Thursday Thoughts - Replenished

I wrote up a devotional to be shared at our Church Council meeting last night.  However, a member of the group reached out with a meditation they wished to share.  It was a very needed and quite timely message, and one I was very glad to hear and take in.

But the words from my written devotional were still on my heart, so as seems to be my tradition now, I share them here.

Sparkle Gets Replenished

Replenished

“You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?  You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.  You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again.” – Psalm 71:19b-21 (NRSV)

So, last month I wrote about being Depleted.  Because that was how I was feeling and I’m sure others were too.  Maybe even now some are still feeling depleted.  I’m writing this on Monday afternoon and I was sure by now I was going to feel depleted because I was going and going and going all day Sunday starting at 4:30am.  But I’m not.  I may be a bit tired.  But, I feel Replenished.

When I talked last month, I said we replenish our bodies of things they need.  It can be done in many ways, like sleeping or eating or drinking something.  And that is just how to replenish ourselves if we are tired or hungry or thirsty.  We find many different ways to replenish ourselves of other things too.  Sometimes we may want to get outdoors and do something like walking, hiking, biking, or just having a moment of peace to watch the sun set.  (That last one has become my recent weekend practice.)  Maybe it is catching up with an old friend or a family member you haven’t talked to in a while, just to replenish that relationship.  There are so many things that one can do to replenish whatever you need. 

I do feel like, for me, this past season of Lent had me thinking a lot about being depleted and replenished.  In a recent sermon, Pastor Jody said that “Lent provides us space to find self-discovery and to help us grow.”  For me, considering being depleted and replenished has been part of my growth process and self-discovery.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know that is the case for me.

The brief selection from Psalm chapter 71 also speaks to being replenished.  We may have many things thrown our way.  The Psalmist talks of many troubles and calamities they have seen.  Maybe we have troubles and calamities.  Maybe there is a lot of stress at our jobs or in our families.  Maybe there are health issues.  Or something else entirely.  But God will always revive us.  God will help us find a way to replenish ourselves.  God will bring us up again.

This happened very recently to me – in fact, it happened on Sunday.  I blogged about it where I listed over 30 reasons why I had, literally, the best Easter ever.  This was after three insanely stressful days at work, including one day where I worked until about 7pm and one day where I was stuck in a building for a long period of time without a break and a way to replenish myself.  God brought me back up again.  God revived me, not only through a day off on Saturday but the many joys that Easter was filled with.

I pray that you all continue to find your replenishment for whatever situation you are in.  Know that God will always revive us, sometimes in ways very obvious to us and sometimes in ways we do not expect.  God will revive us and replenish us, always.

Merging is a New Journey - Amazing Easter!

Holy Week has always been a special time for me.  We go from a celebration of Jesus arrival to Jerusalem, to contemplating the events of the week, considering the last meal Jesus had with his disciples, Jesus being arrested, sentenced, and the crucifixion.   Then, it culminates in another celebration on Easter Sunday as we rejoice in the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.

Easter Sunday Altar 4/4/2021

Aside from last year, I have been in church for Easter before.  It is always a happy day full of inspiration.  Sure there were a few times, like I talked about before, when I was cleaning up from pancake breakfasts - but you could still hear the celebration even in the kitchen.

But for some reason...this Easter...was probably one of the best Easters I have had in a long time.

Maybe it was because I was at Sunrise Service.  Or singing at Sunrise Service.  Singing new to me songs that sound awesome and have great lyrics.  Hearing the story of finding the tomb empty.  Seeing people I haven't seen in months.  Watching the sun rise and hearing the birds wake up and sing.  Any of those reasons could have been it.

Maybe it was because of being at the regular worship service on Easter.  After already been in worship, just continuing that thread.  Being with great friends.  With great songs to hear and sing along with quietly in the pew.  Familiar worship songs and hymns to start the service.  Lots of G.F. Handel, sung and played on the organ.  Singing along quietly as one could to the Hallelujah Chorus.  Though there were few of us there in the congregation (a soloist, my sister who sang in the anthem, and two tech people, one of which was me) we stood for hymns and the Doxology.  We sang "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" like it was a "normal" church service.  And I was acolyte.  Some things never change.  We celebrated Christ's Resurrection and that never gets old.  Any of those reasons could have been it.

Maybe it was the time after service, being in fellowship with those there.  Or taking selfies with my church family/friends to celebrate the day.  Taking pictures by the flowered cross outside.  Sharing funny stories.  Any of those reasons could have been it.

