Happy Friday, Friends! How was your week? I hope you had many opportunities this week to be mindful and slow down. Based on the email I sent to y'all, you know that I didn't, but I do hope that I will have a very slow Saturday!
I mentioned the mindfulness because that is what our lesson is about this week. Entitled "Don't Be a Tourist in Your Own Life," Farrell uses an example from her own life (a family trip to Yellowstone National Park) to illustrate what not to do. Not that whirlwind trips are bad, per se, but it is much more meaningful and beneficial to our health not to mention the quality of our lives to slow down and be present in the moment.
Over the weekend we had a whirlwind trip to Chicago. We spent almost all day on Saturday in Wrigleyville, and we went to a Cubbies game. We spent most of the day Sunday at the Art Institute (my other Chicago mothership). I noticed on the back of the Visitor Guide a list of "What to See in an Hour." This included a variety of twelve different works of art created across the centuries. Keep in mind this was before I'd read our lesson, and I remember thinking: "How sad!" My SIL and I made plans to go early since we're members before the general public can access the museum. That's when we began our journey through the Gustave Caillebotte Exhibit. Then we had a short list of must sees (for me, definitely the Impressionists and "Pardon in Brittany" by Gaston la Touche.) We also took a break for tea and coffee in the Member's Lounge. Although it was a whirlwind trip, we did not rush our activities and events.
Farrell also writes about how mundane chores can be meditative practices or "chapel experiences" that force her to slow down and focus on the chore at hand, bringing her "increased peace and joy." She specifically mentions the ritual of making granola for her family, and she included her recipe. I have not been home enough lately to make anything, but I was able to pick-up some granola while I was out because it sounded yummy at the time.
This is called peanut butter cookie granola, but don't let the name fool you. It was the healthiest option based on ingredients at my grocery store.
Were you able to make Farrell's recipe?
I want to try it when I get the chance.
In my weekly Bible study at church we are reading Barbara Brown Taylor's An Altar in the World. She says that when people ask about her prayer life, she describes hanging laundry on the clothesline. She relishes concrete accomplishments compared to the abstract. But what struck me most is her mindfulness as she goes about her chore. She is thinking about how grateful she is to have a body that can move and work, and she even mentions how she is thankful for the trees in Maine that provided the wooden clothespins. As she observes the breeze drying clothes throughout the day, she "imagines prayers spinning away over the tops of the trees."
This is good work, this prayer.This is good prayer, this work.~Page 46 from Barbara Brown Taylor's An Altar in the World
Here is our Bible verse from the lesson:
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Rita is praising the progress of her brother's rehab, and also the fact that her sister they moved from SC went to see a therapist last week!
- Also, please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer. She has a 2nd surgery to remove what is believed to be another cancer on her lung scheduled for the 29th.
- Kitty's grandson Connor is doing well as a corrections officer. Prayers that he can find a good relationship.
- Kitty's SIL Eric, Molly’s husband, filed for disability and hired a lawyer. Prayers that this all works out for him.
- 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. She started her chemotherapy treatments last week, and she is struggling.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Praise: Kris had a wonderful time on her trip to Tennessee!
- Pray that my mother's house closes this afternoon without a hitch.
- Speaking of real estate prayers, pray for Carla and her husband as they are listing their home and moving closer to their sons. Pray that God will guide them every step of the way!
- Carla is requesting prayers for her friend Conner who went to MEPS this week, he passed, he is now in the delayed entry program for the Marines. He will go to bootcamp June 2026 after high school graduation.
- 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!
Once my mother's house closes this afternoon, I hope I don't need to go to my hometown ever again!
On Saturday, I want to watch it rain, and if it doesn't, I want to watch the hummingbirds and bees as they get nectar from our million bells.
Have a relaxing and blessed weekend, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! How was your week? Mine has been very full and a little stressful. My mother fell at her assisted living facility, and she claimed to be badly hurt. She insisted on going to the hospital because she said she was dying. Her scans came back normal. Her medical team transferred her to the Geriatric Care Unit, which is a huge blessing. I think she will be there for a week or so, and visitation is very limited while she's there. Trip surprised me with a trip this weekend, and I'm stressing about traveling right now. Everyone, friends and family, are telling me to go. The social worker for that unit has promised to call me everyday with updates on Mom's progress.
