Easter Sunday, church, and all else related

EASTER SUNDAY

Easter Sunday was wonderful. We (Patrick, Mom/Gram and Shawn-bil) went to The National Cathedral for service. I thought it would be a neat experience for us to go and so before they came, I asked them about wanting to go and planned our day once they agreed on attending. Loren (my sister) and my nephew Jack, who is a 20 month old going on 3, decided that they would meet up with us afterwards for brunch; not attending the service due to the busyness of Jack . I'll talk more about that later.

The service was absolutely divine. The music was extraordinary and I've missed that. The pipes seemed a little taller, singing in their chorus as they gave glory to God and what He has done through Jesus. I closed my eyes and soaked it all in. The sermon was well preached and relevant. I was especially touched by the Welcome on the inside cover to the bulletin. I want to share it with you in hopes that you will be touched as well.

We gather this morning to celebrate the deepest, most important truth we know- that in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has entered into our world to bring hope, healing, and new life. Jesus embodied God's unstoppable love so completely that He became a threat to nearly everyone around Him and that death was not the last word for Him, that God raised Him to new life and in doing that has opened the possibility of healing and hope for everyone.

Easter promises that as with the first disciples, we too can know this risen Lord and can find our lives being filled with His life. So our celebration tonight is not simply about an event long ago, but about how the miracle of resurrection can take place in us.

The National Cathedral was absolutely gorgeous! We took a couple of pictures and I've posted some below. Because it was Easter Sunday, I wanted brunch to be special and so I made reservations at a place recommended to us called Cafe du Parc. We all met up and headed to the restaurant which is just a couple of blocks from The White House. The food was oh so very good! Patrick and I will be returning for sure! After brunch, we decided to walk the couple of blocks to see The White House and possibly get a picture of all of us with it in the background. That proved to be slightly more challenging than expected and in more than one way. I had done what I thought was a great job getting things ready for my visitors, playing hostess is truly one of my favorite things to do. I mean, I have the tickets for the service, reservations for the restaurant, etc. etc. etc. (sorry I put three of them, inside thing- The King and I) planning is my thing. So the challenges... First, they had the sidewalk in front of The White House barricaded due to the Easter festivities being held on the lawn. We think, ok, we can circumvent this by going just to the side and try to get a picture there. Here is where the second challenge exists... the camera dies and I didn't put the battery (that I had charged specifically for this) back into the other camera. I'm doing really well. My wonderful husband takes off to try and find another battery (of course a special kind). There is none to be had and so he gets a disposable one. Ok, now we're in business. Lo and behold in the time that all of this took, they have now opened the sidewalk and we are now able to get our picture. We get our picture and no kidding just about the time we finish up, they begin closing the sidewalk down again. Whew! We make our way back to the metro and head home. All is not finished however.

In a tradition like none other, The Masters. (cue Jim Nance's voice) We get home and turn the t.v. on wanting to know how "Lefty's" doing. For you non golfing people, that is the term of endearment for Phil Michelson. We root for him above all others. Not only is it time for The Masters, but it is time for Jack's Easter basket. (see precious photos below) I wanted to do this for him and Loren let me. There was just one thing that I knew I couldn't put in his basket- candy. So in my planning, I ask her what can I put in it. Jack LOVES rocks! He loves finding them and then putting them in his pockets. He thinks it is cool that he has found his pockets and can put things in there on his own. So, Jack got "rocks" in his basket for Easter. I found a great package of "rocks" used for vases for very cheap. I put a couple in each of his plastic eggs and it was the best thing! He played with them for the rest of the time he was here. He even put one of the eggs into his pocket the morning we went to The National Harbor.

We finished the day with a most wonderful meal. We had the roast that Mom had cooked in the crock-pot, mashed potatoes (with butter and whole milk that I haven't had in at least 3 years) and peas. It was a lovely day!

