simple Easter and family update

I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since I posted (minus earlier this morning). I feel like Will and I have been overwhelmed in thought and activities. Thoughts about our move, money and possibly buying another house in the Norfolk area, and activities such as volleyball, voice/piano lessons, church activities, school tests (for Will) and the general stress that accompanies all of this.

We're studying a book in our women's Bible study called "Calm My Anxious Heart" and while I don't think I feel anxious or worried about any of this, I do feel excited and I also feel the partial weight of a decision that will affect our future. Just to combat any potential for worry (and hopefully stress) I decided to finally set aside some time to specifically pray for awhile about all these decisions. I tend to take the "pray as you go" approach throughout my day since I rarely find myself with an hour or so of time (that I'm actually awake and lucid enough to think), but thankfully, this time (and God) found me a couple of days ago in the afternoon when everyone in the house was napping. I admit, my mind wandered some, but I managed to keep coming back to the "house/money" topic. This time, though, I tried to focus on the "praise" part of prayer because I feel like I too often assume the "Lord please help me with this and that" posture. So even though I wasn't praying about what I needed help with during the entirety of my prayer time, I felt that by trying to praise and glorify God (basically tell Him how awesome He is) I was communicating that because He's so great, I want to seek Him in everything and I want His guidance in every area of my life (hence, covering the house issue) :)

I didn't feel any major decisions were magically solved by this prayer time, however, I did have a peace of mind that at least I had sought God, and no, I don't think this one time absolves me of any others, I just felt that it helped me know and recenter myself with the knowledge that, "yes, I actually did pray to God about this, yes I am continually seeking Him in my prayers throughout the day, and yes, I can expect His direction and guidance and peace as we continue to walk in the path of these major decisions."

Anyway, other major news, we finally have a confirmed move date: April 26 & 27 (Ben's 2nd birthday) Will and I will drive the family down to Norfolk to live in the house we already own down there. Will will return to RI to finish his last week of school and move the household goods out when the movers arrive April 28-30. Then I will receive our stuff whenever they get down here, hopefully that Friday, so any VA friends reading this, please help me find babysitters for the boys or consider taking one for the day. :) Then, after Will finishes school that week, he will drive down and join us that Friday or Saturday, May 2, 3. He starts a 5-day school on May 5, then has a week off to help us get moved in. During this week, we'll work on the house and hopefully get it rental ready, as well as keep searching for another house. We'll only move some of our things in, but if we don't find a house we like, we'll just move everything in and look for something next year.

It's so relieving to finally have a date. For those of you who have kept up with the saga, we thought we were moving last year, but neither the orders nor an explanation ever came through. This time, we're really moving. Finally.

Because of all that has been going on, we will not be having the large Easter meal that we usually have, including lamb. We'll be going simple this year, although I'm still not sure what that will look like. I think all I hope to do is make it to church, have an Easter egg hunt with the boys, and most importantly, tell them about why we celebrate Easter, about Jesus dying on the cross to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, and rising again to conquer death forever and bring us new life eternally with Him. I asked Will if we could have communion as a family, but he thought the boys were a little young for that. I mean, obviously they wouldn't get it, but I thought it might be special to start as a tradition that they would understand later. Maybe next year. :)

Well, may you all have a blessed and Happy Easter! He is Risen, He is Risen indeed! :)

Good Friday

Blessings on this Good Friday. May we all feel the enormity of God's love for us on this day as we celebrate Christ's defeat of death by giving up His own life on the cross so that we could live with Him for eternity. Thank you Lord for providing a way for us in this, and in life everyday. Your mercies are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness!

Easter blessings

I know this post is late, but I kept enjoying the thought of it and wanted to share it. First some background info.

I remember getting an Easter basket only once as a child and I absolutely loved it, but I don't remember what I thought about Jesus that year or if it distracted, b/c all I remember is the big basket. Also, my grandmother always made these beautiful and elaborate table centerpieces for Easter dinner and I remember loving those, but again, they had nothing to do with what Easter is really about. That bugged me when I started to get older. I'm ok with Easter egg hunts, as long as they have a Christ-focused message or symbol inside like "resurrection eggs". I guess maybe I take Easter and Good Friday more seriously than Christmas, but yes, I'm one of those people who doesn't like the sight of a bunny or chick in my house or anywhere else for that matter when Easter comes around. It may be severe for now, and I'm open to changing as the years go by and the kids grow up, but I'll try to maintain this as long as I can.

Anyway, this past Easter Sunday was pretty low key for us. I had been wanting to organize some "Christ-focused" Easter traditions to do with the kids like the resurrection eggs, or an advent-type calender/chart for everything from Palm Sunday through Easter etc. Unfortunately, I didn't get any of this together and by the time Easter Sunday rolled around, the weather was a bit chilly so we didn't go outside for an egg hunt, and the boys were so tired when we got home from church that we didn't do one inside either. And, I obviously didn't want to do Easter baskets (somehow when candy and gifts get involved, things just get hazy.) We did have a formal Easter dinner with some friends, but aside from a lamb-shaped cake


(which was really cool), we didn't really do anything traditional. So, I decided Charley should at least hear the story and I should talk about it with him. He has two picture Bibles from his Nonny (my mom) that he loves to read. So I got them out and read the Easter story from both of them and talked about what happened as much as a 2 1/2 year old will understand and he ended up really enjoying it! He's asked me to read him the stories several times in the days afterwards and now everytime he sees the tomb he points and says, "That's Easter!" I, of course, couldn't be more thrilled. After my lack of planning, he ends up getting the main point of Easter after all through a simple story, and he actually remembers it now which is even better. Another bonus is that next year when Easter rolls around, he won't expect gifts and candy etc. and instead we can hopefully, again focus on how wonderful it is that Christ died and rose again for our sins! I know he doesn't understand all of that, but we can build on the story as he's ready for it. At least for now, the story and message is simple in his head, as it should be and hopefully, that will help him keep things straight for Easter's to come and so that he'll be able to share that simple message with other kids as he grows up.

I know that sometimes Easter baskets and egg hunts help to get kids excited about an event that they can't possibly understand at a young age and then later they transfer that excitement to the actual meaning of the day, but I think I prefer the way things "accidentally" happened for us this year. I'm amazed that through God's grace, a small child can know about (even if he doesn't really understand) the Easter story. In fact, a couple of weeks after Easter, Charley woke up one morning and said, "God protects us from the tomb!" We had been listening to G.T. and the Halo Express CD's with Bible Memory verses on them and each one has a theme. One of the themes for one CD is "God's Protection" so we'd been talking about how God protects us. I guess he just combined that with the Easter story somehow, because I know he doesn't understand salvation yet. But he still got it right which was really cool to hear coming out of his mouth! I exhuberantly said, "Yes Charley, God does protect us from the tomb!"

What a simple and wonderful message! Thank you Lord for your sacrifice and for rising again as you conquered death once and for all to protect us from the tomb for eternity.