Sunday, April 26, 2009

Today is the last day of the Syrup Festival. We always have a big parade on Sunday. As is usually the case, it is raining out - storming, actually. But I am hoping the old adage "rain before 7 sun by 11" is true because I know one little boy who will be sorely disappointed if his parade is rained on.

We were blessed beyond our expectations this weekend. I was hoping to do at least as well as last year, but with the economy the way it is, I knew that there was a possibility that we wouldn't do as well. Yesterday alone surpassed all three days of last year's festival. The two pictures above were taken on Friday after we set up. That side of the table is virtually empty now. Anna went home last night to make some more stuff to fill in those spaces. My side of the booth is looking a little bare too. I'm bringing up some of our fall scents to fill in the blank spots.

We tithe 10% of our gross from each craft show. For the past 3 years that has gone to a family who has quintuplets (in addition to 3 older children). One of our high school students took on the challenge raising funds to build them an extension on their house as his Eagle Scout project. This was finished up this past year, so our tithe, this year, for the Syrup Festival is going to the Youth For Christ organization. One does not tithe with the expectation of receiving anything, but it never fails to bless us when we do it.

A roofing company in Michigan -Michigan Metal Roofs - credits the success of their business in these trying times to the fact they they put God and then family at the forefront. In these days of political correctness, where anything goes, but heaven forbid we should offend someone by talking about God, it is refreshing to turn on a secular radio station and hear someone praising God for his blessings!
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Word of the day:
Third Sunday of Easter
Gospel
Lk 24:35-48

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things."