Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... January - December, 2022

1-01-2022 | The Mayor; Luvie; JustAmy

[luvie]

Nighty-night, Kitty!

[The Mayor]

Our Daily Bread

Thursday,
August 25, 2022

When You Need Help

Read: Psalm 121

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

It was a Monday morning, but my friend Chia-ming wasn’t in the office. He was at home, cleaning the bathroom. A month unemployed, he thought, and no job leads. His firm had shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and worries about the future filled Chia-ming with fear. I need to support my family, he thought. Where can I go for help?

In Psalm 121:1, the pilgrims to Jerusalem asked a similar question about where to find help. The journey to the Holy City on Mount Zion was long and potentially dangerous, with travelers enduring an arduous climb. The challenges they faced may seem like the difficult journeys we face in life today—trudging the path of illness, relationship problems, bereavement, stress at work or, as in the case of Chia-ming, financial difficulty and unemployment.

But we can take heart in the truth that the Maker of heaven and earth Himself helps us (v. 2). He watches over our lives (vv. 3, 5, 7–8) and He knows what we need. Shamar, the Hebrew word for “watches over,” means “to guard.” The Creator of the universe is our guardian. We’re in His safekeeping. “God took care of me and my family,” Chia-ming shared recently. “And at the right time, He provided a teaching job.”

As we trust and obey God, we can look ahead with hope, knowing we’re within the protective boundaries of His wisdom and love. — Karen Huang

What kind of help do you need from God today? How does knowing He’s the Maker of heaven and earth encourage you?

Father, thank You for being my source of help on my life’s journey.

Bible in a year: Psalm 119:1–88; 1 Corinthians 7:20–40

[luvie]

Happy Thank-The-Troops
Thursday!

[The Mayor]

Our Daily Bread

Friday,
August 26, 2022

Just Ask!

Read: Philippians 4:4–7

You do not have because you do not ask God. James 4:2

The gleeful shouts arising from our basement came from my wife, Shirley. For hours she’d wrestled with a newsletter project, and she was ready to be done with it. In her anxiety and uncertainty about how to move forward, she prayed for God’s help. She also reached out to Facebook friends and soon the project was completed—a team effort.

While a newsletter project is a little thing in life, small (and not so small) things can bring about worry or anxiousness. Perhaps you’re a parent walking through the stages of childrearing for the first time; a student facing newfound academic challenges; a person grieving the loss of a loved one; or someone experiencing a home, work, or ministry challenge. Sometimes we’re needlessly on edge because we don’t ask God for help (James 4:2).

Paul pointed the followers of Jesus in Philippi and us to our first line of defense in times of need: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). When life gets complicated, we need reminders like the one from the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”:

Oh what peace we often forfeit,

oh what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry,

everything to God in prayer.

And perhaps in our asking God for help, He’ll lead us to ask people who can assist us. — Arthur Jackson

What situations challenge you that you can bring to God in prayer? Why do you hesitate to ask Him or others for help?

Dear God, forgive me for not bringing my burdens to You in prayer. Help me to reach out to others and ask for help too.

Bible in a year: Psalm 119:89–176; 1 Corinthians 8

[luvie]

Gregg Karukas~Girl In The Red Dress

God Bless Our Troops!
God Bless America!

[left that other site]

Happy Red Friday!

Have A Beautiful Day!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[mairdie]

Post a pic of Penny. It’s been a long time.

[left that other site]

Penny, RIP

I Still Think About Her a Lot. She Was Unique.

ML/LTOS

[mairdie]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m so very sorry, ltos. My heart to both of you.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

You look very pretty in your little red dress, Sissy!
Yes, God bless our Troops!
*HUG*

[left that other site]

Thank you, Dear FRiend.

Penny went to the Rainbow Bridge in March of this year. She was 11 and had declined rapidly in her last months.

I wasted no time in rescuing another dog, an Aussie Cattle Dog named Tippy.

She’s 2 years old and is a handful. But with a little training and plenty of exercise she is becoming a wonderful companion for me.

Thanks for your kind words.

(((HUGS)))

[luvie]

Thanks, Sis! (((Hugs))) back! Have a great weekend!

[The Mayor]

Our Daily Bread

Saturday,
August 27, 2022

Plans and Providence

Read: James 4:13–17

If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that. James 4:15

In 2000, an upstart company operating on a movie-rental-by-mail system offered to sell their company for $50 million to Blockbuster, the home movies and video game rentals king at that time. Netflix had roughly 300,000 subscribers, while Blockbuster had millions and millions of them. Blockbuster passed on the opportunity to purchase their little competitor. The result? Today Netflix has more than 180 million subscribers and is worth nearly $200 billion. As for Blockbuster, well . . . it went bust. None of us can predict the future.

