Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

We are down to our last “speaking scarf”…along with the correlation to the famous quote from Aristotle “Moderation in all things.”

I know exactly where I was and who said the quote when I heard it for the first time. It was in an educational classroom (about this time of the year) and I had just made the decision to major in history with a secondary teaching degree.

The professor that day was head of the secondary education department at Erskine College and he was known for having a particularly and (quite noticeably) nasal twang. He rapped on his podium stand with a ruler and said:

“Mod..der…ray…shun ( he took at least 30 seconds the get this word out alone with the accent on “der”) in…n..n..n.. (“in” sounded like a bee buzzing) all….thangs.” Er…I…Stot Tell. (Aristotle)

I only remember trying not to make eye contact with any other students in the room…or I would lose it….I could actually feel the giggles bubbling beneath the surface. I did the old coughing trick and glanced away when a fellow student pretended to blow his nose loudly and very “nasal-ly.” (a new made up word)

Yet, from this dubious origin,  the quote (today) has become my mantra on life.

Maybe it is because I am a LIBRA and have always liked balance in my personal life. Then, later, (professionally) through teaching cause and effect…I discovered history is simply a series of events that occur quite naturally in patterns that are repeated over and over.

It is when one cause or one effect doesn’t balance out the other that chaos ensues.

I remember letting the students have “snowball” fights in the classroom to teach ’cause and effect.’ I would take a simple balancing scale with me to class for this particular lesson.

After the throwing of snowballs (which I made from a thick white paper…the size of the snowballs matched only the correct cause and effect sequence. The students had to find their partner who had the other part of the “cause and effect” snowball and then bring it up to the scales to see if the two balanced out or not.

Reflecting back on my life…I see now that I have spent most of my life trying to keep “balance” in it…sometimes more successfully than others…but it has always been my goal.

Don’t you love the second part of today’s quote:

“Never let success go to your head. Never let failure go to your heart.”

Easier said than done…right?  As a history teacher…it is easy to pick up on the familiar patterns involving the downfall of emperors, dictators, empires and countries. It has all come to pass… largely due to the fault of the leader letting “success go to his/her head.” 

Tuesday night I saw a PBS special on Henry the VIII and he definitely let success (power) go his head while chopping off everybody else’s around him.

It is the second part of the statement “Never let failure go to our hearts”  that hits home to so many of us. Whether we call ourselves  “good enough’ers” or “perfectionists” most of us want so badly to please our bosses and feel that we are contributing to our workplace’s success.

It is the degree to which we let mistakes and failures penetrate our hearts, minds, and very souls that indicates the person we are at the present moment…not the one we hope to become. We have to accept ourselves as we are all along the journey…not just at the end.

If we can’t forgive ourselves for our mistakes along the path of life…then others who can …will end up more successful while we drop behind…lost in the quandary of self-doubt.

So until tomorrow….Help us Father accept ourselves as we are today…Help keep us in balance with Your Will and desires for our lives…by coming to You in prayer and letting You guide us along the way.

“Today is my favorite day.” Winnie the Pooh

The newest addition to my front yard…this beautiful purple Bougainvillea (Mandy and I got at Hidden Ponds) alongside the driveway and beside the bottle tree….it makes me happy every time I drive in or I drive out…beauty in balance.

* Another wonderful balance popped up this afternoon!!!! Bekah got this wonderful state job with a “balance” of health and retirement benefits… the job is as an interventionist for special needs children…she will be so good at this!!!!!! A  “balance” of new opportunities for Bekah and Ady! Congratulations!

Dear Reader:

I certainly hope that statement is true when people drop in and visit me. I am always so delighted to have a distraction from me! So if you ever feel like dropping by….just do it! If I am here we will tour the garden and look at all the additions to it and the Happy Room!

If my memory still serves me…I think the first person I remember being impressed about for his kindness and spreading happiness was Johnny Appleseed…a.k.a. John Chapman.

The idea of him traveling the country planting apple trees from seed excited me… as a history-loving elementary student.

I remember imagining that I would love to have traveled with him…although the pot on his head was a little strange, I admit. But then I have a tendency to like different Johnny’s like one who has a surname….Depp…and I have a feeling his “pot” might be the consumable type. What an actor…wow…and so easy on the eyes!

Then along came Miss Rumphius and the planting of her lupines…don’t we love the idea of spreading seeds of happiness in whatever form we choose?

As teachers we always hoped and prayed that the seeds we spread would be the love of knowledge…I hope out there somewhere that is true.

Since time and space don’t always allow for us (the blog readers and me) to meet up-close and personal-let me share some of your observations and comments  …I walk away from the computer each day with a smile on my face after reading your thoughts… my walk is “lighter” the rest of the day. Thank you for leaving me filled with happiness!

Comments:

In several of our recent blogs….the message of letting go and giving God the power to steer us in our voyage through life…especially over rough seas…has been discussed.

