I'm a Mom

Have you ever, like me, been totally and completely embarrassed by your kids? At the mall one day, my child, three years old at the time, asked in the grandest stage whisper, "Mommy, why is that man buying lady clothes?" Sure,  it might have been a sweet husband shopping for his wife, but NO! This was one of those moments when I wanted to drop to the floor, crawl under the clothes rack and hide, with my hand firmly clamped over my sweet baby's mouth. That was a lady shopping, but I sure could understand my child's confusion.

How about the other side of it? Have you ever been so proud you wanted to shout to the world, "I'm that kid's mom?" When people tell me how wonderful my kids are, I can get pretty puffed up... after all, it is my amazing parenting that got them to where they are, right?

WRONG!

My kids' achievements aren't mine, though I sometimes act that way. My kids are themselves. The psalmist wrote "for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb... All the days ordained for me were written yin Your book before one of them came to be." (Ps. 139:13, 16 NIV) God created my kids. He put them together to be exactly who He wants them to be. Each hair on their heads. Their freckles. Their talents. Their temperaments.

I adore my kids, and sometimes, I am too proud. Deep in my heart, though, I am thankful. I hope that shows from time to time -- and more as time goes on.

I am thankful that God bestowed on Nathan a beautiful gift to play piano AND a comfortableness in himself that few possess. He's not prideful, simply secure in who he is. He's always been that way - not concerned about what others think, instead living his life and choosing to love it. I can't imagine him with the gift of music without the gift of confidence in the presence of others. Nathan was created for people, and his special talents are a blessing to us all. As the psalmist proclaims, let's extol the Lord in music and song.

I am thankful that God created Ben to love justice AND mercy. Justice alone has a hard edge, legalism is not love. Yet, tempered with mercy, justice is a precious gift. Softened by love in mercy, it provides security and stability. Ben somehow carries a deep passion for both for the sake of others. He's the guy who will go to bat for the underdog every single time. Those who don't really know Ben, he's a behind the scenes kind of guy, have no idea how sincere a friend he is. Proverbs 21:21 says, 'He who pursues justice and love, finds life, prosperity and honor.'

I am thankful for Ellie, our bundle of energy and love. She has never met a stranger AND somehow remembers names, places, and details about the people around her. She loves everything, but especially people, with intensity. She craves life! Every comment ever made about Ellie reflects her joy in living! She reminds us all that life is a precious gift. Jesus instructed the people of his time to become like little children. Ellie lives in that pure love and joy -- to her, every person is perfect and precious. There is no judgment, no record of wrongs. There is simply love.

God has lent me three beautiful children to nurture, love and adore. He has entrusted me with the responsibility of raising them - first, to love Him. Second, to love others. I am humbled that He thinks I'm mom-enough to do it.

Good-bye, dear friend

We say good-bye to our friend, Mark, today.

His life, though cut short, definitely wasn't without impact. Over the past week, hundreds of people have shared with each other how he impacted their life. His facebook page is full of messages of thanks. Parents thanked him for sharing the gospel message with their children. Ministry team friends thanked him for the impact he made on them by his example, his dedication, his joy, and his genuine heart.

Mark, you lived what you believed. And you made a difference. A huge difference. Thanks! Good-bye, dear friend.

Our time here is precious. Let's live it in love. The way Mark did.

Faith of an onion... yes, an onion!

Have you ever studied an onion? Really taken the time to examine it? Onions are amazing. The outside is dry and brittle. Often, it's bruised or cut up. Not all that pretty. Onion skin doesn't taste too good either, like eating stinky paper.

Then you peel off the outer layer. Inside, the onion is perfect. No cuts, no bruises. Not dry or brittle. Perfect for use to improve the flavor of whatever it joins: a pot of soup, a stew, a stir fry, or even a hot dog.

Faith in Christ is much the same. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor. 5:17

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, the old broken part is peeled away, much like the outer layer of the onion. We are a new creation, full of possibilities.

