Monday, April 9, 2012

Meeting A Bunny and Hunting For Eggs

This was Jake and Lilly’s second Easter and so much different than their first. Last year, they were into the plastic eggs…. OK, so that hasn’t changed much. They still love the plastic Easter eggs. But this year they got to run around and hunt for them. Both had their own ideas about this so called “Easter Egg Hunt,” and I tell this story just to further explain how completely different my two children are.

After church, once all the cousins arrived, we walked to a little park down the road, hoping that the Easter Bunny had left some goodies behind. Once she figured out how the actual “hunting” works, Lilly had a blast, running as fast as she could to the next brightly colored plastic egg.

Jake, on the other hand, was not that into hunting for eggs. In fact, he had a fit, screaming and kicking included, when we tried to show him how to do it. We eventually realized that he was upset because the grass was still damp and he did not want to get his feet wet.

Once we gathered a few eggs and put them on the sidewalk, far away from the wet grass, he was much happier. He proceeded to open the first three eggs and dump the jelly beans, goldfish, and crackers out for the birds, ants, and other critters to gobble up. With a little bit of guidance and a whole lot of patience, Daddy convinced him to leave the eggs closed and keep them safe in his basket until we got home.

After naps, we opened up all of our eggs and poured them into a plastic bag, mixing all the goodies together for a sweet and salty Easter snack. Lilly ate just about everything in her snack cup, smiling and wiping bright orange, green, and yellow drool from the corners of her mouth as she enjoyed her first taste of jelly beans. Jake, my picky eater, would only eat the crackers in his cup. He separated all of them from his goldfish, jelly beans, and marshmallows, and was adamant that Grammy eat all of his unwanted treats.

Earlier in the week, we went to the mall to meet the Easter Bunny. Again, I witnessed two totally different reactions to this large, furry bunny sitting among the flowers. When we first pulled up, a precious baby was in the Easter Bunny's arms, screaming his little head off. Both of my kids' eyes got about as big as saucers as they slowly attempted to comprehend what was happening to the poor little baby. At first I thought we were done. “That’s it. There’s no way I’m getting them out of this stroller to even go near this Bunny who makes other children cry,” I thought to myself. But as time went by, and the Easter Bunny patiently waved at the two of them and blew kisses as well, they slowly seemed to be OK with this new friend. Until it was time to get out of the stroller.

Lilly was hesitant, but as soon as she saw her cousins climbing up into the Easter Bunny’s lap, she suddenly gathered the courage to do the same. Jake refused to get out of the stroller. Let me just add that there was nobody in line the whole time we were waving and making friends with this Bunny. As soon as we went up to take our picture, five families (at least) jumped in line. I am not kidding. So, everybody was watching this whole escapade go down. And I’m sure they were all thinking, “Come on, Lady. Just plop your kid down and move along.”

After giving my very best convincing argument about how nice the large, furry Bunny was, I made the decision to pull him out of the stroller kicking and screaming. Lilly, meanwhile, sat down next to the Bunny like it was no big deal. After several attempts to put Jake down on the Bunny’s lap, I told the picture lady to go ahead and take a photo of the child who was, at the moment, being cooperative.

After choosing the photo we liked best of Lilly alone with the Easter Bunny, I took both kids over to the goodie bucket and let them pick out a duck stamp. Lilly picked hers and rushed over to her cousin who clearly understood how to open it since she was in the process of stamping ink up and down both her arms. Jake was obviously confused about the whole goodie bucket thing. He began to take stamps, bracelets, pencils, and other trinkets out of the bucket and hand them to the Bunny one by one. When the Bunny’s hands were full, I’d empty them, but Jake was already filling them back up.

After sharing so nicely with the Bunny, he finally looked up and smiled at the guy. Unbelievable. I even got him to give the Bunny a "high-five.” The sweet picture lady noticed that he was warming up to the Easter Bunny, so we tried one last time to get a picture of the two together. She even let us trade in the picture we had already purchased. Meanwhile, I could not even make eye contact with all the faces of the families in line that had to wait for my son to decide he would sit with the Easter Bunny, but only on his terms and only in his time.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

God's Not Dead

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Matthew 28:6



Friday, April 6, 2012

The Debt Is Paid

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luke 23:39-41

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Bound To Free Us

Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.
John 18:12-14

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Greed Leads To Betrayal

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Matthew 26:14-16

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Matthew 16:26

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Remember the Sacrifice

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matthew 26:26-29

Monday, April 2, 2012

He Humbly Served

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

John 13:1-5