Brooke sent this poem in an email she received pertaining to the same idea…I loved it and want to share it with you. Thanks Brookie!

“Broken Dreams”

As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend.
I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He was my Friend.

But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.

At last I snatched it back and cried,
“How could You be so slow”-
“My child,” He said,
“What could I do? You never did let go.”

Author: Unknown 

…………………….

Cindy recognized a similar scenario between Rutledge and his fountain “wishes” and her granddaughter Katie’s pennies and wishes also….too cute!

Katie was around 2 when she started calling pennies “wishes”. Her other grandma gave her some pennies to throw in the fountain and told her to make a wish.

So for a while pennies and then other coins became “wishes”. Don’t you just love it? I am going to see her in a couple of weeks and now 6 and a half she is getting very grown up! 

(I think we should call all bills and coins “wishes” from now on…don’t you…because that is really what money should symbolize…ways and wishes to help the world and others less fortunate in it.)

We grandparents love to be close to our grandchildren…it is like a gift  to be able to turn back the clock on certain phases of life again…but this time… with the knowledge of how certain situations will play out.

It is kind of like seeing a movie twice..I love doing that because I can relax and just enjoy the show the second time… with the comfort and knowledge of knowing that “all’s well that ends well.”

Both Chris Frazier. and Sis  ( along with their spouses) left Summerville  (following retirement) to move closer to their individual children and grandchildren… so they could play a part in their lives.

Even though it was a tough decision for each teacher and family..neither one would ever second-guess this important decision. Happiness was waiting on them.

Sis and her husband have officially moved a second time to be even closer and she made this comment: (Look how her four grandchildren are looking at the camera…umm…must ask Sis for the secret!)

Hey, Becky! Yeah, move is “over.” HA! The “move” is over, but the “unpacking” of the boxes not so much!!! Down to one room, though; once everything is set in THAT room, the rest of the rooms will just fall into place! Loving being here: babysat Sat. for one set of grands; and did all day yesterday for the youngest. THAT’S why we moved to this area!!!

Here is an excerpt from Johnny Johnson concerning happiness according to God’s time…not ours…leaving God alone to do what is best for us.

Funny how God calls us to him if we just can be still and listen to his silent steady call. I believe he puts us through trials to strengthen us. And yes… then we spend all of our days learning more about his will for our lives. We know and we feel his ever present love as we seek and walk in his ways and in his direction… 

Honey said that the sanctuary of their mountain home provided the perfect backdrop for Easter Sunday…

What a beautiful Easter at Grand Mom Boo’s! I loved all of the pictures-felt like I was there with you. We enjoyed a beautiful Easter sunrise in our sanctuary on the mountain. Then it was clay!

This was Gin-g’s first Easter without her mother… she said they honored both her mother and daddy… by continuing all the family traditions of egg hunts, egg tosses, and scavenger hunts.

Mother and Daddy would have been pleased. They loved their Lord, their church, their family…and Mother always said “you can’t stop in the middle of the road, you have to keep going”…so on this Easter after she went to Glory we had a glorious time in memory and love of our parents who started this legacy….

* And a very special thank you to Katie Roberts,  one of my former students, who wrote a heart-warming tribute about our time together at CSU… when she sent out my blog on Facebook Easter Sunday.

Katie…you are the seed we teachers hope to spread…so full of life, hope, kindness, and happiness! You are making a difference in this world to so many people.

So until tomorrow…May we wake up each morning, with at least one specific idea, on how to make someone happy today…and then do it…plant a seed.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Mandy sent me Jakie’s class picture for the first year baby class….such a sweet face…I told Mandy now that little sprouts of hair are lining up…I will miss Jakie’s bald head when it is gone. (Can you believe they had real rabbits in the picture and Jakie didn’t give it a second look?)

* I decided to plant red petunias in the lollipop wheelbarrow (since it is on its last leg with rusty small holes in the bottom.) Will surprise Rutledge and Eva Cate with the flowers that bloomed after the lollipops!

Dear Reader:

We continue with the week of the speaking “scarves.” I hope  you are enjoying the messages on each one as I much as I do… while walking past my “wall of scarves” in the kitchen.

I find this particular message today extremely comforting…don’t you? From our own personal schemas and advantages of hindsight, I think we can all admit that we have lived to see many of our personal goals and wishes come to fruition.

They didn’t always come through the front door…as we hoped and expected…many dreams had to be put on the back burner (so to speak) and the “Timing is everything” quote (Grandmother spoke of….I just realized) is not directly aimed at us…but it is God telling us that He knows when it is the right time to make changes in our lives to obtain the goals He wishes to see us achieve.

This doesn’t mean that we get a “free pass” to sit back and do nothing in preparation for our ultimate life-time goals…we must be ready to move on an opportunity when it presents itself. God wants to see us building the blocks necessary to form the foundation for our goals and dreams.

That is the hard part isn’t it? Aren’t there some days when we wake up and realize that God’s gift of “Free Will” comes with a high price…the same as any type of freedom here on Earth?

Perhaps that is why so many people are willing to follow dictators, “Jim Jones” cults and even some choose to remain in prison where decision-making is at a minimum…with three square meals and a bed at night. Freedom is too difficult for some.

There are always the dark, rainy days of life when the child in us wishes we had a “parent” to continue making decisions for us (so we don’t have to) and letting us remain the child hiding under the bed covers.

I remember after the first surgery, the first round of chemo and radiation…coming up for air and looking around thinking…I’m still here…after all this…I’m still here. There must be a reason for it…God must not be through with me yet.

My outward “shell” looked like it had gone through a war zone (and it had) with scars criss-crossing my reddened sunken chest.  But, spiritually, I was more concerned with my “innards” than my “outwards.”

I prayed to God to “open my eyes” so I could see Him, to “open my ears” so I could hear Him and to “open my heart” so I could accept Him in my life. God answered this prayer.

From that prayer on…I began to see God’s signs (winks) where they had not existed previously. I began to hear the rustle of the wind, the chirping of the birds, and the laughter of children at play. I began to feel God’s presence as an extension to my life.

Like Noah and the ark…I knew I needed a sanctuary in my life to go to talk to God…and the garden came into existence with the help of many guardian angels God sent to assist me in this sacred endeavor.

Nowadays, God looks down and smiles upon my garden….my dream of grandchildren playing in it has come to be…and being, I have discovered, is the highest level of living.

So until tomorrow…God open our hearts so we can follow You down the path we need to travel… to do Your work here on Earth.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*The fountain continues to draw the grandchildren to it…and this was true last Sunday…Easter Sunday. Rutledge watched Eva Cate scrounging for pennies at the bottom of the fountain and then throwing them back in with a “wish.”

So Rutledge started yelling “Wish” and plopping a penny in the water with hilarious giggles. When Walsh walked by he asked if Rutledge understood what a “wish” was and I replied “No…but we all have to learn the word first…then comes the definition…the understanding.”

Isn’t that true of our understanding of God….first comes the Word…then follows a lifetime spent in its understanding.

* I got some of the Easter pictures of the babies framed today and my ‘Boo Boo with the grandchildren “classic” photo’… as Walsh predicts.

Dear Reader:

You might have noticed a pattern lately with these sayings…they are on cloth material (which is hanging over my kitchen window on the B&B side) so that is why the letters seem a little “off.” I am photo’ing them hanging up.

They brighten the kitchen tremendously with their sunny colors and the sayings speak to me…on so many different levels.

Samantha has them hanging in the window of her shop Simple to Sublime on short Central Avenue. They come as a package deal with the string (already strung) holding them all together.

The saying (May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be) really spoke to me. I remember, as a child, reading stories on different periods of history and imagining that I was living during the Colonial period or Civil War period or whatever time-line the heroine in the story lived.

Haven’t we, as adults, imagined the same thing? If we could travel through time…and pick the time to be born….what time-period and place would we choose? (Or like me and Archibald Rutledge…we were born too far apart to meet in this life…perhaps the next?)

I have to admit, that after Hurricane Hugo, I decided that any time before electricity was invented was a “No No” time period for me to live in. It might sound romantic, living by candlelight or kerosene lanterns, but two weeks of no electricity back in September of 1989 convinced me otherwise…  I am perfectly happy living in the “now.”

God, I believe, puts us right where we are supposed to be…time, place, and situation… along the time-line of creation.

Don’t we all love to talk about how we met someone and became life-long friends or later even spouses because we dropped a package and bumped into him or her along a crowded sidewalk? Or perhaps we were assigned to the same cabin at a summer camp.

We always end our story with something like, “If I had been a minute earlier or later…I never would my bumped into the person I would marry.”

Somehow, I think God, would have figured out another “detour”…because He has a plan for our lives.

One of my grandmother’s favorite sayings was “Timing is everything.”  I do believe there is a lot of truth in that old saying…but as a young adult it bothered me…thinking that I could be blowing exciting opportunities or rendezvouses with special people because my timing was off.

Later….I worried that I wasn’t getting the right “cues” from God or maybe I was misinterpreting them. In other words…I was still “blowing it.”  Maybe I was supposed to be doing something different, somewhere else…and I made myself rather anxious, over a long time period, dwelling on this idea.

Since “little c”… I don’t think that way anymore. I think I am doing exactly what God wants me to do at this stage in my life. Why? Because I know He is gently guiding me along the right path. It all has to do with trust. I believe if we pray and trust in God ….then the signs and directions we seek in life…are given to us.

