HE is Risen...HE is Risen Indeed!!!

"Peace be with you! Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe.  Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:26-27 & John 20:29

Easter Sunday is so much more than new, pretty, bright clothes, and Easter egg hunts.  It is about a perfect, sinless man giving His life on the Cross so that we may be saved and have an eternal life with Him in Heaven.  It's about celebrating His resurrection and thanking Him for this life He has given us.  It's about spending time with family and celebrating the fact that we are forgiven because Jesus was scorned, beaten, and put to death in the most gruesome and humiliating death.  I think about all this and it truly blows me away.  I have a hard time sometimes wrapping my head around the fact that I am loved by my Father in Heaven unconditionally that He would send His Son to die on the Cross for me.  But, He didn't just die for me.  He died for all of us.  He wants us to come to Him, accept Him as our Lord and Savior, and follow Him.  While sitting at church on Sunday, they re-enacted the scene where Judas betrays Jesus and the Roman soldiers come to capture Him to be taken to the high priest.  The high priest's servant, Malchus, was the one that was sent to convince Judas to betray Jesus.  When the Roman soldiers come to capture Him, one of the disciples cuts off Malchus's ear.  Jesus, knowing that Malchus was behind all of this, reached out to him, touches him, and re-attaches his ear.  He knows what Malchus has done, and yet He still showed him love.  Later on during the service, they re-enacted Jesus carrying the Cross on His back and He was beaten and bloody and struggling to carry the Cross.  All the while the Roman soldiers are mocking Him.  Then, in the background, they began hammering the nails.  All you could hear was the hammer beating down on the nails, going into Jesus's hands and feet, and then into the wood.  I just sat there in tears listening.  I don't know about you, but I can't believe that someone did that for me.  An imperfect human and a sinner.  He has shown me so much love, grace, kindness, and forgiveness.  Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  We are all weary and burdened.  Life throws us through all kinds of loops.  But, I know one thing is for sure, and that's that there is no way that I can get through this crazy life on my own!  I need Jesus to take my hand and lead me and I need to follow Him.  All he wants is for us to follow Him, for us to live a life that is filled with His light and bring people closer to Him.  He died on the Cross and then He rose from the grave...for all of us.  That's what Easter is all about. I want nothing more than to live my life so that is pleasing to Him.  If He could die on the Cross for me, I think that I can do nothing more than to live my life for Him.  I hope everyone had a very blessed Easter!   "Oh How He Loves Us!"

Me and Cody in front of my parent's house after church on Easter Sunday

LOVE this man!!!

Me and my little brother...couldn't ask for a better brother...who is also my BFF!!!

Airicka, Me, Aaron, Cody, and Eli...our niece and nephews...love our sweet family :-)

The Easter dinner that I cooked.  I decided to do the traditional ham...but then make the sides be breakfast foods!  We are a breakfast loving family...so why not have it for dinner?!?!?

And again...the ham, fruit salad, eggs, blueberry french toast, and monkey bread!  Oh...and I made lemon bars for dessert...YUMMO!!!