Happy Friday, Friends! How are you? Is your January going well? Today's Friday the Thirteenth. I'm not superstitious about it, are you? The superstition around Friday 13th is thought to have originated from the Last Supper in the Bible. The meal, which took place the night before Jesus was crucified, was attended by 13 people - Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples.
While the number 13 is therefore associated with Judas - the disciple who betrayed Jesus - another potential origin of the superstition can be traced back to 1307, when King Philip IV of France arrested hundreds of Knights Templar on Friday 13 October. (This is the reason I've always heard why Friday the Thirteenth is cursed.)
Some Christian traditions claim that Jesus was crucified on Friday the Thirteenth, but the fact that he gave up His Life for us is the reason it's called Good Friday, which should negate any fear of Fridays and/or the number thirteen.
This week's reflection is about friendships, and how important it is for women to have close friends. Friends come and go, depending on the stage of life we're in. Let's take a look at the scriptural references from the lesson:
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Question of the day: Currently, are you open to new friendships, or are you happy with the number of friends you have?
Another question of the day: When and where did you meet your most recent friend?
I am open to new friendships because I've had a couple of very close friends move out of state. I met my most recent friend at an alumni event for my college sorority.
Below are this week's prayer requests and praises. If you have any others, please list them in comments.
- Continue to pray for Kris's husband Terry and his new job opportunities.
- Pray that Kitty's son Mike will find a permanent job.
- Pray for Carla's son Sam and the soldiers at Camp Lemonnier due to a bout of food poisoning. That can take a few days to recover from, and let's pray that it doesn't happen again. Carla also shared that she was able to talk to Sam for an hour!
- Rita's family is healthier, but her son-in-law tested positive for COVID. Let's pray that he will continue to recover and not catch anything else.
- Let's continue to lift up all of our families in prayer, and that God would place a hedge of protection around us all.
- Please pray for my mother. I took her to the ER Tuesday, and she spent the night with us that night. She will be having diagnostic testing Monday, so please pray for her and her medical team.
- Our state was hit with more tornadoes today, and our neighborhood at Lake Martin was hit. Our neighbors are still without electricity. Please pray for clean-up crews, especially in Selma, Alabama, one of the poorest cities in the US.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Friday the 13th history. I enjoy learning tidbits like this.
Regarding friends,
I recently made a new friend while helping my sister at harvest. Her name is Scarlett. We love to garden, love flowers and believe in the Lord. We also feel America is falling quickly into a dark place. We continue to keep in touch.
I have two friends that I met while my boys were small, and we are friends to this day.
My blog friends are special to me as well. Even though miles apart so many of us are kindred spirits and it is wonderful to just vent to my blog friends or cry out to them.
I am praying for all the requests above and singing praise to all the good news too.
I never knew how Friday the 13th came to be, Ricki Jill, so thank you for that lesson. I’m not superstitious, either.
ReplyDeleteI love meeting new friends and am always meeting new people at my fitness club and at my Walking With Purpose Bible study. I have longtime friends, and some that you just connect with. Our blogging friends are important because we know each other through our words and our photos.
Thank you for sharing our prayer requests. I will continue to pray. I’d like to ask for prayers for grandson Riley for when he leaves for South Korea in February and for my daughter Molly, that she can handle it. Prayers would be appreciated for my Marine grandson Connor, for his faith.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
I honestly did not realize the last supper was 13 but duh....12 disciples + Christ. I was married (the first time) on Friday the 13th. I thought we'd prove the naysayers wrong, but nope....., and I am not superstitious of Friday the 13ths.
ReplyDeleteLike Carla, I consider my blog friends real friends, with real connections. I do have a handful of really close friends, and even when we've been apart for work, family or other personal reasons, we can always pick right back up and warm up to each other.