SoulFull Week Thirty-Seven

 

Happy Friday, Friends.

How was your week?  Mine was okay.  I'm happy and grateful I had this lesson to focus on because it helped me not dwell on the evil in our world;  it allowed me to focus on creativity, what I have been doing creatively this week, and what I observed from others' lives concerning their creativity.

We are made in God's image, and our Holy Father is creative!  So that means that we are also creative beings.

I have been blessed to know y'all through your blogs.  Blogging is definitely a creative pursuit, isn't it!  I have seen your lovely homes, recipes, gardens, projects, tablescapes, and blog posts.  Y'all pursue creativity often, and I hope that this lesson encouraged you as it did me.  I'm sure it probably did!

I thought it would be fun to share what we've done creatively this week.  I hope you will share your list in comments.  Below is my list:

Weekend:  I met my mom's new roommate.  She knew her old one twenty-four hours before she died.  I can't make this up.  Bad News Bears!  Her new roommate Marcy loves to color and draw with colored pencils.  She's trying to coerce my mom into coloring with her.  I have gathered a few art supplies and coloring books to share with them.

Marcy loves floral coloring books, so I'm giving her this one.

Monday:  I received the tags pictured at the top of this post from a favorite Etsy shop.  I love making tag journals, but I do not sew.  Sometimes I like to treat myself to pretty tags to add to the ones I make in my journals.  I spent a few minutes Monday night pondering what to do with these.

Tuesday:  I didn't do much creatively, but I did get coffee with a couple of HS friends at Barnes & Noble.  One of them tells stories hilariously, and she made us laugh.  Dawn is a creative storyteller!  I also picked-up a new coloring book for Marcy.

Wednesday:  I went to my art class.  I started a new painting, another gargoyle from the Cologne Cathedral.  

Thursday:  Yesterday was the last day of our book club at church.  We've been reading and discussing An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor.  Our teacher is very creative, and she always gives us little things to add to our altar we created at home.

This is the altar I made in our kitchen overlooking our family room.

I just used a tiered server for mine.  Most of the goodies are from our Book Club teacher.

The white vanilla scented candles are from a friend who's a Brewers fan.  ;P

Last night, we went to an opening reception for an art exhibit at Canary Gallery in downtown Birmingham.  The featured artist is my art teacher, Dori DeCamillis.  

I tried to get creative with my photo taking.  The Canary Gallery is a lovely space!  

There are pops of canary yellow, including the chandelier and the front door.

So far, my week has included lots of creative pursuits.  Early this morning, I'm going to get my hair cut, and then I'm coming home to gather books I've collected for my local library's books sale that will be next month.  Shelley gets off work early, and she volunteered to help me.  After that, I need to finish laundry and do a few other chores before the weekend.

Did any of you try the Live to One Hundred Salad?  I did not simply because one of the few things Trip won't eat is sweet potatoes.  I will make it the next time he's traveling for work because I love sweet potatoes.  

Here is this week's Bible verse:

Our lesson featured this verse from the ESV Bible.  The ESV translation is the one I read daily, and I like it.

This is the day that the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

~Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

Sorry if this post isn't my best.  I did not sleep well Wednesday night due to lightning and thunder.  Sally gets upset, and I have to give her a tranquilizer for her anxiety.  I didn't sleep well last night, either.

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for our blog friend Emily (McGriff) and her husband Jim because they both have COVID.  Emily's blog is The French Hutch.
• Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon.  She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking.  She is still struggling with her standing.
• 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.  She is struggling, y'all.  UPDATE:  She had a bad fall, and broke a tooth, jaw, and nose.  Please pray that she will monitor her strength, blood sugar, and blood pressure to help minimize her chance of falling.
• 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.
• 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 the victims and families of the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church who were attacked in an act of despicable hate by the young man this week.  Please pray for the safety of our Christian children in this country.
• Please pray that the violence from trans activists will end, and that they will get the mental health help that they so desperately need.
• Pray for the victims of the Colorado school shooting.
• Pray for Charlie Kirk's family, friends, and our nation as we heal from his assassination.
• Pray for one of my daughters.  She is struggling spiritually right now.
• 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.  Pray for God's will concerning her placement, whether she should stay in the facility she's in now, or whether we should pursue having her committed to a long-term mental health facility.
• Rita asks that we pray for her oldest daughter's Jewish friend. She dropped out of her 2nd masters' program at Michigan due to the anti-semitic tension she experienced last year, and is planning to move to Israel in October (she has dual citizenship) to see if a budding romance will work over the next 1-2 years. Please keep her in your prayers for her safety, relationship fulfillment, and eventual safe return to the US (with, perhaps, a soulmate for life).

Yes, it is!  I'm currently brewing PS coffee, and I'm making a large go-cup for the drive to the salon.

Have a blessed weekend. Friends!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill