Do Not Worry
On this day, my focus, this view out my window, through my soul and at the world at large: I say to you, "Happy Easter!" or as my sister used to say when she was very little, "Happy Daddy Donald Ducky Day!" { A stuffed duck with polka dot pj's that was given to her one Easter, that she carried for years with her!}
I'm sitting here looking out my front window contemplating the day. A half a pot of coffee is in me, dogs have been out 2ce already... the rain has come and gone. A special meal is planned for dinner; a lemon roasted encrusted parmesan rotisserie chicken with my famous hot stuffing and I'm thinking, most definitely bacon fried smashed Brussel sprouts for the veggie of choice, for me and the kid. (It is what I do! It is who I am... )
This view out my window, a redbud tree which is in full bloom in the prettiest of a purple shade with a full resounding serenade from the morning birds echoing into the world... "spring and all its glory is alive and well." It is the simple things from nature I admire the most. All the things that come back to life, a rebirth, things that are just supposed to be... with no hindrance, altercations, forced growth, just a natural order of a seasonal progression for renewal.
In a more than stifling time in our history, we are not allowed to venture into a church, congregate with a community or be near to our family. The spiritual repercussions of that decision, I can't even imagine. A larger agenda at work, I pray for the greater good for all mankind. Although my soul-full spiritual belief is religion is not to be found in the walls where we attend but how we interact and treat one another; offering comfort and support contributing in a heart-full commune with each other in our everyday existence.
The hatred of selfishness is at hand and has been. It finally has reared its head bringing the ugly to the surface where we are all facing our deepest beliefs and truths and hopefully coming to terms with what has been created in our own dynamics and family diatrods. Easter means so much to the world at large for many many reasons.
In the Christian faith, Jesus died on the cross to save us for our sins. He was laid upon a slab and in tomb. A large stone was placed upon the entrance... but on the third day, the stone was rolled away and he arose from the dead. On a road approaching one of his disciples in disbelief, Jesus says "you denied me" Tell them I have risen. A rebirth thru faith and hope and an everlasting promise was made. (with the hope of his/Jesus' return)
Easter time was for dressing up, attending mass and being told of the greatest story ever ... then to follow, A magnificent Chocolate Easter Bunny (representing spring) Delivering eggs (rebirth) and more candy in a brightly colored basket with fake grass that stayed around forever ( a child's celebration; a sweet memory that was being made) Where families gathered over a meal and a toothpick coconut lamb cake was present on a highly adorned fancy tablecloth. If lucky it sat right next to a rabbit cake made from the same...
Eggs were hidden, filled with prizes and a prayer was said in full glory for the occasion. The family ate and laughed as kids ran everywhere in their sugar high!
Over the years, the stories, I have recollected the memories from the long-gone loud family gathers we used to have. Where food was prepped for days ahead and my gram swore, I loved her broccoli casserole! LOL. There was Mostocolli to feed an army and a freshly baked ham that was as pretty as the baskets all lined up! That tradition went on until 2013 then it all changed... as family members had died previously in years altering the numbers for the gatherings, my children growing and finding alternative ways to celebrate a non-christian trend and my personal relationship coming to a screeching halt...the holiday went by the wayside. The stone had been placed. The simplicity became an occasion that once meant the world to me was now just another day.
I do believe it was only last year that I celebrated at my cousin's house and where we spoke of memories and cried for what no longer was. I would imagine as the general public has pulled away from family traditions and told Jesus has had no room in our schools, offices, and or lives, we can see exactly why this tragic phenomenon has happened. Persecution and closet believers afraid to speak of things deep in their hearts. Christian travesties...
I am not a bible thumper. Honestly, on rare occasions, I have read the bible. What I know I learned in my catholicism education and my earlier years attending mass listening to the priest at the podium reciting every Sunday and especially on holidays. What scripture I know is because something has been placed upon my heart to look up. It was the Easter after my divorce, the first Easter without my older kids, I sat there with nothing to do. The sun shined so brightly. The birds sang so sweetly and within that same moment I heard, "the lilies, don't worry." Immediately I knew to look up a scripture:
I'm sitting here looking out my front window contemplating the day. A half a pot of coffee is in me, dogs have been out 2ce already... the rain has come and gone. A special meal is planned for dinner; a lemon roasted encrusted parmesan rotisserie chicken with my famous hot stuffing and I'm thinking, most definitely bacon fried smashed Brussel sprouts for the veggie of choice, for me and the kid. (It is what I do! It is who I am... )
This view out my window, a redbud tree which is in full bloom in the prettiest of a purple shade with a full resounding serenade from the morning birds echoing into the world... "spring and all its glory is alive and well." It is the simple things from nature I admire the most. All the things that come back to life, a rebirth, things that are just supposed to be... with no hindrance, altercations, forced growth, just a natural order of a seasonal progression for renewal.
In a more than stifling time in our history, we are not allowed to venture into a church, congregate with a community or be near to our family. The spiritual repercussions of that decision, I can't even imagine. A larger agenda at work, I pray for the greater good for all mankind. Although my soul-full spiritual belief is religion is not to be found in the walls where we attend but how we interact and treat one another; offering comfort and support contributing in a heart-full commune with each other in our everyday existence.
The hatred of selfishness is at hand and has been. It finally has reared its head bringing the ugly to the surface where we are all facing our deepest beliefs and truths and hopefully coming to terms with what has been created in our own dynamics and family diatrods. Easter means so much to the world at large for many many reasons.
In the Christian faith, Jesus died on the cross to save us for our sins. He was laid upon a slab and in tomb. A large stone was placed upon the entrance... but on the third day, the stone was rolled away and he arose from the dead. On a road approaching one of his disciples in disbelief, Jesus says "you denied me" Tell them I have risen. A rebirth thru faith and hope and an everlasting promise was made. (with the hope of his/Jesus' return)
Easter time was for dressing up, attending mass and being told of the greatest story ever ... then to follow, A magnificent Chocolate Easter Bunny (representing spring) Delivering eggs (rebirth) and more candy in a brightly colored basket with fake grass that stayed around forever ( a child's celebration; a sweet memory that was being made) Where families gathered over a meal and a toothpick coconut lamb cake was present on a highly adorned fancy tablecloth. If lucky it sat right next to a rabbit cake made from the same...
Eggs were hidden, filled with prizes and a prayer was said in full glory for the occasion. The family ate and laughed as kids ran everywhere in their sugar high!
Over the years, the stories, I have recollected the memories from the long-gone loud family gathers we used to have. Where food was prepped for days ahead and my gram swore, I loved her broccoli casserole! LOL. There was Mostocolli to feed an army and a freshly baked ham that was as pretty as the baskets all lined up! That tradition went on until 2013 then it all changed... as family members had died previously in years altering the numbers for the gatherings, my children growing and finding alternative ways to celebrate a non-christian trend and my personal relationship coming to a screeching halt...the holiday went by the wayside. The stone had been placed. The simplicity became an occasion that once meant the world to me was now just another day.
I do believe it was only last year that I celebrated at my cousin's house and where we spoke of memories and cried for what no longer was. I would imagine as the general public has pulled away from family traditions and told Jesus has had no room in our schools, offices, and or lives, we can see exactly why this tragic phenomenon has happened. Persecution and closet believers afraid to speak of things deep in their hearts. Christian travesties...
I am not a bible thumper. Honestly, on rare occasions, I have read the bible. What I know I learned in my catholicism education and my earlier years attending mass listening to the priest at the podium reciting every Sunday and especially on holidays. What scripture I know is because something has been placed upon my heart to look up. It was the Easter after my divorce, the first Easter without my older kids, I sat there with nothing to do. The sun shined so brightly. The birds sang so sweetly and within that same moment I heard, "the lilies, don't worry." Immediately I knew to look up a scripture:
Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So while we go through these awful times please remember this is a man-made occurrence due to our practices and all the false things we have been made to believe and the things that we have chosen to ignore and leave out of our lives.
How you choose to practice anything in your life is based on your personal belief system and how you have participated in decades of a practice which you held to be true for your own life. How you veered or strayed has been based on what your soul-full conscious has been taught. Although my faith has remained strong through spirituality, my faith in man-kind has faltered. The ugly of the world at large has arrived while I just want to focus on the view right out my window... where prayer and family are full of hope and renewable life has been reborn for a more colorful truth-filled future for this country.
Be Happy Be Blessed,
Kitryn Marie