CHURCH

Today we went to Downtown Baptist in Alexandria. I/We did what we typically do: go in, get a bulletin, sit down and if it hasn't happened already, wait to be greeted. It didn't take long. I was about to say something to Patrick about it when a version of my mom came over to us; although her name was Carolyn. She greeted us and scared us all at the same time. I looked at Patrick when she moved on to tell others good morning and he had the exact expression on his face that I had on mine! I mean that in the best way possible. For those of you that know my mom, you know exactly what I am talking about. A woman came and sat down in front of us and introduced herself as Emily. She had two precious children with her and even teased about keeping her son in line. During the greeting time, she introduced us to a woman, Jeanine who in turn introduced us to her husband Jeff. The service was very pleasant. We enjoyed the more traditional service. We've missed hymns. Praise songs can certainly be worshipful, but there are times that they become too singsongy or so wrapped up in the music going on that the meaning is lost. The sermon by the pastor was part one of two on marriage. He and his family actually sat in front of us. His wife was the woman who introduced herself as Emily. I digress. The sermon on marriage. It was good. The scripture he used was Luke 20:27-38. His beginning point was that our marriages, our commitments were a reflection of those with God. He focused on what marriages should look like while we are here on earth not the difference they will be in Heaven. He began by asking the question "What is it like being married to me?" He made a point that he'd seen his share of people who'd come into his office who could tell everything and then some about their spouse who'd let them down, however couldn't describe what kind of spouse they themselves were. Interesting. It falls in line with the saying "Wake up thinking what can I do for her/him today." He then quoted a poem about a couple who'd built walls, not in a day, but over years and how that is ultimately what caused the end to their marriage. "Walls sealed are cemented not with hate, but indifference. Love dies panting, exhausted at the bottom of the wall it could not scale."

The mark

"There once was in man a true happiness of which now remain to him on the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present. But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself."

Blaise Pascal

This resonated with me the instant I read it. I am reading Desiring God by John Piper. He begins by quoting : "The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever." He changed the preposition from 'and' to 'by'. He did so in order to make the point that enjoying; finding joy in Him brings glory to Him. He states that he originally thought that if he did something "good" and felt good doing it, then he must be doing it for the wrong reason. He discovered how incredibly wrong it was to feel that way... we are supposed to take joy, be happy when we are glorifying our God. This led Piper to then use the quote above and that is what has left me pondering the depths of my salvation.

When I was growing up (this will be a repeat of information for most of you) I was surrounded by the knowledge of God. It was everywhere (except for maybe spoken aloud at school, but yes it was even there). It was the topic of conversation as lest as much as or maybe even more so than sports or the weather. My house was a place of conversation and then when we went over to Grandmother and Granddaddy's house there was more conversation. We went to church every time the doors were open and then my mom had a key, so sometimes we were there getting ready for when it would be open. That meant Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Sunday morning and night unless we were sick or on vacation (and even then we found a church). I say all of this to say I don't remember a time not knowing who God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are. I've never really struggled with the concept of The Trinity. My pastor growing up (the only one I had until I went to college) was and is incredible. He has been blessed with the ability to word ideas in such a fashion that the youngest listener and the most seasoned listener can come away having gained. In one of those sermons he said that all of us were created with a God size hole that only He can fill. Thing is, my Granddaddy has said that same thing.

I believe with all of my heart that it is true. The quote says it so eloquently. We know from the time we begin learning who we are that there is something inherently missing. It is as plain as the nose on our faces. We try with everything we have to "fill" that place... name anything. We were designed to bring glory to our Creator, our loving Creator. Who loved us enough to give us the choice to love Him back. He does not demand that we love Him; He asks; He seeks. He stands at the door and knocks. He allowed himself to be put through a corrupt trial, mocking, severe beating so that he was unrecognizable and hung on a cross to die. WHY?! Because He LOVED me, you. He saw His dearest friends, His mother, looked into the future and saw you and me today and He said, "I love them, I will do this"- actually He said "not My will, but Yours be done". He knew that we needed Him, and He was fully man while being fully God. He brought glory to God the Father, His Father.

I am now back at the original idea- desiring God. I desire God. I want to fill that hole, to be filled wholly with Him. I can't rely on friends, family, my husband, nature- the creation of God to fill me with the happiness, joy that He desires for me. I must rely on the Creator to fill the mark.

With this being Palm Sunday and then Easter I am reminded ever so of the sacrifice. Let me not live in vain of that sacrifice. Let me not try to fill with anything except Him.

This time last year...

