Walking with my neighbors who are so ill has brought me to a new place of asking the Lord for strength. On Monday she and I sat through 2 hours of appointments with 3 different medical and financial persons in the Oncology office. She has decided she will forego treatment. Her pancreatic cancer is Stage 3. Stage 4 is when it moves to any other organ. With treatment there is only a small percentage of a chance to prolong her life. The pain of her death will be brutal, but the treatment would be brutal also. She will turn 83 in a few months. Now she is praying for courage to tell her husband who is still hospitalized and desperately ill. She said when she saw him over the weekend his legs were like tree trunks. She did not know skin could stretch so far. She has watched his treatment and declared she does not want to become like him. By the time you read this she will likely have told him.
It was difficult to sit with her through those appointments and watch her make her decision. I was exhausted last evening. This morning I read several things about strength and finding strength. I am praying that as you read this writing you will be strengthened in your life.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 NRSVUE
“Grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit.” Yes, please Lord God my Father.
Help me truly be rooted and grounded in love. Help that love to overflow to all those around me who are in need.
“According to the riches of Your glory”, grant this I pray. Help me abide in the love of Christ.
Are you weary today? Perhaps soaking in the above Scriptures and this song will help to sustain you.
I first heard this song at a retreat. In times like this it comes back to me.
On February 4 and March 23 the selections from Amy Carmichael in Edges of His Ways were both about strength. This morning the selection from Just One Thing by Rick Hanson, phd was entitled Find Strength. He wrote:
Strength comes in many forms, including endurance, losing on the little things in order to win on the big ones, and restraint. Inner strength is not all or nothing. You can build it, just like muscle. Appreciate how your strength empowers your caring, protectiveness, and love. Tell yourself that you are strong. That you can endure, persist, cope, and prevail. That you are strong enough to hold your experience in awareness without being over whelmed. That the winds of life can blow, and blow hard, but you are a deeply rooted tree, and winds just make you even stronger. And when they are done blowing, there you still stand. Offering shade and shelter, flowers and fruit. Strong and lasting.
I will with God’s help.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path that sinners tread or sit in the seat of scoffers, 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. Psalm 1:1-3 NRSVUE
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. 30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, 31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31 NRSVUE
My friend Dan posted this and I want to repeat it here for those of you who do not read his posts. In his post he wrote, “The beautiful song, ‘The Blessing,’ sung by an Iranian woman in Farsi and a Hebrew gentleman in Hebrew. Two worlds coming together to bless God. There is always hope in God.”
Yes. there are promises in the word that God will bless us. Let us remember that rather than asking God to bless America, we, the Americans, should be always blessing God.
The Priestly Benediction
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them:
24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
27 “So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27 NRSVUE
More than likely I have shared this song before. It has not grown to mean less to me! There are heavy prayer requests in our neighborhood and among our friends.
One family has a member with heart disease along with leukemia. He was hospitalized with what ER doc called an irritated heart. That is a new term to me. Perhaps doc made it up to not worry the wife who was diagnosed last week with pancreatic cancer. She is a ghastly shade of yellow/green sort of like Fiona from Shrek. She will have another scan this week and a port put in to facilitate chemo. She has been given 2 years to live. That is in just one family.
Another family has a dad with aggressive Parkinsons’s disease. He has been in nursing facility, brought home due to bedsore and poor care. Has been on in-home hospice care. He will go to facility for hospice care on Friday so his wife can get some rest.
My 92 year old friend got home from rehab facility over the past weekend. She is tired and rather frail, but holding her own , so far. Next week she turns 93. So far, refusing most help when we offer it. She has learned how to put on her back brace. She must wear it when she is up and about due to the 3 broken ribs and 3 broken vertebrae. She is using her cane inside the house and has a grabber in four out of five rooms. Therapist wants her to use the walker, but there is not enough clear space in the house for that. Hopefully when therapist comes to her home they will insist and assist in clearing away some of the stuff so she can use that walker in the house. She is not to bend forward or twist her torso.
There is another awaiting appointment with back surgeon for likely surgery appointment. One healing from skin graft after removal of cancer from her scalp. One with rare autoimmune disease whose husband has Parkinson’s. One with so many untreatable diseases and multiple back surgeries she is basically bed fast. Another in her late 80s recovering from colon cancer. One in her 90s recovering from colon cancer. Aging, disease and death just keep marching on. That is not even concerning the many wars around the world.
