SoulFull Week Forty

 

Happy Friday, Friends!  I hope you've had peaceful week.  This week's lesson was very peaceful, wasn't it!  Entitled "Faith Gazing," Farrell talks about an outing to a remote beach with her family in 2016 to watch the Perseid meteor shower.  She began the lesson with this quote from Barbara Taylor Brown.  It's from the book I have pictured, above (An Altar in the World), and it was our book club selection this fall at my church.  Here is the quote:

Earth is so thick with divine possibility that it is a wonder we can walk anywhere without cracking our shins on altars.

I enjoyed discussing this book with the ladies in our group, and one of my favorite chapters was the one entitled "The Practice of Walking on Earth" which focuses on groundedness.  Barbara Taylor Brown writes quite a bit about walking in the book, whether it's walking in a labyrinth or out in nature.  Getting out in nature is a healthy way to commune with God.  It gets us off our devices, and it allows us to focus on God's creation.  God speaks to us through his creation, and I can't think of a more pleasant way to ponder God's presence in our lives.  Here is a favorite quote from this chapter:

It will help if you do not expect God to speak to you.  Just give your full attention to where you are, for once.  Walk as if your life depends on it... 

This weekend, we are going to the lake for a much needed break.  We are planning to spend lots of time outside in nature and taking several walks.  It is my prayer for our little prayer warrior group that we will spend some time experiencing God and his creation this next week.  We might not see a supernatural sign of God's presence, but hopefully autumn's beauty in our respective neighborhoods will encourage us and strengthen our faith that he truly has a loving plan in place for us all.

Here is this week's Bible verse:

Prayer Requests

• 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 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).
• A tragedy has hit a small town just 3 miles from Carla's home in Cameron. A young man shot up his girlfriend's family and while doing so recorded it  LIVE on Snapchat!!! They live in such small towns, that this shakes our communities. The shooting took place in Barron, Wisconsin Wednesday at 2pm. 
• Rita's daughter Megan had rotator cuff surgery last week.  Pray for her speedy recovery.
• Travel mercies for Rita's oldest daughter and sil. They are traveling overseas.
• Pray for Jenna Meon.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and week!

Now go outside!  ;P  

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill