from Hello, Friend

O Christ, Lamb of God

O Christ, Lamb of God, slain for the sin of the whole world, with penitent heart I come to Your cross, pleading for mercy and forgiveness. My sins—and they are many–have added to the burden of Your suffering and have nailed You to the accursed tree. For me You have tasted the agony of the utter darkness that I might not perish, but have everlasting life. Have mercy upon me.

O Christ, Lamb of God, embrace me with Your love, and forgive me all my sins. Your death brings healing to my soul, peace to my mind, cleansing to my heart. If You would mark iniquity, I could not come for my hands are unclean, my lips are sullied, and my heart is blackened by sin. But beholding You bleeding, despised, forsaken, dying, pierced, I come to be cleansed and forgiven.
 
O Christ, Lamb of God, grant that I may hate sin and wickedness more and more as I behold You in Your great agony. My grateful heart today finds hope in Your words, comfort in Your promises, and salvation in Your finished work on the cross, by which You have overcome sin, Satan, and death.

O Lord, have mercy. O Christ, have mercy. O Lord, hear my prayer.
Amen.

taken from Life {in} Grace; from a Lutheran Prayer Book

EASTER!

Easter is my favorite holiday - tied with Valentine's Day. Easter makes me think of flowers, the color yellow, family gatherings, singing at church, kids all dressed up, egg hunts, beauty, and renewal. It is such a purposeful celebration of faith, and a lovely introit into Spring. A hopeful season, fresh and clean. For as long as I can remember I've spent about 6-7 hours at church Easter Sunday morning helping with the morning breakfast, Sonrise, Early, and Late Services - with Sunday School and Children's Church smashed in there somewhere. The day before is spent leading a community Easter Egg Hunt - which is hectic and crazy, but loads of fun. This year our choir is doing a cantata on Friday night - along with communion. A very dramatic and somber program, but going to be really well done.

It's also the time of year I am challenged with the avoidance of buying an Easter outfit (a tradition from my childhood!) - but usually pick up something to shake up an outfit I already own. This year I bought a thrifted skirt - stripey and pastel. Haven't worked out that whole ensemble yet though. I make deviled eggs (hopefully after coloring eggs with someone), and a dessert for our meal. Bring Easter baskets for my parents, and recieve my own along with my brother. We eat, nap, and hopefully play games. 

I'm excited to relax; to celebrate; to give thanks for the greatest gift.

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him."

John 3:16-18 The Message

Rise and Shine



by Hayley & Lucas, discoverd on That's Happy



Orange you glad?



from How About Orange



To Do Tuesday

Didn't accomplish much on my list last week, so I'll try to finish it up this week.... and add:

1. Deviled eggs for Easter
2. Shop for Easter Egg Hunt
3. Make signs and a plan for Easter Egg Hunt
4. Try not to exhaust myself from Easter planning...

Update on 30x30 list: I found someone to teach me how to play chess! A man I work with has a "training chess board" - and was super excited when I told him I wanted to learn! Next week we will begin the lessons. This came about because we were slightly embarassed by what we lettered in in high school (me in track, cheerleading and marching band - he in CHESS TEAM!) I was grateful for the information - getting closer to crossing something off of my list!

image from leeharps.com

This weekend I loved....

1. Seeing my friends Kristen, Nick and Rachel in Canton/Akron land. Dinner at Crave, dessert at Coldstone, shopping with bunk, sweatpants/movies/naps/cheesepuffs/jelly beans with bunk. Good weekend.

2. My new orange teapot.

love it

3. Giving my Palm Sunday speech: "Palms are not to be used as swords!"

4. Getting a lot of my current audiobook, Catching Fire, out of the way! All that driving IS good for something other than spending money on gasoline.

5. Just laughing a LOT.

6. Naps Saturday AND Sunday.

There is a basket in there somewhere!

7. Finishing an Easter care package of randomness.

8. Watching The Middle with my mom.

9. Nearly buying a skirt at the thrift store that had canoes and huts on it.

10.  Getting to bed Sunday night at a decent time.

To Do Tuesday

1. Make a simple pink cake. No purpose other than eating it. Maybe like the one below.
2. 1 more storage unit trip this week
3. Finish most recent season of Chuck on DVD
4. Finish putting out spring decorations
5. Make some napkins out of fabric scraps
6. Attempt to sew a fabric/vinyl sandwich wrap with the yard of red-line iron on vinyl I purchased last week

a Martha Sterwart creation

JOY OF JOYS!!!! It's back...

