Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... January, February and March, 2018

Meg33, The Mayor, Trisham, JustAmy

[MEG33]

Happy Belated Birthday

~Dearest Amy~
Have A Wonderful Year

[The Mayor]

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

One Name

January 7, 2018

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. Philippians 2:10

Cleopatra, Galileo, Shakespeare, Elvis, Pelé. They are all so well known that they need only one name to be recognized. They have remained prominent in history because of who they were and what they did. But there is another name that stands far above these or any other name!

Before the Son of God was born into this world, the angel told Mary and Joseph to name Him Jesus because “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21), and “he . . . will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32). Jesus didn’t come as a celebrity but as a servant who humbled Himself and died on the cross so that anyone who receives Him can be forgiven and freed from the power of sin.

Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all. Augustine

The apostle Paul wrote, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11).

In our times of greatest joy and our deepest need, the name we cling to is Jesus. He will never leave us, and His love will not fail.

Jesus, You are the name above all names, our Savior and Lord. We lift our praise to You as we celebrate Your presence and power in our lives today.

Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all.  Augustine

INSIGHT

God, who exists eternally in three Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—has a variety of names that describe His attributes, including Good Shepherd, Lion of Judah, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, Almighty God, Strong Tower, and Comforter. Yet here in Philippians 2 Jesus is called the “name that is above every name” (v. 9). Paul, the author of Philippians, goes on to say that at the sound of His name “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (v. 10). Why this enthusiastic praise for the name of Jesus? It’s because of who He is, what He left behind, and what He accomplished. Jesus, the Son of God, left the magnificence of heaven and the presence of His Father and humbled Himself by taking on “human likeness” and “becoming obedient to death” (vv. 7–8). Thus humbled, Jesus was “exalted . . . to the highest place” and given the name above all names (v. 9). He died and rose again because of His love for us and is deserving of our praise and the overflowing joy it expresses.

Whom can you tell about Jesus?

[MEG33]

~Welcome To Sunday At Amy's Place~

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come:
The old has gone,
the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
~A Blessed Lord's Day To All~

[MEG33]

Beautiful devotional, Rus.
I Am So Grateful To You For Our Daily Bread

[left that other site]

A Blessed Sunday To You!

Stay Warm!

HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

God Bless America!



((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[luvie]

Jim Brickman~How Great Thou Art

Daniel O'Donnel~Church In The Wildwood

The Trevecca Madragalians~It Is Well With My Soul

Dallas Christian Sound~My God And I

St. Olaf Choir~Beautiful Savior

Providence~I'm Telling The World About His Love

Vocal Majority~Deep River

Have a blessed Sunday
God bless our troops!

They shall mount up with wings like eagles.......

[The Mayor]

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

The Debt Eraser

January 8, 2018

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

I blinked back tears as I reviewed my medical bill. Considering my husband’s severe cut in salary after a lengthy unemployment, even paying half of the balance would require years of small monthly installments. I prayed before calling the doctor’s office to explain our situation and request a payment plan.

After leaving me on hold for a short time, the receptionist informed me the doctor had zeroed out our account.

Our greatest debt, caused by sin, is erased by our greater God.

I sobbed a thank you. The generous gift overwhelmed me with gratitude. Hanging up the phone, I praised God. I considered saving the bill, not as a reminder of what I used to owe but as a reminder of what God had done.

My physician’s choice to pardon my debt brought to mind God’s choice to forgive the insurmountable debt of my sins. Scripture assures us God is “compassionate and gracious” and “abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). He “does not treat us as our sins deserve” (v. 10). He removes our sins “as far as the east is from the west” (v. 12), when we repent and accept Christ as our Savior. His sacrifice erases the debt we once owed. Completely.

Once forgiven, we aren’t defined by or limited by our past debt. In response to the Lord’s extravagant gift, we can acknowledge all He’s done. Offering our devoted worship and grateful affection, we can live for Him and share Him with others.

Thank You for erasing our debt completely when we place our confidence in You, Lord.

Our greatest debt, caused by sin, is erased by our greater God.

INSIGHT

Psalm 103:13–14 is an example of the Bible’s characterization of God as a powerful, protective father (see Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 63:8). When Jesus came, He emphasized this idea, teaching His disciples to pray to God as Father (Matthew 6:9; 18:19). Remembering that God loves us like a father is a powerful reminder of His unconditional love. No matter how many mistakes their children make, good parents never stop loving them. And when children stray into danger, loving parents are willing to do anything to bring them safely home.

