This has been a sunny day. The tulips in my barrel are starting to burst into color. If they continue to grow and bloom, I shall have quite a spectacle! It is chilly, though, and that isn’t quite so nice.
Yesterday, the hot water heater at church sprang a leak. By the time it was discovered, there was 8″ of water in the basement. We will have a big job to get it back into order. Tomorrow night, we are getting together to tear up the carpet, rip out the cupboards and try to clean up. The almost new fridge is ruined. We were about an inch near the motors of the two furnaces, and they would have been gone as well. Last night, MaryKayGirl’s husband went up late and was able to get the furnaces started, but sometime during the night, the breaker flipped, so we had a cold church this morning. It didn’t take too long to warm up, though, and we had a good service this morning. I’m so thankful that the warmth of the Holy Spirit isn’t chilled by the temperature in the sanctuary.
I have been having a difficult time on Sunday mornings here in the last few weeks. Last week, when my sweet Mama was called on to pray in Sunday school, I could hear my Daddy’s voice behind her words as familiar praise and petitions were given, and I thought for a while that I would need to leave class. This morning, there was no one to sit in the spot that he always sat in, and the whole bench was even empty. I could scarcely look in that direction without losing it. I know it has to seem strange to my Brothers and Sisters in the church family, because it seems rather peculiar to me, too, but I guess this is one of the seasons of grief, and I am not going to try to squelch it.
You know, Xanga friends, this is Holy Week, and many of you (us) are coming to an Easter that is the first for us after losing people we love. It is my prayer that sorrow will be the springboard to Hope, and that as we think of what the empty tomb means to those of us who love the Lord, it will have take on meaning like no other Easter.
Lift your glad voices in TRIUMPH on high,
For Jesus hath risen, and man shall not die;
Vain were the terrors that gathered around Him,
And short the dominion of Death and the Grave.
He burst from the fetters of darkness that bound Him,
Resplendent in Glory to live and to save:
Loud was the chorus of angels on high,
The Savior hath risen, and man shall not die.
Glory to God, in full anthems of joy,
The being He gave us, death cannot destroy:
Sad were the life we may part with tomorrow,
If tears were our birthright, and death were our end.
But Jesus hath cheered the dark valley of sorrow,
And bade us, immortal, to Heaven ascend:
Lift then your voices in triumph on high,
For Jesus hath risen, and man shall not die.
~Henry Ware
Delaware Grammy 
Bless your sweet heart, you touch me with your words of faith and hope! I am certainly sorry for the mess you have to deal with at your church, that is too bad but good it wasn’t worse. Your tulips are beautiful!
Tulips are my favorite flower! they’re beautiful!!
I will most certainly think about you in your water clean up! About 2 years ago or so, I was driving past our church, and glancing in, saw that water was running out the back door of the Fellowship Hall! It had made quite the little pond already. We got a water removal service in, then, beacuse of the sheetrock and the way it had gone up the walls a bit. The whole Hall was soaked, and the carpet ruined, but the overflow ran out the door, so at least that was one positive thing about it. We had a very good discussion in our Sunday School yesterday about Job, and discussed about how to help in times of grief and trials. I think the biggest thing was to “listen”, and that, my friend, is what I am willing to do in your grief. I can’t fix it, I can’t make it go away, I can’t speed along the process, but I can listen. We also talked about the the need to be open when we are hurting, so that people can pray for us. Thank You for being open.
Your writing is always such a joy to read. I think my discovory of xanga was no accident but another tool of Gods healing. As I read some of what you are experiencing as you mourn and rejoice the passing of your Dad into Glory, I can relate. I am for some strange reason in my mind calling my mother “mommy” when I cry for her or I am remembering something about her. At first it made me feel very self conscious, and I wondered what on earth was going on, was I “losing it?” Now I have decided to just roll with the flow.I love the pictures you post, and oh by the way, your experience at Walls Store……….oh my…..that’s all I could say as I was reading it. Glad you weren’t hurt.
Good afternoon lady! Just thought I’d let you know I am just leaving your site up on my computer here at work so I can hear your song again!! I think this is like the 4th time today….I love it so much!!!! And I can’t get it to come on at home:( Anyway…thanks for the lift! No more fear of dying…no more need to doubt- oh yeah!! Ok maybe one more time!!
Our trip was a good one ! We enjoyed the ride immensly even though it was long. It was the first time that Mom & Dad Novalee & Darin and Fred and I had taken a trip like that together in one vehicle. We had a lot of fun talking and laughing! Fred has known Paul wesselhoeft ever since he married Marilu! And I learned to know them when we moved to Blounstown in 1982 . Dad went hunting at the weeselhoefts place in Ohio and we went to visit there when I was 17 or 18 years old . That is when I met Leota. It was a very nice Memorial service What a lot of lives she touched in a very real tangible practical way. A blessing to so many people. What a gift of hospitality ang giving of self she had!
That is one of my favorite songs!!! Love the barrel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE that song! I get tears in my eyes when we sing it anyway, but I’m sure it is especially meaningful for you this year.
I knew you would respond as you did about Jewel. Thank you! Sure makes you appreciate having a praying.caring,loving, chruch family doesn’t it!
Mary Ann, thanks for the visit today. I knew you were in a hurry but you were so gracious with Wava and I. Love you and the way you use your many gifts.
Mary Ann I tried to put that counter on my site and look what I got! I tried to edit it and delete all the hullabaloo but it wouldn’t let me. HELP!
BEG From Dominie’s site I see how many children and grandchildren in your family! Wonderful,what a joy! We haven’t had a new grandbaby since 1997 when all 3 of my children each had a baby and we’ve none since.The total stays at 8 for us. When I see a precious baby, often, (not always) my arms just long to hold it and cuddle it, like I need a dosage of baby! lol Within our extended family I need pencil and paper to figure the total. mmmm? My siblings and mates total 10 .Our total children are 12 and those have a total of 27 and that makes 49 of us, if I have counted correctly. Guess we aren’t doing so bad after all. Your total is 56 right?
BEG, I comment on my site on your comments that you make on my site. I hope you check back to see them. (I comment there because they seem so disjointed on your site if I type here. Besides I my site that gets so few comments so my ego is bolstered this way. LOL)
Googled this song, and was pleasantly surprised to find my good friend Lem’s mom’s xanga page as one of the first search entries! Hope you and your family have an awesome Easter!