Hello, God. It's me, Mara.

You know, Lord, sometimes unexpected things come together in surprising ways. "Miss Emy" was delighted about Easter and how her family really liked John 8:12, a verse Jesus told his followers, before the Resurrection. She recited it: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

She changed the subject then, talking about her company, which was mostly family, this time, and how she'd overheard some of the older ones speaking to the younger ones about how to Mind Their Manners. Some of the words she heard excited her; they were to be friendly, to answer correctly, to look the person in the face when talking to them. Also, they were to remember to smile, don't be late for dinner, behave, oh, and be courteous to all - older or younger. They were also to remember to be thankful for time, gifts, food, invitations, etc. She chuckled about that one for sure - as a bit later, twin boys in 3rd grade came and told her that they really loved being at her house, that she was a good cook and that they enjoyed their special time with Grandma. They also had noticed that she had washed her west windows and how there was the "light of the world" able to shine brightly into her house. She got a kick out of that as they also got some of the Bible verse included.

"Cindy" remarked, "We all need to take the same approach on our relationship with Jesus, ask Him for forgiveness, and allow the light of the world to shine brightly into our everyday life through prayers and Scripture."

Thank You, Lord, that You are the light of the world. We are forgiven, we are beautiful because of Your grace, thank You!

Love Mara