Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... January - December, 2022

1-01-2022 | The Mayor; Luvie; JustAmy

[left that other site]

I just got a text...I can reschedule two for next week. (whew!)

[TheConservativeParty]

Good Night FRiends

😴 💫⭐️🌟🌙

[left that other site]

Good Night.

I’m calling it a day.

[luvie]

Nighty-night! Have a lovely weekend. Did you go back to work or are you speaking of the work you do in your garden, etc?

[TheConservativeParty]

Working at my parent’s greenhouse until busy season is over around June first. I had my own greenhouse business for almost 25 years. My folks are in their 80s and keep on going. It has been 85 degrees inside this past week. 😅

[luvie]

No wonder you know so much about gardens and plants! That’s very cool!

[The Mayor]

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

Our Daily Bread

Saturday,
March 5, 2022

Safe Hands

Read: Psalm 32

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble. Psalm 32:7

Like the unraveling of a rope, the threads of Doug Merkey’s life were breaking one by one. “My mother had lost her prolonged battle with cancer; a long-term romantic relationship was failing; my finances were depleted; my vocation was foggy. . . . The emotional and spiritual darkness around me and within me was deep and debilitating and seemingly impenetrable,” the pastor and sculptor wrote. These collective events, combined with living in a cramped attic, became the setting from which his sculpture The Hiding Place emerged. It depicts Christ’s strong, nailed-scarred hands openly cupped together as a place of safety.

Doug explained the design of his artwork this way: The “sculpture is Christ’s invitation to hide in Him.” In Psalm 32, David wrote as one who had found the ultimate safe place—God Himself. He offers us forgiveness from our sin (vv. 1–5) and encourages us to offer prayer in the midst of tumult (v. 6). In verse 7, the psalmist declares his trust in God: “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

When trouble shows up, where do you turn? How good it is to know that when the fragile cords of our earthly existence begin to unravel, we can run to the God who has provided eternal safety through the forgiving work of Jesus. — Arthur Jackson

What has it meant or what will it mean for you to find shelter, safety, and forgiveness in Jesus? How does He provide what you need for your cares, fears, and burdens?

Father, You know the times I’ve sought to piece my life together without You. Help me to forsake my misguided plans for safety and to run swiftly to You.

Bible in a year: Numbers 34–36; Mark 9:30–50

[luvie]

🐾Very Happy Caturday!🐾

[TheConservativeParty]

Aw, cats are awesome. Was with my mom and dad’s cat today, it’s their greenhouse and barn cat Fluffy. This cat is extra long haired and big, and is white and grey. Fluffy is old and very well cared for.

Happy Caturday
🐯🦁🐱

[luvie]

Sounds like a lovely kitty. Mine are all short-hairs, which is good since their shedding isn’t quite as heavy.

[luvie]

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the
Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

Providence~O Come Angel Band

Providence~Thomas's Song

Providence~Farther Along

Providence~He'll Understand And Say Well Done

Providence~I'm Telling The World About His Love

Providence~Sweet Beulah Land

Providence~Mansion, Robe and Crown

HAVE A BLESSED LORD'S DAY!

[The Mayor]

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

Our Daily Bread

Sunday,
March 6, 2022

Tongue-Tied in Prayer

Read: Romans 8:22–27

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26

When my baby brother underwent surgery, I was concerned. My mother explained that “tongue-tie” (ankyloglossia) was a condition he was born with and that without help, his ability to eat and eventually to speak would be hindered. Today we use the term tongue-tied to describe being at a loss for words or too shy to speak.

Sometimes we can be tongue-tied in prayer, not knowing what to say. Our tongues tie up in spiritual clichés and repetitive phrases. We arrow our emotions heavenward, wondering if they will reach God’s ears. Our thoughts zigzag along an unfocused path.

Writing to first-century Roman believers in Christ, the apostle Paul addressed what to do when we struggle to know how to pray, inviting us to find help from the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). The concept of “help” here is to carry a heavy load. And “wordless groans” indicates an interceding presence as the Spirit carries our needs to God.

When we’re tongue-tied in prayer, God’s Spirit helps shape our confusion, pain, and distraction into the perfect prayer that moves from our hearts to God’s ears. He listens and answers, bringing the exact kind of comfort we may not have known we needed until we asked Him to pray for us. — Elisa Morgan

When have you not known what or how to pray? How did God help you through that situation?

Dear God, thank You for Your Spirit’s help when I don’t know how to pray.

Learn more about prayer.

Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 1–2; Mark 10:1–31

[The Mayor]

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

Our Daily Bread

Monday,
March 7, 2022

Willing to Wait

Read: James 5:7–12

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. James 5:7

Waiting can be a culprit in stealing our peace. According to computer scientist Ramesh Sitaraman, few things “inspire universal frustration and ire” in internet users as waiting for a sluggish web browser to load. His research says that we’re willing to wait an average of two seconds for an online video to load. After five seconds, the abandonment rate is about twenty-five percent, and after ten seconds, half of the users desert their efforts. We’re certainly an impatient bunch! 

James encouraged believers in Jesus to not abandon Him while they were waiting for His second coming. Christ’s return would motivate them to stand firm in the face of suffering and to love and honor one another (James 5:7–10). James used the example of the farmer to make his point. Like the farmer, who waited patiently for “autumn and spring rains” (v. 7) and for the land to yield its valuable crop, James encouraged believers to be patient under oppression until Jesus returned. And when He returned, He would right every wrong and bring shalom, peace. 

Sometimes, we’re tempted to forsake Jesus while we wait for Him. But as we wait, let’s “keep watch” (Matthew 24:42), remain faithful (25:14–30), and live out His character and ways (Colossians 3:12). Though we don’t know when Jesus will return, let’s wait patiently for Him, as long as it takes. — Marvin Williams

What’s hardest about waiting for Jesus’ return? How’s His return an incentive for living out His character and ways?

Jesus, I’ll wait for You. Though the world is dark and filled with pain, suffering, injustice, and uncertainty, I’ll wait for You. Though I don’t know the day or the time, I’ll wait for You. 

Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 3–4; Mark 10:32–52

[luvie]

Happy Monday Madness!!

[TheConservativeParty]

Happy Monday Madness!

Saturday night we had thunderstorms,wind, and an EF1 tornado (30 miles east of me). One poor farmer lost several outbuildings to the low grade but destructive tornado. Pictures are at www.channel3000.com, Stoughton storm/tornado.

Sunday night into Monday Madness we got 5 inches of snow.

Ya just don’t know what you’ll get in March, spring or winter.

😅 ❄️ ⚡️

[left that other site]

Happy Monday!

Welcome to the Madness!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[left that other site]

YIKES! Stay Safe, FRiend!

(((HUGS)))

[TheConservativeParty]

Had to plow the driveway again, kinda thought we were done with that for the season. 😅

I was monitoring the radar Saturday night, it was very windy, a low pressure system moving through.

I didn’t know there had been a tornado until the next day, surprised me. I would have slept even worse if I knew tornadoes were possible.

[left that other site]

Sometimes they just pop up without warning.

[luvie]

Wow! That was rough. I’m sure glad it wasn’t where you live! You not only have Monday Madness but also March Madness! Crazy!