Happy Fifth Day of Christmas, Friends!
How is your Christmas Season so far? We've had a wonderful time with family and friends.
This week's devotional is entitled perceiving grace. The timing is perfect IMHO because the enemy wants to ruin our perspective and biblical vision through his lies and accusations ESPECIALLY during this holy season. We maintain the proper perspective by remaining in God's Holy Word.
Here is this week's scripture:
Do you like The Message version of scripture? It's not my favorite, but I do like reading from The Message from time to time.
Prayer Requests
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families, especially concerning our health (physical, mental, and spiritual).
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Carla has a request for her community as crime is increasing. She also requests that we pray for courage for the citizens of Cameron.
- Sam is back to his monthly Drill schedule with the Wisconsin National Guard. Prayer request is for strength and wisdom. Longer drill periods have been set for 2024. Pray for the 157th!
- Please pray for travel mercies for family and friends. Trip and I will be traveling this weekend, and we'll return home to Birmingham on Tuesday, January 2nd.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Until next time...
Merry Christmas!
Ricki Jill
Merry Christmas, Friends! We will pick-up with Week Twenty-Two's devotion and prayer requests on Friday.
In the meantime, let's pray for travel mercies for family and friends, and Christmas Blessings for all! I love you!
Until next time...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
~Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve Eve!!! I'm so excited. I can't wait for all the festivities at home, in the community, and at church. Lots to do!!! What are your plans?
What are your thoughts about this week's devotion? Snakes aren't my faves, but I think God certainly made His point to the ungrateful Israelites in the most spectacular and frightening way!
This week's devotional has frightening imagery, doesn't it. Not only were people bitten by a den of snakes, they had to look at a replica of one for healing. Yikes! Here is the scripture:
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Interestingly, Jesus references this scene from Numbers and explains the necessity of his crucifixion:
No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.~John 3:14-15 (MSG)
We are to look and search for him who is invisible, and believe. Not a bad lesson for this Advent Season!
Prayer Requests:
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families, especially concerning our health (physical, mental, and spiritual).
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Pray that we will have a very blessed Christmas season with family and friends, that we will be able to focus on what's truly important, and that God will draw us and all our family members closer to Him.
- Carla has a request for her community as crime is increasing. She also requests that we pray for courage for the citizens of Cameron.
- Sam is back to his monthly Drill schedule with the Wisconsin National Guard. Prayer request is for strength and wisdom. Longer drill periods have been set for 2024. Pray for the 157th!
- Please pray for my best friend's granddaughter (5 months old) in hospital for RSV and adenovirus. The mother is in the hospital for emergency gallbladder surgery, and both the dad and grandmother have been sick. Please pray for Susan and her family. I a very concerned, although it looks like Baby Mia is making a turn for the better.
Have a blessed weekend, Friends! Be a shining light to those struggling with darkness.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Good Monday Morning, Friends!
Christmas is only one week from today. I can't wait!
As much as I love all the anticipation that comes with Advent, I really LOVE Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I love the Twelve Days of Christmas, and yes, I celebrate each and every one of them. :D
Here is this week's devotion title:
Here is this week's scripture:
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I have not read this week's devotion yet, but I will do so later on this morning. Based on the scripture, it looks pretty intense. I always cringe when I read about disobedience in the Bible.
Prayer Requests:
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families, especially concerning our health (physical, mental, and spiritual).
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Pray that we will have a very blessed Christmas season with family and friends, that we will be able to focus on what's truly important, and that God will draw us and all our family members closer to Him.
- Carla has a request for her community as crime is increasing. She also requests that we pray for courage for the citizens of Cameron.
- Rita requests that we pray for two widow neighbors for recovery from colon resections this past week. They are otherwise very vibrant women!
- Praise! Rita's daughter Megan is over Covid and feeling well.
- Rita caught Covid, and she's feeling better. Let's continue to lift Rita up in prayer so she can fully enjoy Christmas with her friends and family.
- Sam is back to his monthly Drill schedule with the Wisconsin National Guard. Prayer request is for strength and wisdom. Longer drill periods have been set for 2024. Pray for the 157th!
- Travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher as they travel to spend Christmas with us here in Birmingham.
- Pray for Carla's friend Bonita who has Covid, too.
Have a wonderful week, Friends! I pray that we can all find quiet time to spend with God!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! We have a longer prayer list than usual, which doesn't surprise me. The enemy thinks he can steal our joy during this season filled with hope, but he cannot! Please take the time to read through the list because there have been some updates.
This week's devotion is about Hagar, and how her struggles and desperation led her to a really dark place. If you have the time, read her story in Genesis 16 and 21. Although her character is flawed in that she cruelly mocked Sarah, Hagar is the only biblical character who had the boldness to name God El Roi, "The God Who Sees Me." The main point of the devotion is to see, to WANT to see God's grace in our lives.