I haven't been home much this week, but I was able to take books with me and keep caught up with Bible study, both here online and at church (or class started back yesterday). This lesson spoke to me so much. Entitled "What I Know to Be True" had me thinking a lot this week. I had a bad allergic reaction Tuesday evening (I'm sure it was probably stress-induced) and I cried out to God for help. I was not only asking for help for myself, but for my mother. I have tried two times (before this week) to have my mother admitted to the psych unit, and I asked God that if he thought it would help her to make it happen. They had told me Tuesday that there were no beds available, and it would take a while. A bed became available the very next day on Wednesday. What I know to be true is that God is so good, and he answers our prayers!
Farrell gives us a list of her Spiritual Anchors that remind her of who she is, who God is, and what her true purpose is. I found these very helpful, and she encourages us to make a list for ourselves. I have not done this yet, but I plan to do it when I come up for air during the next week or two.
Of course I loved this lesson because of the mention of Vincent van Gogh. His letters truly are lovely, and most of the ones I've seen are illustrated. I love illustrated letters!
A letter from Vincent to his brother Theo. In it he is describing an orchard painting he was planning to give to Theo on May 1st (Theo's birthday).
This letter is in the book: Vincent van Gogh: a self-portrait in art and letters
We visited the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in March. Here are a couple of the paintings we saw that were mentioned in the lesson.
Bedroom in Arles
1888
Oil on canvas
28.3 in × 35.4 in
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Fifteen Sunflowers
1889
Oil on canvas
37.4 in x 28.7 in
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The quote says: "When will you come and have coffee or tea with me? Soon I hope."
This was a letter Vincent had written to his brother Theo from The Hague on either Sunday, January 8th, or Monday January 9th, 1882
Van Gogh was a believer who struggled, especially with mental illness. Yet I do think he tried to "find the light" most days, even those when he was in the asylum in Saint-Rémy.
Another aspect of the lesson is the practice of Lectio Divina. It is a structured way to read scripture and then meditate on it, keeping still in order to listen to God's still, small voice. Have you ever tried this? I was introduced to Lectio Divina last year during one of our Bible studies, and one of our priests who practices this led us and taught us all about it. It truly takes discipline to remain still for several minutes without distractions. Farrell suggested the Beatitudes for this lesson.
What are your thoughts about this week's lesson?
Here is our Bible verse for the week.
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Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Pray for Rita's brother Tommy as he continues his therapies in Texas.
- Also, please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer.
- Kitty's grandson Connor is doing well as a corrections officer. Prayers that he can find a good relationship.
- Kitty's SIL Eric, Molly’s husband, filed for disability and hired a lawyer. Prayers that this all works out for him.
- 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.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer. She started her chemotherapy treatments this week.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Pray that all real estate transactions for my mother will go through next week. UPDATE: One down, one to go!
- Praise: Kitty's 14 year old granddaughter, Ella, was baptized recently, and to her DIL, Ella’s mom, who is Jewish, for supporting her decision. Julie also supported Avery’s decision to be baptized two years ago. What a beautiful blessing!
- Pray for my mother's care while she is in the Geriatric Care Unit.
- Travel mercy prayers for us as we travel to see Shanley Belle and Christopher this weekend. We leave late this afternoon!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
I guess you can tell how much I love ribbon because I use it a lot in my decor and junk/tag journaling. I especially love crinkly seam binding ribbon.
Happy Friday, Friends. I hope y'all have had a good week. We are STILL dealing with issues concerning my mother's estate. I am hoping that things will be settled by the end of the month. We need a little normalcy!
What did you think about this week's lesson? I truly enjoyed it, and the timing of it (with the start of school this week for the kids in our neighborhood) made me nostalgic, reminding me of the ribbons I would put in our daughters' hair before school everyday when they were in elementary school.
The crux of the lesson is "getting up and carrying on" in the face of change and challenges. How do you renew your faith and maintain joy in the midst of the valleys of life? I've been thinking about this all week, and I think it starts with a new determination each and every morning.
I also appreciate Farrell's reading recommendations of books about faith that have given her hope through the years. I have read two of them: Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis and The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. I highly recommend them! This week I started reading Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art. In it, she discusses what it means to be a Christian artist, and the relationship between faith and art.
