Wednesday, April 8, 2020

A Hodgepodge Full of Grace

It has been a BEAUTIFUL week here in the "holler".


The dogwoods and redbuds have nearly reached their peak...


...as wildflowers of all denominations are waking up from their long winter's nap.

 
The skies have been amazingly blue as the creek burbles over rocks and branches.


I am still pinching myself, if you know what I mean. 😉
 ~
But it is Wednesday and time for the Hodgepodge!


So click on the link below to take you on over to Joyce's blog.
You know the drill...come join the fun!

🌸 CLICK HERE ðŸŒ¸

1. How will you celebrate Easter this year?

We were all just discussing this yesterday. The weather here has been lovely but little pockets of cool and rainy days are still in the mix and according to the forecast it could be rainy and in the 60s so an Easter Morning Sunrise gathering is quite unlikely. So after taking part in our morning worship services online, it could be Cracker Barrel Easter Dinner take-out (which I hear is really good) and Adam mentioned something about possibly smoking a pork butt. The kiddos are past the days of colored eggs (which makes me kinda sad) but no matter what, we'll all be together...most likely just hangin' out on their back porch. No matter what we decide to eat, it will be day of just being with family and rejoicing that we serve a RISEN LORD!

2. Is it easier for you to receive grace offered or extend grace to another? Explain.

It has always been easier for me to be the extender of grace rather than the receiver, I can't even explain it...even when I know that according to God's word, He extends His unrelenting grace and unmerited favor to all of us. It's hard to understand the whys and the hows of it all... I can be so hard on myself at times. Anyone in my corner? 



Maybe it's that confidence thing...but there's one thing I'm very sure of and that is...
3. Do you say grace before meals?  Ouch, Joyce!! I would be lying if I answered 'always' to this question. I am sad to say that the answer is not always and not often enough...not gonna lie. If so do you have a standard dinnertime grace or is it more 'off the cuff'? Off the cuff, I'd say. Do you say grace when dining out? It actually blesses my heart to be a part of or even witness couples or groups of people say grace at a restaurant. There is no good reason not to do this so I will not even try to make excuses for myself when I forget. Do you have a favorite grace? My favorite grace is not memorized, but one that just plain and simply comes from the heart...unlike the little poem-like grace we used to recite at the table when I was a little girl...."God is great, God is good, Let us thank Him for this food... By His hands we are fed, Give us Lord, our daily bread.....AMEN!!! Any special memory associated with 'saying grace'? Oh yes....and we still tease Adam about it every chance we get. He was probably about eight and he always rose to the occasion to pray at mealtime. You'd have thought he was a long-winded preacher! He would bless everyone sitting around the table, all of his family present or not present and those unaccounted for, his Sunday School teachers and the pastor and everyone at church...I can't even begin to name them all. So it was around 1990-91 and the prayers that we remember most were when he always ended up blessing everyone over in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War as well! The food? Well, when (or if) he remembered to bless the food, he would name each entree one by one...but he usually forgot to mention the the food entirely! Needless to say, we rarely ate a hot meal! To this day, when he prays for the family meal, someone ends the prayer by saying, "and bless all the people over in Saudi Arabia....Amen!" 😂

4. What are some challenges you think the next generation will face? (Generation Alpha-born between 2011 and 2025)

Oh wow...good question. Reality is the word I'm looking for. So many young people today pattern their lives after what they see on social media, TV, etc. and get sucked into a world that is not real. Now don't get me wrong, social media is here to stay and among all of the wonderful advantages and positive aspects it can bring to a young (or old) person's life, there is whole other, ugly side to it. It still makes me a bit sad that the simplicity of childhood as we knew it seems to be coming a thing of the past.

5. Share a favorite quote or lyric featuring the word faith.



6.  Insert your own random thought here.



The family has been busy this week trying to help fill in the gap of much needed masks, sheilds, etc. for the COVID-19 crisis. And speaking of working for the "the cause",  HERE is a video of our grandson, Parker, and a "little" project he and the family has been working with his 3-D printer to help supply some of his dad's company's imaging centers that are in dire need of much needed protective equipment such as sterizeable/reusable filtered face masks and face shields. This thing has really snowballed and along with many donation of $$, extra 3-D printers, supplies and folks jumping on board to help pump them out...well, let me just say, it has been pretty amazing!
~
Wishing you all a most blessed Resurrection Sunday!
 We will all be doing things just a bit different this year...BUT
one thing will never change...



22 comments:

  1. Hi Debby,
    I enjoyed your post. I am with you, I can be hard on my self as well. How you wrote your answer to question #2 is me.
    I enjoyed your story about Adam and saying grace.

