Week Thirty-Five
It has been so hot in the Deep South that I have been praying for rain to cool things off!
Hello Friends!
Sorry I’m late posting today. But I’ve been very busy with a very, very busy little baby.
I loved this week's lesson because God is love, and he loves us so much. The writer of this Psalm (King David) is in awe that the God of the universe, the creator of the stars, would care so much about us.
And yet God's thoughts over us are of love and acceptance. After all, not only did his hands set the moon and stars in place; his hands fashioned each of us in his own likeness.~page 139
I already had a graphic for Psalm 8:1, but I didn't have one of Psalm 8:1-2. I made a new one and included the older one, too, along with Psalm 8:3-4.
Prayer Requests
- Carla requests that we pray for the Wisconsin Guard troops that are stationed in Kuwait that are slowly returning home. All should be back on Wisconsin soil by August. Prayers for safety as they come home and transition back into civilian life.
- 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 here in Illinois. Prayers he gets an interview
- 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 weaning off several other prescriptions. Mike is requesting that we pray for his mental health.
- Molly’s contract fell through on the barndominium (Kitty's daughter). Pray that God will lead the right buyer to purchase her home.
- Praise: Megan closed on her home!
- Let's pray for all of our health, and for the health of our families.
- Pray for Kris and Terry as they help settle Terry's mother's estate. It's hard work, and having to deal with so many people can be difficult.
- Pray for Carla's son Sam and his new wife, Cate, who were married on August 29th. Pray for the happy couple as they begin their new adventure!
- Pray for the two families affected by suicides in Carla's community.
- Kris's Grandson Edmund will be a Big Brother in March! God is so good! Let's lift both mother and baby up in prayer.
- Please lift up Rita in your prayers! We have a praise that she is finally over cyclospora, and her arm feels like it's healing very well.
- Pray for Rita's brother's companion Betty who was diagnosed with squamous cell from her lung biopsy last week and will meet with the oncologist on Monday (she had breast cancer 5 years ago). Also pray for Rita's brother Joe who will meet Monday with a urologist for an abnormal count in his most recent PSA.
- Kitty's brother is home from the skilled nursing care. Please pray that he can manage.
- Praise! I had the best time with my family at the beach. I was on Grandma duty for most of the time, and I was in heaven.
- Pray for Kris's SIL Tim who is up for a new job with another fire department. Pray he is successful in finding something soon.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
This is from one of my favorite movies set in autumn, You've Got Mail.
I don't know who owns this image, but I would like to give them credit because it is so cute!
Here is the quote from the movie. Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) sends an email to Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan).
Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.
Happy Friday, Friends. How was your first week of September? Mine was busy with my mom. I've gone twice to help move her things to her new room (out of the therapy wing into the nursing wing) and both times they weren't quite ready. These situations were my biggest "flat tires" of the week. I was able to make both my Bible class and art class this week, so I feel truly blessed.
I enjoyed the lesson because we are often hit with the unexpected, aren't we! I certainly was this week, but I also enjoyed a few unexpected blessings, too. A friend shared a couple of beautiful and thoughtful bookmarks with me; our daughter worked very hard to help me paint a bedroom upstairs; and a vendor I order art supplies from surprised me with a very nice bundle of ephemera.
I was also pleasantly surprised by bloggers this week with words of empathy and encouragement about my mom's situation.
And y'all are the VERY BEST. I don't know what I would do without you.
Getting back to the lesson....Being a Southerner, of course I loved the quote by William Faulkner: "Try to be better than yourself." Of course we can also infer that we should try to rise above our circumstances and vulnerabilities, especially those "flat tires" that are unexpected. I always discuss with our daughters that life is all about expectations, and when they aren't met our circumstances can certainly throw us for a loop.
I'd like to share an excerpt from a Steve Garnass-Holmes reflection:
In troubled times it takes great concentrationto align ourselves with grace instead of force,with love instead of fear.We begin by allowing ourselves to be loved,along with all the rest of Creation,and then we fall into that love,and let that flow through us into the world.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this week's lesson, and if you made the pesto. I have not been able to cook at all this week (with the exception of last night) because we still had to deal with mother's furnishings on Wednesday, and I had a couple of other obligations this week that kept me out late. It looks like a great recipe, and I might try it soon.
