Good Morning, Friends!
Sorry I'm a bit late this morning. Everyone is moving a bit more slowly here this AM.
Coffee shall be made momentarily!
I'm already reflecting on this week's guided journaling prompt. It's definitely a timely one! I hope y'all have a good week, and remember you can always leave prayer requests in the comments section.
I've been in contact with several of you over the weekend, and I have another Psalm to share. I'll be praying this one during devotion time this morning.
1 The True God stands to preside over the heavenly council.
He pronounces judgment on the so-called gods.
2 He asks: “How long will you judge dishonestly
and be partial to the wicked?”
[pause]
3 “Stand up for the poor and the orphan;
advocate for the rights of the afflicted and those in need.
4 Deliver the poor and the needy;
rescue them from their evil oppressors.”
5 These bullies are ignorant; they have no understanding of My ways.
So as they walk in darkness,
the foundations of the earth tremble.
6 I said, “Though you are gods[b]
and children of the Most High,
7 You will die no differently than any mortal;
you will fall like one of the princes.”
8 Rise up, O True God; judge the rulers of the earth,
for all the nations are Yours.
NOTE: [b] John 10:24 Jesus: You know what is written in the Scriptures. Doesn’t it read, “I said, you are gods”?
The use of the word "gods" here is best taken as a reference to human judges, who stand in the place of God in their ability to determine the fate of others.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Sunday, Friends! I have a few prayer requests and scripture for today.
Please pray for:
- Our Gold Star Families, that the Holy Spirit will comfort them
- Safety and safe passage for Americans remaining in Afghanistan
- Citizens in harms way due to Hurricane Ida, especially our first responders
- Bold, courageous, and righteous military leaders
My sister-in-law and her family have evacuated from New Orleans and are currently in Mobile, Alabama. They lost their home and everything in it during Katrina. My SIL is not taking things well, so please pray for her.
We have a praise: Kitty's grandson Connor is in Kuwait, thanks be to God.
God is good. Always.
Psalm 86
1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.
14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Have a blessed Sunday, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
I almost didn't post today. I've been completely bewildered and saddened by the events this week. Please remember to pray for Kitty's grandson Connor, a Marine serving in Afghanistan. Please pray for Americans and Afghanis who have been left behind.
We need to continue to pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 now more than ever!
This week's prompt was unexpected, wasn't it!
Does the idea of Jesus being happy, attending parties, smiling, and laughing make you uncomfortable? Why or why not?
It definitely does not, and if anything it makes me want to enjoy life and celebrate as much as possible. The fact that he performed his first miracle at a wedding reception means that Jesus cares about us socially, and doesn't want us to be embarrassed in front of friends and family. Being socially awkward myself, I find this very comforting, not uncomfortable.
What about you?
Yesterday morning, I was led to read Psalm 5. It was a blessing to me yesterday, and I hope it blesses you today.
Psalm 5
1 Listen to my words, Lord,
consider my lament.
2 Hear my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people are not welcome.
5 The arrogant cannot stand
in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
6 you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
you, Lord, detest.
7 But I, by your great love,
can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
toward your holy temple.
8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make your way straight before me.
9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongues they tell lies.
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Hello, Friends! It's the last full week of August. Labor Day is almost here!
We went to the Trump Rally Saturday night with some friends. They have a small Winnebago on a Mercedes chassis, and it was very nice, especially since it stormed before and after the rally.
This week's guided journaling topic is interesting! I'm already looking forward to our discussion on Friday.
In the interim....
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Hello, Friends! It's been quite a week so far. I want to thank y'all for being such dedicated prayer warriors. Y'all are truly an inspiration!
This week's prompt:
Write about a time you did something kind for someone else. What motivated you to do this? How did it make you feel?
I joined the Landscape Committee in our neighborhood to help with tornado clean-up. This job has been bigger than all of us, honestly, but the kind thing I did for the committee is volunteer to take meeting minutes. The lady who normally takes minutes is also in charge of trees, and she is overwhelmed with residents contacted us about trees that need to come down before they fall. I did it to help out because that's something I know how to do, and it made me feel like I could contribute in a positive way. It's a very small thing, but it's the most recent act of kindness I've done.
What about you? I look forward to reading your answers in the comments section below.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Hello, Sweet Friends! :D If I feel led to pop in during the middle of the week, I will from time to time, especially if there are prayer needs.
Monday's post has a thread with several prayer requests: It has been a busy week for the families represented here! Below is a synopsis:
- Rita has a beautiful new granddaughter.
- Both of Carla's sons are facing new challenges (Atticus is attending automotive school, and Sam has been working at Fort McCoy where refugees from Afghanistan will be housed.)
- Kris's son-in-law needs our prayers: he needs medical clearance for work.
- Kitty's grandson Connor, a Marine, may be deployed soon.
