Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... January, February and March, 2020

January 1, 2020 | Meg33; The Mayor, Trisham, JustAmy

[The Mayor]

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

An outspoken atheist believes it’s immoral for parents to teach their children religion as though it were actually true. He even claims that parents who pass along their faith to their children are committing child abuse. Though these views are extreme, I do hear from parents who are hesitant to boldly encourage their children toward faith. While most of us readily hope to influence our children with our view of politics or nutrition or sports, for some reason some of us treat our convictions about God differently.

In contrast, Paul wrote of how Timothy had been taught “from infancy . . . the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy didn’t arrive at faith as an adult through the power of his own, unaided reason. Rather, his mother nurtured his heart toward God; then he continued in what he had learned (v. 14). If God is life, the source of true wisdom, then it’s vital for us to tenderly cultivate a love for God in our families.

There are many belief systems that are influencing our children. TV shows, movies, music, teachers, friends, the media—each of these carry assumptions (either obvious or under the radar) about faith that exert real influence. May we choose not to be silent. The beauty and grace we’ve experienced compels us to guide our children toward God.

By: Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

Reflect on the myriad influences and messages children (or all of us) receive in a given day. How do these forces shape you and those you love?

Dear Father, thank You for the joy and privilege to gracefully nurture children’s hearts toward You.

[luvie]

Daniel O'Donnel~Church In The Wildwood

Waylon Jennings/Jessi Colter~Precious Memories

Cathedrals~Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Glad~Arise My Soul, Arise

Gaither Vocal Band~Heaven's Joy Awaits

Ray Walker~Master The Tempest Is Raging

Vocal Majority~Deep River

Have a blessed Sunday
God bless our troops!

[MEG33]

~Good Sunday Morning To Amy's Place~

The treasures of the crystal snows,
And all the wonders nature shows,
Speak of a mighty Maker’s hand
That all in love and wisdom planned.
—Bosch
~Blessings To All~

[Silentgypsy]

Beautiful.

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you.

[The Mayor]

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

January 27

Friendship Bench

Bible in a Year:

• Exodus 16–18
• Matthew 18:1–20

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

Exodus 33:11 In the African country of Zimbabwe, war trauma and high unemployment can leave people in despair—until they find hope on a “friendship bench.” Hopeless people can go there to talk with trained “grandmothers”—elderly women taught to listen to people struggling with depression, known in that nation’s Shona language as kufungisisa, or “thinking too much.”

The Friendship Bench Project is being launched in other places, including Zanzibar, London, and New York City. “We were thrilled to bits with the results,” said one London researcher. A New York counselor agreed. “Before you know it, you’re not on a bench, you’re just inside a warm conversation with someone who cares.”

The project evokes the warmth and wonder of talking with our Almighty God. Moses put up not a bench but a tent to commune with God, calling it the tent of meeting. There, “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). Joshua, his assistant, wouldn’t even leave the tent, perhaps because he so valued his time with God (v. 11).

Today we no longer need a tent of meeting. Jesus has brought the Father near. As He told His disciples, “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Yes, our God awaits us. He’s our heart’s wisest helper, our understanding Friend. Talk with Him now.

Reflect & Pray

What worries consume your thoughts today? As you talk to God about these concerns, what good thoughts about Him can you focus on instead?

Dear God, thank You for encouraging our hearts with noble thoughts of You. When we’re sick with worry, point our minds back to You.

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you.

[trisham]

In the winter she curls up around a good book
and dreams away the cold.

Ben Aaronovitch

Happy Monday, Everyone!

[luvie]

Happy Monday Madness!

[trisham]

Love it!! :)

[luvie]

One of these is laughing at the other. :)

[trisham]

:)

[TheConservativeParty]

That fire sure looks good.
Rather chilly here!

[The Mayor]

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

January 28

An Old Clay Pot

Bible in a Year:

• Exodus 19–20
• Matthew 18:21–35

We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2 Corinthians 4:7 I’ve acquired a number of old clay pots over the years. My favorite was excavated from a site dated during Abraham’s time. It’s at least one item in our home that is older than I! It’s not much to look at: stained, cracked, chipped, and in need of a good scrubbing. I keep it to remind me that I’m just a man made out of mud. Though fragile and weak, I carry an immeasurably precious treasure—Jesus. “We have this treasure [Jesus] in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Paul continues: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (vv. 8–9). Hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. These are the pressures the pot must bear. Not crushed, in despair, abandoned, destroyed. These are the effects of the counteracting strength of Jesus in us.

“We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus” (v. 10). This is the attitude that characterized Jesus who died to Himself every day. And this is the attitude that can characterize us—a willingness to die to self-effort, trusting solely in the sufficiency of the One who lives in us.

“So that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body” (v. 10). This is the outcome: the beauty of Jesus made visible in an old clay pot.

By: David H. Roper

Reflect & Pray

How can you meet the demands placed on you? Where does your strength come from?

God, I’m weak and fragile. Thank You for living in me. I want You and Your strength to be seen.

[luvie]

Grateful for God's Love
...and the love of friends.
Happy GratiTuesday!

[left that other site]

Happy Gratituesday!

Approach Every Day With An Attitude of Gratitude.

((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[TheConservativeParty]

Hope you all had a great Tuesday.
I enjoyed watching The President at his rally this evening.
My only problem... his speech was too short, but he’s a very busy man!

[left that other site]

Cloudy and windy today...I guess the “January Thaw” is on the way out. (SIGH)

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you.

[Kitty Mittens]

Thank you for the Beautiful Pics & Pings, Dear FRiends.
(((((Love, and God Bless)))))