week twenty-six
Happy Independence Day, Friends! We are so blessed, aren't we! I am so thankful for our inheritance and our natural rights endowed to us by God. I hope you are celebrating this special day with family and friends.
We are at Lake Martin, and we have had issues with our internet. On Tuesday we had to have Charter send us a signal to get our internet going again, and we had to do the same thing last weekend. I might not be able to update the blog until Monday, so please come back over the weekend to see any updates/prayer requests. Thank-you for understanding. I don't trust myself to update the blog on my phone. I'm afraid that I will mess it up badly if I try it!
I enjoyed this week's lesson. I get it, that we have choices to make, and we are responsible for and do have control over many choices. The PB&J lunch analogy had me thinking fond memories of homeschooling. Shelley used to call me her teacher and lunch lady. Some days I felt like I spent too many hours in the kitchen, yet I still miss them.
We made tartines for lunch often and Shelley's favorite was Croque-Monsieur. I even blogged about it years ago.
Here is the recipe:
Here is this week's scripture. I think it's so appropriate given how Patriots 249 years ago began a fight for their very lives, and the soul of this country was born. Our country was ordained by God because how else could a ragtag band of Patriots defeat the British Empire and the world's strongest standing army and navy? God is good, and my prayer for our nation is that we return to God and serve Him.
- Please continue to pray for Kris's MIL. Pray that she will be amenable to having the in-home healthcare help Terry and Kris found for her come into her home and help out.
- Pray for Kitty's grandson Connor as he trains as a corrections officer.
- PRAISE: Carla is getting a new family member! She's getting a daughter-in-law (Sam proposed to Cate, and she said YES)! Pray for all the pre-wedding planning and counseling for the happy couple.
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike that he can find a job that uses his talents. He is a very talented artist! UPDATE: Mike has been working on a game with his friend and they have to get it done in three months. Mike can do his part but his friend needs to stay focused. Kitty asks for prayers for him, too.
- Keep praying for Rita's daughters because they are thriving!
- Please pray for Carla's friend C.M.H who has joined the United States Army. Carla and her family are so proud of him. He will be 23 in June, and he is a dear friend of her boys. He was in their homeschool group. He is in basic training at Fort Jackson, and he is her son Atticus' best friend. What is interesting about this... Carla's son Sam also did his basic at Fort Jackson.
- Please pray for our blog friend Jenna Meon. She is currently in rehabilitation for her walking. She is still struggling with her standing.
- Pray for Rita's neighbor who has a stage four cancer diagnosis.
- Pray that our leaders will ask God for direction as they make national security decisions.
- Kris's friend passed away from a massive heart attack. Please be in prayer for his widow, family, and friends as they are all in a state of shock over his unexpected death.
- Please be in prayer for Rita's brother Tommy who had a stroke (Tuesday, June 24th).
- URGENT: Pray for my best friend Barbara. She has cancer, and had to have a colostomy yesterday. I am in a state of shock, and her husband also has stage four prostate cancer. Please be in prayer for them. UPDATE: Barbara is home, and is in good spirits. She still hasn't had her scans yet.
- Pray that we will accept the best contract to sell mom's house. UPDATE: We have a accepted a contract, and the closing should be mid-August.
- Please pray for my mom because she fell in the bathroom over the weekend. She was not hurt, thankfully.
- From Kitty: Eric, Molly’s husband, lost his job today. The company is closing the office. He’s applying for unemployment and also for disability. Molly is very positive.
- Pray travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher this weekend.
- Kris has another friend who had a heart attack and is on life support. He is only 52 and has a 6 month old baby that needs her daddy.
Until next time...
May God continue to bless the United States of America!
Love you all!
Ricki Jill
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Happy Friday, Friends! What did you thing about this week's devo? I thought it was sad, especially as I read through our prayer requests and lament about the suffering impacting our loved ones. But at least I have this one takeaway:
Here is this week's scripture:
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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.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families, especially concerning our health (physical, mental, and spiritual).
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Carla has a request for her community as crime is increasing. She also requests that we pray for courage for the citizens of Cameron.
- 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.
- Kris asks that you pray for her BIL. They just found out that he has to have bypass surgery at the end of this month. He is Terry's oldest brother, and he's only 68 years old.
- Pray for my friend Jen's mother Janet who's recovering from two back surgeries since Christmas Eve Eve (Dec. 23rd). She's in rehab currently.
- 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.
- Please pray for my friend Donna who is going through breast cancer treatment. Phase one is done, and now her team must decide between round two of chemo or surgery.
- Still continue to pray for travel mercies for Trip and me. We should be returning home tomorrow.
