Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... Jan - Dec 2021

5-01-2021 | The Mayor; Luvie; JustAmy

[The Mayor]

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

May 15

Shining Stars

Bible in a Year:

• 2 Kings 22–23
• John 4:31–54

You will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.

Philippians 2:15–16

I can close my eyes and go back in time to the house where I grew up. I remember stargazing with my father. We took turns squinting through his telescope, trying to focus on glowing dots that shimmered and winked. These pinpricks of light, born of heat and fire, stood out in sharp contrast to the smooth, ink-black sky.

Do you consider yourself to be a shining star? I’m not talking about reaching the heights of human achievement, but standing out against a dark background of brokenness and evil. The apostle Paul told the Philippian believers that God would shine in and through them as they held “firmly to the word of life” and avoided grumbling and arguing (Philippians 2:14–16).

Our unity with other believers and our faithfulness to God can set us apart from the world. The problem is that these things don’t come naturally. We constantly strive to overcome temptation so we can maintain a close relationship with God. We wrestle against selfishness to have harmony with our spiritual brothers and sisters.

But still, there’s hope. Alive in each believer, God’s Spirit empowers us to be self-controlled, kind, and faithful (Galatians 5:22–23). Just as we are called to live beyond our natural capacity, God’s supernatural help makes this possible (Philippians 2:13). If every believer became a “shining star” through the power of the Spirit, just imagine how the light of God would repel the darkness around us!

Reflect & Pray

What causes your light for Jesus to dim? What do you need to do to brighten it?

Loving God, I ask Your Spirit to empower me to shine in the darkness. Make me into someone who is known for my love of others and my faithfulness to You.

[luvie]

Happy Caturday!

[left that other site]

Happy Saturday!

And Happy Spring!

((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you.

[The Mayor]

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

May 16

Guilt and Forgiveness

Bible in a Year:

• 2 Kings 24–25
• John 5:1–24

They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts.

Romans 2:15 In his book Human Universals, anthropologist Donald Brown lists more than four hundred behaviors that he considers common across humanity. He includes such things as toys, jokes, dances, and proverbs, wariness of snakes, and tying things with string! Likewise, he believes all cultures have concepts of right and wrong, where generosity is praised, promises are valued, and things like meanness and murder understood to be wrong. We all have a sense of conscience, wherever we’re from.

The apostle Paul made a similar point many centuries ago. While God gave the Jewish people the Ten Commandments to clarify right from wrong, Paul noted that since gentiles could do right by obeying their conscience, God’s laws were evidently written on their hearts (Romans 2:14–15). But that didn’t mean people always did what was right. The gentiles rebelled against their conscience (1:32), the Jews broke the Law (2:17–24), leaving both guilty. But through faith in Jesus, God removes the death penalty from all our rule-breaking (3:23–26; 6:23).

Since God created all humans with a sense of right and wrong, each of us will likely feel some guilt over a bad thing we’ve done or a good thing we failed to do. When we confess those sins, God wipes away the guilt like a whiteboard wiped clean. All we have to do is ask Him—whoever we are, wherever we’re from. Reflect & Pray

Where do you think humanity’s sense of right and wrong comes from? What guilt feelings are you wanting Jesus’ forgiveness for today?

Jesus, I’ve failed to do right and succeeded in doing wrong. Forgive me. Thank You for dying my death so I don’t have to.

[luvie]

Ray Walker~Master The Tempest Is Raging
Congregational Singing

Cynthia Clawson & Others~Church In The Wildwood

The Trevecca Madragalians~It Is Well With My Soul

Statler Brothers~How Great Thou Art

St. Olaf Choir~When Peace Like A River

Providence~Farther Along

Vocal Majority~Deep River

Have a blessed Sunday
God bless our troops!

[TheConservativeParty]

Good Morning!

My first day off in a few months
😁

[luvie]

Enjoy every moment of it!

[TheConservativeParty]

Hope y’all had a great day!
I planted up 6 big pots today, as the forecast looks quite warm even at night, so no frost worries. Used a bunch of plants I seeded back in February, and some geranium cuttings I rooted in my sunroom. Now have to hope for no bad wind or hail. 😅

Have a lovely evening
😴🌙💫✨

[luvie]

How fun! I hope your plants thrive and give you joy! 🌻🌸🌼🌺

[The Mayor]

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

May 17

Pursued by Love

Bible in a Year:

• 1 Chronicles 1–3
• John 5:25–47

I will say, “Salvation comes from the Lord.”

Jonah 2:9

“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days,” opens the famous poem “The Hound of Heaven” by English poet Francis Thompson. Thompson describes Jesus’ unceasing pursuit—despite his efforts to hide, or even run away, from God. The poet imagines God speaking to him and saying, “I am He whom thou seekest!”

The pursuing love of God is a central theme of the book of Jonah. The prophet received an assignment to tell the people of Nineveh (notorious enemies of Israel) about their need to turn to God, but instead “Jonah ran away from the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). He secured passage on a ship sailing in the opposite direction of Nineveh, but the vessel was soon overcome by a violent storm. To save the ship’s crew, Jonah was thrown overboard before being swallowed by a large fish (1:15–17).

In his own beautiful poem, Jonah recounted that despite his best efforts to run away from God, God pursued him. When Jonah was overcome by his situation and needed to be saved, he cried out to God in prayer and turned toward His love (2:2, 8). God answered and provided rescue not only for Jonah, but for his Assyrian enemies as well (3:10).

As described in both poems, there may be seasons of our lives when we try to run from God. Even then Jesus loves us and is at work guiding us back into restored relationship with Him (1 John 1:9).

Reflect & Pray

When have you tried to run from God? How did He provide rescue?

Jesus, thank You for lovingly pursuing me to offer rescue.

[luvie]

Hoppy Monday Madness!!

[left that other site]

Happy Monday Madness!

Now I Will Go Back To Sleep Thank You Very Much.

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[The Mayor]

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

May 18

Facing the Darkness

Bible in a Year:

• 1 Chronicles 4–6
• John 6:1–21

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.

Isaiah 9:2 In the mid-1960s, two people participated in research on the effects of darkness on the human psyche. They entered separate caves, while researchers tracked their eating and sleeping habits. One remained in total darkness for 88 days, the other 126 days. Each guessed how long they could remain in darkness and were off by months. One took what he thought was a short nap only to discover he’d slept for 30 hours. Darkness is disorienting.

The people of God found themselves in the darkness of impending exile. They waited, unsure of what would take place. The prophet Isaiah used darkness as a metaphor for their disorientation and as a way of speaking about God’s judgment (Isaiah 8:22). Previously, the Egyptians had been visited with darkness as a plague (Exodus 10:21–29). Now Israel found herself in darkness.

But a light would come. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). Oppression would be broken, disorientation would end. A Child would come to change everything and bring about a new day—a day of forgiveness and freedom (v. 6).

Jesus did come! And although the darkness of the world can be disorienting, may we experience the comfort of the forgiveness, freedom, and light found in Christ.

Reflect & Pray

What would it look like to embrace a new day of freedom and forgiveness? How can you welcome the light of Christ today?

Dear Jesus, shine Your light into my life. Bring forgiveness and freedom. Help me to live in the light of Your arrival.

[luvie]

Grateful For God's Wild Beauties.
Happy GratiTuesday!

[left that other site]

happy Gratituesday!

I Am Grateful For This Beautiful Day!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[luvie]

Amen!

[TheConservativeParty]

Hi there! Had another day off today. Very nice! 😁

[left that other site]

Today was my day off too, and i did a lot of errands...but I did them on my motorcycle, so it was actually FUN.

[TheConservativeParty]

😃🏍