This time last year was a very busy day. It was Conference Day at OCSI. I taught 6th graders and had been helping them since shortly after the first of the year compile "works" to put into their portfolio; discussing with them the need to reflect on both great pieces and those that weren't that great and what that had to say about their learning over the year and where they thought they could improve. The challenge to them was that they were then going to present these "works" and ideas to their parents. The day proceeded just as I thought it would. The kids did really well. Some were VERY nervous, but once they got into their portfolio and began talking to their parents they began to relax. Most of them were afraid to show their parents their "not so good" piece of work. I watched as the parents held back for the most part and listened. Their faces told much of the thoughts they were having. Their faces changed as their child explained what happened and what they did better the next time and what they continued to do. The parents asked great questions and hugged their child at the end of their time. I thanked them for coming and the next parent came in until the day was finished. It was now the end of the day, but it was far from over. It now became clean-up turn-in survey get ready for tomorrow time. I began with returning my classroom to the everyday order. I then prepared for the next coming days, graded journals for the week and put those grades into the computer system. I packed up, grabbed the surveys, locked the door and headed downstairs. On my way down, I ran into friends and chatted for a bit about their conferences and how well their students did. I then moved on and went to talk with my principal and give her the parent surveys. We talked for a bit about my observations and since it was the end of the day, I helped to clean up some of the tables that were outside and bring materials back inside where they belonged. Here the ordinary part of the day ends.

The reports of an earthquake on Mainland began coming in and then so did the tsunami warnings. There was a bit of confusion, but one thing was certain, the lower area below the school was going to be evacuated. I left to go home. On the way home, AFN radio gave a much clearer announcement of what we on Okinawa were expecting. I pulled over and called school to let them know. I headed home with my earpiece in knowing that the recall phone calls would begin shortly. I was right. I had two before I could even get home from school. All the while this was going on, my mind was at this point two other places and soon it would be even more places. Right now, my mind had been on my husband, who was not on the island at the time, but on "business elsewhere" and the people on Mainland. When I got home, I began to talk with friends in our complex about what was happening. I then got a call letting me know that Patrick would soon be heading that way.

Then the reports began coming out. Friends had family members that were being both affected and effected by the events on Mainland. In the coming days, prayer requests were being listed by our students. Tragic tales of unspeakable loss were coming in each day like new waves of water. I had to stop watching the news because the devastation was just too much for me to see. Our school raised money and prayed each and everyday. Patrick and members of the 353rd (along with countless others) were on Mainland helping in Operation Tomodachi.

Uncertainty and devastation thankfully is not the end of the story. This video is amazing. It touched me beyond what words can described.

Japan One Year Later | Break.com

www.break.com

Amazing what happens when...

You know, it is AMAZING to me what happens when you talk to the right person. It happened to me twice today.

First, I had my first doctor's appointment today and it was really just so I could get a referral. I was supposed to be meeting with my PCM (For the non- military types that is Primary Care Manager.) As it was to be, I did not end up meeting with her (it goes that way sometimes) and instead met with the "right person". Oh my goodness!! He was a wealth of knowledge. He looked at my face while I talked and he listened as to what I needed, then gave me some inside scoop~ "since I was new" and then told me that "if I had any more questions or needed anything to feel free to call him". To many of you who just read this, you are probably thinking "she is lying... she did NOT to a military installation of any sort" or "when can I go where she went". I promise I was on Ft. Belvoir, an army post and if you come here, you can go there. He told me that he understood I had to do what I had to do. WOW!! Thank you, Lord for providing for me!

Second, I received a call from the Movers; actually the lady that I spoke with yesterday. She asked me (as I was checking out at the commissary- not passing up that opportunity while I was already there, saving a trip that would've had to have happened next week anyway) had I called the office today. "No", I replied, "I haven't had the chance". "No problem", she answered, "Would it be alright if _____ (guy who was supposed to call me back in the first place) comes tomorrow and hoists your furniture?" Of course, I would LOVE for him to come and do that for me! WHOO HOOO HOOOO!! She was the "right person" to talk to and now I will be sitting on my couch tomorrow night!

Talking to the right person is an art that I watched my Grandmother perfect. It didn't make a difference if she was buying a roast or just the right bag to match her dress and shoes. I thought of her today as those things were happening to me. I think it happened to her in part because of the woman she was, because of all of the people she and my Granddaddy knew, because she knew the art of cultivating "finding the right person" and she did it with grace. Here's to being more and more like her! And if you knew her or have heard me tell you any stories of her, you know that's a really good thing.

OK, here I go again...

So after sputtering, starting and stopping for three years, I am making a new commitment to writing and keeping up with this blog! Oh goodness, where to even begin... new home, the MOVE, life in general, ideas that are bouncing around in my head (It has to look like a ping pong game or one of those ginormous balls out of those things at the grocery store. You know the kind, the ones that seem to have a mind of their own and can do some real bodily harm.) I digress...

