Heart thread - Wednesday 2/27/2008 - updated

My friend John has requested prayer for his brother:

Roger (59) was admitted to a Hospital in Mission Viejo, CA for treatment of three blood clots, one in each lung and one large one in his leg.

Overnight I have manifested the early signs of a chest cold. Doing the full vitamins, fluid, rest thing but would love to shake it quickly. (Did Kirstin send me a virus in e-mail? Nah, she's a good kid in spite of the company she keeps.)

Thanks, gang.

Update:
Sometimes we don't get our prayers in on time. But have you ever needed prayer in a crisis and then NOT needed prayer afterwards? Of course not.

So let's send some love to Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein and Eileen. Dr. Monkey, a chum of Fran's, is a good atheist and I don't foist prayers on those who'd rather not have them. I don't think he objects to love and positive thoughts, though, even if some of us think that doesn't differ much, if at all, from prayer. He writes a fascinating post of his whole adventure. And we just all loves us some Eileen and wish her the peace and wisdom and strength she needs and love and light and blessings for her whole family.
--the BB

Heart thread - Tuesday 2/26/2008

Sister Jane R has a lot on her heart these days and asks for our prayers. Send the love.

My brother-in-law Jack is home. They have determined that his body can most likely heal itself now that he is stabilized. No surgery took place. Thank you all for your prayers.

Heart thread - Friday 2/22-updated

I have put updates below but for those who do not scroll that far:

My brother-in-law Jack continues to receive blood transfusions and they want his heart rate and blood count to stabilize before surgery. I find this troubling since I don't see how the blood count can stabilize until surgery. Catch-22, but what I get is third-hand. Prayers definitely needed. He has received 14 units of blood since Sunday.

My friend's ex-husband King died last night (in Alabama). Prayers for him, his current wife, my friend (his ex, who lives here), their daughter and her family (from Toronto) would be lovely.

FranIAm has a prayer request up, with a chance to help, at her site.

Fr Jake has requests for prayer for fs, a member of the community that comments there.

We are also remembering Callum, MP's border collie, and his canine and human family. Lots of folks in various rough patches on blogsites that MP notes.

And we are still joyously celebrating the birth of Alcibiades' new son.

Update:
I continue to visit Through the Dust each day and offer prayer for Deacon Ormonde Plater who is going through chemo for leukemia. Don't know how he slipped my mind in the first draft of this. He posted an update today.

Update 2:
Good heavens! How could I forget Fran's ordeals in the house sale. Prayers needed there until the deal is done and final.
--the BB

Heart thread-multiple updates

Thanks to all who have offered prayers. Here is the latest information I have, along with a call for fervent prayer.

As of last night they were still trying to determine the extent of bleeding in King's brain and he may have ruptured his spleen. [Update: King has been moved to palliative care. Let us hold him in the light as he goes before us.]

My brother-in-law Jack evidently tore something internally when he took a fall a couple of weeks ago. It is near his spleen and they are working on scheduling surgery for today. He has received nine units of blood, so the blood loss has been quite severe.

Update 2:
Click on over to Fran's an offer prayers (perhaps more) for Kiara.

Update 3:
Dear Ones,

King died this evening. My friend (his ex-wife) sends her thanks for all your prayers. I know the family will continue to be held in love.

My brother-in-law Jack's heart rate was high today and surgery was postponed. Thanks for holding him before God.

Update 4 (Friday morning):
Little Sister writes: "Dr says no surgery until his heart rate and blood count stablizes. "  At this point Jack has received 14 units of blood.  They are pondering a more indirect but less invasive approach to surgery.  I will update here as I learn more.  Thank you all for continuing prayer.
--the BB

Heart thread

I want to thank all those, here and at MP's, who have offered thoughts and prayers on behalf of Chuck and his family. I have no updates to offer but am very grateful for your love.

This morning I have two more requests from news I received late last night.

My sister Shirley's husband Jack has been hospitalized and tests are being done. He has been bleeding and received transfusions. Shirley is not very mobile and has depended on Jack.

A local friend's ex-husband has fallen and sustained brain trauma. His name is King. Their daughter and his second wife need prayers too. For privacy I am not adding their names, but you and God know enough to take it from there.

