All of my heirloom roses are in bloom.
Happy Friday and autumn, Friends! I think Monday was officially the first day of autumn, and it has been slightly cooler here in Central Alabama. We've also had a few thunderstorms this week, including yesterday morning.
Didn't y'all love the lesson this week! I have seen beautiful examples of kintsugi in museums, and I think it is a lovely allegory for brokenness and healing. Here is an example I found on the internet, and if you haven't googled it yet, I suggest you do and look at more kintsugi pottery. I have included a link below the photo to a site that explains all about it.
I have been struggling with my mom's situation quite a bit lately. I have felt broken emotionally. This week she got a new roommate, and she is an angel. M is an artist, and she loves to color. She is trying to encourage Mom to color with her, but Mom doesn't want to do anything. While I was talking to M, I discovered that she is the sister-in-law of one of our sweet priests at St. Stephen's. Talk about a small world!
I don't see my mother ever getting better. She doesn't want to. She is giving up, and she isn't getting the help she needs for her mental illnesses. Her care has monopolized my week, and I even had to miss my art class on Wednesday. I take the class for my mental health, and I do hate to miss. So you can imagine how much this lesson has meant to me this week, and I loved the Litany for Healing. I think I might continue reading it every morning for the foreseeable future.
Speaking of mornings, I have found that I truly function better when I start my day in prayer and in God's word. On days when I have my time with God later in the day, my day seems off. I know someone who always has her devotion time after lunch, and that's what works best for her. I think it depends on when you are at your best, because I think it's important to give God your best when you can.
I also want to share with you a sweet morning meditation from Macrina Wiederkehr. She is reflecting on this verse from Psalm 143:
The angels came at dawn bringing news of God's faithful love.They woke me early for a change. They unplugged my ears so I could hear the glorioussong of the birds.They wiped the sleep out of my eyes so I could see the silhouette of trees celebrating the dawn and the first rays of sun shimmering through the clouds.My nose was then unclogged so the aroma of dawn ---- from crisp autumn leaves to fresh morning coffee---- could delight me.The air at the tip of my fingers reminded me of the gift of touch.My hand clasped around my coffee cup felt warm and welcoming.I began my "morning watch" (my morning prayer).The touch of my knees on the floor felt right. I knelt with joy.My heart, now fully awakened, sang praises to God's faithful love.Oh, Beloved One in the heavens and in my heart, always ---- always, please, send angels at dawn, for life is not always so good as it tasted this morning.~Macrina Wiederkehr
Prayer:
Please, God, send your angels to prepare me every morning for spiritual kintsugi. Please strengthen me and help me to do your will! Thank-you for these Christian women who are prayer warriors. As the Prayer Litany from our lesson says:
Allow me to see a glimmer of hope breaking through my darkness.
Show me the way.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen!
Here is this week's Bible verse:
Thoughts?
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for our blog friend Emily (McGriff) and her husband Jim because they both have COVID. Emily's blog is The French Hutch.
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer. She is recovering from a 2nd surgery to remove what is believed to be another cancer on her lung.
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project).
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. She is struggling, y'all. UPDATE: She had a bad fall, and broke a tooth, jaw, and nose. Please pray that she will monitor her strength, blood sugar, and blood pressure to help minimize her chance of falling.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Pray for the victims and families of the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church who were attacked in an act of despicable hate by the young man this week. Please pray for the safety of our Christian children in this country.
- Please pray that the violence from trans activists will end, and that they will get the mental health help that they so desperately need.
- Pray for the victims of the Colorado school shooting.
- Pray for Charlie Kirk's family, friends, and our nation as we heal from his assassination.
- Pray for one of my daughters. She is struggling spiritually right now.
- Carla and her husband has decided to stay in their home and not sell it and move. Pray that God will give them peace in their decision.
- Pray for my mother. Pray for God's will concerning her placement, whether she should stay in the facility she's in now, or whether we should pursue having her committed to a long-term mental health facility.