So until tomorrow…

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. (Because you are!)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Every time I look at this picture of me and the four grandchildren I burst out laughing. I know now that I was supposed to come along when I did, make the same choices, and arrive at this amazing, funny conclusion.

How could I possibly be anybody else but “Boo Boo” to these four adorable grandchildren? How could I ever not have been a presence in their lives? I thank God every single day for this greatest blessing and opportunity to be with them.

Look at all the grand-children’s trees in bloom (below)….Eva Cate’s Japanese Maple’s leaves are just beginning to turn green….while the other three grandchildren’s have all turned red….different types of Japanese maples obviously…but all doing well….healthy and happy! Here they are in this order…Eva Cate, Rutledge, Jakie, and Lachlan.

*(Jakie’s tree looks more like Moses’ “burning bush.”)

Happy Birthday to our beloved Dee Dee! There will never be another Dingle Easter Egg Hunt like the ones she and Poppy gave each year….they grew and grew and grew….and only stopped when the children were all grown! Miss you Dee Dee!

Dear Reader:

The “little” things we remember are usually the things that don’t go as planned. All of us were hoping, Easter Sunday, for some pictures that are hard to get in daily life with everyone running in different directions.

The new “extended” family couples wanted family pictures, father-son pictures, new addition pictures… while Tommy and Kaitlyn got cute couple pictures and holding the new additions to the family pictures….and as for me…I just wanted a picture with all four grandchildren around me. I got it!

Be careful what you wish for…you have to laugh….the only person looking at the camera was me. Everyone else looked perfectly bored…Eva Cate couldn’t support Jakie so he slid down out of her arms onto the sofa… and stared up at the ceiling, Eva Cate looked completely off in the opposite direction, Lachlan started crying, and Rutledge ( who had been bribed with jellybeans) promptly stuffed about five in his mouth at one time.

But I have learned from life…that this photo will one day be my favorite… when I return to it again and laugh!

Let’s begin with church….everything before the service started… went quite well….Rutledge and Eva Cate went down to the “cross” to add their flowers to it. I do believe it ended up being one of the most beautiful flowered crosses this Easter.

Rutledge sat with me and his white truck…everything went well until we got to the children’s sermon….Eva Cate had found a friend and already gone down to the front…so I took Rutledge…but we couldn’t find Eva Cate (they were sitting right behind a podium.)

Rutledge couldn’t make up his mind whether he wanted to stay or leave…in the end we just stayed somewhere in the middle..driving his trucks….

When the children’s sermon was over he didn’t want to return to the pew and he let us (as only an almost two year old can) all know of his decision quite loudly….so Walsh swooped him up and out they went…to never return. ( I “accused” Walsh of planning this so he could go play with Rutledge on the playground during the service.)

The rest of the “crew” hung tight…even little Lachlan.

Jakie just looked around and took it all in….Eva Cate never pulled out her bag of coloring materials and stickers…but followed along in the service without saying a word…”It’s a miracle” on Easter Sunday….(she’s almost five) It must be the magic age!

Lachlan slept and grunted a little….we shifted babies among us…I held Lachlan some and Kaitlyn held Jakie! The Dingle/Turners all made it through Easter Sunday service! Alleluia!

Back home…we quickly tried to get some family photos before the chaos of Easter egg hunts, fixing lunch, changing diapers, spilled food and drink, etc. began….but children have their own time-table…we discovered.

 Eva Cate decided to join in the Dingle family picture…Mollie got her girl! Have fun!

Finally…two happy participants in the family pictures! Thank goodness for uncles and aunts with little children around…there are never enough pairs of hands!

There were so many of us taking pictures…no one knew where to look!

Sometimes, however, on baby time…something magical happens…it turned out to be cousin Jakie hanging with cousin Lachlan! A get-acquainted moment!

There seems to always be one object in any kind of family gathering that grabs everyone’s attention….this time it was Jake’s quite sporty Easter hat….everyone wanted to wear it.

I think Rutledge needs another year or so to understand the lollipop seed idea….he just stared at the pops and moved on…Eva Cate was  quite delighted…but then forgot about the lollipops with all the other egg candies pulling her away.

So I am left with a wheel-barrow of lollipops…any takers?

Dads and their sons….(and trying to stay awake after a big meal)

And the girls, of course….

By the time we got to our big “finale” photo of the whole group…we had some technical issues and it was getting brighter and hotter. So John took the first photo and then Kaitlyn took another so John could get in…

I am so happy…our family continues to grow and God continues to bless us all. Eleven Strong! What more could a mother/grandmother want on a gorgeous Easter Sunday than to be surrounded with love?

So until tomorrow….Thanks for bearing with me and my Easter memories of family….I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy the gorgeous day. Didn’t it seem like an Easter Sunday out of a storybook drawing? Or perhaps it was just a God’s Wink! It was a good day to be alive….thank you Jesus for life.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* As we all return back to work from spring breaks and Easter holidays…we also return to a world of problems and troubles. Let us say a prayer today for friends and loved ones awaiting medical results from tests, job interviews, moves, and other changes that await us along the journeys of life.