There's more to the onion, though. When you peel off the outside layer, you discover a beautiful food. But if you peel an onion and don't use it, what happens? (I know - theology from an onion... sounds crazy... but stick with me, please). The fresh outer layer dries out. It becomes fragile, unusable, easily bruised. A fresh peeled onion left to itself, just wastes away.

In the Christian world, it seems like the same thing happens sometimes. Sometimes, people accept Jesus as their Lord, filled with joy, hope and promise. Reveling in His love and forgiveness. But, over time, they drift away. The gifts and talents God has for them lay unused. They forget the joy. They forget the peace. They forget the hope. They dry up, get fragile again, and are easily bruised.

The only way to live like the onion is to be used - by God - to make a difference in the lives of people around us. We need to invite God in fresh, each day, and ask Him to guide us. We need to spend time in the Bible, really letting His Word soak in and become part of us. We need to let Him peel off the rough spots to become more perfect in Him.

Dear God,
Thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to stand in our place and cover our sins.  Help me remember all you have done for me so that I might live strong and bold for You. Open my eyes to the hurt around me and nudge me to help. Let my life always be lived for You.
In your Son's precious name I pray, Amen.

Memorial Box Monday: Caring enough

A few years ago, I found myself disgruntled at church, impatient with my leaders, and in general, not happy. The community which once brought so much joy into my life became something I resented. I found myself wondering why do I have to do all this? Why aren't they working as hard as I am? Why isn't my leader feeding me?

Have you ever felt that way -- wondering whether leaving to find a new church home with a better environment might make you happier?

Maybe not at church. Maybe you've considered leaving your spouse to find your true soul-mate. Maybe you've toyed with leaving your job because your work environment doesn't make you happy.

Sometimes, change is necessary. Sometimes a church is not healthy. Sometimes a spouse is abusive (seek counseling and support if your marriage is dangerous to you or your children). Sometimes we outgrow a job and need to move on or to move up. Sometimes.

But most times, when we get all bent out of shape, it's not them - it's us. It's our own attitude.

That's what happened to me. My pastor teaches and preaches consistently that church is a community of imperfect people. He consistently reminds us that our own relationship with God is where we really grow -- he and the church leadership can't be Jesus for us. He humbly shares his own struggles.

When I slipped into the pit of dissatisfaction, I was ignoring him. Worse. I was ignoring GOD. Instead of reading my Bible and praying daily, I looked to my own leader to be built up. I had replaced God with her -- not worshipping her, but expecting her to fill me up through teaching, encouraging and spoon feeding. (Early in our marriage, I sometimes put my husband in the same position. Wisely, he told me he can't be Jesus for me. Detecting a trend here!!! ICK)

It would be like my teenage son expecting me to feed him dinner each night, literally spooning each bite into his mouth. Depending fully on me to nourish him. Do you know how long it would take to spoon feed a growing teenage boy?!?!? YIKES!

My leader tuned in to what was going on with me. She confronted me. Not that it was easy. I remember us sitting in a room together, her leg bouncing nervously. Eyes averted. Yet, she spoke lovingly, finally telling me she couldn't be Jesus for me.

She cried. I cried. I apologized. Our relationship was restored. More importantly, it moved me back into my relationship with God.

Now when I start to feel restless, at home, at church, with the kids, or whatever, I recognize that I have grown slack, less time in the Bible. Less time praying for my own understanding and growth. Less time lifting friends up to God. It's always the same. I bounce back quickly, putting my priorities back in line.

That experience taught me a lot about many things. First, how valuable my own relationship with God really is. Second, how beautiful the gift of genuine friendship is. Finally, how important it is to look honestly at the situations I find myself in -- and ask God to reveal the lessons He has for me.

Why do I include this experience in my Memorial Box? This period in my life was pivotal to my spiritual growth. I learned humility. I learned a precious lesson in forgiveness - how beautifully healing forgiveness really is. I learned a valuable lesson in friendship - my friend cared enough about my relationship with God to risk our friendship. God knew I needed to change. He knew my needs and led me to peace. Even when I didn't know I needed it!

