Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... July, August and September, 2018

July 1, 2018 | Meg33, The Mayor, Trisham, JustAmy

[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. : )

[The Mayor]

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Jesus Knows Why

July 24, 2018

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching. Matthew 7:28

I have friends who’ve received partial healing but still struggle with painful aspects of their diseases. Other friends have been healed of an addiction but still struggle with feelings of inadequacy and self-loathing. And I wonder, Why doesn’t God heal them completely—once and for all?

In Mark 8:22–26, we read the story of Jesus healing a man born blind. Jesus first took the man away from the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and “put his hands on him.” The man said he now saw people who looked “like trees walking around.” Then Jesus touched the man’s eyes again, and this time he saw “everything clearly.”

In His ministry, Jesus’s words and actions often amazed and baffled the crowd and His followers (Matthew 7:28; Luke 8:10; 11:14) and even drove many of them away (John 6:60–66). No doubt this two-part miracle also caused confusion. Why not immediately heal this man?

We don’t know why. But Jesus knew what the man—and the disciples who viewed his healing—needed in that moment. And He knows what we need today to draw us closer in our relationship with Him. Though we won’t always understand, we can trust that God is working in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. And He will give us the strength, courage, and clarity we need to persevere in following Him.

Dear Lord, thank You for knowing us so well and for providing what we need most. Give us eyes to see You and a heart to understand Your Word.

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus. Robert Cull

INSIGHT

Although God is able to heal all diseases and injuries, it’s not always His will to do so. God empowered the apostle Paul to heal many (Acts 14:8–10; 19:12), yet he wrote to Timothy about Trophimus whom he left “sick in Miletus” (2 Timothy 4:20). Likewise, Paul advised Timothy to take medicinal wine for his stomach problem and frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23). In this case, medicine was recommended instead of divine healing. Second Corinthians makes reference to Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (12:7), which many scholars believe was some type of physical ailment. Interestingly God didn’t remove it even after Paul’s repeated prayers for deliverance. The Lord’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (v. 9).

God has His own purposes for granting full healing, partial healing, or withholding healing altogether. In what situation do you need to trust in the sufficient grace of God?

[luvie]

🌸 Grateful for my corner of the world.
Happy GratiTuesday! 🌸

[trisham]

Beautiful, LUV W!

[trisham]

Hold on to what is good,
even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it's easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if I've gone away from you.

Pueblo Indian Prayer

A Happy GratiTuesday to everyone here at Amy's Place.

[left that other site]

Happy Gratituesday!

I am Grateful for lazy summer days in the best country on the nicest planet in the Solar System.

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[trisham]

Happy little puppy! :)

[The Mayor]

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

Perfect Imperfection

July 25, 2018

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. Ephesians 3:16

A college professor of mine, picking up on my perfectionism-induced procrastination, gave me some wise advice. “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good,” he said, explaining that striving for perfect performance can prevent the risks necessary for growth. Accepting that my work would always be imperfect would give me the freedom to keep growing.

The apostle Paul explained an even more profound reason to let go of our own efforts to perfect ourselves: it can blind us to our need for Christ.

Paul had learned this the hard way. After years striving to perfectly obey God’s law, encountering Jesus changed everything (Galatians 1:11–16). Paul realized that if his own efforts were enough to be whole and right with God, “then there was no need for Christ to die” (2:21 nlt). Only by letting go of—dying to—self-reliance, could he experience Jesus living in him (v. 20). Only in his imperfection could he experience God’s perfect power.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t resist sin (v. 17); but it does mean we should stop relying on our own strength to grow spiritually (v. 20).

In this lifetime, we will always be works in progress. But as our hearts humbly accept our constant need for the only perfect One, Jesus makes His home there (Ephesians 3:17). Rooted in Him, we are free to grow ever deeper in the love “too great” to ever “understand fully” (v. 19 nlt).

Lord, so often we exchange the joy and freedom of life with You for the burden of relying on ourselves. Help us to humbly rely on You instead.

We are free to grow in Jesus’s love.

