Holy Week Palms

View up from our courtyard

Just before Palm Sunday, I like to bring a few large tropical fronds inside and arrange them in vases around the house to prepare for Holy Week.

There are vast varieties of palm trees. Looking out the windows now, I can see the round Pony Tail Palm, iconic Coconut Palms, and the grand Royal Palms, just to name a few. There is another palm tree in our yard that I especially like for Holy Week, although I'm not certain what it is called. At the base of the fronds are dagger like thorns, each about 3-4" long. I can't help but think that this palm is a little sermon God gives us through His creation.

These fronds tell us the Holy Week story. The beautiful leaves march us along to Palm Sunday. They wave, "Hosanna! Save us Lord!" Follow to the base of each frond, and the thorns answer our plea as they remind us of Christ's humiliation, and our salvation, on Good Friday.

On the cross, Jesus tells the thief, "today you will be with me in Paradise". The palm itself is more than a decoration for Palm Sunday, but perfect throughout the season of Easter as we rejoice in the eternal Paradise that is ours by Christ's saving death on the cross and triumphant resurrection.



Be sure to use work gloves while harvesting the palms! I cut off the thorns because of the little ones in my home, but once they're older I'll again leave a few on. I like to arrange three palm fronds in each vase. Three is always a good number for design - and the perfect Trinitarian number too! If you're working with large, heavy branches, be sure to use a sturdy vase and stones or another weight to keep the vase anchored. In years past I've also placed a purple cloth under the arrangement in keeping with Lent. Don't forget to replace the purple with a white or gold cloth on Easter Sunday!

Fear not northerners, your local florist is well stocked with palms right now. They should only cost about a dollar a stem, and you won't have to worry about thorns.

The Easter Lamb

Forget the bunny.  Forget the marshmallow chicks.  Easter is all about the Lamb.


The Lamb doesn't hide foiled eggs - He comes with His blood and gives it freely.  Jesus, The Lamb of God, makes the final sacrifice.  The blood of the Lamb, shed on the cross, takes away the sins of the world for our forgiveness, life, and salvation!


I've heard it said that this message in far too violent for young children, who could never understand such abstractions. 

It is a violent story, full of pain, suffering, blood, nails, swords, heartbreak, and yes, death.  You can't sugar coat Christ's Passion by rolling it in bright yellow Peep dust.  Yet, the story is sweet.  Christ's victory over death is our sweet victory too!  Our baptized children, full of faith by the power of the Holy Spirit, are more than equipped to take on the events of Holy Week.  Hiding the whole story of Easter, including the death of Jesus, from our children is to deny them Christ!  Even the youngest child can read a cross; it says Jesus.  Jesus died for you.  Jesus loves you. Jesus forgives you.

The Lamb is an Easter symbol takes a little more effort to unpack with young children, but one I like to introduce early.  Children love animals and tend to have an innate compassion and tenderness for them.  I just tell my little ones, "Jesus is the Lamb of God and He died to take away the sins of the world." Do you know what?  They believe it.  Little children have great faith!  Sure, they may not be able to verbalize all of the gory details of Old Testament sacrifices, connect it to Jesus suffering, and explain how His death gives us life. That will come later. Right now they see the Lamb all over our church and can identify Jesus as the Lamb of God!

During Lent, lambs are all over our home too.  Yarn Wrapped Lambs are a project we have especially enjoyed making over the last couple of years.  Gather thin cardboard (such as a cereal box), a pencil, scissors, white paint, black and pink markers, and some fuzzy white yarn. 

Sketched a little lamb and trace it on to the cardboard for cutting and painting. (I'd be happy to send you my lamb template, just send me an email.)  In a classroom setting this could be done with a heavy white stock and a lamb shaped die.  After the little lambs have dried, add details using marker.  I like a little pink in the ears and for a nose.  Add black dots for eyes and a line along the feet for hooves. 

