Matt Maher - Christ is Risen

I don' t think I will ever tire of hearing 'Christ is Risen'.
I cannot do it justice, yet the words freely flow off my tongue several times each day.
Tears well as I mutter the words.
My hands often reach to the sky as I cannot contain the emotions it bring to the surface.

As you listen, watch the video, then play it again and read the words.

Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely you bled, for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bow to none but heavens will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold you down
In strength you reign
Forever let your church proclaim

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

Oh death! Where is your sting?
Oh hell! Where is your victory?
Oh Church! Come stand in the light!
The glory of God has defeated the night!

Oh death! Where is your sting?
Oh hell! Where is your victory?
Oh Church! Come stand in the light!
Our God is not dead, he's alive! he's alive!

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

And the winner is..........

Wanda!

Please email me your mailing address and I will get them out soon!
You can find my email at my profile.

I have a few more items to give away, check back soon!

Easter Gift...

!Give-A-Way!

I have a Brand New Set of Resurrection Eggs for one of YOU!
(Box slightly different than pictured, however they are unopened & still in plastic wrap)
Resurrection Eggs were created by Family Life Today to help you impress the story of Easter upon your child's heart. The egg carton is filled with 12 different colored eggs, each egg contains an object relevant to Jesus' journey to the cross. A booklet is included to help you explain each piece as you open the eggs.


How to ENTER:
Simply leave a comment & tell me what you would do with them & your favorite Easter tradition.
It's that easy!

I will randomly select a winner, then announce the winner on Friday.
I promise to get the eggs mailed out right away so you can use them this Easter!
Make sure I can contact you through your comment link.

Do Your Kids Know Why We Celebrate Easter? article from Family Life Today
My Cure for Easter Apathy article from Family Life Today

Easter Gift

For one of YOU!
Coming next week.
Check back to see how to enter.

Easter '10

The Lord has blessed us more than I could have ever imagined. I could not be more thankful for each one of those little faces above. I know God hand picked each child for our family and placed them with us by His perfect plan.
Our journey into parenthood has not been easy, but I would relive every minute of it for each one of my children. My prayer is that I might raise each child to personally know Jesus as their Savior, that they might put Him first in all they do.

Thank you Jesus for giving me the opportunity to be a mom and for trusting me with their lives.

Easter Egg Fun

Mixing the colors...

We used tape to make stripes and dots.

When the eggs were dry, we removed the tape.
Some we double dipped so the stripes and dots were colored.

We also painted on the eggs...

And made eggs with green hair...

Now, what shall we do with all the hard boiled eggs?!?!?

Teaching Tip Easter

Have you read 'The Parable of the Lily'?
It is a wonderful story to read to your children about Easter.
The Parable of the Lily is about a little girl who gets a gift, some dirt and a lifeless bulb. Disgusted at her gift, she throws it outside. Months later her dead, lifeless bulb blooms into a beautiful Lily. The little girl's father teaches his daughter the real meaning of Easter by using the dead bulb as a tangible example of Christ's love and forgiveness for us.

After you are done reading the story, make some flowers of your own. Tie a Bible verse, the book is full of them!, to your flowers and give them to a neighbor.

Following the Easter theme, for your snack bake 'Tombs'.
You will need:
Crescent rolls, or a dinner roll recipe, the tomb
Marshmallows, Jesus's body
Cinnamon
Butter
*Take one marshmallow, dip it in butter then roll it in cinnamon. Place a marshmallow in the center of a triangle of dough. Fold the dough up around the marshmallow. Explain to your children the dough represents the tomb and the marshmallow represents Jesus. Bake the rolls as directed. Have your children stand guard at the oven as the soldiers did. Remove rolls from oven, let cool. Then let your children eat them... the marshmallow will be gone just like Jesus's body was.

Easter Picture

Happy Friday!

Easter Activities

Easter '08

After a lot of searching and looking through resources suggestions from friends, this is what I am planning to do with the children during school the week before Easter.

Easter Cookie recipe
Click for here for link to recipe and Scriptures to go with the cookies

Bible Reading
Flower Pots Modified with our own scriptures
Resurrection Eggs
Bible Research using various translations and Bible Help Books. My oldest will then be asked to write a paper on what he has learned.

I also hope to make Cut-out Cookies in Easter Shapes, have the children write and attach Bible Verses to the cookie plates and pick several friends to deliver them to.

What will you be doing?

Lent

Do you give up anything?

A few facts...
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter, it lasts 6 1/2 weeks. This year it runs for February 25th to April 11th. Sunday's are not counted in the days of Lent.

Lent is a time when Christians remember the 40 days and nights Jesus spent alone in the desert without food being tempted by the Devil. Jesus used this time to prepare for His work by fasting and praying.

Lent is to be a time of soul searching, a time of repentance. A time where a person reflects and prepares for Easter.
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Do you participate in Lent and give up something?
I haven't, and I know I am late in starting this year, but as my children grow, my relationship and understanding of what Jesus did for me on the cross has grown. I desperately want to instill within them what it really meant for Jesus to die for our sins. I don't know if this has anything to do with Lent, but I think focusing my heart on what is about to come does. Do I need to give up something to accomplish this? No. But it might help. This year, my goal is to make Easter a Focal Point, not just a meal and egg hunt. I want to make it a special time for my children. I want them to see it in a new way. I am not sure how I am going to do this yet. We've done the Resurrection Eggs, and I will use them again this year, but I want to do more...

How do you celebrate Easter?
How do you make Easter special for your children?
What did you do growing up?