Easter Celebration

Easter Sunday – a day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Can you even imagine what Mary and the disciples thought when they saw the stone rolled away, the empty tomb, the body of their Lord gone!! He told them it would happen and still they did not believe until he reappeared to them .

We celebrate this day as a new beginning – a time to start over and perhaps get it right this time. It was a bright and beautiful morning as we celebrated with many others in our morning service with a cantata and songs of worship, praise, and thankfulness. I do miss the early morning sunrise services in Prairie Grove at the Battlefield Park with the sun rising in the East as we sang praises to the Lord. Some mornings it was warm and comfortable, and others it was a bit chilly. There is something about worshipping as the sun rises – a feeling of hope and redemption.

We went to see the move “I Can Only Imagine” yesterday with friends.  It was the first time in a long time we went to a theater – such a difference from years ago!! Reclining seats, huge screens, surround sound. Remember going to a movie for 10 cents, having a quarter to buy popcorn, candy, and a soda???

My parents owned a local café in small Wisconsin town where they advertised the two movie theaters in town. As a thank you for advertising in their window, we received 2 free passes a week – I think I saw almost every show that came out in the late 50’s, except “Rebel Without a Cause”, as I was forbidden to see it. Maybe my parents thought it would be a bad influence on me?? The highlight of the whole movie experience was to have the reel break, and having to wait for it to be spliced together so the show could go on. What fun. If you get a chance to see “I Can Only Imagine”, please try to go see it. A powerful movie about forgiveness.

My amaryllis is in full bloom – the flowers are huge this year. I would take pictures of it, but for some reason I cannot post pictures. Sometimes technology frustrates me. The Easter lilies in the park have not bloomed yet – they are I fully budded out and ready to burst open.

We are so very thankful for all of the Winter Texans who are returning home- they donate their leftover food for Caring Hearts Ministry. We make packages of flour, sugar, pancake mix, etc. (from half used bags the folks do not want to take back North with them). We package cereal, oatmeal, and other items so that we ca distribute them to the colonias. There are so any items that are useable – snacks, crackers, unopened bottles of condiments, juices, peanut butter, and so on. We also receive many used clothing items as Snow Birds clean out their closets. All of the donated items are so very welcome – sometimes the colonia residents receive items they never had the opportunity to buy for themselves. Now as the produce slows down for a month or so and the kiddos are going to be home from school, all of the additional items are so very much appreciated. We also have beans, rice, and packaged individual meals of beans, lentils, and dried veggies that we have stored for these lean times. We often pray for enough for everyone, and regardless of what we receive, there is always enough every Friday. God is so good – He provides.

Please continue to pray for God’s Worthy Women, as a new leadership team is taking over – pray for the perfect place for our retreat next February, and that many souls will be reached. We are also in the early planning stages of a retreat in Arizona with our chaplains who serve there in the winter. Pray for plans to develop so we can reach ladies in that area. We had been talking about this for a few years, praying for someone to take the lead there, and we are cautiously proceeding – waiting for God’s will to be done in that area.

Have a wonderful week as we enjoy spring weather, more sunshine, and longer days. Pray for those in storm’s way, and for warming weather in the colder climates.

Let this Easter season be a new beginning for all of you -