Cut 2-3 yards of yarn and start wrapping it around the lamb to give him a nice woolly coat.  You can tape one end of the yarn to the back of the lamb, but I just start it off by wrapping the yarn around itself a few times to lock it in place for little ones to finish off.  Once wrapped, tuck the end of the string under the other cords. Busy hands make for open ears, a good time to further introduce Jesus as Lamb of God.

We also enjoy singing the Angus Dei, or Lamb of God.  If you teach it to the children at home you're sure to hear them sing it again with you in church!

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.

Our little lambs look sweet sitting on the window sills overlooking our green table.  They are done - until Easter!

With toothpicks, cut paper, a red marker and a dot of glue, I make little victory flags.  The Lamb is victorious all around the year, but we save our flags to stick them in the Lamb's wool as part of our Easter celebration! 

Last year we made a few extra flags, from white craft foam, and taped them to the chocolate lambs that adorned our Lemon Coconut Easter Cake.  For the recipe, please click here to visit my friend Kate's blog, Scrumptious Company.  Making a lamb shaped cake for Easter is a tradition still held by many, but until I inherit a lamb pan, this is truly scrumptious bundt cake recipe that is perfect for Easter!

Easter is all about the Lamb - the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

Fasting, Lutheran Style

I really don't want to write this one.  I've been putting it off and now Lent is nearing closer and closer to Easter. 


Today's topic is fasting, almsgiving, and prayer.  Highly personal, I have a hard time writing about these three Lenten practices.  Sharing a craft or a recipe is fun, light, with the aim to point you, my dear friends, to the love and saving work of Christ.  On the other hand, a discussion on fasting, almsgiving, and prayer can easily become a boastful commentary, ridiculously puffing up my far from perfect family. 


Matthew 6 talks about giving, prayer, and fasting - all practices associated with the season of Lent.  Even Lutherans sense this, although, if you're anything like me, figuring out how to understand and act on these practices within family life is tricky. We tend to understand prayer and giving, but why fast?


Growing up, fasting was something my Catholic relatives did.  We were Lutheran.  We ate meat. Unless we were with our Catholic family, and then we ate grilled cheese. Not eating meat on Fridays didn't seem like much of a punishment to me - if that's what it's suppose to be.  After all, not being allowed to do something is a punishment, or so I thought.  Hence, I figured eating fish must be the punishment. But what if you like fish better than meat? I wondered. Why can you eat fish if you can't eat meat?  Chicken doesn't really have blood like beef does, so why not eat chicken?  Don't fish have blood?  Is eating fish sort of like our Amish friends who can't have a telephone so they install a phone booth across the street?  Growing up Lutheran, I just didn't understand fasting. 


Yet, Jesus doesn't say "if you fast".  Jesus says, "when you fast". (Matthew 6:16) When you fast you're not suppose to look down trodden and weak, whining and moaning about your obligation to fast.  This is why I have a difficult time posting about fasting, even though it's something my Lutheran friends are talking about. It's also why I'm not going to post a lot of cute pictures to accompany this post.


First, Jesus suggests that fasting is an activity of Christians, but our salvation is not dependent on meatless Fridays.  Salvation was sealed through Christ's death on the cross.  Good Friday is the Friday that counts, and the meal that counts is Holy Communion - where we receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.


Second, "giving something up for Lent" or fasting isn't something we do for Jesus.  He's God.  What can we offer that is of any benefit to Him? Jesus is the one who made the sacrifice!  Jesus gave Himself up on the cross for our sins.  We give up chocolate. Can you really make that comparison with a straight face?


Third, fasting is not an obligation.  Fasting is an opportunity.  Let me explain and maybe provide a few ideas.


Giving up meat, or another food you're especially fond of enjoying, refocuses your priorities.  It's so easy to worship our mammon gut. Likewise it's easy to obsess over ever calorie and micro nutrient.  "Giving up" food is good discipline.  Sometimes I wonder, as I watch our religious liberties erode, if I would have the discipline to endure true religious oppression, brutality, or even death for the faith.


