From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

The following quote comes from a book that I recently finished.

I am thankful to my friend Julie for helping me learn how to relax. I won't ruin the book for you, because its worth a read (even for us adults); but, basically the end conversation is between an elementary aged girl, Claudia, and an 80+ aged woman, Mrs. B. E. F.

In the book they both had a lot to learn from each other:

Claudia said, "But, Mrs. Frankweiler, you should want to learn one new thing every day. We did even at the museum."

"No," I [Mrs. F] ansewred, "I don't agree with that. I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal. But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside you. If you never take time out to let that happen, then you just accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It's hollow."

This made me think. How about you?

Oranges

I have to bust out the Orange story again! I'm not sure if I have posted this on my blog already, but I have shared it with several people... and it never gets old to me.

I have rediscovered my favorite food... ORANGES!!! I think it happens about this time each year. The wonderful sweet and tangy fruit is in season and I am reminded of God's goodness.

In high school I was having a real bad morning one day and was frustrated because I didn't have my favorite cereal or normal apple to eat... all we had was oranges... so I ate one and it blew my mind how delicious it was... the rest of my day was fabulous and I actually wrote several essays about how God reminds of his goodness through simple things.

In college I had an aversion to flowers (I am allergic to fragrances) and too many boys sent me flowers that, to me, were meaningless gestures of their unwanted affection. So, for my birthday my roommates gave me a bouquet of oranges to symbolize how much they cared for me. I will never forget that day!

Today, I just got off the phone with my brother and admitted to him that God has been rocking my world a little bit recently and I have been praying for a reminder that I don't need to doubt, but to trust... then I got a hankerin' for an orange.

Yep, it was delicious! God is good :)

Adventures of Matt and Traci

My husband and I have a new hobby... We like to go on long walks through our neighborhood and go in houses that are under construction.


I hope this isn't illegal.


Someday we would like to build our own house.

Its fun to gather ideas.

It also helps because we can live our house fantasies through others and not have to build a monstrosity for ourselves.
I still haven't decided if this is a good or bad thing.

These are some of the pictures from our latest exploration.

Why?

I listen to KLOVE on my way to Sports Conditioning in the mornings. I can't knock it too badly because I listen, but sometimes the things that people say just annoy me.

So, today 3 days after Easter... Jon says, "Good morning. Its the 26th day of March in the year of our Lord. 273 days until Christmas."

This last phrase is what bothered me... seriously, we are already moving on? How about 3 days after Christ rose?

Happy Easter

He is Risen!!! IN DEED!!

Yes, this is the time of the year that we celebrate our risen Lord. I get pumped about what God has done and is doing at this moment each year. Sometimes I loose sight of God's power, but want to and need to be reminded of it on a regular basis.

Several reflections...

Last night I was having a conversation with my family and we were considering if the empty tomb was the starting point of our faith and celebration how our lives might look differently. This would be contrasted with cross being the starting point....

Consider this, 325 days a year we celebrate freedom, we focus on what God has done, his power, and redemption of the world. We consider the the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and the lives of those around us. We look at the last chapters of the gospels as a starting point...

In these Jesus says...

"As my Father has sent me, so I am sending you."
"Peace be with you."
"Go, make disciples of all nations."
"All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me."
"Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you."
"You will do even greater things than me."
"You will perform miracles, heal the sick, cast out demons."
"My Holy Spirit is with you."

Then Lent becomes the time of 40 days when we fast and pray and lament and consider the cross, we focus on our need for continual redemption and relate the sorrow and suffering of Christ.

Does this make you think any differently?
Thoughts?
What does Easter mean to you?

Bird's Nest

Yes, this is a Winter wreath that is still up on our door as we are nearing Easter.

A little, back story is necessary... last winter we had a few visitors at our house... birds who flew in as we opened the door. I screamed and hid and Matt chased them out the window.

This year, I realized why they liked coming in so much... they live on our door.

We are in a little dilemma because we don't want to take the wreath down, but I don't want to have to enter our house by the back door...

Any suggestions?

Reflection

Last night we held a Seder meal service to identify with and reflect on what Jesus and his disciples would have done the day before Jesus was crucified many years ago.

I had the privilege of preparing the meal for us. I felt like I was on a scavenger hunt for two days... and then I hoped and prayed that the night would be meaningful for all who were there.

Honestly, for me, the preparation was more meaningful than the two hours actually going through everything. I think it was because I was a bit anxious about everything running smoothly (talk about Martha and Mary moment).

This morning though I started reflecting on it all... I took some time to read through John (ch. 13-19). I had read these passages many times in my life, but I can't recall putting them in the context of night before Jesus was crucified. It made so much more sense to me that Jesus would be having an intimate conversation with his disciples.

The disciples would have just recalled, bitterness, redemption from slavery, the need for hope.
They would have just experienced service from their king, confusion about who Jesus was and is, the promise of the holy spirit, an new command: Love one another.

Jesus promised them peace, he promised them that the world would hate them, he promised them truth.

There is a lot to this story. One of my friends recently told me that it sounded like a ghost story. How can we believe it?
Pilate even asked Jesus, "What is truth?"

Its important for us all to reflect on the willingness of Jesus obedience to His father and the promises that come along with following him... if we do believe...