Peace With the Psalms, Week Forty-Four

 

It's Halloween Eve, Friends!  I must confess that Halloween bothers my spirit.  I'm always happy when November 1st rolls around.   

How was your week?  Mine was busy, like most weeks in October.  We have family birthdays, and for some reason I tend to have lots of activities during the month, too.  Historically, it's usually the busiest month for our family.  Just this week, I had an MRI (yes, I'm still cancer-free THANK GOD!), and doctors' appointments at the cancer center.  Wednesday Night we had Trunk or Treat at church, and we had the final walk-through for our renovation.  There is only one more job left (painting the window frames in the library) which was overlooked.

This week's lesson is a repeat of Psalm 27, and you can reread it on page 37.  It was chosen by Rita, and I wanted to let you know that I flagged the favorites, and I'm working my way through the book in order.  So if I haven't gotten to any of your favorites it's because they're at the end of the book.

I want to look ahead to 2027, and I'd appreciate your picks for next year's devotional book.  I would like to post nominees on November 13th.  :D

Now on to the lesson....

Psalm 27 is another Psalm that David wrote while hiding out in a cave because King Saul wanted to kill him.  Saul would not accept that David was God's chosen one to succeed him.  One thing that I noticed while reading through this lesson is the focus on the beauty of God.  We acknowledge that God's creation is beautiful, but I rarely think about the beauty of God.  

I also love the prayer with this lesson.  I need to make a copy and keep it on my fridge!  

What are your thoughts about this lesson?

Below is the graphic for the verse.

Before I get to the prayer requests, please forgive me if I've forgotten an update!  Just zip me an email and I'll update it.  Remember to check back throughout the weekend and next week because I try to update requests as I get them.  Sometimes if I'm out I can't do it right away.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for Kris's husband Terry to find something here in Illinois full or part time so they can stay there for a few more years.  UPDATE:  Terry is up hopefully for a good job in Illinois. I believe he has three interviews coming up. 
• Continue praying for Kitty's son Mike as he continues on his journey of no pain meds.  Mike is off of pain meds for several weeks and is now off all other meds.  Mike can obviously do very hard things, but let's continue to pray for his health, especially his mental wellbeing.  PRAISE:  Mike is appreciative of our prayers, and he feels like his mental acuity is returning 
• Please lift up Rita in your prayers!  She is getting PT for her wrist.
• Pray for Rita's brother's companion Betty who was diagnosed with squamous cell from her lung biopsy.  Betty has started radiation.  Also pray for Rita's brother Joe.  UPDATE:  Joe's results came back, and he does have cancer.  The cancer is in his lymph nodes but not his bones. Rita will go with him on Monday to discuss options, most likely radiation and androgen therapy.  Please lift them both up in prayer. 
• Kitty's brother is home from the skilled nursing care.  Please pray that he can manage.
• Pray for Kris's SIL Tim who still needs a job.  He has to test into another hospital system and they do not have an opening until the middle of this month.  
• Pray for our male Westie Finlay.  His vet found a large mass near his bladder.  He will need further testing to determine the type of tumor and how to proceed.  UPDATE:  Finlay had further testing this week, and his tests have been sent to Auburn University.  All the results are back but one, and no definitive cancer yet.  His vet thinks that the last test will be positive, unfortunately.  He will beginning steroids, Prilosec, and chemo next week.
• Kris made it through surgery like a trooper!  Honestly, she is a rockstar.  She will begin outpatient PT in a week or so, and her doctor is amazed at her recovery.  Let's pray that she will continue to recover quickly and not overdo activities and have a setback.  
• Please pray for Trip.  He is still recovering from knee surgery, and pray that he will fully recover full motion in his foot.  UPDATE:  His recover is so slow, and he is getting a little discouraged.  
• Please pray that I can get better sleep and rest.
• Pray for Kitty's grandson Connor (the one that was a Marine and was in Afghanistan when the thirteen Marines were killed). He has cluster migraines, and he needs to get an appointment at the VA to get referred to a neurologist.
• Rita has an urgent, unspoken prayer request.  
• Please pray for our friend Eddy who will be having surgery for colon cancer on November 10th.  Please pray that his recovery will be quick without any complications.
• Kitty asks that we pray for her youngest son and family.  They are pursuing a move to Durango, CO, which would take her two youngest granddaughters from her.  Kitty asks that we pray to surrender this decision to God for He knows what’s best for them.  God's will be done!
• Congratulations to Carla for the Brew Crew's win at the World Series!  This has been a lifetime wait for Brewers' fans.  
• I had a fantastic MRI, and I am still cancer-free.  I am so thankful!  Praise God for his healing grace.
• Pray for Rita's brother and SIL who relocated to Texas last year after his stroke. The closing on their home in West Virginia is scheduled for early November. The buyers have been very contentious in negotiations, and she is praing the closing goes smoothly.

Until next time...

Happy Halloween and All Souls' Day!

Ricki Jill