Our First Easter

This was our first married Easter! Ken had to work today, so we weren't able to visit family. We got up and went to the late service at church. Church was wonderful! It was nice to celebrate with our church family. We had the Lord's Supper/Communion and the sermon was really good.

After church, we came home and had a very unconventional/untraditional Easter lunch. Ken had ice cream and I had a Cadbury Egg. :) Then a little later we each had a left over enchilada. We were saving our appetite for the food I was cooking for Ken's work.

I cooked all afternoon. I was taking food up to Ken's work for everyong (there are only 6 of them) to celebrate Easter. I made Chicken Cresent Pockets, Mushroom Garlic Cream Tarts, Jalapeno Roll-Ups, and brownies. I took all the food up at the beginning of their shift and visited with everyone.

Then I ran to Lowe's and came home to paint. Later, I met Ken for dinner at Rib Crib and then home to relax before heading to bed.

Here is our Easter Picture! We had our pastor take it today at church. :)

The King of Kings is ALIVE!

Matthew 28

The Resurrection

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

The Guards' Report

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Even though He was alive and tomb was empty, people still didn't believe. For this reason, Christ walked the earth revealing Himself to people so there was NO doubt that He had risen!

John 20:10-31

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Jesus Appears to Thomas

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Before Christ ascended into heaven to go prepare a place for us, He gave us (believers) a charge. And, He promised that He would be with us ALWAYS! Believe His Word! Do not doubt what He says He will do!

Matthew 28:16-20

The Great Commission

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

He has RISEN indeed!

Happy Easter!

This will be the first Easter that I will not spend with my family. There were a few times in college that I didn't, but it was because my parents went to visit family in Texas...and with school, it was just too hard to get away. This year, they are actually at home but b/c of Ken's work schedule we are staying at our home. It's actually bitter-sweet for me.

The Bitter - That's pretty obvious. I am sad that we will be missing out on spending the afternoon with my family. We always gather at my mom and dad's house and have a big lunch. Everyone will be there tomorrow, except for us. My grandmother is even in town. I'm sure there will be an egg hunt and the weather is beautiful! I'll miss my family!

The Sweet - I've waited YEARS to be able to stay at home and go to my home church. To celebrate with my church family. I am so thankful that I get to do that this year. Because I am usually out of town on holidays, I miss out on being at my church. I am also thankful that I am married to an incredible man! He has an amazing work ethic. He loves the Lord! We get to celebrate together for the first time as a married couple. I'm very excited about it!

I don't really know what our plans are tomorrow. I was planning on cooking lunch for the two of us, but I couldn't find all my ingredients...so, now we will just have to play it by ear. :) I do know that I am going to take some food to Ken and his co-workers. These men and women get so used to working on holidays and weekends that I wanted to do something special for them.

We did already get our Easter Basket from my mom! I wish I would have taken pictures before we devoured it. I got this really cool PEZ set. I'm not a HUGE fan of Pez, BUT I am a huge fan of "The Wizard of Oz" ....and there is a Pez despenser for every main character! Its really cool! My mom also made me a decoupage egg. Its really pretty! We got our favorite candy (Cadbury Eggs and York Patties). Ken got his favorite...Peeps! Ruger and Lexis also got something. Lex got a rubber tire with a bell in the middle! She carries it around proudly. Ruger got a stuffed lamb that he immediately demolished. He can't stand the squeaker inside of toys. He rips and tears them up until he can get that thing OUT! So its now a carcass...he has pulled all the stuffing out, but he loves it and still plays with it.

I don't have many decorations, but I did get pictures of what I do have. Tomorrow I will miss my family very much, but I am so thankful to be with my husband, at our church and celebrating the resurrection of our Savior!

"Why do seek the living among the dead??? HE'S ALIVE!!!!!"

The Burial of A King

His followers grieved. Now what? Even though Jesus had told them what was to come, they doubted. Deep down, I wonder if there was a small glimmer of hope, but they were afraid to admit to each other that they truly believed the impossible....that He would return!

Matthew 27:57-66

The Burial of Jesus

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."

"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

But, take heart! Believe His Word! He cannot lie!!! Do not doubt what He can do! Do not doubt what He says He WILL do! He said He would return! Death could not hold Him! He WILL rise!

Songs For Life: Word of God Speak

Word of God Speak
by MercyMe

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice

Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
_____________________________________________

Ken and I just love this song. MercyMe is one of my favorite artists and I love their music. This has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Ken has just recently told me how much he loves it too. Last Saturday, we both just sat in the kitchen with it turned up on the computer.

Both of us were completely moved! We both sat in silence and were brought to tears. It may sound weird, but God was obviously working on both of us in different ways, under different circumstances.

The words are perfect! Sometimes we just need to sit in silence and let God be GOD! The last things we need is to talk it out...to let others hear what we have to say. Sometimes, silence is all we need or desire.

Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

Sometimes what is best for us is to just be quiet and let God speak. Let Him minister to you. To stop. To be silent. To listen.

See Him for who He is! Let Him wash over you. See His glory and majesty.

He will be exalted!

He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega!

He is God!

All that we need is Him alone!

Today, take time to be still and KNOW that He is your God!

The Death of A King

Christ endured the cross. A perfect man, God, was beaten and tortured and crucified...not because He did anything wrong, but because He was obedient to God, the Father's, plan. For each of us to come to Him, we needed a blood sacrifice to pay for our sins. He was that sacrifice. He took our place. He took what we deserve!

John 19:16-37

The Crucifixion

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it."
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
"They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."

Its Friday....But Sunday's Coming!!!

The Beating of A King

Tomorrow is Good Friday. I wish I had been more diligent in blogging all week about the final week in Christ's life. Tomorrow is not for sadness. It is appropriately named GOOD Friday. Its the celebration of the day that Christ died. And when He died, he paid for ALL sin! ONCE and FOR ALL! Sin is not something that He has to continually pay for. Every single sin of every single human was placed on Christ (God in the flesh). We needed someone to take our place. We need a Savior! There is no way that any person can be "good enough" to come into the presence of God. The only way to the Father is through His Son, Jesus. He came as 100% God to be 100% man. To live a perfect life, so that we don't have to live under the Law. He took all sin upon Himself. He died so that we would have life. And, most importantly, he conquered death and rose on the 3rd day! Praise the Lord God!!!! He's ALIVE!

All we have to do for salvation is BELIEVE that He alone can save! I believe and know that He saved me! I cannot make it to heaven without Him. That decision is left open for everyone. No matter how "bad" you think you are, there is NOTHING that God cannot forgive! Please, don't wait until you think you are "right with God" to make the decision! Believe today! Then follow Him!

The passage I am posting is from John 19:1-16

Jesus Sentenced to be Crucified

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.

Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."

The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."

When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.

"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.

But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.