Here is this week's Bible verse:
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our blog friend Emily (McGriff) and her husband Jim because they both have COVID. Emily's blog is The French Hutch.
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer. She is recovering from a 2nd surgery to remove what is believed to be another cancer on her lung.
- 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).
- 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. She is struggling, y'all.
- Kris has a praise and a request: Her little grandson and daughter and SIL are loving their new home in Michigan. Her daughter landed a great job running a huge 9 practitioner clinic in Michigan. Hoping the learning center that her grandson went to will open the new one very soon near their new home in Michigan so he can go to the same daycare and structure.
- Pray for Carla and her husband as they are listing their home and moving closer to their sons. Pray that God will guide them every step of the way!
- Carla is requesting prayers for her friend Conner who went to MEPS this week, he passed, he is now in the delayed entry program for the Marines. He will go to bootcamp June 2026 after high school graduation.
- 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. She is so thankful, as we all are!
- Pray for Rita's daughter Megan who just had an MRI last week from a work injury 6 weeks ago, confirming a rotator cuff tear.
- Pray for the victims and families of the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church who were attacked in an act of despicable hate by the young man this week. Please pray for the safety of our Christian children in this country.
- Please pray that the violence from trans activists will end, and that they will get the mental health help that they so desperately need.
Please email me if I have forgotten any prayer requests, or if you have any updates you'd like to share.
We are having some work done around our house, and I'm off this morning to meet with a decorator and cabinet designer. On my way, I'm stopping by Starbucks for a PSL.
I'm looking forward to improving our home and staying here. We had thought about moving, and I'm still praying that we are making the right decision.
Have a lovely weekend, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Hand-painted Easter eggs from the Easter Market
Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic
Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you've had a wonderful week. The world has completely greened-up here in Central Alabama because we've had a lot of rain. The woods and gardens near our home are stunning!
This week's lesson is entitled "wedded grace." Kitty enjoyed it, and said it was one of her favorite lessons so far. I agree...I found my face hurting from my big grin when I finished reading it! Weddings are indeed a sacrament even though many in today's world do not view it as such. In that context, isn't the wedding metaphor for how Christ and the church are one both exciting and comforting?
Below is this week's featured scripture.
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There is also at least four other verses mentioned in this week's lesson. I won't post all of them, but I will leave you with this one:
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband...And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.~Revelation 21:2,4 (KJV)
If these verses don't make us smile until our faces hurt, then I don't think anything can!
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry.
- Continue to pray for Kitty's SIL Eric as he recovers from surgery. Pray that he won't get any infections. Also pray for her daughter as her responsibilities have increased while Eric recovers.
- Please continue to pray for our military and military families.
- Rita's daughters have competed their studies for the semester, and both did well. Praise God!
- Please pray for my friend Charlotte's son Connor. He is struggling with mental illness.
- Please pray for my friend Dawn who is fighting leukemia.
- Sam has another extended Drill Date this month. He cannot tell us much... just that several teams will be deployed. Pray for the 157th!
I'm hoping to do a little container gardening both indoors and out this weekend.
What are your plans?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! We're back from our trip, and I am so very thankful for your prayers. My stamina held-up so well: Everyone was amazed! God is so good to answer our prayers. We had a wonderful trip, and I'm happy to be home, too.
This week's devotion is entitled "wedded grace," and I have not read it yet. I am planning on reading it later this morning. It took us 24 hours to get home on Saturday, but we got home when it was bedtime, so the jet lag hasn't been bad. I will probably be doing laundry all day today (like yesterday).
Here is this week's scripture:
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Prayer Requests
Before I get to the requests, I want to thank y'all for keeping us posted via email while we were on vacation. Please let me know if I've left off any requests today and I will update our list ASAP.
- Please pray that we [all] can overcome seasonal allergy issues. Especially lift up Rita as she's had respiratory infections, and allergies and asthma can worsen them.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry.
- Continue to pray for Kitty's SIL Eric as he recovers from surgery. Pray that he won't get any infections.
- Please continue to pray for our military and military families.
- Remember Rita's daughters in your prayers as they are in their spring semester of graduate studies while working full-time. She is particularly concerned about their levels of stress.
- Please pray for my friend Charlotte's son Connor. He is struggling with mental illness.
