Merry Christmas, Friends! I hope you are having a lovely Christmas with family and friends. The stomach bug is all over Birmingham, and unfortunately, it has made an appearance in our home. The good news is that it only lasts for about 24-48 hours. I have been busy disinfecting everything in the house!
We have two lessons this week, and the first one is entitled "Crazy, Beautiful Life." I enjoyed this lesson because it was filled with examples of those living life to the fullest. There were two Bible verses in this lesson, and I think that the John 10:10 verse is one we should keep in our hearts at all times:
The other verse is from Ecclesiastes:
He has set eternity in the human heart.
~Ecclesiastes 3:11
I love the section about A Collector of Hearts. This might seem silly, but I play this game with God. He sends me hearts to remind me how much he loves me. I see them all the time, whether in bubble clusters, or in an iron pan drying on the stovetop, or examples in nature, like leaves or puddles. Try looking for them. Ask God to send you hearts, and he will do it!
The second lesson is entitled "Never Postpone Joy." Farrell reminds us of how two men (Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama) found and lived with joy during exile and imprisonment. My favorite quote from this lesson is:
Every day is a new opportunity to begin again!~the Dalai Lama
I think that's a great way to view life. Every morning brings the chance for a do-over!
I did not bake the love muffins because most folks around here are drinking plain tea and eating saltine crackers. But I will bake them soon.
I don't know if y'all noticed, but after this last lesson there a few more recipes and lists of Farrell's favorites from books to music to podcasts. I want to check out her favorite cookbooks!
I hope y'all enjoyed this book. I did! Next Friday we will begin Peace With the Psalms, and the first Psalm we will be reading is the 23rd Psalm!
Do you have any thoughts about the lessons?
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister. First Christmases without loved ones can be especially difficult.
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike, who is excited about working on his own idea. Pray for Kitty that she can be supportive and encouraging to him as he shares his ideas and developments with her. He is such a good guy and needs something wonderful to happen in his life.
- Praise for Rita's daughter Megan for finishing her semester of the FNP program successfully! Just one more semester after a Christmas break! Let's keep up the prayers and get her over the finish line next semester.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Pray for Kris's husband Terry. He is home from the hospital, but is still having difficulty eating. UPDATE: Terry had surgery Friday night (Dec. 26th). He did very well, and Kris is hoping he will be discharged today (Sat. Dec. 26th). Let's pray for a speedy recovery for Terry!
- Rita's HS Friend Pam needs us to start banking-up prayers now. Her oncology and reconstructive team of two surgeons will perform an estimated 12 hr surgery Jan 5 to remove at least half of her tongue (tongue cancer) and, minimally, lymph nodes on her right side of her neck. She will have skin grafts taken from her forearm and thigh to reconstruct. She's expected to be in the hospital a minimum of 10 days. It's a long road ahead for her.
- Please pray for travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher as they drive home to Michigan tomorrow.
- Travel mercies for Carla and her family as they travel to rural Wisconsin. They will be traveling 12/24 through 12/28. (Internet is sketchy where they're going FYI.)
We had planned on going out for sips and trinkets this afternoon. I hope everyone feels like it!
Until next time...
Merry Christmas!
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends!
What have you been up to this week? We have had workmen in the house everyday this week. Finally, our upstairs is done! I have been working so hard to get everything ready before our daughter and SIL come home for Christmas.
I wanted to tell you a little bit about Jenna's Celebration of Life. It was so nice! Tara and Ryan did an amazing job. They cooked several family favorite recipes. Each recipe had a sign beside it with a QR code that linked to Jenna's post featuring the dish. I loved that! One of the most popular ones was her famous coconut shrimp.
Jenna loved her outdoor patio area off her kitchen. The party extended outside around the beautiful fireplace. She loved spending time out there.
Y'all are probably familiar with the round glass table in her foyer. Ryan had displayed many of her sketch pads and journals opened to her drawings and watercolor paintings. Jenna was so talented, and she had such a fun, whimsical style. I spent quite a few minutes leafing through her drawings and remembering how a few were featured on her Fearless Friday posts.
