My rex begonia is blooming! I broke apart our Christmas living centerpiece and replanted it in a pot that drains.
Happy Friday, Friends! How has your week been so far? I've had a strange week because a few things have come-up that I wasn't expecting. We all have weeks like that, don't we! My week started out at the doctor's office where I had all my stitches taken out. Then things started to get a little complicated on Tuesday. I had to miss out on a few things, but that's okay. I'm not complaining....I'm just happy that I have the good sense to always write in my planner in pencil and not ink!
The only things I accomplished on my original weekly chore list were feeding and caring for our houseplants and laundry. But we're expecting the coldest weather of the season next week, and we might have another winter storm. The timing of the precipitation is unclear at this point, so I'm planning on spending lots of time at home next week (the Good Lord willing). During last weekend's winter storm we lost power for about four hours. I hope we don't lose power next week!
What did you think about this week's lesson? The title is "Finding Eden," and I loved her story about the village in Southwest France where all the cottages are named rather than having house numbers. Her favorite was named "Eden," and there was a White Scottish Terrier who was the boss around there. Maybe it was a Westie like my sweet babies.
Finlay after his nap yesterday
At the end of the lesson we are invited to access our personal Edens by praying with beads. Do you pray with beads? I know many of y'all are Catholic; do you pray the rosary? I'm Episcopalian, and we don't pray the rosary, but I do know of people who pray with prayer beads. I admit that I have not tried it yet, but I want to this weekend. I did pray Farrell's prayers, and I thought they were so well-written. My favorite one of the seven is the last one:
"Loving God, I pray that today You would help me live a life that matters, one that increases love in the world and radiates joy."page 14
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Below is this week's Bible verse.
I love this verse! The Holy Spirit indeed dwells within us.
Jesus promised us the best helper, and he keeps his promises!
Please share your thoughts about this week's lessons in the comments section.
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Prayer Requests
- Pray for our military and military families, and the Wisconsin National Guard deployed in Iraq.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job that uses his talents.
- Pray for a peaceful inauguration. I have friends traveling to Washington D.C. for it and a ball. Please pray travel mercies for those attending the rally, inauguration, and parties/balls.
- Carla asks that you pray for her Florida friends that lost so much during the hurricane and are still cleaning up and rebuilding... sadly they miscarried December 11th. They are devastated. They do have the blessing of family, friends and their sweet little girl who is 1 1/2 years old to help them during this time. I thank our prayer warriors to lift them up in prayer as well. Thank You!
- URGENT: There has been a shooting in a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. Please be in prayer for the victims, their families, and the school community. UPDATE: Carla's friend Elena's son attends the school that the shooting happened. They were reunited later that day.
- URGENT: Pray for the victims and their families of the terrorist attack in New Orleans. Pray that the enemies' plans for future attacks will be thwarted, and that God will help Patriot law enforcement who want to protect our country and her citizens.
- URGENT: Pray for fire victims in Southern California.
- With all the terrible things in the news, let's pray for each other's hearts, too.
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Stay warm, friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! We are expecting a snow day today. It's dark, and I can't really tell what's going on weather-wise this morning. I hope we have a cold rain and everything clears-up soon!
What did you think about our first week of study? This week seemed to be a bit of an overview, and Week One focused on building your nest with six Nest-Building Tips. I hope I can explore all six over the course of the year, but my main focus will be Number 1: Spend Time in Nature. Speaking of nature, I enjoyed reading about bald eagles and how they continually build and enlarge their nests.
This week I can't help but think about all the people in Southern California who have lost their "nests" due to the crazy fires and disastrous response to the fires. It breaks my heart! I have also been thinking about the Hurricane Helene victims in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina, as well as the fire victims in Maui. (I've also been thinking about Carla's friends in Florida. See prayer requests, below.) I cannot imagine losing everything; these people have to be so courageous to even begin to start over again by rebuilding or, if they can afford it, relocate. Anyway, my heart and head have been pondering these people. Will you join me in praying for these areas and the affected people?
Did you do anything to feed your soul this week? I finished taking down Christmas decor, and the last thing I did was take down the Christmas tree with Shelley's help on Wednesday. Everything seems so sparse and clean; there is literally nothing on our breakfast room table. It's almost like having a clean slate for a new year, and that feeds my soul. I also started a small group study at church yesterday, but unfortunately my book hasn't come in yet. I ordered it from a local, independent book store, and it should've been in at least a week or two ago. I felt badly going to class unprepared, but I enjoyed class, and I think it's going to be a lovely study.
What are your thoughts about this lesson? Is there a particular Nest-Building Tip to Create a Soulfull Life that calls to you?
Here is this week's scripture:
Prayer Requests
- Pray for our military and military families, and the Wisconsin National Guard deployed in Iraq.
- Please pray travel mercies for Shelley as she's traveling in Louisiana visiting her cousins and aunt.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job that uses his talents.
- Pray for a peaceful and smooth transition of power between now and January 20, 2025.
- Thank-you for praying for my surgeries. I am doing very well! My post-op appointment is Monday.
- Carla asks that you pray for her Florida friends that lost so much during the hurricane and are still cleaning up and rebuilding... sadly they miscarried December 11th. They are devastated. They do have the blessing of family, friends and their sweet little girl who is 1 1/2 years old to help them during this time. I thank our prayer warriors to lift them up in prayer as well. Thank You!
- URGENT: There has been a shooting in a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. Please be in prayer for the victims, their families, and the school community. UPDATE: Carla's friend Elena's son attends the school that the shooting happened. They were reunited later that day.
- URGENT: Pray for the victims and their families of the terrorist attack in New Orleans. Pray that the enemies' plans for future attacks will be thwarted, and that God will help Patriot law enforcement who want to protect our country and her citizens.
