Devotionals go digital

It is the first day of lent today and I was so cross with myself. I meant to buy a new Lent readings book and I forgot to do it over half term and I have not had time to get to the local Christian bookstore. I so wanted to have a daily reading book but then it hit me ... and yes, I am slow.

I went to Amazon, browsed, found just what I wanted, bought it, downloaded it and voila. Daily readings sorted in an instant and I didn't ever have to leave the house.

And as I hadn't taken a photo of the day - again - I snapped my Kindle.

 
and yes - you probably spotted I downloaded two lent books. But I guess you are NOT surprised!

I have another Austria page to share today - this time of the reason why we went to Austria in the first place and today seemed a good day to share it.

Oberammergau stages the passion play every ten years to mark the vow that they made in 1633 that if God spared their village from any more people dying of the plague, they would stage a play depicting Christ's passion. The play is amazing and takes place in the most wonderful open air theatre. Almost everyone int he village is involved in some way or another as 4700 new people descend on the village every 4 days during the season. Parts pass down from generation to generation and it is the most amazing production. The play lasts over 5 hours, with a break for lunch. It is in German and the first scene has 600 people on stage from old men to babes in arms and it is so moving.

It takes place every ten years and I was going to go with Mommy in 1990 for my 20th birthday. Sadly that was the year Mommy died very suddenly and so of course that never happened. However Nigel and I decided to go for my 40th in 2000. 2000 was a very special year for the Passion Play as they celebrated their 40th season (how uncanny was that) with a new production to coincide with the millennium. So, the reason we went to Austria at all was to see the Passion Play and the easiest way to do that was to go on an organised tour and it included a trip round Austria.

So this page is kind of integral to the entire trip.

I wanted it to be all about the journalling and so there are two tags with a serious amount of writing on both.

I wanted it to be simple but reasonably dramatic. The cross is a little silver cross charm.

Today I am thankful for

• the wonders of technology and how instant it is

My one minute devotional today is lovely and very thought provoking.

My aunt, at one hundred years old, doesn’t string her present moments together as she used to. She says her memory’s getting “thin.” That’s hard for her to accept when her reasoning still works fine.

Each experience is a first-of-its-kind for Aunt Betty, a “fresh first.” Whether it’s a tree she’s seen dozens of times, a neighbor she’s greeted often, or a gift she was given weeks ago, she extends her full delight as if it’s entirely new. Watching her is like riding a Ferris wheel and rediscovering the same exhilarating sights every time it goes around.

One of my favorite “fresh firsts” is the pie that her daughter Margy gives her. Every morning, Aunt Betty is surprised to find pie on her kitchen counter. “Where’d this come from?” she asks. When she learns it’s from Margy, she gets another surprise. “How dear of her,” she responds.

Why do I allow my daily life to become dull with familiarity? Why can’t I catch a ride on the Ferris wheel and see the same things with new enthusiasm? How long since I’ve felt stirred by God’s gifts of sight and sound and movement, of sun and rain and sky, of friends and faith and purpose?

Aunt Betty’s wheel of “fresh firsts” is a sweet spin of gratitude and joy, eagerness and surprise. It’s the best ride going, whether you’re one or one hundred.

Wouldn't it be a good thing to focus on to see the world that fresh every day. To rekindle that joy and enthusiasm for everything. If we work hard at it we can!

Comments

[Nij]

excellent news!

[Jen Hart]

What a great story about the Passion Play, I have heard of it but sad to say I didn't know much about it so thank you for that.

[Helen]

Love the Kindle photo - I see that you've got Remix on it - I loved that book and the others that the auther has written. I'd never have found them if it weren't for my lovely Kindle!