Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... April, May and June, 2017

April 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]

Summertime!

And the Livin' is EASY! Have a Great Day!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[TheConservativeParty]

Hello, thanks for the lovely clematis picture.

We have been having a lot of rain lately. Better than a drought though.

Cheers

[TheConservativeParty]

Hi there, thanks for the poem. I would replace the beer with a lemonade or iced tea. But then that would ruin the poem! Ha ha.

[The Mayor]

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

Playing in Concert

June 23, 2017

So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:5–6

During our granddaughter’s school band concert, I was impressed by how well this group of 11- and 12-year-olds played together. If each of them had wanted to be a solo performer, they could not have achieved individually what the band did collectively. The woodwinds, brass, and percussion sections all played their parts and the result was beautiful music!

To the followers of Jesus in Rome, Paul wrote, “In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (Rom. 12:5–6). Among the gifts Paul mentioned are prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, and mercy (vv. 7–8). Each gift is to be exercised freely for the good of all (1 Cor. 12:7).

Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

One definition of in concert is “agreement in design or plan; combined action; harmony or accord.” That’s the Lord’s plan for us as His children through faith in Jesus Christ. “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (v. 10). The goal is cooperation, not competition.

In a sense, we are “on stage” before a watching and listening world every day. There are no soloists in God’s concert band, but every instrument is essential. The music is best when we each play our part in unity with others.

Lord, You are the Conductor of our lives. We want to play Your song of love and grace in concert with Your children today.

There are no soloists in God’s orchestra.

INSIGHT:

There are five listings of spiritual gifts in the New Testament: Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11; 12:28–30; Ephesians 4:9–11; and 1 Peter 4:11. In each of these lists the emphasis is not on how many different types of gifts there are, but on how we are to use them in a loving way that promotes unity in the church, builds up the spiritual maturity of the believers, and brings glory to the Lord. To achieve this, Paul tells us not to think too highly or too lowly of ourselves (Rom. 12:3). We are to use our spiritual giftedness in humility (v. 3) and embrace diversity in the body of Christ with sincere love (v. 9) and mutual respect (v. 10).

How has God gifted you? How can you use your spiritual gifts to promote unity and harmony in the church?

[MEG33]

;o)
(((HUGS)))

[MEG33]

Amen

[MEG33]

*Good Morning To Amy's Place*

We Wear Red On Friday To Support
*Our Troops*
Have A Great Weekend

[left that other site]

Sweet Dreams From Boston!

So Young and Pretty! :-)

Have a Beautiful Day!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[luvie]

Chris DeBurgh~The Lady In Red

[trisham]

Red Friday, at Amy's Place
to support our troops!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

*=*=*=*=*=**=*=*=*=*=*

[The Mayor]

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

Here to Serve

June 24, 2017

[Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet. John 13:5

It was time for our church to commission a new group of leaders. To symbolize their roles as servant-leaders, the church elders participated in a memorable foot-washing ceremony. Each of the leaders—including the pastor—washed each other’s feet as the congregation observed them.

What they did that day was modeled for us by Jesus Christ, as recorded in John 13. In that incident, which happened at what is called the Last Supper, Jesus “got up from the meal, . . . poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet” (John 13:4–5). Later, as Jesus was explaining to His disciples why He had done this, He said, “No servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (v. 16). He also said, “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).

Dear Lord, help me serve others.

If it is not below Jesus’s dignity to do such a lowly task, it is not below any of us to serve others. What an amazing example He set for all of us. Indeed, He “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). He showed us what it means to be a leader and a servant. That’s Jesus, the One who serves.

Dear Lord, help me serve others. Guide me to set aside my personal interests and desires to provide help to those who need it.

No deed is small when done for Christ.

INSIGHT:

In what ways does my heart reflect the serving spirit of the Savior? In what ways has my attitude been in contrast to His example of serving?

[MEG33]

Happy Caturday***Dogurday
It's A rainy day here...It's just light rain but cooling!

*Babysitting Is A Challenge*
Hope Your Day Is Relaxing

[trisham]

So cute, MEG!!
I can't believe that I forgot.

Cats

Cats sleep, anywhere,
Any table, any chair
Top of piano, window-ledge,
In the middle, on the edge,
Open drawer, empty shoe,
Anybody's lap will do,
Fitted in a cardboard box,
In the cupboard, with your frocks-
Anywhere! They don't care!
Cats sleep anywhere.

Eleanor Farjeon

Happy caturday and dogurday, all!

[left that other site]

It's RAINING?

Well then...never mind. We'll stay in, thank you very much! :-)

((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[MEG33]

I love that poem!
I Hope You Are Having A Lovely Weekend

[luvie]

Happy Dogurday
[...and Caturday! =^..^=]

[trisham]

Thank you, MEG!

[TheConservativeParty]

Hey there, thanks for the adorable critter pictures!

Have a blessed Sunday.

[trisham]

My pleasure, TCP!

A blessed Sunday to you and MEG as well!

[The Mayor]

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

Soaking Up God’s Word

June 25, 2017

These commandments that I give to you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Deuteronomy 6:6–7

When our son Xavier was a toddler, we took a family trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. As we entered the building, I pointed to a large sculpture suspended from the ceiling. “Look. A humpback whale.”

Xavier’s eyes widened. “Enormous,” he said.

We can leave a legacy of faith to future generations.

My husband turned to me. “How does he know that word?”

“He must have heard us say it.” I shrugged, amazed that our toddler had soaked up vocabulary we’d never intentionally taught him.

In Deuteronomy 6, God encouraged His people to be intentional about teaching younger generations to know and obey the Scriptures. As the Israelites increased their knowledge of God, they and their children would be more likely to grow in reverence of Him and to enjoy the rewards that come through knowing Him intimately, loving Him completely, and following Him obediently (vv. 2–5).

By intentionally saturating our hearts and our minds with Scripture (v. 6), we will be better prepared to share God’s love and truth with children during our everyday activities (v. 7). Leading by example, we can equip and encourage young people to recognize and respect the authority and relevance of God’s unchanging truth (vv. 8–9).

As God’s words flow naturally from our hearts and out of our mouths, we can leave a strong legacy of faith to be passed down from generation to generation (4:9).

The words we take in determine the words we speak, live by, and pass on to those around us.

INSIGHT:

Deuteronomy 6:4–9, known as the Shema (from the Hebrew for “hear,” v. 4), has been called the Creed of Ancient Israel. It emphasizes the Jewish belief in one God and the importance of transmitting faith in Him to the next generation. As believers in Christ, we can find creative ways to remind others of God’s truths. We begin by saturating ourselves with the Scriptures. Then we can look for teachable moments throughout the day to instruct others.

What are some ways you can remind the next generation of spiritual truths?