Celebrating Every Day

I've been thinking a lot more during this past Lenten and Easter season. And please do not read any condemnation in this post...I am just sharing what's on my heart, which is probably just for me.

I see the purpose of Lent and the need for us, as believers, to mark a certain day with the celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. I think, though, this year has been more of a turning point, in that I want to celebrate Jesus EVERY DAY, more than ever before. My life in Him is so much more than one Sunday out of the year. He died and was raised for every single day...every single moment. I want to be intentional in celebrating the salvation I have been graciously and freely given each and every day....and I want to teach my children that we have reason to celebrate Jesus 365 days of every year!

I have been remembering my trip to Russia thirteen years ago. We had the joy of worshipping with a protestant church in Moscow, and I was struck then by the fact that they used the greeting *He is risen! He is risen indeed!* in their service. And it was not Easter Sunday.

He has given us life and He is our victory!

Our Easter Sunday was a bit different this year. Since we have mostly university students in our fellowship, we were not meeting together, as most of them went home for the weekend. We have had lots of sickness in our family lately and did not really know what we would feel up to doing. Most of us are better, but we wanted to spend the day as a family, so since a few were still *puny* (as my Grandmother would call it), we had our traditional resurrection roll breakfast, watched the crucifixion and resurrection on The Gospel of John DVD (love that movie!) and then spent the rest of the day playing outside in the sunshine. It was a very focused, relaxed and enjoyable time.

In case you're not familiar with the resurrection rolls, here's the scoop...

The marshmallow represents Jesus' body, the butter and cinnamon sugar are pictures of the oils and spices they put on His body before placing it in the tomb...

The crescent roll represents the tomb...


As they are baking, the marshmallow melts... And then as you open your roll, you cry *Jesus is risen. He is alive!*

We have been doing this on Easter morning for six or seven years now and the older children still ask for it. It was nice for the younger kids to get into it more this year. Ava wanted to say over and over and over *Jesus is risen. Jesus is alive!* So precious.

He is risen! Hallelujah! He is risen indeed!

Father, help me to remember and to celebrate every single day.

1 Peter 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade...

Blessings!