Author Archives: Ellen

Truly He is Risen!

Christos Voskress! Voistina Voskress!

Христос Воскрес!

Воистину воскрес!

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

We Welcome Glad Easter

We welcome glad Easter when Jesus arose,
And won a great victory over His foes.

Refrain

Then raise your glad voices, all Christians and sing,
Bring glad Easter tidings to Jesus, your King.

We tell how the women came early that day,
And there at the tomb found the stone rolled away.

Then raise your glad voices, all Christians and sing,
Bring glad Easter tidings to Jesus, your King

We sing of the angel who said: “Do not fear!
Your Savior is risen, and He is not here.”

Then raise your glad voices, all Christians and sing,
Bring glad Easter tidings to Jesus, your King

We think of the promise which Jesus did give:
“That he who believes in Me also shall live!”

Then raise your glad voices, all Christians and sing,
Bring glad Easter tidings to Jesus, your King

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Tulips!

 

Row upon row yellow, pink, red, purple.

 

I took a quick trip North last Thursday because we were promised a window of time without rain. I wanted to see the tulips before all the crowds started coming.

 

It was dry for my hour drive up until I took the exit for Mt. Vernon to head to the tulip farms. Then it started pouring!!

 

Most of my photos had to be taken out of my car window.

 

I was amazed at the beauty of this lovelies blooming row upon row.

 

 

 

 

 

It was wonderful to get the effect of a sea of tulips when you didn’t focus down the planted rows.

 

 

 

It really is a treat to see and if you ever are in the Northwest in April make sure you make it to the Skagit Valley!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Good Friday

 

John 17: 1-5

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

John 19: 16-18

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

This week in history is so important to our world. It’s no wonder that we still take notice 2000 years later. The events leading up to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ are powerful. His Resurrection will never be trumped by any other event in history. Even the name of Jesus has more power then any other.  Today my sister Lana G! and I will be baking and keeping with our Russian traditions of making Easter Bread (Kulich) and a sweet cheese spread for the bread called Seerney Paska in anticipation of our Resurrection Sunday celebration. Growing up Good Friday was a day of fasting until our church gathering Friday evening. After the service the congregation would break bread together and have a meal to break the fast. Good Friday was a very sorrowful day for the followers of Jesus 2000 years ago because they could not understand the miracle of His resurrection that brought them out of their despair. I’m glad we know the end of the story. Our Savior conquered death and He lives and still saves today. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Have a wonderful Easter Everyone!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

More to Come…

…a little tease of the wonder I saw today.

 

I’ll show more on Saturday or next week after Easter…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Maundy Thursday ~ The Last Supper

GOTW-practice035

Excerpts from John chapter 13…

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;  so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I Love Easter Tablescape!

Many tables will be set for your viewing enjoyment so click on over to Between Naps on the Porch to get an eye full and to join in the fun! I’m posting this early because I’m just so excited for Easter!

This is my practice table for our meal on Easter. We will have 10-12 sitting here then but I’m practicing with just 6 settings. I’ll be pulling out a different tablecloth to fit the extended table. My centerpiece on Easter will be the Russian Easter Bread my sister and I will bake on Good Friday. By then I’ll also have real hard boiled and colored eggs for the table with some Easter grass.

 

 

I’m pulling out my Royal Albert Moss Rose China for the main course and for dessert I’m using cut glass plates.

 

My bunnies are announcing the reason for our celebration in Russian! Christ is Risen! Xpucmoc Bockpec Truly He has Risen Воистину воскрес!!

Wish I had my crosses to grace my Easter table but they are still at my condo in California…

 

Have a Glorious Easter everyone!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Outdoor Wednesday ~ Saturday in the Northwest

It’s time for some outdoor shots wherever you are. I happen to be in the Western Washington which is part of the Great Pacific Northwest area of the U.S.A. Thank you to Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for hosting this weekly event…

 

My girlfriends and I walked the Burke Gilman Trail on Saturday morning for about 4 miles and it was nice and sunny.

 

The blossoms are gorgeous and prolific. This tree was at Blyth Park in Bothell. So many blossoms that they look like snow when they fall.

 

The tulips are beginning to bloom, too.

 

 

My apple tree will soon be in full bloom. I’ll take more photos when more of the buds open up…

Hope your Easter week is filled with the wonder of Jesus and what He suffered and accomplished for all of us…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Ruby Tuesday ~ Glass Tulips

We spotted these glass tulips in a shop in La Conner, Washington a few weekends ago. The Tulip Festival is just about to begin in the Skagit Valley. A most amazing sight to see rows and rows of colorful tulips growing in the fields.

Please visit Mary at Work of the Poet where you can join in the Ruby Tuesday fun…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Goldilocks and Church Hunting…

At the table in the kitchen, there were three bowls of porridge. Goldilocks was hungry.  She tasted the porridge from the first bowl.

“This porridge is too hot!” she exclaimed.

So, she tasted the porridge from the second bowl.

“This porridge is too cold,” she said

So, she tasted the last bowl of porridge.

“Ahhh, this porridge is just right,” she said happily and she ate it all up.

I realize this is a leap but I thought of Goldilocks since we’ve been church shopping for the last few Sundays. When we moved back to Washington we knew we’d have to find a new church home to settle into. The church we’d attend when we flew back and forth was a little too hot for us. A great church with a fabulous ministry but just too hot for our comfort. (And you know it’s all about us…)

The second church we visited 3 Sundays to see if it was the right fit but the chair was too big and too old. The next church we tried today was very close to home and  the chairs and the worship music were just right but we weren’t comfortable with some theology…

Soon we’ll find the place that’s just right and we’ll be able to start to use our gifts again to serve the Body of Christ. Until then just call me Goldilocks…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Blue Monday ~ Blue Birds…

 

It’s time for Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally.  Click on over to join in the fun.

Today I’m showing this sweet Blue bird figurine. I thought it was perfect for Spring and the new life it brings!

Have a wonderful Holy Week everyone and Happy Easter to you all…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.