New Life

I'm finally blogging about Easter. We had a great Easter celebration. I really struggle around Easter celebrations because my heart so desires to make Easter about the New Life that was given to all of us through Jesus' death on the cross and then His resurrection. In fact, I'm such a black and white person that I would like to make it solely about Jesus (no easter egg hunts, etc.). Eric balances us out though because he wants our girls to grow up having fun and not being "odd for God". So, we had a mix of both this Easter. I spent the week hiding Resurrection Eggs for Mali and Eleri. Resurrection Eggs are just a Christianized version of an Easter Egg hunt...each egg has a symbol to help children remember the Easter story. I was excited and hopeful about this, but then quickly realized, Mali is a little young. She found the egg, opened it and wanted to play with whatever the symbol was (for example: using the whip to hit her sister) and she didn't even listen to the "story" part. Maybe next year! On Easter Sunday, we went to church with Grammie, Uncle Brandon, and Liza. After church, we made a brunch of eggs benedict, fruit crepes, ham, spring green salad, biscuits and orange juice. It was a little chaotic and Eleri was in a difficult mood. After brunch, we just went on with our day and did some easter egg hunting and again read through the Easter story using the Resurrection Eggs. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed all of the New Life around us that has come from Jesus giving His life for us: our life, Mali's new life as this is her first Easter after asking Jesus into her heart (In one week, we will be celebrating this as Mali makes her decision public and is baptized), the new life of the pear trees around us, the new life of the grass and flowers, the new life of relationships that we celebrated on Easter too. And I'm hopeful for all the New Life around us that will spring forth from God's majesty and powerful hand.