Resurrection Eggs

What you will need is an empty egg carton, 12 empty plastic eggs, miscellaneous items to fill the eggs (see the list below), a sharpie to write the numbers on the eggs, and the printed verses which you will see below.

Looking around the house, I seemed to find everything that I needed to fill the eggs.

I cut out the scriptures, folded them up, and placed each item from the corresponding day in the numbered egg.  The last day there is nothing in the egg because the tomb was empty!  I placed the scripture of that one underneath the egg in the carton.  Just print out this list below and cut out.  Easy!

Egg #1--Bread.

Matthew 26:26
As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

*You can use a crouton, small piece of bread or a cracker


Egg #2--Coins.

Matthew 26:14-15
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.

*I used 3 dimes


Egg #3--Scourge

Mark 15:15
Pilate wanted to please the crowd. So he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip

*a small piece of rope or string

Egg #4--Purple cloth

Mark 15:17
They dressed him in a purple robe...

Egg #5--Thorns


Matthew 27:29
They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!”

*I got mine from our rose bush, but in the picture it shows one made of pipe cleaner


Egg #6--Cross

John 19: 17-18a
Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).  There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

*I used an old wooden cross from a necklace


Egg #7--Nails

Mark 15:23, 24a
They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it. Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross.


Egg #8--Dice

John 19:23-24
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.”


Egg #9--Sponge

Matthew 27:48
One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink.


Egg #10--Spear/Sword

John 19:33-34
When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn't break his legs. One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out.

*I used a cocktail sword


Egg #11--Rock

Matthew 27:59-60
Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.


Egg #12--Empty

Matthew 28:6
He isn't here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would. Come, see the place where his body was lying.

Something to think about on Good Friday

Watch the Lamb


The Hammer


Feel the Nails

Stitched Together ♥ with love (continued at home)

"Upcycling" ~ for "stitched together ♥ with love"

"Stitched Together ♥ with love" was one of the interest groups at Cornerstone's Breakaway - a ladies group that met Thursday mornings between 9:15-11:00 am from February 10 and until April 7 (we did not meeting March 17th-March break) at Cornerstone Church. During that time we were able to complete 3 rag blankets using donated denim and flannel to be distributed by AIDS Niagara.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we thought we'd continue meeting on Thursdays to work on more quilts. Unfortunately, I won't be able to continue meeting on Thursday mornings, but I thought I'd try to continue on at home. So here goes...

The 6-inch square patches for the quilt top are cut from previously worn clothing or previously used bedding. There's some variety in the types/textures of fabric (the flowered pieces came from 2 flannel pillow cases, the plaid was a flannel shirt, the orange was a corduroy shirt, the outside layer of green was corduroy pants, the blue was a denim dress and the inside layer of green was a canvas skirt). **Note to self: take pictures of the clothing/items used BEFORE cutting them into squares.** The back of the quilt is from a "new-to-me" flat sheet that will be cut up. The final size of this quilt will be approximately 75"x65".

This is the quilt top for a rag blanket I will be making. I'm liking the way the top looks.
I can't wait to finish cutting the bottom so I can see what it'll look like when it's all done.

This is a close up of the fabric I will be using for the backing on this quilt.

The Life Story of Abram F. Wiens

Abram Franz Wiens
April 3, 1918 to April 5, 2011

Abram Franz Wiens was born April 3, 1918 in Sagradowka, USSR. When he was 12, his family, together with their entire village, fled the terror of communist Russia in a miraculous escape that paralleled Israel's escape from Egypt. After 15 months spent in China, with the assistance of the fledgling Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a group of 375 people left Habrin, China for Paraguay. It was on the ship somewhere between Shanghai and the Suez Canal, that Abe came to understand his need for a Saviour and asked Jesus to come into his life. He was baptized and joined the Mennonite Brethren church at the age of 14.

The early years in the Paraguayan jungle were full of hardships as young Abe learned the trade of wheelwright and wagon-maker.

On October 1, 1938, Abe married Anna Wiens, the vivacious 18 year old from the other end of the one-street village. Over the next nine years God blessed them with "five boys". After many moves and seeral brushes with death, Abe was able to emigrate from Paraguay to Canada with his family, where God blessed them again with three daughters and another son. This was the land of his hopes and dreams, but with no education in a strange land with a language he did not understand, it was hard to provide for his growing family when he was earning 30 cents an hour.

In 1952, Abe moved his family to a farm in the Edmonton, Alberta area, in order to give his growing boys an opportunity to learn to work and stay off city streets. Due to several mishaps on the farm and health issues for both Abe and Anna, they decided to move their family of nine children to Ontario in 1958. Here Abe and his older sons worked in house building while Anna and the younger children worked on fruit farms to provide for the needs of the large family.

Abe retired from the dual role of carpenter and farmer in 1983. This allowed him to follow a dream from his youth, as he took several courses in massage therapy and reflexology and started a work, which he saw as a healing ministry for aching bodies and (often) lonely souls. This "second career" kept him busy for almost 20 years. These years were also filled with travel to all continents (except Australia), visiting parents, children and grandchildren.

Abe and Anna spend the last 45 years of their lives together in various church servant/leadership roles. He always served with integrity and humility. On October 3, 2000, after 62 years together, Anna was taken from him. In spite of being surrounded by his children and many grandchildren, this led to a very lonely time for Abe.

On February 15, 2002, he married Susie Enns. As a family, we want to that Susie for the companion she's been to Dad over the past nine years. Abe has spent the last two years in the Tabor Manor long-term care home in declining health. His final graduation cam on April 5, 2011, only two days after his 93rd birthday.

