I have plug-in fragrance bulbs throughout the house.
Inevitably they need to be changed around the same time.
I will notice the warm cinnamon smell dissipating a bit.
I look and find that sure enough the bulb is empty.

As I was taking the lid off the new fragrance bulb, I noticed my hand felt oily.
A little bit of the oil was leaking around the wick.
I wiped it off with a tissue.
The fragrance lingered on my hand.

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I opened the refrigerator and smiled at the memory.
I remember the day that I heard the audible groan.
One of my daughters had wrapped up some leftover pizza intending to have it for lunch.
Her sister had no idea that the pizza was already claimed and she ate it herself.

There is a sinking feeling when someone opens the cookie tin and finds it empty.
There is annoyance when a glass of milk is desired and only a few drops are left.
Frustration sets in.
Disappointment abounds.

You expect to find fulfillment and instead you find emptiness.

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How blessed we were by the children in our church during our Palm Sunday service.
They stood on risers and sang to all of us as our worship service began.
They sang a song about Hosanna, a word that means, O save!
Their little voices sounded much like the children when Jesus entered the city.

That day, Jesus entered the city on a donkey.
Jesus the One who set His face towards Jerusalem.
Jesus, who resolutely rode on to die.
And so the children sang.

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Stan and Jan Berenstain wrote and illustrated so many wonderful children’s books.
A favorite in our house as the children were growing up was, Too Much Birthday.
Five times a year we celebrated the birthdays of my children.
This book was a wonderful lesson in moderation as you celebrate.

There is such a thing as too much birthday.
Parties that out-do the one before, or out-do the party a friend just had.
If they went ice skating, you had to go on a rock climbing wall.
If they went to play laser tag, you had to go bowling.

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Rest.
Just the word brings about thoughts of peace and tranquility.
Rest is a sense of freedom from labor or activity, so says the dictionary.
Rest is necessary for our souls.

Some people are good at rest; knowing when to stop, when to continue.
Some people are horrible at rest; they think if I don’t do it, it won’t get done.
Rest is something God did on the seventh day when the work of creation was completed.
Rest is something God wants us to do on the Lord’s Day as we rejuvenate our souls in Him.

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In a little while there will be a new movie theater built in a nearby town.
It is a special kind of movie theater.
One where you can enjoy dinner while watching a movie.
An interesting concept reminiscent of the old drive-in movie theater, without the car.

Combining two birds with one stone.
No need to go out to dinner first.
One place to enjoy both things and have a nice evening out.
The ultimate in service.

There was another meal many years ago.
Not dinner and a movie, but dinner and a prayer.

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There are no new problems.
There are similar ways of looking at things.
Whether it is the first century or the twenty-first century doesn’t seem to matter.
We think we have advanced so far, but have we?

When the unsinkable Titanic sunk in the cold waters, it was women and children first.
When young men were taught chivalry and manners, it was hold the door for a lady.
Give up your seat was commonplace; stand in the presence of elders was expected.
Walk on the outside of the road was done without thinking.

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Mid-April is tax time in our country.
Federal, state, and local taxes must be paid.
Benjamin Franklin wrote something in a 1789 letter that we still quote today.
In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified.
Congress now had the legal authority to tax all incomes without regard to apportionment.
Apportionment is a legal term meaning the distribution or allotment in proper shares.
Since 1955, Tax Day has typically fallen on April 15.

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I look around outside and see the budding trees.
Everywhere I turn, new life is around me.
The pregnant pause of spring.
The anticipation of life ready to burst forth.

The grass that has been dormant for months is now a beginning to sprout.
Soon, we will be hearing lawn mowers and tractors in the background.
As I drive along the roads, a hint of green lightly colors the landscape.
Soon, very soon.

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The bird sat on the uppermost branch of the tree.
A tall evergreen, easily three stories high, was its perch.
There it was on the branch that stuck straight up from the top.
The same branch that would hold a star or an angel on a Christmas tree.

How could this bird sit so comfortably there?
I heard the bird before I saw it.
There it sat, perched high above everything, singing.
Here I was, looking up through the sunlight, listening.

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