Think of the time spent planning, shopping, preparing, serving, consuming, then cleaning up each meal!  A day of fasting opens up a lot of time.  What could you do with that time? Make a meal for a friend in need.  Volunteer at a kitchen. Pray.  Teach your children a new hymn.  Read the Bible together. Fasting resets your schedule.


Think of the expense of your average dinner.  Fasting isn't about saving money for the sake of frugality.  Add up the cost of the average meal you might skip or lighten up while fasting.  What could you do with that money? How could you serve your neighbor?  So many worthwhile organizations are hurting and could use even the $10 you saved while fasting for one meal of one day.  Fast once a week throughout Lent and watch your giving power grow!  Even just giving up eating out or skipping coffee is enough savings to make a difference.


By now maybe you've bought in to the idea of fasting and see how it can lead to prayer and giving, but how does one fast?  My generation truly does not know how to fast.  It's just not been our practice and culture.


Fasting does not mean not eating. Fasting is not a diet. It can mean skipping a meal at times. It can mean not snacking. It can mean omitting a favorite food from your diet on one particular day or for an extended period of time.  It can mean simplifying the meal by serving something light and inexpensive to prepare.  Children, and all people really, do need proper nutrition.  Fasting is not an exercise in starvation. 


Finally, I'll hesitantly tell you what our family is doing this Lenten season, only because I want to share how this can be done, if you choose, even with family of young children.  We've found it highly beneficial for the instruction of our children, and far from an obligation, fasting has been a gift to our family.  All we do is eat soup.  We eat cheap, quick, easy, canned soup. At the beginning of Lent soup was on sale.  Adelae and I selected two cans of several varieties.  Once a week we pick a soup day and serve soup and crackers, sometimes along with some cheese if there is little protein in the soup selected. That's dinner.  Soup is easy to feed young children because all of the veggies and meat are small and soft.  We collect the money we would have spent on a regular dinner in a jar, and spent some time talking about where the money will go and why.  After dinner, we toss the bowls in the dishwasher then spend time together singing Lenten hymns and talking.  It's simple.  It's refreshing.

We've enjoyed using the new CPH children's hymnal, My First Hymnal.

I truly don't believe fasting is meant to be anything other than refreshing - a reset - an opportunity to pray and share with one another. As Christians we fast because the Holy Spirit has brought us to faith, and through the Lord's Supper He sustains us and leads us to want to do less for ourselves and more for others.

Making a Lent Tree

I don't know about you, but I've never really understood Easter egg trees.  Cute as they may be, eggs do not grow on trees. I do wish chocolate eggs grew on trees.  A bumper harvest of golden eggs would be nice too!


My real problem with egg trees is that they are made from Easter eggs, emphasis on the word Easter.  Advent is to Christmas as Lent is to Easter, and that time of preparation is important. Each season is a distinct time for us to continue the journey to the cross. In Lent the Holy Spirit works to reset our hearts, calling us to faith and repentance, and thereby preparing us for the joy of Easter.  During Lent, silly little egg trees just make me cringe. 

Still, my little ones love egg trees, so I started thinking.


The view from Adelae's window, and her Lent Tree

As I look out the window here in Naples, FL, our trees are ready for Palm Sunday. I often like to bring a few fronds in for Holy Week and for Easter Sunday.  More about that in a few weeks, but if palms are paradise, a weeping willow is a tree for Lent.

There is something morose, yet peaceful, about a weeping willow.  Ahh, to crawl under a willow tree with a good book and cool drink on a hot summer day!  The weeping willow is my Lenten tree not only because of the internal weeping, sorrow, of a repentant heart, but also because of that peace.  Lent isn't about focusing on ourselves, our sins, our alms, our prayers, our fasting.  Lent isn't even just about Jesus' weeping and pain on the cross.  Lent is about peace.  Lent is Christ, our peace. In His bitter suffering and death Christ made peace with the Father for our sinful souls. 


