Good Morning, Sweet Friends! What have you been up to lately? We've been working on getting mom's house ready to sell. Once it's sold, we will purchase a rental townhouse or condominium here in Birmingham and rent it. This will give my mom supplemental income she can use for her care.
This week's lesson is entitled, "Go to the Well," and it's about Farrell's experiences in Lourdes. Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? I have not, but I've always wanted to visit the Cologne Cathedral, and I visited it in March. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It was overwhelming!
Cologne Cathedral in all her gothic glory
(Cathedral Church of St. Peter)
I like how Farrell encourages us to experience God's presence where we live and even in our own homes. Her suggestion for creating an alter in our world for connecting to God is brilliant! Did you make an alter? I took out a little tiered mosaic serving tray because the mosaics remind me of the floor mosaics in the Cologne Cathedral.
I took Farrell's suggestion and lit a tealight candle. I placed a bookmark with the Fruits of the Spirit on it to encourage me to develop them more fully.
It's located between our family room and kitchen, so I will see it all the time. I will update it from time to time if y'all are interested.
A pilgrimage is intended to increase our faith, and to connect with God deeply through a new experience. If I ever plan a pilgrimage, I would love to go on one to the Canterbury Cathedral in England. What about you? Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? What about a Christian or spiritual retreat? What are your thoughts about this week's lesson?
Below is our Bible verse for the week.
Prayer Requests
- Please continue to pray for Kris's MIL. Pray that she will be amenable to having the in-home healthcare help Terry and Kris found for her come into her home and help out.
- Pray for Kitty's grandson Connor as he trains as a corrections officer.
- PRAISE: Carla is getting a new family member! She's getting a daughter-in-law (Sam proposed to Cate, and she said YES)! Pray for all the pre-wedding planning and counseling for the happy couple.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike that he can find a job that uses his talents. He is a very talented artist!
- Keep praying for Rita's daughters because they are thriving!
- Please pray for Carla's friend C.M.H who has joined the United States Army. Carla and her family are so proud of him. He will be 23 in June, and he is a dear friend of her boys. He was in their homeschool group. He is in basic training at Fort Jackson, and he is her son Atticus' best friend. What is interesting about this... Carla's son Sam also did his basic at Fort Jackson.
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking.
- Pray for Rita's neighbor who has a stage four cancer diagnosis.
- Pray for Carla and family as they decide whether or not God is urging them to move. Her village is becoming more and more draconian by the day!
- Travel mercies for our daughter Shanley Belle and our SIL Christopher as they travel to NYC today.
- Pray for our daughter Shelley because she has a bad cold.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara. She is having a biopsy on Tuesday.
- Please pray travel mercies for Trip as he is in Denver on business.
- Please pray for Rita's daughter's 13 yr old Welsh terrier. He has an oral infection and gastritis, and they also found a tumor on his neck at the vet yesterday.
- Travel mercies prayers for Kitty and her family as they travel to Playa del Carmen, Mexico next Friday, the 6th-10th.
Rita's birthday is Monday, June 2nd!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Good Morning. It is amazing when we can stop and really look around and see the miracles that God gives us every day. Carla in her blog post this morning was talking about coming upon a fawn with her walk and how it filled her heart and gave her a smile today. We need those little moments in life to remember how precious and beautiful God's creations are here on earth. That cathedral looks gorgeous and I bet it was life changing. Prayers continue for all. Have a great weekend. Hugs. Kris
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this week's devotion. Ironically, while I don't have my own little altar here in my home, but I have a small little section in our antique mall of items I'm willing to share with others. I think it's time I create a small space here at home. I have a box full of reliquaries that I had collected over the years in our prior home and had places for. I do have what I consider my own quiet spaces where I go to read and pray (apart from my bed). I have never been on a pilgrimage or even a spiritual retreat. In all my years of parochial education, that would be a surprise to some!
ReplyDeletePraying for all the intentions, including the new ones for your family, Ricki Jill. Please add my daughter's 13 yr old Welsh terrier to the list. He has an oral infection and gastritis, and they also found a tumor on his neck at the vet yesterday. 🥹
Happy Birthday to Rita. :-)
ReplyDeleteI do have a little altar on my nightstand. I have several of my favorite saints and other reliquary displayed. I too have a bud vase, just as Farrell does. xx oo
C.M.H has made it to Fort Jackson. Please be in prayer as his basic training has started. We will only hear from him with letters now, for the next 10 weeks.
The wildfire season has started, and our skies and air quality is very bad today. My eyes get very irritated from all the smoke.
I am going to hand in my resignation to the village regarding the two committees I am on next week. After several weeks of prayer and conversation, my husband and I have decided to get our home ready for sale.
I will keep you all up to date as we go forward.
Thank You so much for the prayers.
Carla
I loved this week’s chapter. I have blessed water from Lourdes that a friend brought back when she visited. I’ve had an altar for many, many years and on it is my statue of the Blessed Mother holding Jesus that my dad gave me, a statue of two little children that are praying, again from my dad, a candle, a picture of Jesus as depicted by St. Faustina, a cross, a tiny statue of the Pieta, and a praying angel. Sometimes I add a small vase of flowers. My altar is at the head of my bathtub because I say my nightly prayers in the bath every single night.
ReplyDeleteMay I ask for prayers as my family and I are traveling to playa del Carmen, Mexico next Friday, the 6th-10th. Thank you dear friends.
Blessings and prayers for all of you.