Easter

The One Can’t-Miss-Never-Too-Late Easter Activity

Spring Break galloped through town last week, and while we did plenty of Easter celebratory things during her visit, we didn’t get to everything on my list.

I bought all the grocery fixings for a genuine Passover meal, but it didn’t happen.

I double checked we had all the supplies for dying Easter eggs, but that didn’t happen, either.

I’m slowly learning to lower my holiday expectations, so I’m not too concerned with what I didn’t get done before Easter. It doesn’t matter if the kids and I dyed eggs or participated in every egg hunt, if we wore sparkly new Easter duds or made our bird nests.

What matters before Easter is that we remember and reflect and retell the Easter story.

What matters after Easter is that we live like we believe the Easter story is true. And this is the part I forget.

We can sit in Easter Sunday church full of gratefulness for the gospel and then find ourselves slammed into a Monday and Tuesday full of strife, condemnation, and hurts. No doubt, all of us sit squarely in the middle of mucky circumstances. Sometimes we jumped into the puddle ourselves, sometimes others push us. Voices out loud and in our heads say ugly things.

But we aren’t just saved from sin and for heaven. We are saved for battles won here on this earth, too.

“The resurrection declares in advance of the event God’s total victory over all evil and oppressive forces – such as death, evil and sin. Their backbone has been broken, and we may begin to live now in the light of that victory…”

~ Alister E. McGrath

We shakily stand up bruised and dirty, knowing we might find ourselves knee-deep in the mud again. We look to God who is not only our hope of heaven, but also our Healer and Helper with an outstretched hand right now.

Today, may you experience Christ knowing you have the same power that rolls stones and raises dead with you and in you.

May you stop doubting and believe, living now in the light of that victory, which is the only Easter activity that matters.

{Just a reminder that this Thursday is our next out of the blue link up. Our prompt is confidence. Read here for the details!}

April 2, 2013 3 Comments Filed Under: Confidence, Easter, Encouragement

Hope Rises

By Kristen

In the end, we can absolutely always count on this:

Life’s stones roll away and Hope rises.

Our Savior Lives.

Happy Resurrection Day, friends.

March 31, 2013 Filed Under: Easter

When Easter Is Your Struggle and Your Song

By Kristen

“How do we measure the size of a fire? By the number of firefighters and fire engines sent to fight against it. How do we measure the seriousness of a medical condition? By the amount of risk the doctors take in prescribing dangerous antibiotics or surgical procedures. How do we measure the gravity of sin and the incomparable vastness of God’s love for us? By looking at the magnitude of what God has done for us in Jesus, who became like a common criminal for our sake and in our place.” ~Fleming Rutledge

Since last Mother’s Day, my little lemon tree gift sits in our dining room like the quiet kid at the back of the class. She’s not causing problems, but not contributing much, either. That is, until recently when she decided to shoot a hand in the air in the form of lily white flowers. We couldn’t help but swing our heads around and admire their beauty and divine smell.

Then, just a few days ago, my son pointed out the makings of teeny tiny lemons. After a whole year, our tree has fruit! But before the lemons could burst forth in all their citrus glory, the flowers had to shrivel and die.

I don’t know why it’s so hard to accept that sacrifice comes before the fruit.

I’ve always struggled a bit with Easter, and I thought it was because the sacrifice – the barbaric behavior that resulted in the bloody and broken body of Christ – makes me squirm. How could people treat someone – let alone Jesus – like that? But I’ve discovered what really makes me incredibly uncomfortable is knowing I helped put Him on the cross. My sins are nails and thorns and choruses of crucify him.

I’m the one who’s bloody and broken who deserves the worst but receives the best. It just doesn’t sit well but a gift is a gift and I open my hands to receive it once again: With Jesus’ sacrifice, the knowledge of the incomparable vastness of God’s love for us.

And so Jesus is not left on the cross but lives and breathes in heaven. He lives and breathes in you. In me. We aren’t left to shrivel but alive to sing because we. are. saved.

His sacrifice, your saving grace.

His sacrifice, your abundant fruit.

May you walk light and free in the power of His resurrection knowing God loves you more than you’ll ever fathom.

Have a blessed Easter week, friends.

March 26, 2013 7 Comments Filed Under: Easter

For Easter: To Know What Love Is

By Kristen

“The whole point of this life is the healing of the heart’s eye through which God is seen.”

St. Augustine

I am fascinated by the apostle John, the passionate one Jesus nicknamed “son of thunder.” Scripture paints John as the disciple closest to Jesus, and we know John was the one and only disciple at the cross. John witnessed first hand Jesus’ miracles and amazing teachings, but I don’t think those are the reasons why He kept close to his Savior. While the Lord’s miraculous works and words solidified John’s faith in Him, it was Jesus’ transforming work in John’s own heart that kept him sticking to Jesus like a bee to honey. He saw, heard, and felt what loving Jesus does. Eventually, this “son of thunder” became more known as the “apostle of love.” His passion motivated by love more than anger, John experienced a personality change, a heart transformation.

Situations reveal different reactions when our hearts get a dose of Jesus transformation. There is no doubt about it: Loving Jesus changes hearts, changes lives.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”

1 John 3:16

So you know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down His life.

So I know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down His life.

Throughout this Easter season, may the finishing work of the cross remind us of Christ’s transforming love. May we not just see and hear of this love, but may we feel and know it in the furthest corners of our hearts. It is a gift as real as anything on God’s green earth. No matter how quiet or passionate our personalities, may Jesus smooth our rough edges as He molds our hearts to reflect His love. And may our every action find motivation in this love.

Happy Easter, beloved.