1. I’m easily fooled. PB got me twice on April 1st.
PB: Sitting on Broadway with a flat. I’ll try to get back by 11:00.
Me: Oh no! Want me to come down? Hey, aren’t they new tires?
PB: No, I got it. They are!
PB: April Fools.
Me: Got me. (mad face emoji)
PB: 2nd one today, honey. Be more careful.
Me: I just trust you completely to never lead me astray.

2. Butter Pecan Creamer is pretty darn good. I know, I know, those creamers are full of chemicals and preservatives and calories and artificial flavoring. But I don’t drink Pepsi or Spotted Cow or 5 Hour Energy. This is my one indulgence. I refuse the guilt.

3. Eric Thames. Hottest hitter in baseball in April. For the Milwaukee Brewers. Nobody saw that coming, which makes it all the sweeter.

4. This is more in the category of something I’m going to learn. I ordered 20 pounds of Alaskan salmon. I’m going to learn to like salmon. My daughter and son-in-law have a side business selling premium quality Alaskan sockeye salmon, so, of course, we bought some. You should too. Check it out here. My grandchildren thank you.

5. Maundy Thursday was my favorite day this month. I thought about the evening service all that day, anticipating the quiet hour. It’s the best part of Holy Week for me because we simply spend sixty minutes sitting in a quiet sanctuary. Few words are spoken, soft music plays, people pray hushed prayers. We come to the table. God is present.

6. Sometimes I need to read a book three times. I read “Unoffendable” by Brant Hansen in February because lots of people seemed to be offended by lots of stuff. Then I read it out loud to PB in March and April because it was such a good message. Now I guess I need to read it for me.

7. Newborn baby boys smell just as sweet as newborn baby girls.

8. Jesus enjoyed a party. He was invited to lots of them because he was not a party dud. He turned water into wine at a wedding reception and kept the celebration going. Although 120-180 gallons of wine might have been overdoing it a bit. (Six stone jars, each holding 20-30 gallons.)

9. Spending part of a weekend with young women in their 20s and 30s made it pretty clear that I’ve bumped up a category or two. It was an honor to watch them take hold of faith and desire to live it out.

10. Quote of the month: “You go where you’re sent and you stay where you’re put and you give what you’ve got.” Jill Briscoe

1. Big birthdays can get overshadowed by little birth days. This year was PB’s big 6-0, but nobody paid much attention because little Emma Kate made her entrance into the world and stole the show. I wasn’t even home to give him a birthday kiss on the morning of the 9th, but he showed up with cupcakes and presents for everybody else that evening. Getting a new birthday buddy is pretty sweet gift.

2. I’m not a fan of springing forward. Falling back is fine in November, but losing an hour in March throws off my circadian rhythms. It takes me a good 2-3 weeks to stop feeling wonky.

3. There’s nothing like live musical theater. PB and I got to see two productions this month — one by our local high school (Little Shop of Horrors) and another by the Rochester Civic Theater (The Drowsy Chaperone). Both were thoroughly enjoyable. We are a bit biased, though, as the Rochester show featured our daughter as leading lady. Neither show had a “cringe “factor, meaning, everybody was on pitch. (Bravo, Janet Van de Graaff!)

4. Quote of the month: “Jesus ate a lot of good food with a lot of bad people.” Leonard Sweet

5. It’s a joy to learn something new from someone who’s passionate about the topic. A friend from our church taught two classes on canning and preserving food, demonstrating water-bath canning and pressure canning. Her enthusiasm and knowledge was so inspiring. Plus, she brought jars of delicious samples to try.

6. PB bought a pie for $150. The church youth group sponsored a pie auction with the proceeds going toward a mission trip to Guatemala this summer. It was for a good cause, so I didn’t give PB the raised eyebrow. Boy, that pie was good.

7. I’m a 1 with a 9 wing. Yes, it’s another personality profile. I just can’t resist them. The Enneagram goes deeper than Myers-Briggs (I’m an ISTJ), sometimes uncomfortably so. It points out strengths, but also nails the dark side of each type, which can feel like a slap in the face. In a good way.

8. I wrote 5% of a book. Well, actually .04931507’s of a book. But it’s a start. My name is printed among other “contributing authors”. I signed a contract and received 10 hardcover copies of the small devotional book. I think it’s legit, but the title is not out on Amazon yet, so I’m still holding my breath.

9. When a person forgets to exercise for a few years, that person’s muscles get mad when that person tries to use them. It’s time to get my 2 lb. weights out of the closet.

10. I will never look at the crucifixion of Christ the same way again after sitting under the teaching of Ray Vander Laan during our Lent series. I will forevermore hear the cry, “It is finished” as a victory shout of a conquering King, not as a last dejected gasp. As the prophet Amos wrote, “The Lord roars from Zion.” The Lion of Judah roared, “Paid in full”. Praise be to God.