Below is one of my favorite quotes from the book so far:
“Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”
My Bible teacher Betty sent me a reflection this week that I wanted to share with you. It is from Steve Garnass- Holmes. He writes about being filled with the "fullness of God."
The Works
Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is God's pleasure to give you the entire realm. (Luke 12:32)
We ask for favors,
for this little victory, that little narrow escape,
and so often that's not what we receive------
because God gives us something else,
something greater: the whole thing,
the entire realm of God's grace.
We get this huge glorious planet,
the crashing seas and the rumbling mountains,
we get frogs and koalas and puffins,
and moon and stars and a sun that never forsakes us.
God gives us gravity that holds us, and color,
and food, and wind, and rivers.
We get the whole human family,
all our beauty and strangeness and woundedness,
our music and dancing and wild inventions.
We're given forgiveness and belonging and hope,
a world mostly unrecognized where we are loved
and blessed and made whole, however broken we are.
We receive grace, hidden in everything,
whether pleasant or painful.
We get God's steady presence, closer than our own nerves,
breathing with us, hurting with us, rising with us.
It is God's joy to give us the whole works.
Even in trying times, it's OK. Do not be afraid.
We've been given more than we need.
Here is this week's scripture:
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Rita has a praise concerning her brother, Tommy: He was discharged last Friday, and he & his wife flew to TX to be with family there, and he will continue PT and OT.
- Also, please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer.
- Kitty's grandson Connor is doing well as a corrections officer. Prayers that he can find a good relationship.
- Kitty's SIL Eric, Molly’s husband, filed for disability and hired a lawyer. Prayers that this all works out for him.
- 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.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Pray that all real estate transactions for my mother will go through next week.
- Praise: Kitty's14 year old granddaughter, Ella, was baptized last Sunday, and to her DIL, Ella’s mom, who is Jewish, for supporting her decision. Julie also supported Avery’s decision to be baptized two years ago. What a beautiful blessing!
Late this afternoon I will be having coffee with a few high school friends.
I'm hoping we can go to the lake afterward because we have only been one time this entire summer!
Have a great weekend!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, and Happy August, Friends! How has your week been so far? Mine has been a little stressful dealing with my mother's estate. It has been the biggest mess, and she doesn't exactly have a cooperative spirit.
I'm doing a little side Bible study on patience. I need it!
This week's lesson was entitled "Hope Does Not Disappoint." I thought it was fabulous! I have been thinking a lot this week about what hope looks like. What does hope look like to you? I like the writing/journal prompts she shares in this chapter, especially number one:
What does hope look like for you? Create a list of hope-givers: a special person, a scripture, a song, or place. Refer back to your list when negative thoughts visit.~page 154
My first thought in answer to this prompt was y'all! I have seen how God has answered our prayers. The fact that y'all show up every week and pray for each other and encourage each other makes my heart full!
I am working on my list from this prompt, and I will post it on my refrigerator by my desk. Another thing that has given me hope is that in spite of the dire predictions for our farmers (we had monsoonal rains followed by extreme heat), we are seeing beautiful crops, especially peaches. Alabama is known for our Chilton County peaches, and I drew some this week. It has been a great summer for peaches!
We are getting to know young farmers and their families who are selling their produce locally through farmers' markets and community supported agriculture subscription boxes. These little families are also giving me hope because they are such hard workers and are so brave!
This week's Bible verses:
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Rita has a praise concerning her brother, Tommy: He was discharged last Friday, and he & his wife flew to TX to be with family there, and he will continue PT and OT.
- Also, please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer.
- Kitty's grandson Connor is doing well as a corrections officer. Prayers that he can find a good relationship.
- Kitty's SIL Eric, Molly’s husband, filed for disability and hired a lawyer. Prayers that this all works out for him.
- 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.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Pray that all real estate transactions for my mother will go through next week.
- Praise: Kitty's14 year old granddaughter, Ella, was baptized last Sunday, and to her DIL, Ella’s mom, who is Jewish, for supporting her decision. Julie also supported Avery’s decision to be baptized two years ago. What a beautiful blessing!
Do you have any special plans for August?
The first two weeks for us will revolve around doing things for my mother. Then we are hoping to go on a weekend trip mid-month.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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