Instead of setting up an Easter egg tree this year, why not join me in making a Lenten willow?  We like to set up our "Lent Tree" on a tree in our courtyard where my daughter can see it from her bedroom window. 

To make a Lent Tree you'll need a spool or two of purple curling ribbon and a small tree.  We reused our ribbon from last year. Cut the ribbon in long lengths according to the height of your tree.

Work with your children to tie the ribbons all over your tree.  I like to curl them a little bit. That's it!  You have a "weeping" Lent Tree that blows gently in the breeze.

Every time you walk by the tree, at work or play, talk to your children about Jesus and the peace He gives us in His death on the cross. Keep talking, all the way up and through Easter morning.

Now for the really fun part! Tip toe out to the tree early on Easter morning.  Finally it's time for the Easter Eggs!  Sandwich the ribbon between the two halves of the Easter egg.  I like to fill the eggs with little Easter stickers and other treats before snapping them together.  String a series of eggs on each length of ribbon. 

How exciting to find the tree full of eggs on Easter morning! Making a Lent Tree with my little ones is a tradition that helps us teach the children the connection between Lent and Easter, while keeping them separate and special. 

A Time to Clean

It's funny, the more you clean the more you see the dirt.


A few years ago when I started to research the Church Year, I was drawn, and continue to be amazed by the traditions of the Year.  There are innumerable traditions blindly practiced by our society, little knowing that they are really practices for extending the faith in our daily life.  Understanding the "why" behind the "what" enriches even the most mundane activities, and provides beautiful, meaningful ways to orderly share the life and love of Christ with our children. 


Back to my dirt.  There is plenty of it!  Dirt, dust, and grime covers my floors, cupboards, walls, windows, and heart in the form of sooty sin that only Christ's blood can wash away. 


Spring Cleaning is traditionally a part of the celebration of Holy Week on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It makes since to clean, not only to prepare before the Easter Feast, but also in reflection as part of the penitential mood Holy Week.


Remember, these old fashioned traditions I find so charming and helpful are not God's Law.  They are not required for our salvation. Christ alone has accomplished all that is needed!  And so, this year I've exercised my liberty and am extending my Spring Cleaning throughout the season of Lent.


My little boy!  My dear, sweet, messy, destructive, little boy!  With two young children at home, some days I feel like all I do is cook for them, feed them, wash hands and faces, clean the kitchen, then wipe their little bottoms - only to start the process over again.  Messes abound! By the time I get one room cleaned, it is immediately destroyed behind me.  There is no gratification of closing the door behind a perfectly cleaned room and expecting it to stay that way, but I'd never trade my children for a meticulous home. 

Instead of deep cleaning one room, top to bottom, at a time, this year I'm trying a new method for Spring Cleaning. For me, Spring Cleaning does not include the regular tasks such as sweeping, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, and sparkling chrome.  Spring Cleaning is deep cleaning, including tasks that take a little more effort, resources, and time. I began by making a list of twenty jobs I'd like to get done before Easter.  I chose twenty tasks because I'll be cleaning throughout Lent.  There is no possible way I could get all of that deep cleaning done in three days and still devote time to my children and their needs.  Also, the later in spring the warmer the weather, and living in South Florida, I need to make the most of the cool, dry weather for completing out door window washing and such.  Finally, by limiting myself to only twenty tasks, I give myself a little grace and flexibility with the goal of completing one job every two days.

Every Spring Cleaning list will vary based on the needs of the household.  Here's my list:
1) dust ceilings, wash ceiling fans
2) Mr. Clean spots on walls, touch up with paint as needed
3) cupboards - fronts only
4) baseboards and exterminator grime residue
5) move and clean behind furniture
6) change air filter
7) clean mildew from lanai furniture
8) condition leather sofa
9) vacuum and steam clean upholstery
10) clean blinds
11) lamps, shades, and lighting fixtures
12) wash windows - inside and out
13) lint in and around laundry room
14) inside washer, dryer, fridge and dishwasher
15) mirrors and picture frames
16) Adelae's cubbies - empty, clean out, reorganize
17) kids books, reorganize
18) shower and tub grout - steam?
19) outside entry
20) lanai floors


Finally, a few notes about some of the tools I used for cleaning this year.


