Gut-Wrenching Sacrifice

As Easter approaches, I find myself thinking over and over again about the number of sacrifices connected to this holiday.

God gave His ONLY Son.  

I am a mom to only one child.  I connect with God in this way.  And if you have children in your life, too, it doesn't matter the number, you can sense the sacrifice that God must have experienced.  As a mom, I can feel in my gut (and maybe you can, too) the deep pain that must have been felt by God, knowing the pain His Son was going to go through while dying on the cross.  

Jesus WILLINGLY gave His life.

Jesus loves me...ME! (silly, outgoing, stay-at-home mom - ME! - who likes Goodwill and random things like hamloaf and hot summer days and serving others and ballet and Shawshank Redemption and does NOT like spiders and brussel sprouts and the many injustices in this world)...and you...YES, YOU!...Jesus loves you enough to have died in an extremely painful way.  He sacrificed His own life for us.  My sins...your sins...our sins are washed away by the blood He shed. 

Jesus PUT ASIDE His earthly desires.

He sacrificed the things of this world.  The relationships he had with His earthly mother, Mary, and father, Joseph.  The relationships with his family, his disciples, his friends, his neighbors.  I'm not a deeply theological person, so I may not get all of the details correct...but I do know that in a human, earthly sense, He sacrificed a career, a home, hobbies and interests.  He sacrificed fame and attention.  He sacrificed wealth.  And in giving up everything, He gained everything.  For you and for me.  Because He loves us.  

*Would I sacrifice like this?  

*Give up all of this?  

*Do I sacrifice like this?   

*Place my own desires aside for others, and more importantly, for God's glory?  

Christ's example is convicting.  Oh, to be more and more like Him!  Thank you, Jesus, for your example.

I'm sure there are more examples of sacrifice in the Easter story.  But these three examples have really struck me this year, have really touched my heart in an extra special way.  

And on a slightly different note...but still connected to sacrifice....

As an adoptive momma, the word "sacrifice" and its definition and emotions behind it really resonate with my heart.  I can't help but feel deeply about the sacrifice that our daughter's birthmother made in choosing to give our daughter LIFE.  She willingly put her own desires aside and invited us to become the parents of her daughter.  Our daughter.  Her example to me and to Mya are a beautiful picture of sacrifice, and I pray that her heart can continue to heal each day and that God would bless her abundantly.

Let me take a moment to remind you:  It's never too late...you're never too old...to begin your journey with Jesus.  

I invite you to begin learning more about Him today.  And if you can, please join us on Sunday morning at Faith Church to worship, honor, and learn more about God and Jesus this Easter Sunday.  All are welcome.  We'd love to have you!  

Facing Fears

Do you live in fear?  Do you fear...

Thunderstorms, SPIDERS, the Dark, the Unknown, certain Social Situations, what Other People think of you, Death, getting Sick?

The list could go on and on.  Fear is very real.

I have feared spiders and centipedes for as long as I can remember.  My parents even invested in a "spider zapper" that plugged into an outlet in my bedroom wall as a kid and supposedly sent out some kind of frequency or radio waves to keep those creatures away.  God bless my parents; I love them!  And just the mere thought of a spider's or centipede's creepy legs crawling across my foot is still enough to give me chills.  I smile as I remember that that tiny creature is only a small fraction of my size, but over time, fear has been set inside me.  My fear has grown, but as an adult, I can live with it and even face my fears when I need to.

From one day to the next, a fear can really impact your life.

A couple of years ago, we began receiving prank phone calls.  Directly to our home.  The prankster first called our house just after midnight, waking us from our sleep and totally freaking us out.  The prankster always called and asked for my husband by his first name.  The prankster liked to distort his voice, too, making it all the more eerie.

These prank phone calls continued on-and-off again for several months.  Happening at the most random of times.  Evenings, weekends, mornings.  Sometimes sporadic and other times with calls happening one right after the other.  And each time, the prankster always asked for my husband by name, even if I answered the phone.

Talk about scary.
Talk about fear.

Fear quickly built up inside us.  I found myself keeping an eye out around me.  Becoming extra aware of my surroundings.  And even living in fear.

This was not me.

It was terrible.  In those months of prank phone calls, I experienced living life in fear.  It made me anxious.  It made me edgy.  It made me doubt and question.  It was not how I wanted to live.  And thankfully, after months of fear, one final conversation with the prankster, and a call to our phone company to make some changes to our home phone, the prank calls ended.

But to this day, we have yet to learn who that prank caller was.  Fear is a hard thing to deal with.  With each passing day, sharing about this with friends and family, seeking changes to our phone's plan, and lots of prayer, I was able to lessen this fear and not allow the fear to influence or direct my days.

I am thankful that I don't have to live in fear.  Jesus releases my fears, and I can live instead with trust and hope.  I am protected and loved.  And when struggles and hardships do come along (because I know they will) God is always with me, each step of the way.

Rather than fear - Today, I choose trust.  Will you choose trust with me, too?

10 Easter Activities

As the Easter holiday quickly approaches and warmer, more Spring-like days are in our weather forecasts, here are some ideas to do with the little ones in your life.  Click on each picture for details and instructions.

[1]  Paper Plate Daffodils



[2]  Color-by-Number Easter Egg Decorating



[3]  Hand Print Bunny



[4]  "Thumb" Bunny Loves You!



[5]  Easter Eggs - WITHOUT Candy!



[6]  Bunny Mask



[7]  Confetti Easter Eggs



[8]  Simple Craft - Retelling the Easter Story



[9]  "You've Been Egged!" Activity



[10]  Printable Coloring Pages




And, let's not forget the real reason for celebrating the Easter holiday -