10 Things I Love About April

  

This morning I was sitting and watching the sun come up over the mountains. I was thinking of all of the things I love about April. These are a few of the things I love about April.

    1. The sunrise and how every morning there are surprises as the sun peaks over the different mountains. In the winter it peaks over Bear Mountain. Now it is peaking over Greenhorn.

    2. The long evenings. Sitting outside is warm enough to sit and watch the sun set and then as the twilight deepens and the shadows deepen the sky turning to velvet and then the stars blinking one by one.

    3. The wonderful smell of spring and how there is just the hint of orange blossoms, rose petals and now jasmine and mock orange.

 

4.In April, there is just a bit of coolness to the air, even if it is 90 degrees. After most of the month has been 85-90 next week we will have snow in the mountains and the high will be 66. That makes me very happy. In April no matter what it is still spring.

 

5. In April, all of the beautiful flowers that are blooming. The green on the trees and the lovely chicks tha
I have and sit outside watching them every day.

6. Cadbury Mini Eggs.

7. Spring Vacation.

8. The mockingbirds singing in the morning and watching them jump high in the sky and do little back flips because they are just so happy. Like my chicks running and jumping in feathery little bits of joy .

9. Watching all of the new birds flying in for a visit and then flying on. I see so many stopping to take a bath in the swimming pool.

10. Just life, I am aware of how blessed I am and how happy I feel most of the time, but in April there just seems to be nice things all around.

~Kim~

"The world is so full of a number of things,
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."

R.L.Stevenson---A Child's Garden of Verses.

Passover Begins Today

One of the things I have loved about this year is how Easter and Passover have lined up. Yesterday was Palm Sunday and today begins Passover. When I was a new believer, a wonderful family invited us to their home to share Passover with them. Being Christians, they shared Passover because as Completed Jews, (They were Jewish people who believed in Jesus as their Messiah) It was a wonderful gift to them. It was a life changing moment to me. I thought I would spend a bit of time sharing this.

 

God commanded in Exodus 12 that this day be kept. Passover is the celebration of God's delivering His people out of the slavery of the Pharaoh.  On this night God promised that He would visit every house to execute judgement and would take the life of the first-born son unless the family had marked the door of their house with the blood of a perfect lamb. Then he would passover that family and no one would die when he saw the blood on the lintel and the door posts.

 

At the Seder we attended we ate standing up. Only the Father seated at the head of the table, the dishes are by the father so he may begin passing the dishes. The oldest son begins by asking his father, " Why is this night different from all other nights?"  The oldest son asks 4 times that same question as the Father explains each food.

Matazoth---wafers of unleavened bread---To remind us of the fact that the Israelites did not have time to wait for yeast bread to rise to be ready to move when God said. (For the Christian this reminds us to live so that we are always "ready to go" When Jesus returns. Also yeast sometimes represented the evil in the world. God wants his people to be pure.)

Maror---bitter herbs, usually freshly grated horse-radish or other bitter herbs, pungent vegetable such as onion. These herbs are a reminder of the bitter suffering in Egyptian slavery. They are dipped in salt water to signify the tears of bitter suffering.  (For the Christian, this reminds us that many have suffered that we may know the joy of the good news of Jesus. So in our Celebration, we remember the great cost.)

Haroseth---A mixture of chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon, and wine. This represents the mortar with which the Israelites were force to make bricks to build Pharaoh's great cities. ( See Exodus 2:11-14 and 5:4-23)

The shank of bone of a lamb---This is the symbol of the lamb that was sacrificed for sins ( For the Christian, this represents Jesus, God's own gift of a perfect Lamb for the sins of all.


There are still the elements  of the roasted egg, parsley or watercress, wine or grape juice and Elijah's cup. Then of course, the empty tomb. For me I learned that so often  I look only the cross. I feel sad, but really I should focus on that empty tomb and see it not as a tragedy but a triumph. 

Thank you for reading along,
~Kim~

Most of this material is taken from the book " Lets Make a Memory" by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson 1983 It is the best book on understanding The Passover and the completed meaning of the Seder Feasts.

Finishing Mrs. Rabbit

With it warming up out here, I needed to get Mrs. Rabbit finished. Well except for binding the edges. I didn't have enough wool yarn to finish that and I will get to that pretty soon. Maybe next week when it is a bit cooler. This is the biggest rug I have ever hooked. I am ready to work on some smaller ones for awhile.

Such a fun project. This pattern was designed by Sharon Smith. It is such a big rug it is hard for me to get a good picture.

I ended up using 2 yards of wool for the background all by itself. Someday I might do this rug again. I learn so much from every single rug I hook.

Also this last week I finished up the second little stitchery project. I joined a group on Face Book called the Prim Stitchers  Society. That has been fun to see so many Prim projects and it is very motivating. Such beautiful work has been shared.

 

I have had such fun with my box. That time when I was waiting for my first eye surgery and I would pick up patterns and look at them and think I might not ever do this again, I told myself that I was going to do every single pattern I bought even if the collection had two or three different patterns in it. So I am doing just that. I still have one eye that hasn't been fixed so last night I covered my eye with my hand and all of the stars disappeared from the sky. Orion's belt was gone that fast. Then I covered the bad eye and all of the stars were back. I still marvel and I am thankful I have one good eye and one bad eye as it keeps me being reminded of how it could be if not for medical advances. To be thankful that God continues to guide my life.

Have a lovely Sunday, filled with good things.

~Kim~

My prayer for this day: Palm Sunday
" Are we assured that we are safe in the hands that hold the stars?
Can we wholeheartedly surrender to God, leaving quietly with Him all the "What ifs" and "but what abouts"? Will we truthfully say to Him,
" Anything You choose for me, Lord---to have to be, to do, or to suffer. I am at Your orders.
I have no agenda of my own"? It comes down to Trust and Obey."
---Secure in the Everlasting Arms, Elisabeth Elliot.

And Then...

Today marks 34 years of our life together. On this day 34 years ago, I was sitting in my room, looking out my window, watching my Dad sob in the back yard as it was going to be my wedding day. My Grandpa who lived in Oregon had been at our house for a week, and kept taking me for walks and asking, " Was I sure I wanted to do this,"  and then stuffing 50 and 100 dollar bills in my pockets. I knew if I could just make it to the church, it would be fine. I never not one time in the years I have known Ron or been married ever have doubted his loyalty, his love, his dependance on God. His ability to to take dreams, ideas and vision and turn it in to reality. He has kept me on my toes. I wanted to just say the vows, and leave. My Mom kept threatening me, that " We had better show up at that reception!!! I really wanted to just let them have the party and start the honeymoon early. We went, but were the first to leave.

The best part for me was going to the drive through at McDonald's in my wedding dress.

 

 We have had good times and hard times. We have been richer and poorer. We have had sickness and health. We have been so mad at each other we could have killed each other but one of us makes the other one laugh and then we see the idiocy of our fight. I can always stay mad at him until he touches my arm or even a finger and I just fall apart. So strong is his power in my life. To be without him would be worse than death.

 

We have had such a lovely time raising our family. We have always had such fun. One of the things I wanted for our wedding was that I would have a house filled with laughter. It has been and continues to be just that, for that I am thankful.  When we started having children and I of course wanted to stop at two, he always would ask for just one more. That has been our life. He wants just one more and I want things filled to the brim. We have had weddings.

Our family has grown and expanded and to think it started on this day 34 years ago makes me so thankful that no matter what I am still if not happier today than I was that day long ago. I had no idea life would be filled with such sweet blessings. We were talking the other day, how he wanted to marry me and I got in my car and drove for 5 hours to Sacramento just to think. I knew my life would change and I could see my own selfishness, and self-centeredness  and I was so afraid I would mess up his life.

We have one more baby to add to our family. Our pictures keep changing so fast, just as fast as life is moving on. It has never been boring or dull. It has been full to the brim full of life.
Next year, I am not getting chicks so I can go on a trip.

I hope you have a delightful Saturday. I think we will, putting in the garden. We have always enjoyed growing things and seeing the work of our hands blossom and grow.

Yes, if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change one single thing. Not one single thing. Well maybe one thing, I would have had more kids. I did always want ten. You are such a great Dad.

Have a great weekend and thank you for reading along.

~Kim~

" Now only time will tell;
How deep in love I fell,
If I fall for a thousand years:
I won't know to tell..."
---The song he wrote and sang at our wedding.---
April 12, 1980