Dear Reader:

As I searched around the yard for the flower that should symbolize Easter this year…my white petunias (who popped out in vivid abundance in both hanging baskets by the fence yesterday morning)…won the coveted award.

Recently I have started touching a branch on the Bradford Pear as a sort of good luck ritual each time I arrive back home. Then a couple of days ago…I came across an old story that I remember putting in the blog years ago…called “The Trouble Tree.” It was a place where one could touch the tree and leave their troubles behind.

In the two photos below I took a picture ( with my left hand of my right hand touching a branch)….you will notice the three braceletsI always wear on my right hand (1) the “Tree of Life” bracelet Brooke gave me, the pink ribbon from a bicycle spoke a friend of Honey’s gave me, and the copper bracelet Kaitlyn and Tommy gave me with the directions engraved to St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope. They combine to form my “rabbit’s foot” of good luck.

You can tell how convenient it is for me to touch the tree when I pull in the driveway. From now on, however, the tree will  become my “Trouble Tree“… where I can leave my troubles behind.

In a sense wasn’t it Jesus’ “Trouble Tree” that saved a “wretch like us“….taking our troubles away….a tree to lay our burdens down.

“The Trouble Tree”

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.

On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation.

His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied.” I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.” He paused.

“Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick ’em up, there ain’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.” 

…………………………..

One of the most asked questions around Easter each year is inquiries into the type of wood used to make the crucifixion crosses. ( The legend of the dogwood likes to proclaim the dogwood as the wood used in the cross) but historians disagree on any particular wood used.

I found this bit of information, however, quite interesting on the three types of crosses. Click on the link below for the drawings of the three types of crosses.

What kind of cross was Jesus crucified on?

While typing in this information I had some sort of epiphany…that Easter now symbolizes the day Jesus Christ was crucified and died for us…so that we can “Lay down our burdens” from whence-forth.

 And how is this accomplished? Prayer.

So until tomorrow…Take time today, the holiest of days, to send a “thank you” note to Jesus… thanking Him for the opportunity to be saved by grace, His grace, and forgiven for our sins…our burdens.

The way to lay down our burdens is to tell ourselves at this exact moment…all is well…don’t dwell on an uncertain future or be sad about a past that is gone…just concentrate on the moment, breathing in and out…we are alive….we are well….thank you Jesus for this blessing…especially today.

So whether we lay down our burdens to a trouble tree or down by the riverside…help us feel our burdens lifted in this troubled world. REJOICE CHRIST HAS RISEN!

And remember: (“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful”)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Down by the Riverside – Mormon Tabernacle Choir – YouTube

Sneak Peeps at this morning’s surprises: Bunnies and lollipops! Many kind deeds!

Happy Easter to everyone….Take time to enjoy today knowing that Christ lives and so do we through Him. (Laying down the burdens of “perfectionism” and learning to accept ourselves as we are…a child of God.)

Dear Reader:

This was the last scene I saw before leaving Rutledge’s home last evening. Walsh had just gotten in from work and was playing with Rutledge in the yard…Mollie had come outside to share some news that their friend Sarah (the photographer) and her husband had just discovered the gender of their next baby by having an Easter Egg Hunt today.

(The couple let their little boy open the egg to discover if the jelly bean inside was blue or pink…. (none of the family knew including Sarah and her husband)…it was blue. Lots of shrieks and tears of happiness on their video.)

The sun was starting to set and all I could think of was how happy I am to be alive and needed and part of our growing family. Each evening when the sun goes down…I smile and think “I’m still around”….blessed beyond imagination. God keeps giving me snippets and peeks of the future unfolding.

( Trying to leave to come home to Summerville any time after 4:00 in the afternoon is a lesson in futility as you sit on the interstate in a parking lot scenario…have learned the hard way not to lose gas and patience stop-starting in afternoon traffic between Mt. Pleasant and Summerville- instead just to wait it out…especially on a Friday before a holiday!)

Mollie, Lach, Rutledge and I returned to Hidden Ponds nursery yesterday so Rutledge could see all the animals we missed when Mollie and I went the last time alone.

I thought to myself…”the last time“… Mollie was anxiously awaiting the birth of her second child…we didn’t know the gender… (was it only three weeks ago?) and now here we are with Rutledge and little Lach. Isn’t life amazing!

We started out by feeding the ducks…how did we know they would become Rutledge’s best friends…..*from this picture on do look for the new white Chevy toy truck I gave Rutledge….(we nicknamed it the jellybean truck)… it never leaves his hand…no matter what he is doing.  (I think the ducks thought it was a slice of white bread)

Lach never fell asleep…he seemed to just want to take it all in…life must be so magical upon seeing God’s world and creatures for the first time…here on earth.

