One Thousand Gifts: Friday, Week Fifty-Seven

 

Happy Friday, Friends!  I hope you've had a blessed week.  I had an appointment with my surgeon, and she wants to take out my port next week.  I am so, so thankful for that!  I still have two more doctors' appointments this month, and one next, and I think I'm good until my mammogram in February.  *whew*  As thankful as I am for healthcare, it takes a whole lot of time out of my week, and it's difficult to put aside all the things I think I need to do.  I don't like the anxiety it causes me, and I truly need to learn to let things go.

So what did you think about our lesson this week?  It amazes me that the topic is about:

...[the] lavish, radical nature of the upside-down economy of God.

        Empty to fill.

        p. 192

The reason I'm amazed is because yesterday at church my class started a Bible Study based on The Cup of Our Life by Joan Rupp.  It's a six-week study about this very thing, about our lives in Christ as a cup that is filled, refilled, and sometimes empty.  I enjoy it when our devotions dovetail so nicely with my life.  

My prayer is that we can up our game as we serve in this world and watch and see how God lavishly and extravagantly pays us back with joy in Him.  After all the timing is perfect with the holidays around the corner!

Below are a few of the biblical references from our devotion, "cycling grace."  I already had several graphics made, so I'm "re-cycling" them from previous lessons.

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.
• 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!
• Pray for travel mercies for Trip as he is traveling to Wisconsin for the weekend.

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!  Mine will be a little quiet, and I think that instead of doing chores I'm going to find a little joy with my Bible study, art, and doing a few fun Halloween decor projects.  I love y'all!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill