Easter/Spring Break Plans

This morning, Isaiah is getting ready to join Lauri and Elton and their kids on a camping trip to Tennessee. He is pumped about this opportunity. What fun for an only child to join a family with four children to camp in their trailer. They are leaving at 8:30, so he is busy getting prepared. It used to be that getting ready was easy for a little boy but now that he is a big boy, it requires taking all the tech stuff; phone, Ipod, electonic games, chargers and the like. Then there is the bike, the fishing rod, tackle box etc. He also has to take his latest addition to hygiene; his cologne. The kid smells so good when he is ready to go out the door. Scares me to death. He is toooooo young and growing up way too fast.

Last night we celebrated Sydney's (Lauri's daughter) twelve birthday. She is just two weeks to the day older than Isaiah. In between them is also our son Jay's son, Austin's twelve birthday. Next year we will have three grandchildren turning into teenagers. Sydney enjoyed our time together and especially opening presents. That's a surprise, uh? Syd is such a sweet kid. I don't ever see her making trouble. She is quiet and minds her own business letting the rest of them to fight the battles. Lauri tells me that she does her share, but I haven't seen it.

Tomorrow is Easter. Normally, we have kids and grandkids coming. This year, some of them are vacationing and others are at the other side of their families. Some aren't coming because the other kids aren't coming. You know how it was when you were a kid. You don't go to see the grandparents, you go to see your cousins. I remember it well so I understand. I usually have an egg hunt, too, but it isn't half the fun if most of them aren't here. So, we have decided to have the egg hunt on Mother's Day when most will be here for Emerson's baptism.

What are we doing??? We will go to our church's morning service where we serve in tomorrow's praise team. Then we will take off for the Mo/Arkansas border where Kendra and Craig are visiting Craig's dad, Jerry. They will present him with his first grandaughter. He has wonderful twin grandsons but this is the first girl in their family. Jerry had four sons, two of whom are deceased. Craig's mom, Mary, died last spring after a very short illness. So, we will all descend on Jerry at his lakeside log home where life is usually very quiet these days. Isaiah and I spent spring break there two years ago. We had such a good time. This time, I will miss Mary very much. I had bonded with her on that visit. I regret that she didn't live to see this grandaughter with whom she would have been thrilled to pieces. God's ways are higher than our ways. I know I will feel a void when I'm there. I know Jerry and Craig feel a terrible void. I lift them to the Father for comfort and healing.

So, for you, I pray a meaningful Easter. A day when you celebrate the freedom there is in being a child of God, bought and paid for through the blood of Christ. If you don't know that you belong to Him, write me a note and we will explore the possibility together. You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.

PS For those that read this faithfully (thank you, I'm humbled); know that next week may be a lean blog week as the area we will be in gets little tower. I'm taking the laptop but don't have much expectation that we will be able to get on the net. I recall that my cell phone was rather useless there.