Prayer Updates and Lent

From my 'Prayers Ascending' on the right. Thank you for your prayers.

1.The news is that the fears of fire flareups created by weather conditions yesterday in Victoria did not eventuate and at the moment no towns are under threat. Weather conditions seem to be cooling as Autumn approaches so hopefully the remaining fires can soon be brought under complete control and we can all breathe easy until next fire season. Of course those who have lost their homes and possessions need continued prayers as they commence to rebuild their lives and those who lost family and friends will always be in need of prayer.

2. I am having house renovations done which have prevented me attending my usual activities but I have heard that the kidney transplant for Jill was successful and both sisters are staying with their Mother, Kathleen, while they recuperate and Jill needs daily visits to the hospital for a month.

3. Archdeacon Kelvin Wright who is vicar of the parish in Dunedin where I hope to worship has completed the program of radiotherapy. He advises that he will receive the results to see how successful it all was on March 25. Meanwhile he is planning a moving retreat in two months involving monasteries in Italy, Taize in Switzerland and Camino in Spain. Pray that it might be a time of Thanksgiving and refreshment.

4. Now prayers for an elderly lady Leana who lives in the same Unit (Apartment) Block as my sister. My sister has always had an ability to assist elderly people. She devoted a lot of time, first to her mother-in-law, then to an Aunt by marriage. This was followed by many years of care for our mother which was constant in the last 6-12 months of her life. She has kept an eye on and assisted a number of elderly ladies in her block.

Leana is a lady probably around 90 who has been ill recently and my sister often assists her with shopping, medications and doctor visits. This should not be necessary as she has a son who is retired and 2 granddaughters. They are financially quite comfortable. Her son comes and takes her shopping once a week but sits in the car reading while his mother shops.
An email from my sister last week relates the situation.
On Thurs afternoon I phoned Leana - she said she was going to hospital and would I go with her but she didn't have any details. I tried to catch Dr Williams but it was quite late by then, anyway Fri morning Dr Williams phoned Leana to say she had arranged for her to see a specialist at the Medical Centre so I took her there - the Dr then said she should have a CT scan at the hospital so back we went late that afternoon. The family had arranged for a lady to come and shower her on the Sat morning so I phoned about Noon - phone was engaged. Went shopping and phoned again when I got back. Phone engaged - left it until later in the afternoon and phone still engaged so I thought something may be wrong with phone and went down to check. I rang the bell several times and then thought I heard a faint voice so went in (luckily I had a key) she was lying on the floor in one of the bedrooms. She had fallen in the kitchen on Fri night apparently crawled into that room but somehow or other must have knocked the phone off the hook near the kitchen. I phoned the ambulance as I didn't want to move her, didn't even like to give her water. Luckily nothing was broken and they got her up but she wouldn't go to hospital. I phoned her son and asked him to get one of his daughters to come over. Anyway both the daughters came and one stayed the night. Her son spent most of the day with her Sunday and they had a nurse stay overnight. She was due to go back to the doctor for the results of the CT scan but the nurse said she was just too weak. So I am now waiting for the doctor to ring me to find out what happens next. Tried to contact her son (he phoned me this morning) but he said he was attending seminars all this week!!!!! I'm getting too old for all this now.

Now we learn Leanna has Ovarian cancer and is deteriorating rapidly so my sister had rather forceful words with her son and he has given up some of his seminars.

After my Father died, way back in 1974, my sister rang my mother every morning and I rang every evening. If one of us was away, the other rang twice a day. In 1999 we moved Mum to live next door to my sister but, by then, the habit was established and I still rang every evening. At times it was a nuisance but now I miss the calls.

Finally Lent.
Having grown up in Evangelical churches, Lent has never been important. Some younger priests in Sydney today do not even know what Lent is about.
We did have fish on Ash Wednesday growing up and Mum made pancakes the night before but I have never been to an Ash Wednesday service and was always bemused at the dirty foreheads in the many years I taught in Catholic schools. My current church does have an Ash Wednesday service but I could not go all the way to the city with workmen in the house. I had fish for dinner (but that was just an adjustment as I always have fish on Tuesday night so just swapped nights). I forgot and made a ham sandwich for lunch.
Do not know what I could give up for Lent and do not see much point in it. Perhaps I could give up my pieces of dark chocolate each night but that is suppose to be healthy for me (at least that is what I believe).
My birthday always falls in Lent.
Hopefully I will learn from reading other blogs. On the other hand, Holy Week has always been important to me.