Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Hey Hodgepodge Peeps!

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! I hope everyone is staying well and coping with this strange season we're experiencing together apart. If you're looking for my A-Z post on today's letter (G) you'll find it by clicking the link here.

Everyone is invited to join the Hodgepodge. Answer the questions on your own blog, then hop back here and add your link at the bottom of my post. Don't forget to copy the button code on my sidebar and include it somewhere in your post so your readers can join the party too. And go say hi to whoever linked before you because that's what good neighbors do.

Here we go-



1. How will you celebrate Easter this year?

Well. Hmmm. It will be different in terms of no big family dinner on the fancy china in the dining room. No Easter baskets on the kitchen table first thing in the morning.  No family sitting side by each on a church pew singing my favorite '...up from the grave He arose, with a  mighty triumph o'er His foes...' but...

Easter, 1996

BUT! It's Easter! Whether any of the above happens or not Easter morning still dawns, bringing with it all the hope our hearts can hold.

 Hubs and I will have our coffee at the kitchen table, logged in to a Zoom call with our Sunday School class. We'll have a nice meal at some point although I'm not sure yet exactly what we'll be eating. We'll count our blessings and be thankful for the gift of this new day, the significance of Easter, and the grace, hope, and peace offered to each one of us through the death and resurrection of God's only Son. 

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

My answer would probably vary depending on the circumstances. If we're talking about the human state of being thoughtful and considerate I find that fairly easy. It is a little harder for me to be gracious when I feel like the offender should know better, but I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt and remind myself everyone has something they're dealing with.  

I'm grateful every day for God's grace. I'm sure He thinks quite often I should know better too. 

3. Do you say grace before meals? If so do you have a standard dinnertime grace or is it more 'off the cuff' ? Do you say grace when dining out? Do you have a favorite grace? Any special memory associated with 'saying grace'?

We always say grace before dinner at home, and we always hold hands when we pray. We have never made it a practice to say grace when we're in a restaurant, but where we live now it's common to see people praying while dining out. I'm okay with it if I'm in a group that wants to say a blessing before we eat in a restaurant. 

We don't have a standard/rote grace we say...ours is definitely off the cuff, or perhaps from the heart would be more accurate. 

As far as memories go one thing that springs to mind is summers spent at camp. Everyone filing in to the dining hall, counselors at the end of the table with their campers on either side...the 'chief' in charge would have us all sing, for lack of a better term, 'a dining room song' before we said grace. These songs were short choruses focused on gratitude and I still love singing them today...'Come and dine the master calleth come and dine...you may feast at Jesus table any time...He who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine, to the hungry calleth now come and dine.'

And then there's my grandson. The mancub. He is fascinated by the concept of saying grace, and holds out his hands for the people beside him to grab. Then we bow our heads, except he peeks and his eyes sparkle and he grins as he looks around the table at everyone gathered there. Completely precious. 

I might peek too.  

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

I think they're going to be smart, perhaps the brightest generation yet. Completely comfortable with all sorts of technology that doesn't even exist in 2020. Connected in all sorts of ways, but hopefully still occasionally in person. Will we ever lose our need for face-to-face conversations? I hope not. 

I imagine Generation Alpha will face the usual challenges though, challenges every generation has faced...how to get along with your fellow man and those living in your own home, how to spend/use their time-money-talents, how to make the world a better place...

Time and technology move forward with alarming speed, but we humans are still human. 

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

'Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible' 
Corrie Ten Boom

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

These are my peeps. 


The originals. 

Easter memories from my childhood are all wrapped up with these kids. New dresses...white gloves...chocolate bunnies in wicker baskets...a photo after church...a baked ham dinner eaten on the good china, and enough love to make the world go round...

Wishing you all a joyous Easter Day! 



19 comments:

  1. Love your pictures this week, Joyce. Precious! I hope you and Hubs have a blessed Easter!

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  2. Easter will be different this year for sure, but as I saw somewhere..."Easter can't be stopped. 2000 years ago all the forces of hell tried and did not succeed." The mancub at prayer time is too adorable! I pray you have a lovely day and a blessed Easter, Joyce!

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  3. Yep - totally a different year- but maybe it'll be a time to really focus on our own relationships with God - we know He has a purpose for this.

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  4. This quote resonated with me 1000000%:
    I'm grateful every day for God's grace. I'm sure He thinks quite often I should know better too.
    Happy HodgePodge ... and Happy Easter coming up.

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  5. Thank you for the Hodgepodge today, Joyce. And your girls in those sweet little spring coats - how darling! Have a blessed Easter.

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  6. Loved all your answers! As usual, they are right on and yes, Easter will dawn (unless ... He returns!!) Your family is beautiful and there's nothing sweeter than the little kiddos at the table saying grace. Blessings to you!!

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  7. Hi Joyce,
    I also have memories from summer camp regarding saying grace.
    Happy Easter!
    Carla

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  8. Ahh, love the photos of Easter's past. So precious. Totally understand the peeking part when your man cub says grace. So much to be grateful for. Happy Easter to you and yours across the globe and here.

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  9. You challenged us this week Joyce, but I needed the mental and thought exercise so thank you. Those two little girls were absolute dolls and I love the story of your precious man cub. May you have a very blessed Easter. He is Risen!

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  10. The description of your grandson just melts the heart. Neat to see your smile hasn't changed since you were a kid! I have memories of singing prayer at camp too that I hadn't thought of until you mentioned it! Happy Hodgepodge!

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  11. Love the Easter Photo Memories.

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  12. Oh, Corrie, she was one more amazing woman and I've thought of her often during this isolation period. Blessings abundant to you as we all celebrate a bit different this year.

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  13. Joyce, you always write so eloquently! Great answers! Don't you just love Zoom for Sunday School? I'm always so happy to see everybody who joins in! I hope you and your hubby have a blessed and happy Easter, no matter how you spend your day.
    (Kathy)

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  14. The old photos are the best! Everybody clean-scrubbed, new clothes, and smiling faces!

    One thing about the odd Easter this year, we've saved $$ on buying new clothes!

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  15. Precious photos! Aren't you glad we have photos to remember beloved people and favorite memories by!?

    Amen on Easter Sunday! Even though this is going to be an "odd" Easter, the truth of its message hasn't changed at all. Our Lord still reigns over sin and death!

    Blessings,
    patti

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  16. Such cute photos of the girls and of you and your peeps! This will definitely be an Easter to remember. Thank you for bringing back the Hodgepodge! I forgot to link up last week but did post. Wishing you and yours Easter blessings!

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  17. The prayers of little ones always touch my hearts. Titus has been mentioning "the sickness" or coronavirus in his sweet little voice in his prayers.

    Happy Easter.

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  18. Loved all of your answers...and such precious photos. Oh yes...when those little ones learn to pray, how it melts my heart! A different kind of Easter than we are all used to but a sweet blogging friend remind me of of this...te churches may be empty but so is the TOMB! Take that, satan! Easter blessings to you and yours...it sound quite relaxing and wonderful! Thanks for he Hodgepodge!

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