Monthly Archives: April 2022

We Are Family

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Welcome back to another week of my brain spewing out random thoughts and sharing tidbits of my (otherwise) boring life. This month was a big one for my little crew… we’ve been celebrating a few momentous birthdays recently, and my parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! Which is no light task, lemme tell you! Their actual anniversary was earlier this month, but this past weekend was the grand celebration! Of course, post-Covid, we were trying to be sensitive to the fact it was a rather large gathering of people, in an indoor space, and many were of the senior persuasion. All red flags. Still, we figured such a milestone must be celebrated… so we went ahead… and ordered two (yes two) large slab cakes.

It was a wonderful party. Many people made appearances, including some old friends and distant relatives who travelled in. It was certainly nice to make connections again. Some were masked, others were not… but it didn’t seem to matter. What seemed to matter, was legacy, longevity and well, a recognition of what a true milestone fifty years of marriage really is! Which, of course, had me musing!

What kinds of legacies do we leave those around us? What do our accomplishments tell people about what is important in our lives? Do our children see strong family values presented? Do friends and family gather because they love us or simply out of duty or guilt for how it may look to others? How much cake do you really need anyway?

God loves families. He certainly knows we are not perfect. Yet, He designed us to be part of family units from the get-go. He created man and woman… and then children and siblings and mothers-in-law. He allowed Jesus to come to earth, born of a woman, into a family to grow, to be nurtured, to be taught and to be part of a bigger group of connected people. I would like to think that His little band of disciples became like “family” too. Bound together by a common bond. We talk about “church families”, “small groups” and “brothers and sisters in Christ”. We were created to have relationships with one another. To mentor the younger ones, to pass on wisdom and encouragement. I have learned so many things from others.

Saturday, at the party, we laughed about who looks like who and who has so-and-so’s personality. Have you ever been to a family reunion where you just “can tell” that cousins are cousins? I wonder if Jesus looked a little like His brothers? Did He have His mother’s eyes? He certainly had His Father’s will in mind. And it’s true what they say… you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family. It picks you. And you are stuck with it.

God doesn’t make mistakes, though. He knew who belongs where and why. Don’t get me wrong, relationships are hard. And a close relationship is even harder. There is some vulnerability we must face when we are with the family. Perhaps you were taught, like Timothy, by a faith-filled grandmother. Perhaps you have been shunned by your family because of your faith, and your church has become your new family in Christ. The Bible has lots of examples about the good -and the bad- of relationships via relatives. I’m not going to list them, but it might make for an interesting study one day!

No matter where you feel you stand among those who share some part of your DNA, remember this: God placed you there for a purpose. You have something to learn from these people. It may be blatantly evident, or it may take time to discover. Hug them a little closer. Share cake with them. Share some of our cake with them… We have lots leftover!

Hmmmn… Musings

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Happy Easter, my friends! I hope that you and yours celebrated the resurrection of the King with joy and laughter! The Mitton crew ate well, laughed much, and worshiped together as a family. It was a busy, but enjoyable, few days. An interesting side note: This is the first weekend in a long time where the holy month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover and Christian Easter all fell on the same weekend. I don’t know why that matters, but it’s an interesting little tidbit of information.

And that’s where my musings have taken me this weekend… little tidbits of information that I noticed. Gleanings, some would say. And so, instead of a full-on post this week, I thought I’d throw out a few of those tidbits for you to ponder. Perhaps you’ve noticed them too. Perhaps you are seeing them for the first time. Perhaps you are celebrating Easter itself for the first time as a follower of Christ and eating up all the fine details. Maybe you need to see a familiar story in a fresh light. Maybe, like me, you just like to imagine. Remember back in the day? The phrase “things that make you go ‘hmmm'”. Was it late-night television? Anyway, doesn’t matter.

Here is my list of ponderings for your week! Enjoy!

  • Why did Peter have a dagger in his pocket? Was this common practice? (see this post for the answer to this one!)
  • Did Jesus’ arrest in the garden cause a fight among all the men? or did He just walk away with them? Wouldn’t you have loved to be up in a tree watching it all?
  • Where were the high priests who secretly believed in Jesus’ teachings during his questioning? Wouldn’t Nicodemus and the like stood up for Him if they could? Perhaps they were not invited to the secret meeting called at night?
  • Isn’t it interesting that Pilate’s wife warned him against getting involved with Jesus’ fate? Listen to your wives, you guys (we know stuff)!!
  • Did Barabbas go on another killing spree when he was released? Or did the piercing stare of Jesus convict him of his wrongdoings once he was released?
  • How brave was Mary to witness the torture and death of her special son…she was one tough cookie! I don’t know that my momma bear heart could handle it …
  • Did you know that Jesus’ body was buried with about 25 pounds of sugar and spice to keep Him smelling sweet? How come they didn’t mention all that stuff strewn on the ground when they discovered the empty tomb? What was it like to pack a body in those days?
  • Wouldn’t it be great to have media accounts of the weather that day? Or the strange after effects? All these dead people walking back home to greet long, lost relatives? Crazy. Facebook and Twitter would have crashed!
  • There is power in a name. “Mary” was all Jesus had to say. Choose wisely, parents.
  • Jesus made the disciples fish for breakfast. I wonder if He ate. I also wonder if He was a good cook.

If you’d like to go back and review this Holy week and wonder and muse about what it would have been really like, may I suggest you read through John 18 through 21 and try and pick out some “new-to-you” details of a familiar story. Discuss it with others and see what you find out anew! Then come back and visit me again next week, where we will muse again!!

Sheltering Mercy

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Short but sweet this week! I figured ya’ll are like me and up to your eyeballs in Easter Preparations, so another thought from me is just adding to your list… but I did want to share a little something that I have been dying to get my hands on since it arrived in my mailbox. Besides, it’s been a while since my last book review and I figured it was about time.

Let’s dive in. “Sheltering Mercy” by Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt is described as “prayers inspired by the Psalms”… and it is exactly that! A little purse-sized hardcover containing a collection of poems or writings based on the first 75 Psalms. The writings are not exactly scripture, nor paraphrases, but, as the writers put it, “free-verse prayer renderings”. For me, they are perfect for quiet meditation, and I have been dying to do some journalling, artistic illustrations to go along with each collection! (If only there were more time in the day, right?). I think this little book would be perfect for that type of meditation as the paper is heavy and the margins spacious. There are a few black and white illustrations scattered through the book, but a splash of coloured pencils would be perfect!

If you’ve been reading mittonmusings for any length of time, you know that I have a love-hate relationship with David and the psalms, not to mention my own practical versus artsy personality. I’m just not sure where I fit in. This little collection hits home when I need to foster the creative side of my devotions. In case you didn’t pick it up, Ryan Whitaker Smith is the son of worship singer-songwriter Michael W. Smith. That collaboration is a lesson in itself for worship, reflection and artistry in the contemporary Christian world. Why wouldn’t these potential song lyrics be just right?

So, if you are itching for some traditional written prayer meditation for your Easter Season, or maybe you are looking to branch out with your artistic side, give “Sheltering Mercy” a gander. Published by Brazos Press and lovingly donated to mittonmusings by Nuts About Books, I’m looking forward to marking it all up over the holiday weekend!

Happy Easter, my beloveds, until next time!