Letters from Larry: Palm Sunday

 

Good Sunday Afternoon Everyone:

Today is Palm Sunday as well as the Beginning of the Jewish celebration of Passover. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter that begins the Christian Holy Week. It is the day that we remember and celebrate the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem as Savior and King. As Jesus rode a donkey into the town of Jerusalem a large crowd gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across the road, giving Jesus royal treatment.

The hundreds of people shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Palm Sunday is a moveable holiday meaning its date changes each year based on Lent and the spring equinox. Many churches celebrate Palm Sunday with the waving of palm branches, singing traditional hymns, and making crosses out of palm fronds. But while this is a triumphal entry, it is Jesus’ first step toward His death.

Palm Sunday Fast Facts

·         Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Holy Week and celebrates

·         Jesus as the Messiah

·         the Biblical account of Palm Sunday is found in all four Gospels:

·         Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19

Passover

The original Passover, found in the Bible, is a memorial to God passing over the houses of the children of Israel when He killed the firstborn of man and beast in Egypt. This miraculous event and its meaning occurred during the night of the fourteenth of the Hebrew month Nisan.

On that night I will go through the land of Egypt, killing every first-born male, both human and animal, and punishing all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood on the doorposts will be a sign to mark the houses in which you live. When I see the blood, I will PASS OVER (from where we get the term Passover) you . .. (Exodus 12)

The Bible meaning of the Passover, for the New Testament Christian, revolves around the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is a memorial of his death as the true Lamb of God. Believers partake of unleavened bread and wine in remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus' beaten body and shed blood. This sacrifice makes possible the forgiveness of our sins.

Passover lasts for a week just like the Christian Holy Week.

5 Things about Palm Sunday that Remind Us

Christ is King

1. God's Word tells us the people cut palm branches and waved them in the air, laid them out on the ground before Jesus as He rode into the city.

The palm branch represented goodness and victory and was symbolic of the final victory He would soon fulfill over death. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 1 Cor. 15:55

2. Jesus chose to ride in on a donkey, which directly fulfilled Old Testament prophecy of Zech. 9:9. In Biblical times, it was common for kings or important people to arrive by a procession riding on donkey. The donkey symbolized peace, so those who chose to ride them showed that they came with peaceful intentions. Jesus even then reminded us that He is the Prince of Peace.

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Zech. 9:9

3. When the people shouted "Hosanna!" they were hailing Christ as King. That word actually means "save now," and though in their own minds they waited for an earthly king, God had a different way in mind of bringing true salvation to all who would trust in Him.

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!"Ps. 118:26 "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Rom. 10:9

4. The Bible says that Jesus wept for Jerusalem. In the midst of the praise of the moment, He knew in His heart that it wouldn't be long that these same people would turn their backs on Him, betray Him, and crucify Him. His heart broke with the reality of how much they needed a Savior.

"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it, and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes." Luke 19:41-42

5. Palm Sunday reminds us that the reign of Christ is far greater than any the mind of man could ever conceive or plan. Man looked for someone to fight their battles in the present day world. Yet God had the ultimate plan of sending His Son to fight the final battle over death. This is the greatness of why we celebrate this week. Because of Christ's ultimate sacrifice, we can be set free of death.

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,'  John 11:25

We have so much to be grateful for this week. The enemy knows that, and you can bet, he's going to do everything he can to try and distract us away from the true meaning of what this Holy Week means. Don't let him win.

In this Holy Week, may God direct our thoughts and attention towards what matters most, Jesus Christ our King...

Let's choose to focus on worshipping our Lord, thanking Him for the gift of His sacrifice, celebrating the power of the Resurrection, and the new life found in Him alone. Grace. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15

Palm Sunday Scriptures

Zechariah 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

John 12:12-19 - The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

Luke 19:11-44 - “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:  

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

May God Bless YOU and YOURS!

Much love and Shalom to Our Jewish readers as you begin Passover.

Larry

 

NOTE: This letter is sent to anyone interested in receiving these inspirational notes. There is no charge and you are encouraged to forward these to anyone you think would benefit from reading them. If you would like to receive them direct, just send an email to me at larryperry@att.net and request to be added to the Letters from Larry list.  

The Boots by J.A. Hall

 

I found them sitting quietly on a shelf in a secondhand store. They weren’t brand new, but were slightly used. Their color was somewhere between a dark tan and a light brown. They were made of brushed suede, had a short square wooden heal, and the toes were squared, not pointed like most cowboy boots. They had leather straps that crossed over both sides with a round, brass ring. The bottom of the heels had a small metal plate on them that made a clicking sound on the pavement.

