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Welcome to April Lydia Circle. Sorry that Lydia Circle is a little late this month. My hospitalized husband has taken most of my time the last few months. Even so, I will try to share a few thoughts with you. We hope that spring sunshine and April showers will bring many flowers. We need lots of flower activity to spice up our lives after an “old fashioned” winter. We hope that Easter’s message will bring many new and exciting spiritual meanings into your life. May the spiritual flowers bloom brightly!

DEVOTIONS - Read the 24^th chapter of Luke

What does Easter mean? How will you celebrate the day, April 12, 2009? Why am I celebrating something that happened two centuries ago? Will the Easter meal with family and the new wardrobe so carefully purchased for the day take precedence over the remembrance that Christ died on the cross and on the third day He arose from the grave. I remember an Easter sermon that shook my soul. I will never forget the pastor who many years ago reassured his congregation that the Easter story cannot be denied. There is living proof that the resurrection really happened. Holy week and the Easter season bring us to our Christian foundations. May this Easter be a very special spiritual experience for you. May that wonderful Christian day last the whole year. Happy Easter!

PRAYER Lord, help us to remember that your Son gave His life for each of us, His children. Let this Easter bring spiritual blessings to all believers who have taken Christ as the risen Savior. And may those same blessings be shared with all God’s children wherever and in whatever circumstances abide. Thank you for comfort, for carrying us, for answered prayers and for celebrations of Alleluias with the Risen Christ. Amen

MEDITATION - Lillian Bateman

I’m wondering today what Easter will mean to me and our family this year? We have spent the last three months traveling to the hospital and seeing a very sick man improve only by inches daily. I haven’t taken the Easter wreaths out of the attic, nor have any decorations been placed in our home. The decorations will have to be in our memories this year since I don’t go to the attic alone. We are going to a restaurant after Easter services, something quite different from our traditional family meal at mom and dad’s house. I will not be playing the organ for the church service. Yes, traditions are not important this year due to changed circumstances. But one thing stays the same. We are all celebrating the real meaning of Easter. We will go to church with thanksgiving in our hearts for the blessings the risen Christ has bestowed upon us. We are grateful for the resurrection that opens our eyes to the presence of God in our lives. We will sing “Alleluia” loudly and clearly with all our fellow parishioners to proclaim our Christian beliefs. We will celebrate Easter in a glorious way! Will you join us for the celebration?

RECIPE – Wendy Graff

CORNY COLESLAW

Mix together:

2 carrots - shredded

1/2 head cabbage and 1/2 head purple cabbage - shredded

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 cup whole kernel corn

Dressing:

2 T. sugar

1 t. cumin

1/2 t. salt - 1/4 t. pepper

1/4 t. garlic powder

juice of one lime

3/4 c. mayonnaise

Mix well and pour over cabbage mixture. Chill.

BOOK REVIEW – Lu Adams

ROOM OF MARVELS by James Bryan Smith

This man was so depressed over the deaths of loved ones he couldn’t carry on with life as usual so he decided to spend a period of time in a monastery living a mute Spartan life. One night he had a dream. The people he met in the dream, his mother, his daughter, his best friend had all died recently and he had been grieving deeply. He was in Heaven in the dream, a pain free and beautiful place. There he saw the impact of his life on other people as well as the joy of those he was grieving for.

JUST FOR FUN (taken from Country Woman)

“Mom’s the one who hides our baskets,” Matt told his younger sisters who were great fans of the Easter Bunny. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Sally replied. “Mom would never let us have that much candy.”

One Sunday I taught the little ones in our rural church about the Good Shepherd and His lambs. Later when one boy became rowdy, his mother asked, “Is that how a lamb behaves? He replied, “I’d rather be a bull calf.”

SPRINGTIME HINT

Don’t be discouraged by the thoughts of spring cleaning. As you do your weekly cleaning add a couple of things that can be done anytime. Save those nice days for the windows and curtains and before you know it, your spring cleaning is done.