Christ is Risen!

Alleluia!

We finally get to say it and sing it again. I am looking forward to a joyous day today.

It's been a strange Lent for me though, I must say. I felt like I've been behind and trying to catch up the whole season, and so didn't get to soak it in as much as usual.

Also bidding farewell to a founding member of the church. We'll meet again. But her long struggle is over. She is at rest in Christ and I look forward to joining her in the resurrection.

Today the whole family is over for Easter dinner. That will be nice. Then golf tomorrow afternoon! That's kind of a tradition for me, though one that doesn't always happen. Take the afternoon after Easter to get out and walk around, get some fresh air, enjoy, decompress.

My father seemed to take another step down these past few weeks. He's 95 now. Wow. Will this be his last Easter with us? What other changes will this year bring?

Sometimes I forget how fortunate I am. Which is really silly. Incredible wife, wonderful family, good health.

Hope you have a wonderful celebration today of our Lord's resurrection!

Final Four and Easter Monday

Well, the 89 seconds I spent filling out my NCAA tournament bracket were a wasted 89 seconds of my life I'll never get back.  :-(  Granted, I picked some daring upsets (like the first 16 over a 1, cuz it has to happen someday!), but Syracuse? Really?

The good news is . . . Villanova! That's my team. My father went there for college back in the day, and we've been fans ever since. The last couple years have been tough to watch their early exits, but they made it this year. Hopefully they have a couple more victories in them and you'll be hearing this song lots more! (Sorry for the ad at the beginning - just skip it.)

Today is golf! The day after Easter I like to go out and just do something mindless for a few hours. And yes, I know, while all you golf aficionados will tell me that golf is a cerebral game, let me tell you - not when I play it! :-) So hopefully the rain will hold off, the sun will come out, I won't lose too many balls, and maybe even make a par or two . . .

Easter Monday

Some Easter Monday thoughts . . .

+ The joy of Easter lives on.

+ I have not been impressed with the April Fool's offerings I've seen so far. Too obviously fake.

+ I found an old friend's blog the other day. I think about him often but had lost touch after his great fall. His writings seemed filled with a sadness. Made me sad.

+ I will go back to my tradition today of playing golf the day after Easter.  :-)  I could not last year because of school - I was in over my head with deadlines and papers. I still have much to do, but not so much this year. A nice day outside in the air is going to be nice.

+ I watched many of the Holy Week services from the Vatican this week. Gives me a break from things. I enjoy the ceremonial and how precisely and respectfully it is all done, but I will never get used to the Pope being treated like a rock star by screaming crowds. Just doesn't sit right with me.

+ Singing Easter hymns and giving the Lord's Body and Blood to a shut-in yesterday with ALS and who has lost almost all muscle function is what our Lord's resurrection is all about!

+ I hate it when I request a book through inter-library loan and I get sent the wrong book!

+ Speaking of books, my Amazon wish list is getting long. Any takers?  ;-)

+ Speaking of books, if you haven't read Bill Hecht's "Two Wars We Must Not Lose" you must read it. It is not short, but the amount of information he brings together and synthesizes will change how you look at what is happening in our world today and how you listen to the news. Eye opening.

+ A good wife is a gift from the Lord. Amen!

UPDATE: I now have a greater appreciation for Luke 15:8-10, having just looked for the last hour for my wedding ring. It fell off while I was getting ready to play golf (I thought. At least, that when I noticed). Since I usually notice that pretty quickly, I looked all around the area, but nothing. I began expanding my search, even retracing walking my daughter to the bus stop - twice. Nothing. I search everywhere. Nothing. It's only a ring. But it's more than a ring. I saw my neighbor. He said I looked "pensive." I explained to him, then continued my search. FINALLY, search again (for about the fourth time) around where I thought I lost it, there it was! I don't know why I didn't see it before, but in any case, I am so thankful to have found it. And you know what the first thing I wanted to do was (after thanking God)? Go tell my neighbor! "And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the [ring] I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Some Weeks . . .

Some professional golfers consistently do well on certain courses. They say that the course just "fits their eye." I think the same is true of pastors, at least this one. There are some Sundays in the church year that I seem to have an easier time preaching on than others. I wonder if other pastors feel the same way . . .

The day after Easter . . . Holy Week behind . . . 75 degrees and sunny . . . what a great day to golf! After I got some things done this morning, went to the driving range and played nine holes. How good it felt to be out and playing. I played pretty well - only hit one shot I would really call a clunker. Didn't putt too good, but that will come around. I hope I'll play more this year. Maybe get the Peasant son out there playing with me this year . . .