I love the idea of natural cleaning products.  They are inexpensive and safer for children. Soda works wonders for scouring sinks, bathrooms, and freshening kitchen appliances. 

Vinegar makes soda sizzle!  I saw a great idea on Pintrest.  Add a the peel of an orange or other citrus fruit to a jar of white vinegar.  Let it sit for a week or so.  I also strained the orange vinegar before using it to wipe down cabinets and in the bathroom.


Who doesn't LOVE Mr. Clean Magic Erasers for removing grime?

Similarly, my mom and Aunt Sue found Wonder Rags at Keim Lumber in Charm, OH.  In some ways they are even better then Mr. Clean Erasers because they don't leave behind fuzzy eraser residue, don't dissolve with use, and I've found that they wash well so you can continue using them time and time again until they are completely disgusting. I like to make some fresh Shaklee spray using hot water, but just dampening the cloth with water works well too.

We tried Krud Kutter Window Wash with hose attachment for cleaning our windows from the outside this year.  Andy and I worked as a team to pre-rinse, "Krud Kut", and rinse the windows followed by a squeegee finish.  The product made for quick, fun, work.  We quickly learned that the pre-rinse and post-rinse must not be rushed, and a high powered hose devours the Krud Kutter solution quickly.  The squeegee finish was a must.

One of the best parts about cleaning throughout Lent has been the time it has given me to keep up with my favorite Lutheran radio podcasts!  It's amazing how much you can learn while scrubbing blinds!  All who know me well also know of my love for Issues, Etc. (click here to link.)  Perhaps my favorite cleaning tool of the season, Issues has a new app!  Now I can listen with my phone in my pocket as I work around the house.  For times when I'm feeling a little more feisty, I also enjoy listening to Fighting for the Faith. (Click here to link.)  Did you know some are advocating for those in the ministry to wear Spanx for men to keep their beer belly at bay?  Beauty is pain, all for the sake of the Gospel!  Seriously? Hearing that kind of stuff really makes me scrub with a gusto of frustration!


As you Spring Clean, reflect on the rubbish and filth in your own heart. "Have you been disobedient, unfaithful, or lazy? Have you been hot-tempered, rude, or quarrelsome? Have you hurt someone by your words or deeds? Have you stolen, been negligent, wasted anything, or done any harm?" (yes, yup, yes, uh huh!)


We can't Mr. Clean our sin away. There is no Krud Kudder can manage that kind of deep cleaning.  Jesus blood is the one and only cleaning solution needed.  His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation were sprinkled on us as we are washed clean in the water and Word of our baptism. Thanks be to God!




I love Anne Taintor!



"Save Me, Lord!" Cried (Golf Ball) Peter!

Itty Bitty Lutherans continued with Bible stories about Jesus and His friends on a boat.  Last week we put our finger to our lips and made the Shhhh sound.  Shhhh, Jesus was sleeping.  Then the winds blew, Shhhhh!  The friends were afraid, "Don't you care if we die, Jesus?"   Jesus woke up.  Jesus told the winds, "Shhhh!"  The winds stopped.  Jesus did care!  He didn't want His friends, the disciples, to get hurt.  Later Jesus was hurt, He died, to save His friends.  Jesus died for us too.  Because Jesus died we are forgiven and get to live with Him forever in heaven!

This week we again find Jesus' friends, the disciples, out on a boat.  We told the story using a plastic jar of water, 2 ping pong balls, 1 golf ball, a Sharpie, and a toy boat.

Jesus' friends were out on a boat all day long.

Jesus was not out on the boat with His friends.  Jesus stayed on the shore. 

