liturgy generally. The liturgy for Yom Kippur is much more extensive than for any other day of the year. Liturgical changes are so far-reaching that a separate, special prayer book for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. This prayer book is called the machzor. Play Music The evening service that begins Yom Kippur is commonly known as Kol Nidre, named for the prayer that begins the service. "Kol nidre" means "all vows," and in this prayer, we ask G-d to annul all personal vows we may make in the next year. It refers only to vows between the person making them and G-d, such as "If I pass this test, I'll pray every day for the next 6 months!" Click the musical notes to hear a portion of the traditional tune for this prayer. This prayer has often been held up by anti-Semites as proof that Jews are untrustworthy (we do not keep our vows), and for this reason the Reform movement removed it from the liturgy for a while. In fact, the reverse is true: we make this prayer because we take vows so seriously that we consider ourselves bound even if we make the vows under duress or in times of stress when we are not thinking straight. This prayer gave comfort to those who were converted to Christianity by torture in various inquisitions, yet felt unable to break their vow to follow Christianity. In recognition of this history, the Reform movement restored this prayer to its liturgy. There are many additions to the regular liturgy (there would have to be, to get such a long service ). Perhaps the most important addition is the confession of the sins of the community, which is inserted into the Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah) prayer. Note that all sins are confessed in the plural (we have done this, we have done that), emphasizing communal responsibility for sins. There are two basic parts of this confession: Ashamnu, a shorter, more general list (we have been treasonable, we have been aggressive, we have been slanderous...), and Al Cheit, a longer and more specific list (for the sin we sinned before you forcibly or willingly, and for the sin we sinned before you by acting callously...) Frequent petitions for forgiveness are interspersed in these prayers. There's also a catch-all confession: "Forgive us the breach of positive commands and negative commands, whether or not they involve an act, whether or not they are known to us." It is interesting to note that these confessions do not specifically address the kinds of ritual sins that some people think are the be-all-and-end-all of Judaism. There is no "for the sin we have sinned before you by eating pork, and for the sin we have sinned against you by driving on Shabbat" (though obviously these are implicitly included in the catch-all). The vast majority of the sins enumerated involve mistreatment of other people, most of them by speech (offensive speech, scoffing, slander, talebearing, and swearing falsely, to name a few). These all come into the category of sin known as "lashon ha-ra" (lit: the evil tongue), which is considered a very serious sin in Judaism. The concluding service of Yom Kippur, known as Ne'ilah, is one unique to the day. It usually runs about 1 hour long. The ark (a cabinet where the scrolls of the Torah are kept) is kept open throughout this service, thus you must stand throughout the service. There is a tone of desperation in the prayers of this service. The service is sometimes referred to as the closing of the gates; think of it as the "last chance" to get in a good word before the holiday ends. The service ends with a very long blast of the shofar. See Rosh Hashanah for more about the shofar and its characteristic blasts.
685
posted on
09/29/2017 10:01:43 AM PDT
by
SandRat
(Duty, Honor, Country)
To: SandRat
Thank You!
May you have a Blessed day.
To: MEG33; JustAmy; yorkie; tiapam; GodBlessUSA; Colonel_Flagg; jaycee; oldteen; ...
687
posted on
09/29/2017 2:08:22 PM PDT
by
luvie
(Our troops are the best of the best and we should honor them EVERY day!)
To: MEG33
Oopps forgot it was Friday.
Nice weather, got lots of yard work done today.
Only red was on the maple trees!
Cheers
To: Jim Robinson; JustAmy; MEG33; jaycee; dutchess; GodBlessUSA; deadhead; LUV W; DollyCali; Gabz; ...
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New: Inside and Out
September 30, 2017
No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
John 3:3
A few years ago a publisher made a big mistake. A book had been on the market for several years, so it was time for a makeover. The author rewrote the book to bring it up to date. But when the revision was published, there was a problem. The publisher gave the book a nice new cover but printed the old book inside.
The exterior was fresh and new, but the interior was old and out of date. This reprint was not really new at all.
Sometimes that kind of thing happens with people. They realize a change needs to be made in life. Things are heading in the wrong direction. So they may put on a new exterior without making a vital change in their heart. They may change a behavior on the outside but may not realize that it is only God who can change us on the inside.
In John 3, Nicodemus sensed that because Jesus came from God (v. 2) He offered something very different. What Jesus told Nicodemus made him realize that He offered nothing short of a rebirth (v. 4): He needed to be born again, to be made totally new (v. 7).
That change comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. Thats when the old has gone, the new is here (2 Cor. 5:17). Do you need a change? Put your faith in Jesus. Hes the one who changes your heart and makes all things new. Dave Branon
Lord, I now know that changes on the outsidebehavior, looks, attitudedont change me inside. I put my faith in Jesus, who died on the cross and rose again to forgive my sins. Make me new on the insidein my soul.
