Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... January, February and March, 2017

January 1, 2017 | JustAmy; Meg33, The Mayor; Trisham;

[JustAmy]

Welcome To....


'Amy's Place' welcomes all poets
and those who enjoy poetry.
'Amy's Place' is more than just about poetry.
Come in, relax, and share with fellow FReepers
your thoughts about any of the things on the *Menu*.

Enjoy! :)









Never Forget!





Bad Penny



Amy's personal guardian ~
the ever charming, lovable, huggable,
LouieWolf




Many thanks for stopping by. : )

[left that other site]

Happy New Year!

Dear MEG, May The New Year Bring You Peace, Prosperity, Health, and Happiness!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[MEG33]

Counting the days to Jan. 20th!

Thank you,so much for our new thread, Amy.
Wishing you a blessed Lord's Day and wonderful
New Year.

[MEG33]

Happy New Year, FRiends

Thank you for coming by today and sharing your
lovely comments, blessings, music, graphics and good
wishes.
Wishing you a blessed Sunday evening.

[The Mayor]

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

The Perfect Gift

January 2, 2017

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1

The weeks after Christmas are the busiest time of year in the US for merchandise returns as people trade unwanted gifts for what they really want. Yet you probably know a few people who always seem to give the perfect gift. How do they know just what another person values and what is right for the occasion? The key to successful gift-giving is not money; it’s listening to others and taking a personal interest in what they enjoy and appreciate.

This is true for family and friends. But what about God? Is there anything meaningful or valuable that we can give to God? Is there anything He doesn’t already have?

Dear Lord, I’m Yours. I want to offer myself to You—heart, mind, and will.

Romans 11:33–36, a song of praise to God for His great wisdom, knowledge, and glory, is followed by a call to give ourselves to Him. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (12:1). Instead of being shaped by the world around us, we are to be “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind” (v. 2).

What’s the best gift we can give to God today? In gratitude, humility, and love we can give ourselves completely to Him—heart, mind, and will. It’s just what the Lord is longing to receive from each of us.

Dear Lord, I’m Yours. I want to offer myself to You—heart, mind, and will—in humble service and in thankful worship for all You have done for me.

The best gift we can give to God is ourselves.

INSIGHT:

As Paul begins to describe the new life we can have because of what Jesus has done (Rom. 12–16), he calls for a radical commitment involving the dedication of our bodies and transformation of our minds (12:1–2). God does not require that we die for Him; rather, we are to live for Him—“to offer [ourselves] as a living sacrifice” (v. 1). In the Old Testament two kinds of sacrifices were offered: propitiatory and dedicatory. Propitiatory or atoning sacrifices are mandatory sacrifices to atone for sin and to restore fellowship with God. Jesus, the Lamb of God (John 1:29), is the perfect and final propitiatory sacrifice. Paul emphasizes that “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7). Dedicatory sacrifices are thank offerings voluntarily offered to God to express thankfulness, love, and joyful worship in response to divine blessing or His mercy and grace (Lev. 7:11–15; 22:29; Pss. 50:14, 23; 107:22). We can never offer ourselves as atoning sacrifices (no human person can) because only “Jesus, the Lamb of God, [can take] away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). But we are all qualified to be a thank offering, to be “living sacrifices.” 

[trisham]

LIGHTLY stepped a yellow star
***
Lightly stepped a yellow star
To its lofty place,
Loosed the Moon her silver hat
From her lustral face.
All of evening softly lit
As an astral hall-
"Father," I observed to Heaven,
"You are punctual."

Emily Dickinson



Happy Monday!

[left that other site]

Happy New Year!

This is the LAST TIME I help you shovel out the car.

((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[Kitty Mittens]

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

[The Mayor]

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

Not What It Seems

January 3, 2017

Don’t be afraid . . . . Those who are with us are more than those who are with [the enemy]. 2 Kings 6:16

Don is a border collie who lives on a farm in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. One morning, he and his owner, Tom, set out to check on some animals. They rode together in a small farm utility truck. When they arrived, Tom left the vehicle but forgot to put the brake on. With Don in the driver’s seat, the vehicle rolled down a hill and across two lanes of traffic before it stopped safely. To watching motorists, it appeared the dog was out for a morning drive. Indeed, things are not always as they seem.