- Please pray for my friend Dawn who is fighting leukemia.
- Sam has another extended Drill Date this month. He cannot tell us much... just that several teams will be deployed. Pray for the 157th!
- Pray that there won't be too much crazy associated with the eclipse. Several school districts have canceled school, and many local/state governments have issued states of emergency. I don't understand why. (I can remember in school making the shoebox projectors with the pin holes to watch eclipses. The school thing sounds crazy to me. All of it does, actually.)
Now I'm off to hit the coffee, read scripture and our lesson, and tackle all the laundry!
Have a great week, Friends!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday and last day of March, Friends. Is March going out like a lamb or a lion in your world?
What did you think about this week's reflection? Did you like Maggie's story about the mouse? It freaked me the freak out. LOL. If you haven't read it yet, it's terrifyingly funny!
Any thoughts?
Scripture from the lesson:
God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live?~Hebrews 12:7-9 (The Message)
Prayer Requests
- From Rita: I must continue to ask prayer for various family members - the aged with chronic health issues, members with short-term health needs for healing, and for the grandbaby, whose necessary daycare is literally a petri dish for ongoing viruses. Lord, with your help I pray each one of my loved ones - and their caretakers - can cope and conquer these matters and enjoy a healthy, new season.
- From Kitty: We will be traveling to Houston next Wednesday for Kristen’s mom’s memorial service and please pray for safe travels and that all goes well. Thank you! Love and blessings to all. (Also continue to pray for family unity and her son's job search.)
- From Carla: Pray for Sam and the 157th. Pray for all our military families.
- From Rita: Please pray for the Nashville Christian school, where 3 children and 2 teachers were shot and killed this week - dear God, please comfort that community and protect them from evil. Please help us all realize how much we need You in our lives.
- Carla asks for continued prayer for our military all around the world. For our leaders to make wise decisions and to not use our military for a 'war game'. Also, pray for the power of TRUTH to reach the hearts of those hurting, lost, and confused.
- Please pray for travel mercies for Trip and me.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! How was your weekend? I hope you found some peace and joy.
This week's lesson is about kids getting caught. It's far better that they get caught by parents and are punished rather than by the police! I love her anecdote in this one, by the way.
I used to remind our children that I often prayed that sin would find no place to hide in our home and family. That prayer works, y'all....of course I was probably busted by God more than anyone else ;P
Prayer requests:
- From Rita: I must continue to ask prayer for various family members - the aged with chronic health issues, members with short-term health needs for healing, and for the grandbaby, whose necessary daycare is literally a petri dish for ongoing viruses. Lord, with your help I pray each one of my loved ones - and their caretakers - can cope and conquer these matters and enjoy a healthy, new season.
- From Kitty: We will be traveling to Houston next Wednesday for Kristen’s mom’s memorial service and please pray for safe travels and that all goes well. Thank you! Love and blessings to all. (Also continue to pray for family unity and her son's job search.)
- From Carla: Pray for Sam and the 157th. Pray for all our military families.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday *and* April, Friends!
I quite enjoyed this week's focus on quiet servants. Jesus certainly modeled humble service during his ministry here on earth, and I've actually read quite a bit about it this week as part of my Lenten Bible Study.
Here is this week's guided journaling prompt:
Do you know any quiet servants? Describe that person and what you like about him or her. If you are a quiet servant yourself, what motivates you to serve others?
I know several quiet servants, and until I had breast cancer I had no idea that there is actually a group of breast cancer survivors in our church who quietly reach out to us who are currently fighting the disease. I am so appreciative of them, and I'm a little embarrassed I'd never heard of this ministry in our church before now.
I also want to thank y'all because you are all quiet servants, especially in your commitment to prayer. You have made a huge difference in how I'm handling everything because God is good: He answers prayer!
I want to make sure that we all lift-up Kris this weekend because she has a few diagnostic tests Tuesday. Do y'all have any other prayer requests?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! Can you believe that it's the last Monday in March?
We're starting a new unit in our guided journaling this week, and I'm looking forward to the next six weeks because the focus is on serving others. I know that serving others leads to happiness, and I look forward to finding new and different ways to serve in the near future.
I hope you are blessed by serving others this week. One way we can serve our little community here in the blog is to pray for each other. Do y'all have any prayer requests?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
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