5th Sunday of Easter

Today's Link
Sound of a Soft Voice

Today's Saying
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 11:11

Today's Pictures
Flowers at last

It is the fourth Sunday of Easter and in Churches using the common lectionary the text is John 10:11-18. This is sometimes called the Good Shepherd text.
I love the entire Easter season. The emphasis is on what God has done and not on what we are or aren’t doing. It is a time to rejoice. It is a time to see the victory and know that we have been set free from our own sinful nature. It is time to see the Good Shepherd coming to find us wherever we are.
Too soon it will end and we can look again at our failures. We can see the result of our sin. We can see poverty, war, global warming, and all the things we are responsible for.
But not now. Now the Shepherd is coming across the field to get us.
This is the one we drove away, or tried to.
This is the one that experienced the sin of mankind at it’s worst on the cross.
This is the one that still loves us.
He has come to bring us back to safety.
He cares.
He will not let go.
In this good news I can rejoice.
I can sing.
I can even dance.
If I fall down He will pick me up.
I have learned to trust Him.
I have learned to walk behind Him.
He is the Good Shepherd.
He cares about me.
In this troubled world He has not forgotten me. He has not abandoned me.
I can not depend on me but I can depend on Him.
I can depend on Him.
I will depend on Him.
Hooray. It is the Easter season.
The Good News is proclaimed.
We can depend on the Risen Christ.
We can.
We should.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
The bats are gone. Nobody knows why or how but they are gone. There is not a single bat in the church belfry . Some hard feelings remain but the bat’s are gone.
Pastor Joan hopes that nothing bad happened to the bats but is glad they are gone. Herman is saying nothing.
Today Pastor Joan is preaching about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Here is part of that sermon:
Once there was a little boy and little girl, brother and sister, they went looking for pine cones in the woods behind their house. Mom told them not to go out of the yard but they thought they were big now. They would find the pine cones and bring a big bag back. So they went into the woods. But there were no pine trees so they went farther into the woods. It started to get dark. They knew they were lost. Mom and Dad were going to be so mad.
They knew there were bears in the woods. They heard some animal howl. They were sure they would be eaten. Then they found a road. It was an old road but it was a road. The animal howled again they were sure it was a wolf. Why didn’t they listen to mom? Then they saw the lights of a car coming down the road. It was their car. They were saved. Mom hugged them. Dad hugged them. They were loved.
They were also grounded.
We are like those children. We think we can do without God. Then we get lost very lost in a world that scares us,
But then the Good Shepherd comes. He puts his arms around us.
He save us.
He doesn't even ground us.
Hooray for the Good Shepherd.

Wrap UP

Got up early this morning. The printer did not cooperate as we sought to print some things out for Pennie. Church was great. The children sang. They were great as usual. Pastor Steve had a good message. The youth group put on a funny skit advertising the Mother's day tea. We had a quiet afternoon. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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