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A Bundle of Myrrh

"My beloved is unto me as a bundle of myrrh." Song of Solomon 1:13

Daybook: April

April 30th, 2014 by Aubri

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*Long post alert*

Living Seasonally

It’s been Spring for some time now, but has barely felt that way here. Cool, cold, windy….Nebraska. But around our tiny town things are turning. Less brown, more green.  Buds are on the trees and birds in the air. It usually takes me until Easter has come to truly be “ready” for Spring and Summer. As a Winter and Fall girl I have a hard time leaving behind the warmth of those Seasons and embracing a different kind of heat.

But it’s time and I believe I’m ready for the change. So we stop eating the wonderful chowders (add some cumin to that!), put away what winter clothing we can, get out summer dresses, short sleeves, flip flops and sandals (..uh, then put on our coats to go outside because this ain’t Texas). And something in me says this is okay, I can handle this new season, maybe it won’t be so bad (panic attacks over Summer break will kick in soon enough).

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Fertility in a Fallen World: Mary’s Story

April 28th, 2014 by Aubri

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A few weeks ago I asked if anyone would be willing to discuss a topic that isn’t easy and share the story of their fertility journey. (You can read my story HERE.) I’m grateful to the women who chose to respond.

In this series women with different experiences will share the pain and blessings that the gift of fertility carries with it, in the hope of bringing out God’s grace and promise to those couples struggling to welcome this gift when it is not known how it will turn out in a sinful world.

This is Mary’s story.

I didn’t grow up in the church and I don’t remember my parents ever talking about “family life” (we never ate together or spent time together), so I am not really sure where my ideas came from except the Holy Ghost and faithful Christian friends. My neighbors, a barren couple, were the first people I ever saw love and respect each other and it was with them that I first went to church.

When I chose my college, I wanted a place where this new Christian faith would grow and the professors were a big part of my reason for attending the place I did. I honestly don’t think I thought much about the future–other than desiring to have sex! I didn’t think about contraception or having babies…so I don’t know exactly what I was thinking.

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Eastertide

April 26th, 2014 by Aubri

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From Easter Sunday to Pentecost we celebrate the season of Easter, The Great 50 Days. My Lenten Jesus Tree ornament set came with 10 additional ornaments to use throughout Easter. I wanted to display these differently than what we do during Lent, so I pulled a weedy old bush out of our fallow garden to use as our “Easter Tree”. I added some pretty fake flowers to it to perk it up.

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Our Easter Sunday

April 23rd, 2014 by Aubri

 

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“The season before Easter signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter which we are celebrating at present signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future.

“What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess. This is why we keep the first season with fasting and prayer; but now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise. Such is the meaning of the Alleluia we sing.” St. Augustine

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