Viewing entries tagged
spring break
I love Easter. Not because of the eggs or hunts or family gatherings. I love Easter because of the Cross. I love this time of the year because it really makes me pause and reflect on what Christ did for each of us. I love the reminder of His amazing, sacrificial love for us.
Ann Voskamp sums up so much in these words,
"And this week, Jesus looks you right in the eye, and He takes that yoke off your back, He takes that weight off your mind, He takes that heaviness off your heart -- and He carries it because He wants to carry you.... to carry you right through.
He looks you right in the eye & says, "I did it for love..." (Jn3:16)
He takes your hand & takes that crown of thorns & says, "I did it because I had to take you..." (Jn14:3)
He takes that Cross you've been carrying & He lets you walk weightless -- *grace is weightless* -- and He says, "I did it because I desperately wanted you..." (Ro.5:8)
Who in this world has ever wanted us like He has?"
He is waiting for each of us. Today. And every single day. He pursues us like no other. It all comes back to one thing. LOVE. That weightless walk. That grace. We don't have to travel the roads of life alone. We don't have to carry our burdens and our brokenness alone. He is waiting. He is here. He is a hope that defies all darkness.
Yes, I love Easter, because it celebrates a freedom, a grace, and a love that I know only through Him.
It is through Him that I can find joy in all circumstances. It is through Him that I can know the meaning of grace. It is through Him that I can know the depth of selfless love. It is through Him that I am renewed each day. It is only through Him that I can live. Without Him, I am broken and lost.
My prayer is that each one of you would know Him too. It's so easy to depend on our flesh, to think we can do life on our own; yet, each day I am reminded of my need for Him and His never ending grace. And I'm so grateful He never stops pursuing me.
Only four months apart, these girls are such a gift to one another. I remember the day they met almost 11 years ago. Our daughter, only 8 weeks old, meeting her "big cousin" for the first time.
They would continue for years, seeing each other during the summer and at Christmas; growing closer with each visit. Tears were shed every time we said goodbye. They dreamed about one day being neighbors and getting to see each other every day. We all dreamed about one day moving "home".
In 2011, this dream became a reality. It has been such a blessing to watch them grow the past four years, together and independently; each with hearts full of love for others and God. They are on the brink of so much change and it is something special to have one another to share these un-navigated waters.
As I look at both of them, I can't help but think back to all the years we waited. We dreamed of these days surrounded by family. A vision I thought would always be a dream, yet here we are. I am forever thankful for God's provision in our life. For His plans, in His time, always. And it is a reminder to wait on Him.
One of our favorite family traditions is to go strawberry picking during spring break. It is always such a fun time together.
Our first day of spring break and it rained, so we went bowling.