"TEEWWWWW"

Today I celebrate The Grandbaby.  Okay, so every day I celebrate The Grandbaby but today is her "b'thdAy"!  When asked how old she is on her "b'thdAy", she responds, "Teewwwww".

This girl loves her Mama and her Daddy....

  ...loves to "beeld" blocks and towers and such....

...loves to "swide"....

....loves to run and play "awtshide" especially....

...and absolutely LOVES to play any kind of ball.

She's a flower-picker...

..a book lover....

..and a regular library story time attender.

She REALLY loves her cousins....

..and snuggling with her mama.

The Grandbaby loves animals....

...food, especially if it's "Kickin', "mac-roni", carrots, "bwead", "meelk", and "kookie"....

Even at "teewwwww", she enjoys picking her own clothes for the day and has quite a unique fashion sense....and is now only loving her "papi" (paci) at night.

She loves Minnie, Mickey, Winnie, Peppa, Bubble "Buppies", and so many more...

Things haven't changed much since I learned that she would be arriving in this world.  My dearest wish for her is still to be kind and love Jesus.  Her personality is such a happy one and her smiles come readily so much that I feel that wish will come true as she grows--even through the "teewwwwws" and threes which are said to possibly be terrible.  Time will tell.  Her smiles and infectious joy are what we can learn from her.  Only "teewwwww" of the many things we can learn from her.

So Happy B'thdAy, sweet girl!  We give you much love and we give our Heavenly Father hearts of overflowing gratitude for the blessing of you!

A NEW NAME

This day begins birthday week for The Grandbaby.  Yes, almost two years ago, she became the center of our world. And as most grand babies, she has not strayed from that center, remaining right smack dab in the middle!

Some of you will remember that I had a new name, Gramma.  The Poppa's name came readily to The Grandbaby's lips.  "P" sounds are so easy for kids, or so I choose to think.  Of course when she says "Poppa", she can say it with many different inflections in her voice.  There's the inquiring "Poppa?", the excited "Poppppaaa!", and the quiet worship sound of "Poppa".

When everyone kept trying and trying to get "Gramma" to come out of her mouth, she would finally manage "Namma" and I was good with that.  Then very simply, she began to call me her own version and it has stuck.  Has it stuck permanently?  Time will tell but for now, I'm satisfied with it.  In fact, I have grown to love it as she actually occasionally puts some inflection in my new name and calls me that readily.  My new name, you ask?  Neema.  How about that for unique?  Neema.  I love it!  I don't know anyone else who has that name.

Later for more birthday week remembrances.....

...AND THEN THERE WERE EGGS!

The most important part of Easter is the celebration of the resurrections of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and realizing what HE went through for you and for me, hence my prior posts of last week.  The other celebration is the fun of the Easter egg hunting and all the extras that go along with that fun.  Since I know you regular blog readers enjoy seeing my pictures and documentation, I wanted to follow up with some photos.

I will be enjoying these pictures as I add them to my years and years of those of church egg hunts.  It's amazing to look back and see the growth of children each year.  A couple of weekends ago, Miss Hollywood had a good time hunting eggs.

This weekend, we were invited for a home egg hunt and supper at the home of The Girl, The Son-in-Law, and The Grandbaby.

The Grandbaby seems to never walk but run everywhere.  She has also developed a love for Winnie the Pooh and his friends.  Here is Awl (Owl) and Ore (Eeyore).

The Grandbaby seemed to master the technique of egg hunting but enjoyed some play time before hand.  She had also mastered the technique of climbing the ladder of the slide and sliding down.  Over and over and over and over again.  The Poppa was quite willing to help.  Over and over and over and over again.

The Grandbaby and I formed a "hood" club, allowing Pooh and Tigger to be a part even though they were "hoodless".  The Poppa remained on slide duty.

Of course there were group pictures, too.

Easter Sunday dawned bright and beautiful.  I made a large Easter breakfast to eat after Sunrise Service.  Yes, I had to get up before the dawning of the bright and beautiful.  WAY before but it was worth it.  Before going to the regular Easter service, I took my camera over to The Grandbaby's house to take some dress up pictures.  One always needs dress up pictures, too.

Just look at this sweetness...

...and my favorite picture from this Easter season.  It is a framer for sure.  This picture is worth a thousand words.

So Easter 2018 has passed but many thanks are given to the Heavenly Father for both spiritual and earthly celebrations.

"Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift."  2 Corinthians 9:15

HE IS RISEN!

YES!  Hallelujah!

Jesus rose on the third day just as He said He would.  He always does what He says!

So with words from yet another Easter song we will sing this day:

"Hallelujah, glory, glory.
Celebrate the empty grave.
HOPE is dawning like the morning
This is RESURRECTION DAY!!!!!"

And all God's people said, "AMEN!"

THE DAY AFTER

After crucifixion day, I wonder how folks felt.

Judas repented of himself and hanged himself.