- Our daughter Shelley will be traveling far away with friends, and she needs travel mercies.
- Also, there are unspoken prayer requests from those who follow but do not leave comments.
Let's pray Psalm 91 over our families! Lately I've been reading the Modern English Version.
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you shall find protection;
His faithfulness shall be your shield and wall.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 nor of the pestilence that pursues in darkness,
nor of the destruction that strikes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand,
but it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you behold
and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
even the Most High, your dwelling,
10 there shall be no evil befall you,
neither shall any plague come near your tent;
11 for He shall give His angels charge over you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you up in their hands,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder;
the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
and I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him My salvation.
Also, let's pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 for our country, and pray that God will send his angels to protect Americans in Afghanistan as well as Christian missionaries. Thank-you, Happy Prayer Warriors!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday and Week Three of our guided journaling study! Did you have a nice weekend, Friends?
We are called to be good stewards of our time, talents, and resources. YOU are some of the most dynamic, giving women, and I've known some of you for years via your blogs. Y'all amaze me with your commitments to service. Your generosity warms my heart!
I can't wait to read about your acts of kindness on Friday. I'll be looking forward to it all week! Don't forget to pray 2 Chronicles 7:14!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! How has your week been so far? Have you been thinking about this week's prompt? Here it is:
I try to be an optimist, but I have struggled with that lately because of what's happening in our country. If you are unfamiliar with the following terms, you need to acquaint yourself with them:
- color revolution
- the great reset
- build back better
The forces behind these changes are not friends of democracy nor our Republic. So in answer to this week's prompt, I'd say that I haven't been truly happy since I discovered how our country is being stolen from us. I still have joy, but my happiness has been hindered due to anger, anxiety, and worry.
But I am getting a bit more optimistic and happy. I read a great meme the other day that said when you're just waking up, and you're concerned or sad (about the bullet list above in my case), remember Jesus's last words on the cross: "It is finished."
Game over. Christ wins!
The good guys are winning in the spiritual realm. I am praying to see evidence in the natural world.
Reminder: Please remember to pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 for our country at 7:14 daily. Set your clocks! Prayer is the best offense in this spiritual war.
We're traveling this weekend, so I would truly appreciate your praying for travel mercies for us.
Do you have any prayer requests?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
I found these carnations at the grocery store, and they were very inexpensive. I love the color, not a true red, and not quite hot pink, sort of a raspberry color. I wanted to share them with y'all!
Hello, Friends! Are you enjoying the Happy Today guided journaling so far? Last week, the focus was on what happiness means to us, and this week's focus is on a specific timeframe from our past when we last experienced happiness.
I look forward to reading your responses Friday!
Today I want to share a Bible verse that really hit home because of our neighborhood's response to the tornado clean-up. I really need your prayers because I have been impatient, and I don't want to be a terrible witness. (I volunteered to serve on our neighborhood's landscape committee in April).
This version of Philippians 2:14 is from The Passion Translation, and I really like it.
Cheerfulness is contagious!
Prayer requests?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
This photo was shared by Richard, Citizen Journalist, and it was taken in Colorado. I think the flowers are cheerful!
Happy Friday, Friends! I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts about this week's prompt:
What does happiness mean to you? What words, feelings, or images come to mind when you think about being happy?
I admit that Week One was not as easy as I had anticipated due to unforeseen circumstances....
....like car trouble.
While at the car dealership, I struck up a conversation with a psychiatrist who practices at one of our local hospitals. I asked her if she was seeing more patients due to COVID, and she replied that she was, and she explained that her workload would be less if her patients would get off social media and not watch the news. I laughed, and I asked her if she was on social media. She said that she does not have a social media account, and she rarely watches the news. She said that she lives in her own little "bubble of bliss," and it's a healthy and happy place to be.
I got a free session at the dealership! ;P
"Choice" is the first word that comes to mind when I think about being happy. When I choose to focus on the wonderful times I've had with family and friends, I'm choosing happiness. Studying scripture brings me joy, and my days are happier when I choose to start my day with Bible study. Finally, choosing to serve others leads to happiness. Some of you have shared your community service projects with me, and your enthusiastic joy is contagious. You inspire me!
Isn't it great that we have a savior who cares about our happiness!
(The Voice)
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Abbott Handerson Thayer
Angel
1887
oil on canvas
36" X 28"
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of John Gellatly, 1929
And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."Luke 2:10-11 (RSV)
Happy August, Friends! I have been so excited all weekend about our new adventure in Bible journaling. I'd like to thank Carla for helping me think of another title and tagline for the blog.
I love how our journey begins, with CHRISTMAS! :D Our prompt for this week is "what does happiness mean to you." I look forward to reading everyone's comments today as we begin, and Friday when we come back and share what we've learned.
Please leave prayer requests in the Comments Section below, and remember to check during the week so we can pray together.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
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