Sunday Sentiments

 

Happy Easter, my friends! He is risen!

It is crazy to me to think that this is the first time in four years we'll get to spend Easter with family. 

Four years ago:

* I had blonde hair.
* We lived in Kokomo.
* We celebrated Easter at the Nazarene church in Kokomo, worshiping from our perch way up high, where I loved to sit.
* We had lunch with my parents and then joined up with Ryan's extended family celebration. It was our last Easter with Allen and Nita, though we did not know it at the time. 
* It was the last time I shopped for an Easter dress in person. 

Three years ago:

* Still had blonde hair...just a little less so.
* We lived in Kokomo.
* We celebrated Easter on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean, worshiping in a comedy club lounge with a bunch of people from a bunch of denominations.
* We had lunch in the dining room on the ship! Buffet for the win!
* I did not wear an Easter dress, but I did get a shirt for the occasion!

Two years ago:

* Still had blonde-ish hair. 

* We lived in Kokomo.
* The pandemic had just started, so we were quarantined at home and celebrated with a whole bunch of churches! We started by watching the Marion Easter pageant online at 6 a.m. Then we worshiped online with our own Nazarene church. Then we joined my sister and brother-in-law's church out in Kansas (via Facebook) to attend their service too!

* It was my first time ever to make the Easter meal, and I went ALL OUT. We ate together on the sun porch at our home and it was seriously one of my most favorite meals ever.

* I brought back the t-shirt from the year before.

Last year:

* I was wavering between blonde and brown hair. 
* We lived in Grabill. 
* We worshiped at the Missionary Church alongside one of our tenants - sitting about halfway back in the gym.

* We were on duty that day, so I made our Easter meal for us and our tenant, and everything turned out really delicious!

* I decided to wear a dress I had but had never worn on Easter Sunday! (I'd purchased several dresses when Nita died, because I wasn't sure which ones I might want to wear. This was one I ended up not wearing until later.)

You know what I love?

No matter where we worshiped...whether in Kokomo, the Caribbean, at home, or in Grabill, we worshiped the same risen Savior, and we have the same hope of Heaven! And the same is true for us this year in our new home, new church, and new dress. (The dress part is just for me. Not Ryan.)

Whether Easter is filled with tradition or change for you today, I hope you rejoice in our Living Hope!