Twice I have found myself awake in the night and then my brain slips into overdrive ruminating with concern over these and several other situations. How do you stop that? Here are a few of my ideas.
I breathe in deeply to count of 4. Then exhale slowly to count of 8. This helps. This practice is easier if I have been practicing meditative prayer daily. Regardless, it can work. Lifting these concerns in prayer does not always bring me relief and get me back to sleep. Focus upon breathing can.
I imagine each person in the arms of Father God, those everlasting arms of care and love. Remembering that there is nothing I can do to change their situation, I let them go to the care of the Trinity. They are so much more concerned than I am, and so much more powerful to make a change in the circumstances.
The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms Deuteronomy 33:7a and b
This morning this song came on and I was reminded that this is the answer every time. Rest. Trust. Know none of us are alone. “I am sure the One who made me is catching every word.”
We can try to encourage the ones we know who are suffering. We can make a meal, deliver a flower, pay a visit. We can pray and send a card. We can lift them and let them know we are lifting them. We must also take care of ourselves. Just as the airline says, “In case of an emergency to put your mask on first,” we need to do our best to take care of ourselves if we hope to be an aide to others in their need. Pray, hope and most of all love one another. Share one another’s burdens. Trust God to do what is best in each situation.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NRSVUE
Give thanks for each life though there is suffering. We are each blessed to be alive though we may be disappointed with our state in life.
Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NRSVUE
These blasts of snow and cold followed by spring warmth and sunshine have the Ohio Valley in whiplash. Never certain if we should layer up with woolens or wear spring weight slacks and short sleeves. It is definitely NOT shorts weather yet, though we have seen some folks sporting them!
The daffodils get a little taller everyday. Roofs are getting covered with snow this morning. Furnace is still needed. One night I had to open the window as bedroom was so warm! Next night I got my leg out of the covers in my sleep and awoke with a frozen limb.
Here is part of A Song of Creation, Canticle 12 from The Book of Common Prayer
Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, * O heavens and all waters above the heavens. Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, * praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, * all winds and fire and heat. Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, * praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, * drops of dew and flakes of snow. Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, * praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, * O shining light and enfolding dark. Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, * praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
We had a recent morning snowfall that was enchanting. Part of the enjoyment was knowing that this would not be a “shoveler” and was likely one of the last snows of the season. I will upload the video as soon as YouTube takes out the music that recorded in the background of the video. Here is a link to the song that came to me as I watched the snow.
Many years ago I would occasionally hear a praise song in my mind. A melody, a set of words, and the next thing I knew I would be singing to the Lord.
I have never done anything with those praises except to write them down. This past year I made a new friend who wanted to put one on staff paper. She did it! And I am amazed.
We decided to pursue the rest of the songs. We have a priest who teaches us simple songs of faith. She is interested in these also, so that was a good impetus towards getting them to a state where they are ready to share.
So here is one melody. I recorded it while picking it out on a different friend’s electric keyboard that she loaned to me. My musical friend said she will likely put them in a key that is more singable.
LYRICS: The Great I Am I know the great I AM The great I AM knows me I am content in this I know the great I AM
It took me a bit to learn how to record the melody. Then how to upload it to the blog. Below is the music for you if you are interested in pursuing this further.
In the move to make worship easier for all our church uses a printed bulletin each week instead of the Book of Common Prayer and a hymnal. Last week in the Eucharistic prayer I was struck by these sentences.
Your redeeming work continued when through the Virgin Mary, you became incarnate in Jesus Christ, so that through him we might experience the depth and width of your unquenchable love.
No, I do not understand all of that language and do not presume to explain to you what I do believe about it. I do know that the love of God IS unquenchable and vast beyond our comprehension!
Have you tasted that unquenchable love in your life? Can you recall that moment and stay with it as the days of Lent unfold?
And again we prayed:
Send your Holy Spirit we pray, into these gifts of bread and wine and send your Holy Spirit into us, that we may RECOGNIZE each other as members of the same body, Christ’s hands and feet and heart, sent for the healing of the world.
Nothing is too difficult for our God. Help me Father to let you open my eyes to the wonders of your redeeming work. Help me recognize your people as members of the same body you have created for the healing of the world.
Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Howard Thurman
This one made me think. Twice. Howard Thurman went to his rest in the Lord in 1981. He was “a nationally recognized theologian, distinguished religious leader, and prolific author of over twenty published books. His book Jesus and the Disinherited was considered his most indispensable work.” I read his Disinherited and was moved. He wrote, “It is a man’s reaction to things that determines their ability to exercise power over him.” So reminds me of Viktor Frankl.