- URGENT: Pray for fire victims in Southern California.
- With all the terrible things in the news, let's pray for each other's hearts, too.
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Stay warm this weekend, friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy New Year and Ninth Day of Christmas, Friends!
Do you celebrate all twelve days of Christmas through Epiphany? We do in our home. We love Christmas!
Do you have any plans, resolutions, or goals this year? The main thing I want to achieve this year is living a more discerning life. I want to do the things that brings joy to others and myself, and not participate in activities that don't. That's pretty much my main goal.
Have you had a chance to pick-up a copy of SoulFull yet? I think we will enjoy this study because we all are creatives in different ways. The subtitle of the book is "A Weekly Devotional To Nourish the Mind, Body, and Spirit." Each week includes a "Souljoy section that is meant to activate our connection to our bodies and physically live our the soulfull experience." Twenty-two of these are recipes, so I think our devotionals might spend a little time in our kitchens!
We obviously won't have the time to do all the activities in the book, but one of the features I like about it is the index in the back of the book for spiritual reflections. If you or someone you love has a specific need, this book is a lovely resource. I will probably use it as needed although it is my intent to read and post chronologically.
To get us started on our first lesson we will discuss next Friday, below is the Bible verse for Week One.
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How I'd like for you to participate:
1. Share your thoughts about the lesson.
2. Share your creative pursuits for the week, whether it was suggested by the lesson or not.
3. Share your prayer requests.
Remember that I will only post on Friday mornings. I think this will work better for all of us, and I want to write better, slightly longer posts as well.
Do you have any thoughts about this study you'd like to share?
Before we get to our prayer requests, I want to share with you a quote sent to me by Betty, our small group leader at church. I think it's wonderful advice for the new year!
A little planBe curious. Go outside. Get to bed on time. Hydrate. Breathe from the diaphragm. Eat happy. Get a routine baggy enough to live in. Be kind. Accept that not everyone will like you. Appreciate those who do. Don't be defined. Allow mess ups. Want what you already have. Learn to say no to things that get in the way of life. And to say yes to the things that help you live.~Matt Haig
Prayer Requests
- Pray for our military and military families, and the Wisconsin National Guard deployed in Iraq.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job that uses his talents.
- PRAISE: Eric found out that he was hired this week and will start work on January 6th.
- Pray for a peaceful and smooth transition of power between now and January 20, 2025.
- Thank-you for praying for my surgeries. I am doing very well!
- Carla asks that you pray for her Florida friends that lost so much during the hurricane and are still cleaning up and rebuilding... sadly they miscarried December 11th. They are devastated. They do have the blessing of family, friends and their sweet little girl who is 1 1/2 years old to help them during this time. I thank our prayer warriors to lift them up in prayer as well. Thank You!
- URGENT: There has been a shooting in a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. Please be in prayer for the victims, their families, and the school community. UPDATE: Carla's friend Elena's son attends the school that the shooting happened. They were reunited later that day.
- URGENT: Pray for the victims and their families of the terrorist attack in New Orleans. Pray that the enemies' plans for future attacks will be thwarted, and that God will help Patriot law enforcement who want to protect our country and her citizens.
Other than the grocery store, I haven't been shopping in weeks.
Unfortunately today I have to go out and purchase a few things for art class and upcoming birthdays.
Have a great weekend and week!
Until next time...
Happy New Year!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Merry Christmas, Friends!
Shelley came home sick from work on Christmas Eve, and I caught whatever it is (bad cold, probably) on Christmas Day. Needless to say...I am not at my best right now. Shelley is a little bit better today.
I have been thinking and praying about this blog, and I have decided that I want to only post on Fridays and do a better job writing my posts. Also, I wanted to find a 52-week devotional because I thought it would be easier for me. Starting next Friday, January 3rd, we will begin:
Soul Full has a 4.7 rating on Amazon and a 4.6 rating on Goodreads.
You can read an excerpt HERE, and I like that it comes with activities, not just prayers and scriptures. You can be as involved or as uninvolved as you like. You can do the suggested activities or not. It's up to you! I thought it would provide me with a little structure for blogging, and it might spark a little creativity, too.
We have a week to find a copy, but if you're late getting one it shouldn't take long to catch up.
I hope you enjoyed reading Jesus Listens For Advent & Christmas. Here is the last verse from the last lesson:
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for our military and military families, and the Wisconsin National Guard deployed in Iraq.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job that uses his talents.
- PRAISE: Eric found out that he was hired this week and will start work on January 6th.
- Pray for a peaceful and smooth transition of power between now and January 20, 2025.
- Pray that we can all find quiet time with God during the holiday hustle and bustle.
- Thank-you for praying for my surgeries. The final one will be on Monday, December 30. Please pray that I will feel well enough to have it. I need to get well quickly!
- Carla asks that you pray for her Florida friends that lost so much during the hurricane and are still cleaning up and rebuilding... sadly they miscarried December 11th. They are devastated. They do have the blessing of family, friends and their sweet little girl who is 1 1/2 years old to help them during this time. I thank our prayer warriors to lift them up in prayer as well. Thank You!
- Carla also asks that we pray next week for her family. They will be traveling from all over the state of Wisconsin to meet at her parents farm for the weekend for an early Christmas celebration. Thank you for prayers for safe travels.
- Let's pray for safety for all of us and our families as we travel and drive in inclement weather during this Christmas Season.
- URGENT: There has been a shooting in a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. Please be in prayer for the victims, their families, and the school community. UPDATE: Carla's friend Elena's son attends the school that the shooting happened. They were reunited later that day.
Until next time...
Merry Christmas!
Ricki Jill
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