Beyond the table is the grand staircase and large Christmas tree. Tara had pulled several of her paintings and displayed them around the tree and up the staircase. Tara asked me to pick out my favorite and take it home with me. Y'all, I was in tears! I chose a landscape for two reasons: One, I never, ever paint them, and Two, Jenna rarely painted them. It's a rather large canvas, and I love how she painted the edges of it, too. The dominant color in it is orange. I still have not decided where to hang it yet. but when I do, I will share it here on the blog.
The Celebration of Life was *so Jenna*. Tara was brokenhearted as was Ryan because her death was sudden. They are a very close-knit family. This is going to be a sad Christmas for them as they are missing Jenna. Please keep them in your prayers.
Y'all, this week's lesson is one of my favorites from the year. Entitled "Recipe for Faith," I love how it talks about cooking, including how to make a good roux. As many of you know, my sweet husband is from New Orleans. When he asked me to marry him, his grandmother asked me if I knew how to make a good roux. Being a country girl from Alabama, I had no idea what she was talking about. She said, "Now Beauty (she called me Beauty because she thought my name was ridiculous (her words, not mine)) you must learn how to make a good roux in order to be a good cook for Trippy!" So she hired a cook to teach me. Not only did I learn how to make a good roux, but I also learned how to make red beans and rice just like a native New Orleanian.
Farrell does a lovely job in this lesson about how to kick our faith up a notch with action, but also how to be inactive, to "be still and know that I am God."
Here is this week's scripture. I included verses six and seven, and it's from The Message translation.
Before I move on to our prayer requests, I wanted to share with you a reflection about Advent joy from Kate Bowler. When I read it in my inbox this week, I was reminded of Jenna and her Celebration of Life. Jenna tried to find joy EVERYDAY! Even when she was in the skilled nursing facility, she created art, watched her favorite Hallmark movies, and blogged.
The painter Marc Chagall once said, "In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love."Born to a Jewish family in a Russian shtetl, Chagall's life was marked by exile, pogroms, and the Holocaust that destroyed much of his community. Yet his art overflows with riotous colors--- angels suspended in midair, fiddlers on the roof, lovers flying over cities. He painted joy against a backdrop of suffering, not because the darkness wasn't real, but because he insisted that love and joy must break in anyway.Advent joy asks something similar of us. We do not pretend the world is fixed. But we light a candle anyway. We sing anyway. We look at Chagall's saturated blues and fiery reds and remember joy doesn't wait until everything is safe and orderly. Joy is God's gift, arriving in the middle of exile, the middle of grief, the middle of the unfinished world.So perhaps the practice today is to add one small splash of color back into your life.
Friends, I think Advent joy is an ingredient we can all use to "deepen the recipe of our faith."
Marc Chagall
White Crucifixion
1938
oil on canvas
60 7/8in. x 55 1/8 in.
We went to the Art Institute of Chicago for this painting's reinstallation in 2016.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister. First Christmases without loved ones can be especially difficult.
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike, who is excited about working on his own idea. Pray for Kitty that she can be supportive and encouraging to him as he shares his ideas and developments with her. He is such a good guy and needs something wonderful to happen in his life.
- Praise for Rita's daughter Megan for finishing her semester of the FNP program successfully! Just one more semester after a Christmas break! Let's keep up the prayers and get her over the finish line next semester.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Pray for Kris's husband Terry. He is home from the hospital, but is still having difficulty eating. UPDATE: Terry is going in on Friday for surgery. Pray for discernment for Terry's medical team, and that God will settle Kris and Terry's spirits, calm their minds, and guard their hearts.
- Rita's HS Friend Pam needs us to start banking-up prayers now. Her oncology and reconstructive team of two surgeons will perform an estimated 12 hr surgery Jan 5 to remove at least half of her tongue (tongue cancer) and, minimally, lymph nodes on her right side of her neck. She will have skin grafts taken from her forearm and thigh to reconstruct. She's expected to be in the hospital a minimum of 10 days. It's a long road ahead for her. UPDATE: She is experiencing excruciating pain and swelling of her tongue. Read Rita's details about Pam's condition in her comment below.
- Please pray for travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher as they drive from Michigan to Alabama tomorrow.
- Travel mercies for Carla and her family as they travel to rural Wisconsin. They will be traveling 12/24 through 12/28. (Internet is sketchy where they're going FYI.)
NOTE: We will read both Lessons 51 and 52 for St. Stephen's Day, or December 26th.
Don't forget that we will start our new book Peace With the Psalms on Friday, January 2nd.
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
I meant to get a photo of my Advent wreath (you can see it in the background), but instead I took a photo of the heirloom roses. GAH!
Hello, My Sweet Friends!
Y'all....I can't tell you how blessed I am to have a new computer that WORKS! I didn't realize how much I missed having one, and I think that Mr. Prayer Warrior is even happier since I no longer borrow his laptop!
How was your week? I have been thinking about y'all and about how some of us are definitely in the Big Kahuna right now. My mind kept thinking of Kris in particular this week with Terry's struggles. I truly thought that this lesson was so inspiring and timely.
I showed our youngest daughter the cookie recipe, and she wants to bake it when her sister comes home for Christmas. I will post them when we bake them! Did you try this recipe? Have you started your Christmas baking yet?
I love that the lesson started out with a quote from Madeleine L'Engle. I have read her fiction, and this past year I've started reading her Christian nonfiction books. She was such a treasure, and a very deep thinker! I highly recommend her books.
We have to be braver than we think we can be, because God is constantly calling us to be more than we are.~Madeleine L'Engle
What are your thoughts about this week's lesson?
This week's scripture is from Paul's lesson to the Romans, and it's about how suffering is good for us and leads to hope:
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister. First Christmases without loved ones can be especially difficult.
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike, who is excited about working on his own idea. Pray for Kitty that she can be supportive and encouraging to him as he shares his ideas and developments with her. He is such a good guy and needs something wonderful to happen in his life.
- Praise for Rita's daughter Megan for finishing her semester of the FNP program successfully! Just one more semester after a Christmas break! Let's keep up the prayers and get her over the finish line next wemester.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. UPDATE: Barbara might be able to return home Tuesday. She has been away from home for almost a month because she was in the hospital for a week, and she's been at the SNF for almost three weeks.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly.
- Pray for Jenna Meon's family as they mourn her passing. The celebration of life will be December 13th, which is tomorrow.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Pray for Kris's husband Terry. He is home from the hospital, but is still having difficulty eating. Pray that Terry will improve and not need hospitalization until after Christmas when he has his surgery, and that God will settle Kris and Terry's spirits, calm their minds, and guard their hearts.
- Rita's HS Friend Pam needs us to start banking-up prayers now. Her oncology and reconstructive team of two surgeons will perform an estimated 12 hr surgery Jan 5 to remove at least half of her tongue (tongue cancer) and, minimally, lymph nodes on her right side of her neck. She will have skin grafts taken from her forearm and thigh to reconstruct. She's expected to be in the hospital a minimum of 10 days. It's a long road ahead for her.
Thank-you for your travel mercy prayers for Shelley and me as we traveled last weekend to Louisiana for our niece Molly's baby shower.
I'm staying home today because we're having some furniture delivered. I hope to get lots of chores done! Have a great weekend!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends!
I hope you've had a festive week. I shipped gifts today, and the guy at the UPS store was really funny because he said: "You're a week ahead of last year!" *ha ha*
I truly enjoyed this week's lesson. I started our Advent book club this week at St. Stephens. We're reading The Meaning is in the Waiting by Paula Gooder. Advent is the Christian calendar's beginning of the year. I think it's interesting that we are expected to begin the year waiting, by living in the moment. I suppose that all of our days should be lived that way, but it is certainly a focus for the beginning of the year.
Our teacher Betty gave us an Advent calendar with a word of the day and an activity to go with it. This reminded me of our lesson in SoulFull! Here is the word and activity for today, Friday, December 5th:
SHINELight a candle and pray that the Light of God shines through you!
I'd also like to share with you another phrase from an Advent devotional written by Joyce Rupp:
"An expanded heart" ----- I resonate with this phrase and what it implies: a sense of something much bigger than ourselves, a wide embrace of another, room enough within one's self to extend a welcome unconditionally. I hope during this Advent season, my heart can grow wide enough to be hospitable, open enough to accept those different from me, generous enough to do what it takes to be kind, and large enough to spontaneously extend compassion. "
I think that you could expand the sticky note challenge to include not only words, but small phrases like "an expanded heart." Did you take the challenge? What are your four words?
