Friday Five Favs

I have so much to be thankful for this week. For starters Sunday is Easter also called Resurrection Sunday -- and for me that fact alone is the very best reason to be happy this week:

"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, 'Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?'

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." (Mark 16:1-8, NIV)

To add to that here are five more favorites from my week:

1. My Daughter. This week I had the pleasure of watching my daughter experience some new and exciting firsts. Her first pony ride, her first face painting, and her first egg dying. To top that off it appears she's going to potty train herself! It's been a good week.

2. Reading Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd. I started this book last weekend, and while a couple days is normally enough time to finish a book this size I haven't had much time to read. Still, I'm thankful for the time I have found. As for the book -- it's a great story, Hardy is a wonderful writer and I am thoroughly enjoying the book.

3. The Spring-like Weather. For a couple days now we've had sunshine and temperatures in the 70-80s and this is supposed to continue through next week. I love spring. For the first time in years I am actually getting to enjoy the outdoors every day and I'm planting flowers!

4. Good Friday. So many good things about today. For starters I have the day off from work. It's a gorgeous day. My daughter and I spent the morning with friends dying eggs, eating homemade pizza, and just visiting. I had a quiet afternoon while my daughter took a good nap. My husband got off work early. We're going to grill out (steak and baked potatoes for dinner) and then off to our church's Good Friday service. The perfect start to a long weekend. I love it!

5. Song of the week: Via Dolorosa. This is one of my all-time favorite songs. I can remember listening to this song over and over as a child. It's just such a beautiful song it gives me shivers.


Happy Easter! May you find your week has been full of blessings and may you have great hope for He is not dead, but has risen!