Holy Week Hurdles

First, my friend A. bought me this shawl that Mat Anna made

and gave it to me before I left for CA+ AZ.  And yes, that's me 

in the picture...anyway... back to the shawl! 

I love it and did not have time before now to show it to you all! 

Mat Anna makes beautiful things!

Including this beautiful baby blanket - perfect for a baptism gift!

(I should know, we gave one to our last 2 godchildren!!!)

***

OK. Soooooo... Holy Week has what we Orthodox Christians like to call

'temptations'.... they are often an unexpected challenge - from things breaking,

to interpersonal conflict, to super stressful things, accidents, injury or even

tragedy.  They come, sometimes, in spades. And of course

there are years in one's life that are heavy on these things.

Hard....

***

I am very blessed in that we are right now in good health - my cold seems to be gone -

we don't have the flu - but .... I too have been a bit blindsided by things.

***

My Aunt Karen, who I visited in early March, is dying.

They tried a medical procedure, it was not effective.

It is clear that she has good care, she's just very ill and 

there's no much more that can be done.

She is in ICU still I believe and we are going to lose her,

probably this week but only God knows. 

So that's super HARD.

She is a very beloved Wife, Mother, Aunt, Grandmother...

She's super special to me personally.

I am SO VERY GLAD I got to see her 2x in MI in early March.

Grief and loss is hard.

***

And our ongoing unbloggable stress just ramped up to another new level.

Lots of unknowns. I can't really talk about it other than to say that

and that thank God it is not an issue in our marriage or family and not 

a health concern as much as a stress-concern in other areas. 

***

But, I know that many are having huge struggles, 

we are by no means alone or having the worst of them.

Of course it is best to not compare to others right?

Rather, look to Christ and for His mercy.

***

The thing that temptations also entail is that they can shift/throw off one's focus

on Christ completely... it's Holy Week...

I just pray that God can help me be present to the services as much as 

I can be able to and that He will carry us all to HIS glorious Pascha. 

Palm Sunday, Lazarus Saturday, and Holy Week!

It's all beginning! 

We had a really nice Palm Sunday... and were

back in church for Bridegroom Matins...

we went out afterwards with our favourite 

older candle desk man to our dinner 

for dinner....

***

My Aunt is in ICU and is stable.

She is having a new medical treatment

and we really did not know if it would go well.

So far it's going much better than expected.

Lots of people have been praying.

***

I may not update much this week.

Wishing everyone a blessed Holy Week

and a Blessed Easter-tide to all who celebrated today!

***

May the Good Lord carry us to Pascha! 

Tearing down to build up

Christmas tree is down, lights and ornaments packed away carefully.

Lenten icons are up, Christmas icons packed.

I am going home to Western MI in a week's time, 

a week tomorrow.

God willing I will be in church everyday this week, for the beginning 

of Lent, which is called Clean Week.

With yesterday being a feast day and my Husband took the day off for it, 

and then the news of my Aunt K, shocking...;

I was so confused this morning, I thought yesterday was a 2 day weekend 

and that today was Monday.

Why was my friend posting on IG about it being Friday?

Why is it that one minute one is fine and happy and joyful

and the next minute everything changes, dynamically, suddenly

and the sword is thrust in and goes out silently, quickly,

without visible change and yet everything is changed?

I finally did the second book order for my church book sale,

that we thought would be 2 times this Lent, 

this Sunday and then later.

But now there is snow on the way; we don't know if we can travel there

or not and such. 

I've had this icon of Christ the Good Shepard lit for my Aunt;

it is Christ who will take her safely through the valley of death....

I am getting this book on the mystery of death and from the chapter headings, I think

it will be a good read for me right now.

I woke to this song inside me, welling up, expressing everything...