INSIGHT

Before his dramatic conversion to Christ, Paul relied on his observance of the law for right standing with God (Philippians 3:4–6). But we see in today’s passage that Paul’s focus has shifted from human effort to acknowledging the work of the Lord. Paul prays for the believers in Ephesus that God would strengthen them (v. 16) so that Christ may dwell in them (v. 17). Then they will be rooted in love (v. 17) and filled with the fullness of God (v. 19). These are things God does for the believer, not something we do.

Have you been tempted to rely on your own strength to please God?

[MEG33]

~Welcome To Warm Fuzzy Wednesday~

"Don't Forget To Smell The Flowers"
"The Back" has been in terrible tantrum mode for a week. I am grateful I can
get on the computer and view your great posts today!
I Wish You A Beautiful Day

[left that other site]

Happy Warm and Fuzzy Wednesday

And it is Another Hot One!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[trisham]

Love the Goldens, left that other site! :)

The Weather Is Perfect for Running

The weather is perfect for running.
I think that I'll go for a jog.
Except I'm a little bit tired,
so maybe I'll just walk the dog.

But he seems too hyper for walking.
He looks kind of hard to control.
So maybe I'll leave him at home,
and go for a leisurely stroll.

But all of my socks are too dirty,
and all of my shoes are untied.
So maybe I'll sit on the front porch.
Or maybe I'll just stay inside.

I see that my kitten is purring,
and wants to curl up on my lap.
It wouldn't be right to prevent her
from getting her afternoon nap.

It's comfortable here on the sofa.
My pillows are cozy and deep.
The weather is perfect for running.
So that's why I'm going to sleep.

Kenn Nesbitt

Have a happy Wednesday, everyone!

[trisham]

Lovely!

[TheConservativeParty]

Oh no! Sorry the back is bad again.

I am starting to forget my back pain from loading the PODS. In a week we get to move into the new house and I will try to go at the unloading slower to not stress the lower back again.

Feel better soon!

[left that other site]

I love Goldies too!

So does my industrial vacuum cleaner! hahaha

[luvie]

Yes! Nap with the Cat!
Happy Warm and Fuzzy
Wednesday!

[MEG33]

For the cute graphics and poem
Thank you for the kind comments trish and TCP.
This is the first break I have had from the bad back
pain...It is so good to be back among FRiends!
*HUGS*

[luvie]

Hope your back cuts you some slack so you can be where you want to be! Here with us! (((hugs)))

[Kitty Mittens]

I Hope your Back is Better Soon, Sweet FRiend!
(((((Hugs!)))))

[The Mayor]

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Unselfish Service

July 26, 2018

If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness. Isaiah 58:10

A small collection of people stood together, dwarfed by the size of the huge tree lying on the lawn. An elderly woman leaned on her cane and described watching the previous night’s windstorm as it blew down “our majestic old elm tree. Worst of all,” she continued, voice cracking with emotion, “it destroyed our lovely stone wall too. My husband built that wall when we were first married. He loved that wall. I loved that wall! Now it’s gone; just like him.”

Next morning, as she peeked out at the tree company workers cleaning up the downed tree; a big smile spread across her face. In between the branches she could just make out two adults and the boy who mowed her lawn carefully measuring and rebuilding her beloved stone wall!

The prophet Isaiah describes the kind of service God favors: acts that lift the hearts of those around us, like the wall repairers did for the elderly woman. This passage teaches that God values unselfish service to others over empty spiritual rituals. In fact, God exercises a two-way blessing on the selfless service of His children. First, God uses our willing acts of service to aid the oppressed and needy (Isaiah 58:7–10). Then God honors those engaged in such service by building or rebuilding our reputations as powerful positive forces in His kingdom (vv. 11–12). What service will you offer this day?

Thank You, Father, for the acts of others You use to lift us up, and for calling us to do the same.

Selfless service to others brings honor to God.

INSIGHT

Am I my brother’s keeper? We might wonder something similar when we hear Isaiah urging his people to reach out to a world of hurting people. But another story is working in the background. God’s people were trying to avoid responsibility for the wrongs they were doing to their own flesh and blood (Isaiah 58:7).

Can you think of anything you are doing, or not doing, to those around you that is making their life difficult? Can you think of ways to unselfishly serve them?

[luvie]

Thankful for summer days.
Happy Thankful Thursday!

[left that other site]

Happy Thankful Thursday!

I Am Thankful For All My FRiends! :-)

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS