Easter Greetings to Everyone!
Last night I went to the Saturday night services at New Spring....excellent, and very awe-inspiring to say the least. And today, I feel weird not being in church....especially on EASTER SUNDAY of all days. But I decided that I'd rather go on a warm, sunny day (yesterday) than on a cool, wet day (today). Plus, I was able to see my husband's video and animation work debuted before most other people did....that means tons to him when I can see what he works hard on all week long. And when I comment on how extremely talented he is, as I'm doing now. :0)
I can't believe it's Easter again. It seemed like it just happened. And this year is my son's first Easter....special memories to be made here. The "Easter Bunny" brought him "A Child's First Bible" with adorable pictures and little word bubbles, the book entitled "The Three Trees" (everyone should read this cute story), and a Bunnies By the Bay frog buddy blanket. He fell in love with its softness when I was in Animal Crackers (where I used to work) last week, and so the "Easter Bunny" was instructed to go back and purchase it for Gardner's Easter basket.
I recall early Easter memories of my own today....all of them sweet, a few of them silly. Daddy was a pastor at Collins Grove Baptist Church in Holly Springs, North Carolina right after exiting seminary in 1982. The church of about 30-40 attendees was an old, white-washed country church. There was a man there named Ed Gore....he was re-labeled by me the "candy man," because he always had a new variety of candy to offer the kids. On Easters, his usual treats were those Life Savers creme pops. I had a friend there, Meredith, who was one year older and much, much wilder than I was (at the tender age of five). She convinced me on Easter Sunday to sit in the back pew with her and smoke candy cigarettes during Dad's sermon. I still don't know to this day whether or not he saw that sugary "smoke" rising from the back row.
My mom, always health-conscious, tried to find alternative things with which to fill my Easter basket, other than just tooth-rotting, empty-calorie candy. So that is why an Easter basket just isn't an Easter basket to me unless it has little doo-dads such as lip gloss, paper mache eggs, press-on nails (for dress-up), peel-off nail polish (remember that stuff!!??), and sunflower seeds. My darling Ken thought he would be so clever and remember that I had to have sunflower seeds above all things. Too bad he got the wrong season....I pulled some out of my Christmas stocking one year while we were dating, and I kissed him and explained that he was halfway right. :0) It was a valiant effort, and I commend him for that!!
Emily, my younger sister by 8 years, loved Easter because she could prissily waltz around in the ruffly dresses Mom bought or handmade for her, complete with matching bonnet or hat, and of course, the little white gloves. I love to watch the videos we have of her strutting across the front yard with her little basket in tow, crowding into the camera's lens to show everyone the treats that lurked beneath and among that translucent, green plastic "grass."
I remember early sunrise services, where all the girls would shiver in the 50 or less temperatures, yet we would not dare say a thing because our mothers had warned us that we should look for a long-sleeved dress, or perhaps a white sweater (which we had not, evident by our sleeveless, too-summery ensembles we donned). I remember Easter egg hunts....at Grandma and Grandpa's is my earliest memory. My cousin Josh found a packet of orange Bubbilicious inside one of his eggs. Only three or so years old, he proceeded to stuff all five, gigantic pieces in his mouth, only to find that it was way too much for him to handle. I watched as he spit, gagging, the whole wad of gum into Grandpa's front boxwoods. We all laughed to see the large, flourescent orange blob perched on top of the bushes.
I remember so many sweet memories about this day. Yet I remind myself each year, as my parents were sure to always do, that the Easter Bunny, eggs, and even candy is not the highlight of this Day of days. Without a risen Savior, we would not have life, nor would we have joy to experience all of these blessings we have in front of us. I am thankful for friends and family today, and for my Jesus Christ, who cared enough about me to die for me before He knew me.
I can't believe it's Easter again. It seemed like it just happened. And this year is my son's first Easter....special memories to be made here. The "Easter Bunny" brought him "A Child's First Bible" with adorable pictures and little word bubbles, the book entitled "The Three Trees" (everyone should read this cute story), and a Bunnies By the Bay frog buddy blanket. He fell in love with its softness when I was in Animal Crackers (where I used to work) last week, and so the "Easter Bunny" was instructed to go back and purchase it for Gardner's Easter basket.
I recall early Easter memories of my own today....all of them sweet, a few of them silly. Daddy was a pastor at Collins Grove Baptist Church in Holly Springs, North Carolina right after exiting seminary in 1982. The church of about 30-40 attendees was an old, white-washed country church. There was a man there named Ed Gore....he was re-labeled by me the "candy man," because he always had a new variety of candy to offer the kids. On Easters, his usual treats were those Life Savers creme pops. I had a friend there, Meredith, who was one year older and much, much wilder than I was (at the tender age of five). She convinced me on Easter Sunday to sit in the back pew with her and smoke candy cigarettes during Dad's sermon. I still don't know to this day whether or not he saw that sugary "smoke" rising from the back row.
My mom, always health-conscious, tried to find alternative things with which to fill my Easter basket, other than just tooth-rotting, empty-calorie candy. So that is why an Easter basket just isn't an Easter basket to me unless it has little doo-dads such as lip gloss, paper mache eggs, press-on nails (for dress-up), peel-off nail polish (remember that stuff!!??), and sunflower seeds. My darling Ken thought he would be so clever and remember that I had to have sunflower seeds above all things. Too bad he got the wrong season....I pulled some out of my Christmas stocking one year while we were dating, and I kissed him and explained that he was halfway right. :0) It was a valiant effort, and I commend him for that!!
Emily, my younger sister by 8 years, loved Easter because she could prissily waltz around in the ruffly dresses Mom bought or handmade for her, complete with matching bonnet or hat, and of course, the little white gloves. I love to watch the videos we have of her strutting across the front yard with her little basket in tow, crowding into the camera's lens to show everyone the treats that lurked beneath and among that translucent, green plastic "grass."
I remember early sunrise services, where all the girls would shiver in the 50 or less temperatures, yet we would not dare say a thing because our mothers had warned us that we should look for a long-sleeved dress, or perhaps a white sweater (which we had not, evident by our sleeveless, too-summery ensembles we donned). I remember Easter egg hunts....at Grandma and Grandpa's is my earliest memory. My cousin Josh found a packet of orange Bubbilicious inside one of his eggs. Only three or so years old, he proceeded to stuff all five, gigantic pieces in his mouth, only to find that it was way too much for him to handle. I watched as he spit, gagging, the whole wad of gum into Grandpa's front boxwoods. We all laughed to see the large, flourescent orange blob perched on top of the bushes.
I remember so many sweet memories about this day. Yet I remind myself each year, as my parents were sure to always do, that the Easter Bunny, eggs, and even candy is not the highlight of this Day of days. Without a risen Savior, we would not have life, nor would we have joy to experience all of these blessings we have in front of us. I am thankful for friends and family today, and for my Jesus Christ, who cared enough about me to die for me before He knew me.
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