Last Supper Thursday

I often am at a loss as to how much of our country celebrates various holidays. The conversations often arise when I overhear someone saying something about a certain holiday or tradition. I heard today referred to as Holy Thursday and felt rather dumb that I'd never heard the term before. I understand why it is referred to as that, but really shouldn't every day be holy for the believer? Holy means set apart for a specific use. Can a day really be holy? Maybe so. I think today is more of a memorial for me. To me, today is the anniversary of The Last Supper as described in Mathew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 13 and beyond. I think I am quite glad that I don't have a lot of tradition about the passion week. I don't know the "rules" for what to do and what to eat or not eat. I wonder sometimes if any of that "stuff" makes a difference to the doer. I hope so, for them. But for me, I'm quite content knowing that I walk with God every day of every year, without regard for seasons or holidays. I'm thankful that I don't require a lot of liturgy. I mess up enough without breaking liturgical tradition as well. I take the holiday for what it is based on what I've learned from the Bible. Simply taught and simply believed. A lot happened on that first "Holy Thursday". I think most memorable to me is the way Jesus washed the feet of the diciples. We pick up so much dirt trudging through this world. We do need our feet washed. I also love the example Jesus provides for us in this account. Peter is always an encouragement to me as well... it's so good to know that even someone so close to Jesus didn't quite "get it" all the time. So, I still don't have a clue what the Easter Bunny has to do with The Ressurection, but I try to take it in stride. We don't "do" the Easter Bunny....just like we don't "do" Santa Claus. Our kids know the culture and what these things are about, but we don't get caught up in it. I'm sure some would call us extreme or even abusive by depriving our children in such a way. Oh well. We're used to it. Oddly perhaps, to me, Easter seems to be the more appropriate time for giving gifts. What better reason to celebrate than our risen Savior? So Sunday, churches across the nation and the world will be filled to the doors with well dressed children and adults, tired from arising earlier than normal on the weekend. Messages will be spoken from the pulpits about what Easter really is. Some will have heard it before, some may not. Some will listen and others will not. Most will never return to that church until December. Oh if they only knew what they were missing! It is my prayer that many lives will be changed this Sunday.

Quin update:
He returned to the ENT and his ears were worse than before the antibiotics. We cut out dairy hoping it would have an affect, but as of yet, it has not. The fluid in his ears is thick and cannot drain. The scariest part for me what the hearing tests they did. Quin's eardrums are not moving and he is not hearing most of the things around him. Obviously, we are quite concerned. His newborn screening for hearing was well above normal, so it is definately the fluid that is causing the hearing loss. He is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday next week. They will drain his ears and put in tubes. A short procedure (and one that Jot successfully had at this exact same age), but still a hard thing to hand over your baby for. Prayers are appreciated.

Other stuff:
Hannah was accepted onto the M2M team. That is, the mission trip to Mexico. She will need to raise all her support to go since we cannot afford to give much toward the trip. There are some opportunities for her to work for some ladies in the church and God has already provided her deposit, so we will trust Him to provide the rest. She will send out a support letter in the next week or so. It has been a great lesson already for Hannah in prayer and seeking direction. More to come on that!

Report cards came home this week. Emma and Jot both did great and Hannah did outstanding, earning a spot on the Honor Roll. We are quite proud of them all and pleased that the stressful decision to return to public school seems to be going OK... not perfect, but OK.