SoulFull Week Forty-Six

 

Beautiful autumn day in Birmingham

Happy Friday, Friends!  Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year?  I am not!  I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving Week.  

This week's lesson was a breath of fresh air (quite literally).  I enjoyed learning about Marie of Magdala, especially the church's handling of her story.  Christianity is the only religion that lifts-up women, and Jesus did welcome women into his inner circle.  It's noteworthy that the first person Jesus appeared to after his resurrection was Mary, a woman.

I also took Farrell's suggestion for taking a walk.  Shelley and I visited the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Monday and enjoyed the most beautiful autumn day ever!  I am so thankful we did it because my week fell apart on Wednesday (more below).  The Navajo Walking Meditation is lovely, isn't it!  

With beauty before me, may I walk.

With beauty behind me, may I walk.

With beauty above me, may I walk.

With beauty below me, may I walk.

With beauty all around me, may I walk.

Wandering on the trail of beauty, may I walk.

~A Navajo Walking Meditation

Here is this week's scripture:

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister.
• 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).  UPDATE:  Mike is discouraged with his work friend as things are not turning out as planned, and Mike needs to pivot to something else.  Ladies, I know we have been praying for Mike and his work situation for a long time.  But let's not get discouraged because God hears our prayers, and he WILL answer them.
• 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.  URGENT UPDATE:  I took Barbara to her oncologist Wednesday because she could not get out of bed Tuesday to go to chemotherapy.  It took us twenty minutes to get her in the car because she is so weak!  She was in bad shape: her blood pressure was 70/40.  They had to transport her to the hospital (located in a different building) via ambulance.  Her kidneys are failing, and I am trying to remain positive, but it's so hard!  She needs a miracle!  Please pray for her and her family.
• 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!
• 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.  She is declining rapidly.
• Rita's daughter Megan had rotator cuff surgery a few of weeks ago.  Continue to pray for her recovery.  UPDATE:  Megan will return to work after 6 weeks post surgery (will do some PT), and she is ending this semester successfully in a much calmer state of mind. 
• Pray for Jenna Meon's family as they mourn her passing.  The celebration of life will be December 13th.
• Please continue to pray for our Westie Finlay as he is recovering from eye surgery.
• Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse.  Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL.
• Kitty's younger brother is having health issues.  Please lift him up in prayer.
• Travel mercies for Carla as she and her family travel for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Until next time...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ricki Jill