Soul-Full Week Forty-Eight

 

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope you've had a festive week.  I shipped gifts today, and the guy at the UPS store was really funny because he said: "You're a week ahead of last year!" *ha ha*

I truly enjoyed this week's lesson.  I started our Advent book club this week at St. Stephens.  We're reading The Meaning is in the Waiting by Paula Gooder.  Advent is the Christian calendar's beginning of the year.  I think it's interesting that we are expected to begin the year waiting, by living in the moment.  I suppose that all of our days should be lived that way, but it is certainly a focus for the beginning of the year. 

Our teacher Betty gave us an Advent calendar with a word of the day and an activity to go with it.  This reminded me of our lesson in SoulFull!  Here is the word and activity for today, Friday, December 5th:

SHINE

Light a candle and pray that the Light of God shines through you!

I'd also like to share with you another phrase from an Advent devotional written by Joyce Rupp:

"An expanded heart" ----- I resonate with this phrase and what it implies: a sense of something much bigger than ourselves, a wide embrace of another, room enough within one's self to extend a welcome unconditionally. I hope during this Advent season, my heart can grow wide enough to be hospitable, open enough to accept those different from me, generous enough to do what it takes to be kind, and large enough to spontaneously extend compassion. "

I think that you could expand the sticky note challenge to include not only words, but small phrases like "an expanded heart."  Did you take the challenge?  What are your four words?

Mine are hopeful, waiting, love, and shine (thanks, Betty).  

Here is this week's Bible verse:

We will be reading Peace With the Psalms next year.  I was really wanting to do Seasons of Wonder, but not every activity in it has scripture.  It looks like a very fun book with fun activities, and it is biblically based.  I think I will read it and try to do most of the activities, and if I feel like sharing anything I'll share it here on the blog.  

Today you can purchase this for $9.99 for your Kindle, or $13.99 for the hardcover from FaithGateway.  

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.  UPDATE:  Barbara has been transferred to a local SNF.  It's the same one where Jenna was, and she is on the same hallway, too.  I'm not sure how I feel about that!  She is not well enough to go home.
• 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.  Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad. 
• Pray for my mother.  She is declining rapidly.
• Pray for Jenna Meon's family as they mourn her passing.  The celebration of life will be December 13th.
• 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.  Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
• Kitty's younger brother is having health issues.  Please lift him up in prayer.
• Please pray travel mercies for Shelley and me as we are traveling to Louisiana for my niece's baby shower.  

Today is a peppermint mocha kind of day!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill