Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... Jan - Dec 2021

5-01-2021 | The Mayor; Luvie; 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

Wednesday,
December 22, 2021

Virtual Presence

Read: Colossians 2:1–5

Though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit. Colossians 2:5

As the novel coronavirus marched across the globe, health experts advised increased physical distance between people as a means to slow the spread. Many countries asked their citizens to self-quarantine or shelter in place. Organizations sent employees home to work remotely if they could, while others suffered a financially debilitating loss of employment. Like others, I participated in church and small-group meetings through digital platforms. As a world, we practiced new forms of togetherness despite being physically disconnected.

It isn’t just the internet that lets us maintain a sense of connection. We connect to one another as members of the body of Christ through the Spirit. Paul expressed this notion centuries ago in his letter to the Colossians. Though he hadn’t personally founded their church, he cared deeply for them and their faith. And even though Paul couldn’t be with them in person, he reminded them that he was “present with [them] in spirit” (Colossians 2:5).  

We can’t always be with those we love for financial, health, or other practical reasons, and technology can help fill that gap. Yet any form of virtual connection pales in comparison to the “togetherness” we can experience as fellow members of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). In such moments, we can, like Paul, rejoice in one another’s firmness of faith and, through prayer, encourage each other to fully “know the mystery of God, namely, Christ” (Colossians 2:2). — Kirsten Holmberg

How have you experienced a sense of connection with other members of the body of Christ? Who needs your prayers of encouragement today?

Jesus, thank You for being with me even when no other person can be physically present. Thank You for the connection You give me to others through the Holy Spirit.

Bible in a year: Micah 6–7; Revelation 13

[luvie]

Happy Warm & Fuzzy
...and Forgiving?...
Wednesday!

[luvie]

I hope you are having sunshine again today! ☀️

[TheConservativeParty]

Hi there! Pretty nice outside today. No snow, thank goodness. Kind of cloudy, but not bad for December. Thursday it will be warmer, 40 degrees. Very nice.

[left that other site]

Happy Warm and Fuzzy Wednesday

12/22/21 It isn't often that the Winter Solstice is also a Palindrome.

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[mylife]

Warm? It’s 27, better bring the beer in before it splodes!

[left that other site]

Eyew..27 is C-C-C-Cold!

[luvie]

It sure isn’t and I completely missed that one! Good catch! :)

[left that other site]

I had fun with the palindrome today with my students.

[luvie]

I’ll bet they’d never heard of it! :)

[Kitty Mittens]

Thank you for the Daily Pics & Pings, Dear FRiends.
(((((Love to Everyone, and God Bless)))))

[TheConservativeParty]

Hi Kitty! Have a good evening.
😇

[luvie]

Merry Christmas from the gang!

[left that other site]

Well, they didn’t know the word, but understood the concept. Now they have the word to go with it! :-)

[luvie]

Thankful for the reason
for the season!
Happy Thankful Thursday!

[left that other site]

Happy Thankful Thursday!

And A Blessed, Merry Christmas To You!

((((HUGS))))

ML/LTOS

[The Mayor]

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

Thursday,
December 23, 2021

How They’ll Know

Read: Acts 11:19–26

The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. Acts 11:26

“The Gathering” in northern Thailand is an interdenominational, international church. On a recent Sunday, believers in Jesus from Korea, Ghana, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, the US, the Philippines, and other countries came together in a humble, thread-worn hotel conference room. They sang “In Christ Alone” and “I Am a Child of God,” lyrics that were especially poignant in that setting.

No one brings people together like Jesus does. He’s been doing it from the start. In the first century, Antioch contained eighteen different ethnic groups, each living in its own part of the city. When believers first came to Antioch, they spread the word about Jesus “only among Jews” (Acts 11:19). That wasn’t God’s plan for the church, however. Others soon came who “began to speak to Greeks [gentiles] also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus,” and “a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (vv. 20–21). People in the city noticed that Jesus was healing centuries of animosity between Jews and Greeks, and they declared this multi-ethnic church should be called “Christians,” or “little Christs” (v. 26).

It can be challenging for us to reach across ethnic, social, and economic boundaries to embrace those different from us. But this difficulty is our opportunity. If it wasn’t hard, we wouldn’t need Jesus to do it. And few would notice we’re following Him. — Mike Wittmer

Why is it challenging to reach out to those who are different from you? What has Jesus provided to help you do so?

Jesus, may they know I’m a Christian by Your love.

Bible in a year: Nahum 1–3; Revelation 14

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you.

[The Mayor]

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

Friday,
December 24, 2021

The Prince of Peace

Read: Isaiah 9:1–7

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

When John’s cold turned into pneumonia, he ended up in the hospital. At the same time, his mother was being treated for cancer a few floors above him, and he felt overwhelmed with worries about her and about his own health. Then on Christmas Eve, when the radio played the carol “O Holy Night,” John was flooded with a deep sense of God’s peace. He listened to the words about it being the night of the dear Savior’s birth: “A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” In that moment, his worries about himself and his mother vanished.

This “dear Savior” born to us, Jesus, is the “Prince of Peace,” as Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when He came to earth as a baby, bringing light and salvation to “those living in the land of the shadow of death” (Matthew 4:16; see Isaiah 9:2). He embodies and gives peace to those He loves, even when they face hardship and death.

There in the hospital, John experienced the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) as he pondered the birth of Jesus. This encounter with God strengthened his faith and sense of gratitude as he lay in that sterile room away from his family at Christmas. May we too receive God’s gift of peace and hope. — Amy Boucher Pye

How have you experienced God’s peace in the midst of a difficult situation? Which aspect of God in Isaiah 9:6 do you most need today? Why?

God of peace, when I’m anxious and fretting about many things, help me to turn to You and receive Your gift of peace.

Bible in a year: Habakkuk 1–3; Revelation 15

[luvie]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Gregg Karukas~Girl In The Red Dress