Jesus taught us that God feels the same about us (see Luke 15:11–32). ​

When humankind walked away from Him, God was willing to pay the ultimate price to restore us into His family, enduring the weight of all our sin (Ephesians 1:7). Because of Jesus, believers need never doubt that they are God’s children (Romans 8:14–17).

How does remembering that God is your Father encourage you?

[The Mayor]

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

Stones of Remembrance

January 9, 2018

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced. Psalm 105:5

Some mornings when I go online, Facebook shows me “memories”—things I’ve posted on that day in previous years. These memories, such as photos from my brother’s wedding or a video of my daughter playing with my grandmother, usually make me smile. But sometimes they have a more profound emotional effect. When I see a note about a visit to my brother-in-law during his chemotherapy or a picture of the staples across my mother’s scalp after her brain surgery three years ago, I am reminded of God’s faithful presence during difficult circumstances. These Facebook memories nudge me towards prayer and gratitude.

All of us are prone to forget the things God has done for us. We need reminders. When Joshua led God’s people towards their new home, they had to cross the Jordan River (Joshua 3:15–16). God parted the waters, and His people walked through on dry land (v. 17). To create a memorial of this miracle, they took twelve stones from the middle of the riverbed and stacked them on the other side (4:3, 6–7). When others asked what the stones meant, God’s people would tell the story of what God had done that day.

God, help me to trust You with both the present and the future.

Physical reminders of God’s faithfulness in the past can remind us to trust Him in the present—and with the future.

God, thank You for Your faithfulness to me over many years! Help me to trust You with the present and the future as well.

How can you create physical, daily reminders of God’s faithfulness to you? Share it with us in the comment section at odb.org.

[luvie]

Grateful
...for having my MIL's Christmas Cactus
To remember her by!
Happy GratiTuesday!

[left that other site]

Happy Gratituesday!

I am Grateful For Your FRiendship!

HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

God Bless America!

((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[Kitty Mittens]

(((((Hugs and Blessings)))))

[Kitty Mittens]

Thank you to Everyone for the Beautiful Daily Pings.
(((((Hugs, and God Bless)))))

[The Mayor]

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

Growing a Servant’s Heart

January 10, 2018

I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:27

It was a long day at work. But when I got home, it was time to start my “other” job­: being a good dad. Greetings from my wife and kids soon became, “Dad, what’s for dinner?” “Dad, can you get me some water?” “Dad, can we play soccer?”

I just wanted to sit down. And even though part of me really wanted to be a good dad, I didn’t feel like serving my family’s needs. That’s when I saw it: a thank-you card my wife had received from someone at church. It pictured a bowl of water, a towel, and dirty sandals. Across the bottom were these words from Luke 22:27: “I am among you as one who serves.”

Lord, help us to become more like You.

That statement of Jesus’s mission, to serve those He came to seek and save (Luke 19:10), was exactly what I needed. If Jesus was willing to do the dirtiest of jobs for His followers—like scrubbing His followers’ no doubt filthy feet (John 13:1–17)—I could get my son a cup of water without grumbling about it. In that moment, I was reminded that my family’s requests to serve them weren’t merely an obligation, but an opportunity to reflect Jesus’s servant heart and His love to them. When requests are made of us, they are chances to become more like the One who served His followers by laying down His life for us.

Lord, sometimes it’s hard to serve others’ needs. Help us to become more like You, willing to express Your love in the many opportunities we have to serve those around us each day.

God’s love for us empowers us to serve others.

INSIGHT

Not only did Jesus model a servant’s heart, serving was an ongoing theme in His teaching—and one that His disciples consistently forgot. In one of Jesus’s last public discourses He said, “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11). Then in John 13:1–17 He modeled that attitude by washing the disciples’ feet—embracing a task usually reserved for the lowest servant in the household. However, just hours later, the disciples argued about which of them deserved the highest position! (Luke 22:24). Tragically, this dispute took place as they were walking to Gethsemane, where the events leading up to Jesus’s time of suffering would begin.

How does reflecting on the heart of our Master and His call for us to be servants encourage you when you are called to serve others?

[MEG33]

A Happy Warm Fuzzy Wednesday To
Amy's Place

"We're Just Keeping The Bed Warm For You"

[left that other site]

Snuggle Up!

It's Warm And Fuzzy Wednesday!

HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[MEG33]

Good morning, Rus. Thank you always for Our Daily Bread.
You Are A Blesssing

[MEG33]

Lovely !

[SandRat]

Charlie Approves ...

[luvie]

Happy Warm and Fuzzy
...and Feathery...
Wednesday!

[trisham]

Instinct. It’s amazing. :)