- Rita asks that we pray for her oldest daughter's Jewish friend. She dropped out of her 2nd masters' program at Michigan due to the anti-semitic tension she experienced last year, and is planning to move to Israel in October (she has dual citizenship) to see if a budding romance will work over the next 1-2 years. Please keep her in your prayers for her safety, relationship fulfillment, and eventual safe return to the US (with, perhaps, a soulmate for life).
- Travel mercies for Kris as she is traveling with a friend to Seaside, Florida.
I am planning on giving myself a little break today. After I do a couple of hours of chores, I'm going to a favorite coffee shop of mine, order a PSL, and look at a few autumn-themed books.
What are your plans for the weekend?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends.
How was your week? Mine was okay. I'm happy and grateful I had this lesson to focus on because it helped me not dwell on the evil in our world; it allowed me to focus on creativity, what I have been doing creatively this week, and what I observed from others' lives concerning their creativity.
We are made in God's image, and our Holy Father is creative! So that means that we are also creative beings.
I have been blessed to know y'all through your blogs. Blogging is definitely a creative pursuit, isn't it! I have seen your lovely homes, recipes, gardens, projects, tablescapes, and blog posts. Y'all pursue creativity often, and I hope that this lesson encouraged you as it did me. I'm sure it probably did!
I thought it would be fun to share what we've done creatively this week. I hope you will share your list in comments. Below is my list:
Weekend: I met my mom's new roommate. She knew her old one twenty-four hours before she died. I can't make this up. Bad News Bears! Her new roommate Marcy loves to color and draw with colored pencils. She's trying to coerce my mom into coloring with her. I have gathered a few art supplies and coloring books to share with them.
Marcy loves floral coloring books, so I'm giving her this one.
Monday: I received the tags pictured at the top of this post from a favorite Etsy shop. I love making tag journals, but I do not sew. Sometimes I like to treat myself to pretty tags to add to the ones I make in my journals. I spent a few minutes Monday night pondering what to do with these.
Tuesday: I didn't do much creatively, but I did get coffee with a couple of HS friends at Barnes & Noble. One of them tells stories hilariously, and she made us laugh. Dawn is a creative storyteller! I also picked-up a new coloring book for Marcy.
Wednesday: I went to my art class. I started a new painting, another gargoyle from the Cologne Cathedral.
Thursday: Yesterday was the last day of our book club at church. We've been reading and discussing An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor. Our teacher is very creative, and she always gives us little things to add to our altar we created at home.
This is the altar I made in our kitchen overlooking our family room.
I just used a tiered server for mine. Most of the goodies are from our Book Club teacher.
The white vanilla scented candles are from a friend who's a Brewers fan. ;P
Last night, we went to an opening reception for an art exhibit at Canary Gallery in downtown Birmingham. The featured artist is my art teacher, Dori DeCamillis.
I tried to get creative with my photo taking. The Canary Gallery is a lovely space!
There are pops of canary yellow, including the chandelier and the front door.
So far, my week has included lots of creative pursuits. Early this morning, I'm going to get my hair cut, and then I'm coming home to gather books I've collected for my local library's books sale that will be next month. Shelley gets off work early, and she volunteered to help me. After that, I need to finish laundry and do a few other chores before the weekend.
Did any of you try the Live to One Hundred Salad? I did not simply because one of the few things Trip won't eat is sweet potatoes. I will make it the next time he's traveling for work because I love sweet potatoes.
Here is this week's Bible verse:
This is the day that the Lord has made;let us rejoice and be glad in it.~Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
Sorry if this post isn't my best. I did not sleep well Wednesday night due to lightning and thunder. Sally gets upset, and I have to give her a tranquilizer for her anxiety. I didn't sleep well last night, either.
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our blog friend Emily (McGriff) and her husband Jim because they both have COVID. Emily's blog is The French Hutch.
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer. She is recovering from a 2nd surgery to remove what is believed to be another cancer on her lung.
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project).
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. She is struggling, y'all. UPDATE: She had a bad fall, and broke a tooth, jaw, and nose. Please pray that she will monitor her strength, blood sugar, and blood pressure to help minimize her chance of falling.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Pray for the victims and families of the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church who were attacked in an act of despicable hate by the young man this week. Please pray for the safety of our Christian children in this country.
