Good morning, dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the Good Friday that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Our beautiful weather continues with fresh blooms on azaleas, amaryllis, and now the hedge plants are blooming bringing lots of bees. Seems like the birds are enjoying this weather, too, with lots of mockers flying around, even more than usual.
Yesterday, I got brave and decided to take a walk on the boardwalk...the long way. I took Louis' cane and started off on the hammock trail. I wanted lots of shade, because the anti-biotic I just finished warns about staying in the sun--not good. Well, I kept walking, stopping to look in the water, and to enjoy the real Florida. Swampy, smelling of green shrubs and moisture.. Lots of water everywhere, and fresh, light green leaves on all the trees. I just kept going and walked to the entrance of the dirt trail, then back and on to the third bridge. I did not sit down to rest, but did pause and enjoy the breeze on my face.
A pair of ducks were serenely paddling along the canal toward the third bridge, leaving a wake behind them. I was getting a little tired by the time I started back to the second bridge, but made it down the sidewalk and was glad to get in the car and rest!
The gator was in his usual spot on the bank as I came in but was gone when I left about thirty minutes later. I only passed about six people in my venture, while the other walk to the tower was full. I am thankful for returning strength! God is good!
From Hymns for the Family of God:
Easter
-Raymond Lindquist
Some years ago, a newspaper editor telephoned and asked me to tell in a few words what Easter means to me. My testimony was this: Easter means Christ to me. It means Christ in His kingly splendor, Christ in His serene glory, Christ in His gracious condescension. This is because Easter is the return of Christ from inflicted violence, from induced death, from imprisonment in a tomb. Easter is Christ triumphant over all that sin and death and man could do to Him. Easter means Christ.
And where Christ goes, drama goes. For it is impossible to look anywhere in the Gospels and fail to find something powerful happening. This is because Christ is Himself the Gospel and He is life, abundant life, and His life means action, pilgrimage, arrival.
Easter means life. Christ defeated death in order that life in Him might always live. And it is life that we want, life in Christ. Whether we put it in words or not, our constant thought is "Life, more life, always more and more life." We want life in ourselves, in our loved ones, in our friends, the kind of life that cannot be diminished, the kind of life that always expands. Easter is Christ's victory over all that would restrict, deny and strangle life. "For to me to live is Christ." That is Easter.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis He Is Risen!!