[I am losing track of time but it was almost ten years ago that my nephew, who was the contractor working on our deck, fell and suffered brain trauma. He survived with memory and personality intact, with some impairment of fine motor functions and loss of strength but otherwise quite whole. He is one of my best friends--and the person who drove me from California to New Mexico when I moved. I have solid ground for high hopes for King but this news did take me back to some terrifying memories.]

I thank God for virtual communities who offer real compassion and real prayer!
--the BB

Word from Rio

Jonathan (Mad Priest) got this news from Father Eduardo in Rio:

I had an motorcycle accident when I was going to my parish in city of god. A taxi was running away from police and they crash me in the midle of the street, it was very scare... Was kind of seeing the death face to face..., anyway... The death ran away from me at the moment, and I'm still alive, with some headaches, but alive.

There is more. You can read about the alligators at OCICBW. The Mad One even throws in a musical bonus from his incredible collection. (No, not that evil Christmas music.)

The Christmas Appeal has concluded but let's keep Eduardo, the Anglican Church of Cristo Rei, the children of Cidade de Deus, and Luiz in our prayers.

Photo via OCICBW

BLOGGER DOWN

Those who visit our friends at JN1034 were startled by the announcement of an offline emergency on 4 January, followed by no blogging. We held them in our prayers. Since then there have been only two posts, the most recent having ominous overtones.

The delicate nature of things and the precarious position of those who speak out on behalf of LGBT people within the Orthodox Church combine to make it unlikely that faithful readers will, or should, learn all that is going on--BUT WE KNOW OUR ORTHODOX BROTHERS AND SISTERS NEED OUR PRAYER.

So this is a plea for a strong prayer vigil. You may drop by and send them your love and by all means let us hold them in our hearts before God.


May the Holy Angels guard and defend them.

May the Theotokos cast her mantle over them.

May Christ be their Light, their Peace, their Shield, and their Joy.

May Truth and Righteousness prevail.

Original image borrowed from JN1034

Having risen from sleep I hasten to you,
O Lord, Lover of humanity,
and by Your loving-kindness
I strive to do your work,
and I pray to You:
help me at all times,
in everything,
and deliver me
from every evil thing of the world
and every attack of the devil,
and lead me into Your eternal Kingdom.
For You are my Creator,
the Giver and Provider of every good,
and all my hope is in You,
and to You I send up glory, now and ever,
and to the ages of ages. Amen.
--Third Prayer of St. Makarios the Great


--the BB

Pray for San Joaquin

Photo of the San Joaquin Valley from Student Britannica

I suppose, for context, I should state that I was born and raised in Fresno, the see city of the Diocese of San Joaquin, though I was not an Episcopalian when living there. The events unfolding there do so in the land of my birth, the soil from which I come.

Kirstin has put up a nice post regarding the Diocese of San Joaquin, meeting today and tomorrow in convention. The central issue is the crucial second vote to make the diocese's affiliation with any province of the Anglican Communion definable in their canons, i.e., we're only part of TEC if we feel like it.

The people of the diocese need our prayers and a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in grace, power, and redeeming grace. I can pray for that much, though I cannot be as gracious as Kirstin. As I wrote to her privately, I have no charity left in me over the damage some bishops, Schofield included, have done to the body of Christ. I would like for him to find healing somewhere else, and I am sure he would feel the same way about me. So there you have it.

Kirstin's words:

I’m well past praying for unity. The best I can pray for is a compassionate divorce. And I pray that everyone directly involved, and all of us on the outside watching, will listen, deeply, and can discern the true will of God. The vote is almost a given. The steps that people take afterward will make all the difference. I pray for openness, honesty, generosity, and love on all sides, even as we take leave of one another.

We are all, right now, every one of us, caught up in the forgiving, merciful, empowering, liberating, life-giving love of God. We all—John-David, you, and I—will be redeemed. We all will stumble into grace. Let us remember the One at the heart of our faith, who said, “Let anyone among you who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

--the BB

Beware flying toilet seats

Pearls Before Swine by Stephen Pastis

Rat is one sick critter, which may be why I am amused by him. This is a little reminder not to get caught up in one's own inflated fantasies.

Actually, it was Over the Hedge that recently ran an inflated fantasy series. But that's another story.

Meanwhile, back on earth, my current contract assignment comes to an end this Friday and I am looking for work again. Prayers gratefully accepted.

Not every day one can use a post title like that, eh?
--the BB