How has your life been changed by Jesus? Share it with us at odb.org.
Only God can make us new.
689
posted on
09/30/2017 6:56:28 AM PDT
by
The Mayor
(Honesty means never having to look over your shoulder.)
To: LUV W
690
posted on
09/30/2017 6:59:02 AM PDT
by
trisham
(Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
To: MEG33; left that other site; JustAmy; Kitty Mittens; LUV W; Jane Long; TheConservativeParty; ...
![](http://imgur.com/qLtcxfv.jpg)
The Ad-Dressing Of Cats
You've read of several kinds of Cat,
And my opinion now is that
You should need no interpreter
To understand their character.
You now have learned enough to see
That Cats are much like you and me
And other people whom we find
Possessed of various types of mind.
For some are same and some are mad
And some are good and some are bad
And some are better, some are worse--
But all may be described in verse.
You've seen them both at work and games,
And learnt about their proper names,
Their habits and their habitat:
But
How would you ad-dress a Cat?
So first, your memory I'll jog,
And say: A CAT IS NOT A DOG.
And you might now and then supply
Some caviare, or Strassburg Pie,
Some potted grouse, or salmon paste--
He's sure to have his personal taste.
(I know a Cat, who makes a habit
Of eating nothing else but rabbit,
And when he's finished, licks his paws
So's not to waste the onion sauce.)
A Cat's entitled to expect
These evidences of respect.
And so in time you reach your aim,
And finally call him by his NAME.
So this is this, and that is that:
And there's how you AD-DRESS A CAT.
Thomas Stearns Eliot
![](http://imgur.com/zHVNCSG.jpg)
Happy Caturday!
691
posted on
09/30/2017 7:02:46 AM PDT
by
trisham
(Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
To: MEG33; ConorMacNessa; LUV W; AZamericonnie; Brad's Gramma; JustAmy; oldteen; Kathy in Alaska; ...
Happy Cat..Er...Dogurday!
![](https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F24.media.tumblr.com%2F6cb6e3202e54174d32e3ff8b4bbce65a%2Ftumblr_mx1s5sws6X1t36u7jo1_r2_1280.jpg&f=1)
May You All Have a Beautiful Day Filled with Blessings and Peace.
((((HUGS))))
ML/LTOS
To: left that other site
693
posted on
09/30/2017 7:18:48 AM PDT
by
trisham
(Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
To: trisham
To: left that other site
What a mash-up that is! LOL!
695
posted on
09/30/2017 7:59:27 AM PDT
by
luvie
(Our troops are the best of the best and we should honor them EVERY day!)
To: LUV W
LOVE and PEACE, brother quadruped! :-)
To: left that other site; JustAmy; yorkie; tiapam; MEG33; GodBlessUSA; Colonel_Flagg; jaycee; ...
![](http://images54.fotki.com/v555/photos/2/292835/1813015/8762000015web81508_mail_yahoo1-vi.jpg) My Human and I Like to go for a ride! Happy Caturday/Bikerday!
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697
posted on
09/30/2017 8:09:05 AM PDT
by
luvie
(Our troops are the best of the best and we should honor them EVERY day!)
To: LUV W
I have had five dogs over the years.
1. A Samoyed named Preston
2. A Maltese named Odie
3. A Border Collie/Jack Russell named Torey
4. A Black Lab/Chow named Lynn-Dah
5. And my current BFF, An American Staffordshire Terrier/Yellow Lab/Brindle Girl named Penny.
To this day, the ONLY one who rode with me was Odie. He had his own seat on both my 1979 Sportster and My 93FXR. I made a full set of leathers for him, which I still have (RIP Little Buddy)
To: LUV W
Odie may have loved the Harley, but Torey joined me in my other passion...Classical Music. She could recognize melodies and could howl on pitch with my vocal exercises.
Her two favorite pieces were “Farandole” from L’Arlesianne by Bizet, and the Seduction chorus (in Latin) from “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff.
Lynn-Dah was fond of Pink Floyd, but only the song “Dogs” from their “Animals” album. She would sit in front of the speaker for the entire song, tilted her head back and forth and twitching her ears in rapt attention.
To: left that other site
Isn’t it wonderful that every one of your sweet doggies had their own personality and their own expertise in different facets of your own talents!
Your stories made me smile. Especially thinking of Lynn-Dah rockin’ to Pink Floyd! :)
700
posted on
09/30/2017 9:01:57 AM PDT
by
luvie
(Our troops are the best of the best and we should honor them EVERY day!)
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