Friday, February 29, 2008

Heart thread - leap day 2008


Pseudopiskie is asking for some prayers for Penny and Dave.  You can read about it here.

I feel much better and have not been febrile for two days.  Thanks for holding me in the Light.

Kirstin is still getting over the crud.

Mimi is traveling.

Jane R has asked our prayers for Jeff who is gravely ill.  I think she's been so stretched and stressed she could use a little love too.

FranIAm should have closed her house deal today.  It's been a tough go.

The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin continues to need our prayers, as do the Episcopal Dioceses of Fort Worth and Pittsburgh.  The Episcopal Diocese of Rio Grande, where I live, can use prayers as our Standing Committee has tons to deal with while we are between bishops.

Don't forget that the Cunning Runt is still convalescing from his arm surgery (though he's not played that for sympathy in a while now, but you gotta now therapy and recuperation ain't fun).

Lisa at My Manner of Life was thrown for a loop at the death of her beloved cat Shug and I think she still needs some holding.

Mike F has written of God's "severe mercy" lately.

This imitatio Christi bit is quite hard to cope with. I don't want to write all this stuff, actually. But if I am even remotely honest in thinking it through, this is where it gets me. I can't claim to be even remotely comfortable with it, humanly speaking, and I'm most certainly not preaching it to anyone else, and yet for me it is impossible to escape.

After tonight's Friday adventures in Panamá, we may need to pray for the good Padre's soul.

People of all faiths and ethnicities in Nigeria need our prayers.

Ongoing prayers for all the folks we've been holding, natch (Eileen's household, my sister and her husband, etc.).

And I am surely missing lots of others.



Descend, Holy Spirit
Descend, Holy Spirit of Life!
Come down into our hearts, that we may live.
Descend into emptiness, that emptiness may be filled.
Descend into the dust, that the dust may flower.
Descend into the dark, that the light may shine in the darkness.
Amen.
—Frances Caryll Houselander

--the BB

8 comments:

Kirstin said...

Thanks for this, my friend. I still have the cough, but I finally woke up feeling human.

Prayers for all the others (and for the catching up ahead of me).

susankay said...

Thanks, Paul. I will pray.

The Cunning Runt said...

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, Paul. You and your great community of friends must be doing something powerful - I'm ahead of schedule on my "recovery." Though my surgeon just gave me a not-so-hopeful prognosis regarding how far I'll get.

The rather rudimentary "prayers" of this Druid-Leaning Agnostic tend to resemble the simple "Thy Will Be Done" model, coming out of my mind as something like "Let It Be As It Should Be." It's an outgrowth of my faith in the Natural Order and my conception of myself as a spoke in the Wheel of Life, no more or less important than any other part of Nature.

This I spin outward into The World for everyone on your list.

Again, Thanks.

Paul said...

CR, thanks so much. While I spin out fancy liturgical prayers, and borrow shamelessly from others, my private prayer life pretty much boils down to your "let it be as it should be" combined with gratitude. It keeps getting simpler as I get older.

Glad you are coming along so well. Doctors, who should be cautious, are often proven wrong on things like this, so keep going for the gold!

Fran said...

Oh dear Paul- this is so lovely and to be included is a gift beyond measure. I thank you.

All went well and not only did I close, but I met Mimi plus had dinner with her and Tobias and James.

My gratitude to you and this compassionate circle of praying bloggers. My heart to you all, my prayers never ending.

And special prayers for you dear Paul!!

BTW, I love me some Houselander - brilliant.

Link to closing and Mimi post is here.

Paul said...

Hooray for Fran! I just clicked over to read her report on the NYC adventure - cool photos too - and I got to be the first to comment.

Lisa Fox said...

Ah ... So this is why I got some more visitors to my site. But I thank you seriously, Paul. I am not doing well. It's not just Shug's death. It's some other spiritual stuff her death has kicked-up for me. Stuff about worthiness [mainly the lack thereof] and guilt and whether I can ever really be forgiven. Deep doo-doo. I am grateful for your prayers. I just can't write on my blog. I seem to have no articulate words to share. I am grateful for your kindness.

Paul said...

Lisa, dear heart, I am sorry you are in such a rough patch. You may emerge happier and stronger and more whole (I have faith you will), but right now it just sucks and I feel for you. So, let the rest of us hold you, remind you that you are worthy, and don't worry about not blogging!