April was a very full month for our family. However, it was a month of blessings and growth, just as a spring month should be.
Body
With a lot of travel this month, keeping a good nutritional routine was hard. The good news is that the weather cleared up, plus we were in Gatlinburg, TN for a week. That meant more walking this month. Unfortunately, sickness caught up with a few of us during April. I tried to do my best remedies, but sometimes viruses just catch up with us.
Mind
Trying to finish the spring semester took a lot of my brain power this month. However, I did a little reading on my own.
This is a new book out for Lent this year. A friend gifted it to me, so I read through it within the 40 days before Easter. Our church tradition is not liturgical, so I don’t focus a lot on the church calendar. However, taking time to work through this book in my devotions as well as the time we practiced for the Easter cantata, made a big difference in my celebration of the Resurrection of Christ.
This was the debut novel of a new-to-me author, Jaime Jo Wright. She blends contemporary and historical fiction into suspenseful stories. Maybe I’m still new to her writing style, but I am three books in and still find myself surprised by the plot twists. I ordered a few more of her books from the library for May reading.
And speaking of debut novels, I am so excited for a friend from our writer’s group, who just published her debut novel. It was so fun to be part of her editing team. This is a lovely book, and I know you will enjoy it, too.
Soul
Easter was such a special time for me this year. Right before Easter, our family attended a large church convention in Gatlinburg, TN. It was such a blessing and led perfectly into Easter.
Our church put on a cantata for Good Friday. It was a meaningful time of worship, as we all helped to tell the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection through drama and songs. Easter Sunday was a little difficult for me because I was missing a few traditions and my oldest boy. But, it was still a precious time to remember the wonderful truth, He is Risen!
Spirit
We took some time in Gatlinburg for family fun, although our oldest son didn’t get to join us for much of it. We spent time with my parents and my sister’s family, as well as a few friends.
Our oldest also celebrated a birthday this month. How am I old enough to have a 23-year-old?
Inspiration for April
One of the things I missed at the convention was hearing the quartet in which my son sings. They sang while we women were in another session. So, I looked it up when I got home. The words of this song are inspiring, and I always love to hear my kids ministering for Jesus when they can. I hope it is a blessing to you, too.