Happy Friday, Friends! How has your week been? We've been renovating our basement room into a media room. I painted it a couple of weeks ago, and we had to move furniture around, install a TV, and I've been working on fluffing it, getting it ready for the rest of baseball season and college football season. I feel so grateful that my stamina and energy has been good. God has truly blessed me with good health!
One reason we did the work is that we're trying to actually limit TV and screen time. Our main level will be used more for conversation and reading. Going to the basement takes more effort, and our hope is that we will spend more time outside this fall (weather permitting) and less time staring at screens.
Have you been working on any projects around your home? I know Kris has, and honestly I was feeling so good about our project until I read Kris's blog and saw all the work she and Terry have done. Y'all are super humans, My Friend!
This week's lesson is entitled "happiest grace." I loved it because it really is that simple: the best gift, the only one that surpasses everything is Christ's gift of salvation. It's the basis for unshakable hope and joy.
I kept going back and rereading this one. What are your thoughts?
Here is this week's scripture:
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Terry and Kris's move. Pray that everything will go well for them as they decorate, unpack, and get settled.
- Carla's son Sam has friends who will be deploying to Iraq. Please be in prayer for our military and military families... this is a Wisconsin National Guard unit that is deploying to Iraq. Sam is not deploying, but he has friends in this unit.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita asks for prayers for her sweet daughters as their graduate school semester is beginning. Pray for them to have a healthy and productive work/school/life balance.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
- Please pray for a job opportunity for our oldest daughter Shanley (her post doc will be coming to an end). Also, our son-in-law Christopher is applying for a CMO position within the pediatric practice/company he works for. Please pray that God's will be done for their job opportunities.
- Rita has a praise regarding helping her SC sister relocate: small signs are pointing toward possible options for an apartment and for the logistics of moving. It's hard, and she's thankful for numerous siblings offering to help!
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! How was your weekend? Ours was great, until we got a flat on the way home from the lake yesterday. All the tire businesses were closed, so we had to go to WalMart, and unfortunately they weren't a whole lot of help. But we made it home (finally), but we missed church. :(
This week's lesson is entitled "happiest grace," and I'm hoping that it really is a happy one. I could use it today!
This week's Bible verse:
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Terry and Kris's move. Pray that everything will go well for them as they decorate, unpack, and get settled.
- Carla's son Sam has friends who will be deploying to Iraq. Please be in prayer for our military and military families... this is a Wisconsin National Guard unit that is deploying to Iraq. Sam is not deploying, but he has friends in this unit.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita asks for prayers for her sweet daughters as their graduate school semester is beginning. Pray for them to have a healthy and productive work/school/life balance.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
- Please pray for a job opportunity for our oldest daughter Shanley (her post doc will be coming to an end). Also, our son-in-law Christopher is applying for a CMO position within the pediatric practice/company he works for. Please pray that God's will be done for their job opportunities.
- Rita has a praise regarding helping her SC sister relocate: small signs are pointing toward possible options for an apartment and for the logistics of moving. It's hard, and she's thankful for numerous siblings offering to help!
Please let me know if there are any requests I've forgotten!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! How was your week? Mine has been fantastic! :D Do you have any fabulous weekend plans?
Have you been by Starbucks yet to have your first PSL of the season? Shelley thanks you if you have! ;P
This week's lesson is entitled "amaryllis grace." I thought that this one was a hard read syntactically. I think it's interesting that an amaryllis bulb her mother-in-law gave her shortly (within the year) before she passed blooms on her kitchen windowsill becomes her 1,000th entry in her gratitude journal. Very bittersweet IMHO....
Do you have any thoughts about this lesson?
Here is the scripture for this week:
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Ann also referenced four other Bible verses in the devotion, including:
- Pray for Terry and Kris's move. Pray that everything will go well for them as they decorate, unpack, and get settled.
- Carla's son Sam has friends who will be deploying to Iraq. Please be in prayer for our military and military families... this is a Wisconsin National Guard unit that is deploying to Iraq. Sam is not deploying, but he has friends in this unit.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita asks for prayers for her sweet daughters as their graduate school semester is beginning. Pray for them to have a healthy and productive work/school/life balance.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
- Please pray for a job opportunity for our oldest daughter Shanley (her post doc will be coming to an end). Also, our son-in-law Christopher is applying for a CMO position within the pediatric practice/company he works for. Please pray that God's will be done for their job opportunities.
If you have any other requests, please email me or leave in comments and I will update our list. Thank you!
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I spent a lot of time with our younger daughter, and we had fun! I don't know what it is about this time of the year, but I really want to go purchase new school supplies. We've been hearing the school buses early in the morning for about a week now, and we've also noticed a marked increase in traffic in our area, too, since people are home from vacation and getting into their fall schedules.
This week's devotion is entitled "amaryllis grace." Our priest in her sermon yesterday talked about ways God speaks to us, and she mentioned synchronicity. It's funny because I'm experiencing it with this very title because I've been looking ahead to the Christmas Holidays, and I've been thinking about decorating with a lot of amaryllises and paperwhites rather than poinsettias. I've even been looking at them online, and the next thing I know: Week Fifty-Four's devotion is entitled "amaryllis grace."
