Happy Easter everyone!

After the long winter, the seeds of spring are beginning to appear. We are reminded once again that in our lives, we will have times of winter, but spring will come as promised. Spring is a time when one gets the urge to travel with the birds and visit family and friends, renewing old friendships and making new ones. This past weekend, it was my joy to travel back to my roots and visit family and see many of my old friends from years gone by. celebrating a 40th wedding anniversary with family was one of the highlights of the journey. Traveling old familiar roads brought back many memories and can give one a bit of nostalgia memories, sweet memories. As I traveled down memory lane, I cannot help but be reminded of that journey to the Holy Land 20 years ago, this Holy Week, it was a touch of heaven as the seat buckles clicked in place. And the mighty jet engines of the jumbo 747 Star of Bethlehem revved up, and the hearts of over 400 passengers on l Al's charter flight 2001, from New York to Tel Aviv began to soar. We all were excited about our mission tour. The Pat Boone family were our hosts. And as the huge blue and white bird sped down the runway, all heads were bad as Pat Boone led us all in prayer over the plains. As a star of Bethlehem dip down strains of peace be unto you a national song of work on the cabin. The plane rolled to a halt. We were there. And everywhere we went, we were greeted with shalom. The 400 people on that Pat Boone tour found a new dimension of love The moment they stepped on the grounds of the Holy Land mission in Bethlehem. We saw and we were conquered by the love of the precious angels and the orphan children in the mission complex. We saw the children we sponsored and gave our gifts of love which warms their hearts. The voices of these happy orphans over our visit were like chirping birds on the playground on Mount David. They melted your heart and the wellsprings of the human spirit to overflow with joy. During this Holy Week as one reflects on this pilgrimage on 20th anniversary, it is with a warm heart and a thank for one as one is reminded of the events of this week. The journey from Bethlehem to Calvary and then to the empty tomb in a garden is an experience that one can never forget when you return home. The song sung at the historic and sacred sites still ringing in the ears of those who made the trip. The memory of being greeted everywhere with shalom is a prayer for peace in our hearts for the year 1993. Shalom!

A warm thought for the week: When the going gets tough, the peace of God keeps us going. Have a joyful Easter season.

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner

April 8th, 1993

Published in the Marion Record

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Till next time,

Trina