Today can be best described as just awesome! This RESURRECTION SUNDAY found me with a changed direction in my life - saved, set free and living for the Lord, needless to say, it was pretty special.
Me, L and the kids joined our dear friends (the L family) for an Easter Celebration at their church. It was a casual dress, spirit filled service, followed by an Easter egg hunt, a variety of outdoor activities and dinner, to boot. Might I add - dinner was um-um good. And yes, we got all this in one place. I guess that's why they called it The Easter Eggstravaganza. I toted the camera along, but there was just a ton of activity and as it turned out, I needed both hands to manage two very busy and super-excited little boys. I'm sorry to say I didn't get photos.
In the absence of pictures, imagine if you will, what it might have been like with a large group of Christians celebrating the rising of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, along with lots of plastic eggs stuffed full of the kids' favorite sugary treats. Can't you just see the FUN?
All week my soul has been filled with an indescribable JOY. I have been super-sensitive to what this day means and just in constant prayers of thanksgiving for God's great love. As I wandered in the grocery store after work on Tuesday, I saw a very frustrated mother standing outside her minivan, talking to her obviously out of chances child, "That's it!," she yelled "Easter is cancelled!" Oh, my! You just don't know, how I began thanking God (right there in the parking lot) that he was not like man. I'm sure that mother had every right to be frustrated and oh, I so know how our children can "take us there," but (as Romans 5:8 tells us) even while we were yet sinners - temper tantrums, bad behavior and all - Christ died for us! Thank God He didn't get frustrated with us and really cancel Easter! Even as they nailed Him to the cross, Jesus Christ cried out a prayer of forgiveness "Forgive them father, they know not what they do!" (Luke 23:34) I'm just glad Easter wasn't cancelled (did I say that already?).
As I stirred around this week getting ready for our fun-filled weekend, I kept a song in my heart. By the way, our weekend included: (1) The Easter parade at the boys' school on Friday:
(2) A fun family outing with the C family on Saturday - L and I have known Mr. and Mrs. C long before either of us were married or had young'uns and here we are, going on family outings with four of them. WOW! God is good.
(3) - Last but not least - the big celebration today.
Anyway, while preparing for all of this, there is one song in particular that I have sung, hummed and meditated on non-stop, we sang it at my church growing up and you may know it too:
"Because He lives I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone. Because I know, He holds the future, And life is worth the living just because He lives!"
"God sent his Son, they called him Jesus. He came to love heal and forgive. He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives."
There are many different renditions (country, contemporary, etc..) and here is a short sample of R&B artist Fantasia, singing it the way we did.
