Avril's Eleventh Birthday

Avril turned eleven today. We just gave her three new Lego sets in the morning right after chores and we spent the day putting those together.  

In the evening, we feasted on steak, creamed spinach, and sautéed mushrooms and onions.

 We had cheesecake, one that had a variety of flavors.

For fun, Avril wore a crown of laurels, part of her Guinevere costume, but it seemed so appropriate to crown her on her day, we may make a crown a tradition on birthdays.

My Gethsemane

Christ in the garden teaches me that in this life, I may be asked to suffer precisely because I don't deserve to suffer. Mostly I suffer for my own choices. But sometimes, the cup set before me is filled with the consequences of other people's choices and if I choose those people, I must partake of the cup they poured, naturally. So I see the sinless Christ choosing others, drinking down the cup of suffering to its very dregs. He drank all of it, so He could have all of us. But first, He did pray, "If it is possible, take this cup from me..." And I am glad for that prayer, knowing He has been here before me. For sinful me, facing one drop of suffering that belongs to someone else is like drinking an ocean. But the kneeling Christ inspires me to choose others, reminds me, I am not alone in this, my Gethsemane.

Thoughts on Quarantine

This makes me reconsider Jesus, who touched a coffin and a leper, and spoke in radical, subversive parables, one about a Good Samaritan, who may have been judged for touching the unclean, disqualifying and contaminating himself, risking everyone, ignoring the law. I’m not making a declaration, just recognizing (as I watch church online) the ancient Scripture is still relevant, because it’s True.