Easter Review

I cannot let this Easter day pass by without writing what it meant to me.  After all, it is the day our Lord was resurrected, arose from the dead after three days in the tomb.  He is risen!

This had been one of my most memorable Easter seasons in my life, starting with Ash Wednesday.  On Ash Wednesday, we attended a service at church and departed with a charcoal cross on our foreheads, having made a Lenten sacrifice i.e, "giving up something" for Lent.  I gave up nothing.  Instead I took on a daily devotion to the process and leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

This has been a 40 days of inner reflection and thoughts of the future and the past.  I've asked questions such as why has God called me to teach in prison?  How can I have a positive impact on my students, in not only attaining their G.E.D., but on the rest of their lives? Is this a calling or just a job?  Are my Mom and Dad proud of me and are they watching over me?  Or are they just dead?

How am I supposed to serve in the ministry?  Should I just keep serving as a Lay person or become ordained as a Methodist minister?  How can I have a positive impact on my children when they live so far away?

Does every Dad and person contemplate these deep questions or similar?  I don't know.

As Easter comes and goes, soon it will be summer and the clock keeps ticking, and the calendar turns over day by day I will continue to reflect.
How do I make the Easter season of 2015 come alive for me? Where am I supposed to go with it, and what can I do to share the love of Jesus Christ to my neighbor next door and the prison inmate closed in behind razor wire?

Side bar - there were two inmates stabbed at my workplace today according to the news.  I don't know the story behind it, but it has affected my Easter Sunday in a way that few can understand.

Keep following along with me and experience my journey with me.  I'd like that.

Photo Credit: My wife Sandy from the Max Brewer bridge in Titusville, FL.  Used with permission.

The Daydawn is Breaking, a favorite hymn.

This isn't the first song I've shared on one of my blogs. Anyone who knows me, knows I love music, and knows I don't care who hears me when I sing.  The songs I love vary from hymns, to country and I have a partiality for old Baptist bluegrass.  Sometimes there are verses on religious music that I don't agree with, but that doesn't make the song any less worthy in my ears (or heart).  I even love a good patriotic song by Toby Keith or an occasional pop song.

The other morning I was driving post around the prison, making sure all was secure and the sun was rising, oh about thirty minutes before it actually came up.  Out of the blue, I just started singing the first line, "The day dawn is breaking, the world is awaking...".  The words popped into my head like I sang it yesterday, but in fact, I think its been over a decade.

The Day Dawn Is Breaking, no. 52
1. The day dawn is breaking, the world is awaking, The clouds of night's darkness are fleeing away. The worldwide commotion, from ocean to ocean, Now heralds the time of the beautiful day.

[Chorus] Beautiful day of peace and rest, Bright be thy dawn from east to west. Hail to thine earliest welcome ray, Beautiful, bright, millennial day.

3. Still let us be doing, our lessons reviewing, Which God has revealed for our walk in his way; And then, wondrous story, the Lord in his glory Will come in his pow'r in the beautiful day.

4. Then pure and supernal, our friendship eternal, With Jesus we'll live, and his counsels obey Until ev'ry nation will join in salvation And worship the Lord of the beautiful day.

Text: Joseph L. Townsend, 1849-1942
Music: William Clayson, 1840-1887

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New format

I'm starting a new format with this post. It seems my life just doesn't allow me to spend much time at a computer like I once was able to. So at least for a while, future posts will be from my mobile device, or on hand script, later made electronic.

My new job as a Correectional Officer is giving me the opportunity to associate with people in an intimate fashion which I never have before, law enforcement and prison inmates. What a blessing it has been.