Maybe it was getting home to celebrate not only Easter but Anastasia's 9th birthday.  Seeing her joy at all her presents.  Being in my happy place with my iTunes playlist and dinner prep.  Maybe it was the nice day outside.  Maybe it was being able to spend time with my pup inside after dinner, which only seems to happen when there is daylight left outside.  Maybe it was catching the beautiful sunset from my yard.  Any of those reasons could have been it.

Maybe it was just knowing it was a day to celebrate.  Maybe it was the various sun and sky pictures I took that day.  It was like I was seeing things with new eyes.  Maybe it was because I felt pretty that day and wasn't so down on myself.  Maybe it was being around the people I was with.  Maybe it was funny things that happened at home.  Maybe it was the yummy dinner.  Or the birthday cupcakes.  Eating the cherry jelly bean first thing like I do every year.  The cup of coffee my sister bought me.  Being up at 4:30am and doing everything I did without really feeling tired until after 8pm when I tried to take a short nap.  Any of those reasons could have been it.

All I know, is that it was like this was the Easter I needed after so many things.  Not just the pandemic, but other things in my personal life.  It was an amazing Easter and I couldn't be more blessed.

Jesus is Risen.  Hallelujah!  Amen!

Thursday Thoughts - Random Observations Pt. 2

Well....I thought I'd share some more random observations today...

 

Sparkle 4/1/2021

1) Sparkle is still learning when she needs to not bark so much at me (like when I have a headache) but sometimes I get this look when she knows I have a lot to take care of and a lot on my mind, and she knows she has to be extra loving.

2) I much prefer a cold crunchy hash brown from McDonald's than a warm/hot soggy or soft one.

3) I am grateful that masks cover my face when I am embarrassed.

4) I still struggle with some of the major mistakes of my past, those I have talked about and those I have not.

5) I can't figure out why stores that so readily stocked coconut pumpkins and hearts are refusing to stock the eggs.  When they are available for purchase!

6) I think I no longer like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (Eggs, Pumpkins, Trees, etc.) frozen.  Cold in the fridge, yes.  But frozen?  Not so much.

7) I drive out of my way to Tops to buy Clearly Canadian (because they are the only store in the area who stocks it) and their single cake slices because they use whipped cream for frosting.

8) Though it takes me longer to complete it, I have found that I do enjoy crocheting scarves!

9) I have at least 8 versions of the following songs on my YouTube Listening Music playlist: Widor's Toccata from Symphony #5, The Palms, All Hail the Power Of Jesus' Name (Diadem), Christ the Lord is Risen Today, and Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus.

10) Sometimes I really need my brain to stop overthinking things.

Merging is a New Journey - It's Holy Week!

So, here we are, in Holy Week.  A year ago, we were all hoping that this pandemic would have been over and we would have been able to celebrate this time with our new church family...together and in person.  A year later, we are still in the pandemic, though there does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

But a year later, we are still celebrating Holy Week in a different way than many of us have for years.

However, a year has gone by and this year I do not feel so useless.  Quite a comparison to last year, that's for sure!

I was part of the in-service singing yesterday, Palm Sunday.  Which meant I got to sing some great music, challenging music, and in harmony with great people.

Altar Sun. 3/28/2021 (Palm Sunday)

Palm Sunday was much different than last year, and much different than years before.  But it still both celebrated the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem while also thinking about what will happen as we continue through the week - as Jesus continued through His week.

I am looking forward to the opportunities to learn and grow this week.

Thursday Thoughts - When Size is Confusing

I'm not talking about my size.  But rather I am talking about food portion size at fast food places.  And as I contemplated how confusing size of food and drinks can be, it made me realize another lesson as Lent 2021 comes to a close.

Last Saturday I drove down to the Croton Harmon station area to watch the sun set at a park there.  It was a nice drive down, a great location to watch the sun set, and someplace I want to go back to.  But, because of the timing of the drive, I wasn't able to have dinner at home with the family and it would be too late for me to eat when I got home.  I decided a quick stop at Wendy's for some chicken nuggets and a drink would be enough for me, especially because I had a late lunch. I ordered a set of 10 chicken nuggets and I was feeling like a lemonade, so I ordered a medium lemonade, because I figured it wouldn't be too small but not too large either.

A medium lemonade from Wendy's

So, there is my medium lemonade from Wendy's.  The size of the cup is HUGE.  Or at least, huge for a medium.  I was expecting something much smaller.