We’re tempted to believe that we’re in control of our lives and that our plans for the future will succeed. But James says, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (4:14). Life is brief, quick, and more fragile than we often realize. Planning is necessary, but the sin of presumption is in the assumption that we’re in control. That’s why James warns us not to “boast in [our] arrogant schemes,” for “all such boasting is evil” (v. 16).

The way to avoid this sinful practice is through grateful participation with God. Gratitude reminds us that He’s the source of every “good and perfect gift” (1:17). Then when we come to God, we ask Him not to simply bless our present and future plans but to help us join Him in what He’s doing. This is what it means to pray, “If it is the Lord’s will” (4:15). — Glenn Packiam

How are you tempted to be in control of your life? What will it mean for you to surrender to God and participate with Him?

Dear Jesus, I relinquish my plans to You. Help me to put my trust in You, because You never fail. 

Bible in a year: Psalms 120–122; 1 Corinthians 9

[luvie]

Happy Catur....Oh, wait!
We Had A Visitor!
Happy Turturday? 😵‍💫

[left that other site]

Happy Saturday!

OK. Time For a Nap.

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[luvie]

Good idea! See ya later! ZZZZzzz.......

[TheConservativeParty]

Happy Dogurday/Caturday!
Had my sister here today. I made homemade chicken pot pie and chocolate cake for lunch. Mmm mmm good.

Hope y’all had a great day
😄

[luvie]

St. Olaf Choir~When Peace Like A River

Aron Wright~I Surrender

Providence~Sweet Beulah Land

Casting Crowns~Thrive

Glen Campbell~Amazing Grace [Live & Playing Bagpipes]

Passion~In Christ Alone

Newsboys~We Believe

God Bless You All....

[The Mayor]

Our Daily Bread

Sunday,
August 28, 2022

Love and Lean on God

Read: Ruth 1:11–19

Ruth clung to her. Ruth 1:14

Zach was funny, smart, and well-liked. But he secretly struggled with depression. After he committed suicide at age fifteen, his mom, Lori, said of him, “It’s just hard to comprehend how someone that had so much going for him would come to that point. Zach . . . was not exempt from suicide.” There are moments in the quiet when Lori pours out her sorrow to God. She says that the deep sadness after suicide is “a whole different level of grief.” Yet she and her family have learned to lean on God and others for strength, and now they’re using their time to love others who are grappling with depression.

Lori’s motto has become “Love and lean.” This idea is also seen in the Old Testament story of Ruth. Naomi lost her husband and two sons—one who was married to Ruth (Ruth 1:3–5). Naomi, bitter and depressed, urged Ruth to return to her mother’s family where she could be cared for. Ruth, though also grieving, “clung” to her mother-in-law and committed to staying with her and caring for her (vv. 14–17). They returned to Bethlehem, Naomi’s homeland, where Ruth would be a foreigner. But they had each other to love and lean on, and God provided for them (2:11–12).

During our times of grief, God’s love remains steady. We always have Him to lean on as we also lean on and love others in His strength. — Anne Cetas

What does it mean for you to lean on God during your times of grief? Who may need your support right now?

Father, I’m grateful for Your faithful love and care for me. Use me to encourage others to trust You.

Bible in a year: Psalms 123–125; 1 Corinthians 10:1–18

[The Mayor]

Our Daily Bread

Monday,
August 29, 2022

Seeds of Time

Read: Mark 4:13–20

Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop. Mark 4:20

In 1879, people watching William Beal would likely think he was loony. They’d see the professor of botany filling twenty bottles with various seeds, then burying them in deep soil. What they didn’t know was that Beal was conducting a seed viability experiment that would span centuries. Every twenty years a bottle would be dug up to plant its seeds and see which seeds would germinate.

Jesus talked a lot about seed planting, often likening the sowing of seed to the spreading of “the word” (Mark 4:15). He taught that some seeds are snatched by Satan, others have no foundation and don’t take root, and yet others are hampered by the life around them and are choked out (vv. 15–19). As we spread the good news, it’s not up to us which seeds will survive. Our job is simply to sow the gospel—to tell others about Jesus: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (16:15 esv).

In 2021, another of Beal’s bottles was dug up. The seeds were planted by researchers and some sprouted, having survived more than 142 years. As God works through us and we share our faith with others, we never know if the word we share will take root or when. But we’re to be encouraged that our sowing of the good news might, even after many years, be received by someone who will “accept it, and produce a crop” (4:20). — Kenneth Petersen

Consider an example of how you shared the good news with someone. How did that person respond? How are you praying for that person today?

Dear God, please give me courage to share Jesus with friends and colleagues.

Bible in a year: Psalms 126–128; 1 Corinthians 10:19–33