Hey friends, Spring arrived last Sunday (even if it didn’t feel like it – temperature wise) and it is almost Easter, a high holy day for Christians.
Easter represents the resurrection of Christ, with its confirmation of hope for forgiveness and God’s acceptance of us, even though we do not deserve it. I have always looked at Easter as a kind of ‘New Year’ for Christians, a time to give thanks for God’s blessings and set spiritual goals and aspirations for the coming year.
When the first plants poke their heads out of the cold, dead-looking ground in the spring, it reminds me of the resurrection; when they bloom, it reminds me of the possibilities and the beauty of the ‘New Year.”
Daffodils are the dancing yellow beauties of the spring garden, followed by the tulips and hyacinths with their wonderful sweet fragrance. The fruit trees are budding, ready to burst into bloom and the cherries and crab apples are already serenading us with their beautiful colors. Shoot, even the roses are putting on leaves; naturally, that ‘old curmudgeon pap black walnut’ has not shown the first inclination of putting on his ‘summer clothes’ so I am still leery of a late frost – but I always hope he is wrong.
It is utterly beyond me how anyone can see a beautiful tree and the other glorious beauties of nature and not believe in God, or at least something higher than man; I really don’t understand it.
All of the Christian churches in our community are planning special Easter services, and I pray you will take advantage of one, or more of them.
Markland Baptist will have Sunrise service at 7 a.m., followed by a fellowship breakfast (mostly cooked by the men, with a few donations by the ladies) for the congregation. There will be no Sunday school Easter, the regular Worship service will begin at 11:45 a.m. and will offer the Lord’s Supper during that service. There will be an Easter egg hunt for the children following the worship service.
Saturday, April 2nd (yes, it already almost April) at 9 a.m., MBC with hold its monthly free ‘pancake and sausage’ fellowship breakfast. Everyone is invited; it is a kind of ‘come-and-get-to-know-us’, friend-to-friend, type event. Hope to see you there. There will be no preaching, studies, or offering given/taken, just a free, friendly, come as you are fellowship breakfast.
On April 3rd MBC will hold its bi-monthly business meeting following the morning worship service; we will also have a fellowship dinner of soup/sandwiches/desserts/salads, before the meeting begins.
Melissa Park will begin a new Bible study for the ladies at MBC on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m.; all ladies are invited (sorry guys, it is only for the ladies.) Everyone though, is invited to the Wednesday evening weekly prayer services (this coming week we are studying in the 8th chapter of Samuel – focusing on the wrong choices Saul made and how it applies to us) at 6:30 p.m. at the church.
On April 17th, the entire congregation (male and female) will be hosting and attending a baby showering for Melanie and Pastor Bobby’s expected new arrival – a boy! Everyone is excited for/with them. Mike said he wasn’t going to taste any baby food or push an egg across the floor with his nose; Melissa assured him that there wouldn’t be any of that kind of thing. I will have to admit there were a couple of wicked sounding chuckles going on so I am not too sure how Mike will fare – can’t wait to see though.
On Thursday, April 21st, the ladies of the WMU will be traveling to the State Hospital in Madison for their bi-monthly party for women patients, with baskets of goodies and gifts. The girls all say they get more out of it than the patients do.
Kind of sounds like MBC is going to be busy for the next couple of months doesn’t it?
We want to send out Happy Birthday wishes in April to: Kristi Skidmore (6th), Juanita Brown, and me (8th), Kristine Parker (26th), and to William Carr on the 27th. Warmest good wishes for your special day and abundant blessings from God for the year to follow; Happy Birthday!
One Saturday night in March, Patty Miller had a heart attack; Sunday morning she drove herself to the hospital in Madison. They transported her to Baptist East Hospital in Louisville and on Monday she had heart surgery. The doctors put in two stents in one artery, which was completely blocked, and told her that three other arteries were seriously clogged but that they were going to try to treat them with medication. Tuesday, she came home. Patty is doing well but is very weak and easily tired; please keep her in your conversations with the Lord for a full and speedy recovery.
