Happy New Year, Friends!
How is your New Year going so far? We always stay in on New Year's Eve. We live in a community with lots of families, and the fireworks are a nonstop thing from about 7:30 until past midnight. It drives our dogs a little bit mad, but the kids enjoy them.
On New Year's Day, we always have collard greens and black eyed peas for luck. It's a Southern thing! But I cheated this year, went to Publix, and bought cans of both.
I'm tired, y'all! Hosting the holidays isn't for sissies.
I hope y'all had a chance to read the introduction and lesson one of Peace with the Psalms. The introduction states:
Our goal in this book is to help you appropriate the peace of God by leading you in meditating on the truths found throughout the book of Psalms.page 4
I must say that I love the imagery in the 23rd Psalm. As Christians, we've read it a thousand times, yet something from the lesson was a new thought for me. The part about where he "leads you along the right paths for his name's sake." Okay so I always got and accepted that God is leading us, and we are not wandering around like the Israelites in the desert. But the fact that there are paths already in place intimates that God has planned these paths for us, that they are there for us to join him on our walk if we're willing.
As an artist, I loved the way the lesson visually guided us through the Psalm. How did you feel at the end of the lesson? How was your breathing? I know I was much more calm, and I read it at least three times this week, and I plan on reading it again this afternoon.
Thoughts?
By the way, I purchased and downloaded the Abide Christian Meditation app. I haven't had a chance to play with it much, but I will let you know what I think after a couple of weeks. Do any of you have the app?
Here is the scripture from the lesson.
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike, who is excited about working on his own idea. Pray for Kitty that she can be supportive and encouraging to him as he shares his ideas and developments with her. He is such a good guy and needs something wonderful to happen in his life.
- Pray for Rita's daughter Megan as she finishes her masters program this semester. Pray that she will stay healthy, and that she will manage her time well for work/school/life balance.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- 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 bouncing back a little physically, but she is only eating desserts. She's being difficult. UPDATE: She's in the hospital with pneumonia.
- 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.
- Continue to pray for Kris's husband Terry.
- Rita's HS Friend Pam needs us to start banking-up prayers now. Her oncology and reconstructive team of two surgeons will perform an estimated 12 hr surgery Jan 5 to remove at least half of her tongue (tongue cancer) and, minimally, lymph nodes on her right side of her neck. She will have skin grafts taken from her forearm and thigh to reconstruct. She's expected to be in the hospital a minimum of 10 days. It's a long road ahead for her.
I must have used this graphic for a lesson we had during the spring.
Our skies have been this blue the past week here in Central Alabama, but we're expecting lots of rain today.
I need lots of coffee this morning because I have an early hair appointment, and then I need to take down our Christmas tree today.
What are your weekend plans?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy New Year, prayer warriors! I like our new book, and no, I haven't downloaded the Abide app, but am considering it. Please let us know what you think of it. I have a really, really hard time meditating. I was able to do it when practicing yoga, but I am not doing that now. I just try to spend some good, quality time in quiet when I am wakeful. Seems that when I'm in bed, my mind doesn't quiet, but rather races. I know the breathing is good practice, but I'm honestly very bad at it.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Pam had to go to the ER this past Monday because she couldn't even swallow to drink her ensure pre-surgery. She has shown us pictures of her tongue and it really looks so bad. I don't know how this surgery is going to go, but we're all praying over worrying. Talk about paths already in place - one would have never guessed that this girl, who always had the gift of gab, would be walking this path.
My tree is put away, and I have left the manger up for the Epiphany. Have a good weekend everyone.
Happy New Year, friends!
ReplyDeleteI lived this first verse of Psalms and the imaginative meditation that followed. My Hallow app that I use daily, often has imaginative meditation. It’s a beautiful way of praying, isn’t it?
Thank you for your prayers. Mike told me today that he thinks he is cursed. His computer crashed before Christmas and he had to work on it for days. Now two of his monitors fell and he had to order two more. He is very discouraged today.
Prayers will continue for all of your requests. Love and God bless you.
Good Monday Morning. Sorry I am late to the Friday lesson. I did read it and I agree that our paths are set before us by God and we just have to chose how to navigate. I feel the paths are destined by God but he does give us wiggle room and choices while we walk them. I am praying for all. Terry is home and doing so good. I am almost afraid to type that but God is good and all our prayers get answered for that I feel blessed. I am so blessed to you prayer warriors having my back and lifting Terry and I in prayer. Thank you is not enough but a start. Happy new Year to all of you. My end of the week seems to be so busy and I do not get to my computer until Sunday or Monday so sorry I seemed to be trailing all the time. Hugs. Kris
ReplyDeleteHello Friends, we had our final Christmas party this weekend. It was with our son's. We had a wonderful time together.
ReplyDeleteWe do have a praise report. Our son Sam's girlfriend Cate was promoted to Activities Director at her work place. She has been working hard to get this position. She is very excited.
My prayer is her stress levels will come down now that she landed the job and she can enjoy her work.
I also pray that she and Sam will once again look at getting married. They had planned to in 2025, but after starting to plan it, Cate took a step back. I do think she is fearful Sam will be deployed again and that had some to do with it.
I simply ask for prayer for their relationship with each other, family and God.
Thank you,
Carla