SoulFull Week Six

 

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends!  How was your week?  Mine was not the best.  I think I need a do-over.  I rarely say that, but that's how I feel.  I enjoyed this week's lesson entitled "The Two Stones."  Farrell shares with us about the Ionian tradition that Pilgrims do involving two stones:  one stone that represents something we need to throw away in order to "continue successfully on the life journey."  Friends, I am clearly doing something wrong in this life because I need a whole bushel of stones, it seems.  Maybe it's because of the challenges I've encountered this week.  Viewed individually, none of them are that big of a deal....but it's like a death of a thousand cuts: They have all added up to almost push me over the edge.  Almost.

Two stones, one representing things we need to let go of, and one that represents something we would like to take with us.

Two stones, a life transformed.

~Page 34

The second stone represents something that will enrich our lives.  Maybe it's a dream, hope, or any other desire.  Farrell says she keeps hers displayed in her home as a reminder.  I think it sounds like a great idea.  Unfortunately, I did not have the time to find my two stones before the rains hit Central Alabama.  

But I will not be thwarted.  I will find them, keep one, and throw the other one into the lake in our community.  

Stay tuned!  

Farrell also talks about cairns she sees while walking on the Snake River levee in Jackson, Wyoming (one of my favorite places on Earth).  There is a neighborhood about a mile from ours, and we have friends who live there.  This community also has cairns to mark the community's walking trails that meander through the pretty trees and parks.  Cairns are a Scottish tradition, a place where people stack stones usually as a memorial.

Cairns located in Mt. Laurel

So basically the gist of this lesson is finding something to live for, and once you find it, live it!  Farrell chose a verse from Hebrews for this lesson, and it's perfect because it challenges us to rid ourselves of things that weigh us down, thus hindering us from running with endurance the "race" or life God has planned for us.

Another verse from this chapter in Hebrews is below, and I think it's an appropriate verse for our lesson and for Valentine's Day.

This lesson also included a recipe for meatballs.  Did you try it?  I usually don't make meatballs  because my family prefers meat sauce.  I made Farrell's recipe, and everyone loved it!  It was an easy recipe: The sauce came together easily.  The hardest part was making the meatballs.  We had it last night, and there was plenty left over to freeze.

The sauce is bright in color because I took Farrell's advice and used a variety of cherry tomatoes, especially yellow and orange ones.

Did you enjoy this week's lesson?  I would love to read your thoughts in Comments.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for our military securing and protecting our southern border.
• Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job that uses his talents.
• Pray for the Americans displaced by the derailment (East Palestine, OH), fires (Maui and California) and Hurricane Helene (East Tennessee and Western North Carolina).  Pray that they will receive the help they need to rebuild.
• Pray for Kitty's grandson Connor, that he will find a path to follow and good relationships.
• Carla requests that we pray for Trump's cabinet, and his picks will be confirmed quickly.
• Pray for our daughter Shanley Belle as her post doc is coming to an end.  She is in the midst of a job search.  Please pray for God's guidance in her next step.
• Carla is running for Trustee for her local Village Board. The election is April 1st.  Let's be in prayer that Carla can continue to be the change she wants to see in her village.
• Please pray for me because I'm having my mammogram next week and all my check-ups with my cancer team.
• Rita's daughters need our prayers.  One is finishing up her masters this semester, and the other is having an especially hard time balancing work/school/home life. Pray for God's strength, patience and guidance as they each navigate their own course.

Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day or any special plans for the weekend?

We're going to our club tonight for dinner.

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill