He Is Risen, Indeed

May your day be filled with the joy of the Resurrection of the Christ, the Messiah, the One who has redeemed us.

Alleluia, Alleluia!!

Sin Is Expensive

(This is not something many children are ready for. You might want to watch it later if your children are with you.)

Good Friday

The joy comes in the morning, and that is true.

But I never want to forget:

What salvation cost.

The price Love paid.

The gift is free with no strings.

May your Good Friday be filled with the knowledge that you are loved beyond reason.

Spring Cleaning of the Heart

It's been very revealing.

About Lent...on the attempted journey to holiness...I never arrived. I will say that I am more aware than ever of my faults as a parent, a child, a sister, a relative, a friend, a Christian, a Cathlolic. It has been quite humbling to look in that mirror that needed desperately cleaned. Already I see the cobwebs coming back. I just wiped them off!! How quickly we allow ourselves to re-enter the world. But I will take the lessons learned and hopefully, prayerfully travel with more grace and humility.

Today, I'm rerunning an old favorite. It's been two years but it is still timely and appropriate for today--Passover. A Passover that actually falls during Holy Week.

Friday, April 6, 2007

We have walked through Scripture, we have memorized verses. This is the child that at five could stand with the pastor in front of church and give a verse for almost every letter of the alphabet. The brain is on full speed. The teaching and preaching and doctrine have been put in…but that brain works so hard and fast some days coming up with questions. He runs on full gear with other things too like computers and LEGOs and other boys stuff and science and how does that work and can I build this and…well maybe you get a glimpse of the picture. But it’s the questions about God that take my breath away, I can tell they cause him to stop and ponder deeply. There has been this sad little look in his eyes and I just want to say—“I will believe enough for both of us, until I can find the right words to make you believe!” But that is not the right answer.

About a month ago, after a long break, we started attending church again. We started attending a church that my husband and I had both grown up in, but neither son had even been exposed to. The boys wanted to go back to church. Roo has hung on every word from Scripture, every note from the sermon, he has listened and I think he is hearing God.

As a family, in addition to celebrating the Resurrection of our Savior, we have celebrated Passover for five years now. Our Passover tells two stories. The first of God’s provision to rescue the Children of Israel from Egypt, of Moses and then ten plagues. We talk of the unblemished lamb, sacrificed and the blood on the doorposts, to keep the Angel of Death from killing the first born. Our second story is of the Perfect Lamb, the Lamb without sin who shared His last Passover with his disciples and washed their feet and prayed for them and gave Himself, sacrificed Himself that we may have salvation.

This year Roo started asking more questions than the normal and usual ones. He started to ask about Jesus/Yeshua who prayed in the garden so fervently that His sweat ran like blood. He asked if it hurt when He was nailed on the cross. He asked, “Why.” And when the answer finally came to, “For everyone, for us, for you.” Roo was very, very quiet. And those very dark eyes were almost as full as mine. For, I think, at that moment it clicked. The Light of the World went on for sure and forever in that little heart. And that is the moment this momma has lived for .

Two years have past since this post. Last year on Easter Vigil my sons were Baptized, received their First Holy Communion and were Confirmed. This year we approach the Resurrection with joy and anticipation.

Praying your day is filled with the knowledge of Christ's love.

Always in Him,

Julie

Grains of Gratitude

I am grateful for some lovely weather this week. Yay!! Signs of spring are lasting longer, sinking deeper into the earth. I hope March goes out like a lamb.

I am grateful for an opportunity to be able to express my concern for someone who works with my oldest on a weekly basis. My son was hurt emotionally and I felt trust was breached. It was a question of faith and doctrine. I was able to speak my mind. I hope I wasn’t antagonistic, I prayed a lot.

Sadly I don’t feel this person’s heart was really changed, although I do see care exhibited for my son. We were promised things would not reoccur and my very easily forgiving son agreed to try the situation again. Honestly, I was not going to give it another chance, but this is part of the growing up process that I’ve been dreading. I need to allow him to grow into a young man, and if his attitude and heart are any indicator of the man to come—I am truly blessed.

This week one of my friends turned 50. She wasn’t terribly thrilled about it, you could tell. And to top it off it seemed like no one was really caring that she was turning 50—at least from her point of view. No one would agree to make plans, no one was calling…silence.

But for the last six weeks a surprise birthday party had been being organized for her. I was the foil—the one who got her headed to the party—and let me tell you, I wondered if we were going to get it done. But we did.

The disbelief, shock, amazement and then happiness on her face was really priceless. I am grateful for this friend and the 20+ years we’ve known each other. It was an interesting assortment of people from very different walks of life, come together to tell a friend, “We love you.” What a neat thing.

I am grateful to another of my friend’s mother for watching my boys for the party. The only people who babysit for us is this particular friend and she and her husband were coming to the party also. Her mom is a lovely woman and the boys have always liked to be around her. My friend’s husband relieved her early to care for their one year old and my boys so she could get some sleep because she works too. My boys got to hang out with their favorite “jungle gym” then for a while longer. They didn’t miss me at all. And this time that was okay.

There was an opportunity to get better acquainted with someone this week. That is always something to be grateful for. We were out of our normal operating setting and so some barriers were allowed to drop. You never totally know anyone, but it helps to have different perspectives to understand why someone behaves as they do. I’m certain I don’t have a full picture, but perhaps we can communicate more effectively.

My husband was away during the week. I am grateful he is home.

The trip was short, just a few days, it should have been easier than the times he’s been gone up to a month. But something just isn’t right when he is gone. There is a sense of incompleteness in the house.

For someone new here, my husband works from home. So I am blessed to have him around 24/7 most of the time. But when he is gone, he is gone and it is hard to be in touch unless he gets a break.

While he was gone I busied myself trying to have a somewhat better house for him to return to. I wanted to make sure those pesky dishes were out of the sink, the laundry was empty and the house vacuumed. I just wanted it to be nice to walk into. It wasn’t perfect, but it was not bad.

When Daddy comes home it is a big event around here. The boys are jumping on him, the dog is barking, the cat is swearing we never fed him the whole time Daddy was gone. So, unless I get there first I stand in line for a while to greet my sweetheart.

I was at the sink when he pulled in the driveway. So I slipped out of the house and got to be first in line. Life was just a little better having my husband back where he belongs.

I’ve chewed on that since he’s been home. Maybe it’s a stretch for some, but for me I saw it as a picture of how our life is with God. I think marriage and parenting are good learning tools for our relationship with God.

Something is incomplete when He is not part of our lives. We wait impatiently for the day we get to “go home.” We try to keep our abode here on earth “clean.” It is rarely close to perfect, but we keep trying.

Am I anticipating my time alone with God? Am I giving him my full attention at church, during devotions? Do my actions and attitudes tell everyone that I am His? As His bride, am I ready for His return?

I am grateful for His love and care and all the precious gifts He bestows.

Have a blessed week.

Julie

Grains of Gratitude

I am grateful for:

Children who are patient with me, who teach me daily about the forgiving love of God.

Being a parent has been a continual lesson in hearing God's voice. Sometimes I hear Him when he corrects me as I correct my children. Sometimes I hear Him when I tell my boys how much I love them, realizing God loves them and me more deeply than I can ever fathom.

Sometimes the lesson is in seeing young and fresh hearts offer forgiveness to me or to someone else who I might not be so charitable with.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

How hard my heart has become the older I get. Forgiveness and mercy don't come easily. Extending charity to someone I feel has hurt me or my family isn't something I want to do. Setting aside my feelings of entitlement is difficult. What about what I want and need? Who takes care of me?

Somehow along the path, the whispers of the world seem to settle in and sound like truth: "You deserve to be angry." "You need time to yourself." "You should take care of yourself first--no one else will do it."

And then I remember that God takes care of me.

I am also grateful for the sermon of our visiting priest today. He reminded us of the power that is within us. He reminded us that we will always be tempted. During Lent, many of us may be tempted even more than usual if we are trying harder than usual to keep our focus on God.

He reminded us of the power of the word, "No!"

"No, I won't yell at my children." "No, I won't gossip about someone who I'm not fond of." "No, I won't allow that thought to be in my mind." "I will not allow myself to do that action which I know is unpleasing to God."

We have a choice, a free will, and we have power through Jesus to claim that good choice. We cannot fall back on the excuses that we were "tempted" or "not strong enough." We have a helper in the Holy Spirit. We can choose the pleasing choice.

But when we sin, and we will, we can refuse to repeat our sins. We can return to the LORD who is waiting for us.

I am so grateful for a merciful Father, waiting for our return.



Hosea
by Gregory Norbert

Come back to me - with all your heart
Don't let fear keep us apart.
Trees do bend - though straight and tall
So must we to others call.

Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life.

The wilderness will lead you
to your heart where I will speak.
Integrity and justice
with tenderness you shall know.

Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life

You shall sleep secure with peace
faithfulness will be your joy.

Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life.


Christine at Brady's Bunch got me started on Grains of Gratitude. I am grateful.

Hold Me Jesus

Well, sometimes my life
Just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

CHORUS:
So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

CHORUS

Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something
I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band
Is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

CHORUS

You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

~Rich Mullins~

Getting Ready

I love to know ahead of time when company is coming. I am a lazy person by nature and don’t always have my house “company ready.” Something I think would be great, would be to to throw open the door with pride and allow someone to see my gleaming home.

But if you drop in unannounced (and if you are in the neighborhood, I hope you do!) don’t expect too much. You will see the piles of books, the half-finished projects, and clean laundry in baskets, unfolded (the dirty laundry, I try to hide!) . Hopefully those dishes won’t be in the sink. You will likely see the computer, smack in the middle of the living room, left on someone’s blog where I got interrupted for everyday life. That is my reality.

