When I was a little girl, we had skates that we used on the city streets of Knoxville.  They were the kind of skates you just slid your shoes into and tightened them with a key.  We wore the key on a string around our neck and off we would go.  There was a sidewalk 2 blocks down from us that went for several blocks so that's where we would skate most of the time.


In the winter, though, we didn't like to skate in the cold.  I don't know why, because ice skaters do, but for some reason we didn't.  We lived in a tiny little house but the kitchen was long rather than square.  On cold winter days, Mother would let us skate in the kitchen!   It had a linoleum floor (kids don't even know what linoleum is today!) so it didn't scar.  We would start at one end and skate to the other, then back and forth until we decided we were bored with that activity!


Why did I write about that in my blog?  Mainly because I started thinking about it the other day, and how amazing it was that our Mother, who was very very strict, let us do it!  Even though I knew my Mother was strict and I would never dare cross her, I look back and realize what a blessed childhood I had.  She would also spread a sheet over chairs to make a "tent" for us to play under in the winter when we couldn't go outside as much.  


I wonder how many people can say that they got to skate on their kitchen floor growing up?  I did and I count myself blessed.

Our church hosted a community egg hunt this morning in the field beside the church.  There is a huge government housing project on the other side of that field.  We thought it was going to be too cold, but it turned out that the temperature was just right.  Afterwards we served hot dogs, chips and cookies in the gym.

Our preacher, Paul, had bought several bicycles and several Easter baskets to give away.  Everyone was given a ticket when they came in, and if your number was called you won one of those prizes.

As the numbers kept being called the larger bicycles were taken.  There was one small one and one larger one left.  A boy sitting at a table with his Mom and several other children, had a winning ticket.   He came up to get his prize and he chose the smaller one.  When Paul asked him why he said it was for his sister, who was sitting at the table with him.   Because he was so unselfish, Paul told him to go ahead and take an Easter basket.

It's rare to see such a giving spirit in one so young.  Everyone in the gym cheered for him though, so I believe a lesson was learned today.  Hopefully it will make others want to give rather than always being on the receiving end.  After all
..."it is more blessed to give than to receive!"  Acts 20:35  Happy Easter!  "HE IS RISEN!  HE IS RISEN INDEED!