Wednesday Hodgepodge for April 8

It's Wednesday again, and our lovely hostess Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond,  is hosting the Hodgepodge for our blogging and reading pleasure!  If you'd like to jump in too, head on over to  From This Side of the Pond and get the questions, then answer them on your own blog.  It's a wonderful diversion in these crazy times.  Here are Joyce's questions for this week:

1. How will you celebrate Easter this year?

Still up in the air with plans.  It will look very different from previous years, of course; that is absolutely a given.  One thing we are definitely planning to do is to "attend" (virtually) an Easter service in Elko, Nevada, at the church where our Western daughter and family go.  The wonderful pastors there have been going to an empty church on Sunday and doing a live-streamed service.   It's different, but they make it as interactive as they can with singing and a time of corporate prayer.  We've really been enjoying this, and I'm sure Easter Sunday will be a blessing too.

Above you see some lovely colored eggs made with natural dying materials like spinach, beets, red cabbage, and brown onion skins.  My granddaughters and I did this as a project some years ago.

Usually we have an early outdoor service and a lovely Easter breakfast at church.  That won't be  happening this year, sadly.  Mr. T and I will plan to have something special for Easter brunch or dinner, but not sure yet just what we'll do or at which mealtime.  It's just so different, but our reason for celebration has not changed!

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

Hmm ... it so depends on the situation.  But I think in general I find it easier to extend grace to another.  Sometimes I have difficulty giving myself grace.

Delightful graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings</a>

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'?

Yes, we do say grace before meals.  No standard or favorite grace; it's definitely off the cuff as the Spirit moves.  We do say grace when dining out, though if the atmosphere is very noisy or chaotic, we will just bow our heads and pray silently.  (However, noisy and chaotic places have not been our usual choice of restaurants.)

I have a couple of memories associated with "saying grace".  One is that as kids, whenever we got together with one particular aunt and uncle's family, we always, always said the "God is great, God is good" grace.  It's so odd to realize it, but of the eleven people who gathered around that table all those years ago, only my cousin Sandy and I are left.

 But the funniest and most memorable "saying grace" memory probably took place 30 years ago or more in our own kitchen.  We were at the table,  just about to pray and eat, when the phone rang.  (Remember, this was before the day of caller ID, and there weren't many telemarketers either.)  One of our daughters ran to answer it and greeted the caller in this way: "Dear Heavenly Father ..."!  Even today I cannot think of this incident without laughter bubbling up.

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

Good question! Given the challenges we are facing right now, I think maybe their generation could face a lot more challenges regarding health and safety.  Likely many more global challenges as well.

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

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  (Hebrews 11:6)

Free graphic from Holley Gerth

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  

I hope to write a post about this later, but the past 2 days my hubby and I have enjoyed a picnic and hike at a nearby state park -- our governor is encouraging people to get out into nature and walk or hike, and the state parks up here are open.  Only a few other people have been at the park, and all of them distant from us.  We saw 6 people yesterday and only 3 people today.  We opted to go there two days in a row simply because the weather was beautiful (the rest of the week is predicted to be cold and rainy, maybe even snowy), and after leaving there we went directly to my childhood home to work on that project.

And there is the Easter week Hodgepodge!  Happy Wednesday, all!