Hmmmm....
I have NO IDEA what it's about yet because I will be reading it as soon as this post is live.
Here is this week's scripture:
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Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Terry and Kris's move. Pray that everything will go well for them!
- Carla's son Sam has friends who will be deploying to Iraq. Please be in prayer for our military and military families... this is a Wisconsin National Guard unit that is deploying to Iraq. Sam is not deploying, but he has friends in this unit.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita is asking for prayers for a sister of hers who lives alone, geographically far from family. She is in a crisis with her children turning their backs on her in a time of most need. Rita and her siblings are having to find a way to navigate through the messiness of it all and determine how they can help her. She is not in great health either. Please pray that God will share his wisdom with them as how to help the situation. UPDATE: Rita is traveling to visit and help her sister this week. Please be in prayer for her!
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
- Although my MRI results were fantastic, I will still be seeing my medical oncologist (next week) and my radiology oncologist (Wednesday). Please pray for me because I get a little anxious when I have to visit the cancer center.
- Please pray for a job opportunity for our oldest daughter Shanley (her post doc will be coming to an end).
It's that time of the year!
Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks on Thursday. Say a little prayer for our daughter Shelley on Thursday because it will be a busy day for her at work!
I can't wait!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
This is the first time I've seen striped chrysanthemums in this color.
I'm seeing this color everywhere these days, and it reminds me of the '80s.
Happy Friday, Friends!
It has been a great week. I'm happy to report that my MRI was negative. God has been so good to me, and he is faithfully answering our prayers! :D Terry is doing well, and Kris and Terry closed on their condo Monday.
This week I've visited a few nurseries refreshing containers and flowerpots. The zinnias are beautiful this year, and I've seen many pretty mums and marigolds. The dahlias aren't great (yet) but they should be stunning in a couple of weeks. What have you been up to this week?
This week's lesson is entitled "breathing grace."
The main thing I took away from this lesson is that even when we are afraid and anxious, if we focus on breathing, one breath at a time, and remember that God is with us, then we can live with grace, joy, and gratitude. I also love the fact that God's name sounds (and is spelled) in Hebrew like the sound of breathing. I find perverse satisfaction in knowing that everyone, even atheists, call on God's very name as they breathe. I admit I have a wee bit of a wicked streak! I need to work on that.
Thoughts about the devotion?
Here is this week's scripture:
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Terry and Kris's move. Pray that everything will go well for them!
- Carla's son Sam has friends who will be deploying to Iraq. Please be in prayer for our military and military families... this is a Wisconsin National Guard unit that is deploying to Iraq. Sam is not deploying, but he has friends in this unit.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita is asking for prayers for a sister of hers who lives alone, geographically far from family. She is in a crisis with her children turning their backs on her in a time of most need. Rita and her siblings are having to find a way to navigate through the messiness of it all and determine how they can help her. She is not in great health either. Please pray that God will share his wisdom with them as how to help the situation.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
- Although my MRI results were fantastic, I will still be seeing my medical oncologist (in two weeks) and my radiology oncologist (next week). Please pray for me because I get a little anxious when I have to visit the cancer center.
Have a great weekend!
I hope you get to spend some time outside!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends!
How was your weekend? It was finally cool enough on Sunday morning for us to do a little gardening. We worked hard!
I'm up bright and early because I have to be at the hospital at 7:15 for my scan. I'll be so happy to get it over with! I haven't read all of this week's lesson, but it's entitled "breathing grace." I love the scripture: It's one of my favorite Bible verses! The BBE translation of the Bible stands for Bible in Basic English. I read a little bit about it, and it sounds interesting!
Prayer Requests
- Carla's son Sam has friends who will be deploying to Iraq. Please be in prayer for our military and military families... this is a Wisconsin National Guard unit that is deploying to Iraq. Sam is not deploying, but he has friends in this unit.
- Kris's husband Terry is in the hospital with an intestinal blockage. Please pray for a speedy and complete recovery before they move in a couple of weeks. He also needs to be available for their condo's closing which is scheduled for today.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita is asking for prayers for a sister of hers who lives alone, geographically far from family. She is in a crisis with her children turning their backs on her in a time of most need. Rita and her siblings are having to find a way to navigate through the messiness of it all and determine how they can help her. She is not in great health either. Please pray that God will share his wisdom with them as how to help the situation.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
- Please pray for me the next couple of weeks as I will be getting my six month scans and going to my six month appointments to my medical oncologist and radiology oncologist. Please pray that all my testing will be negative for cancer, and that my other bloodwork is healthy. My appointment with my oncologist concerning test results will be on August 28th.
Have a lovely week!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
We've been blessed with a bounty of tomatoes this summer!
Happy Friday, Friends!
***Let's fervently pray for Kris's husband Terry to recover quickly because they are planning to close on their condo Monday!
