Happy Friday, Friends! Y'all....I am tired. I haven't been sleeping well. And living through a home renovation of a kitchen and bathroom is NOT for sissies. So I'd like to apologize in advance if this isn't my best post.
This week's lesson is entitled "Waiting Is Difficult," and it centers on Psalm 13. David wrote this Psalm during a time of great stress, and we can all relate to that. He had to fight for his very life and go into hiding so often during his lifetime. And even later in life he was distraught about his son Absalom's betrayal and coup attempt. And I think I have problems....
Here's this week's scripture:
But I trust in your unfailing love;my heart rejoices in your salvation.I will sing the Lord’s praise,for he has been good to me.
The lesson also includes Isaiah 40:31:
This scripture never fails to encourage!
I am trying to embrace this lesson and be encouraged. But it's hard because of the mistakes being made in our renovation. Hopefully by the end of spring, when this is all behind us, I can look back and laugh, but I'm not there yet!
Are you going through a difficult season of waiting? Can you share an example from your own life when the waiting was excruciating?
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike. He needs a comprehensive plan to manage pain from previous back surgeries.
- Pray for Rita's daughter Megan as she finishes her masters program this semester. Pray that she will stay healthy, and that she will manage her time well for work/school/life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- 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. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Continue to pray for Kris's husband Terry.
- Rita's friend Pam has had yet another setback with blood gases from sleep apnea, and had to be on a vent this past week, still weaning off of it. She will need to be in a higher skilled facility beyond what rehab can offer, so she will likely be transferred next week to a place southeast of Pittsburgh, further from home. Please, everyone, pray for her spirit to be calmed. She is extremely anxious.
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After Bible study, I'm off to get my hair cut this morning.
I hope you have a calm and peaceful weekend!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! First of all, I want to thank-you for all the prayers, cards, emails, calls, and text messages since my mother's passing. I could feel the Holy Spirit's comfort and peace at my mother's Celebration of Life. Thank you so much! God is so good, and I am so thankful for your willingness to show god's love through your kindness.
Everyone I requested to be present at mother's Celebration of Life was there. It was small and private, but due to the very cold weather it was not a graveside service like she wanted. She was always cold natured, so I think she would've understood. The flowers above were the altar flowers from my cousin Lori. It was a gorgeous arrangement, and I broke it down and made three separate arrangements (the one above is the largest of them).
This week's lesson is entitled "Savor His Favor," and its focus is Psalm 5.
I really shouldn't be surprised about God's timing. Psalm 5 was the perfect Psalm for me to read and meditate on while preparing for my mother's funeral and burial. A lament is a passionate expression of grief, loss, and mourning. The psalmist (King David) wrote it as a morning prayer for guidance and protection against his enemies. He probably wrote this Psalm as he was grieving the betrayal and loss of his son Absalom. I love that David prioritized morning prayer and worship: It really does set the tone for the rest of the day. I hope that you enjoyed the guided meditation for this Psalm, especially the reminder that God's favor is truly a gift as it is unearned, unmerited, and undeserved.
What are your thoughts?
I know I probably need to update the prayer requests. Please leave a comment or email me so I can get them up to date.
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike. He needs a comprehensive plan to manage pain from previous back surgeries.
- Pray for Rita's daughter Megan as she finishes her masters program this semester. Pray that she will stay healthy, and that she will manage her time well for work/school/life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- 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. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Praise: Our Westie Finlay received a fantastic report from his ophthalmologist, and both eyes have healed well from surgery.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Continue to pray for Kris's husband Terry.
- Rita's HS Friend Pam because she has had numerous complications from her cancer surgery, and has had to have follow-up procedures. PRAISE: for Pam's overall stable standing. She will soon go to rehab.
- Pray for those in the path of this weekend's winter storms.
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I hope y'all stay warm this weekend and enjoy a warm drink and either a good book or movie!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends. I hope your first week of 2026 has been filled with peace. I am trying to find peace, and I just had to laugh while reading Psalm 33 due to the timing for me personally. But I have had my moments this week while driving, listening to praise music (especially CeCe Winans).
I will have to keep this post very brief because I need to meet mom's hospice nurse this morning, and I'm already running late. I need y'all to share and discuss in comments this week!
Here are the bible verses mentioned in this week's lesson. I chose a foggy graphic because we have had unprecedented dense fog for the past week!
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike, who is excited about working on his own idea. Pray for Kitty that she can be supportive and encouraging to him as he shares his ideas and developments with her. He is such a good guy and needs something wonderful to happen in his life.
- Pray for Rita's daughter Megan as she finishes her masters program this semester. Pray that she will stay healthy, and that she will manage her time well for work/school/life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- 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. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Pray for my mother as she is under hospice care.
- Pray for our Westie Finlay. He had to have eye surgery in his other eye yesterday.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Continue to pray for Kris's husband Terry.
- Rita's HS Friend Pam because she has had numerous complications from her cancer surgery, and has had to have follow-up procedures.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy New Year, Friends!
How is your New Year going so far? We always stay in on New Year's Eve. We live in a community with lots of families, and the fireworks are a nonstop thing from about 7:30 until past midnight. It drives our dogs a little bit mad, but the kids enjoy them.
On New Year's Day, we always have collard greens and black eyed peas for luck. It's a Southern thing! But I cheated this year, went to Publix, and bought cans of both.
I'm tired, y'all! Hosting the holidays isn't for sissies.
I hope y'all had a chance to read the introduction and lesson one of Peace with the Psalms. The introduction states:
Our goal in this book is to help you appropriate the peace of God by leading you in meditating on the truths found throughout the book of Psalms.page 4
I must say that I love the imagery in the 23rd Psalm. As Christians, we've read it a thousand times, yet something from the lesson was a new thought for me. The part about where he "leads you along the right paths for his name's sake." Okay so I always got and accepted that God is leading us, and we are not wandering around like the Israelites in the desert. But the fact that there are paths already in place intimates that God has planned these paths for us, that they are there for us to join him on our walk if we're willing.
As an artist, I loved the way the lesson visually guided us through the Psalm. How did you feel at the end of the lesson? How was your breathing? I know I was much more calm, and I read it at least three times this week, and I plan on reading it again this afternoon.
Thoughts?
By the way, I purchased and downloaded the Abide Christian Meditation app. I haven't had a chance to play with it much, but I will let you know what I think after a couple of weeks. Do any of you have the app?
Here is the scripture from the lesson.
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike, who is excited about working on his own idea. Pray for Kitty that she can be supportive and encouraging to him as he shares his ideas and developments with her. He is such a good guy and needs something wonderful to happen in his life.
- Pray for Rita's daughter Megan as she finishes her masters program this semester. Pray that she will stay healthy, and that she will manage her time well for work/school/life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- 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. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Pray for my mother. She is bouncing back a little physically, but she is only eating desserts. She's being difficult. UPDATE: She's in the hospital with pneumonia.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Continue to pray for Kris's husband Terry.
- Rita's HS Friend Pam needs us to start banking-up prayers now. Her oncology and reconstructive team of two surgeons will perform an estimated 12 hr surgery Jan 5 to remove at least half of her tongue (tongue cancer) and, minimally, lymph nodes on her right side of her neck. She will have skin grafts taken from her forearm and thigh to reconstruct. She's expected to be in the hospital a minimum of 10 days. It's a long road ahead for her.
I must have used this graphic for a lesson we had during the spring.
Our skies have been this blue the past week here in Central Alabama, but we're expecting lots of rain today.
I need lots of coffee this morning because I have an early hair appointment, and then I need to take down our Christmas tree today.
What are your weekend plans?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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