One would think that the chief priests and Pharisees who wanted Jesus gone would have been happy.  I find in the scriptures, though, where they must have had a bit of doubt of their thinking that he was not the Messiah.  They asked that the tomb be super secured as "we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again"  even though they said they did not want his disciples to come steal him away and claim he was alive.  Yeah, right.

I've said in prior Easter posts that I wondered how others felt.

His disciples had to be sad and scared.  Mary, his mother, had to be sad.  The same for Mary Magdalene and others who followed him.  What about the blind man who could see now, the lepers who were healed, the dumb who could now talk, the lame who could now walk.   How did they feel?

And, of course, the one I think of most is Barabbas.  Ah, Barabbas.  The one who was released and spared from crucifixion.   Chains gone, the breath of air instead of cellblock, freedom.  I hope he had joy because I know that like him, Jesus died in MY place and for MY sins and belief in that brings nothing but joy.

Yes, a sad Saturday.

Tomorrow is Sunday.

Consider........

THE SACRIFICE

I am leaving many gaps in my post today to encourage you to read and study this scripture.

As Judas and the guards approached Jesus and the disciples, Judas kissed Jesus.  Immediately he was taken by the guards and led away.  Betrayed by an act of "affection".  In spite of their voiced devotions and allegiance, the disciples scattered.

Jesus was led away to the chief priests "house" and the long night continued.

Fairly soon after this, the Bible documents that Peter was among those gathered outside this house.  Others asked him, "Weren't you with him?" and questions such as this to which Peter would reply, "I know not the man".  As Peter denied for the third time, the cock crew and Peter was sorrowful.

Jesus went before Pilate also and Pilate could find no fault in him.  Custom dictated that a prisoner could be released so Pilate asked the crowd who they would have released, Jesus or Barabbas (a convicted murderer), feeling assured the crowd would say "Jesus".  The crowd called out, "Barabbas".  When asked as to what should be done with Jesus, the crowd said, "Crucify him, crucify him."

Jesus was scourged and beaten.

Jesus was mocked.

A crown of thorns was pushed down on his head, a robe put on him, and a reed put in his hand.  He was smote with the reed on the head.

He was ridiculed and scorned.

He was led away to be crucified on a cross between two thieves on Golgotha.

After he died, Joseph of Arimathaea asked to take his body.  He took Jesus' body to his new tomb, wrapped him in linen, and rolled a great stone in the door of the tomb.

Jesus, the Lamb of God.  As one of our Easter songs says, "MY Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God."

Why did Jesus die on the cross?  He died on the cross for ME and He died for YOU because of love.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

Do I understand it?  No.

Do I believe it?  Absolutely!

Jesus paid it ALL.  All to him I owe.

Consider........

REMEMBERING

From Matthew 26:1-56....

Jesus had taught his disciples in parables about many things during this time in Jerusalem.  He had been worshipped with an anointing by Mary (see An Alabaster Box, 3/23/13).  With his arrest and crucifixion only hours away, Jesus was having a last supper with his disciples.  Disciples who had walked with him, learned from him, experienced miracles with him, and were loved by him.

The time had come in Jerusalem for the Passover meal.  Knowing that Jesus had no place of his own and preparation for the meal must be made by them, the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare.  He sent them to a man (Matthew 26:18) who gave them use of the upper room in his house. Jesus told the disciples to tell the man that "my time is at hand".

The preparation was made. Jesus sat down with the twelve disciples--yes Judas was there.  Jesus told them, "One of you will betray me".  Amazing that Jesus knew all things that would come, yet loved anyways.  He had told them that he would be betrayed, now he told them that one of them would be the betrayer.  Each began to fear it might be him, asking, "Lord is it I?"  Even Judas asked, knowing full well it was he.  When Jesus replied, "Thou hast said",  conviction was upon Judas.

They ate bread signifying Christ's body.  He had said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35).

They drank the cup of wine signifying Christ's blood.  "For this is my blood of the New Testament"...

After the meal of remembrance, they left the house and went to the Mount of Olives where conversation continued.  Peter, a big personality of a disciple, asked the Lord questions and told Jesus that he (Peter) would never be offended of him, that he would never deny his Christ.  Jesus answered him and told him that before the "cock crowing" that Peter would deny him not once, not twice, but three times.  Peter adamantly said that he would not.  As for me, I am often a "Peter".

They then went to the garden in a place called Gethsemane.  He took the eleven disciples (Judas had left) and left them outside the garden.  Then he took Peter, James, and John with him into the corner of the garden and told them to wait while he prayed.  Well, we all know how that went....they went to sleep while he prayed in anguish in the garden.   As for me, I am often a sleepy disciple.

I have prayed a few times in my life "in anguish" and it's truly exhausting.  I can't imagine the anguish of Jesus in the garden as he entreated his Father, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.  Nevertheless, not my will, but as thou wilt."

After this, the guard, led by Judas came and took the Lord away and the long night continued.

Consider......