Our Journey To Easter 2012

This Lenten season we have grown closer as a family in trying to focus more on what our Savior did for us and what the joy of Easter morning brings to us who believe.  I could actually write a post on each of these things below and I may at some time do that.

We opened Easter eggs during Holy week and read the story of Jesus' last week on earth starting with Palm Sunday and ending with Resurrection Sunday.  We used "Resurrection Eggs" made for children from Family Life Today Ministries.   Then we displayed each symbol from the eggs on the dining room table, so we could see them at each meal.

We talked about the details of each symbol. 
 Yes the good, bad and ugly, (that includes the crown of thorns, the whip, and the nails).  
My 7 year old's face and reaction this year was like he had never heard the story before, but he has....  
He was appalled by what they did to Jesus.  
Yet, we spent time talking about this and processing why this happened and that Jesus had a choice to allow this to happen to him, all because of His love for us and love and obedience to His Father in heaven.   

I wouldn't trade our little Resurrection egg discussions for the world this year.  I asked them questions and they asked me questions.  It was such a blessing to sit with them at lunch or at dinner and just talk about Jesus.  My prayer is that the Lord will deepen their understanding and faith in His own way for each of them.  Also, to teach me as well how to minister to our boys best. 


We had a Maunday Thursday celebration with the remembrance of the Last Supper.

Mike bought grape juice and Matzos bread (unleavened bread) and we read the account of the last supper and all of us partook of it in remembrance of Christ.  What Mike was able to incorporate this year was so meaningful.  He added some Jewish Tradition insight into our devotion which made this remembrance even more special because I understood better about the Passover meal that Jesus and his disciples would have had that night and when Jesus took the cup and made the new covenant with them.  So grateful for a husband that likes to dig into the meaning behind things and then is willing to share with all of us!

We built a Resurrection Tomb in our garden..... ( a new post to come describing this more with photos)  and made a path from the cross.

 

We celebrated a birthday of someone we love dearly....

and spent the afternoon with Mike's Mom and Joe.


We went to the Good Friday Service..... at a special church.  It was the first Good Friday service for the boys.  It was an incredibly special time.  We heard the story of the Passion of Christ from Matthew's Gospel, heard beautiful music, sang and then experienced a very moving time, sitting there in the dark with the entire congregation after the last candle was extinguished and the church chimes rang 33 times for each year of Jesus' life.  I was able to have my arm around my oldest son in those moments and pray. 

We bought plants to remember "new LIFE" and gave some plants as gifts to some special people.  The boys picked out their own flowers this year for their garden plots.  Gerber Daisies could not be passed over this year and I had to try Chocolate Mint!

We are watching spring arrive in our yard.... and will clip some Iris and bring to Grandmama on Easter.

We hid candy in Easter eggs for Easter Day.  Mike bought dark chocolate eggs and he only bought ONE bag!  In this family, this may not be enough dark chocolate! 

And I made a change to a couple of our eggs that we had last year....

Had to add the "e" for "hope".  I love bunnies as much as anyone and we've had a cute one hopping around our neighborhood the past two weeks.  This is the season of HOPE....HOPE!  Oh, I did hide the most chocolate in the two "hope" eggs for the boys.  They will get a surprise when they open those and we'll ask them what is so sweet about the hope we have in Christ.


And we made a Resurrection Cake for tomorrow's after dinner dessert.  It's a red velvet cake with creme cheese frosting.  I am not a great baker, nor a cake designer!  I wish. So my cake creations are never that fancy. Philip decided on the type of cake he wanted.  Did I mention little boys LOVE sprinkles?

And I cannot end this post without saying something about someone I love and miss this time of year.  

I do so miss her.... 

She had a way of making everything a little brighter and more beautiful.  She loved her family, children, flowers of all kinds and making things for other people.  
My grandmama, my mom's mother, made the most creative things that brought people joy.  She made us crocheted Easter bunnies as children.  I have hung on to those bunnies all these years.  I have to get them out every year too.  Today they sit in their bunny nest of colorful ribbons.  The bunnies are all different.... just like the Lord made all of us different.  I can't help thinking sometimes how much Grandmama would love her great grandsons.  She would have loved them to pieces quite frankly.  And she would have made them bunnies too.....

Now before I make my aunts and cousin cry I'm going to stop there.  (wiping a tear from my own eye).  
What I like to tell our boys this time of year, when we display the bunnies,  is that they will get to meet her one day with Jesus and they really want to meet her!! 

Oh the hope we have in Christ!  Oh the joy!  Thank you Lord Jesus so much for what you have done!  Where oh where would I be with you?

It's Easter!  
The tomb is empty!  He has rolled the stone away!

He is risen!
It's time to celebrate!