Amy's Place .. Poetry and Potpourri .. October 22-23-24, 2004

10-22-04 | JustAmy, St.Louie1, MamaBear, Billie

[JustAmy]

Poetry and Potpourri made its debut on September 22, 2003

Click on our Club Car for prior threads.

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[JustAmy]

10-22-04
Graphic by MamaBear

Good Morning, and God Bless
by John McLeod, from "Quiet...flows the love"

Good morning and God bless
On this most wonderful of days
God given, lit by sunlight
Shafting down in golden rays.
The heart sings out its wondrous joy
In choir with birdsong sweet,
And all one's love can employ
This beauteous day to greet.
Oh skies of azure
Blue as any skies could ever be,
How glad I am to meet this day
How well blessed to be me!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Hello!

[OESY]

Hello! Guess what day it is.


Friday, October 22 is:


Eat A Pretzel Day (don't choke on this one -- I know, that was bad)
Used Car Day (I've got the perfect picture coming)
Dussehra (prepare for a cultural tour)

[The Mayor]

October 22, 2004

The Lemon Tree

Read: 1 John 4:15-19

God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. —1 John 4:16

Bible In One Year: Isaiah 65-66; 1 Timothy 2

---

People who have given up on love probably agree with the words to the song "Lemon Tree" by the folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary:

"Don't put your faith in love,
my boy," my father said to me,
"I fear you'll find that love is like the lovely lemon tree."
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
but the fruit of the poor lemon
is impossible to eat.

Many people feel that way. "Love is bitter," they say, because they've been used or abused. But there is a love that is sweet: "God is love" (1 John 4:16).

The world wants to turn John's phrase around. "Love is God," they say, and seek love as the highest good. But John did not say that love is God. "God is love," he said. Author Frederick Buechner wrote, "To say that love is God is romantic idealism. To say that God is love is either the last straw or the ultimate truth."

The last straw? Yes, for some it is. They have looked for love in all the wrong places and have no other place to turn. But when they give themselves to God, as He is made real and personal in Jesus, they find the love they've been looking for all their lives.

God is not indifference, abandonment, and abuse, my friend. God is love. —David Roper

Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know—
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so. —Robinson

God's love knows no limits.

[JustAmy]

"Bottomless Cup of Coffee"

A bottomless cup of coffee
is what the menu said.
And thinking metaphorically
the thought came to my head.
God's love is like a bottomless cup.
It never will run out.
Just the simple truth in this
makes me want to shout.
No matter how much He gives to us
No matter what we say or do in sin
we put Him to the test!
But His love is unconditional.
His love is everlasting.
And by His Grace we're blest.

Pat Reed

[OESY]

Dussehra

The effigies of Ravana and Meghnada in the community park at Sheikh Sarai, south Delhi. They represent a struggle of the forces "good" over the forces of "evil". Large effigies of the ten-headed Ravana, the king of Lanka who abducted Rama's wife, Sita, and was subsequently vanquished in battle, are burnt as the sun goes down; on either side of him are the slightly smaller effigies of Meghnada, the son of Ravana, and Kumbhakarna, the full brother of Ravana whose name has become a household word in India for lethargy and laziness. (It is said that Kumbhakarna slept for six months and would then stay awake for a full day, no doubt to replenish himself.)

The festival lasts ten days, and most communities celebrate it with great fanfare. During the festival, the Ramleela, or the story of Rama, is enacted by professional dance companies and amateur troupes. On the last day of the festival, young men and small boys, dressed as Rama, his brother Lakshman, Ravana, and other players in the drama, proceed through the streets of the community as part of a float that is sometimes quite elaborate. Rama and Ravana engage in battle; Ravana is defeated.

Then Rama fires an arrow into the huge effigies of Meghnada and Kumbhakarna, stuffed -- as is the effigy of Ravana -- with crackers and explosives; finally an arrow is shot into Ravana's effigy, to the encouraging shouts of "Ramchandra ki jai", "Victory to Rama", and a large explosion ripples through the sky. In Bengal, Dusshera is celebrated as Durga Puja. Idols of the goddess Durga are worshipped for nine days, and on the tenth day immersed in a body of water, such as a river or pond. In Mysore, caparisoned elephants lead a colorful procession through the streets of the city.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Used Car Day!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Too weird for me.

[JustAmy]

Grape-Nut Orange Muffins

2 cups sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup Grape-Nuts
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup orange juice
1 tb grated orange rind
2 tb. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sift flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in Grape-Nuts.
Combine eggs, orange juice, and orange rind. Add vegetable oil and mix well.
Add egg mixture to dry mixture. Stir until moistened. Do not stir more than 50 strokes.
Line muffin pan with paper muffin cups and fill 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes

[OESY]

John F. Kerry: "Have I got a used car for You.... Trust me."

John's Mom: "Remember, John, INTEGRITY! INTEGRITY! INTEGRITY!"

[OESY]

Can't say I've been there, done that, either.

[JustAmy]

Orange Julius

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients until ice is crushed.

[JustAmy]

Happy Used Car Day!!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Some cultures need a little updating.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Nice! Here's my motorhome. Aint it a beauty?

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Just Amy. I got lost on yesterdays thread. :-)

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin', everybody ! Happy Friday! TGIF!

Have a cup while you Freep !

[tuliptree76]

Good morning, Amy! I hope you have a wonderful Friday. :-)

[tuliptree76]

I have to admit...you lost me on this one, OESY. So in following PAL's lead, here's a bunny with a green tea cake on it's head...