One Thousand Gifts: Friday, Week Fifty-Three

 

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