I was 12 years old that summer. My mother and I were living on our own and money was always tight. It was county fair time and I was going to show my horse for the very first time. I was in 4-H and our advisors worked with use very morning to get us prepared for the upcoming show. We would wash and groom our horses, clean, and polish our saddles, and get our show outfits together. My mother had put an outfit together for me out of some of her old things. It looked really nice, but the only thing I still needed was a pair of cowboy boots. It seemed like all the other kids had boots as a matter of course, but I had always made do with my old tennis shoes. I knew that we couldn’t afford to buy me a new pair of boots just for this one horse show. My mother had suggested that I might borrow a pair of boots from someone who might have an extra pair. It was probably a good suggestion, but I was too embarrassed to ask anyone. I would just have to try and figure out something on my own.

The day before the horse show my mother showed up at the fairgrounds during her lunch hour. She told me that a lady she worked with had told her about a secondhand clothing store in Chauncey that might have a pair of used boots at a reasonable price. We went to the store and looked around, but we weren’t having much luck. We were about to leave when I saw them sitting alone on a shelf. I took them down and tried them on. They fit me as if they were made for me. Mother asked the clerk how much he wanted for the boots. He said they were $15.00. Mother didn’t say anything, but I knew $15.00 was a great deal of money to us. She told the clerk that she would have to think about it and that we would come back later. We left the store and headed back to the fairgrounds. In those few brief moments I had gone from sheer joy in finding the boots, to complete emptiness in losing them. I still didn’t know what I was going to do about boots for the horse show. I was running out of time. Mother told me to say a little prayer and not to worry because God answered prayers. I went back to the barn and started brushing my horse and tried to forget about it.

The day of the horse show started out beautifully. The sun was bright and the sky was clear. You could feel the excitement in the air as kids were preparing for the show. Everyone was in his/her best show outfits. I was just about to get into mine when I saw my mother’s car come flying into the fairgrounds with her horn blowing and her arm waving for me to come over to the car. I ran over to the car and sitting next to my mother on the front seat were the boots! I was frozen with shock and I couldn’t hear or say anything. Mother handed me the boots through the open car window and gently said, “Go get them, Netty!” I gave her the biggest hug that was ever given to any mother before and raced back to the barn with my new boots. I put them on and felt like a million dollars. God had answered a prayer, but since I hadn’t been the one that said one, it must have been my mother.

It has been a long time since that summer. We had some great times that summer, just mother and me. I still remember those boots and the joy they brought. After I outgrew the boots, I gave them to a young girl who didn’t have a pair. I hope they brought her as much enjoyment as they did to me.

Connect with J.A. Hall

facebook – Little Meadow Farm

 

J.A. Hall is the author of the new children’s book Bandit Finds a Home (Monday Creek Publishing 2020). Hall grew up in southeastern Ohio riding horses and is the proprietor of Little Meadow Farm. She will be attending the 2021 Ohioana Book Festival in April and will be featured by Ohioana Zoom, April 23, 2021, 11AM. Find the link at Ohioana.org when it becomes available. Connect with Hall on facebook @ Little Meadow Farm.

Milliron Monday: A Letter from Jim 3 22 21

 

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017). A graduate of Colorado State University and a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, Dr. Smith continues to motivate and inspire. 

There were many letters and sentiments from Pete's memorial service, insights to a life well lived, shared in letters from Pete's siblings - Carol, Janet, Susie, and Jim. 

Jim's letter...

 Age and circumstance kept me from having much of a sibling relationship with Pete. I was only eight years old when our family moved from Denver back to New England. Pete stayed behind, working his way, without parental assistance, through Colorado State University. There he met Jody as an undergraduate and then stayed as a young married man working his way through vet school shoeing horses and working at a dog track.

Before he was married, Pete worked summers at the Bosler ranch north of Laramie. He got paid in Black Angus cattle which multiplied and formed the beginning of his Milliron Land & Cattle Company. The clinic was named after it. A true self-made man. I admired that about Pete.

When I was 13, I was given the opportunity to work on the same ranch. I was a real screw-up compared to Pete. Mr. Bosler made that pretty clear to me!

Later, when Pete moved to Athens, I had the privilege in my early 20s of spending vacation time now and then with the family. I accompanied Pete on his large animal house calls in his veterinary truck with its hot water heated by the exhaust system. I watched Pete do everything from Caesarian section on a cow in some pasture to castrating a horse – I nearly fainted at the horse incident.

I admired Pete tremendously for his independence, his success, his risk-taking, his everything. Despite my limited exposure to him, I can say he was a role model, although I hardly turned out anything like him.

I rarely saw Pete in recent decades, but I always made a point to call him on his birthday, June 16^th. The last time we spoke was on Pete and Jody’s 50^th wedding anniversary last September. Ironically, my only pet is a parrot, and Pete wasn’t trained in that part of the animal kingdom. But many may not know that Pete’s first pet was a crow that he named “Pliny.” That was Pete’s middle name, and he hated it, I’m told, so he gave it to the crow. “Pete” was a nickname, not his middle name. My parrot is named Flower, which tells you how different we are. I’ll miss him. 

