Hello Easter Week!

Hello Exciting Week!

Wednesday, our dear friends Bill & Velta Morris will be coming to visit on their way back home in Lancaster, SC, after seeing our mutual friends, Derry and Dora Magee in College Station, TX.  Derry is having serious health issues and this could be their final visit together.

The two couples originally lived in Kentwood, LA., their home, when Dick was Minister of Music at the First Baptist Church there during his seminary days. It was under their guidance and in their homes that Dick and I got to know each other before getting married in 1965.

Back in 1968, while we were living in Orange, Texas., they visited us, and we all still have such fond and fun memories of that time.  We so value long, special friendships as these.

Dr. Derry Magee, Hubby, Bill Morris

On Friday, we will go for the wedding rehearsal of our nephew Ben and his beautiful bride-to-be, Ashley and the wedding on Saturday which Hubby will perform.

We are so happy for them and look forward to being part of this special time in their lives.

Of course, Sunday is Easter and we will be involved in worship with Bible Study and stirring music in praise of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Then comes Monday again and we will be lifting off for a week with our son and his family in warm, exciting Las Vegas.

Just gotta love a busy, exciting week!

Hello F2D Super Plus

My daughter, knowing that we had boxes of slides containing a wealth of memories that would be otherwise lost, gave me a slide converter for Christmas.  This past week, I went through all the boxes and had a ball reliving so many precious times.  I have put them on the computer where they will be saved in a file for posterity.

These are just a few that I love.

John loved playing horsey with his little sister.

 Christy on her 2nd Easter.

 Easter approx. 1975, Christy age 4

Thanks again Christy, for my gift.

By the way, the pictures above of our friends was also among the "lost" slides.

Hello Soft Surroundings

As I do not enjoy shopping, I have discovered online shopping especially for particular clothing items.  A year or so ago, I started ordering from

Soft Surroundings.

I have only ordered tops and mostly tunics but I could not be more pleased with the quality, fast receipt, packaging and returnability of their items.

I recently received this lace tunic and wore it to the symphony Saturday night, will wear it to the wedding this weekend, and it will be packed for the trip.

I love it's versatility to dress up or down and the intricate lace is beautiful.  Besides, I got it on sale.

 

Hello Easter Week

Do You Believe?

Yesterday, Hubby and I went to see the movie,

"Do You Believe?"

I have thought a lot about this stirring movie since then and have had to ask myself that very question,

"Do I Truly Believe in the Cross of Jesus Christ?"

What does it mean to believe in the Cross?

 In the movie, they showed that to follow the Cross of Jesus is to be willing to do whatever is necessary to share Jesus Christ with others.

In other words, be willing to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to see that others see Jesus in your own life.

Jesus told us to "Take up your cross and follow Me."

In the Bible, the cross was an instrument of death. What Jesus is referring to is commitment to Him, even unto death—obedience to the extreme measure and willingness to die in pursuit of obedience. 

Death on a cross was not pleasant. It was painful and humiliating. The implication is that even if obedience is painful and humiliating, we should be willing to endure it for Christ.

By saying, "Take up your cross and follow Me" Jesus was giving us a word picture of the concept of "death to self," which originates in another saying of Jesus, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:24-25).

The idea is that nothing in this life is worth keeping if it means losing eternal life, not a job, not a family, not a group of friends, not even our very identity. 

The multitudes that followed Christ were convinced that He was going to bring a glorious kingdom to earth, freeing them from the oppressive Roman rule. Even His own disciples were thinking this way (Luke 19:11). Misunderstanding the prophecies, they were shocked when He began to talk about death to self and carrying the cross (Luke 9:22). They left Him in droves because of these teachings. Similarly, believers today misunderstand the call of Jesus as a call to health, wealth and prosperity. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The call of Jesus is a call to die, but today many, unwilling to accept a call to die, leave Him or simply change His message to something more pleasant.

But His message never guaranteed a pleasant life. Jesus instead guaranteed that trials would come to His followers (John 16:33). Discipleship demands sacrifice, and Jesus never hid that cost. He also promised that He would be there for us to give us the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-19), comfort us in our trials (James 1:12), and act as a faithful high priest who understands our struggles (Hebrews 2:17) and accomplish for us peace with God by His blood (Romans 5:1).