After we returned home,  ate and rested….Mollie and I put a few eggs out for Rutledge to find…he wasn’t quite sure what to do with them but Poogan knew…she ate the plastic eggs and treats inside.

“A Blessing to Take With You  Through the Day”

Douglas Pagets

Find serenity in everyday living

Envision the gift  of this day

When happiness comes to visit you

Encourage it to stay! 

So until tomorrow…Open your front door to happiness and invite it in for an extended stay. Honor God with our delight  in this thing called life…a great sacrifice was given to us … to make it exist for us.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

I thought the three bunnies are appropriate today as we enter Easter Sunday…”And on the third day”….

Dear Reader:

Yesterday was a girl’s day out….Cinderella Day…to be exact. While Mandy was on spring break we planned a girl’s day to take Eva Cate to see Cinderella, go the nursery and look at the plants and animals at Hidden Ponds, concluding with lunch at Chick-Filet so Eva Cate could play inside with the other children.

While we were eating and Eva Cate playing…I told Mandy that I was purposefully using the term “beautiful” these days with Eva Cate in reference to her actions…not her little (beautiful) physical looks. Grandmother Boo Boo wanted her to understand early that beautiful is a term not to be used lightly. Real beauty does lie beneath the skin where one’s kindness and deeds are more important than one’s looks.

Disney is back on track with this movie version of Cinderella…back to the quality of the  Disney shows I grew up watching as a child. Since everyone ( I hope) knows the plot (so there is no need for a “spoiler alert” warning)…let me just share with you one important message that was “hammered home” throughout this particular, interpretative showing.

As Cinderella’s mother is dying…the final words to her daughter are “Have courage and be kind”…that is all you will need in this world to succeed. In spite of all the later difficulties in her life with the “wicked stepmother and step-sisters” Cinderella stays true to her mother’s words.

When she is discovered hidden in the attic (put there by the “wicked stepmother”) when the couriers appear with the glass slipper- for every young girl in the kingdom to try on…Cinderella descends the dusty attic steps in her disheveled dress and hair to hide nothing from the prince about who she really  is.

She makes no apologies for what life has handed her….he must love her for whom she is inside….not her beauty outside…and of course he does. Through toil and trouble…she proudly had stayed true to her promise to her mother and now had become “her own kind of beautiful.”

When I first arrived yesterday morning ….Mandy told me to sit down because she and Eva Cate had worked on puppets for a puppet show they were giving to her class based on the book and lesson behind the “Lollipop Seeds.” They wanted me to see the props and puppets…because one puppet was me.

Here are the props they created…with the message of the script being “Plant seeds with kind deeds” to make the world a better place. A person is “tops” when he helps another who “flops” and is rewarded with Easter Bunny “Lollipops.”

Here are the puppets-Grandmother Boo and the puppet- Eva Cate…re-enacting out our wheelbarrow of seeds and kind deeds.It is too adorable! (Looks just like me…except the puppet has eyelashes (I am quite envious) since, alas, chemo took that little item from me long ago.)

Apparently the courageous and kind message in Cinderella hit home to Eva Cate after the movie ended. We went in a couple of shops…one being Claire’s Boutique to look at earrings and Eva Cate ended up getting her ears pierced! (This is the same child who six months ago wouldn’t let me put a clip earring on her ear for fear of pain.)

She decided right there in that shop that she was going to do it…one of the reasons being…another five year old wanted to desperately have her ears pierced too…but was too afraid. The mother asked Eva Cate if she minded if her daughter, Kate, watched her….maybe it would help her overcome her fears.

By the time the two clerks pierced her ears (they did it together…so both ears were done at the same moment) Kate decided that she could do it also. The mother profusely clapped for Eva Cate and thanked her for her courage.

Eva Cate had manifested courage and had been kind to another human being.

In the first photo…apprehension and courage were dueling it out…but courage won. In the second picture…Eva Cate smiled in relief…it really was just a little pinch as promised. (Now I get all my clip-on’s back!)

Hidden Ponds nursery really is a hidden treasure for adults and children alike…there are animals to view and feed, century plants to marvel at…and the most exquisite flowers (that made Mandy and I succumb to the check-out sign’s reminder)

I loved going into the “Century Plant” field with Eva Cate…it made me feel as young as Eva Cate…everything is relative in life isn’t it…especially age.

We picked up Jakie on the way home…we had gotten him a sporty hat for Easter and shoes…Eva Cate could hardly wait to show him her pierced ears.

After dinner we girls took a little walk…the boys passed on it….I think John just wanted to hang with Jakie and dream of Auburn football scholarships!

So until tomorrow….Thank you Father for memories of gardens, Cinderellas, and courage under “piercings”….Let us never forget that we are all our “own kind of beautiful” in Your eyes!