- Please pray that the violence from trans activists will end, and that they will get the mental health help that they so desperately need.
- Pray for the victims of the Colorado school shooting.
- Pray for Charlie Kirk's family, friends, and our nation as we heal from his assassination.
- Pray for one of my daughters. She is struggling spiritually right now.
- Carla and her husband has decided to stay in their home and not sell it and move. Pray that God will give them peace in their decision.
- Pray for my mother. Pray for God's will concerning her placement, whether she should stay in the facility she's in now, or whether we should pursue having her committed to a long-term mental health facility.
- Rita asks that we pray for her oldest daughter's Jewish friend. She dropped out of her 2nd masters' program at Michigan due to the anti-semitic tension she experienced last year, and is planning to move to Israel in October (she has dual citizenship) to see if a budding romance will work over the next 1-2 years. Please keep her in your prayers for her safety, relationship fulfillment, and eventual safe return to the US (with, perhaps, a soulmate for life).
Yes, it is! I'm currently brewing PS coffee, and I'm making a large go-cup for the drive to the salon.
Have a blessed weekend. Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Finlay and a "nerve plant"
I hope you are having a blessed Friday, Friends. Because we are blessed, aren't we! Christ won when he gave up his life on the cross for us, and when he defeated death. Everything going on right now is just the denouement. We are waiting for his return, and it will happen regardless of the enemy's little temper tantrums.
It has been a sad week for our country because one of our young Christian brothers was assassinated.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated because of his faith. He was assassinated because he was effective at witnessing to others, especially Gen Z on college campuses. He was assassinated because he was an effective and respectful debater. He was assassinated because he became the big brother to millions of young men whose voices and rights were restricted due to the Marxist takeover in our colleges and universities. Not only was he a forceful voice for them, he encouraged them to be bold in their beliefs and faith. He was assassinated because he was an encourager. He was assassinated because the Marxists cannot win a policy or value debate against anyone who understands natural rights, the Constitution of the United States, and our founding's Christian values.
I have been thinking about William Butler Yeats' poem "The Second Coming" a lot lately. If you have a chance, I would encourage you to look it up and read it soon.
The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.~William Butler Yeats"Things Fall Apart"
I think this quote is so true, however Charlie Kirk was the exception. He was the best, and he had conviction AND courage. Courage is the virtue that supports all other virtues, and Charlie had enough courage for a large army. Now it's time for many, many others to stand in the breach. We must be committed to saving our Constitutional Republic and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The only way [they] could defeat Charlie Kirk was to assassinate him. Or so they thought....
Because now Charlie is in a position of influence that Marxists cannot possibly understand because they lack understanding of what it means to have eternal life. Like the quote from our lesson on page 178:
Resurrection is our thankful reality.
I am certain that the Marxists are plotting even more assassinations as they want to silence more effective communicators. My prayer is that the enemy's plans will be thwarted, and that God will use Charlie's assassination for good. I have faith that he will.
Because of Charlie's assassination, I have been spending time thinking about how I want to live the rest of my life with the time I have remaining. I have a few ideas, and I will share them soon.
Now on to our lesson...
I thought of y'all quite a bit this week because y'all are all much better gardeners than I am. I thought it was inspiring, and I'm so happy to have read it this week because nature is so healing. I especially loved Farrell's description of her "inner garden," on how its cultivation depends on discipline. It seems like the most important things in life depend on it. I also found this lesson encouraging, right when we needed it most. God wants to work a new thing in our lives, and he is "waiting at the garden gate for us." I want to let him in and lead me so I can better serve him and humanity.
Here are the Bible verses from this week.
Sorry I had Isaiah 43:18-19 on separate graphics ;P
Were you able to plant anything this week? I actually repotted the nerve plant at the top of the post because it had outgrown its 4" pot. I decided to plant a basil plant in the empty 4" pot because we go through a lot of it. I'm hoping I can keep it healthy! Here it is:
Also I was able to make the pesto from last week's lesson. It was delicious, and a huge hit with the family. I highly recommend it if you haven't tried it yet. Because there are only three of us, I froze half of it. A little goes a long way with pesto!
