Something to Celebrate!

There's always cause to celebrate but this weekend my son Ben and I were able to join my mother to celebrate her 89th birthday! Wow! And she's still going strong! We had a good time together with a few of Mom's friends. They spoke of how Mom always has such a positive attitude and I suppose that has been passed on to her children, for which I am thankful. I'm sure it's contributed to Mom's longevity. And then, too, she is a very determined lady - always persevering to accomplish what she sets out to do. Over the course of her life she has learned any number of skills. I remember many years ago, as a single Mom, she decided she should know something about cars and so she took a motor mechanics course! And I remember one year when her birthday request was a radial arm saw! She built furniture to put in my room after years of sewing clothes for her children to wear. Even now, my ever 'with-it' Mom gets on-line on the computer to chat with me day by day, wherever I am in the world. I'm glad I was able to be with her for this birthday. Next year, we'll do it up way bigger. 90 is a big number.
On this same weekend, we celebrated an even greater event than a birthday - the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead! I was blessed to participate in Easter services at my home church, Yorkminster Park. You can check out their website if you want to at www.yorkminsterpark.com. On Thursday evening I went to our traditional (well, not so traditional for most Baptist churches, but for this one) Tenebrae service. Tenebrae is latin for 'shadows' and the service involves the extinguishing of candles to symbolize the darkness into which Jesus entered to pay the price for our sins. Sunday morning's services were outstanding, with drama, excellent preaching, and soul-stirring music. May God be glorified in our liturgical worship as well as in the worship of our lives, lived in service for our Redeemer.
It was interesting and fun, too, to meet a new friend on Thursday evening. After the Tenebrae service, I went for coffee with my friend Janet and her friend who just happens to be from Romania! It was great to have the opportunity to practise just a little of my Romanian.It wasn't the first time, either, as the week before I was invited to supper at the home of a couple of whom the wife, Luminita, is Romanian! Her mother was also visiting and glad to have someone who understood her and could speak with her. For me it was a blessing!