So, the biggest thing that is going on right now is the MOVE. It is currently quite the undertaking; more so than I thought it was going to be. I was expecting lots... of what I'm not exactly sure, but lots. I mean, I moved from half a world away back home. I LOVED Okinawa! Check that, I love Okinawa and the friends I will NEVER forget. We had such a great time there. Not every moment was my favorite, but that happens with life. You live on a tropical island, seemingly paradise, but it is like life everywhere... good days and bad days. On the whole, however, I loved it. With that being said, I am so thankful to be Back. No, I did not make a typo when I wrote Back. There are so many things rolled up into Back. It is like coming home after a vacation. You are so incredibly ready, and excited to go, the vacation is awesome and then it is time to return. So, I feel was the nature of our stay in Okinawa. We were able to travel to some AMAZING places: Mainland Japan, Philippines, Singapore, KL, S. Korea and China. And now it is time to be Back.

Back to the Move.

Whew! Things are going pretty smoothly. We were able to do some significant things in Oki that set us up for some ease here on the other side. We signed a lease on a townhouse for rent. We had a realtor give us some ideas, we ran with it, did some research online and ultimately found our place. My dear friend from our duty station in South Carolina did a tour of our choice and emailed me a list just as detailed as she knew I would want. I stayed up several nights into the wee hours of the morning due to the time difference and the end result was us being able to just about move right into our new place. There were just a few hiccups and those were fixed right away. We love our place and our neighborhood!

Our things arrived before we thought they would, to the tune of weeks early. They were delivered a week ago today. Since then we have been unpacking. Here is where the "pretty" of "pretty smoothly" begins. On the whole, it really is small potatoes, but when you can't find parts, you don't have a desk, a bench, or a futon- the guest bed (found those just yesterday). The other thing is that evidently the entry ways are built REALLY small here. Our couch and wing back chair won't fit through the doorway. It is going to have to be hoisted in order to get it into the house. Ok, no worries the company tells us. They send someone out the very next day to take measurements, survey the situation and that person says they will call on Monday once paperwork is filed in order to obtain approval for the additional cost. I have no problem with this at all... I get how the military works (entirely different blog that would probably take days to complete).

So, Monday comes and goes without a word from anyone about the hoisting. "Ok", I say, "no problem since they are probably waiting for a call back... they don't know anything so how can they call me." Tuesday comes and goes without a word or phone call. Well, here is where my southern raising comes into play. See, I was taught that when you say you are going to do something, you do it. It doesn't matter if you don't know anything, how long does it take to make a courtesy call and say "I haven't heard anything, but I told you I would call, so I am calling to let you know that I don't know, but I will give you a call when I do know something." So, I decide that if I haven't heard by Wednesday morning at 10am, I'm calling them to see where things are. You can pretty much imagine where this is going. Yep, I called. I was very polite in asking and was told that there wasn't any news, but that I could call back tomorrow (Thursday/today) and they should know by then. So, you know me, I call back today, just a little bit ago actually. The woman on the line was very pleasant. She confirmed our move and the person that came out to the house on Friday and then she began to look. She came back on the line and said that she couldn't find any emails about hoisting and asked me again about the timeline of speaking with the guy who came out to the house. In my head I'm thinking "WHAT?!? ANY EMAILS?!??, NO EMAILS?!?" She then immediately said that she was going to call the guy that had come out to the house and begin researching/making calls to take care of this. In my head I'm thinking "YES, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT THING FOR YOU TO DO?!?" I replied, "Oh thank you so very much for taking care of this for me." She ended the call by saying that she was going to go and get on this and would call me back to let me know where things stand.

Again, as I stated earlier, small potatoes on the grand scale. I know that it seems frivolous and even out of it to worry about such simple things when so many other people around the world are worrying about where they are going to sleep, what they are going to eat, will anyone harm them or worse. I am genuinely grateful for all of my many blessings!

Here's to hearing good news and shortly.