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Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! This week's devotion is entitled "hard grace," and I hope that isn't a prediction of how hard skiing will be for me this week! I'm almost afraid to read it, however I will read it by a cozy fire later this afternoon.
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Here is this week's scripture:
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.
- Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around each of our families, especially concerning our health (physical, mental, and spiritual).
- Thank-you, God, for your constancy in answering our prayers!
- Pray for unity in our country, and that God will show us mercy and continue to bless us.
- Carla has a request for her community as crime is increasing. She also requests that we pray for courage for the citizens of Cameron.
- 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.
- Kris asks that you pray for her BIL. They just found out that he has to have bypass surgery at the end of this month. He is Terry's oldest brother, and he's only 68 years old.
- Pray for my friend Jen's mother Janet who's recovering from two back surgeries since Christmas Eve Eve (Dec. 23rd). She's in rehab currently.
- 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.
- Please pray for my friend Donna who is going through breast cancer treatment. Phase one is done, and now her team must decide between round two of chemo or surgery.
- Please continue to pray for travel mercies for Trip and me, and that we won't get hurt skiing.
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I'm off to find some hot tea for us this morning!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! How has your week been so far? How is your family health wise? I hope that our families have been healed by God because he is the God who heals all our diseases. This quote from Psalm 91 does not mean that he will always heal us, but there will be a time when all of us will be healed.
What did you think about this week's lesson? Are you quick to make a snap judgment about people? I think everyone has been guilty of this, and I think that the lesson gives us good practical instruction from scripture on how to treat others:
But avoid foolish and unlearned debates, knowing that they create strife. The servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but must be gentle toward all people, able to teach, patient, in gentleness instructing those in opposition. Perhaps God will grant them repentance to know the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.~2 Timothy 2:23-26
Prayer Requests:
- Let's continue to pray for healthy families.
- Carla asks that you pray as she's seeking treatment for some pain issues. She had her first treatment on Friday. She has two treatments next week on Wednesday and Thursday. She is praying for her doctor to have wisdom and guidance as they tackle this pain issue.
- Let's pray for Rita's granddaughter Baby J because she keeps getting sick and sharing it with family.
- Pray for Kris's husband Terry's new job.
- Pray for peace and harmony in Kitty's family, and her son Mike as he is searching for a permanent job.
- Our country needs leadership that fears God and cares about the truth. Please pray that God will send us leaders with integrity.
- My test results came back, and my iron is low again. Pray that if I need more infusions that they won't make me nauseated.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! How was your weekend? It's been cold and rainy here in Central Alabama, so I posted a photo of Valentine's decor in our kitchen with the sunshine streaming in. I'm hoping for sunshine this week!
Can you believe that this week's reflection marks the halfway point of the book? It's a short lesson, but very convicting (at least it was for me). Here's a preview of this week's scripture:
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Prayer requests:
Until Friday, I'd like to ask all of you to pray for our families' health. Several of us have ill family members, and I think we need to focus on health as we pray for one another this week. And I'd like to take it one step further: As we pray, let's pray the following scripture:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives your sins and heals all your diseases.Psalm 103:2-3
There is power in praying scripture. Remember that as we put on the full armor of God, the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." ~Ephesians 6:18a
Friday we'll get back on track with other prayer requests.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Can you tell I'm getting excited about Valentine's Day?
Happy Friday, Friends! I have a praise: My best childhood friend flew in from Texas to see me, and we were able to go out to eat dinner at one of my favorite restaurants and eat in an area away from others. :D My heart is full getting to see Susan! Just getting to give her a big hug was just what I needed, and it reminds me of last week's guided journaling, LOL!
Here is this week's prompt:
How would you greet Jesus if he walked into the room right now? Do you greet others in the same way? Why or why not?
I hope that I would have the good sense to drop to my knees, but knowing me, I'd probably run up to him and hug him! I usually greet people with hugs, although there's enough British blood in me that I prefer hugging dogs and horses, LOL!
What about you???
Also, here is a list of things we need to pray for our families. I've heard from several of y'all this week, and this is sort of a general list, but I think if we pray this list over all the families who read this blog it couldn't hurt...
- Health
- Anxiety
- Family Needs
- Harmony and Understanding
- Leadership in Government on a National, State, and Local Level
If you have any additional prayer requests, please leave them in comments or email me.
Have a restful weekend!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
So happy the sun came back out this weekend. It's still cold, though.
Happy Monday, Friends! I can't believe it's week twenty-six, which means we're halfway through this guided journaling devo!
This week's focus is about sincerity, especially when greeting others or in social situations.
Also, I've received a few prayer requests, and it's evident that many of us are under spiritual attack. Let's pray for each other, that we will continue to put on the full armor of God everyday so we can stand firm! Do y'all have any specific prayer requests?
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
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