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Matt and I noticed the Easter ads this year… 

• Did you know there is such a genre as “Easter ads?”
• Is it strange that Easter’s looking like a mini Christmas?
• Is it bold to say that Easter is more important than Christmas?

Now I don’t want to get all preachy -and I’m certainly aware that not all of us celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and prefer bunnies and eggs over church- but what is going on!? Why must children receive video games and dolls in fancy Easter baskets strewn with candy? I’m all for sweets and themed-celebrations, but come on.

Okay, that’s enough. Thanks for letting me vent a little. I think that trip to Israel just gave me a little perspective, that’s all. Here are these churches and Christian groups fighting over land, church traditions, arguing over sacred turf where Jesus did this, that or the other. And here we are spending $60+/plate for the perfect Easter brunch. Was Jesus really petty like that? Would Jesus be whiny if Mary didn’t get him the newest Lego set or Nintendo 3ds game? Would he expect at least 30 eggs to hunt and find to fill his Easter basket?

So…let’s shift our thinking a bit. It’s Maundy Thursday, after all! Jesus gave us a mandate (via Simon Peter) to feed and care for his sheep. There’s this image I’ll never forget. Our tour guide (Mishi) randomly stopped our bus on the side of the road. He pointed over to this old man tending his flock. He had two dogs corralling the sheep, and the few goats led the sheep to green pasture. Our guide said that each shepherd here knows each of his sheep very well. I wonder if they name them. They are always watching their sheep and can always tell when one has gone astray. They never rest until they find that one lost sheep.

I’ve heard this ‘story’ my whole life, but it was different to see it with my own eyes. Not only are the sheep an investment and part of the shepherd’s livelihood, they are also the shepherd’s identity. The sheep, in turn, find their comfort and ‘home’ in their shepherd, who protects and unconditionally cares for them. And those sheep do dumb things sometimes, like I saw one who tried to run out into the road, and the shepherd immediately coaxed the sheep back to safety. What is the moral of the story?

I. am. a.  .

But so are you. And we are loved. And cared for. And Someone is keeping a very close eye on us, to protect us and have our back. And, even when we do dumb things, Someone still values us and calls us by name. But not Lamb chop, that would be a weird name. Hope you’re feeling sheep-y today. Happy Thursday!

Thanks to critternook for the photo. 
  Laurel

How has it started out? Have you pigged out on leftover Christmas treats or did you manage to back off and stick to a month of green smoothies?

Either way, I hope you are having a great 2013. My parents came to Portland for a week, which was great, and Matt & I have been enjoying the holiday season and thereafter. The weather here is much like Houston, where I grew up…unpredictable. Except it is a little more extreme here. One day, it’s 34 and the next day it’s 54…but the degrees don’t matter. If it rains, it changes everything. But I’m not minding the rain so much now. We’ll see. 🙂

Matt & I have been cooking, cleaning and just enjoying time together. We are fairly settled at this point…I can’t believe we’ve already been here 5 months! But it’s been a great adventure. Matt’s mom and oldest sister are visiting in a few weeks, and it’ll be so fun to see them.

Sorry, no recipes today, just an update. Happy New Year to you. Hope it’s the best one yet!

Laurel

Of course you do. It might have been around 8 crazy nights or Christmas carols, but the memories are there. Some are joyful, some are painful. But memories boil up when you least expect them and, when some of your memories are not so good, you have an opportunity each season to make new memories. Yay.

Lura (my grandmother) loved Christmas. Honestly, I don’t know much about her holidays as a child, but I do know fresh fruit was a special treat in her stockin…oh, wait, maybe I read that in a Dickens novel. EIther way, Christmas was very special at my grandmother’s house.

Nostalgic ornaments…lined the Christmas tree, multicolored lights, children’s homemade ornaments from decades ago, glass balls with picturesque winter wonderland scenes, tinsel all over.

Glass jars of Hershey’s kisses in the formal living room…that we’d always go around and sneak.

Christmas Eve services and other celebrations at church.

Breakfast pizza or casserole on Christmas morning. We all wore red and/or green. She wore the cutest matching Christmas sweats each year. With matching earrings. And socks. And necklace. You get the picture.

Food all day…turkey, ham, sweet potato casserole (never “yams”), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, cornbread dressing (not “stuffing”), sometimes oyster stuffing, carrot souffle, green bean casserole, corn casserole, gallons of iced tea. And pies…pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, with a heaping scoop of Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream on the side. This is the stuff homes are made of.

Presents around the tree. Cameras and happiness. Unwrapped gifts for the “kids,” even when we were 22. Santa surely is real. Smiles, laughs and lots of hugs and “thank yous” around the room. Another sunny Christmas day in front of a large bay window of a white brick house in Texas.

Oh, and I mustn’t forget the trash…the edible trash…but for another day…

Hold each other tight and remember the special memories. Be sure and make room in your heart for the new memories, too.  🙂

Laurel