Our Night Out

Last night, we went out. Not so much on a date night, but it was a date. Last night was the Junior/Senior Banquet for OCSI (the school where I teach). The night was perfect! Everyone was dressed beautifully. The Senior advisors spoke love and words of Truth to their students. As tradition dictated, the parents gave the video well wishes to their seniors. There were heart felt memories of childhood antics, pictures of the seniors as babies with dates on them that made us feel old and precious stories of families. Then, the parents did something that was perhaps the most meaningful thing I've ever seen. They all got up on the stage and sang "Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone" to their children. They changed the words on the last stanza to say "Your chains are gone, You've been set free. Your God your Savior has ransomed thee". I can't even put into words how incredible that was. Lots of the seniors are leaving the Island to go to college back in the States. These children are being sent out into the world with the knowledge and many of them with the experiences already, saying that God will be their guide and will be faithful to complete the good work He has started in them.

This group of students is special for many different reasons. They are to me because they are the first class that I subbed for when I came to OCSI in the spring just after we arrived on Island. They are gracious and kind, fun loving and hilarious and some of the most genuine people. I am looking forward to seeing the amazing things that God does in their lives.

Here are several pictures of me with a couple of students and then some of my friends that I teach with at OCSI.

Me with Amy

Me and Yuria

Me with Teacher Friends

Me with a teacher friend, Hitomi Yabe

Easter Sunday Morning

HE IS RISEN!!

See, that makes all the difference. The fact that Christ rose from the grave; this is cornerstone of my life. "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know, I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because He lives." I can hear it now. Being in church this Sunday morning with my family. Putting on our best, new clothes. The ones we sought after for weeks, just to get the right one. And not because we needed a new dress, not because there was something magical in getting a new dress for Easter. No, we got new dress to signify of the newness, to signify of how special THIS day is.

Easter being the cornerstone of my life has shaped who I am. I am so thankful to Him for enduring the unspeakable agony so that I may live forever and one day join Him in Heaven. I made that choice when I was four and a half years old. Yes, I know that seems a bit early, but I knew (and still know) the truth. I was raised in a Christian home. Grew up hearing theology when I didn't even know that was what it was called. When we were over at my Grandmother and Granddaddy's for dinner, we would finish cleaning the dishes and he would already be in his big black chair reading the Bible. We would all come in and then the talking would begin. They would try to remember words to old hymns, stories from seminary and antics when they were growing up.

Before I was in the second grade, we lived in West Columbia. In order to get to our church just up from Five Points, we had to cross the river and this meant driving by the old state prison, CCI. Being the kinda girl I am, I asked about the prison; who was there, why, etc. One of these times, I asked my mom if this is where the people go who break Jesus' heart. She was a bit taken, but told me the truth. She always told me the truth. I didn't realize it then, in my little four year old world, but the Holy Spirit was working in me. I continued to listen in Sunday School, sermons (although moving constantly and one couldn't really tell) and to the wonderful words spoken around me. As I was getting out of the tub one night and my mom was helping to dry off, I felt as if something inside was turned on- for the first time turned on. It came as natural as breathing and it felt like it was happening all at once- the feeling and the words coming out of my mouth happened at the same time. I said "Lord Jesus, come into my heart." My mom wasn't quite sure what had just happened and what I had just said. She asked me to repeat myself. I said it again. She told me to go and get my pajamas on and then go and sit in the big flower chair in the den. She went to get my dad and when I was sitting in the chair, they came in to talk to me about what had just happened. I told them I knew that I needed Jesus. I knew that He had to die because of the bad things that I had done. By the end of the conversation, they knew that I KNEW.

Time went by and I turned 5. I went to Forest Lake Elementary and LOVED kindergarten. Mrs. Husband and Mrs. Redding are figures in my memory that will last for as long as I do. We were having "Clown Day" at school because the Fair was in town. We were going to get to have our faces painted!!! This was also the day that I was going to meet my pastor, Dr. Lincoln. My mom tried to DIE, for when she came to school to pick me up, my face was painted like a clown. I even had a beauty mark for good measure. So we went to see Dr. Lincoln, my mom dressed in her wonderful outfit (all planned out I am sure) and me probably in the outfit she chose and now my clown face. So, we get to the church and get to his office. He was very straight forward. He asked me why I thought I needed to be saved. I looked him straight in the eye and quoted from Hebrews 9:22, "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." Well, you can imagine his surprise. He looked at my mom, who was looking at me stunned. They exchanged looks and she said, "I didn't teach her that." We talked for a little more. I walked down the aisle at church the next Sunday. Some time later I was baptized to show outwardly the decision that I had made on the inside.

I have NEVER doubted that everything I just wrote happened. I know that I know that I know that Christ died and rose again for me!

Thank you, Jesus! Thank you God for raising Him from the dead.

How wonderful the empty tomb!