Palm and Passion

Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday
Palms 
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 | Mark 11:1-11 or John 12:12-16
Passion
Isaiah 50:4-9, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Mark 14:1-15:47

Today we stayed home from church to rest as a family. It had been a pretty full week, with new things in the schedule and sickness, and we opted to stay in and read through all of today's Scriptures.

What stands out today is the difference in feel between the Palms Scriptures and the Passion Scriptures. In just a short amount of time, people go from celebrating Jesus's entry into Jerusalem, to not being able to stay awake one hour, betraying him, mocking him, beating him, crucifying him. Happy and hopeful, to doom and gloom. I'm glad we know the end of the story, but it doesn't make it any easier to endure.

Another thing that stuck out to me today is the amount of women at the cross. Jesus's disciples were both men and women, and Mark went so far as to even name some of the women. I think it is pretty significant.

What stood out to you in today's readings?

On inns and adventures and essays

A few days ago I learned about an essay contest where the winner would be given a historic bed and breakfast in Maine to run. Excited by the idea, I began crafting my (under 200 word) essay in my head. After all, we like adventure, have skills in hospitality and caring for people, and are at a time of transition in our life anyway. Might as well transition to being innkeepers in Maine, right? Plus, the essay had to have proper structure and grammar, and concisely convince the current owner that I have what it takes to run a bed and breakfast. I could pull that off.

But also true to myself, I really thought through the implications of winning. Our little family would have to uproot and move (AGAIN), to completely unfamiliar territory. And for how long? The stipulations say that the person who wins must run the place as a bed and breakfast for at least a year. This is appealing because we are aching to live anywhere more than temporarily. But do we want to settle down and dig deep roots in a tiny town in Maine? And being there are kids involved, would we opt out of living in the one-bedroom apartment on the top floor of the bed and breakfast where the current innkeeper lives? Where would we go to church? Who would be our community? These are the sorts of questions we'd ask no matter where we'd move, and the more I looked into it, the more I realized that the most exciting and realistic part of this whole endeavor would be writing the essay. And why spend $125 to write an essay if you would ultimately end up turning down the prize? I can write essays for free here!

So, someone else will have to win it. And hopefully soon we will be able to dig deep roots and settle down in a way that makes more sense for our family.

Here are some links for more information if you are interested in this essay contest.

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/03/11/living/take-a-look-inside-the-historic-maine-inn-to-be-given-away-in-essay-contest/

http://wincenterlovellinn.com

http://www.centerlovellinn.com/

They also have a Facebook page.

If I had a million dollars I'd still...

...want to live in a small house

...bake my own bread

...line-dry clothes when possible

...cook from scratch

...attempt a garden

...check books out from the library

...not watch much tv

...make my own soap

...try to walk to places before driving (when realistic/within walking distance. I'm not Forrest Gump)