Holy Week ~ Almost There

I'm working on my 7th Holy Week preparation.  As a group we've come a long way.  This year we're more bilingual than ever and that makes me very happy and a good bit nervous.  I've included YouTube links of some of the songs we're singing during this time.  Feel free to join us because I'll be streaming!  https://www.facebook.com/saintstephenfirstmartyrcatholicchurch/

I grew up in a Charismatic world and now I earn my living in a Liturgical world - similar and yet very different.  Both are good and I love the diversity.

In my present liturgical world we'll walk out the Passion of Christ from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday and it touches me so.

During Holy Thursday our Priest will humble himself and wash the feet of some of our families.

The Altar will be stripped and we'll prepare for Good Friday.

  Donde Hay Amor y Caridad - Where Charity and Love Abound
As I Have Done for You

Good Friday will be Stations of the Cross in the Garden. 

Our amazing Hispanic community is giving us a "living" Stations of the Cross...

...to be followed by Good Friday Liturgy.  We enter in silence, we venerate the Cross, we have Communion and we depart in silence.  Very moving.

Behold the Wood ~ Entre Tus Manos

Saturday is our "Easter Vigil" - we begin at dark (8pm) - we enter in darkness and after the Readings, lights are turned on and we begin the celebration of the Savior's Resurrection.  Resucito

We're reminded of the importance of our Baptism.  I Saw Water Flowing

The entire evening is so moving to me.

Then we come back for Easter Sunday and what a celebration!  He is risen!

I truly hope and pray that you are celebrating the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ during this time of year!

If you aren't, you're truly missing out!

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

Apples of Gold ~ Proverbs 25:11

If you've been around me, you know I love books.

There are a few books that - no matter how many times I moved - they traveled with me - always.  I re-discovered one of them last night.

Apples of Gold by Jo Petty

My parents gave me the above book in 1979.

It's one of my all time favorite books.  I cherish it.

The title is from Proverbs 25:11 -

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."

I've been thinking about this verse a lot lately.  "A word fitly spoken".  There are so many times when my words are not "fitly spoken".  They're rushed, sometimes careless and often hurtful.  They're not the words I really want to say.

I pray that in my world of commitments and walking out my daily life I take the time to form my thoughts and my words so they're "like apples of gold in pictures of silver".

Some of the nuggets in this book...

• "What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity."
• "Children are a great comfort in your old age - and they help you reach it faster, too."
• "All sunshine makes a desert."

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

My Girls

This is a little bit of a tough time for us right now.  All's good but multiple testing and the follow up doctors' appointments can get wearing.  I just want to shout out to my daughters for checking in with me, asking what they can do to help, prayer support and just general "we're thinking about you - what can we do to help" comments.

Thank you Traci & Ginger for your words of support and for "being there".  It means a lot!

Biopsy is tomorrow - Bill always does really well and I'm amazed at his body.  The nurse today said they'd keep him in recovery until they know he's safe to go home because it's like putting a needle into a balloon.  Thanks for that thought and thank you for not sending him home to my care until you know he's "good to go".

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

Cancer Wife ~ PET Scan

24 hours of no carbs - no sugar.  Oh my goodness!  I'm married to a man that doesn't do well following the rules.  In fact - he rarely follows rules of any kind.

Thankfully he realized the importance of the test he took yesterday and did a pretty good job following "the rules".

While he was tested I was able to spend 1 hour and 20 minutes of time in prayer and time being thankful for the incredible facility we're at.

The Lewis Cancer Center offered me the following...

A beautiful view as I waited for my husband.

All of the coffee I could want plus a place to charge my phone.

The waiting room in the CyberKinife/Radiology area as we waited to hear the results.

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

Cancer Wife ~ Something Grew

This is such an interesting journey.  November 2017 was when Bill was coughing up blood and saying if it's lung cancer - I don't want to know about it.  Umm - if it's lung cancer, you'll know about it.

Fast track to March 2019...in remission since July 2018...CT scans every 3 months looking for new growth...March 4th CT Scan - new growth.  Bam!  We're in a new experience and what an amazing group of doctors we have.  Radiologist has a PET scan scheduled immediately, we see him right after.  Oncologist puts Bill's fears to rest - "I'm not going to use chemo for this."  Whew!  (Apparently that's the bar with my husband - the line between I'll be treated for this or I'm ready to meet my maker.)  Chemo kicked his butt.

The new growth (1cm grew to 1.6cm in 3 months) is scheduled to be biopsied next week - fiducial markers placed for radiation - radiation plan to be put in place - a couple of zaps and done.

I'm actually marveling at the tremendous job our team of doctors and their staff are doing.  I'm attaching reward dinners and a hotel stay since I don't do "early mornings" any more to the present testing.  (If my mama taught me anything, she taught me to be rewarded after something tough.)

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia 

Cancer Wife - Guess That's Me

Tonight I was asked to write about my experiences as the wife of a Cancer Patient...it will help someone.

Wow!  Brave face blown!  Real face revealed!  I am the wife of a man dealing with Cancer.  There it is - I said it.  I own it - I don't like it - in fact, I hate it.

I've never run from reality - I've run to reality and dealt with "worst case first".  If I can deal with the "worst case" then I can deal with what I'm facing.  It's worked well for me.  And then my husband of 20something years developed lung cancer.  The big bug-a-boo.

Truthfully - we've been blessed with incredible doctors and supportive staff.  I wasn't the person having the radiation zaps or the chemotherapy that zapped my husband to "stand up - pass out" status -  I was the was the person on constant alert should he "hit the floor".

So, I'll keep my promise and tell my story of what it's like to be the "Cancer" wife.  It's a life of prayer, faith and constant words of affirmation.

Thanks for visiting ~ more to come ~ Reia

Got Any Rivers You Think Are Uncrossable

I've been singing this song continuously for days now.  I know I'm praying and waiting for some answers on how to handle a few things.  I guess this is a way I pray - constantly singing a prayer.

Photo by Pablo Fierro on Unsplash

This song has been around a long time.  The words are good.

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?

Got any mountains, you cannot tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible
And He can do what no other power can do.

Yes, I do have some rivers that seem uncrossable and a few mountains I'm not sure how I'll tunnel through.  Yes, I know that God specializes in things thought impossible.  I've seen God doing just that through all of my life.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I discovered a new rendition by Selah and it gives me a promise - God will carry me.  He's carried me in many situations over the years.  God is good at carrying me.  He's good at carrying you also.  We just have to let Him.

I hope you enjoy this version by Selah.  Got Any Rivers / Carry You

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia