Happy Easter!

This morning Dad and I drove forty minutes to attend the church of some family friends (as in, the husband is the pastor). He's so joyful when he preaches! And he preaches the Word of God, not some sappy email forward ;p. It was very encouraging to see them.

My mom and sister went to separate services in Oregon yesterday evening. Mom went to visit a long-time friend of hers, and my sister went to visit one of her college roommates. We were all split up this Easter, but it was okay. Dad gave them chocolate, but I got a Starbucks gift card: mwahaha!

I also went to visit my grandparents this afternoon. My grandma has been recovering from a surgery she had just last week; she had a stent (stents?) put in at the back of her head. We were so worried about her. Grandpa has been an angel waiting on her hand and foot. He left the house for the first time since it this morning. I think they really like seeing me. We just chatted about what I've been up to and watched the Virginia vs. Michigan State game. Two overtimes! I don't follow sports at all, but that call that they made on that 3-pointer...whoa. I think it was correct, but I wouldn't want to have to decide anything like that ;p.

I spent the evening eating tacos and visiting with Mom when she dropped by (when she wasn't criticizing the state of the house...it's not like anybody in the family knows how to clean anything...oi oi oi), followed up by reading the books of Amos and Obadiah. An image that stuck with me is:

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord,
"when the plowman shall overtake the reaper
and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.
Amos 9:13 ESV

I see this little old movie thing playing in my head featuring a plowman moving at appropriately fast old movie speed tripping over this guy trying to harvest grain and them getting in an argument and shoving each other back and forth. And some guy sowing seed that really really quickly sprouts into grape vines that Lucille Ball, rushing around like a madwoman, is trying to stomp.

I got some serious things out of my Bible study! Really! Okay: check these out with the crucifixion in mind:

The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
"Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
Shall not the land tremble on this account,
and everyone mourn who dwells in it,
and all of it rise like the Nile,
and be tossed about and sink again,
like the Nile of Egypt?"
"And on that day," declares the Lord God,
"I will make the sun go down at noon
and darken the earth in broad daylight.
Amos 8:7-9 ESV


Earthquakes, darkness, check. And here are a couple of verses that we tend to forget about (in context, mentioned right after the temple curtain is torn in twain at Christ's death):

The tombs were also opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
Matthew 27:52-53 RSV


I don't know about you, but I'd be pretty freaked ;p.