But if you call me (maybe) I might be able to make sure the vacuuming is done, the bathrooms are cleaned, just maybe those pesky dishes will be put away and it is possible I might have something more than coffee, tea and my favorite butter cookies for a snack.

It is possible.

Preparing takes a lot of work, but given the chance it is a joy to offer hospitality to our friends and family.

There are two times of preparation during the liturgical year, Advent and Lent. Both are times of spiritual housecleaning, if you will. Times to prepare our heart for the glorious feasts of Christmas and Easter/Resurrection Sunday. Time to renew our hearts and return to the One who loves us more deeply and more perfectly than any love we find in humanity.

The times of preparation are great gifts to us. We are given time to prepare. The arrival date is announced. Company is coming! Clean out the cobwebs of sin and indifference. Wash the windows of our soul. Even though we have welcomed Him into our hearts before, we have a chance to renew the joy of our first experience, our first love for the Maker of the Universe. The Maker of us, the one who knew us in the womb.

During Advent we prepare with joy for the coming of the Christ Child, The Price of Peace the Son of God, King of Kings, all wrapped in one tiny little being of an infant. What a beautiful mystery and what a joy.

We all know that the stable was likely to have been cold and the smells of the animals was heavy in the air, it was likely dusty or muddy. But it is a moment, for us, of joy. I think that is why we often drape the Holy Family in white or gold or lovely impractical colors in our nativity—our small gift to the Infant Jesus; our gift we weren’t there to bring over 2000 years ago. Advent is a path to rejoicing. We decorate our houses and prepare a birthday celebration.

Lent, too, is a path to rejoicing. Even more glorious than Advent, Lent culminates in Easter, Resurrection Sunday, the Victory over death and sin.

But to get to Easter we mush pass through a dark valley of Good Friday/Passover, Holy Saturday, the day of darkness and lingering doubt for the apostles, the quiet, quiet waiting.

In the 40 days of Lent we confront why it was necessary for our Savior, the One who knew no sin to suffer for all our sins; to die the painful death we, not He, deserved. He allowed Himself to be totally stripped of His glory, that we may be grafted in to the Vine, that we may someday join Him in heaven.

Lent for me offers an ugly mirror to clean. Oh, if someone looked at my life they could say, I could say, there aren’t BIG sins there. You know, the sins that land you in prison, the sins and scandals that make the headlines.

But that mirror is dark and shabby, smoky and dirty from all the little, petty offenses. And sometimes it is easier to sweep those under the rug and forget that they, too, are the cause of the lashes of the whip, the gouges of the thorns, the hammering of the nails

The rug needs more than vacuuming. The carpets need torn up and replaced. Cobwebs are clinging to the walls. Those dishes are still in the sink.

Company is coming. I need to get busy and prepare.

Behold, what Manner of Love the Father Has Given Unto Us

Joel 2:12-18

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?'"

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.


2nd Corinthians 5:20-6:2

Brothers and sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:

In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.


Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."




Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.

Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19

Repent, and believe in the good news. Mark 1:15 (NIV)

And saying, The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news (the Gospel). Mark 1:15 (AMP)


Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1 (KJV)

Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That's why the prophet said,

The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers droop,
God's Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. 1 Peter 22-25 (The Message)

Grains of Gratitude

Better late, than never.

Oh, I know it’s Tuesday. But I am still grateful for:

Spending time with family over the weekend. Celebrating a happy birthday of a handsome young man.

Safe travel to and from, accompanied by my youngest son.

A safe and pleasant weekend for my oldest son and my husband who stayed home due to rehearsal requirements.

Two brothers who missed each other tremendously over the weekend. They called and talked to each other while we were away and even when we were in the car driving home. (How did we manage before cell phones??) They were so happy to see each other that they didn’t argue for at least ten, maybe fifteen minutes after we arrived!!!

I’m glad to hear that I was missed, too. The guys were perfectly capable of surviving without me, they said they missed me—my presence. Why? I have no clue, but I’m sure grateful for their love.

For a busy week ahead.

The Grains of Gratitude meme began with Christine at Brady’s Bunch.

What are you grateful for?

BOOK GIVEAWAY...and mice update...and stuff

You still have about 24 hours to enter the book giveaway.

Christian fiction. Suspense thriller. Legalese thrown in. Some nice romance.

Check it out. Leave me a comment on the review post if you want to be entered.

Oh...and the mice...arent' swimming in the dog's water bowl anymore. They've quieted down.

Mostly.

I am not jumping and screaming (go ahead--laugh at me) as much when the toast pops up from the toaster.

And my husband was amazed I would blog about mice. After 16 1/2 years you'd think he would know me better.

But he did come to my rescue when I fell down the stairs this morning. With a full cup of coffee in hand. That I was bringing to him. And the old cat's food dish in the other hand.

Eau de Café au lait. My new perfume and also the color of my walls.

I'm not making this up, people.

Register to win the book when you're done snickering.