Mine are hopeful, waiting, love, and shine (thanks, Betty).
Here is this week's Bible verse:
We will be reading Peace With the Psalms next year. I was really wanting to do Seasons of Wonder, but not every activity in it has scripture. It looks like a very fun book with fun activities, and it is biblically based. I think I will read it and try to do most of the activities, and if I feel like sharing anything I'll share it here on the blog.
Today you can purchase this for $9.99 for your Kindle, or $13.99 for the hardcover from FaithGateway.
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister.
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike, who is excited about working on his own idea. Pray for Kitty that she can be supportive and encouraging to him as he shares his ideas and developments with her. He is such a good guy and needs something wonderful to happen in his life.
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. UPDATE: Barbara has been transferred to a local SNF. It's the same one where Jenna was, and she is on the same hallway, too. I'm not sure how I feel about that! She is not well enough to go home.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly.
- Pray for Jenna Meon's family as they mourn her passing. The celebration of life will be December 13th.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Pray for Kris's husband Terry. He is having intestinal problems due to a blockage caused from a hernial mesh procedure from a few years ago. Pray that Terry will be able to go home, and that both Kris and Terry will not catch anything from the hospital.
- Rita's HS Friend was diagnosed with mouth cancer (tongue) this week. She is having pet scan today and will go to WVU for ENT oncologist consult next week. Surgery will remove part of her tongue, this much we know, lymph nodes undetermined.
- Carla and her husband are visiting her husband's elderly aunts this weekend. She prays to bring them JOY! There is EXTREME family drama on her husband's side of the family. The aunts they are visiting helped raise Carla's husband. They are twins, they are very dear, but life has been difficult for them. Praying for joy, peace, love and patience as they travel and visit.
Today is a peppermint mocha kind of day!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Black Friday, y'all! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving with family and friends yesterday. I am writing this extremely early because Mr. Prayer Warrior and I will be headed out soon to try to make a dent in our Christmas shopping. I usually like to have most everything done by the first Sunday in Advent so I can focus on what's truly important. Please pray that I can get most things done this week.
The timing of this week's lesson, "À La Bonne Franquette," was perfect for me. This French phrase means "in a good, informal, unfussy way." It sounds like it should be a goal for the Treleavens and Smiths for Advent and Christmas because not only am I trying to finish Christmas shopping, but I'm also planning holiday meals and activities.
Our oldest daughter shared with me a social media trend for the holidays called "Sips and Trinkets." This is a holiday activity where you go out in the hustle and bustle, stop at a coffee shop or tearoom for yummy hot drinks, and then shop for small, inexpensive trinkets in unique shops. I told the younger generation that in lieu of a present under the tree, I would treat them to "Sips and Trinkets."
I did not make the recipe this week because Mr. Prayer Warrior does not eat salmon. It looks like a good recipe, though!
Since December 1st is Monday, I wanted to ask y'all about next year's Bible study. We have two options: Peace With the Psalms, a devotion from Abide Christian Meditation, or Seasons of Wonder by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse. There are not fifty-two lessons in Peace With the Psalms, but at the end of next year we could revisit our favorites and let each person choose a couple. Please leave your vote in comments. You can click on each book cover to read about the books on Goodreads.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister.
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project). UPDATE: Mike is discouraged with his work friend as things are not turning out as planned, and Mike needs to pivot to something else. Ladies, I know we have been praying for Mike and his work situation for a long time. But let's not get discouraged because God hears our prayers, and he WILL answer them.
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. UPDATE: Barbara has been transferred to a local SNF. It's the same one where Jenna was, and she is on the same hallway, too. I'm not sure how I feel about that! She is not well enough to go home.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly.
- Pray for Jenna Meon's family as they mourn her passing. The celebration of life will be December 13th.
- Please continue to pray for our Westie Finlay as he is recovering from eye surgery.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Pray for the families of the murdered West Virginia National Guard soldiers.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Beautiful autumn day in Birmingham
Happy Friday, Friends! Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? I am not! I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving Week.
