JOYFUL + RISING NEWSLETTER #55
FEBRUARY 18, 2024
WHAT’S INSIDE THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER:
Introduction and Prayer
Special Podcast Feature: He Gets Us Campaign
Blog Update
Recipes We are Loving Lately
Family Update and Prayer Requests
Good evening, my friend!
I hope this letter finds you well. If this is your first time receiving a Joyful + Rising Newsletter, WELCOME! It is an honor to have you here in this community. Your support and love are much appreciated.
How was everybody’s week?! It was a busy week for a lot of people with Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. I hope you were able to find some rest in all of the week’s events. Considering that we are in recovery mode ourselves here at home and that this next week is a bit of a busy week appointment wise, this newsletter will be pretty short and sweet!
Thank you for the time you commit here every week. I hope the 10-15 minutes we spend together with this newsletter will bring you some joy before you start a new week. Thank you so much for being here.
Heavenly Father, we come before you with hearts full of gratitude for your endless mercy and grace. In a world that is often filled with chaos and confusion, we find comfort in knowing that you are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. As we navigate the challenges of life, help us to fix our eyes on you, the author and perfecter of our faith. Grant us the courage to trust in your unfailing love and to walk in obedience to your word. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
SPECIAL PODCAST UPDATE
HE GETS US: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE GOSPEL
This week, I sat down with a good friend of mine, John Richardson, to discuss the controversial viral advertisements of the “He Gets Us” Campaign. In this discussion, John and I address the good that we saw in the ads from Super Bowl Sunday, as well as some concerns we have (and that many others have) regarding the campaign as a whole.
This is a conversation meant to encourage unity, not division. It is one that we hope will encourage others to think critically about people and things that claim to represent Christ.
In an era in which the American church as a whole likely would do well to receive a letter from St. Paul, this campaign is merely a symptom to a much larger problem: Western “Christian” culture often doesn’t sound or act like Jesus.
Beyond this discussion, we hope that people will feel convicted to practice discernment and that above all else, this campaign would truly lead people to come to know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
On March 31, the first digital Bible study of the year will go out to paid subscribers. This Bible study will include some of the content we have studied about parenting over the last several weeks, but content will be much more in-depth. The digital devotional will include study pages, study questions, additional resources, and beautiful graphics throughout. It will be printable and formatted for a standard 8.5x11 page. Consider upgrading your subscription if you would like access to this and other digital devotionals throughout the year.
BLOG UPDATE
I’ll be taking some time off from the blog this week. We have multiple doctors’ appointments for Marsaili and myself, as well as some other things we’d like to get done as a family. I need to focus my time and attention at home this week. We will resume posts the week of February 26th!
Have you fully caught up on all the posts yet from this year? We’ve done a lot so far! So far this year, 15 unique blog posts, weekly newsletters and weekly audio newsletters. That’s a lot of great work so far! If you haven’t caught up on all of the blog posts and newsletter devotionals, this week would be a great week to check those out.
RECIPES WE ARE LOVING LATELY
The sourdough journey is still in the works! I’ve having a lot of problems getting it to rise, though. I’m thinking the cold weather hasn’t helped that lately, but I’ll send you guys some updates when we finally make progress.
On the Menu this Week:
Poppyseed Chicken
BBQ Leftovers
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE WEEK
World Prayer Requests
Safety, peace, protection, and provision for the one million Palestinian citizens who are currently trapped in Gaza without food, water, or shelter
Provision for the thousands of people, including children, who are in desperate need of medical care both in Gaza and Israel
Comfort for the families in Gaza and Israel who have lost beloved family members in this violent and rapidly escalating war
Wisdom, conviction, and compassion for leaders in Gaza and Israel and all over the globe - may they be led to find a path toward lasting peace and not toward more violence
Discernment for citizens all over the globe who are trying to make sense of this heart-wrenching crisis
Protection, safety, and justice for the millions of citizens who have lost homes, belongings, loved ones, and they livelihoods in the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine
Wisdom and peace as our country prepares to enter into a new presidential election cycle next year
Community Prayer Requests
Safety for all who are traveling during the holidays
Peace, comfort, and healing for Stephanie F. and family as Stephanie recovers from surgery for breast cancer
Protection and comfort for Shauna P.'s mother, Cheryl, who is currently experiencing heart failure; pray for wisdom for the doctors who are working hard to avoid having to place a defibrillator
Peace and smooth transitions for Rikki H.'s husband as he transitions into a new job
Strength and comfort for two anonymous friends who lost close friends recently to cancer
If you have a prayer request that you would like included in the newsletter, you can post it in the comments below. If you would like to submit an anonymous request, you can email me directly: joyfulandrising@gmail.com.
"The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3, NASB
RAMOS FAMILY UPDATE
Okay, true story…the Christmas tree is still up. It’s fine. It’ll make it’s way down eventually.
We had a GREAT report from nephrology this week for Marsaili! She does not have to go back for another appointment with that specialty for an entire two years. For those of you who don’t know, Marsaili only has one functional kidney. Prior to her birth, we thought that she might have to have surgery to remove the kidney that was not functioning, and there were lots of concerns regarding how well her remaining kidney could function on its own. God has been so good and has worked miracles for our girl. Her remaining kidney is fully functioning and accommodating to her body’s needs very well. We are so grateful!
We did a big thing today, y’all. We went to church as a family. I honestly can’t remember the last time we went together, but it was so good for our hearts to be with friends and family again in that space. God is good, and we are grateful we made it safely there together.
As I mentioned last week, we did finally receive word regarding the results from our genetic testing on the two year anniversary of my anatomy scan. The genetic testing we had done back in November was a re-run of the Whole Exome Sequence Test (WES Test) we had done back in March of 2022. We are still processing the news of the results we received, and we are not yet ready to share the news of those results publicly. In the meantime, we ask for your continued prayers for wisdom and the Lord’s guidance through this journey.
Specific Ramos Family Prayer Requests
Smooth delivery process for all of our mobility equipment and insurance approval
Improved seizure control for Marsaili in the weeks and months to come as we begin the weaning process of some of her medications after months on hold
Continued improvements to Marsaili’s respiratory status - we were able to do a few room air trials with her this week for a few hours at a time, but the progress with this is very slow due to residual inflammation in her airway
Health and good rest for all of us during this challenging winter season
Safe travels to doctors’ appointments and good reports
Successful implementation of home nursing, the Katie Beckett program, and intensive therapy sessions for occupational and physical therapy - in regards to home nursing, we FINALLY found a company last week that has some availability so please, please pray that they are willing to work with our insurance company!
Guidance and wisdom as we seek the Lord’s direction in all that we do
Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for helping to make my dreams of being a writer become a reality. Every post you read, every newsletter you open plays a significant role in this journey of mine as a writer. So, THANK YOU. I hope you have a fantastic week!
Many times, people ask how they can support this journey beyond reading and subscribing. One of the biggest ways you can help to support the growth of this blog is to share, share, share! Did you know that if you refer friends, I have a tiered reward system for gaining access to the paid blog posts?
If 5 people you refer subscribe to this blog, you’ll be compensated with 1 month of access to the paid blog posts
If 10 people you refer subscribe to this blog, you’ll be compensated with 3 months of access to the paid blog posts
If 25 people you refer subscribe to this blog, you’ll be compensated with 6 months of access to the paid blog posts
The more you share, the more this community grows! The more this community grows, the more we can share perspectives of medical motherhood through a Christian lens, and that just warms my heart. Thank you for the gift of your support and presence!