Easter is close at hand. This Sunday is Palm Sunday and then we enter holy week. It seems like a fitting time to discuss family since most of us will be together at some point during Easter.
Whether you are a mother, father, or grandparent the Easter season is a great opportunity to strengthen your family unit and create memories that will last. The strongest bonds of family are the bonds of love. Belonging to a family means having the support of each other through good and bad times. Learning to love and be loved unconditionally.
Eating meals together is an excellent means of communication. That’s what family and friends do when they get together, they eat. It’s nothing new; the bible recounts many meals together in fellowship including the Passover Seder meal and the last supper. Gathering at the table daily is sure to strengthen any family, especially when it begins with a prayer of thanksgiving.
During Easter families gathered at table are especially cognizant of their blessings and can pray with an open heart. Let us ask God to strengthen all families and to place them under His guidance and protection. The bible repeatedly reinforces the importance of family. The holy family exemplifies God’s definition of earthly family with only one male father and one female mother.
Families are under attack by today’s society. The welfare system pays teenage girls to have children out of wedlock. Divorce is easy. Couples cohabit ate. The tax code penalizes marriage. Unnatural methods such as in vitro fertilization or surrogate pregnancies have become as common as legalized abortions. Large families are frowned upon and blended families or broken families are the norm. Adding to the dementia marriage is being challenged to include same sex unions.
The family is the building block of society. Families are bound by love and they care for the very young, the seriously ill, and the elderly; all who would be considered too weak to contribute towards the prosperity of society. Strong families create strong societies and weak families weaken society. Society (like the serpent) has convinced women (Eve) that they don’t need a man. As a result many men have been removed as head of their family thereby weakening families.
Regardless of how you define your family, this Easter we all want the best for our parents, spouse, brothers, sisters, and children. Let us live our lives like our redeemer taught us, loving one another, so we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Happy Easter!
Upcoming events:
Friday Fish Fry: the Versailles Eagles offering all-you-can-eat-fish today from 5 p.m. until gone, the Versailles Vet’s Club offers smelt dinners from 4:30 – 7 p.m. today and April 14, and the Yorkshire Goat Farmers offers one last fish fry from 5- 8 p.m. on April 14.
Birthday wishes to Orville Bohman, Sandee Detrick, Brad Holzapfel, Kay Holfinger, Ted Blakeley, Boots Groff, Chase Monnin, Donna DeMange, Fred Bruns, Jeremy Riley, Greg Zechar, Joelle York, Kay Holfinger, Todd Dammeyer, Lucy Hole, Deb Kauffman, Dan Bentley, Holly Hill, Kelly Luthman, Paige Collins, Lisa Schemmel, Julie Deeter, Alli Eiting, Rick Voisard, Renee Barga, Marlene Puthoff, Rose Baker, Matthew Knapke, Roxie Earick, Janel Tumbush, Betty Norris, Connie Miller, Angie Ruhenkamp, Jeanne Osterfeld, Michael Schmitmeyer, and Eileen Dapore as their birthdays approach, as well as anniversary wishes to Marcia and Gary Davidson (15), Traci and Chad Monnin (17), Jackie and Dan Kremer (25), Nikki and Dusty Nealeigh (27), Connie and Ted Schmitmeyer (51), Janet and Fred Banks (52), Joan and Bob Ruschau (53), and Rosemary and Floyd Monnin (53).
Happy retirement wishes to Billie Jo Gasquez!
Please give your supportive and healing prayers for the many who are dealing with any of life’s countless challenges, and especially for Rhonda Poling, Ron Vogel, Donna and Terry Black, Ron Bruner, Barb Hart, Connie Ecabert, Wanda and Joe Bailey, Wilma Didier, Anne Cox, Dave Buxton, Doug Bruns, Conrad Phlipot, Jean Castle, Betty Kremer, Amanda Murphy, Vickie Cottrell, Connie Stachler, Sally Tebbe, Dan Roseberry, Denny Grilliot, John Magoto, Sheila Spahr, Madonna McEldowney, Beverly Brown, Linda Kendinger, Dave Fullenkamp, Steve Youngker, Harold Langston Sr., Julie Keihl, Joan Magoto, Jeanne Brandon, Ruth Haft, Rosie Pearson, Virginia Smith, John Subler, Sondra Spangler, Mary and Mike Barga, Anabelle Subler, Jeanette Simon, Julia Billenstein, Merilyn Borchers, Lewis Didier, Lewis May, Connie (Baltes) Lechleiter, Levadia Barga, Jack Borgerding, Dan Monnin, Linda Wilson, John Klipstine, Lois Youngker, Barb Goubeaux, David Zumberger, Cyril Frantz, Michelle Ullom, Eileen Rahm, Cyril Voisard, Barb Agne, Samantha Smith, Brian Voisard, and all those not mentioned by name who are ill, suffering, hospitalized, homebound and/or in need of our prayers and their caregivers.
Heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Jacquie Renae Kemp (53), also remembering the lives of Ronald Bergman, Tecla Heitkamp, Helen Hemmelgarn, Beverly Didier, Carl Teeter, Tony Monnin, Jim Copeland, Cecilia Subler, Bec Arling, Kenny Eiting, Brian Delk, Terry Nieport, Virginia Thomas, Ruth Francis and all those not mentioned by name as the anniversary of their passing nears.
“In the family there is strength that all the power in the world cannot undo” ~Unknown
“The family is one of God’s masterpieces” ~Unknown
“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family” ~Mother Teresa
“As the family goes so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” ~ Saint Pope John Paul II
