Where are the dead?

 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

 Luke 24:1-5

New International Version

When my husband and I were on vacation earlier this month, I made him stop at every old cemetery we passed. And we passed a lot of them. I wish I could admit that I don’t know why I find old cemeteries so fascinating, but I do know why I can’t pass up a single one. The old headstones are beautiful, and the really old ones which are broken or crumbling break my heart. Even more heart breaking are the stories each grave holds.

 These are just a few.

And as I read each headstone and imagine the life that led to this burial place, I hope and pray that buried there is only the person’s earthly body. My wish is that every one of them has been saved and now rests in the eternal arms of their Savior. I pray that within all of these cemeteries I visit that there are no dead. That they are alive in heaven.  

Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacrifice You made on Good Friday. Thank You for Your resurrection. Without it, we could only fear death; now we can know the joy of eternal life. Amen.

Saturday Vigil

 A man named Joseph was there from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a good man, who lived the way God wanted. He was waiting for God’s kingdom to come. Joseph was a member of the Jewish council. But he did not agree when the other Jewish leaders decided to kill Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that was dug in a wall of rock. This tomb had never been used before. It was late on Preparation day. When the sun went down, the Sabbath day would begin.

 The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph. They saw the tomb. Inside they saw where he put Jesus’ body.  Then they left to prepare some sweet-smelling spices to put on the body.

On the Sabbath day they rested, as commanded in the Law of Moses.

Luke 23:50-56

Easy to Read Version

What will these women find come Sunday morning? 

Good Friday

It was about noon, but it turned dark throughout the land until three o’clock in the afternoon, because the sun stopped shining. The curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces. Jesus shouted, “Father, I put my life in your hands!” After Jesus said this, he died.

 The army officer there saw what happened. He praised God, saying, “I know this man was a good man!”

 Many people had come out of the city to see all this. When they saw it, they felt very sorry and left.  The people who were close friends of Jesus were there. Also, there were some women who had followed Jesus from Galilee. They all stood far away from the cross and watched these things.

Luke 23:44-49

Easy to Read Version

Maundy Thursday

15 Jesus said to them, “I wanted very much to eat this Passover meal with you before I die. 16 I will never eat another Passover meal until it is given its full meaning in God’s kingdom.”
17 Then Jesus took a cup of wine. He gave thanks to God for it and said, “Take this cup and give it to everyone here. 18 I will never drink wine again until God’s kingdom comes.”
19 Then he took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to the apostles and said, “This bread is my body that I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me.” 20 In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup of wine and said, “This wine represents the new agreement from God to his people. It will begin when my blood is poured out for you.”

Luke 22:15-20

Easy-to-Read Version 

Palm Sunday

“Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Luke 19:30-38

New International Version 

(Today's pictures from the St Louis Zoo.

Sorry that I don't have more to say this post, but I am still behind from our vacation all week in Missouri.)

Get Up Close - a photo challenge

This month's photo challenge was to get close up to our subject. For the first time ever I actually took all new pictures for this challenge. Good thing I took them when I did because - praise God - our snow is finally melting.

I took all of these pictures in my backyard the end of March using my Nikon Coolpix. Some of the pictures were taken with the close-up setting on and some were not. I have played with this setting before and have yet to see much of a difference. 

Isn't it amazing how simple snow - something we see from a distance as white and two-dimensional - takes on a life of its own up close.

The Sacred Heart, part 2

In 1988, after my first husband drove his pickup into a tree and finally realized that his life was out of control, we went for counseling. The counselor, a wise sage of a woman, convinced him that he had a drug problem and he needed inpatient treatment. At that time, insurance companies actually paid for inpatient AODA treatment because they knew that outpatient counseling for addiction really doesn’t work so well. That is no longer how insurance companies view this illness, but I won’t go there.

Part of his 30 day treatment was a three day family program. Which meant that I was inpatient during that time.

For anyone familiar with the old hospital in my hometown, there was a pretty decent treatment center on the second floor in the newer part of the building. The old, old part of the hospital, built in 1914, was where the family program was held. The room where I slept was simple but adequate, two twin beds, a sink, a separate bathroom, tile floors. And in the corner, just on the left side of the window, there was a solid door. This was an outside wall, we were on the third floor and I knew that there was no balcony out there. It was level with the windows and I had to reach over my head to touch the door knob. With trepidation, I tried the knob. It turned. I pulled it open.

In a niche in the wall was a statue of the Virgin Mary. She looked out over the street below and towards the Catholic Church across the street. From my angle, all I saw was her back. I thought it was so cool – not her back, but that I could reach out and touch her. But out of reverence I did not, even though I am not Catholic and she was just a statue anyway. 

 There's nothing in that alcove any longer. It's just an empty space.

 It is a shame that they don't build buildings like this anymore. And even more of a shame that they are so willing to tear them down. I understand that it would be too expensive to remodel it and bring it up to code before it could be used again. But you can't build these kind of memories any more.

 Some even say that it is haunted. 

Oops, I guess that was just me and my reflection in the window.