Week Fifty
Happy Friday, Friends!
What have you been up to this week? We have had workmen in the house everyday this week. Finally, our upstairs is done! I have been working so hard to get everything ready before our daughter and SIL come home for Christmas.
I wanted to tell you a little bit about Jenna's Celebration of Life. It was so nice! Tara and Ryan did an amazing job. They cooked several family favorite recipes. Each recipe had a sign beside it with a QR code that linked to Jenna's post featuring the dish. I loved that! One of the most popular ones was her famous coconut shrimp.
Jenna loved her outdoor patio area off her kitchen. The party extended outside around the beautiful fireplace. She loved spending time out there.
Y'all are probably familiar with the round glass table in her foyer. Ryan had displayed many of her sketch pads and journals opened to her drawings and watercolor paintings. Jenna was so talented, and she had such a fun, whimsical style. I spent quite a few minutes leafing through her drawings and remembering how a few were featured on her Fearless Friday posts.
Beyond the table is the grand staircase and large Christmas tree. Tara had pulled several of her paintings and displayed them around the tree and up the staircase. Tara asked me to pick out my favorite and take it home with me. Y'all, I was in tears! I chose a landscape for two reasons: One, I never, ever paint them, and Two, Jenna rarely painted them. It's a rather large canvas, and I love how she painted the edges of it, too. The dominant color in it is orange. I still have not decided where to hang it yet. but when I do, I will share it here on the blog.
The Celebration of Life was *so Jenna*. Tara was brokenhearted as was Ryan because her death was sudden. They are a very close-knit family. This is going to be a sad Christmas for them as they are missing Jenna. Please keep them in your prayers.
Y'all, this week's lesson is one of my favorites from the year. Entitled "Recipe for Faith," I love how it talks about cooking, including how to make a good roux. As many of you know, my sweet husband is from New Orleans. When he asked me to marry him, his grandmother asked me if I knew how to make a good roux. Being a country girl from Alabama, I had no idea what she was talking about. She said, "Now Beauty (she called me Beauty because she thought my name was ridiculous (her words, not mine)) you must learn how to make a good roux in order to be a good cook for Trippy!" So she hired a cook to teach me. Not only did I learn how to make a good roux, but I also learned how to make red beans and rice just like a native New Orleanian.
Farrell does a lovely job in this lesson about how to kick our faith up a notch with action, but also how to be inactive, to "be still and know that I am God."
Here is this week's scripture. I included verses six and seven, and it's from The Message translation.
Before I move on to our prayer requests, I wanted to share with you a reflection about Advent joy from Kate Bowler. When I read it in my inbox this week, I was reminded of Jenna and her Celebration of Life. Jenna tried to find joy EVERYDAY! Even when she was in the skilled nursing facility, she created art, watched her favorite Hallmark movies, and blogged.
The painter Marc Chagall once said, "In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love."Born to a Jewish family in a Russian shtetl, Chagall's life was marked by exile, pogroms, and the Holocaust that destroyed much of his community. Yet his art overflows with riotous colors--- angels suspended in midair, fiddlers on the roof, lovers flying over cities. He painted joy against a backdrop of suffering, not because the darkness wasn't real, but because he insisted that love and joy must break in anyway.Advent joy asks something similar of us. We do not pretend the world is fixed. But we light a candle anyway. We sing anyway. We look at Chagall's saturated blues and fiery reds and remember joy doesn't wait until everything is safe and orderly. Joy is God's gift, arriving in the middle of exile, the middle of grief, the middle of the unfinished world.So perhaps the practice today is to add one small splash of color back into your life.
Friends, I think Advent joy is an ingredient we can all use to "deepen the recipe of our faith."
Marc Chagall
White Crucifixion
1938
oil on canvas
60 7/8in. x 55 1/8 in.
We went to the Art Institute of Chicago for this painting's reinstallation in 2016.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister. First Christmases without loved ones can be especially difficult.
- 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.
- Praise for Rita's daughter Megan for finishing her semester of the FNP program successfully! Just one more semester after a Christmas break! Let's keep up the prayers and get her over the finish line next semester.
