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

5-01-2021 | The Mayor; Luvie; JustAmy

[TheConservativeParty]

I am sleeping much better now that I am exhausted! 😅

[luvie]

Thank goodness for that! LOL! I hope they are paying you well!

[TheConservativeParty]

Yes, pretty good, and the hours are accumulating bigly. 🙃

[luvie]

They sure are! I’ll bet Moose is missing you a lot, though!

[left that other site]

Funny the things that get stuck in our memories!

[The Mayor]

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

May 7

The Right Words

Bible in a Year:

• 2 Kings 1–3
• Luke 24:1–35

Pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan.

Ephesians 6:19 nlt

In the past year or so, a number of authors have urged believers to take a fresh look at the “vocabulary” of our faith. One writer, for example, emphasized that even theologically rich words of faith can lose their impact when, through overfamiliarity and overuse, we lose touch with the depths of the gospel and our need for God. When that happens, he suggested, we may need to relearn the language of faith “from scratch,” letting go of our assumptions until we can see the good news for the first time.

The invitation to learn to “speak God from scratch” reminds me of Paul, who devoted his life to “[becoming] all things to all people . . . for the sake of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:22–23). He never assumed he knew best how to communicate what Jesus had done. Instead, he relied on constant prayer and pleaded for fellow believers to pray for him as well—to help him find “the right words” (Ephesians 6:19 nlt) to share the good news.

The apostle also knew the need for each believer in Christ to remain humble and receptive each day to their need for deeper roots in His love (3:16–17). It’s only as we deepen our roots in God’s love, each day becoming more aware of our dependence on His grace, that we can begin to find the right words to share the incredible news of what He’s done for us.

Reflect & Pray

When have you had an experience of seeing the gospel in a new way for the first time? How can prayer keep your heart receptive to your constant need for God’s grace?

Loving God, forgive me for, far too often, taking Your grace and goodness for granted. Help me to daily grasp in new ways the depths of Your grace and love. And help me find the right words to share what You’ve done.

[luvie]

Have a Happy One!

[left that other site]

Happy Red Friday!

Have A Beautiful Day!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[luvie]

Ahhhhh....stopping to smell the flowers. CHOO!!

[The Mayor]

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

May 8

Legally His

Bible in a Year:

• 2 Kings 4–6
• Luke 24:36–53

The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.

Romans 8:15

Liz cried for joy when she and her husband received the birth certificate and passport for their child, making the adoption legally binding. Now Milena would always be their daughter, forever part of their family. As Liz pondered the legal process, she also thought of the “true exchange” that happens when we become part of Jesus’ family: “No longer are we held down by our birthright of sin and brokenness.” Rather, she continued, we enter into the fullness of God’s kingdom legally when we're adopted as His children.

In the apostle Paul’s day, if a Roman family adopted a son, his legal status would change completely. Any debts from his old life would be canceled and he would gain all of the rights and privileges of his new family. Paul wanted the Roman believers in Jesus to understand that this new status applied to them too. No longer were they bound to sin and condemnation but now they lived “according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4). And those the Spirit leads are adopted as God’s children (vv. 14–15). Their legal status changed when they became citizens of heaven.

If we have received the gift of salvation, we too are God’s children, heirs of His kingdom and united with Christ. Our debts have been canceled by the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice. We no longer need to live in fear or condemnation.

Reflect & Pray

How does your status as a child of God affect how you live? What could you do to embrace this central part of your identity?

Father God, You created me in my mother’s womb, and You know and love me. May I never doubt how much You care for me.

[luvie]

Happy Caturday
and
Mother's Day,
Mommas, Grammas and Aunties!

[luvie]

Ray Walker~Master The Tempest Is Raging
Congregational Singing

Cynthia Clawson & Others~Church In The Wildwood

The Trevecca Madragalians~It Is Well With My Soul

Statler Brothers~How Great Thou Art

St. Olaf Choir~When Peace Like A River

Providence~Farther Along

Vocal Majority~Deep River

Have a blessed Sunday
God bless our troops!
🌹HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!🌹

[The Mayor]

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

May 9

Noticing Nature

Bible in a Year:

• 2 Kings 7–9
• John 1:1–28

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Matthew 6:26

A friend and I recently visited a favorite walking spot of mine. Climbing a windswept hill, we crossed a field of wildflowers into a forest of towering pines, then descended into a valley where we paused a moment. Clouds floated softly above us. A stream trickled nearby. The only sounds were birdsongs. Jason and I stood there silently for fifteen minutes, taking it all in.

As it turns out, our actions that day were deeply therapeutic. According to research from the University of Derby, people who stop to contemplate nature experience higher levels of happiness, lower levels of anxiety, and a greater desire to care for the earth. Walking through the forest isn’t enough, though. You have to watch the clouds, listen to the birds. The key isn’t being in nature, but noticing it.

Could there be a spiritual reason for nature’s benefits? Paul said that creation reveals God’s power and nature (Romans 1:20). God told Job to look at the sea, sky, and stars for evidence of His presence (Job 38–39). Jesus said that contemplating the “birds of the air” and “flowers of the field” could reveal God’s care and reduce anxiety (Matthew 6:25–30). In Scripture, noticing nature is a spiritual practice.

Scientists wonder why nature affects us so positively. Maybe one reason is that by noticing nature we catch a glimpse of the God who created it and who notices us.

Reflect & Pray

Since nature isn’t God, and vice versa, how do you think He can be seen through it? How can you take a few minutes today to notice His care through His creation?

God of heaven, earth, streams, and birdsongs, I worship You today.

[left that other site]

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

You Are A Blessing!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[JustAmy]

Graphic by MamaBear

Wishing all a Happy Mother's Day!

[JustAmy]

This is for all at Amy's Place as is the one above.

Hope everyone is having a Beautiful Mother's Day.

[mairdie]

Beautiful flowers. Great choice!

[JustAmy]

[The Mayor]

Happy Mother’s Day Amy

[JustAmy]

Thank you and a Happy Mother's Day to Mrs Mayor.