The bulletin from today’s Easter service at Mom and Dad’s church.
Luke 24:6 (ESV)
“He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,”
You may find the details of the Resurrection as told in each of the four gospels:
Matthew 28:1-8
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-12
John 20:1-9
Linking up again with Lisa-Jo for Five Minute Friday.
Broken
Start
I feel broken some days, less than satisfied others, spending way too much time dwelling on what isn’t instead of learning to thrive in what is.
Some trials come with poor choices, some like illness and loss, just seem to come. There is a plan in those circumstances, it is just not mine. It is a God plan. It takes me time to grasp that and I still don’t always understand or find joy, much less peace in His plan.
Then, there is Jesus, the man who went through multiple trials and he submitted to them. It was His Father’s plan. The plan that I don’t always understand. He submitted to, to the ultimate…death.
Instead of feeling broken, I need to feel grateful. Especially today.
Stop
Luke 23:46 (ESV)
Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
For the complete account of Jesus’ crucifixion, death and burial, please read Luke 23:26-56.
Sweet Rachel took Paul’s leftover preschool supplies and wrote this for me while I was reading aloud a few weeks ago. Paul smudged it a bit, but it’s still legible 🙂
My eyebrows raised at the last one. Kyle, where has she heard that one? Hmmm…
Titus 2:3-5 (NIV)
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
I wrote a long, rambling comment to this post at Lisa-Jo’s blog and decided to do a little editing and embellishing and turn it into a post of my own! Thanks for the inspiration, Lisa-Jo!
Last night, my husband did the bed time herding while I escaped to my room and enjoyed the last of the leftover chocolate banana cake along with some homemade coconut milk ice cream 🙂 I was not interrupted and able to eat and enjoy before it was all melty.
I joined in for Bible time and listened to my husband read “Man of the Family” and after, the usual whispers started from the boys’ room. They stopped suddenly and we wondered what was going on.
Our second son came in a little later to tell us that The Tyrant, aka four-year-old , aka youngest, aka one of the strongest willed boys I have ever known, was asleep.
He usually visits us several times and then stage whispers all sorts of nonsensical things and ends up talking himself to sleep.
The 14-year-old decided that it would less painful to cuddle him to sleep, than to “have his ears talked off.”
We laughed and thanked him, then Kyle checked and his ears were still there!
Fun!!
Four and 14. Paul and Luke. “Working” together early in the month. Both super busy. Both super blessings.
Psalm 133:1 NIV 1984
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
An afternoon view from the front door, in the middle of a restful day having church and fun at home.
Mark 11:8-10 (ESV)
And many spread their cloaks on the road,
and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.
And those who went before and those who followed were shouting,
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
Remember
Start
I remember those early days, both 18. He headed off to school at the end of the summer, on the coast, me staying in the state.
In the dark ages of the late ’80s and early ’90s, pre-cell-phone, texting, even e-mail for me. Expensive, rare calls and lots and lots and lots of mail.
Four-and-a-half of those before marriage, then that number again of early marriage. So quiet, not necessarily productive, just normal work, too much t.v., some travel.
Then, I remember feeling those somersaults of someone inside and nudging my husband to feel. The late night hiccups, just as I was falling asleep. Sometimes late night boxing matches, at least it felt like it.
Then I remember the day that first boy was born, two ounces shy of 11 pounds.
I remember the look on my husband’s face when he finally met someone he was related to.
I have much more to remember, but those early days with him seemed so long and short and I am looking forward to many more years.
End
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
Origami Guy strikes again! 🙂
Note that he is nowhere in sight. The good things are that #1 He went outside on the nice sunny day and #2 I did not get grumpy, well outwardly anyway and #3 I am actually grateful that he and his siblings are able to keep themselves occupied doing creative, mostly productive things, even quietly sometimes!
1 Chronicles 16:34(NIV)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Six of us enjoying this afternoon’s library haul.
Photo by Kyle, taken while he snuggled with Paul.
Paul joined in the fun! 🙂
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Rest.
Noise. Thoughts. Business. Rest-stealers, they are. Self-condemnation–feeling like I am not being everything to everyone or anything to anyone? I end up feeling like I am good at the wrong kind of rest, the I’mso-overwhelmed-I’ll -do-nothing kind of rest.
I need to perfect the kind of Biblical rest that Jesus advocated. He got away to pray. Oftentimes he was followed and needed and he was gracious and responded to those needs. So, I don’t need to feel less when I am interrupted in my attempts at quiet and rest.
My four-year-old reminds me that I need rest. His daddy sent him upstairs for a forced rest yesterday and when he came down, he sat on the stairs and called down “I am praying. Would you pray?” His short, sweet prayers that often consist of something like “Please help me be good” refresh me and remind me that I don’t have to have hours and hours to rest. I need to use the time that I have to rest.
End
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
My birthday “cake”!
#1 I wasn’t thinking ahead–dessert on the brain, not blogging!
#2 I didn’t take this photo, hence it was not staged at all–I just used what I found on the old photo stream.
#3 Pretend it has been cropped after-the-fact, because I don’t know how to do that yet!
Banana: Guatemala
Ice Cream: Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free cookbook. (Same as last week’s recipe).
Chocolate Sauce: Sweet and Natural cookbook.
Whipped Cream: Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free blog.
Psalm 28:7(NIV)
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.
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