- 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 declining rapidly.
- 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.
- Pray for Kris's husband Terry. He is home from the hospital, but is still having difficulty eating. UPDATE: Terry is going in on Friday for surgery. Pray for discernment for Terry's medical team, and that God will settle Kris and Terry's spirits, calm their minds, and guard their hearts.
- 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. UPDATE: She is experiencing excruciating pain and swelling of her tongue. Read Rita's details about Pam's condition in her comment below.
- Please pray for travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher as they drive from Michigan to Alabama tomorrow.
- Travel mercies for Carla and her family as they travel to rural Wisconsin. They will be traveling 12/24 through 12/28. (Internet is sketchy where they're going FYI.)
NOTE: We will read both Lessons 51 and 52 for St. Stephen's Day, or December 26th.
Don't forget that we will start our new book Peace With the Psalms on Friday, January 2nd.
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, My Lovelies! We are still in this rainy/stormy weather pattern. I haven't been able to garden in at least three weeks, and everything outside is very green, including our hardscaping. Moss is everywhere! Yesterday was such a bad day that a tree fell across the street in front of Shelley and me, and the power lines supported it until they started breaking and catching on fire. We had to change our route, and I ended up with two flat tires. What a day!
Needless to say, I'm staying home today while my car is in the shop, and I'll attempt to get chores and other projects done. I'm sad, though, that I'll miss my art class!
This week's lesson is entitled "strained grace." I like that Ann related this lesson to music, and that so much in our world is composed of vibrations. "Music is made in stress." She also relates a stressful, strained situation with her husband. This one is deep, and I did enjoy it. What are your thoughts?
Here is our scripture for the week:
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for our youngest daughter, Shelley. She is hurting right now due to a situation at work (one of her best friends is quitting because of it).
- Please pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 for our country. I truly believe in the power of praying scripture! Also pray for the safety of our leaders, President Trump, and their families.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Kris and her husband Terry found and purchased a darling new townhome close to family and friends. She and Terry will be updating it in the coming months. However, they need to sell their condo where they currently live. Let's pray that God will send the perfect buyer quickly!
- Please pray for our military and military families.
- Rita has a praise about for her girlfriend Nancy. She's out of the hospital and recovering at home. She adopted her two granddaughters (now 12 and 10) 3 yrs ago when her daughter died. Please pray she recovers fully and that her clots in her lungs will be absorbed.
- Trip tested positive for Lynch Syndrome. Shelley needs to be tested, but she is hesitant. Please pray that she will be negative.
Notice I've added a page on this blog. It is our reading schedule for Jesus Listens for Advent & Christmas. We will begin reading it and praying along together on October 7.
Have a great weekend!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! How was your weekend? We got lots of rain, so we decided not to go to the lake. Instead we worked on converting a room in our basement into a media room. Our house has tons of windows, so when it's sunny it's difficult to see our TV sometimes. I think the windowless basement room will be cozy for watching baseball, football, and Christmas movies.
This week's lesson is entitled "strained grace," and I really liked it. I will probably read it several more times during the week because this one is about music, stress, and strained relationships. It's a good one, and there's a lot to absorb.
This week's scripture is from the seventh Psalm.
It seems that the consensus is to finish One Thousand Gifts, which is fine with me. I heard from everyone but Kris, but she's on vacation. We will finish the book the week of September 30-October 6. On Monday, October 7th, we will begin a new book. Rita has suggested Jesus Listens for Advent and Christmas. We can be like the Hallmark Channel and start our Countdown to Christmas early. It might not be a bad idea this year! We can start with a new devotional January 1, 2025. What do y'all think?
I can divide the book into weekly segments. I can post the reading schedule on a special page here on the blog. That might be the easiest for all of us to keep-up with the weekly reading. I think it will average around 12-18 pages per week, depending on the illustrations, etc.
How does this sound to y'all?
