Lenten Experiment - Day 24 (Recycling, Pistachio Donuts and The Color Green)

Despite the fact that I've mentioned St. Patrick's Day in many of my posts, I can't let the grand day go by without more thoughts on the day, shamrocks, a bit of the blarney, and, of course, the color green.

But here it is now Sunday, March 18th and I missed my opportunity to expound on St. Patrick on his "real" day. gggrrr - so how did I fritter my day away yesterday, you ask?

Well, I drove into town with my dear daughter Brinna, but only after Brinna made sure we were outfitted in style - green sparkle bead necklaces, green felt hats, and of course our green eyes! First we made a stop at the wonderful recycling place to leave all our treasures (that's green, right?). Then we stopped at Varsity Donuts for a Pistachio donut (those were definitely green). We watched as hundreds of people in green flooded the 'Ville for the 34th annual St. Patrick's Day parade and 10K road race to benefit Special Olympics. Not being a huge fan of crowds, we high-tailed it out of there with our green donuts. Besides I had other parade plans this day.

A stop at Hastings (which by the way has a green sign) to see if they had Darby O'Gill and the Little People - a classic Irish movie with Sean Connery - which would have had much green within it. Alas, they failed me.

Next stop was to the grocery store for a bit more greenery - asparagus, lovely salad mixings, a green spiked pineapple, some faintly green bananas chosen by Brinna, some petite zucchini, and a host of other things to fill the cupboards. I had to laugh at the check-out stand, when the cashier picked up my organic blue corn chips and asked, "I wonder why they can't make green chips for St. Patrick's Day?" Ha, my feelings exactly. My retort was, "I'm not sure if I've ever seen green corn."

A speedy drive home through lovely green hills was my mission so Brinna and I could watch the home town Kansas City parade over the Internet. Despite the slow streaming over satellite, overall it was much better than I anticipated and we had a grand time watching, from the comfort of our prairie perch 150 miles away, all the families, trolleys, tractors, bands, horses, revelry and inflatable green shamrocks. Ah, memories of my lovely hometown and all the Irish-ness. Saw the O'Connor clan - hhmm, wonder if they are related? No, O'Gleason's though. Sad - we're fading away, I guess. Maybe some day I'll journey to the parade and ask if I can walk with the O'Connors. I'll probably have to show them my "green" card or something of that sort to be admitted.

The green day just wouldn't be complete without one of my favorite songs that came to mind yesterday. I'm gonna post it here for you . . . I hope you enjoy the scenes from Ireland and the lovely Celtic beat. So sorry for the video quality - someone uploaded it to YouTube from the original video and it's not too grand. However, it's Rich Mullins - an Irishman, a gentleman and a poet - we all miss him.

Lenten Experiment - Day 19 (Preparing for Leprechauns)

Children have such imaginations and my little Brinna is no exception.

As St. Patrick's Day nears, visions of leprechauns are dancing in her head. It must be the double strain of Irish ancestors that populate our family or . . . could it be those silly stories I've filled her head with about leaping leprechauns lose in the nearby woods.

Anyway, whatever it is, yesterday's beautiful weather led her outside on a scavenger hunt for greenery, wood planks, bark and all matter of woody materials to create an abode for the elusive "little people." She spent a good part of the afternoon creating her masterpiece.

On the way to church this morning, we talked about the little house and I found it interesting that it showed a good deal of preparation on her part & expectation that the home would be habitable and "someone" would find his or her way to live within its cozy timbers. Even found a verse from Proverbs that mirrored her efforts: "Prepare your work outside, and make it ready for yourself in the field; afterwards, then, build your house." (Prov. 24:27 NASB)

As if that wasn't enough inspiration, it seemed like a good lesson for me as well. Do I prepare my place for God's coming? Just as His Son went before me to prepare a place for me in heaven, so I should be ready when He comes back for me.

One little eight-year-old is anticipating big things in a tiny dwelling place next week . . . and so should I.

In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:2,3 NASB)