Easter 2021

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Easter 2021…what a change this past year has been.  

Last year, Easter was just about forgotten.  We had just ventured into the lockdown for Covid-19, and were unable to attend church as usual for that holiday.  Our church MAY have started having a drive-in service, but I don’t really remember.  I do remember that even that service was outlawed for a time.  We were devastated.  At least, with today’s technology, we were able to have the service on youtube and could still worship “collectively.”

I remember Easter from many past years.  I remember that was a time for getting a new “outfit” for Easter.

1944 – Easter – Dallas, Texas – Bill and Judy

1952 – Easter – Albuquerque, New Mexico – Bill and Judy

1955 – Easter – Albuquerque, New Mexico – Bill and Judy

1956 – Easter – Albuquerque, New Mexico – Bill, Judy and Boots

1957 – Easter – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Judy and DiVoran Bowers (soon to be DiVoran Lites)

After Fred and I married, we were too “student” poor for that to happen, but I still had plenty of clothes that still fit, and our new church friends hadn’t seen any of those outfits anyway, so it was “new” at that point.

I remember one Easter that Fred and I had traveled from Fort Worth, Texas back to Albuquerque.  Of course, we stayed with my parents, and went to the Easter Sunrise Service, held at the football stadium on the campus of the University of New Mexico (UNM).  That sunrise coming over the East mountains was breathtaking! 

1964 – Easter – Albuquerque, New Mexico – Fred and Judy

On another note, Fred and I have attended one Easter Sunrise service at SeaWorld here in Orlando.  It is held in Bay Stadium, and some of the local radio and TV celebrities and musicians held the service.  It is quite meaningful.

But that brings me back to Easter 2020.  In spite of the lockdown – in spite of not being able to hold services inside the church building – Easter still came last year!  The time our Saviour walked out of that grave is all the Easter we need!

Found on Google and FaceBook

The government may think they can stop our worship…oh how WRONG they are!  If they will just study history, they will see that when the church (Christians) are persecuted and their gatherings are curtailed…the church grows!!  And grows stronger in the faith.  God is stronger than anything!  In a small way, I am glad to be living in the time when the church is persecuted, and I have a front-row seat to see the believers getting deeper and deeper into their faith in God.  Remember – the “church” is NOT the building where we meet.  The “church” is all the believers that worship the One and True Living God!

And so…on this Easter morning 2021, the very best thing I can say to you is

HE IS RISEN!!   HE IS RISEN INDEED!  HALLELUJAH!

Credit ChurchArt

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Tags: Easter, Easter memories