Not that I am complaining about the size.  I didn't drink the whole thing because after a certain point in the day I do need to stop drinking caffeinated and sugary drinks and switch completely to water.  So it made for a great drink the next day.  And I was pleased with the amount of drink I got for the price I paid.  But it made me think a lot about size being confusing.  Had I known this was a "medium" I might have ordered a small instead.  I brought it home and showed it to Anastasia and she said, "That's not a medium!  That's a large!"

But then you go to other places, ask for a "medium" and you get something that is the size of a child's drink.  Or you ask for a "large" and it is the size of a medium.  A snack size McFlurry looks like a child's drink with a regular size not being much larger.  Sometimes what you pay is not worth what you get.

But sometimes what you get is worth way more than you paid.

This goes for more than just food though.  We're coming to the end of Lent and I'm just thinking about how, compared to Jesus, we paid nothing for the forgiveness and grace that we receive.  What we receive is endless love from God, endless forgiveness, and endless grace.  Compared to what Jesus did, so that we could have all that, we did or paid essentially nothing.  It doesn't seem like nothing...but we didn't endure torture and give up our lives for it.  That is what Jesus did for us.

So, while the size of my lemonade shocked me, it gave me a good lesson that I needed to remember.

Merging is a New Journey - Easter Morning Pancakes (Happy Memories Pt. 8)

I decided to return to Happy Memories again, at least for this week.  It's going to seem a bit strange, the picture I share this week compared to the memory.  But it was the earliest photo I could find on my phone when I started taking pictures to share on the Wappingers UMC Facebook page...many years ago (9 years ago).

Lenten Cross - 2/26/2012

But before the time of social media.  Before the time I was a leader in the church.  Before a lot of things, I was a member of the youth group.  And for a couple years on Easter Sunday, as a fundraiser I think, we would do a pancake breakfast that was held between the Sunrise Service and the Traditional Service on Easter Sunday.

I got to thinking about this yesterday as Pastor Jody was listing all the Holy Week services, including our in person Sunrise Service at 6am.  I haven't thought about the pancake breakfasts in a long time.  But maybe I'm reflecting on it more because my parents are getting on in age...and it was a time when I worked side-by-side with my dad, using his recipe for pancakes, making tons of pancakes for people to eat, and then later we cleaned up after everything.

One of the hardest parts, though, was that some people liked to help between the services, but once the regular service started at 11am, all the help disappeared even if there were still a ton of dishes to take care of.  I always stayed behind (with my dad) to continue to clean up...because, you know, no one in their Easter best was going to help us after service - everyone had to get home for a celebration, us included!  (Easter Sunday was always a trip to my mom's parents for dinner.)

But even with the hard parts, the great memory was making the pancakes and working with my dad to do so.  And being able to help in that way.

We only did this for a couple years.  And I remember the tired feeling.  Even though there won't be any pancake breakfasts and there haven't been in a long time, it is making me want to be up for Sunrise Service this year, so we will see how that goes.

Thursday Thoughts - Traveling for Sunsets

Yes, yes, I know I blogged about sunsets last week.  But, most of my sunset pictures as of late have been local, either at my job or a location nearby.  Sometimes I consider, for a change in pace, of going somewhere a bit of a distance away where I know I can get good views of the sun setting.

One place is an hour away, at the border of New York and Pennsylvania.  You drive up this huge mountain basically and there is one of those "rest stops" where all you can really do is stop your car if your car needs a break, get out and stretch your legs, and if you have a dog, you could take them for a walk.  I can't remember if there were places to eat, but probably now not so much.  The view overlooks a valley but I have gotten some decent sunset or almost sunset pictures there.

Another place is Croton.  I've taken the train numerous times down to the city and back and always pass this view.  It is so beautiful whether it is sunny, cloudy, bright, or dark.

Sunset at Croton October 2017

The picture shared is over 3 years old, but the view is still just so amazing.  I want to try to capture that same feeling, view, and picture without getting it from a moving train.  Kind of amazing that I managed to get that while the train was moving.

I get this feeling to travel after I have had a particularly hard or tough week.  Not that this is a particularly hard or tough week in general.  But I have had 2 very (very) early days...in at work by 4:30am...while working with vendors, plus night meetings or classes every night, well except for Friday but I'm not there yet.  So it has made I guess for a long, long week.  So I'm thinking Croton may be just the place to go.  But we will see as the day plays out.

You know, I should say thank you to all those who week after week read my ramblings about my merging journey and my Thursday thoughts.  Even if you don't comment, I'm sure they are being read and if anything, brought a bit of laughter to your day because I know I definitely say some very wacky things!