This week's lesson was a breath of fresh air (quite literally). I enjoyed learning about Marie of Magdala, especially the church's handling of her story. Christianity is the only religion that lifts-up women, and Jesus did welcome women into his inner circle. It's noteworthy that the first person Jesus appeared to after his resurrection was Mary, a woman.
I also took Farrell's suggestion for taking a walk. Shelley and I visited the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Monday and enjoyed the most beautiful autumn day ever! I am so thankful we did it because my week fell apart on Wednesday (more below). The Navajo Walking Meditation is lovely, isn't it!
With beauty before me, may I walk.With beauty behind me, may I walk.With beauty above me, may I walk.With beauty below me, may I walk.With beauty all around me, may I walk.Wandering on the trail of beauty, may I walk.~A Navajo Walking Meditation
Here is this week's scripture:
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Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister.
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project). UPDATE: Mike is discouraged with his work friend as things are not turning out as planned, and Mike needs to pivot to something else. Ladies, I know we have been praying for Mike and his work situation for a long time. But let's not get discouraged because God hears our prayers, and he WILL answer them.
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. URGENT UPDATE: I took Barbara to her oncologist Wednesday because she could not get out of bed Tuesday to go to chemotherapy. It took us twenty minutes to get her in the car because she is so weak! She was in bad shape: her blood pressure was 70/40. They had to transport her to the hospital (located in a different building) via ambulance. Her kidneys are failing, and I am trying to remain positive, but it's so hard! She needs a miracle! Please pray for her and her family.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Carla and her husband has decided to stay in their home and not sell it and move. Pray that God will give them peace in their decision.
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly.
- Rita's daughter Megan had rotator cuff surgery a few of weeks ago. Continue to pray for her recovery. UPDATE: Megan will return to work after 6 weeks post surgery (will do some PT), and she is ending this semester successfully in a much calmer state of mind.
- Pray for Jenna Meon's family as they mourn her passing. The celebration of life will be December 13th.
- Please continue to pray for our Westie Finlay as he is recovering from eye surgery.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Travel mercies for Carla as she and her family travel for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Until next time...
Happy Thanksgiving!
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! How was your week? I am trying to learn where all my files are on my new computer. Supposedly everything was transferred, but I can't find any of my folders, and that includes all the Bible verse graphics I've made over the years. Maybe I'll have a chance this weekend to get help from Apple support. I do love my new computer, though!
I loved this week's lesson because it featured one of my favorite parables Jesus taught: The Parable of the Sower. I love the imagery in it, and I find it tragic what happens to many who hear the gospel, accept it, only to fall away for whatever reason.
I also thought that the advice Alan York gave the Chesters about planting ground cover at Apricot Lane Farms was interesting because it literally saved their property. I would like to watch the documentary about them because what they did took courage and a whole lot of faith. Farrell shares with us numerous ways we can lay spiritual ground cover, and it's encouraging to think that we can do a little each day and start over if needed.
Here is this week's bible passage:
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”~Mark 4:3-8
Below is a blessing prayer by Steve Garnass-Holmes. When my Bible study teacher Betty sent it to me this week, I wanted to share it with y'all because I think it is a sweet prayer to start your day.
O PeaceO Peace, be my peace.I breathe you in.O Being, be my earth.I rest in you.O One, be my spirit.I belong to you.O Wisdom, be my mind.Keep me curious.O Grace, be my hope.I trust in you.O Yes, be my living and my dying.Give me courage.O Love, be my heart.Be my loving.O kindness, be my God,that I may be your kindness for this world.Amen.
I did not try the chili because I made chili last weekend because Trip wanted hot dogs with chili while watching college football. It was not Farrell's recipe by any stretch, but I'd like to try it because of the sweet potatoes.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister.
- Please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles cancer. UPDATE: Chris does not need chemo, only scans. What a praise!
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project). UPDATE: Mike is discouraged with his work friend as things are not turning out as planned, and Mike needs to pivot to something else. Ladies, I know we have been praying for Mike and his work situation for a long time. But let's not get discouraged because God hears our prayers, and he WILL answer them.
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Carla and her husband has decided to stay in their home and not sell it and move. Pray that God will give them peace in their decision.