This was an emotional experience as I stood by this Mosaic in Jerusalem in 1972 and later realized it appears to be resting on my shoulder.

Taking up our cross to follow Christ means, simply, commitment to the point of giving up our hopes, dreams, possessions, even our very life if need be. This is the attitude – the only acceptable attitude – of a true disciple (Luke 14:27). Jesus' followers regard the reward as worth the price. Jesus set the example for us in His death, to give us the gift of life:

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 16:25).

Do You Believe?

Excerpts from:  http://www.compellingtruth.org/take-up-your-cross.html#ixzz3VQRCVFC4

Linking with the following:

Tell His Story

Live Free Thursday
Beloved Brews Thursday

Hope, Easter, and Advice from an 8 Year Old

So happy to be joining all the ladies for

Volumn 214 of Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. This coming weekend is Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. Do you celebrate Easter in your home? What was your favorite Easter tradition as a child?

We celebrate Easter through joint worship and beautiful music of praise to the God of Easter.

I never loved the Easter Egg Hunt tradition, but participated as all little kids were expected to do.  I think the most favorite tradition would have been wearing the new dresses our mother always made for us and getting new shoes.  For many years when we were small enough to wear pretty little white socks, Mom would embroider matching flowers on the little cuff.

2. George Weinberg is quoted as saying, 'Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.' Agree or disagree? Share your own thoughts on the word hope.
  For the Christian, Christ Jesus is our hope (1 Tim. 1:1) so therefore, I am the only one who can move away from hope; He never changes.

3. Weigh in with a yay or nay on the traditional Easter candies. A solid milk chocolate bunny? Cadbury Creme Eggs? Peeps? Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs? Jellybeans? Coconut Cream Eggs? Of the candies listed, which one would you most like to find in your Easter basket?

Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

4. When did you last feel 'like a kid in a candy store'?

I guess it would have to be last weekend when I spent several hours with my daughter and her girls.  Such a sweet time that I wasn't ready to end!

5. What's something you know you do differently than most people? Does that bother you? Does it bother other people?

I think my contentment and desire to be alone.  It certainly doesn't bother me and I'm not sure whether it actually bothers others or not.  Hubby understands this and his need to be around people works well with my personality.  We have learned to adapt for each other and I think we compliment each other in this respect.

6. Palm Springs CA, Palm Beach FL, or the PALMetto State...of the three mentioned, which sunny spot would you most like to visit right now? Which have you visited at one time or another?

We were in north west South Carolina last August and have visited various other parts of the Palmetto State.  So much to see and do there.  But, I think I will choose Palm Springs CA to visit right now.

7. If you could change the length of a day would you lengthen it or shorten it? Tell us why.

I don't think I would change it at all.  24 Hours is good enough regardless of the alternating time changes.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

I wanted to share with you a funny time with my youngest granddaughter this past weekend.

Ava Grace is 8 years old and the youngest of four sisters.  There are 10 years between her and the youngest sisters, so in many respects she has characteristics like the first born and yet the privileges of the youngest.  All that to say, she is bossy, mentally quick, precocious, confident, and very knowledgeable of things beyond her years.

At her oldest sisters bridal shower this past weekend, the hostess provided cards for answering two questions which they are going to use to compile a scrapbook for the couple.

 Sitting on the sofa across the room with her grandmothers,

Ava Grace asked me what the cards were for so I explained that they were to give advice to the couple.  I asked her, "What advice would you give them for working out their first fight?"

Without batting an eye, she confidently responded,

"Do what Sissybo says!"

Of course Sissybo is her big sister and somehow Ava Grace inherently knew the best answer.  Where did she learn that?

Having solved that issue, I said, "Okay, with that taken care of, what advice do you have for a date night for them?"

Again, without hesitation she said,

"Tell Brad to take Sissybo out for dinner at a nice place, look her in the eye, tell her he loves her, kiss her, then eat!"

You just have to love the simplistic, literal, cut-to-the-chase mind of a child.

I have a feeling these will be the most practical and perhaps implemented advice in the scrapbook.

We Are Getting Ready for a Wedding!

Surely I have mentioned that my oldest granddaughter is getting married this summer.