This week's scripture:
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Prayer Requests
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families, especially concerning our health (physical, mental, and spiritual).
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Pray that we will have a very blessed Christmas season with family and friends, that we will be able to focus on what's truly important, and that God will draw us and all our family members closer to Him.
- Carla has a request for her community as crime is increasing. She also requests that we pray for courage for the citizens of Cameron.
- Rita requests that we pray for two widow neighbors for recovery from colon resections this past week. They are otherwise very vibrant women!
- Rita also asks that we pray for her daughter Megan who has Covid. This is the third time Megan has gotten it. Just praying Megan's symptoms are mild and manageable, and that no one else catches it (I added that last part).
- Well, unfortunately, Rita caught Covid. Please pray that she bounces back quickly!
- Please pray for my friend Martha who lost her husband. (She's a sorority sister, and she's my floral guild partner at church.) The funeral on Tuesday was lovely, and she appreciates y'all's prayers.
- Sam is back to his monthly Drill schedule with the Wisconsin National Guard. Prayer request is for strength and wisdom. Longer drill periods have been set for 2024. Pray for the 157th!
- Travel mercies for my husband Trip as he's traveling this weekend out west.
- Pray for Carla's friend Bonita who has Covid, too.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! I hope your Second Sunday of Advent was better than mine! I had an allergic reaction, and the Benadryl made me sleep most of the day. UGH! I missed a tea party and, more importantly, church! *sadface* Our Prayer List is longer than usual, and I know that sometimes it's hard to find quiet time during Advent, but let's encourage each other to do just that: to make time for quiet prayer.
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This is the title for this week's devotion. It's about Hagar's story from the Book of Genesis.
This week's scripture
Prayer Requests
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families.
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Pray that we will have a very blessed Christmas season with family and friends, that we will be able to focus on what's truly important, and that God will draw us and all our family members closer to Him.
- Carla has a request for her community. "Crime is one the rise here in Cameron, it breaks my heart. Saturday evening when we went for a walk with our dog, a situation was taking place at the High School Bus Garage. This morning our local bank was held up!!! It is getting insane with the amount of crime in such a small community. We had two police officers murdered in April, our community is still healing, with the threats to law enforcement and all the crime, we are feeling so heartbroken." I remember the police officers' murders. That is so stressful and tragic for any community, but especially a small one! Carla also requests that we pray for courage for the citizens of Cameron.
- Please pray travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher as they travel to New York City this weekend. They're flying home this morning.
- Rita requests that we pray for two widow neighbors for recovery from colon resections this past week. They are otherwise very vibrant women!
- Rita also asks that we pray for her daughter Megan as she tested positive for Covid yesterday, and she said Baby J woke from her nap whiny and clingy. Pray she doesn't get it. This is the third time Megan has gotten it. The family members were all definitely in close proximity to each other yesterday. Just praying Megan's symptoms are mild and manageable, and that no one else catches it (I added that last part).
- Please pray for my allergies and asthma, and that I'll have a better week this week.
- Please pray for my friend Martha who lost her husband over the weekend. She is a sorority sister, and she's my floral guild partner at church. The funeral will be Tuesday at our church.
Let's have a blessed week this week, Friends! Don't let the enemy anywhere near our joy!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you've had a blessed week! What have you been doing? Have you done any celebrating? I have a Christmas tea Sunday commemorating the Boston Tea Party. I have to bake cookies for it, and I have no idea what kind to bake. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
This week's devotion is entitled "awakening grace," and it features a sweet story about Ann's youngest daughter and kittens. Her sweet daughter's actions awaken Ann from a day of busy-ness and disappointments. I thought it was a sweet devotion, perfect for the busy-ness and, unfortunately, disappointments during Advent. Thoughts?
Here is today's scripture:
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Prayer Requests
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families.
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Pray that we will have a very blessed Christmas season with family and friends, that we will be able to focus on what's truly important, and that God will draw us and all our family members closer to Him.
- Carla has a request for her community. "Crime is one the rise here in Cameron, it breaks my heart. Saturday evening when we went for a walk with our dog, a situation was taking place at the High School Bus Garage. This morning our local bank was held up!!! It is getting insane with the amount of crime in such a small community. We had two police officers murdered in April, our community is still healing, with the threats to law enforcement and all the crime, we are feeling so heartbroken." I remember the police officers' murders. That is so stressful and tragic for any community, but especially a small one! Carla also requests that we pray for courage for the citizens of Cameron.
- Please pray travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher as they travel to New York City this weekend. They're flying out late this afternoon.