After a long day away from His disciples, Jesus walked out on the water to see His friends.  When you get in the swimming pool your feet sink to the bottom.  Jesus, truly God, walked right on top of the water! 

Peter wanted to walk out to Jesus.  Peter walked on the water too!

It was dark and the waves were high.  The wind was blowing, Shhhhh!  Peter was afraid!  He stopped trusting Jesus.  Take out 'happy ping-pong Peter' and replace him with 'worried golf ball Peter'.

Worried, Peter started to sink!  "Save me Jesus!" he cried.

Jesus did save Peter!  Once again Peter spoke more than he knew.  Jesus didn't only want to save Peter from sinking in the waves.  Jesus had come to save Peter by dieing on the cross for all of his sins.  Jesus helps us when we are afraid and worried too. Sometimes we don't trust Jesus as we should. Jesus died on the cross to save all people from the death deserved by our sin.  Thank you, Jesus, for saving Peter and for saving me!

All of the Itty Bitty Lutherans got to make and take home a set of ball puppets for retelling the story in the bathtub. 

Read the Biblical text for this story by clicking here! Remember, these aren't just stories - they are true stories about the same Jesus who is present with us, even now, in His Word and Sacrament!

WeLcOmE to our newest Itty Bitty, Carissa!  We can't wait for you to join our class little one!

Strawberry Shortcake Breakfast a la Dee

Early this morning Adelae crawled into our bed, kissed me, and whispered "breakfast".  She wanted muffins.  I wanted to sleep in.  Still, we quietly crept to the kitchen to see what we could find.

In the pantry I found a lonely box of Jiffy corn muffin mix.  I have a soft spot for Jiffy Mix.  We had our rehearsal dinner at the Common Grill in Chelsea, Michigan and the Jiffy plant is right down the street in the same quaint little town. 

In the fridge, or today I'll call it an ice box, I had a bunch of "going" Florida strawberries that I picked up a few days ago.  I call it an ice box today because our breakfast, inspired by the corn muffin mix and strawberries has thoughts of my grandma, Dee, all over it.

Dee is notorious for her Strawberry Shortcake.  She's even been known to serve it for dinner on hot summer nights!  What makes Dee's shortcake special is that she always adds a little cornmeal to the mix.  As she tells the story, adding the cornmeal as a happy accident.  According to my mother and Aunt Sue, it was more likely creative substitution as she was trying to pull together a meal for a family of nine.  Either way, the result is fabulous!  The gritty meal gives the shortcake a wonderful crunch contrasted with the vanilla ice cream.


Someday I'll have to post Dee's shortcake recipe, but for now back to Adelae's muffins. As you can see, she likes to help clean the dishes!  To stretch the muffins and make them more like a shortcake, I added 1 cup pancake mix, 1/3c milk, 1/2t baking soda, and 1/2t sugar to the standard Jiffy muffin directions of 1 egg and 1/3c milk.  On the back of the Jiffy box they tell you to let the batter sit for a few minutes before baking for the best rise.  A great tip, we used the time to grease our muffin tins, generously, with butter.

While the muffins were baking we had eight minutes to hull, wash, slice and mash our strawberries.  Dee always hulls before she washes.  Also, Dee ALWAYS adds a sprinkling of sugar to the berries "to bring out the juice."  Her idea of a sprinkle is about a quarter of a cup, but my idea of a sprinkle is more like a 1/2t.  I suppose it never hurts to be generous, but in the effort to keep our breakfast somewhat healthful, I stuck to my kind of sprinkle.

Before we knew it a charming little strawberry shortcake breakfast was ready to serve.  Since I didn't cut a stick of butter into the muffins like Dee does with her shortbread, I set the butter out on the table. 

The muffins, like shortcake, are dry - like little sponges ready to soak up the juicy strawberries!  Instead of serving with ice cream, I set out a bowl of vanilla yogurt for a more breakfast-y alternative. Great idea, Adelae!  Thank you for the inspiration, Dee!

Peter approved too!