It is time for Emily P. Freeman’s monthly linkup What I Learned This Month. I love this linkup because it reminds me to stop and reflect on the past month; the good, the bad, and even the ugly. It helps me to remember that no matter what happens, God is with me every step of the way. It also reminds me that one is never ever done learning the profound lessons of life.

(1) When you give complete control to your hair stylist, trying new things can be awesome and amazing. I let my hair stylist try a new cut and color on me. I am not one to get caught up on numbers etc, but I cannot help but be baffled by the numbers on Facebook of the picture of the new style. Over 200 likes and 80 comments! So crazy! Everyone including ME LOVES the new look and says it makes me look 10 years younger.

(2) “Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart”–Psalm 37:4 This text is definitely the cry of my heart. I wonder how many people know that about me and hear my cries. I also wonder if anyone reads my blog and knows this very thing about me. But then someone surprises me with a beautiful wall hanging with these words and I know that my cries have and will be heard.

(3) God is a master painter! I cannot get enough of the spectacular sunrises and sunsets that God paints on the prairies of North Dakota. It is hard to capture God’s work in a photo. It doesn’t seem to do it justice.

(4) There is power in words. I am so thankful that God gifted me with the ability to write my thoughts in words; whether that be a blog post, in a poem, or wherever that might be. It was such a gift to write a poem for my friend Julia and her husband and their daughter Kaia after Kaia died after 90 minutes of life.

(5) The foot washing text is one of my absolute faves as it is a reminder of my call to ministry. I also love that we did a hand washing service during our Maundy Thursday service. May we all follow Jesus’ example to love one another as he first loved us.

(6) I love teaching our youth about what it means to receive their first communion. I also love watching them and their families make bread together and then the next night, communing together. It is such a gift. It continually teaches me that communion is a gift for us all.

(7) Holy Week is no joke when you work in the church. It always amazes me how there is holy exhaustion and holy joy all at the same time.

(8) Resurrection hope is pure gift given to us all through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. God loved us so much that God sent God’s one and only Son into the world for each and every one of us. Only God had the power to overcome death and the grave. I have shared this quote numerous times but it continually reminds me of what I have learned over the years about resurrection hope. “Easter says you can put death in the grave, but it won’t stay there.”–Clarence W. Hall

Easter 2016

What did you learn this month?