Rosalie Waggoner (Melissa’s mom) spent a weekend visiting with her very dear friend Patty (near Aurora) and she said they had a wonderful time shopping, yakking, and catching up on each other’s news. Rosalie told me that she and Patty tried to remember how, and when, they had met many years ago, but neither one could remember – not that it really matters, they are still best friends.
Mike and Mary Martin with Michael and Jessi Martin and boys (Elijah, Weston, and Landon) spent last weekend in Gatlinburg. Mary said they had a fabulous time; if you really want to be entertained get Mary and/or Weston to tell you about their time in the ‘virtual ride’ (I forget the name of the place) in which they experienced a parachute drop and a roller coaster ride; their description of it was hilarious. They brought home some really neat pictures too.
Something I meant to tell you all was over the Christmas holiday when grandson William and his companion, Rockie, brought a box of peanut butter fudge to me. Boy, let me tell you it was really good; I tried to hide it from the family but Mary rooted out my hiding place and it was all consumed.
The thing I wanted to share with you was the recipe, you won’t believe it. They took a regular can of vanilla icing and a 16 oz. jar of smooth peanut butter, stuck them in the microwave until they melted, stirred it all up and poured into a buttered pan to harden. Everyone agreed, it tasted fantastic and what could be a simpler recipe. I love something that is easy and tastes good, don’t you? I did kind of hint they could bring it again.
Cyndi Carr’s mom, Fern Barrett, has been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia and other complications; she is now in a nursing rehab place and doing better. Remember Fern and her family as they go through this trying time and the decisions they will have to make resulting from this and other life issues. Caring for elderly parents can be very stressful.
Charlotte and Phil Kroening have been having their problems lately; Charlotte is experiencing some problems with her mouth (medical, not speaking) and Phil lost his wallet. If you have ever lost your wallet or purse with all your personal information and papers in it, you know how stressful that can be; just replacing all of it is a real chore and making sure someone else doesn’t use the information it contained in a nefarious manner.
Mel Brundige lost her uncle, daddy Jim’s younger brother, to cancer. So many have lost loved ones and they need our prayers and support.
Our Prayer Concern list was rather lengthy this week: Peggy Eckerty (starting a new round of chemo treatments), Patty Miller, Fern Barrett, Emmett Church, Paulette Barnes, Frank and Donna Miller, Cyndi Carr (sinus problems on top of family stress), Unspoken requests, Brundige family, Gospel seeds planted, a young couple and a lady at Mary’s work, Charlotte and Phil, Baker Harcrow and Garrett Kent (our military young men), Melissa Park (teaching endeavors), Unsaved family and friends, and God’s will be carried out in the coming political elections.
Julie Hazeldean and some friends traveled down to the Lexington Horse Park for a big competition (I think Howard said it was some king of horse training, but he wasn’t sure – now if it had been golf, he would have had all the details) this past weekend. I always miss Julie when she is not at church, she has a beautiful voice and I love to hear her sing.
It is a terrible true reality that exercise begets energy and sloth begets more sloth, both with their attendant benefits and/or miseries. All winter I have sat in my big comfortable chair, petting the cats and reading gobs of books, but now I have to get back in shape for the garden season, not to mention a little better health.
In short, I have started back to the ‘Y’ two days a week (March) and hoping to do three days a week in April. It is hard to come from confirmed ‘couch potato’ to any level of greater fitness, at least it is for me. Honestly though, I have started to feel better, with a little more energy (plenty of room for improvement yet), and a better outlook on life. Exercise benefits the body and the mind and I really don’t want to lose what little I have left, not that I had a lot of mind to start with but I am sure you get the idea.
Until next month, may God guard your steps and keep you safe from harm, may He lift up His countenance and give you peace. Happy Easter and God bless!