Sending love and blessings to Jim today.

Have a great week ahead.

Connect with Gina...

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.

Izza The Poet

 Follow on Instagram @izzapoetry

Follow on Instagram @izzapoetry

Milliron Monday: A Letter from Janet 3 15 21

 

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017). A graduate of Colorado State University and a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, Dr. Smith continues to motivate and inspire. 

From Pete's memorial service, sister Janet writes fond memories and love for her brother.

Janet's letter...

 Pete is perhaps no longer with us physically but there is something about Pete that makes that not applicable in his case – he was bigger than life and is therefore always going to be with us! I was reminded recently about how that actually works – a neighbor has a dog that has been getting sudden cramps which then disappear – he has trouble walking – wobbles along. They have spared nothing in vet costs to find out what it is. I immediately thought, “Let me call Pete!” Knowing Pete, maybe he’ll figure out a way to answer us from where he is! Let’s hope! We need his animal smarts.

My friend Christine Chauvin who organizes horseback rides around the world had the pleasure of having Pete on one of her rides in Ecuador. I had broken my back and couldn’t go myself and knew Pete would love the experience so he went in my place. Christine thought Pete was a wonderful addition to the ride – a rather unusual group as there were several men on that particular ride. That is not usually the case.

Pete was always a source of laughs, great stories and whenever there were animal problems, he had the solution. On a ride she had in Africa, one of the favorite horses of the organizer had been having serious stomach problems which no vet had been able to help. Christine knew one vet that she could count on – she called Pete. He asked questions, and without hesitation came up with a suggestion. Yogurt with charcoal as I recall (don’t pin me down on that one!), with instructions on how to actually get it down the horse’s throat. Within a short time the horse was fine again. How little sister Janet (he always called me Nanny. From him that was quite ok!) is proud when she hears stories like that. And there are many such stories.

When the opportunity came up for our daughter Anna to come and spend a summer working with Pete, Jody and Jessica doing various chores, I thought “great!” At least Anna will get a chance to spend a summer with this amazing family. Chores with Pat were not included – probably lucky for both Anna and Pat! She’s not a numbers person! It was quite a different experience for her to be working on a farm with all that involves and in a clinic seeing operations and understanding that side of a vet’s work, and without the big city life she is so used to. I was actually envious of her. I have always loved visiting Milliron Farm and having all the animals around me – being a part of Pete’s world.

Pete visited our world when we were living and working in Venezuela. That was a great time for us all. I had long talks with Pete on just about every subject. Pete was well read – he had an amazing frame of reference because of that. He had no trouble finding lots to talk about with people who had never left the city environment!

He seemed to enjoy it all and was always up to learning more! I remember we had a lot of coffee table books in our house. There were some really interesting ones – which most of us just leaf through – checking out the beautiful pictures. Well, with Pete it was a completely different story! He read most of them! I can’t remember how long he was with us – too short as time flew by – but he managed to read many of those books and came with floods of questions about Venezuela’s this or that.

Pete lived his life – some of us just let it flow on. That’s ok but oh how much more Pete must have experienced in his all too short time with us. He wanted to get the most out of his life and he made sure he did just that. He always had the loving support of Jody which was incredibly important to him. She went into overdrive to make sure he got a passport in time for the ride in Ecuador. I am sure that was standard procedure for her and Pete understood and loved this about Jody. That they had their love of animals in common was an important strength in every aspect of their lives.

We will miss Pete but he’s always going to be here with us! After all he was/is bigger than life!

  

Sending love and blessings to Janet today.

Have a great week ahead.

Connect with Gina...

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.

An Interview with Ohio Author Dr. jw Smith

 

An Interview with Ohio Author Dr. jw Smith

After 30 years as a professor in the field of Communication Studies, Dr. jw Smith reminisces about some of his experiences and how his race and differently abled intersectionality have influenced documented encounters. As a black and totally blind individual, he muses about how this distinction has both colored and shed light on what might have been innocuous or unremarkable encounters otherwise.
 
I caught up with Dr. Smith to talk about his book, writing, and what he would like readers to take away from his memoir From the Back of the Bus to the Front of the Classroom: My Thirty-Year Journey as a Black and Blind Professor…
 
Welcome, jw!

GM: Dr. Smith, it has been great working with you. Thank you for the opportunity. What is the premise for your book?
jw: The premise of my book is to try and tell a unique story informed by race and differently abled status. The fact that the focus is on the context of higher learning and how the intersectionality of race and differently ableness has influenced the life and career of a professor has the potential to be at least intriguing.
 