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  2. Love what your grandson is doing my friend. WOW! So many people in my community are busy at it as well. I am just praising the Lord right for His hedge of protection over us all and praying for all those that have been affected in any form or matter with our current history situation. Loved your answers and enjoyed reading it today. We will have Easter dinner at my house as we do each Sunday but it will be a little extra special this year as we also will be celebrating granddaughters 4th birthday,granddaughters 16th birthday and my soininlove David's birthday. Our family is around each other so much (my immediate family only) so we will celebrate together not only birthdays, Easter but also our Risen King. Funny thing about coloring Easter eggs. We have always colored eggs at my house, even after our daughters left home. Marty loves it! Kid at heart for sure. But our grands love it that Nana and Papa color eggs. And, we love to eat them! LOL! We always asked the blessing at every meal whether at home or in public but I am sad to say that sometimes it's repetitious. I have one little grandgirl that will shame me so bad when I listen to her pray. She prays with her whole heart whether it be over a meal or what. But Lord have mercy I am truly thankful for what the Lord has given to me and learning it all the more in this phase of History we are experiencing. I hope that you and your precious family have a wonderful Resurrection day. Our church may be empty but so was the tomb....Praise the Lord He is RISEN. Love you sweet friend. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  3. Aren't the dogwoods glorious! I love them even if both of mine died. The creek looks absolutely wonderful. Have you had Buddy'd BBQ? We get a whole pork butt there (or two or three) when we're feeding a crowd, and I don't feel like cooking everything. :)
    Happy Easter!
    Toni

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  4. Wow! What Parker is doing is pretty amazing. I'd like to hear more about that sometime.

    So pretty in your corner...love the brook...very woodsy and pretty.

    Have a blessed Easter and I sure do pray that God takes care of all those people in Saudi Arabia and the whole world over.

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  5. Great answer to #4!!! Reality, for sure. Your photos are always beautiful and that creek running through the woods just makes me want to be there! You are truly blessed. I had forgotten how our Kate always prayed long prayers at the table, thanking God for everybody and everything. Happy Resurrection Day!

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  6. Spring has sprung here in Kentucky as well. Our fruit trees and a few flowers are blooming. Parker is doing some great work!

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  7. Your springtime photos of the woods are wonderful. Loved seeing the dogwoods,and redbuds. It' a little too cold still,but how I would love to go wading in that creek. Are the Sweet Williams blooming on the hillsides yet? This is my favorite time of year.

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  8. Spring does sound rather glorious there in the "holler". I suppose if you have to be in lockdown at home then spring is the season to 'enjoy' it. Faith is the key to our every day, isn't it. It must be difficult for those who depend on the stability of their daily world to feel safe and secure. I did smile at your recollections of your son saying grace at dinnertime; such precious memories. May you have a blessed Easter there in your hollo, lovely Debby.

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  9. I sure did enjoy reading your Hodgepodge today and LOVE the prayer story... bless all those in Saudi Arabia. That is the best family story I've read in a long time! Have a blessed Easter!!

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  10. Sure looking like a beautiful spring in your neck of the woods.

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  11. What a great poster! And aren't those wonderful wildflowers a blessing! To me it is such a blessing to be among Christian bloggers whose love for Jesus is evident in their writing.I agree with you about technology. And it's so strange to hear my little granddaughter use terms like 'self isolation' and 'quarantine' and 'social distancing,' even when she breathed heavily upon her mother's neck and said, 'I'm giving you the corona virus!' LOL LORD HAVE MERCY!! I hope you have a wonderful Easter, as different as this one will be.

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  12. Oh how I love dogwoods! So pretty. I enjoyed reading your answers today and really got a kick out of your son's long winded prayers. Cute that he won't live down blessing Saudi Arabia! Happiest of Easters to you and yours. No one can cancel Easter...that's for sure.

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  13. What a beautiful place your "holler" is! What a blessing it is that you are there! Indeed, although our Resurrection celebrations will all look a little different this year, our rejoicing and our hope remains the same . . . a living Savior!!

    Loved hearing about Adam's grace! That made me smile!

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  14. Can I admit that I am just a little jealous of all the beauty you are seeing? The flowers are so pretty. We are having intermittent snow flurries today. Enough already! I know spring will come and I need to be patient.

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  15. I’d be pinching myself, too, Debby, to be living in all that beauty of the “holler”. Your photos are outstanding! The words that you love on FAITH, sure are perfect. Have a Blessed Easter with your loved ones as we celebrate give thanks to Our Savior for saving us.

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  16. Oh wow! -Look at those wonderful blooms! I can hardly wait for Spring to arrive here. It has been very cold with little snow storms nearly everyday here. But soon the weather will change and it will make all of this staying at home much easier to bear.
    Enjoy the rest of your week,
    Andrea

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  17. A beuatiful post, Debby, especially for this day! And you saved the best for last:)
    God bless you and your family. Happy Easter!

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  18. Spring is sure beautiful in TN! How exciting to be experiencing such a lovely time of year there... trusting that all is coming along with your new home? Easter will definitely be different this year. Sounds like your family has a great plan though! I always enjoy your hodgepodge answers, you are so honest, genuine and real :) I love that your family is making masks for everyone who needs one, that is so awesome! Those 3D printers are really quite amazing! I've been making masks for our local healthcare workers as well, and it is a lot of work, but I'm glad to be able to do something. Praying you stay safe and healthy, and may the sweet blessings of the Lord be with you as we celebrate our Lord's resurrection :)

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  19. I love the prayer story! That is precious! Happy Easter to you and your family!

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  20. Did I see your grandson on the news? We think we did! I know you are proud of him and your family doing so much good at this terrible time. Take care and stay safe this week!

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Thank you for stopping by today! Your sweet comments are such an encouragement to me.