Happy Friday, Friends! Do you have any plans for Independence Day? I want to hear about them!
What did you think about this week's reflection? I wish I had a dollar for every time I've said, "What was I thinking!" I'd be so rich, I could afford to fly and see each and every single one of you! ;P
One of my favorite things about being a Christian is I can live without guilt, however I can't live without regrets. But that's okay, and I think that Maggie does an excellent job in explaining how regrets are good for us and how best to deal with them.
Here are this week's scriptural references:
I like the NIV translation a little bit better.
Prayer Requests
- Rita's brother-in-law handled surgery well! Praise God! Also, please whisper a prayer (travel mercies) for her sister traveling from California back to Ohio. Also pray for her daughter and granddaughter (travel mercies) who will be flying with the baby (daddy's working) to visit her other grandparents in NC for the holiday weekend.
- Pray for Kitty's DIL, Julie, that she will find it in her heart to be able to join in on family times. God, please turn Julie's heart in Jesus' name!
- Praise: Kris is expecting another grand baby. Let's pray for the health of mother and baby.
- Also pray for Kris's mother-in-law. Kris had to take her earlier in the week to the ER for a blood clot.
- Remember to pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Please continue to pray for my friend Pat and her family. There has been no change in her condition. My heart is breaking for her and her family! Let's boldly pray for a miracle!
- Pray for travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher. They will be flying down today from Michigan to Atlanta, and they'll drive from Atlanta to the lake to visit us for the long holiday weekend.
Thank-you so much, Prayer Warriors!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Beautiful peonies from a local store
Good Monday Morning, Friends!
I have not read this week's reflection yet, but here is the scriptural reference:
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.~2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT)
REMINDER: Please looking around for another daily devotional if you'd like to continue. I will post the nominees this Friday, and we can decide from there.
Prayer Requests:
- Rita's bil's surgery is a go for this morning, so thank you for keeping him on the prayer list. Also, please whisper a prayer (travel mercies) for her sister traveling in California.
- Pray for Kitty's DIL, Julie, that she will find it in her heart to be able to join in on family times. God, please turn Julie's heart in Jesus' name!
- Praise: Kris is expecting another grand baby. Let's pray for the health of mother and baby.
- Remember to pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Please continue to pray for my friend Pat and her family. She had a massive stroke during heart surgery Thursday, and she is not responding. I've been in contact with her family quite a bit over the weekend, and they are all hurting right now. I know that God can and will heal her if it's His will. Thank-you.
Have a blessed week, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! I hope y'all have had a blessed week. :D
I enjoyed this reflection and the metaphor of the paperwhites: We as Christians do the planting, and God is responsible for the outcomes.
Here's this week's scripture:
Here are a few other verses encouraging us to leave the outcomes to God:
But I trust in your unfailing love;my heart rejoices in your salvation.~Psalm 13:5
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.~Hebrews 10:36
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.~James 5:7
- Please continue to pray for our country.
- Pray for Rita's bil (Don). He is scheduled for surgery 6/26 (next Monday), but the first necessary clearance from the pulmonologist didn't go so well, and he will need a scan next week along with a cardiologist clearance and pre-op testing appts after these screenings.
- Pray for Kitty's DIL, Julie, that she will find it in her heart to be able to join in on family times. God, please turn Julie's heart in Jesus' name!
- Praise: Kris is expecting another grand baby. Let's pray for the health of mother and baby.
- Remember to pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Praise: ALL my tests have come back exceptional! I thank God for you, my Sweet Prayer Warrior Friends!
- URGENT: My friend Pat had valve replacement surgery yesterday. It was more difficult than expected, and she lost a lot of blood. Please pray for her continued recovery.
Here's some sugar for your morning tea (or coffee).
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Paperwhites from several Christmases ago...
Happy Monday, Friends! This week's reflection sounds intriguing: Paperwhites and Prayer. I have not read ahead, so I have no idea what it's about other than the title's clue.
Did you have a super father's day weekend, celebrating with loved ones? I hope so!
I need your help! We only have five weeks left in this study. If you want to continue with a new study, please take some time this week and find a devotional that interests you, and email me your choice. I'll share them on next Monday's post, and we can vote on the one we'd most like to do.
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.~2 Thessalonians 3:16
Prayer Requests:
- Please continue to pray for our country.
- Pray for Rita's bil (Don). He is scheduled for surgery 6/26 (next Monday), but the first necessary clearance from the pulmonologist didn't go so well, and he will need a scan next week along with a cardiologist clearance and pre-op testing appts after these screenings.
- Pray for Kitty's DIL, Julie, that she will find it in her heart to be able to join in on family times. God, please turn Julie's heart in Jesus' name!
- Praise: Kris is expecting another grand baby. Isn't that exciting!
- Remember to pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Praise: Riley is safe in South Korea.
Have a great week!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! Have you had a nice week? We've had tons of rain and thunderstorms, and a few have been severe in our state and city. Our Flag Day Ceremony at our local library had to be rescheduled, unfortunately.
