Happy Easter Monday

Happy Easter Monday!!!  My calendar says it's Easter Monday.  I'm not sure what that means...but that is okay!  Easter has never been my favorite holiday.  That sounds weird...but let me explain.  When I was a kid...I didn't get the whole Easter/Jesus connection.  For a kid it's kind of all about the candy!  And I'm not a big plain chocolate fan...and we always got those big chocolate bunnies in our basket that I didn't want to eat.  Now before you start judging my folks, we all went to Church together and my parents would say "It's not about the candy"...but again let's be honest once again...it is all about the candy.

As I got older it was no longer about the candy, but it still wasn't my favorite holiday either.  It had such sadness around it.  I mean, Jesus died a few days before...that is sad.  People hating another person so much for what they are talking about that they would kill him....sad!  To me, I always focused on how mean and cruel the world is.  And for me the music at church wasn't as awesome as say Christmas music!  (Christmas is my favorite holiday).  Going outside of the Church, Easter weather is always up in the air...is it going to be cold, warm, rainy, sunny?  I mean...just pick one and always be that...but I digress!

This year, however, things changed.  I helped out with the Good Friday service.  The service was neat with different people reading about the crucifixion, the lights getting lower, the candles being blown out, it was just cool.  I read on thirst.  My section said this (paraphrasing) You need water to live like you need God to live. The last part of my speech said something like a thirst for life is a thirst for God!  We left in silence and sadness!

On Easter my pastor spoke about promises!  God is the only one who has kept every single one of his promises.  Even if it means that we receive punishment.  I hate when I break a promise, I actually try to not make promises if I am not sure I can keep them...and I hate when promises that are made to me are broken.  So, yesterday when Pastor Burt said "he has never broken and will never break a promise that he makes to you" it kind of changed the meaning of Easter a little bit for me!

Pastor Burt also brought up the fact that God loves everyone.  Even those that are evil and wicked and that if we hate those that are wicked...it makes us wicked.  Sometimes I can get overwhelmed in this world with all of the hate and the evilness that is all around us.  It makes me want to go into my little bubble and stay there.  But we can't!  We have to go out there and tell the world about God's promises!  People will always try to bring him down, to drown him out, to kill him off...but he will always keep his promise to return!  And when he returns, I want to be there telling the world of his promises and his love!

The new saying in our Church (even though the old one is still there as well)
He is Risen!
Just as He said!

Pretty cool stuff!  Happy Easter Monday Everyone!!!