Sunday

 

                                 A mandala crafted using quill pieces with color. Made by Susan

A wonderful slow in so many ways to start the morning.  Nothing more than eating a healthy breakfast, fetching the paper and sitting for a spell.  And soon after we were on our way to church.  

But before I go farther let me add that when feeling like I need something, music is the filler.  It's usually a great vocal group singing something that has good words. I was asked the question soon after we left the choir we had sung with for more than 55 years...what do you miss?  My answer was the words.  The words we sang were more important than I had thought. So, a few days ago I heard the Concordia Choir sing Day by Day.  I played it over and over again.  The words made the music stay with me.  I had both.  And what did I hear when going through the door to the sanctuary at North this morning as we usually do to enjoy hearing the choir rehearsal?  Day by Day. My face was wet with tears hearing the words coming to me through the voices of my friends.  That was the beginning once again of receiving God's message through this wonderful song of prayer.  

Here is the first verse.  Day by day, your mercies, Lord, attend me, bringing comfort to my anxious soul. Day by day, the blessings, Lord, you send me draw me nearer to my heavenly goal. Love divine, beyond all mortal measure, brings to naught the burdens of my quest; Savior, lead me to the home I treasure, where at last I'll find eternal rest.  I'll send you all another verse tomorrow. 

This could be an anxious week filled with a full body scan and blood draws to determine what is happening in my place of living concerning cancer. The last scan was six months ago.  So, the words have extra meaning that I will use to anchor myself to the one who understands like none other.  Those are scanner words.

So, the morning was one that had extra meaning.  I visited with my friend, the one and only Logan now a third grader and within an inch of my height.  He keeps me grounded and filled with good thoughts that children bring. 

Then I saw now almost a teen Ellen who was a cancer patient when nearly six years old.  We shared some wonderful "ancient" memories of experiences we had together during her recovery.  North is just jam/packed with 60-year-old memories.

                                    An unusual mandala, beautifully crafted by Susan.

The second sermon with the prayer of Jerimiah was the topic of the morning.  The prayer stations are being used and will continue to be available for 4 more weeks during the times the church is open.

                                        Another prayer exercise found in the Gathering Center

So, with descriptions of the morning events...friends, music without words, prayers, visits, and most of all words. 

Then home again with lunch, football with a Colts win and basketball with a Fever win. One more win,  the Fever are in the finals.  Oops.  Hope I didn't jinks it.  I spent quite a bit of time preparing plastic bags again for our Saturday church prepared meal for the community.  Having the plastic bags opened makes the Saturday morning go so much faster with filling the takeout food orders.

The afternoon ended with blogging and then of course there will be the evening football game.

Tomorrow is the first session of Living Strong at the Y at 10:30.  It's something new to look forward to doing, yes with two of my good church friends and others.  Then my world of treatment will take me away for two sessions and then the hope is that I will have no absences or tardys.  

And yes, it's Day by Day one step at a time.