It seemed as if Elisha and his servant were about to be captured and carried off to the King of Aram. The king’s forces had surrounded the city where Elisha and his servant were staying. The servant believed they were doomed, but Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid . . . . Those who are with us are more than those who are with [the enemy]” (2 Kings 6:16). When Elisha prayed, the servant was able to see the multitudes of supernatural forces that were in place to protect them.

Situations that seem hopeless are not always the way we perceive them to be.

Situations that seem hopeless are not always the way we perceive them to be. When we feel overwhelmed and outnumbered, we can remember that God is by our side. He can “command his angels . . . to guard [us] in all [our] ways” (Ps. 91:11).

Dear God, please give me a glimpse of Your power today. Help me to believe that You are willing and able to help me in any situation I encounter.

Things are always better than they seem to be when we remember that God is by our side.

INSIGHT:

In Elisha and Elijah’s day, the nation of Israel had drifted from God and embraced pagan gods. The miracles God performed through these men called the people back to Himself. How does believing in the God of the miraculous help when you’re feeling helpless or overwhelmed?

[left that other site]

Border Collies are so smart, the observer’s of Don’s adventure were probably not surprised at all! :-)

[The Mayor]

We had a border collie, she just died a month ago. 10 years with Echo.

[left that other site]

I had one too 8 years ago, named Torey-The-Dog. She was a great favorite here on FR, as I shared her antics in my posts.

She was so smart, she used to sit in on my voice lessons and howl the vocal exercises. ON PITCH.

Her favorite piece of Classical Music was Bizet’s Farandole from the L’Arlesianne Suite.

She would actually stop whatever she was doing, run up to the speaker, and listen.

Lynn-Dah(RIP) liked music too.

Penny is not a music-lover. She does like to watch TV with me on the couch though.

[left that other site]

I remember when Echo passed. We feel the loss. I am sorry...

[MEG33]

Happy GratiTuesday To Amy's Place

Blessed are those that can give without remembering and
receive without forgetting.
Author Unknown
I Wish You A Grateful , Blessed Day

[MEG33]

TOO CUTE!!

[ConorMacNessa]

HAPPY GRATITUESDAY
TO AMY'S PLACE!



"The Walk to Paradise Garden"
W. Eugene Smith

"You Are The New Day"
The King’s Singers
(Click)

May You Approach Each New Day With The
Innocence, The Optimism, And The Sense Of
Wonder Of These Two Children!

[Kitty Mittens]

Thank you, Dear Meg! I Love your Beautiful Post #33.

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

[The Mayor]

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

A Multiplied Love

January 4, 2017

Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 1 John 4:21

When a woman in Karen’s church was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), things looked bad. This cruel disease affects nerves and muscles, eventually leading to paralysis. The family’s insurance wouldn’t cover home care, and the stricken woman’s husband couldn’t bear the thought of putting her in a nursing home.

As a nurse, Karen had the expertise to help and began going to the woman’s home to care for her. But she soon realized she couldn’t take care of her own family while meeting the needs of her friend, so she started teaching others in the church to help. As the disease ran its course over the next seven years, Karen trained thirty-one additional volunteers who surrounded that family with love, prayer, and practical assistance.  

Ask God to show you how He wants you to use your gifts for His kingdom.

“Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister,” said John the disciple (1 John 4:21). Karen gives us a shining example of that kind of love. She had the skills, compassion, and vision to rally a church family around a hurting friend. Her love for one person in need became a multiplied love lived out by many. 

How might God use your talents and abilities to serve others in need? Ask God to show you how He wants you to use your gifts for His kingdom.

To learn more, read

God Is Love at discoveryseries.org/q0612.

Love your neighbor as yourself.  —Jesus

INSIGHT:

In the gospel of John, Jesus told His disciples that love would be the identifying mark of His followers: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (13:35). He also told them: “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (15:10). The connection between these two verses is as simple as it is wonderful: Loving Jesus means keeping His commands, and His command is to love. In fact, John says we cannot do one if we do not do the other. They cannot be separated—we cannot love God in one way and fellow believers in another way. Rather, “Whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20). 

[MEG33]

Happy New Year
Welcome To Warm Fuzzy Wednesday At Amy's Place

"Hurry! Mom's making hot chocolate for us and treats for
Teeny and Tiny!!"

Stay Warm And Have A Lovely Day

[MEG33]

Good Morning

Amazing story of lover!
Thank you for starting our day off right every day, Rus

[MEG33]

(((HUGS)))