I enjoyed today's lesson, The Paradox of Unanswered Prayer, and I found it very encouraging. I think I will write down a few unanswered prayers in my prayer journal this weekend, and write a reminder on my calendar at the end of December to look back and see how God has answered them.
There are several lovely scriptural references Maggie shares in her Points of Connection, and if you haven't read them yet, I encourage you to do so. The verse I'm sharing in this post is one I've read a couple of times (from other sources) this week. When that happens, I tend to pay attention!
I already had several of the scriptural references made into graphics, and I'm sharing them below.
from The Message
Prayer Requests:
- Let's pray for Kitty's grandsons, Riley and Connor. Do you have any updates, Kitty?
- Continue to pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Pray for our nation, and pray that God will send us brave, courageous, and godly men to lead us.
- Pray for the MLB players who are courageously standing-up for decency.
- I also want us to pray for each other, that we won't get discouraged.
- Last Saturday, our White House hosted a demon fest, and the cherry on top of this evil display was the desecration our American flag. I pray that God will cleanse the rot from our halls of power, and that He will call all Americans to come closer to Him.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! This week's lesson is perfect for Happy Prayer Warriors! Here's the scriptural reference from The Message:
"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes."
~Matthew 6:7-13
I like this version of The Lord's Prayer, do you?
Prayer Requests
- Let's continue to pray for Sam, Connor, and Riley.
- Please pray for our nation!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Mr. Happy's favorite pansies
Happy Friday, Friends! How are y'all? Have you had a nice week? I've been getting things done, and it feels good. It feels even better to have the energy to do chores and projects!
This week's reflection is entitled: "Do I Love To Tell the Story?" I have felt an urgency to share the gospel lately, as if we're running out of time. I want to apologize up front for this post veering away from the lesson, but things are getting out of hand in our country. I don't want to be political, but our government is being weaponized against the other party not currently in power.
Getting back to the lesson, Maggie suggests we read the story of Lydia (Acts 16:13-15). We can learn much from this short encounter, can't we! Below is the last verse of her story:
I love how the Lord opened her heart to believe Paul.
Prayer Requests:
- Kitty asks that we pray for her grandsons who serve our country. Pray for Riley's safety in his deployment in South Korea. She also asks for prayers for Connor as he returns to civilian life after being in the Marines.
- Rita asks that we pray for her bil on my husband's side of the family, who had a stroke last Friday. He is his wife's caregiver (husband's sister), who cannot live alone. He did get moved already to the rehab floor, so that is good news.
- From Karla: "My heart breaks daily for our nation. It is falling apart. Praying for the MLB ... and the courage that some of the players are showing. Especially the L.A. Dodger players." Yes, we really need to lift-up the LA Dodgers standing-up for decency.
- Also from Karla: Praise Report .... the 157th and Sam will be back State Side in August!!! Counting down the days!!! THANK YOU for the prayers my dear Prayer Warriors!!!!!
- I would like to praise God for the opportunity to pray for three young men selflessly serving our country.
- Ladies, we need to guard our hearts and pray fervently for the direction of our country. The Wall Street Journal revealed this week that Instagram is facilitating the trafficking of children and child pornography. Nothing has been done to stop it, either. We are in desperate need of godly prosecutors, friends! If nothing is done about it at the corporate level, I will deactivate my account.
- Please pray for President Trump as he's being indicted.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Pansies and million bells in pots at Harbor Point Marina, Lake Martin, Alabama
Happy Monday Morning, Friends!
I have a confession: I haven't read this week's reflection yet. The only thing I've read so far is the scriptural reference, below, about Lydia:
As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart—and she believed!~Acts 16:14 (MSG)
I hope y'all have a blessed week!
I think I need at least two cups this morning!
Prayer requests?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
"Fancy Dori"
a daylily named after my art teacher
Happy Friday, Friends! How was your Memorial Day? I hope you've had a nice week, too.
Below is this week's scripture:
The verse below is the next verse in the Bible. I already had a graphic made of it, so I thought I'd go ahead and share it:
This week's reflection was political. Sure, I agree that we should help refugees, but many pouring over are Southern border are not political refugees, and video evidence shows most are young men of fighting age, not families. Many Christian organizations have taken dark money from NGO's that do not have the best interests of the United States at heart. Plus, 85,000 children who've crossed the border are missing according to the Biden administration. Where are they? Where's the justice for child trafficking?
We cannot afford the world's refugees at the same time we arm Eastern Europe. We. can't. afford. it.
Although I have no reason to doubt that Maggie's heart is in the right place, I'm a little bit disappointed in this reflection. What are your thoughts?
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Pray for Kitty's grandson Riley's safety in his deployment in South Korea. Also, pray for her grandson Connor as he returns to civilian life after being in the Marines.
- We have a praise for Rita's BIL: He has had his testing, and there is now a plan for his treatment.
- Carla is exhausted by these companies that continue to push the AGENDA down our throats and on to our children. I am in total agreement, and I think we need to pray for the employees of these companies as Americans vote with their pocketbooks.
- Special birthday prayer for Rita!
Have a peaceful and blessed weekend, everyone!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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