1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your cares on Him (Jesus) for He cares for you." Even if we don't realize our needs, God still cares. I am thankful for Christian friends who care enough about me to make sure I always keep my eyes on Him! I am thankful for Christian friends who care enough to pray. This week, I will put a picture of my friend and me to remind me of this valuable lesson in Christian living.

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

When we don't understand

I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. (Jer. 32:40)

Jeremiah got a tough assignment from God. His leadership came at a time when the Jews had turned their backs on God's teaching, resulting in moral, political and religious decline. In that environment, God instructed Jeremiah to call the people to repent and come back to their heritage. The people he tried to influence wouldn't listen, they called him a traitor, and even tried to kill him. Yet, Jeremiah stayed true to God's call, kept his love for the people, and persisted in preparing for God's redemption of his people.


Jeremiah 32 tells how he purchased land, not because the people were ready for it, but because of his faith in God -- that the people would one day return to Him and His holy ways. Jeremiah trusted that God's way is higher than our way, that his plan is perfect, and that always, God is in control. He didn't always understand how, but he trusted anyway. Reassuring Jeremiah (at least that's how I read it), God says, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?" (Jer. 32:27 NIV).


God reassures Jeremiah, "They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants." (Jer 32:38-39 NLT).


Recently, our little corner of the world has been struck by much tragedy: a trusted leader has apparently given into temptation, his potential never to be realized; two teenagers were killed, before they really "lived this life;" and a friend, leader, humble servant of God tragically died leaving behind his wife, young family and all of us who loved him and loved serving with him. As one of my kids asked yesterday, "Does stuff like this always come in bunches?"


It's so easy to see the tragedy, to fall into it and forget that God is still God. And He IS in control. Like Jeremiah, though, we may not understand it all, but we still can walk confidently in the Lord, remembering His goodness and mercy.


As Jeremiah did, we can praise God for all that He has done as we wait for understanding. (Jer. 32:17-22). We can choose to live confidently in the Lord, even when we don't understand. Even when it hurts. Even when we are sad.


God is and always will be God: love, mercy, grace, healer, protector, comforter and friend. Amen

We'll miss you, Mark!

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

Yesterday, our friend and team member, Mark, died in a tragic accident. Mark was  a humble man with a passion for Jesus. He was an incredible husband, father, story-teller, leader, and friend. He touched everyone he knew with his sincere faith, his zest for life in Christ. He wanted people to know, especially our children and his family, that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. 

Our community has suffered so much loss recently. It's hard to absorb more... Again, we ask "Why?" "Why now?" "Why him?" 

But...

...the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)


Mark loved Jesus with all his heart. It defined who he was. He constantly asked for prayer for unsaved loved ones. That, too, defined who he was. He poured his heart into making his part of children's ministry come alive to really touch kids' hearts with the message of love in Christ. Mark set an example that doesn't end with his passing. He set an example of how to live, confident in Christ, peace-filled.


Today, I pray for Mark's family, that his never-ceasing prayers of salvation for each member will be answered. I pray for his family, that they will know the true love of Jesus as we love them in the love of Christ. I pray that his passion for children's ministry will ignite a fire in those of us left here to fill the gap; that we will serve with a greater passion than we have known before, honoring Mark with our hearts and actions.

You (death) intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Gen. 50:20)

Thank you, Mark.

See you on the other side!

Roots

If you are in Carolina today, I hope you are enjoying the incredible weather.

Walking through my yard this morning, I noticed two things: some of our beautiful plants have already sprouted fresh growth. One bush has grown by about 5 inches, and it's only April. We have two bushes, though, that don't look so good. The leaves are misshapen. They just look sick. I know if I dig into the soil, I'll find slugs feasting on those roots. There might even be some ants nibbling away too, enjoying the feast.

Years ago my son, Ben, pointed out that "slugs are like satan. They eat at your roots and you die." I see that happening to my two sickly plants.

However, plants, with healthy roots firmly set in the soil, grow. As a tree spreads its branches, the roots grow beneath the soil, strengthening the tree. The larger the tree, the deeper the roots. We see it. We know it. This is God, providing us with a beautiful illustration of His word:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Col. 2:6-7).