GM: When you began writing your memoir, how did you maintain thoughts and ideas? 
jw: The process began with formulating the concept of the book in my mind and picturing how I wanted each chapter to look and the topics I wanted covered in them. Then I took brief notes so that I could that would not forget what I wanted to accomplish while dictating the book to my typist.
 
GM: What advice do you have for novice writers looking to write their first book/memoir?
jw: If you have an idea, write it down before you forget. Put yourself in the audience you are trying to address and remember that you can’t tell the whole story in one book.
 
GM: What are you currently reading?
jw: My usual reading includes books from James Patterson, David Boldacci, and Karin Slaughter.
 
GM: What are you currently writing?
jw: I am currently working on telling the story of a newly blinded woman that used to be in addition to many things, an FBI agent, and a drug dealer.
 
GM: Who is your favorite author?
jw: David Boldacci. He is my favorite because of his writing style and his ability to provide more than enough twists and turn in his plots.
 
GM: What is the most important lesson you would like readers to embrace from your book?
jw: I wanted my audience to understand and believe that someone can have a productive life even with so called ‘physical limitations’ (ie: blindness). And that much of life is about our attitude and outlook.
 
GM: Your book is a thought-provoking, honest story of your journey. What are your plans for the future? 
jw: I really would like to write a suspense thriller based on a unique assassin additionally, I would like to now tell the stories of others.
 
GM: Describe a day in your life...
jw: I know how to both work hard and play hard. A working day might include teaching two or three classes, writing two or three pages, and attending one or two meetings. A play day might include drinking lots of good wine, listening to good music, and thinking about good looking women with long hair.

Dr. Smith's book is available in Paperback, Audiobook, Braille
 
More about Dr. Smith…

Amazon
YouTube
Alden Library, Ohio University Author Event
Ohioana Library 2020 Participant Panel  
Athena Award 2019 The Athens Messenger

Milliron Monday: A Letter from Susie 3 8 21

 

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017). A graduate of Colorado State University and a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, Dr. Smith continues to motivate and inspire. 

March greetings. This month I am sharing letters from Dr. Smith's siblings, written for his memorial service. 

Susie's letter...

My big brother – that’s what Pete was to me, the third sibling among us five. He was always bigger than life, whether to his little two-year-old sister or to me now. And the adventures in his life were always just as big. He’d survived so many near-mythic accidents, I didn’t take this last one as seriously as everyone near him knew it to be. I missed him – and I miss him.

Pete and Jody called me up last Fall to thank me for some Maine newspaper horse stores I’d sent them. We talked for almost an hour, really rare, and in retrospect so special. That time, I found out he’d totaled his truck just months before and was pretty badly hurt himself – a first, he assured me. But he was fine, back to work, no problems.

That call was especially nice because getting his attention as a child or adult sibling always seemed hard for me. The only time I really impressed him, I thought, was when I showed up driving my ¾-ton Dodge diesel truck. The 1910 Stanley Steamer in the trailer didn’t impress him, just the truck pulling it. Or so I thought!

Living with Pete was always exciting. When I was about two, I was saving a base for him at a baseball game in our yard at 48 West Elm in Yarmouth. He came racing in, landed on my outstretched leg – and broke it! He was great at knife throwing and he demonstrated it once by making me stand next to a beam on the second floor of the barn while he threw his knife into the beam from the ground floor. I got to pull it out of the beam and drop it down to him, I guess – that part I don’t remember.

In fact, it had to be at 48 West Elm that Pete decided to be a veterinarian. We had cows, chickens, pigs, and at least seven horses. Dad, a gentlemen farmer as they used to call them, commuted 10 miles into Portland to work, so Pete probably helped Mom out with a lot of farm chores. By the time we moved to our Little River Farm on Casco Bay in Freeport, there were four of us, so Mom needed a lot of help.

At Little River, Pete was probably just a typical big brother. I remember very clearly his making me put his fishing worms in my pocket. One time he chased me up an apple tree in the front yard. In the excitement, I jumped from one limb to another and missed. That time, I had a broken arm. Our first year in Denver, 1952, all by myself I broke my wrist. With three broken bones before I was ten, I figured out I’d better be more careful, so I stopped breaking bones.

Once we moved to Denver, Pete was gone to me. He was so much older; we were never in school together. I remember proudly how he got a summer job at a ranch in the mythical Laramie, Wyoming – those were the days of great TV and movie “Westerns.” Visiting and riding around that huge ranch was always exciting. Then we came back East, and he went to vet school, rode broncs for sport, met and married the other passion of his life, Jody, had kids, and the rest is the history we celebrate today. 

Sending love and blessings to Susie today.

Have a great week ahead.

Connect with Gina...

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.