This Easter weekend I wanted to share some of my favorite memories of this time of year!
I remember always looking forward to Easter Services for the music and the flowers. I don't think I could ever remember a service without the beauty of brass instruments proclaiming the triumphant return of the King from the dead! The numerous hyacinths, lilies, and tulips in front of the pulpit filled my nose full of wonderful Easter smell!
I remember when we were growing up our cul-de-sac and the one next to ours would always get together for a huge egg hunt! Different yards would be for different age groups and we always had an assigned color. There were special golden eggs and even small eggs that we always fought over. I remember progressing from whatever the middle age group was to the "big kids yard" where finding the eggs got harder. Nevertheless we had so much fun and I wish I was still young enough to run around looking for eggs. Last year hubby and I put together an egg hunt for our nephew who at the time was two. It was hard to remember to hide the eggs in obvious locations rather than trying to really hide them, but it was worth it to get to watch him look for them and then open them :-)
My hubby tonight just asked me why it was that everyone gets dressed up in their very best for Easter Sunday. I found that one a hard one to explain other than it's an excuse to shop for new clothes to start off that spring season and to see kids all dressed up in cute outfits ( I think my mom and I share a love for looking at little girl Easter dresses every year!) I tried to explain it was also because we sometimes get to see family we don't always see. But maybe the real reason is because this Sunday is set apart from any other Sunday because it's a cause for celebration! We're not attending a funeral, we're attending a resurrection. How awesome is that! It's not something that happens all the time. That's why its so special. We are always trying to look our best for someone and in a strange way this Sunday is a reason for why we don't need to worry about how we look to one person, Jesus Christ. I doesn't matter if we come dressed as beggars or come with designer wear on when it comes to Him. He still died for my sins no matter what my color hair, skin color, or handicaps. And that is why this Sunday is so special.
If you haven't gone into a chocolate coma yet try to take time out to think about why it is that this Sunday is so special and know that your sins are forgiven if you believe in HIM.
And have a very HAPPY EASTER!
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead
He's alive! He's alive!
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
~~Christ is Risen Matt Maher
http://www.klove.com/music/artists/matt-maher/songs/christ-is-risen-lyrics.aspx
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Grandma's House
My one grandma lives in Pennsylvania and although I live less than an hour from her now it used to require all day car rides to get to visit her. We often made the trip two times a year. Usually we would go around Christmas and then again in the summer. Sticking with my summer theme at the moment (can you tell I want it to come?) I want to give you some of my memories from visiting her in the summer. For some reason the couple of things that make me think summer in western PA are lightening bugs, porch swings, trains, and cooing doves. I remember chasing lighting bugs in the back yard and every time I see them now I want to abandon whatever I am doing and chase after them. Maybe that's why I like the song Fireflies by Owl City... hm...
Not to far down the road the railroad tracks crossed through town and whenever we'd hear the train whistle we would run out into the middle of the street and watch them pass through. I love the fact that we could run out into the middle of the street!
The cooing of doves is something I don't think we heard much of at home and I remember how when mom would send us to bed it was one of those nighttime sounds that helped me get to sleep. When I hear them I think of lying in bed with my head under the shades looking out at the street because it was still light and I certainly wasn't tired! My favorite night at Grandma's was one summer when my aunt and cousins came for a visit and they had brought fire crackers with them. We threw poppers on the sidewalk to make them explode and had so much fun. Later that evening as we were lying in bed trying to get to sleep, I heard voices of some people walking along the sidewalk and then a pop and a scream. Oops....guess one of our poppers hadn't really exploded earlier!
Another one of those fond childhood memories I have of Grandma's may not be the most pleasant...I always seemed to walk away from a visit with a scraped up knee! I'm not sure why but I always seemed to, but I did and it makes good memories of summer at Grandma's house!
Some other time I will have to share winter memories of Grandma's house but for now I'd like to keep thinking warm thoughts so that maybe this nice warm weather will stick around!
Not to far down the road the railroad tracks crossed through town and whenever we'd hear the train whistle we would run out into the middle of the street and watch them pass through. I love the fact that we could run out into the middle of the street!