Accepting Jesus' gift of salvation, our faith is rooted in Him. As we continue to live in him, we grow stronger, "built up." Like the tree, whose roots spread far and wide. Also like the tree whose branches spill over with leaves, flowers and fruit, we spill over with hearts of thankfulness.

Today, you can find me on my screen porch. I'll be listening to the birds, smelling the fragrant flowers, and admiring the trees and bushes... Mostly, I'll be letting those gifts of God from nature remind me of the great gifts that come from Him: salvation, hope, forgiveness and love.

Memorial Box Monday: I have a headache

I enjoy writing this post each Monday. All week, I reflect on what God has done in my life. I ask Him which marvelous moment to share. Today's post is a little different from my others, a very light story. Yet, like the others, it shows how God works in everything and every moment of our lives. 

When my boys were very young, around 5 and 2, I got regular migraines. I still do, but not quite so often. Migraine medicine back then (ohhhh, that makes me sound so old) worked on the headaches, but it completely wiped me out. I did everything I could to avoid taking it. It just didn't work to be a mom and take that medicine.

One day, suffering from a horrific headache and two kids cooped up in the house (no doubt the Ohio weather had something to do with it), I considered the medicine. But, the kids would have free reign.... two inquisitive little people roaming free while mom slept hard. Nope. I'll suffer.

I remember asking God for inspiration. Help me. I need to be mommy and I need to lie down. Help!

You know God, the incredible creator of this universe who thought to create wallabies and whales, honey bees and ladybugs, delicate wildflowers and giant sequoias... That God. He's just as creative with us!

He heard my prayer and offered a plan. I'm so thankful I listened.... my headache day became one of my favorite ever mommy days! Are you curious? 

I called my boys to me and had them follow me upstairs to my bathroom. Without explaining, I put lotion on my face, let it sit a few minutes and then wiped it off. The boys jabbered, "What are we doin', mom?" "What's your plan?" 

They followed me back downstairs. Excited. Inquisitive. I pulled the markers out of the cupboard. "Are we coloring?" "How is that special?" Oh, can you hear them?

Then... I laid down on the living room floor, tucking a pillow under my head. I handed my older son the box of markers and said, "Decorate my face."

I remember both of them, kneeling on the floor, their little eyes peering into my face. "Really?" "We won't get in trouble?" I could see the wheels spinning. Sounded fun, but really? Write all over mom's face???

"Nope. You won't get in trouble. You get one side and Ben gets the other."

They started hesitantly at first. And the giggling began.

Unexpectedly - the doorbell rang. Really! I didn't want to get up, but I was sure that whoever was there had heard the boys laughing. So, I heaved myself up from the floor, went to the door, and proudly answered. OK - not so proud. A bit mortified. But I did answer it.

Our visitor was none other than the director of a mom's mentoring program I belonged to. We mentored teenage and single moms who needed help in the parenting arena. She took one look at me and laughed. "Well, I know you practice what you preach!" she replied once I explained the whole thing. 

A few minutes later, back on the floor, the boys continued their art project. That's where we were when Daddy got home from work.

Never has a headache been so much fun!

Somewhere in our ginormous pile of photos, there's a picture of the boys and me sitting on the stairs. Their faces radiate pride in their creation. I'm smiling, a genuine smile not diminished by a headache. When I find it, I will place it in our Memorial Box to remind me that God is creative and available in every moment!

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

Road Trip!!!

Sweet Ellie and I leave today for our first Girls' Road Trip! She is so excited... so am I.

We're headed to Dayton, Ohio to watch her big brother, Nathan, compete in the WGI Drumline Championships. Pretty exciting! (He has to ride the bus with the group)

We plan to:

• eat Graeter's Ice Cream. THE BEST on the entire planet!!! 
• eat some Cincinnati Skyline Chili. Also BEST on the planet!!!
• watch lots of awesome groups perform. Of course :)
• shop!!! After all, this is a girls' trip.

