Week Thirty
Happy Friday, Friends! How was your week? Mine was busy because the house renovation is winding down. This week they have been finishing up our bathroom and painting all the trim and woodwork in our home. I also have been substitute teaching for my art teacher while she's traveling, and I will also teach next week. I'm hoping that our carpeting for our bedrooms will be installed on Monday, and then we get to move back in! Next week will be a wee bit hard for me, but I am so, so thankful that I can get up out of bed, walk without assistance, and do hard things! God has been so good to me. What a difference three short weeks can make!
Didn't y'all just love this week's reflection! I would love to sit by a campfire and make s'mores with Jesus. (Our lesson didn't mention s'mores...that's my add-on). ;P I love the guided imagery, and all the biblical references were wonderful. I hope you take the time to go back and read them, and maybe even read the quoted Psalms in their entireties.
I did not have time to make graphics for all of them, but I already had a few, and I made the graphic for the Psalm of the Week.
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 and Terry as they decide where to live when they retire. Pray for Terry as he will be done next month and not be allowed to hit his fifty year mark in December with the fire service.
- 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.
- Kitty would like for you to pray that her daughter sells her barndominium and can find a home closer so that she’s not driving two hours a day.
- Rita requests we pray for her brother who had a stroke last June. Pray that he remains strong and stable as he and her SIL navigate changes of selling their home in WV and building a new home near their daughter in TX.
- Pray for Kitty's brother because he has been very ill. He's out of the hospital and currently in a skilled nursing facility. Let's pray that he will continue to improve.
- Travel mercies for Kitty and her family as they travel the next couple of weeks.
- Please pray that Kris will recover quickly from a throat infection.
- Praise for a personal situation for Carla, and also a praise for Sam and his team at Fort McCoy. They earned a patch!
- Praise that Rita is recovering from an infection after a round of antibiotics.
- Let's pray for all of our health, and for the health of our families.
Have a lovely weekend!
We will be moving everything except the heaviest furniture out of our bedrooms and closets in preparation for the carpet installers.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, and Happy August, Friends! How has your week been so far? Mine has been a little stressful dealing with my mother's estate. It has been the biggest mess, and she doesn't exactly have a cooperative spirit.
I'm doing a little side Bible study on patience. I need it!
This week's lesson was entitled "Hope Does Not Disappoint." I thought it was fabulous! I have been thinking a lot this week about what hope looks like. What does hope look like to you? I like the writing/journal prompts she shares in this chapter, especially number one:
What does hope look like for you? Create a list of hope-givers: a special person, a scripture, a song, or place. Refer back to your list when negative thoughts visit.~page 154
My first thought in answer to this prompt was y'all! I have seen how God has answered our prayers. The fact that y'all show up every week and pray for each other and encourage each other makes my heart full!
I am working on my list from this prompt, and I will post it on my refrigerator by my desk. Another thing that has given me hope is that in spite of the dire predictions for our farmers (we had monsoonal rains followed by extreme heat), we are seeing beautiful crops, especially peaches. Alabama is known for our Chilton County peaches, and I drew some this week. It has been a great summer for peaches!
We are getting to know young farmers and their families who are selling their produce locally through farmers' markets and community supported agriculture subscription boxes. These little families are also giving me hope because they are such hard workers and are so brave!
This week's Bible verses:
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Rita has a praise concerning her brother, Tommy: He was discharged last Friday, and he & his wife flew to TX to be with family there, and he will continue PT and OT.
- Also, please keep Rita's neighbor Chris in prayer as she battles her cancer.
- Kitty's grandson Connor is doing well as a corrections officer. Prayers that he can find a good relationship.
- Kitty's SIL Eric, Molly’s husband, filed for disability and hired a lawyer. Prayers that this all works out for him.
- 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.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- 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 that all real estate transactions for my mother will go through next week.
- Praise: Kitty's14 year old granddaughter, Ella, was baptized last Sunday, and to her DIL, Ella’s mom, who is Jewish, for supporting her decision. Julie also supported Avery’s decision to be baptized two years ago. What a beautiful blessing!
Do you have any special plans for August?
The first two weeks for us will revolve around doing things for my mother. Then we are hoping to go on a weekend trip mid-month.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Yay, it's Friday! Do you have any special plans for the weekend? After a rainy night, it is supposed to be beautiful today and for the rest of the weekend. I'd like to go to the lake at some point. I need to spend some time in the sunshine!
This week's devotion is entitled "seed grace." I absolutely loved it: the vignette of a family lovingly planting a garden; the lesson of how all feasts begin with something small; and the reminder of how God provides for us. While reading it I also was reminded of the parable of the mustard seed. What about you? Thoughts?
Here is the scripture from the lesson:
And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food."~Genesis 1:29
Prayer Requests
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Sam is back to his monthly Drill schedule with the Wisconsin National Guard. Prayer request is for strength and wisdom. Longer drill periods have been set for this year. Pray for the 157th!