- Rita requests that we pray for two widow neighbors for recovery from colon resections this past week. They are otherwise very vibrant women!
Have a blessed weekend, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! Can you guess what I have on my mind this morning? Take a guess.
This week's devotion is entitled "awakening grace." I'm getting ready to read it as soon as my coffee is brewed, and I clear out my emails.
Here is this week's scripture:
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Prayer Requests:
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families.
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Pray that we will have a very blessed Christmas season with family and friends, that we will be able to focus on what's truly important, and that God will draw us and all our family members closer to Him.
Have a great week! Bake some Christmas cookies!!!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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Happy December First, Friends!
My hope and prayer is that we have the most blessed Advent and Christmas season ever!!!
What are your thoughts about this week's devotion? I thought it was a bit difficult to follow; I had to read it a couple of times! But once I focused on her message, I got it. I thought that Ann was being way to hard on herself, but I get her point that making gratitude a habit is pointless without removing the habit of grumbling. Also, I loved the C.S. Lewis quote:
If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction and it's not so bad.
Here is the scripture:
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our family friend Mrs. Powell as she is in the hospital.
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families.
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will give us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Pray that we will have a very blessed Christmas season with family and friends, and that we will be able to focus on what's truly important.
Have the very best weekend, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Street light Christmas decorations in Frankenmuth, MI
Happy Monday, Friends! How was your Thanksgiving? We had a great time: Ann Arbor was the place to be last Saturday, especially if you follow college football!
This week's devotion is entitled "hammering grace." I haven't had a chance to read it yet today, but I should be able to read it later this afternoon.
Here is the scripture for the lesson:
Praises:
This week I want to PRAISE GOD for answering our prayers in the affirmative. God is being so good to us all! I want to thank you especially for your travel mercy prayers. We had the easiest flights and airport experiences ever on this heavily traveled weekend. I am also praising God for answering our prayers about Julie and Kris (so happy you're better Friend!)...
On Friday I will begin with a brand new list of requests. Please email me any updates you may have, or list them in comments.
I'm off to make something hot and read the devo.
Have a great week!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
The Christmas Season is almost here!
Happy Black Friday, Friends. Do y'all participate in all the Black Friday madness? Our daughters want to go to three shops this morning while Christopher is on call, then we'll drive over to Frankenmuth, Michigan, and check-out their Christmas activities.
This year is unique in that Advent begins in December: There are four Sundays in December before Christmas!
This week's devotion was not what I thought it was going to be about. Entitled "all here grace," it's about being in the present, in the here and now where we can love God. I thought it was sweet, and it was applicable to the beginning of the holiday season where so many distractions compete for our time with God.
What did you think about it? Are you enjoying this devotional?
This week's scripture:
- Please pray for Kitty's DIL, Julie, that her heart will change; for SIL, Eric, that he will see some relief for his cervical dystonia; and for her son, Mike, that he will get a job.
- Pray that God will place hedges of protection around all family members of every reader of this blog. I feel like we are under attack.
- Please pray for Kris as she has a very nasty case of COVID. Pray that she can get relief from her coughing, and that she can get healing rest. Also pray that God will comfort and heal her immediately!
- Please pray for me because my heart rate has been dropping very low, and my doctor has ordered me to wear a monitor for two weeks.
- Pray for Carla's family and my family as we will be traveling this week.
- Also pray for Rita's daughters in travel mercy prayer, and her other family members who are traveling for this holiday week.
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Thanksgiving Week! I hope you have plans with family and friends. I have a fun question: What is your favorite kind of Thanksgiving pie? Mine is pecan!
This week's devotion is entitled "all-here grace." That sounds like a great title for Thanksgiving week, doesn't it! I haven't read it yet, but I am very thankful to have an "all-here" Thanksgiving holiday planned!
Here is this week's scripture:
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for Kitty's DIL, Julie, that her heart will change; for SIL, Eric, that he will see some relief for his cervical dystonia; and for her son, Mike, that he will get a job.
- Praise! Trip made it home from Minnesota, and he had a great week.
- Pray that God will place hedges of protection around all family members of every reader of this blog. I feel like we are under attack.
- Please pray for Kris as she has a very nasty case of COVID. Pray that she can get relief from her coughing, and that she can get healing rest. Also pray that God will comfort and heal her immediately!
- Please pray for me because my heart rate has been dropping very low, and my doctor has ordered me to wear a monitor for two weeks.
- Pray for Carla's family and my family as we will be traveling this week.
- Also pray for Rita's daughters in travel mercy prayer, and her other family members who are traveling for this holiday week.
Now I'm off to make myself a PSL and read the devotion!
Have a very blessed week, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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