Spring is Getting Icy!

Not many people think the first day of a new season is worthy of celebration. So the earth hits a certain point in its orbit around the sun, and the weather changes a little. Big deal.

Italian ice lovers think it’s a big deal. For 16 years, Rita’s Ice has been serving up free cups of its delicious treat on the first day of Spring. Any flavor you want. All day long.

I remember the first year I tried Rita’s on the first day of Spring. It was the first time I’d ever tried the stuff, and what a better way to sample than get a free cup on a warm sunny day. Now I go every year, and this year I shivered in the wind 15 minutes for a frozen cup of Birthday Cake-flavored ice. Yeah, it’s that good.

What I admire about Rita’s is their willingness to give. Sure, it’s a way to attract new customers (it worked on me), but they have to be losing money on this thing. But the Rita’s giveaway accomplishes more than just boosting future sales. It bonds people together. Groups of people come out of the woodwork just to get a free ice, no matter how warm or cold it is that day. You’re in line for 15 minutes or more, and everyone is having a good time because they’re getting a free treat. People mingle, and aren’t afraid to joke around with others they’ve never seen before.

What is so striking about this event is that to me it seems so natural. Spring is welcomed by chirping birds, grass starting to turn green, leaves budding, animals scurrying around, and now by humans eating flavored ice. It just fits.

Way to go, Rita’s. Greeting the warm weather with 10 million ounces of ice. Brilliant!

Trap Door Sun

I just wanted to take a moment to plug a new site that’s starting up. Trap Door Sun is a website and blog that will feature

“engaging interviews, whimsical blogging, and overall tasty cultural something, something, something.”

So far they’ve got their first issue of interviews up, and the blogging is continuous.

The site is primarily operated by Tim Willard, a friend of one of my friends. He’s got a heart for God, and has quite a way with words. I look forward to keeping up with this one in my RSS reader. Check it out!

Trap Door Sun

The Perfume

Beauty is important to girls. Make-up, nail polish, scrunchies, bobby pins, lotions, earrings, clothing, headbands, curling irons, tanning, dresses and rings. And perfume. Girls enjoy dressing nice and fixing themselves up to look their very best.

A long time ago, a certain girl wanted to look especially spectacular on her wedding day. She found a special bottle of perfume, made from very rare flowers. The perfume was the most pleasing aroma that she’d ever experienced. This perfume was very expensive, and so she saved up her money for a whole year to purchase the perfume.

Finally, she bought the perfume. She cherished that perfume, and locked it away for safekeeping. Every time she thought of the perfume, she would smile and think of her future husband. She knew that he would love her scent on their wedding day.

As the girl grew up, her innocence was lost and she forgot about that future husband. She sold her body to pay her rent and put food on her table. The perfume remained locked away, but it was never forgotten by the young woman. It was her most precious possession.

Eventually the girl’s profession was discovered, and she was to be publicly executed for her crime. But a Man stepped in just as she was about to be executed. He challenged the executioners: let the man who has never done wrong be the first to harm her. One by one, people trickled away.

The girl was overwhelmed with gratitude toward the Man. He revealed to her that He was the Savior of all men, and to place her trust in Him.

Here’s the cool part: she did. The girl’s name was Mary, and she became one of Jesus’ followers. She realized that He was King, and she worshipped Him by emptying the bottle of her expensive perfume on His feet. Talk about worship! She gave her most precious possession to her Lord. And yet, she probably felt that her bottle of perfume was so little compared what He had done for her.

Today, the average salary is $40,000-50,000. Mary poured out a $50,000 bottle of perfume onto her Savior’s feet. But more than that, she gave up something she had saved for her husband–something very close to her heart.

Mary gave of her possessions and of her heart, because her Savior is worthy of all worship.

What do you give Him?