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]

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

Muscling Through

September 6, 2018

Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 2 Chronicles 20:3

Competitive bodybuilders put themselves through a rigorous training cycle. During the initial months, they emphasize gaining size and strength. As the competition nears, the focus shifts to losing any fat that hides the muscle. In the final days before the competition, they consume less water than normal so their muscle tissue is easily visible. Because of the reduced consumption of nourishment, the competitors are actually at their weakest on the day of competition, despite appearing strong.

In 2 Chronicles 20, we read of the opposite reality: acknowledging weakness in order to experience God’s strength. “A vast army is coming against you,” people told King Jehoshaphat. So “he proclaimed a fast for all Judah” (v. 3), depriving himself and all his people of nourishment. Then they asked God for help. When he finally mustered his military, Jehoshaphat placed singers who praised God at the front of his army (v. 21). As they began to sing, the Lord “set ambushes against the men . . . who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” (v. 22).

Jehoshaphat’s decision demonstrated deep faith in God. He purposefully chose not to depend on his own human and military prowess but instead to lean on God. Rather than trying to muscle our way through the trials we face, may we turn to Him and allow Him to be our strength.

Read The Strength of Weakness at discoveryseries.org/hp144.

We must recognize our weakness to experience God’s strength.

[luvie]

Thankful for colorful surprise lilies!
Happy Thankful Thursday

[left that other site]

Thankful Thursday

I am ALWAYS Thankful for my Dear FRiends here on FR.

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[luvie]

And we are thankful for YOU! (((hugs)))

[The Mayor]

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

Unchanging Love

September 7, 2018

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17

When I was in high school I played on the varsity tennis team. I spent many hours of my teenage years trying to improve my skills on four concrete courts located just two blocks from my home.

The last time I visited that city, one of the first things I did was drive to the tennis courts, hoping to watch others play and reminisce for a moment. But the old courts, so familiar to my memory, were nowhere to be seen. In their place was a vacant field, inhabited only by an occasional weed waving silently in the breeze.

That afternoon remains in my mind as a stark reminder of the brevity of life. One of the places where I expended some of my best youthful strength no longer existed! Reflecting on that experience later brought me to this truth, expressed by an aging King David: “The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him” (Psalm 103:15–17).

We grow older and the world around us may change, but God’s love doesn’t. He can always be trusted to take care of those who turn to Him.

Faithful Father, thank You for Your love that never changes! Help me to love You by serving You faithfully today.

In our changing world, we can always depend on our unchanging God.

INSIGHT

In the middle of Psalm 103 a potentially dark subtheme surfaces: life passes by all too quickly (vv. 15–16). As David poetically responds to this sobering awareness, we might well expect his song to become one of resignation or despondency. Yet the psalm remains joyful from beginning to end. Is David in denial? No! He frames the psalm, and his whole life, with praise to God, beginning and ending with this phrase: “Praise the Lord, my soul” (vv. 1, 22). The truth of God’s goodness provides the platform from which David’s whole life becomes a song of triumph.

Our awareness that life is fleeting need not cause us to panic or sink into despair. Rather, it can remind us that our life is in God. We find joy and meaning in singing His praises.

As seasons change and we sense life’s transience, what questions come to mind? Do those big questions cause us to reevaluate our priorities? Are we finding joy and fulfillment in relationship with our Creator?

[luvie]

Chris DeBurgh~The Lady In Red

[trisham]

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

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

[left that other site]

Happy Red Friday!

Dressed Up Like A Million Dollar Trooper.
Trying Hard To Look Like Gary Cooper.

Puttin' on the Red for Our Troops!

((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[trisham]

Awwww... :)

[TheConservativeParty]

Hi! Thanks for the ping. It finally stopped raining here, after 3 weeks of frequent rains. Yesterday was sunny,today cloudy but thankfully no rain.

The mosquitoes are really having a party out there! I rarely use OFF but had to yesterday just to do some yard work.

I have lovely hummingbirds that like my petunias and hummingbird feeders here at the new house. The yellow finches like the thistle feeders.

My new regular bird seed feeder was not getting visitors so I looked closer yesterday and found we had so much rain that the seed was spoiled at the feeding ports. Had to clean the feeder and widen the ports.

Hanging it back up and adding all new seed last night cost me a pint of blood to the mosquitoes!

Have a sunny and mosquito free weekend!

[luvie]

I see what you did there! LOL!

Too cute!

[left that other site]

Rather Ritzy of me, doncha think?

[luvie]

You’re just puttin’ it ON! :)

[left that other site]

There’s just something about a bowtie! LOL!

[The Mayor]

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

Being Real with God

September 8, 2018

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

I bow my head, close my eyes, lace my fingers together and begin to pray. “Dear Lord, I’m coming to you today as your child. I recognize your power and goodness. . .” Suddenly, my eyes snap open. I remember that my son hasn’t finished his history project, which is due the next day. I recall that he has an after-school basketball game, and I imagine him awake until midnight finishing his schoolwork. This leads me to worry that his fatigue will put him at risk for the flu!

C. S. Lewis wrote about distractions during prayer in his book The Screwtape Letters. He noted that when our minds wander, we tend to use willpower to steer ourselves back to our original prayer. Lewis concluded, though, that it was better to accept “the distraction as [our] present problem and [lay] that before [God] and make it the main theme of [our] prayers.”

A persistent worry or even a sinful thought that disrupts a prayer may become the centerpiece of our discussion with God. God wants us to be real as we talk with Him and open up about our deepest concerns, fears, and struggles. He is not surprised by anything we mention. His interest in us is like the attention we would receive from a close friend. That’s why we’re encouraged to give all of our worries and cares to God—because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Dear God, You know what’s on my mind today. Help me to experience the peace that comes from sharing my concerns with You.

Distractions don’t have to derail our prayers.

INSIGHT

Because God cares so deeply for us, we can pray about everything (Philippians 4:6–7). Nothing is too small to bring to Him. And nothing is too big for God either, for nothing is impossible with Him (Matthew 19:26). Prayer acknowledges that we are weak and totally dependent on God. We may not fully understand the circumstances of our life, but we can rest in the knowledge that God is in control. He gives us His peace: “[God] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in [Him]” (Isaiah 26:3).

For further study on prayer, see Talking with My Father at discoveryseries.org/hp171.

[trisham]

It’s been a rainy summer! We have a Downey woodpecker at our feeder right now. Hummingbirds are constantly hitting our feeders on the deck. It’s a wonderful time of year. :)

[trisham]

At The Beach

Many have trod
this sandy beach
seeking for shells.

Along the shore
their footprints merge
in shifting sands.

Rising and falling
the ocean sighs
and washes all.

I stand alone
at water's edge.
I have no shells.

Looking back
I cannot tell
the way I came.

Rory Hudson

Happy Caturday, Dogurday and Bunnyday, everyone!

[left that other site]

Happy Caturday!

Even if it is the Dog Days of Summer. :-)

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[trisham]

:)

[luvie]

Grey and Sugar say
"Feed Us! Now!"
...so we can have a
Happy Caturday!