- A group of Wisconsin National Guard will be deploying to Syria. Please continue to pray for our military and military families.
- Remember Rita's daughters in your prayers as they head into their spring semester of graduate studies while working full-time. She is particularly concerned about their levels of stress.
- Carla asks that we please pray for COMMON SENSE regarding the border to prevail. And as the Texas National Guard vs. The Border Patrol, may the hearts of these brave sons and daughters not get corrupt by government, but know what is best for the PEOPLE of this beloved country. Pray for the fallen and the injured in the recent attack on our troops in Jordon. May our military feel our prayers and support.
- Pray for the health of all our family members.
- Praise: Baby J is home and feeling better! Pray for Rita's eldest daughter who has a nasty stomach bug. Pray that God will heal and protect her family.
- Pray for Lenten Blessings for all the families represented here on this blog!
- Praise: God is good!
I hope you have a peaceful weekend!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! This week's devotion is entitled "seed grace," and the gardening theme encourages me that spring will arrive along with the opportunity to dig a little in the dirt. That promise means a lot to me after the cold weekend we had, but today promises to be sunny with a high of sixty degrees.
Here is this week's scripture:
Prayer Requests:
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Kitty asks that we pray that her Grandson Connor and his dad will make amends; Son Mike will find a job; and Son in law Eric will be able to manage his cervical dystonia.
- Sam is back to his monthly Drill schedule with the Wisconsin National Guard. Prayer request is for strength and wisdom. Longer drill periods have been set for this year. Pray for the 157th!
- A group of Wisconsin National Guard will be deploying to Syria. Please continue to pray for our military and military families.
- Remember Rita's daughters in your prayers as they head into their spring semester of graduate studies while working full-time. She is particularly concerned about their levels of stress.
- Carla asks that we please pray for COMMON SENSE regarding the border to prevail. And as the Texas National Guard vs. The Border Patrol, may the hearts of these brave sons and daughters not get corrupt by government, but know what is best for the PEOPLE of this beloved country. Pray for the fallen and the injured in the recent attack on our troops in Jordon. May our military feel our prayers and support.
- Pray for the health of all our family members.
- Praise that Little Snickers is walking again, however, he could improve even more. Keep praying!
- Pray for Lenten Blessings for all the families represented here on this blog!
I don't know about you, but I have a lot to do today.
Lots of errands!
I'm making coffee to go this morning, and I'm hoping I can finish most of my errands before noon.
What's in your cup or mug this morning?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! Lent started Wednesday, and I hope that we can all stay focused on what's important during this solemn time in our church calendar.
This reflection is one of my favorites so far. I appreciate Maggie's insight about moving and longing for community. We've lived in our current home for twenty years, but once my husband retires in about four years or so we might want to move. Who knows?
Kris has relocated recently, and Rita has moved back to her old neighborhood. Anyone else planning a move? Do any of you have anything to share about relocating?
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for the people suffering in East Palestine, Ohio. God, please let there be justice for them.
- Please pray for Kitty's son that he gets a job and for her family that they can be united. It's Kitty's birthday today. Happy Birthday, Kitty! Please pray that EVERYONE in her family participates in her birthday celebration this weekend.
- Pray for Sam and the 157th, our active duty military, and our veterans.
- Our country needs godly leaders. Let's pray that God will send us leaders who fear Him.
- We have a praise! Kris's husband Terry got the job of his dreams five minutes from home!
- I would like to pray for the incredible revival going on in Kentucky at Asbury University. The Holy Spirit is truly moving young people, and the revival is spreading to other colleges as well.
- Please join me in praying 2 Chronicles 7:14 for our country at 7:14 AM and PM when you can.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! How was your weekend? What did you do??? We went on a few walkies with the Westies. It has been a little colder here, but yesterday was nice: I didn't even need to wear a hat!
This week's lesson is about seeking community, especially after a move. Moves are stressful! Even when they're the result of something that's a blessing, like a promotion.
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.~1 John 5:14
I think this verse applies to everything including community, don't you?
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Prayer Requests?
I'd like updates from y'all when you get the chance, but here's what I have for today:
- Please pray for the people suffering in East Palestine, Ohio. God, please let there be justice for them.
- Please pray for Kitty's son that he gets a job and for her family that they can be united.
- Pray for Sam, our active duty military, and our veterans.
- Our country needs godly leaders. Let's pray that God will send us leaders who fear Him.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! Did you have a nice weekend? We did! The weather was beautiful and sunny.
This week we are encouraged to pray for one another, which makes us a partner in God's workshop. The guided journaling part is a little personal this week because we are challenged to write out a very specific prayer.
From the journal:
Your prayers prompt the response of God in the lives of those you love.
Do you have any specific prayer requests for you and your family?
Please pray for my stamina. I would also appreciate it if you would pray for Shelley because she's had a bad case of food poisoning.
Check back during the week and read the prayer requests in comments!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
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