We know that Kris's week has been incredibly stressful. How about the rest of y'all? What's going on in your world? Do any of y'all have any prayer request updates?
This week's lesson is entitled "storm grace." This is a lovely lesson, and it's actually the crux for the entire book:
To thank God for all is to give God glory in all.p. 175
This is a hard lesson! Below are a couple of the Bible verses shared in the devotion:
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Rita's best friend from grade school - high school whose husband and love of her life passed away on 7/31. He was just 68.
- Carla's son Sam has friends who will be deploying to Iraq. Please be in prayer for our military and military families... this is a Wisconsin National Guard unit that is deploying to Iraq. Sam is not deploying, but he has friends in this unit.
- Kris's husband Terry is in the hospital with an intestinal blockage. Please pray for a speedy and complete recovery before they move in a couple of weeks. He also needs to be available for their condo's closing on Monday, August 12th.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita is asking for prayers for a sister of hers who lives alone, geographically far from family. She is in a crisis with her children turning their backs on her in a time of most need. Rita and her siblings are having to find a way to navigate through the messiness of it all and determine how they can help her. She is not in great health either. Please pray that God will share his wisdom with them as how to help the situation.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
- Please pray for me the next couple of weeks as I will be getting my six month scans and going to my six month appointments to my medical oncologist and radiology oncologist. Please pray that all my testing will be negative for cancer, and that my other bloodwork is healthy. My appointment with my oncologist concerning test results will be on August 28th.
I know our prayer request list is long this week. Thank you so much for your commitment to praying for each other!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! How was your weekend? Trip and I went to the lake by ourselves and slept in every morning. It was lovely! The weather was nice, too: It didn't rain, storm, and it wasn't too hot.
Speaking of storms, this week's lesson is entitled "storm grace," just as Hurricane Debby is headed to Florida and the Southeast. I have not read it yet, but I plan on reading it as soon as this post is live.
This week's scripture:
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Rita's best friend from grade school - high school whose husband and love of her life passed away on 7/31. He was just 68.
- Carla's son Sam has friends who will be deploying to Iraq. Please be in prayer for our military... this is a Wisconsin National Guard unit that is deploying to Iraq. Sam is not deploying, but he has friends in this unit.
- Kris's husband Terry is in the hospital with an intestinal blockage. Please pray for a speedy and complete recovery before they move in a couple of weeks.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita is asking for prayers for a sister of hers who lives alone, geographically far from family. She is in a crisis with her children turning their backs on her in a time of most need. Rita and her siblings are having to find a way to navigate through the messiness of it all and determine how they can help her. She is not in great health either. Please pray that God will share his wisdom with them as how to help the situation.
- Kris and her husband Terry found and purchased a darling new townhome close to family and friends. She and Terry will be updating it in the coming months. However, they need to sell their condo where they currently live. Let's pray that God will send the perfect buyer quickly! Also pray that their move will go as smoothly as possible!
- Please pray for our military and military families.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
- Please pray for me the next couple of weeks as I will be getting my six month scans and going to my six month appointments to my medical oncologist and radiology oncologist. Please pray that all my testing will be negative for cancer, and that my other bloodwork is healthy.
I'm off to make a pot of coffee once I decide what kind to brew., and then I'll read our lesson.
What are you drinking today? Are you as addicted to caffeine as I am? ;P
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends, and Hello, August!
It is sooooo hot here in Central Alabama. I know it's expected because it's summer in the Deep South, however, I really need it to cool down just a wee bit. After the weeks of rain, it immediately became so hot that I can't garden right now. It will have to wait!
I was happy to go to art class twice this week (one was a make-up) so overall it's been a fantastic week for me.
What about you? What did you do this week?
Week Fifty-One's Lesson is entitled "re-membering grace." Guys, this was a tough one for me to read. I remember mouth sores and being thankful for "miracle mouthwash." I also remember being so, so close to God when I was going through treatment. Sometimes it scares me because I miss the stillness, and I miss the closeness during that time. I need to be more disciplined to make time to "be still and know."
In Psalm 50:14 God’s people are told to “offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.” We are to give thanks even in the toughest of times! Ann does this very well, I think. It seems to be a habit of hers, one I hope to continue to develop.
What are your thoughts about the lesson?
“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,fulfill your vows to the Most High."~Psalm 50:14
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita is asking for prayers for a sister of hers who lives alone, geographically far from family. She is in a crisis with her children turning their backs on her in a time of most need. Rita and her siblings are having to find a way to navigate through the messiness of it all and determine how they can help her. She is not in great health either. Please pray that God will share his wisdom with them as how to help the situation.
- Kris and her husband Terry found and purchased a darling new townhome close to family and friends. She and Terry will be updating it in the coming months. However, they need to sell their condo where they currently live. Let's pray that God will send the perfect buyer quickly! Also pray that their move will go as smoothly as possible!
- Please pray for our military and military families.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
Have a great weekend.
Stay cool!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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