Peace With the Psalms: Week Nine

 

Forsythia at our local nursery

Happy Friday and weekend, Friends!  We had several storms overnight, and our internet was not up to speed this morning.  I had an appointment at the cancer center, so I could not wait around to get my post uploaded.  I had my mammogram on Monday, an appointment with my medical oncologist on Wednesday, and my radiology oncologist this morning.  I had a great report, and I am cancer-free and feeling GREAT!

I appreciate your grace this morning.  Usually I have little trouble with updating this page, and we rarely have internet issues.

I enjoyed this week's reflection (entitled "My Whole Heart") because it reminds us to worship God with sweet abandon, just like King David.  He is my favorite person depicted in scripture next to Jesus, and I always seem to enjoy his Psalms a little bit more than the others.  I enjoyed the story of Aretha Franklin and her sister, and it just so happens that King David was known for breaking out in dance and song.  

Here are a couple of verses from this week's Psalm:

When is the last time you worshipped God with childlike abandon?  I confess that it has been one hot minute for me.  

Below I'm sharing a poem by Steve Garnass-Holmes that really hit home this week.  I hope you appreciate it like I do!

Sometimes you wake up and you are alive

and it's such a wonder it practically knocks you out again. 

Sometimes you get up and go, and by the bottom of the stairs

you're overwhelmed by the miracle of the knees. 

Every once in a while you're hit with a bombast of beauty,

of forgiveness, the way breath is given, 

the way this shadow holds the stones in its hands,

the way someone sees a light they had resolved to miss. 

You step outside and you want to cry to the birds,

"Hey, you guys!" and they're in the trees, nodding,

"Yeah, we know, we know. " 

Sometimes it seems the world and its miracles

need a flock of exclamation points.

And the thing is, the most amazing thing

hasn't happened yet.

Prayer Requests

• 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.  NOTE:  She has not had a great week, so please lift her up!
• Carla would like for us to pray for the military build up at the door of Iran. Pray for our leaders to seek wisdom. that we pray for our military, our young men and women who are at that door waiting what orders might be coming. May God protect them.
• 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.
• Rita's friend Pam needs our prayers because her cancer is stage four.  
• Please pray for my baby great-niece.  We are still waiting to hear from the pediatric neurologist. 
• Pray for Rita's neighbor Chris.  A .5-1cm lesion was found on her bladder at her 6mo scan after kidney surgery.  She had two small papillary tumors successfully removed via outpatient surgery recently.
• Pray for Kris's son-in-law Tim to find a new job.
• Pray for Carla's friend Alice who had plastic surgery on her nose due to skin cancer.
• Carla recently had to deal with a very bitter person.  She has been very bothered by this, and she does not want this person to steal her JOY.
• Praise God I'm still cancer-free!

Please note that I edited the list.  If you have any other requests, or if I deleted something in error, let me know ASAP.

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill