Good Saturday to you on this quiet day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. A time to reflect, to prepare. Joel has the front door open so we can see out the glass storm door. No snow left here, just the brown that comes within the time between Winter and Spring. The squirrels are very rambunctious and comical to watch and our resident ducks are back in the neighborhood. There are still a few birthday flowers on our dining room counter to enjoy. As Spring comes to stay I'm looking forward to a few pansies again!
Speaking of looking forward, the heaviness of Good Friday is behind us as we swivel our gazes off the cross and unto tomorrow. I look forward to hearing and saying, "He is risen"! "He is risen indeed!" Joel will head out early for his first service which includes a baptism and communion and then head SW about 20 minutes to the second service. There will be ham for his dinner, the usual trimmings and the mini pie he picked up at Target. As is par for the course it will be the two of us. I expect Joel will add a long nap to his afternoon. He will need it.
Looking back I remember when we would boil up 3-4 dozen eggs to dye and decorate. Easter baskets were filled with candy and books. Everyone had a new outfit to wear. Usually there was an early morning service among one or two others, depending ono how many churches Joel was serving.
As a teen there were five of us singing in mostly different choirs at different services. We would be up before dawn and heading out for 6 am services........usually all standing in a row before we left for an inspection to make sure we looked appropriate! Even when I came home from college my Easter basket had to be found.....always hidden for us to locate after church. Many years we spent the whole morning at the church. I fondly called it our "second home". Not a bad second home to have.
Speaking of home, we have been watching services this Holy Week from our living room. Such a gift to tune in to services at our local congregation, and two of our daughters churches, our oldest son's church, even the Montana parish Joel served back in the early eighties! We have also been able to listen and watch our daughter on keyboard and flute. It always makes us smile and feel closer to our family who just seem out of reach for those hugs we all desire.
In need of a distraction right now, I have been listening to the audio book, "Spare" by Prince Harry. I decided on a book that was big and thick, one that I would not pay money for but was interested in reading and this one came up. I have been pleasantly surprised to actually like it so far. He narrates it himself and that has been helpful to keep my mind open to what he has to say. I'm half way through and so far it is mostly on his early life. Not surprising, I enjoyed the chapters on his training in the military and time in Iraq and Afghanistan the most. I expect that has something to do with our 8 years of military life. It took me awhile to get used to an audio book, but it saves on my eyes.
Speaking of eyes, my outpatient surgery is scheduled for April 14th and I wish that was yesterday of course. Things are in order and all that is left is for me to stay healthy. A daily prayer! We have cleaned the house, I have baked two kinds of cookies for Joel, and we'll have a pot of soup waiting for us when we get home. Being prepared gives us a sense of having some control over this situation.
Grateful today for Jesus dying for my sins, our sins. Grateful for Easter being the new beginning we all need! Grateful for memories of Easters past. Grateful for being able to watch services online and visibly see some of our children in the process. Grateful for warmer temperatures, sqirrely squirrels! Grateful for the porch chairs being back on the porch! Grateful for a clean house, fresh flowers, a book to distract me, Grateful for texts, pictures, emails, and phone calls. And so much more!
Have a blessed Easter! He is Risen!
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