It Finally Feels Like Spring

Boker Tov:
It finally feels like Spring here in Virginia.
I was slowly awaken by the warmth of the rising sun and the singing of the blue birds just outside our bedroom window.
I laid there, in the warmth of my husband's arms, listening to his soft breathing, listening to the birds. It reminded of my childhood; the birds singing outside the window.
Mark stirred and I felt his eyes begin to open.
What a wonderful way to wake up in the morning. G_d's smile (sunshine) G_d's voice (the birds singing) and G_d's warm embrace (being held in my husband's arms)
We got up and prepared for the day. I brushed and dressed Montaque for the day as Mark made coffee. We had our and Mark took Monti for the first walk of the day while I got dressed.
We have been attending a Marriage Class at our former church, but because Mark had Drill and then just not having the money for gas, we have missed the last few classes. So this morning, we were able to attend, only to find there was no class. So back home we went, to have the morning meal and get Monti since we are going to visit a friend in a Rehab Center later in the day.
So right now, we are enjoying a second cup of coffee, enjoying the quiet of the day.
On the way home, we talked about the coming week.
This week is Preparation Week as we prepare to remember and partake of the Passover. Hebrews around the world for the past month have been cleaning their homes, top to bottom, removing all leaven (yeast) including anything that would contain yeast. This includes breads, cakes, cookies, etc. I have always believed this is where we get "Spring Cleaning," because everything is aired out and the house is refreshed.
Yeast is often pictured as sin and to clean our homes is to make us reflect upon our own spiritual state. How "clean" am I? Just as I use to have a hiding place for my cookies when I was a child (and my mother would find then during Spring Cleaning), so to we tend to look into places we haven't seen since last year, and find a nice little mess. How much better we are more attended to "hidden places." During this time, we stop buying and using leaven products, because the Passover is to be remembered in a "preparaed place."
When my son was a boy, we try to reenact as much of Passover as we could. I would remind him that Yeshua, as a Child, would have helped clean the house for Passover. That He would help remove the leaven in the house.
Yeshua even as an adult would keep Passover, even telling His Disciples to "go find and prepare the place that we make keep the Passover," the final week of His earthly life.
For us, it will be a far different Passover. We will not be hosting a Seder in our home. But we will be ridding our home from leaven, preparing our hearts and homes for this special time of the year.