Sleep tight tonight my “beautiful” Cinderella/Eva Cate! You were brave and kind today…I bet a lollipop is growing as we speak!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* The magazine came out today with Tommy and Atticus’s picture in it. Here is a link to it….photo of them paddle boarding is found on page 39. Thanks Kaitlyn for initiating this photo moment and sharing it with us! (Photo 5 below)

http://issuu.com/traveler-comm/docs/castailsspring2015web

* Remember to help some-bunny today! Thank you Cindy for the bunny photos!

* Fran Townsend remembered a line from some lyrics that took me back awhile….see if it does you….

“When you are most simple is when you really feel free” — so true! Or, according to Kris Kristofferson, “freedom’s just another word for nothing else to lose”

Dear Reader:

This is my first time and season seeing a passion flower (vine) bloom…and oh, how beautiful it is! I can hardly wait to see the vine climb over the fence with these beautiful blooms accompanying it.

When I walked out yesterday morning and saw the bloom I was so happy…and then remembered Anne mentioned, before she left for Hawaii, that there was a story behind this flowering bloom….connecting it to Passion Sunday and the crucifixion.

A story awaited me. Nothing excites me more! So I have just been waiting on the bloom… in order to take a photo and use it as the catalyst for this blog post.

While researching several sites…this one (below) seemed to have more information than the others…. with all of them telling a slightly different story-line in their version of the legend. They did have one thing in common, however, this flower is revered by millions of people for its Easter connection and timely blooming.

Here are some excerpts to this interpretation of the Passion Flower and the Crucifixion.

“Passionflower – Springtime Bloom with Passionate Meaning”  (Dr. David Morgan)

The passionflower that we have all come to love and appreciate for its unique beauty and Easter connection… is the same species that Spanish conquistadors came to use as symbols to teach Christianity to the indigenous people of the New World.

According to the conquistadors and their teachings…

1) The five petals and five sepals of the plant were said to represent the 10 apostles (leaving out Judas, the betrayer of Jesus; and Peter, because he denied knowing Christ).

2) The purple corolla has approximately 72 filaments, which reportedly was the number of thorns in Jesus’ crown.

3) The three prominent stigmas of the plant were said to represent the nails used on the cross

4) The five stamens were claimed to symbolize the number of wounds in Jesus’ hands. *Catholics and natives living in South and Central America still call the plant the “flower of the five wounds.”

5) The lance-like leaf lobes were explained as being symbolic of the spear that punctured Jesus’ side

6) The dark spots under the leaves are said to symbolize the 33 pieces of silver paid to Judas to betray Jesus.

7) The flowers die after a single day – the time Jesus spent on the cross.

8) And because the petals reclose over the ovary, the conquistadors pointed out that this was similar to Jesus being placed in the tomb and seen as the “hidden wisdom” that constitutes the “mysteries of the cross.”

Later, authors further embellished the symbolism of the plant so that the white petals came to represent the purity of Jesus; the palmate leaves, the hands of his persecutors; and the clinging tendrils, the cords of Jesus’ bondage or the whips with which he was lashed. The fruit then becomes the Earth, for which Jesus promised salvation.

……………………

Even though some of the analogies have probably been stretched to coincide with the events of the crucifixion …still I like that the teachings of Christianity were accomplished by using an object for the story.

I loved to do that in class. I would bring a simple artifact in… from some time period…and build the whole lesson around it…getting the students to chime in and add to the lesson.

Nothing could be more beautiful than using a passionflower to teach the “passion” or death of our Savior.  Dr. Morgan’s title was right on target with connecting the passionflower to a passionate meaning.

So until tomorrow…Help us Father use your natural gifts to explain Your love for us  through Jesus’s sacrifice so we might live.

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

* I feel like I own a popcorn field these days. Every morning when I go out to walk in the garden…something else has popped up…I don’t always know the name of what it is…but am just so thrilled that it decided to bloom in my garden!

An Update on the Garden:

I didn’t know what plant was going to bloom in two baskets on the front yard fence…and now I do…petunias! Beautiful white petunias…perfect for Easter!

“Lo, how a rose er’ blooming”…well maybe not quite blooming, but it is the first bud (about to bloom) from the rose bush that my neighbor, Vickie, gave me!

There is an inspiring anecdote to accompany these photos below…I emailed Doodle because I wasn’t sure about either flower’s name and I started the email …with “Poor Doodle” …having to put up with me and my constant lack of name-calling in the garden.

Later…I got my answers (zinnia and snapdragon) with a memorable opening response I hope I never forget:

Hey Becky, 

I am not Poor Doodle!  I am rich and happy–a yard full of flowers have always made me feel like the wealthiest person in the world.

Cabbages are quite remarkable…always finding one more bloom to share after their season is over.

The “P” in my HOPE sign has disappeared so I went back to Simple to Sublime to get another… One can’t ever lose hope…especially the “P”…because the remaining letters form a word that could be misconstrued.

