Stuff and Nonsense: He is Risen!

I haven't posted for a few weeks, as we've been going through a little bit of "stuff." Nothing too awfully major, just, you know, stuff. Today was a great time to get my eyes off of the stuff of life and onto the wonderful, amazing reality that we serve a God who is ALIVE. We've been saved by a Savior who walked as a man, was tempted in all points as we are, remained sinless, and sacrificed himself to pay for all of our sins. We are kept by a Lord who faced death and emerged victorious. We are empowered by the same Holy Spirit who was present at creation and anointed the apostles with fire.

I mentioned in my halloween rant (which... as I write this, I think back and wonder if I ever actually posted?) that due to my business dealings, I frequent online circles that are widely populated with people of "alternative" religious beliefs. Not just other sects of Christianity, but pagans, wiccans, atheists, and various eastern religions. At halloween I was angered by the wool that has been pulled over our eyes to think that halloween is harmless fun (it's not, it's a REAL holy [unholy?] day for those belief systems), but that is another post (which I'm really beginning to think I never posted!). It is interesting to me that the same facts, the same discussions, that had me feeling so frustrated and powerless 5 1/2 months ago, now, today, leave me feeling excited and Victorious!

You see, their holy day was a celebration of dead people, dead leaders, dead ancestors. Our Holy Day is a celebration of LIFE, of the fact that our faith is founded on LIFE, on a RISEN SAVIOR! Yes, there is an "alternative" of Easter, Ostera, but that is merely the celebration of spring bringing new life, a worship of the new life that nature has brought; but ours, ours is the celebration of the God who created nature! A celebration of the CREATOR, not the creature!

I know I'm using the caps and exclamation points rather liberally today, but seriously, we don't face life bolstered by "healing thoughts" or "positive vibes", but on prayer, a relationship directly with the God who has conquered, on our behalf, all of sin and death!

He is Risen Indeed!

Spring is springing in our yard. We love these tiny wild violets!

and our pink crab apple tree.

Joey and Joy in Easter morning finery

Jessi and Joy, Easter Sunday

All the Luck Ladies

The easter bunny came to our yard today! Seriously, this was so cool, Jeff saw this bunny in our back yard and called the kids to look, a neighbor cat scared it and it ran around front, where it stayed long enough for me to sneak around out the back door and the side of the house and take its picture.