The Silver Lining

It has been a really hectic couple of weeks for me! After working 30 years for the Great State of North Carolina, I have retired! My last day teaching school was April 9 – the day before Spring Break. All last week still felt like I was on break, but this morning – for the first time since 1978 – I am NOT up and out the door headed for work! As if retiring wasn’t enough of a “lifestyle change” for me – I’ve also been in the process of moving in with David. We’ve had a “commuter marriage” for the past two years, only sharing weekends together as I finished my 30-year hitch. He bought a neat home a few years back that we’ve been working on. Well, to be honest, HE has worked on it. I’ve thrown in some ideas here & there, but he’s done most of the work. When he bought the place, it was in foreclosure. Vandals had broken out several windows; there were some “remodeling” projects that had been stopped mid-way, leaving huge holes cut in walls. David has done a lot of work in the yard; he ...

Easter's almost here! What a glorious holiday -- what victory there is in that empty tomb! One of my all-time favorite songs is "Arise" by Newsong. It is an absolutely powerful drama, set to music. When I hear it, the words just speak to my heart in deep, deep places. This morning as I drove to work, I crested a hill in time to see the beginning of the sunrise as its rays shot upward. Wondrous colors -- golden-hued pinks, blues, purples -- all painted in the sky a magnificent scene. And at that very moment, the radio began playing this song. Right there in the car, I worshipped God from the heart. Tears streamed down my face and I raised my hand as I sang along with the music, in gratitude for the sacrifice made by Jesus. How precious was the moments spent in worship, even as I drove the car..... As the last notes of the song faded, I sort of "came back to earth." There's a bearded guy in a red pickup truck, passing me in the other lane; the lady I see every...