Prayer Requests
- Please pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 for our country. I truly believe in the power of praying scripture! Also pray for the safety of our leaders, President Trump, and their families.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Kris and her husband Terry found and purchased a darling new townhome close to family and friends. She and Terry will be updating it in the coming months. However, they need to sell their condo where they currently live. Let's pray that God will send the perfect buyer quickly!
- Also, Kris and Terry are on vacation, so pray travel mercies for them.
- Please pray for our military and military families.
- Rita has a praise about for her girlfriend Nancy. She's out of the hospital and recovering at home. She adopted her two granddaughters (now 12 and 10) 3 yrs ago when her daughter died. Please pray she recovers fully and that her clots in her lungs will be absorbed.
- Trip tested positive for Lynch Syndrome. Shelley needs to be tested, but she is hesitant. Please pray that she will be negative.
I'm painting our media room today. I need caffeine and stamina!
What are your plans for the week?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! How has your week been? Do you have any fun summertime activities planned for the weekend? We're expecting lots of rain, so it looks like I'll be helping Mr. Happy clean out his closet. Fun times! :/
We only have two more weeks in This Life We Share, and we've chosen our new devotional we'll start discussing on Monday, July 31st:
I think this study looks great! I appreciate y'all's input.
What do you think about this week's reflection? "Entitled The Only Thing You Need to Remember Today," Maggie's lifeline is the very best:
If you forget all else, remember this: God knows you, He loves you, and He will never, ever leave you.~Page 236
Now that's a super-easy and encouraging To-Do List!
Here are a few of the scriptural references from the lesson:
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Prayer Requests:
- Travel mercies for Kitty as she visits with her son in Colorado.
- Pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Kris's daughter is doing well with her pregnancy so far. Praise!
- Continue to pray for my friend Pat's family.
- Continue to pray for Rita's BIL's recovery.
- Pray for our country!
This was in my inbox yesterday, and I thought I'd share.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends!
I'm finally back in Birmingham after spending ten days at the lake. Our internet was not working up to par, and cell service isn't the best, especially on holidays. It's like game day at a major university: The cell towers can't handle the influx of phones!
I have news about my friend Pat: She went home to be with her LORD and SAVIOR on July 3rd. Pat's niece called me the morning of the fourth. I am so sad, but I'm also happy for her. She did not suffer because she never regained consciousness after surgery. Prayers for her family would be appreciated.
Also, today is your last chance to submit a new devotional. Please email me your choices, and I will send out an email either Tuesday or Wednesday with the list.
I haven't read this week's reflection yet, but this is one of the scriptural references.
This is not a scriptural reference from our lesson, but I've seen this verse several times the past week, so I thought I would share.
ALSO: Have you seen the movie The Sound of Freedom ? Please consider seeing it at your local theater this week if you haven't seen it yet.
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for Kitty as she's visiting Colorado this week to spend time with her son's family.
- Pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Pray for Kris's daughter's pregnancy.
- Pray for my friend Pat's family.
- Continue to pray for Rita's BIL's recovery.
If there are any new requests, please share them in the Comments section.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! I spent the early morning hours outside. It was so beautiful and cool up here on the mountain. We had breakfast, and I cut some limelight hydrangeas to enjoy inside.
I enjoyed this week's guided journaling, especially with the eleven scriptural references of the "love one another" admonition. I looked them all up and put them in my journal.
Let's take a look at this week's journaling prompt:
How is agape love different from the romantic love shown in the media and pop culture?
My initial response is that the media and pop culture do not share any kind of love these days, but if they did, they would be representative of a fleeting kind of love, not God's eternal love.
Do y'all have any prayer requests? Please continue to pray for my recovery. It's been hard, y'all.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Tuesday, Friends! I am so sorry I didn't post yesterday morning. I was in terrible pain, and I took something for it and it knocked me out: I slept until afternoon! I also had an obligation with my daughter later in the afternoon, and I made an executive decision to post today.
This week's lesson is about agape love, and there are tons of scriptural references. I hope you enjoy the lesson and the guided journaling for Week Fifty!
Prayer requests?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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