thehereandafter

This week most of us are busy thinking about our Easter preparations. If you are a list maker, you probably have several lists by now. Even if are not a list maker I’m sure you have made several mental lists. There is a lot to think about, a lot to ponder…every thing from food for Easter dinner to clothing for the family to items to fill the Easter baskets. This week will be spent lost in a sea of thought and busyness preparing for a full blown spring celebration. Take an hour or two think about what Jesus might be doing this week. After his triumphant procession into Jerusalem, opposition started to mount and Jesus knew his death was coming soon. I’m positive he spent many, many hours in heartfelt prayer with his Father drawing strength. He would need it to shore himself up to the Father for the “week ahead”. We know what the week before Easter holds for most of us but let me remind you what it held for Jesus. He was very busy teaching his disciples, some who knew his true identity so...

I grew up in a family when you were called every name but your own. I have three sisters and all our first names start with T’s so it was normal for Mama or Daddy to be calling to you and call down the list of siblings until they hit on the right one. We always thought it was very funny and jokingly gave Mama and Daddy a hard time about it. As for my daughter, Amanda, forgetting her name is another thing. My daddy had a senior moment recently when he was speaking to us. He was busy, distracted, and tired. In the middle of his sentence he grappled for Amanda’s name, waved his hand in her direction, shook his head, and then with frustration in his voice referred to her as “what’s   her name”.   Amanda was very hurt with her Grandpa. She shared with me that it would not have bothered her if he had called her by one of the other granddaughter’s names but to be just “what’s her name” …what’s with that!? Thank goodness, Amanda and her granpie have a very close relationship and now i...