Thank you Jeni. Thank you.

Ahhh Sunshine!



Kate Spade hat discovered at Making it Lovely

Oh the weather was blissful yesterday, and I spent it outside and with people that make me happy. Now if only I'd had that hat....

After church I headed to Waynesville to meet the Vrettos family, and we headed to Cincy for Lisa's 60th/Retirement/Going Away party at the Rowe Woods Nature Conservancy. Spent quality time with the Vrettos', visited and celebrated with Lisa and her family/friends, enjoyed the weather, and the lovely nature center. Headed home later to do some cleaning/packing/sorting, made a trip to the storage unit, and had a delightful mashed potato/asparagus dinner. What a great Sunday! 









Simplicity

a view on my drive home last week

Learn to like what doesn't cost much.
Learn to like reading, conversation, music.
Learn to like plain food, plain service, plain cooking.
Learn to like fields, trees, brooks, hiking, rowing, climbing hills.
Learn to like people, even though some of them may be different...
             different from you.


Learn to like to work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done.
Learn to like the songs of birds, the companionship of dogs.
Learn to like gardening, puttering around the house and fixing things.
Learn to like the sunrise and sunset, the beating of the rain
           on the roof and windows, and the gentle fall of snow on a winter's day.

Learn to keep your wants simple
           and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others.


 - Lowell Bennion
(taken from 320*Sycamore)

2010 in Review... December

December

Well, I finally finished the year in review... before June!

What a blessed and busy year indeed.

My 2010 Christmas tree - I just loved all of my decorations this year!

Went to Julia's Christmas choir concert - I love when I can go to the Lewis children's events.

I made Christmas cookies with the Vrettos family and Jamie B.
Had such a good time, and made delicious treats! Also it was a lovely day, so we walked around Waynesville in the snow!

Had our annual college girls weekend in WCH. This photo was at Clifton Mill.
In the rain. But we had great shopping, great food, and such a fun time together.

ARC door decorating contest at work! We won!!!

My last Christmas program with my kiddos for a while. They are precious.

Tacky Office Christmas Party. Complete with sweaters and tacky gifts,

Whirlwind visit with Steven. Felt like we were running a marathon,
but we had 6 months of no visits while he was in Basic. It was such a fun few days.

I won an award at work - a surprise, and humbling.

FINALLY went to the Nutcracker with my mom. We always enjoy seeing things together,
and this was no exception. Catapulted me into the holiday spirit for sure!

2010 in Review... November

November

Sometimes when you can't see someone for Thanksgiving, or send them food - you make
a turkey/pie/sweet potato/sushi dinner to mail them. Laughing follows.



My birthday party theme this year was MacGyver... and my friends pulled it off brilliantly! Themed foods, games and costumes. Good times were had by all - and I've finally gotten images of Gotschalls stache out of my mind. My $2 Donald Trump wig worked quite well for MacGyver, too!



My fav picture of Matthew-batthew and I



On Black Friday instead of shopping we held our first annual "Princess Pancake Picnic" and it was a blast. We wore fancy clothes, play games, made fairy princess wands/crowns, and of course ate pancakes!



Oh drat

I misplaced my positivity pants this week.

Restless sleep, silly worries, big worries, character improving struggles, second guessing those I trust, life transitions, a messy apartment, hectic schedule  - they all lead to a grumpy Allie. When I woke up this morning after too little sleep, instead of relfecting on my blessings I just hoped today was better than yesterday. I'm trying to turn it around with positive thoughts....  but most everything so far could've had this sign posting on it:



via afternoonsnoozebutton.com



And then I picture seeing that everywhere I go, and I laugh! 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13

Choose Joy.

Choose Joy.

Choose Joy.

2010 in Review... October

October
Busy month in October! I'll let the pictures speak... the only photo I need to find is when Ka'Shira and I saw Rocky Horror. That was quite the adventure!


I dressed like an ice cream sundae in public for my goddaughters!



Continuing the traditon of The Pumpkin show with 2 aunts, mom and dad.

Pumpkin display at the Circleville Pumpkin Show!

Swiss Fest tradition returns... this time with a baby!



Sweet Nora had a first birthday and lovely
dedication on her grandparents farm



This month had some of the prettiest Ohio sunsets I've ever seen!



Sweet Elijah James was born - watching his birth was another blessing.