While inside…I saw this wooden plaque and loved the message.

No truer words were spoken…the more we have …the less we have (in time) to see God’s World the way He wants us to see it …before leaving it.

* Another “Cindy” Bunny!

Easter is drawing nearer! 

Dear Reader:

The stream that flows softly and gently with a tinkling sound as it passes over ancient mountain rocks ( located behind St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope in Trust, North Carolina) is simply named Spring Creek. ( It flows into the French Broad)

The last few times the Ya’s have been there with the amazing Honey as our guide to any and everything…the creek waters have been deep and fast…due to the last few (above average) snowy winters melting back into the waters from whence they came.

In fact, one time it almost looked like Spring Creek might overflow the banks.

Overflow.  I think it is my new favorite word. Around 5:00 each afternoon the sun dips low enough to cast its brilliance against the side fence where the window art decor frames hang. Suddenly each day…at just the right moment…the rays sneak through the open slats in the fence and overflow the light onto the window frames…setting them on fire.

This picture won’t do it justice…but you can, at least, get the idea.

Overflow.

Aren’t some of our most memorable moments ones where our heart “overflows” with happiness, or joy, or understanding, or blessings? It is when we let the silence of God in…to whisper and tell us to look over at the fence…something wonderful is happening…that we learn about our relationship with Him. (And something wonderful was happening)

In Awakin Weekly….this week’s post, there was an excerpt from the book: Silent Compassion! Finding God in Contemplation by Richard Rohr…a Franciscean friar.

I love these excerpts from his book..(as I continue seeking the silence for my talk with God daily.)

“…Without silence, nothing has the power to change us, to awaken us, to give us that joy that the world can not give.”

“…Silence is a kind of thinking which mostly we see.”

“...Silence all begins with one clear moment of spiritual consciousness, which then becomes the constant spring inside us, overflowing and propelling us into the final eternal life.”

…………………….

Yesterday was a very special day, sort of a mini-Easter Egg Hunt day…without the hunt or eggs. Susan was coming to town and bringing her mother, Nancy, and granddaughter, Ady to visit and see family and friends.

We decided to put some food together and have lunch at my house…I picked up Eva Cate Monday evening so she could play with her cousin. Lee and Vikki came to join the family and Mollie brought Lachlan for everyone to meet. (Mandy had a small surgical procedure done and couldn’t bring Jakie)

There were several times throughout the festivities when I found myself just listening to the little girl cousins and their constant chattering and laughing, hardly a peep out of Lachlan who decided to sleep through it all… while being passed around to everyone for their share of love and hugs. The sound of surrounded family sounded so good when I stopped to really listen and appreciate the meaning behind us being together.

It had been pretty impromptu but aren’t these times some of the best? Yesterday they sure were!

Eva Cate and Ady were all into dressing up in my old clothes with my boots made for walking… modeling for us with old jewelry and anything else they could find…sometimes with funny teeth! They hugged when they saw each other like long-lost friends…too cute.

A yummy lunch came together quite well….there was only silence and the sound of eating at first! Everyone was really hungry!

And then there was the “pass-over” of baby Lachlan…literally…he got passed over to whoever was sitting in the shade on the deck…he would make a little whimpering sound at the exchange and then simply fall back asleep! Everyone wanted their turn at holding him!

Susan and I eagerly waited our turn for the “pass over” too…that term will always have a new meaning from this fond memory.

Before Susan left she gave me a CD that she loved. She said she listened to it in the car and it always brought such peace while driving. I put it in the CD player (to listen to while writing this blog post) and the very first song was titled: “Be Still My Soul and Know He is God.” (Beautiful song and CD…thank you Susan!)

A God’s Wink for today’s blog

“Be Still and Know” from Scripture Lullabies – YouTube

So until tomorrow…Be still my heart and soul…and know that You are God!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Eva Cate got her lollipop seeds planted yesterday. We put soil in an old wheel barrow and attached two ribbons going across it – one blue and one pink.

On the pink side Eva Cate had to tell me what acts of kindness she had done recently (before planting the seeds) and reveal a kindness wish for someone. (I wish I could tell you her kindness wish…but it was directed at me and too personal to share…let’s just say that it had me in tears. -We will get Rutledge’s seeds planted later this week-beside the blue ribbon.)

While running errands I shared the photos of our “ceremony” with Samantha at Simple to Sublime since she sponsored the author and book signings.

…Now you didn’t think I would forget this first day of the Month did you? (actually I did) but Cindy’s whimsical bunnies brought me back to April 1…April Fool’s Day. ( I figured I have done enough foolish thing in my life to cover this particular day for a long, long time)

Some of you might have seen some of the bunnies on Facebook…they are precious…so starting today through Easter….we will look at a different “Cindy” Bunny.

Today is the first of the month….Say “Rabbit” for good luck!