| so, it's Easter! well, it was yesterday... but Jesus is still risen! (He is risen, indeed!) anyway, i got to go home for Easter thanx to a wonderful gal named kristen (hi kristen! <waves>) i got to see my bird (who still hasn't forgotten me), my parents (who are still trying to forget me... hehe), and my dad's side of the family (who wish i could be forgotten)! yes, i am just kidding about the last two, but anyway... it was great to get away. to talk my mother's ear off, specifically, was pleasant. and of course being the center of attention is always nice for a younger sibling. :) so, chinese food - not the caf's imitation - is yummae... as are wonderful sweet potatoes wonderfully prepared by a wonderful mother... and family food, and hooray for honey-baked ham! anyway, thank you all, and i love you all my family! lots of hugs and kisses! anyway, got to see jennie for a very little while, but long enough to get a hug and exchange smiles and a little talk. God is good, and so kristen's timing to leave was perfect :) hallElu yah! (okay, i think El means God in hebrew... ImmanuEl...El-shaddai...Elohim, etc., that's why i capitalize) so i had a great time, and thanx to all who made it wonderful! anyway, moving along... are you familiar with the yummy toes club? well, i am. VERY familiar. earlier last week i stuck my size eleven shoe into my very large mouth. but God is once again good (not like that ever changed), and reconciliation is da bomb! "if confession is the road to healing, forgiveness is the promised land." so, yes, my life is much better now, thank you. :) well, Easter. Easter is the day we celebrate the wonderful end... and beginning to a great and true story. wanna hear? i know you do! God loves us all very extremely much. He created us, and He wants us to love Him and be with Him, too. okay, adam, eve, apple, sin - ringin' any bells? basically, no matter how good you think you are... try to get to God and you'll realize you're not THAT good. enter Jesus. Jesus is God's Son. God decided that since we cannot live perfect lives, He has to intervene. the way He does this is brilliant and oh-so painful. Jesus (100% God, 100% man) (no, i don't really understand it either, but He's God, obviously He's smarter than us) came to earth. He was born in a little town called bethlehem to a lady named mary. He then proceeded to live a perfect life. per-fect. yes, the kind that we can never live. well, here's the deal: Jesus lived a perfect life, and so He can be sacrificed for us. and He was. He loves us so much, that He died on a cross. no - not the nice, cute silver one around your neck, but a gruesome instrument of torture. if you have never had the death of a crucified man described to you... i recommend it. it makes good friday sound not so good. anyway, Jesus was sacrificed for our sins! He allowed men to nail Him - NAIL HIM - to a piece of wood. there's more gory detail, but i don't wanna pass out. anyway, His friends mourned His death (as most friends do), but Jesus had said that He would return in three days. so, on Easter (before the chocolate bunny and the Easter egg hunt took over), Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, rose from the dead. there are stories of the tomb being opened and someone taking the body, but if you've ever read up on the type of stone that was in front of that grave... you'll become skeptical about theives being responsible. then Jesus met with His disciples, and appeared to many others as well. then He went back up to heaven to join His Father (commonly referred to as God). He ascended. basic translation - something like flying, only... more polished, i think. :) so on Easter, we celebrate Jesus conquering death! which is, you have to admit, a pretty cool thing to be able to do! thank You, Father, for sending Your Son as a sacrifice for us. thank You, Jesus, for being willing to carry Your cross so that we can live eternally with You if we accept You as our atonement. (atonement=the reconciliation of God and man through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ; reparation for an offense or injury). amen. wow! reconciliation enters again! that's kinda cool, especially when i think about how elated i am that t. green and i are back on track! wow, i should be like that all the time when i take my sins to God and He forgives them and we can once again be near each other! cool! every time i confess, Lord, please grant me the wonderful joy You've enstilled in me! You rock! talk about your connecting lesson plans, right? ;) love y'all! g'night! |
