Monday, April 09, 2018

EASTER SEASON

Thankful that I survived another Lent, Holy Week and Easter!
  I promptly got sick Holy Saturday and managed to get through 2 Easter services with a breakfast in between. Came home exhausted and slept on the couch! Our Easter dinner got put on hold for a couple days, as I just didn't have any appetite.
   Went to the Doc on Monday (after cancelling a long awaited massage) and have an upper respiratory virus. I took Tuesday off since I was sick all morning long. Can't make any visits or else I will infect the frail and elderly.
   I did make the Tuesday evening Bible Study to finish up the 7 Deadly Sins.
  This Sunday was Joy Sunday and it took everything I had to have the energy to do it. This virus is going to take some time to get over. But it went well, except for the acolyte who fell asleep during worship! Never have I had that happen! I had to really prod him awake for the sharing of the peace!
    Things will be in Easter season mode until May 6th when the Bishop will preach & preside - he's not known for short sermons!
   Then there will be Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday, May 20th. Just two girls this year.
  The Youth (well,, 4 of them) will head to Houston for the ELCA Youth Gathering the end of June,
then VBS when they return. Oh, and the town parade before the Youth Gathering.
   The church has a car show the Sat. before Mom's Day and I just have to put the themed raffle basket together.
   The church roof repair is costing an incredible amount and we are trying to find creative ways to raise money. We did a Lenten Challenge of each day in Lent - 10 cents on day one, 20 cents on day two, thirty cents day three, etc. The last two weeks of Lent were the most challenging. Those who tried it, raised $82.00 in 40 days! We have raised over $2,000.00 through the Lenten Challenge.
Our next push is a raffle ride on the roofing lift to see the town from a bird's eye view. We've even got the Mayor to go up on the lift. It's off to a slow start.
   Any body have any ideas for future fund raisers?
So, there always seems to be something happening.
 Sadly, we have no real Sunday School and young families are lacking. It is a real shame.
  The church participates in most First Fridays which our town is doing to bring people to downtown business. That has gone well. And our monthly free community dinners are going well also and meeting a need.
   All good, blessed and wonderful things.
  Me, I'm just tired. I think it's mostly the virus at this point. Hopefully, this too, shall pass, and I can enter new life before the Easter season is over!
   Spring is late this year. Too much cold and snow or snow flurries. March was like February, and
April has felt like March. Maybe, one of these days, it'll warm up and spring will bust out all over!