The cooing of doves is something I don't think we heard much of at home and I remember how when mom would send us to bed it was one of those nighttime sounds that helped me get to sleep. When I hear them I think of lying in bed with my head under the shades looking out at the street because it was still light and I certainly wasn't tired! My favorite night at Grandma's was one summer when my aunt and cousins came for a visit and they had brought fire crackers with them. We threw poppers on the sidewalk to make them explode and had so much fun. Later that evening as we were lying in bed trying to get to sleep, I heard voices of some people walking along the sidewalk and then a pop and a scream. Oops....guess one of our poppers hadn't really exploded earlier!
Another one of those fond childhood memories I have of Grandma's may not be the most pleasant...I always seemed to walk away from a visit with a scraped up knee! I'm not sure why but I always seemed to, but I did and it makes good memories of summer at Grandma's house!
Some other time I will have to share winter memories of Grandma's house but for now I'd like to keep thinking warm thoughts so that maybe this nice warm weather will stick around!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Welcome!
So...you may be wondering what the story is behind the name of my blog...well it's due to a mental picture or rather a scene that I will attempt to describe. I am in no way going to be able to do it justice but maybe you can join me in imagining in your own way.
I have always had a picture in my head of standing on a beach at sunset with the salty air playing with my hair. I can hear the seagulls calling to each other and the buoy bells clanging in the distance.
As I wiggle my toes I can feel the coarse sand between them. I can feel the warmth emanating from the sand beneath me. Although the sun is warming my shoulders, a gust of chilling wind reminds me that autumn draws near.
As I look around I can see the sand dunes painted a deep gold topped with grass bowing to the power of the sea breeze. Out in the water I can see little white caps and lobster buoys bouncing on the horizon. I see rocky outcroppings being battered by waves with little barnacles clinging for dear life.
What captures my attention the most are footprints. The waves have washed some away and the breeze is slowing filling in the other prints with little granules of sand.
For some reason I become melancholy thinking about these footprints. To me they meant the end of summer, and the end of childhood. The end of summer is always a weird time when if you're like me you start to regret not squeezing in enough during the time off while at the same time looking forward to what the new school year may bring. As far as it being a picture of the end of childhood? Well, for the same reason you regret the end of summer you regret the end of those innocent years where you didn't have to worry about a job, bills, or the economy. Did you have enough tea parties? Sleepovers? Camp-outs? Although the freedom to do these frequently may be gone there is still so much more to adult life that like a school year brings new things every day. Every day is full of new knowledge and adventure. There are so many things to look forward too!
In my blog I want to share snippets of what I am thinking, learning, and observing. I hope you will join me often! Thanks for stopping by!
I have always had a picture in my head of standing on a beach at sunset with the salty air playing with my hair. I can hear the seagulls calling to each other and the buoy bells clanging in the distance.
As I wiggle my toes I can feel the coarse sand between them. I can feel the warmth emanating from the sand beneath me. Although the sun is warming my shoulders, a gust of chilling wind reminds me that autumn draws near.
As I look around I can see the sand dunes painted a deep gold topped with grass bowing to the power of the sea breeze. Out in the water I can see little white caps and lobster buoys bouncing on the horizon. I see rocky outcroppings being battered by waves with little barnacles clinging for dear life.
What captures my attention the most are footprints. The waves have washed some away and the breeze is slowing filling in the other prints with little granules of sand.
For some reason I become melancholy thinking about these footprints. To me they meant the end of summer, and the end of childhood. The end of summer is always a weird time when if you're like me you start to regret not squeezing in enough during the time off while at the same time looking forward to what the new school year may bring. As far as it being a picture of the end of childhood? Well, for the same reason you regret the end of summer you regret the end of those innocent years where you didn't have to worry about a job, bills, or the economy. Did you have enough tea parties? Sleepovers? Camp-outs? Although the freedom to do these frequently may be gone there is still so much more to adult life that like a school year brings new things every day. Every day is full of new knowledge and adventure. There are so many things to look forward too!
In my blog I want to share snippets of what I am thinking, learning, and observing. I hope you will join me often! Thanks for stopping by!
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