How about you? Whose ice cream is best? Chili? Or... barbeque (living in Carolina, sadly, I can't say we have good barbeque.)

Pictures from the trip next week.

Blessings,

Karen

Memorial Box Monday: Take a deep breath

I love Memorial Box Monday!!!! Every week I take a moment to reflect on the big and little things God does in my life. It helps me remember His faithfulness. As I prayed this weekend, I asked God what to share next. Sometime during the night, I woke up remembering this precious moment...

Our trip to China for our sweet Ellie involved lots of planning and packing. Those who know me well, know that I planned and packed meticulously. If I thought we needed it, I packed it. We had clothes for every type of weather and outfits for Ellie in a variety of sizes (all we needed were the 3-6 month clothes). We packed gifts for our guides, all our adoption related paperwork, games for the boys... you name it. We had it. Except...

I have fairly significant seasonal allergies. Once the coughing starts, it lasts for weeks. Rob (my DH is a physician) made sure I had my allergy medicine, antibiotic for sinus infection, vitamins, and more. He packed meds for just about every possibility - from stomach bug to suture needs. The only thing he didn't pack -- and we really don't know why neither of us thought of it -- was an inhaler.

Beijing in the spring is smoggy. While North Carolina springs include a yellow pollen haze, Beijing's springs mean a gray haze from smog. By our third day in Beijing, my lungs had had enough. No matter what I tried, I coughed. And coughed. And coughed. Rob and I lamented the missing inhaler.

Then God...

We were standing at our bus, me coughing and Rob consoling. Suddenly, a new member of our group appeared by my side (she and her husband joined us in Beijing that last day -- we didn't even know each other). She asked what kind of inhaler I used. Then, from her purse, she pulled an inhaler with a Sponge Bob sticker on the side. "Here, take this one." Just like that.

Sometime later, she told me the rest of the amazing story.

As she and her husband left home for China, her son ran to her with the Sponge Bob inhaler. He didn't want her to forget hers. She had already packed an inhaler, but couldn't resist his thoughtfulness, so she thanked him for remembering and tucked the inhaler in her purse.

Thirty-six hours later, she handed it to me.

God knows our needs. He hears our prayers. He takes care of us.

To remember this incredible provision, I am placing an empty inhaler in our Memorial Box. In my heart, I remain thankful to Jenny and her son. :)

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

In the Garden

A couple years ago you would never find me working in the yard. Oh, occasionally I would get out there and help my husband -- for a couple minutes. Just to appease my guilt that he was working hard while I ate bon-bons (HA!).

No more!

We relandscaped our yard last year... Wait. Truth in posting -- our wonderful friend, Nate, regraded and landscaped our yard last year. I'm so excited to see grass in my back yard for the first time ever -- that's eight years!!!

I love to be out there, allergy sneezes and all. I love watching the flowers bloom and the yard fill with color. And life. We have birds here now -- they enjoy all the beauty too.

I think about the transformation and realize the same thing happens in the Christian life.

For the past eight years, we tried to grow grass. Rob worked tirelessly, adding manure, planting seed and watering. It never worked. The same can happen for the Christian. We can read the Bible, pray and go to church faithfully, but see no result. As we needed to change the soil to allow grass to grow, the Christian needs a new heart to allow God's truth to penetrate and grow.

While I've been a Christian for a long time, there was sin in my past that I wouldn't let go. I held on to it, honestly, not thinking I was worthy of God's forgiveness. My self-punishment kept the truth from growing. Recently I decided to let go. I gave it to God and refuse to take it back. I see my heart softening, and more importantly, I have a sense of peace that I've not experienced before.

Working in my yard, I am always reminded that God's truth is beautiful.

Community

My bloggy friends,

Yesterday, I shared a part of our journey with our daughter. It was one of those dark seasons, heavy, over-whelming at times... but God saw us through. Your comments and emails about the post surprised me. I didn't expect anyone to find so much encouragement there.

Yet, it's precisely the reason I write. I truly believe that God brings us through tough times so that we can support others. The trials we endure and overcome provide us with special insight. Being able to encourage another person, sincerely, is such a gift.