There are a few things that make me come alive. Some have been sitting in a file folder for decades. When I was diagnosed with the heart aneurysm I got scared but I also got busy. There was poetry the world had never seen that I wanted to release to others. There was the urge to publish a book with some of these blog posts. The aneurysm is still there, but I have decided to let it be there. Was likely there for decades without my knowledge.
Now that a new year has begun, I am aware I will not live forever, with or without the aneurysm. My husband has a pacemaker and reminds me how many years are left on his battery. He assures me he has no intention to get the battery replaced when it stops working. That sort of knowledge keeps me on my toes. If and when he dies, (he thinks it will be before me), I am certain I will be knocked down for a couple months at least if not longer. Therefore, if I intend to get some of these things done, I better get them accomplished before that battery expires!
Last year a friend offered to take one of the praise choruses I heard and wrote down years ago and work with it. She put it on staff paper so people might have it to play and enjoy. Indeed, she did just that! This year I asked if she would be willing to take on the other 4 or 5. She again said yes! This afternoon I am going to her house to work on the timing on one of them. I hope to be able to post them on this blog for you to enjoy at home or in your local church. Truly an amazing and skill musical talent she possesses!
Dana and I are working at preparing my poetry for publication through Amazon Direct Publishing. This will include some of the newer works. I have a new appreciation for what an editor does. I have read every single one of my poems and found many errors that we printed previously. Yikes. There will be a few new photos in the new book, two by my musician friend mentioned above.
Stephen Ministry has been calling to me and I was commissioned last Sunday at church. I will eventually be assigned a care receiver to meet with. That person will need me about an hour a week. I will also be praying for that person and receiving supervision during their care. It is a ministry I feel compelled to give myself to. I, too, benefited from it when I recently felt overwhelmed.
The prayer team at church need leadership. That has been a call upon my life for decades. I did not say no. Please pray for me to hear just what the Lord desires as I try to arrange a meeting with them and provide leadership that will feed and encourage them.
What makes YOU come alive? Would you be willing to take that aliveness and let the world use it? None of us knows when the Lord will call us home. Please do not leave things left undone that you might be able to accomplish now, this month, this year!
Piano music, how I love it! When I am writing there is nothing better than piano solo music in the background to keep me focused and moving along with bringing forward the thoughts of my heart. I also love it when I am crocheting, especially while learning a new pattern.
Amazon music lets me select songs for playlists. I came across this artist who I had used on a playlist in 2024? I had since forgotten him. Reintroduced to his music, I thought I would share it with you in case you also are a fan of piano solos? Here is just one of many compositions. Enjoy!
I love to have music playing, especially piano solos in the background as I write or read, (like right now). Music helps me focus. And if I lose focus, music can often return me to the topic. Recently I asked Amazon music to play piano solo hymns for me. I am familiar with a few artists, but this name was new to me. Dan Musselman. What a neat find!
If you click on the link you can read about him. His arrangements are available for purchase.
If you have a music streaming service I hope you will request him. He even takes the most contemporary Christian music and plays it as a piano solo. His music is seamless and lovely. Below is a sampling. Enjoy!
Snow? Well, we are forecast to be in the high 60s later this week, so snow is unlikely. I am always amazed at how the air seems to change prior to and during/after a snowfall. The very air is charged with listening. Asking the web, “Does snow muffle sound?” this answer was written. “Freshly fallen snow significantly alters the acoustic environment. Its porous structure, composed of ice crystals and air pockets, effectively absorbs sound waves. This absorption reduces the reflection and transmission of auditory signals, creating a noticeable dampening effect on ambient noise.” Ha! Not just my imagination 🙂 Recently in church they played an instrumental version of “Still, still, still”. Do you know this song?
May you grow still enough to hear the stir of a single snowflake in the air, so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation.
BR. DAVID STEINDL-RAST
I love this Steindl-rast thought towards inner silence. Yes, Christmas has passed. The call to stillness continues throughout the year. Can you quiet your heart and mind this much? If not to the stir of a single snowflake perhaps to the quiet of a new fallen snow? The world will continue without our input or opinion for a few minutes. Practice, regardless of the weather. Next time it snows at your house go outside or open the door to experience this quietening effect of the crystals. It is good for your soul!
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 