Abe is predeceased by his son Henry (1966) and wife Anna (2000). He leaves to celebrate a life well-lived, his wife, Susie, and his children: Ernie and Marie, Erwin and Marian, Hugo and Lydia, Hart and Ginny, Mary and Peter Warkentin, Betty and Peter Loewen, Muggs and Ferd Klassen, Dave and Debbie, and Chi and Boma Waboso. In addition there are 32 grandchildren and their spouses and 63 great-grandchildren. Abe is also survived by one sister, Lena Sawatzky and one brother, Henry, many nieces, nephews and Susie's large family.

Here is a link to a slide show that shows glimpses into his life. 

The Life Story of Elisabeth Isaac

Elisabeth Isaac
October 25, 1911 to April 7, 2011

Elisabeth Isaac was born in 1911, in Alexanerfeld, Ukraine as the third child to Wilhelm and Katerina Klassen. Her father was a farmer, and Elisabeth helped around the farm in many ways. She married John Isaac on December 17, 1933 and was his wife for 69 years. In 1937, Elisabeth's father was taken away by the Russian KGB and he was never returned to the family. Her mother died 10 years later.

Elisabeth was baptized in 1942, when the churches were free again to gather in the Ukraine. Elisabeth and John had five children, however, their two youngest daughters both died in their childhood. In October 1943 the German army removed the family from their home in the Ukraine, and by March of 1944 they had been relocated to Poland. Shortly after that John was drafted into the German army and Elisabeth continued to raise the children on her own. In January 1945, Elisabeth and the chidlren were moved to Germany. They were eventually discovered by the Soviets, and were sent back to the Soviet Union as prisoners in October 1945. During the next 10 years, Elisabeth was forced to work in the forests of Bashkiria. They had to clear trees and pile logs. In 1958 the family moved to Kazakhstan. Here, Elisabeth was able to take care of the family and her home. She also enjoyed the birth of several of her grandchildren.

Elisabeth had no contact with John while he was in the German army. Finally, in 1956, she received a letter from him, 12 years after she had last seen him. John had immigrated to Canada in 1948 and settled in the St. Catharines area. He began to make arrangements for the family to move to Canada in the late 1950s. Elisabeth and her oldest daughter, Tina, were finally able to join John in November of 1966.

Elisabeth and John were separated from each other for 22 years. They were privileged to share many happy years together after they were reunited. In 1971, their son, John, and his family were allowed to come to Canada and join the family. And their daughter, Aganeta, and her family were permitted to come to Canada in 1973. After all these years of separation, the family was happy to be together again. They thanked God for the gift of restoring the family and blessing them with a new life in Canada.

After settling in Canada, Elisabeth enjoyed taking care of the home and family. She enjoyed many hobbies such as crocheting, quilting and needlepoint. She was also a talented seamstress.

The whole family enjoyed renting cottages in the summer at Golden Lake in Killaloe, Ontario. Elisabeth loved gardening and had a beautiful rose garden in front of their house on Agar Drive in St. Catharines. The entire family shared many special meals and good times at this home. Christmas Eve was special and the family would always gather to celebrate the holidays. Some special dishes remembered by the grandchildren were Vereneke, baked cheesecake with the diamond pattern topping, thin pancakes, homemade noodles, and many other baked goods. Her recipes were always a secret, even if she would tell you the ingredients.

Elisabeth Isaac died at the age of 99 years and 5 months at Tabor Manor Nursing home. She was a strong and determined woman who was able to overcome many difficulties while still smiling. She enjoyed sharing stories with others and had a terrific sense of humour. Elisabeth is survived by her children: Tina Wiens, John Isaak (Elfrieda) and Aganeta Schmidt. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by two daughters, eight brothers and sisters, two sons-in-law and by her dear husband, John.

Just Foolin' Around

On Friday night, my niece showed off her skill as part of a team skate to the Mario Brothers' theme song and then Saturday afternoon she performed her solo and earned a silver medal for it. So very proud of her!!

SKATERS READY FOR SHOWCASE
More than 200 figure skaters, including national pairs champion Kirsten Moore-Towers (of St. Catharines)
and Dylan Moscovitch will perform at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Skating Club’s annual year-end Showcase
this Friday. The International Skating Union has the duo ranked 21st in the world. The theme of the
Showcase is‘Just Foolin’ Around’ to coincide with April Fools’ Day. The age ranges
from 2-58 years-old. The event starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children.

upcycling some denim

Life around here just doesn't slow down. Now that my folks are back from Paraguay, my mom is on a sewing kick. For a few years, she's been gathering jeans from anybody and everybody who would give them to her. Now those piles of jeans are being cut up into 6" squares (by yours truly ~ thank goodness for rotary cutters!!) and being sewn into quilts (by my mom).

The original plan was to do a bedspread for my nephew. Once that was done, a new plan emerged - a picnic blanket for 3 of my cousins and a "car blanket" for my mom. The plan seems to have been altered again - now it's to do as many as possible using the jeans we've got. And hopefully, it will be warm enough to work in the garden by the time we run out of jeans.

Mom is sewing away and the piles of old jeans that were at our house
are slowly growing smaller. I figure it takes about 10 pairs of jeans
to get the number of squares she needs to make each blanket.

This is the top of one of the finished
blankets. This one is 77"x77".

This is the top of one of the finished
blankets. This one is 66"x77".