MARCH MERCIES

I was looking for something green for this  month.

I don't know who created this but it is so true.
We need to give ourselves TLC.

First, because everyone chooses green for March.
Second, because my heart hopes some of this icy snow will melt enough for us to see a bit of green below.
We've managed to get to our appointed destinations this winter, in spite of snow and ice and peril.
God is so good.

And so I begin another month of euchristeos to God for all the blessings I receive daily.

#3534-3536::  We managed to get to church safely on dry roads.  Icy sleet made our journey home very slow but we made it home safely.  A grand day of worship and meetings and hearing incredible stories.

#3537-3539:: This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad.  It's above freeeeeeezing!!!!  Hubby shoveled the ice-packed snow as it began to thaw.  We WILL see green one of these days.

I love Mondays.  All too soon a Monday will be
my garden day.  I'll dig in the earth and
plant that which gives me JOY!

#3540-3542:: Cut, paste, clean out, clean up, prepare papers and notebooks for year-end review.  Hours of reviewing documents to keep or throw makes for a wonderful feeling at the end of the day.  Files and notes and instructions and documents all tidy and ready for another year.

#3543-3545::  Rain and slush and melting snow make for a slow ride to a meeting where we laughed, told stories, shared new ideas and accomplished much.  Planned visits cancelled as we slogged home in mushy sleet.  Happy-sad to cancel a very important evening meeting.  Safety first = happy.

#3546-3548::  Warm temps, shovel slush, just a bit of snow at the beginning of the day.  Then it becomes colder and snow becomes thick and prolific.  Heavy snow and fog create a white-out.
Schools closed, everyone in their right mind stays home.  Hooray!

#3549-3551:: Crisp cold blankets frozen white in

early hours.  Drip, drip, drip as ice on snow begins to melt.  Hope springs eternal as frost breath fades.

#3552-3554:: Dry roads for early jaunt one hour away to meet with others throughout the state.  Warm air hits cold as icicles begin to melt.  Spring has sprung! It's all relevant but what a gorgeous day at the end.  We "Spring Forward" as we change our clocks tonight!

Visions of Peonies dance in my head!

#3555-3557::  "Early to bed, early to rise" is an understatement.  Losing an hour does not help me rise more easily on this day as it is already too early.  Will we ever see the sun in the morning?  The day begins with warmer temps but we are greeted at church with still-thick ice.  Galant men and rock salt make for safe paths.

#3558-3560:: SPRING HAS SPRUNG!  My glazed eyes re-read the outdoor thermometer.   58 degrees.  I actually ask hubby to go on an adventure with me . . . outside.  My boycott of winter, which has not worked at all, is now over . . .  at least today.  GLORY!  Snow is still deep but streaks of water fill the streets.  Hooray!

#3561-3563::  What fun to re-read old emails and catch up on favorite blogs.  A history of St. Patrick

A room with a winter view.
Dad is feeling much better.

from very old texts provides a deeper understanding of God's gift to Ireland beginning in 433 AD.  A brother's quick thinking and helpers miles away get dad to the hospital when his body 'blipped' a bit.
Looks like pneumonia.  He is super cheerful within 24 hours due to antibiotics.  Amazing at 100!

#3564-3566:: Another gorgeous day!  God is good, Life is good, We are good.  A meeting to hand off materials to another who will be taking on the job - HOORAY!

#3567-3569:: Glorious sun shines through the window at 7am as pink sun peaks over the hill. It would be 6am if still on 'savings' time.

Twelve hour days are NICE!  A great day for the long drive to church for visits and meetings.

#3570-3572:: God's grace is endless as I reflect on yesterday's visit with one who is housebound and the family who give such great care.  Laughter mixed with business is the best 'leadership team' meeting I could have attended - and we finished in one hour!  Mercy mixed with grace is the best 'drink' for the soul as I ponder God's presence in my life.

#3573-3575:: Foggy and rainy seem unnoticed after I receive news of my brother's multiple myeloma.  Some sunshine in this news as it is a cancer that has good treatments. One can live for a long time with it if the body can endure the treatments.  His kidneys are nearly exhausted but there is also a dialysis fix for that. The

Lord is carrying the whole family today.

#3576-3578:: I see my brother in the middle of Holy Communion as the sanctifying prayer covers bread and wine.  Jesus is hovering over my brother's body as powerful light seems to flow into his body.  Hope springs eternal as family shares words of encouragement.

#3579-3581::  A long e-discourse from my brother's daughter, forever positive and detail oriented, helps us to breathe more easily.  Brother is in the best place and he is stable and next steps are there for him in the days to come.  His daughters breathe a sigh of relief for now.  My brother may live longer than anyone expected.