And just so you will know, the dress saga is still ongoing.

But, that's not the reason for today's post.

This weekend, I traveled to Dallas for Chandler's first bridal shower in the home of one of her best friends and bridesmaid, Caroline.  Invited guests were mostly friends and family of the groom.

As I looked at my beautiful, intelligent and loving granddaughter, I couldn't help remembering what she was like only yesterday.

Now, she will be graduating from A&M and getting married a couple weeks later.

But, this weekend we were only thinking about having fun, meeting new people, and celebrating this precious couple.

Chandler with mom Christy and sisters Emily, Cassidy and Ava Grace

Christy, Chandler and Grandmothers, me and Sandra Harbison

 Is it not evident that this girl had a wonderful time?

 I got the impression, this was a special gift specifically for Brad.

 She loved my gift.

 Her Harbison Grandmother gave something she was very excited about.

 She had a ball and was so grateful for it all.

 All they need now is a place to put it all.

Isn't it strange how our mind works sometime?  You look at something and yet in your minds eye you actually see something else?

This happened for me when I looked at this picture....

 I actually saw this one.

Where have the years gone?

After the shower, I had an opportunity to give them a couple paintings I did for them.

 This was a very crude abstract interpretation of their engagement announcement picture, but they seemed to like it.

Perhaps one of the most meaningful gifts of the day was one given to them by my sister, Gingie.  It is a tray that was given to our mother as a wedding gift back in 1943.

  My sisters and I have treasured it all these years, and now it is time to pass it on.

I think Larla would definitely approve.

 So, congratulations to you Chandler, and I can't wait to celebrate you and Brad again next month.

Ode to a Country Preacher

When going through some mystery boxes in the attic recently, I discovered a treasure trove of memorabilia.

My dad, a country preacher, was a prolific letter writer and thankfully I saved some of the ones written to me as well as some special ones to my children.  Sometimes, these to the kids were written from the family dog, Pug.

Most are just ramblings and re-countings of what otherwise might have been a mundane life in rural Acadiana land.

However, for my dad, nothing was mundane and even if it had been, he could paint the most interesting word pictures that often made me wish to be part of its mundaneness right along with him.

On the envelope of one such letter, I had written,

"Ode to a Country Preacher."

I think you will understand why I wrote that many years ago from the following account written by my daddy and the grand kids Papa:

Thursday Evening

Nov, 1981

Dear Family,

There are a couple of weary folk here, tonight.  Two funerals this week has left us rather tired in some ways.

Funerals here are somewhat different than in more urban areas.  In our community (church), a funeral can last for at least a couple of days.  That, of course, includes the wake.  Now, the wake itself is a kind of celebration which family and friends seem to thoroughly enjoy.  The large amounts of food and coffee provided adds to the festive nature, and to the digestive problems of the more heavy eaters and drinkers.

The children are turned loose to plunder the church's resources at will.  Fortunate are the rooms with locked doors.  The telephone rings more or less continuously prior to midnight, resulting in endless trips to find "so and so" and summon him to the phone.

The pastors' office is a favorite place!  The ladies like to retreat there for privacy in smoking; curiosity prompts some to examine books (leaving them lying around), to go through any mail or papers left in view; and poke a finger down on the typewriter keyboard to see if it really works.

Anyway, everybody has a pretty good time, except the oldest family members, who have to "bear up" before everybody.  But, it all ends with a carefully planned 30 minute service, and the multitudes think it was a "lovely service" etc.  And I'm inclined to think it was too.  Tiring though they might be, I kind of like the type of funeral we have at Chicot, in the country.

Love you,

Papa

Dad with his girls on Easter Sunday 1954.  Mother always made us matching dresses in fabric of our choice.

Papa never forgot that God had called him to preach while sitting on a tree stump in the piney woods of north Louisiana.  He wasn't called to be just any preacher either.  He knew he was called to be a "country preacher."  And he never lost sight of that calling even though he had opportunities to do what some called "more worthwhile" things such as serve as chaplain at a large hospital in Baton Rouge back in the 1950's.  My dad loved country folk and ministered to them until the day he died.

Love you, Daddy!

Joining today the following links:

Tell His Story 

 

 Live Free Thursday

 Beloved Brews Thursdays