• "I KNOW it's hard -- but there is hope." 
• "There is a light at the end of your dark tunnel." 
• "Hang in there. Really, it gets better."

God's word is filled with the same encouragement. Reading how David overcame his struggles, or how Jonah overcame his stubborn self-will, or how Nehemiah persevered as enemies taunted and attacked, all bring me encouragement when I struggle. 

Sometimes I forget though. In those times, I am thankful for the friends who remind me that my troubles will not last. I am thankful for friends who encourage me to count the victories, not just the stumbling. I am thankful for friends who remind me that God is faithful -- often pointing to my own life to remind me!

We are a community, my bloggy friends. Thank you for letting me know I've encouraged you. In that, you encourage me - to remain honest, to live transparently, and to look always to my eternal Father. His hope shines in these stories of mine. I'd be lost without Him!

If you face challenges today you find hard to overcome, please let me know. I will pray in agreement with you that God will lead you out of the darkness. He's always answered that prayer... and He always will!

Much love,

Karen

Memorial Box Monday: We Made It!

This Easter, we spent a fabulous day eating, playing, and talking with some good friends. Somehow, the talk turned to our daughter's early years. She's only five, but 'the early years' seem like a lifetime ago.

Our first day with sweet Ellie began like all the others on our trip -- with tears. In international adoption, one thing you hope for and dread, all at the same time, is the tears. The tears come when the little one grieves what's behind and is confused by the new experience of life with family. Ellie cried when I first took her in my arms, but she quickly fell asleep.

That evening, in our hotel room, she smiled. She went to bed and fell promptly asleep and slept through the night. At breakfast the next morning, she was wide awake, content to sit in her high chair. We watched as the other families traveling with us stumbled into the restaurant, bleary eyed after a long night of tears from their little one. Some commented on how blessed we were. Others asked our secret. But our hearts broke. Our daughter didn't grieve.

That first year, Ellie amazed us in many ways, yet we worried. What others saw as endearing, we saw as signs of trouble. Sadly, we were right. One of the biggest issues was Ellie's struggle to eat. After 4:30 p.m., she simply couldn't. She'd cry, so hungry. I'd prepare her bottle, but she just couldn't take it. We both ended up in tears. Daily. And I put her to bed each night, exhausted and hungry. It was awful.

There were lots of other little signals too. Finally, someone saw what we did and understood our fears. We got help, speech therapy  to stimulate her oral senses and occupational therapy to help her absorb environmental information without completely shutting down. It wasn't easy -- she resisted "waking up." Those sensations would overwhelm her.

Now, Ellie does great. Occasionally, she gets really tired and falls apart a little bit. But we know to prepare her for new experiences long before they happen, particularly travel and new schools or teachers.

As we shared our journey with our friends this Easter, God whispered, "See. I answered your prayers for a healthy daughter." Exactly as we prayed through our adoption process, God provided. He didn't give us a healthy daughter that first day. He gave us a broken little girl. He gave our broken little girl two relentless parents with a great church family filled with prayer warriors. As I finish this post, sweet Ellie stands on a stool in the kitchen, pulling a cereal bowl out of the cupboard. She's preparing her own breakfast, no help required.

We've come a long way in five years!

To remind us of God's healing in our daughter's life -- and our answered prayers for a healthy daughter -- I am placing her therapy brush in our Memorial Box. Thank you, God, for answering our prayers, not in our time, but in yours. We look forward to discovering your plans for our sweet daughter.

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

Happy Easter

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
  The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
  Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened. (Luke 24:1-12)

Happy Easter!

Random thoughts on a sunny, spring day.

Spring has sprung all over North Carolina.
Birds flocking everywhere.
Bees buzzing. Leave me alone. You have plenty of flowers to choose from.
Flowers. Today I will plant them in rich, dark soil. Thanks, Nate.
With the help of my faithful assistant, Ellie.
She won't plant too much.
She'll flutter.
Like a butterfly.
I haven't seen many of those yet.
So, she'll have to do.
Spring.
Has sprung.