#3582-3584:: I'm feeling less numb but still exhausted from long work days and family conversations.  Sun peaks through lumpy clouds as stiff winds whistle through our yard.  Happy St. Pat's day! as we might well be in the high meadows of Ireland -raw, windy, cold, wet.  We're letting others celebrate today.


#3585-3587:: Sun peaks over the hill.  Clear skies greet freezing temperatures.  A busy day of meetings will keep me on my toes.  Nice!

#3588-3590:: Huge weight off my shoulders as I relinquish my post as President of PEO, a great educational organization the helps women continue their education.  I can now concentrate on the most Holy week of the year as we prepare to quiet the soul and seek more time in the presence of the Lord.  Ahhhhh, my soul feels JOY!

#3591-3593:: It looks like confectioner's sugar being sifted from the sky.  White blankets all but the streets and sidewalks, which remain clear.  Soft, gentle, above freezing, beautiful snow rests on dirt brown and ugly gray . . . for now.  Hours of work on liturgies for Holy Week are completed!

#3594-3596:: B R E A T H E, breathe, breathe.  I take rest today after a very long week of organizing liturgies, bulletins and worship agendas for five services.  A great sense of accomplishment but now I can get some laundry done and write words for tomorrow.  God is sooooooo good!

#3507-3599:: Sun creeps into the dark sky with crimson, purple and pink hues.  Hubby is too sick to join me on the long drive to church but I enjoy the time alone that I can practice words that I will give away today.  Healing service goes well with so many eager to receive the touch of the Lord.  Worship meeting is long but fruitful.  Moving church 'furniture' was a delight as I watched brawny men lift and push and create new space.  Phone calls into the night as emergencies lengthen my day.  I am here to be used and that was our prayer, collectively, at church today, "Use me."  God IS using me.

#3600-3602:: I am pampered as my hair is washed and shaped.  We wind through our errands today with a grand finale at the hospital.  Anointing of the sick is such a sacred time.  Eucharisteo.

#3603-3605:: S L O W goes my body as my mind races forth.  Too many emails to answer, tasks that need completion.  Time to take moments of quiet contemplation.  Another visit to a dear one in the hospital.  God is good, Life is good, we are good.


#3606-3608:: In Fra Angelico's painting of the Annunciation, Mary listens to the golden words of Gabriel while the word of God, the Scripture she has been reading, lays  open on her lap.  God's word is about to become God's Word; he's about to take flesh in this young virgin.
What incredible words on this day we celebrate the Annunciation.  Quiet fills my soul as I meditate on Mary, mother of God.  Prayer is the solution to all 'unsolvable' problems. Amen!

#3609-3611:: Gray quiet lingers through the day as I ponder, pray, prepare for next week.  Perfect weather to remain inside and reflect.  "Convenience" is the word of the day.  Are Christians centering on convenience or are we letting the Lord, thy God, mold us according to His purpose for us?

#3612-3614:: Convenience is the word of the day.  Was it convenient for Jesus to die on the Cross for us?  Is it convenient for us to experience every step to the cross next week?  Does Palm Sunday have two completely different tones due to convenience?  Triumph to tragedy took a week. Why can't we walk with Jesus for one whole week instead of pressing the entire week into one day? I choose to take the 'inconvenient' path and sense that the innumerable blessings will far exceed the 'inconvenience.'

#3615-3617:: Snow flies like popcorn in the sky but light and airy and melts soon after the flurries stop.  Slick torrents of freezing air snap at my face as I dare go outside this SPRING? Thank you, God, that summer is only weeks away.
So happy that my silly clock is fixed - only needed the second hand to be reshaped and it ticks away. Yes!

#3618-3620:: Tiny green shoots pierce slight snow covering in the garden.  Tiny taps on the window sill remind me that these flakes continue this very night.  I reflect on the Palm Sunday procession that enters the church with JOY and then, within minutes, as
we read the Passion according to mark, the tragedy of Christ's crucifixion pierces the heart. A crazy day of mixed emotions, chill winds and more flakes falling.

#3621-3623:: Busy morning preparations for the coming week.  Anticipate delight that we can participate in sharing a meal and a message with at-risk kids tonight.  Winter will not let go but our hearts feel like Spring today.

#3624-3626:: Lots of views yesterday, I wonder why . . . Words, pictures, fleeting thoughts to share with others. Nice.
What a night we had serving the kids and working on a simple project together: Easter Symbols.  They were spot on with their answers.  After the page was full of great answers, a young man shouted from the back, "the empty tomb."  YES!

This is the last day of March.  Oh MY!  Time flies!  And so our walk to the Cross this Holy Week continues in the next blog - April Alleluias!