Friday Foto Friends: Good Friday and a couple of surprises!

 It's Good Friday, the day we remember the great sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us for our salvation. There's more about that further down in this post, but right now I want to share with you a couple of nice surprises from yesterday!

Last evening our "kids" came over and we had an impromptu supper of chicken quesadillas with black beans, refried beans, salsa, sour cream...you know..."the works".  It was spontaneous and fun...they popped in and said "what's for supper?", and one thing led to another, and we had such a good time. And yes, the grandpups came along for the fun too.  After supper Rose was taking the pups out for a walk and she called me outside to see something that I had not ever seen before in my yard:

Way over beside the fence that separates our property from our neighbor was this gorgeous red flower blooming!  We have lived here almost 5 years, and this is the first time I've ever seen this flower in this yard!  I did not plant it. It has never popped up before!  

At first I thought Rose was playing a trick on me and that she had snuck this flower in and set it over there when I wasn't looking, but she said no, she did not do that.  Then I wondered if my neighbor had planted it at sometime when I wasn't looking, but then I thought, no, she wouldn't have done that, as there is a fence there between us.

I really was at a loss for words, because when we moved to this house there were NO flowering plants or shrubs growing anywhere in the yard.  The former owners used this home as a vacation home and did not do any kind of gardening or yard improvements in all the years they had owned it.

But there this beautiful red flower was blooming, just in time for Easter!  At first glance we thought it was an Amaryllis, but on closer look I realized it was different from the Amaryllis.  So I looked it up on my handy dandy "Google Lens" on my cell phone.  And here is what it says it is: 

Hippeastrum "Hippeastrum (/ˌhɪpiːˈæstrəm/)^[17] is a genus of about 90 species, and over 600 hybrids and cultivars, of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, from Mexico south to Argentina and on some islands in the Caribbean.  Hippeastrum is a genus in the family Amaryllidaceae (subfamily Amaryllidoideae, tribe Hippeastreae, and subtribe Hippeastrinae).^[18] For many years, there has been confusion among botanists, as well as collectors and the general public, over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum; the former is a South African genus of plants, while the latter is a new world genus. However, the common name "amaryllis" has been used for Hippeastrum for years, especially for the ornamental cultivars (sold as indoor flowering bulbs around November and December, for Christmas, in the Northern Hemisphere). Within the genus Hippeastrum exist many epiphytic species, as well, which may be found living in natural debris and leaf litter on the crooks of tree branches; by comparison, Amaryllis is a primarily terrestrial, southern African genus of perennial bulbs."

So there you have probably more information than you ever wanted about this flower! But isn't it amazing how it could suddenly just appear in my yard after living here for almost 5 years with no sign of it?  I'm still scratching my head over that one, but I will accept it as an Easter gift from God.  I especially appreciate it because my own Amaryllis plants did not bloom this year. They are some that I have planted and they are way over on the other side of the yard, far away from this plant, so they could not have spread over there.  'Tis a mystery, but I love this kind of mystery and surprise, don't you?

The next surprise was that Lily Grace (see link for more about her story) received a surprise package in the mail from her "Auntie Debbi and cousins Tracie and Amybelle" up in South Carolina. And along with some sweet pictures and an Easter card was this sweet little yellow umbrella (or "parasol"?) for Lily!

Her Auntie Debbi is always full of fun surprises and this was certainly one of them!

If you don't know the story, "Auntie Debbi" is the sweet friend who sent Lily Grace to me in the first place, and we've had so much fun together ever since.  And "Auntie Debbi" has become a very dear and friend, who is also a blogging friend, btw.  You can read more about her at her blog HERE, at Debbi's Front Porch". We also have met in person and had the greatest time together.  Blogging friends are the best!!!

So now on to the real story of this solemn day. This next part is a repost of what I wrote back for Good Friday in 2017.  The story is still the same throughout all the ages...so please come back with me as we remember what Jesus did for us over 2000 years ago at Calvary:

Original Post from Good Friday, 2017:

It's Good Friday...and all day I've struggled with what to write.  

The cross of Christ is where my mind and heart have been.  

This is the day that we remember Christ's crucifixion upon the cross...how He suffered and died to save us from our sins and give us eternal life.

These pictures are of the floating cross at the 

Warren W. Willis Youth Camp in Fruitland Park, Florida.

It was at this very cross that I fully surrendered my heart and life to the Lord as a teenager,

and committed myself to serve Him all the rest of the days of my life.

The hymn, "At The Cross", by Isaac Watts says it best.  

1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed
   And did my Sov’reign die?
   Would He devote that sacred head
   For such a worm as I?
2. 
   

Refrain :

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!

1. Was it for crimes that I had done
   He groaned upon the tree?
   Amazing pity! grace unknown!
   And love beyond degree!
2. 
   

1. Well might the sun in darkness hide
   And shut his glories in,
   When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
   For man the creature’s sin.
2. 
   
   
3. Thus might I hide my blushing face
   While His dear cross appears,
   Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
   And melt my eyes to tears.

4. 

   Photo via https://www.facebook.com/pg/warrenwilliscmp/photos/?ref=page_internal

   
   
5. But drops of grief can ne’er repay
   The debt of love I owe:
   Here, Lord, I give myself away,
   ’Tis all that I can do.

   • 

     Photo via https://www.facebook.com/pg/warrenwilliscmp/photos/?ref=page_internal

     
     
   • Refrain :
     At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
     And the burden of my heart rolled away,
     It was there by faith I received my sight,
     And now I am happy all the day!

Remember friends, It may be Good Friday today...but rejoice! Easter's coming!!!   Praise God!!  May your Easter be filled with joy and  many blessings.  

Update: I added this video below on 4/3/18, which is a video of this same cross, with the sun rising behind it on Easter Morning, 4/1/18.  Since this link comes from Facebook, I'm not sure if everyone can open it...but it is worth a try. I wanted to preserve it here with these other pictures of the same cross.  I did not take this video...it came from the camp website.

https://www.facebook.com/warrenwilliscmp/videos/10155449541667405/