I still haven't made the granola, but maybe soon. I purchase the best granola at a local bakery, so I don't know if Farrell's recipe can beat it.
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our blog friend Emily (McGriff) and her husband Jim because they both have COVID. Emily's blog is The French Hutch.
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer. She is recovering from a 2nd surgery to remove what is believed to be another cancer on her lung.
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project).
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. She is struggling, y'all.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Pray for the victims and families of the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church who were attacked in an act of despicable hate by the young man this week. Please pray for the safety of our Christian children in this country.
- Please pray that the violence from trans activists will end, and that they will get the mental health help that they so desperately need.
- Pray for the victims of the Colorado school shooting.
- Pray for Charlie Kirk's family, friends, and our nation as we heal from his assassination.
- Pray for one of my daughters. She is struggling spiritually right now.
- Carla and her husband has decided to stay in their home and not sell it and move. Pray that God will give them peace in their decision.
This quote is from the book A Secret Garden. My prayer for us is to let God in so he can work a new thing in our lives.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
This is from one of my favorite movies set in autumn, You've Got Mail.
I don't know who owns this image, but I would like to give them credit because it is so cute!
Here is the quote from the movie. Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) sends an email to Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan).
Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.
Happy Friday, Friends. How was your first week of September? Mine was busy with my mom. I've gone twice to help move her things to her new room (out of the therapy wing into the nursing wing) and both times they weren't quite ready. These situations were my biggest "flat tires" of the week. I was able to make both my Bible class and art class this week, so I feel truly blessed.
I enjoyed the lesson because we are often hit with the unexpected, aren't we! I certainly was this week, but I also enjoyed a few unexpected blessings, too. A friend shared a couple of beautiful and thoughtful bookmarks with me; our daughter worked very hard to help me paint a bedroom upstairs; and a vendor I order art supplies from surprised me with a very nice bundle of ephemera.
I was also pleasantly surprised by bloggers this week with words of empathy and encouragement about my mom's situation.
And y'all are the VERY BEST. I don't know what I would do without you.
Getting back to the lesson....Being a Southerner, of course I loved the quote by William Faulkner: "Try to be better than yourself." Of course we can also infer that we should try to rise above our circumstances and vulnerabilities, especially those "flat tires" that are unexpected. I always discuss with our daughters that life is all about expectations, and when they aren't met our circumstances can certainly throw us for a loop.
I'd like to share an excerpt from a Steve Garnass-Holmes reflection:
In troubled times it takes great concentrationto align ourselves with grace instead of force,with love instead of fear.We begin by allowing ourselves to be loved,along with all the rest of Creation,and then we fall into that love,and let that flow through us into the world.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this week's lesson, and if you made the pesto. I have not been able to cook at all this week (with the exception of last night) because we still had to deal with mother's furnishings on Wednesday, and I had a couple of other obligations this week that kept me out late. It looks like a great recipe, and I might try it soon.
Here is this week's Bible verse:
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our blog friend Emily (McGriff) and her husband Jim because they both have COVID. Emily's blog is The French Hutch.
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer. She is recovering from a 2nd surgery to remove what is believed to be another cancer on her lung.
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project).
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. She is struggling, y'all.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Pray for Carla and her husband as they are listing their home and moving closer to their sons. Pray that God will guide them every step of the way!
- Carla is requesting prayers for her friend Conner who went to MEPS this week, he passed, he is now in the delayed entry program for the Marines. He will go to bootcamp June 2026 after high school graduation.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Pray for Rita's daughter Megan who just had an MRI last week from a work injury 6 weeks ago, confirming a rotator cuff tear.
- Pray for the victims and families of the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church who were attacked in an act of despicable hate by the young man this week. Please pray for the safety of our Christian children in this country.
- Please pray that the violence from trans activists will end, and that they will get the mental health help that they so desperately need.
Please email me if I have forgotten any prayer requests, or if you have any updates you'd like to share.
We are having some work done around our house, and I'm off this morning to meet with a decorator and cabinet designer. On my way, I'm stopping by Starbucks for a PSL.
I'm looking forward to improving our home and staying here. We had thought about moving, and I'm still praying that we are making the right decision.
Have a lovely weekend, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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