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly.
- Rita's daughter Megan had rotator cuff surgery a few of weeks ago. Continue to pray for her recovery. UPDATE: Megan will return to work after 6 weeks post surgery (will do some PT), and she is ending this semester successfully in a much calmer state of mind.
- Pray for Jenna Meon. She was discharged from her SNF, and she is not responding to my calls, emails, and text messages.
- Please pray for our Westie Finlay. He had two procedures on his eye this week, and I think he is finally turning the corner.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you've had a productive week.
I have great news. I have been having problems with my computer for months. I have been blogging using Trip's laptop, but he uses it for work, so I was having to get up super early to use it before he left for work.
Trip was so sweet because he surprised me with a new desktop computer! It is so nice, and it has plenty of storage unlike my old iMac. Once they complete the process of sending my date from my old computer to the new one, I will be set. I am so excited!
What are your thoughts about this week's lesson? I enjoy studying the Psalms, and I agree that there is no greater resource for an extra dose of bravery. Each year when I read through the Bible and reach the Psalms, I always make a list of the ones that speak to me that year. It's fun for me to compare my favorites from year to year.
One of my very favorite Psalms for bravery is Psalm 91, and it is one of the four that Farrell mentions in her lesson:
Each day we are encouraged to put on the Full Armor of God, and that includes the Sword of the Spirit: The Word of God, which is the only offensive weapon in the armor, used to counter spiritual attacks. Fear is a spiritual attack because according to 2 Timothy 1:7, "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." The Psalms are a wonderful weapon to help us stand strong.
Do you have a favorite Psalm?
Here is the Bible verse from the beginning of our lesson:
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister.
- Please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer.
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project).
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Carla and her husband has decided to stay in their home and not sell it and move. Pray that God will give them peace in their decision.
- Pray for my mother. I am having a care plan meeting at her nursing home on Monday.
- Rita's daughter Megan had rotator cuff surgery a few of weeks ago. Continue to pray for her recovery.
- Pray for Jenna Meon.
- Please pray for our Westie Finlay. I am taking him back to the vet this afternoon for another follow-up appointment.
"Make it your mission to find the light in the dark."
Soulfull, pg. 214
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Halloween, Friends!
I hope you have had a peaceful week.
Do you get a lot of trick-or-treaters? We do, and I'm hurriedly writing this post before the doorbell starts ringing.
I truly enjoyed this week's lesson because it focuses on what's truly important to a Christian. I like the visual of Notre Damn to remind us that we were also designed to prevail.
Our soul is our cornerstone, and I loved how Farrell broke everything down (into four main points) explaining how we should build-up our faith in a fallen world. In this post I will focus on the second one: We were created to endure.
Here's a quote from Richard Rohr about gratitude, and I think that gratitude helps us build endurance to face the day (whatever it may bring).
Each and every morning offers us a chance to start anew, fresh, and to begin again. Each morning when we awake--- should we choose to listen--- is a message from our Creator to remember the privilege we were given of waking up. It's a reminder to get up and prepare our self, to honor our self, to go out into the world, to connect with Mother Earth, and the hearts of other beings, and encourage those who cross our paths, and most importantly, to enjoy life.
Here is a Bible verse that reminds us that not only were we made to endure, but that God's plan is an abundant life for us:
Here are the Bible verses from the lesson:
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister.
- Please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer. She is recovering from a 2nd surgery to remove what is believed to be another cancer on her lung.
- Kitty's son Mike and his friend are working on a game for a company and need to have it done in three months and have a verbal agreement for another game. Prayers that they can get this done. Also, pray that they will get good news on a proposal (a separate project).
- Keep Rita's daughter Megan in your prayers as she delves into her 3rd and final year of Nurse Practitioner program. Her anxiety is pretty high with the new schedule of work, school and home life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Carla and her husband has decided to stay in their home and not sell it and move. Pray that God will give them peace in their decision.
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly, and is not waking to eat.
- Rita's daughter Megan had rotator cuff surgery a few of weeks ago. Continue to pray for her recovery.
- Pray for Jenna Meon.
- Please pray for our Westie Finlay. He had to have a second eye ablation today.
Happy Halloween!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
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