Yes I have returned. We had a couple of computer issues these past few weeks. I missed bloggoing to you good people. Hope all is well with you.
Rocky and I took a walk up the road yesterday. We detoured down an explored gravel street and met up with a nice neighbor. Her name is Dorothy and she has lived in her cabin for 6 years. She was headed over to her garden to cut some asparagus for her daughters birthday dinner. I asked if I could follow her to the garden. She has a really nice plot of land to work with. It is fenced in to keep the deer out and she has a compost bin, which is something I want. Her asparagus is purple and she says that it is much better than the green ones. She is growing kale, lettuce, rhubarb and blueberry vines. I spied some tallish leaves and it turns out to be garlic. This is unlike the gardens Keevin and I grew up eating from: collards, turnip and mustard greens, corn, string beans, peas, cucumbers and tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts and watermelon. Dorothy said she planted most of the items last fall and she now has these wonderful vegetables this early in the spring to enjoy. I learned alot from her.
Earlier this week I was sitting on the porch writing. A gentleman stopped his car in front of our house. He was stopping by to introduce himself. His wife grew up in our house and he told a few stories relating to that. As Rocky and I took our walk up the mountain yesterday this same gentleman stopped his truck and spoke to us on the gravel road. I have to say this is the neighborly-ist place I have ever lived in. It makes me feel at home and not alone.
Today is a celebrated day all around the world. Good Friday. There were some comments on facebook asking why not refer to this day as Bad Friday. This marks the day that Jesus experienced torture and death. I really don't like talking about His suffering because He did experience such horrific pain before death came to Him. We don't like facing pain of any kind, ours or others. But Jesus didn't experience His pain for nothing, to be brushed over, to be ignored. He died for you and me! All the suffering was the sin of the world accumulated in a time frame and He accepted it. He didn't look forward to it. He even asked His Father if there could be any other way to accomplish what we needed to please let it happen, but if this was the way it had to be--then so be it. His blood, His life blood was a payment for all the sins before and after His time of death. We owe our very lives to Him!
Is it hard for you to grasp that He is real? The fact is the people of Jesus' time didn't believe in who He said He was. He performed miracles in front of them time after time. He offered up words of wisdom. Some were willing to let go of their practical, human way of thinking and trusted Him and His words and followed Him. They experienced wonderful things of God for obeying and trusting. It doesn't mean that they were totally free of bad things but Holy Father saturated His goodness in their lives.
Peter tells of his account of Jesus to the folks he ministered to in 2 Peter 2: 16-21 (NCV): "When we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling just smart stories that someone invented. But we saw the greatness of Jesus with our own eyes. Jesus heard the voice of God, the Greatest Glory, when He received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice said, 'This is My Son, who I love, and I am very pleased with Hm.' We heard that voice from heaven while we were with Jesus on the holy mountain. This makes us more sure about the message the prophets gave. It is good for you to follow closely what they said as you would follow a light shining in a dark place, until the day begins and the morning star rises in your hearts. Most of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in the Scriptures ever comes from the prophet's own interpretation. No prophecy ever came from what a person wanted to say, but people led by the Holy Spirit spoke words from God."
People before and during Jesus' time are alot like us who are after Jesus' time. They were told about Him before He arrived and we are told about Him after He came, died and rose again--and is alive today. It is good for us to follow closely what the writers of the Bible have to say to us. Even Jesus' own words are recorded by these authors. Jesus' story is told in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books contain lots of encouragement, cautions, hope and truth. Why not make a commitment to Jesus to study about Him. Ask Holy Father to help you be more like Him. You'll learn from the words of the 4 authors that we are to be the face of Jesus in our world, to our neighbors, friends, coworkers, family, people we rub elbows with in the grocery store, etc.
My next door neighbor is singing a solo at the Methodist church tonight. Keevin and I will dress up and go to celebrate Jesus' death, burial and resurrection with Priscilla and Doug. It is even good to see Jesus' face on our neighbors!! How are you celebrating Good Friday?
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
