Borrowing this – would give credit if I knew the origin but I do not. Even so appreciate it and am grateful for it. Make NO claim to it myself.
One more of my favorites for this Resurrection Celebration weekend!
Monthly Archives: March 2016
Wonder
In just a few days we will be celebrating Easter. Easter Sunday. A date on the calendar. A day to attend a church service even if it’s the only one attended all year. A day to buy new clothes for the kids and perhaps even yourself. A day to serve a special meal, gathering the family around the table. Baskets of candy and colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, fuzzy, stuffed bunnies; eggs scattered in the yard, kids wildly running to gather them, hoping for the special prize. These are some of the ways we celebrate Easter. Ever wonder why?
Colored eggs? Chocolate bunnies? Easter? When and how did this start? And why? The when and how are easier to answer than the why. There is a plethora of information out there; let me share just a couple with you. As to the why, I have an opinion but, let’s get on with the when and how.
Lets begin with this excerpt: “Easter is supposed to the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, but when someone hears Easter, they think of the Easter Bunny and eggs. Since ancient times rabbits have been associated with spring.
It is believed that Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring, Eostre had a hare as her companion. The hare symbolizes fertility and rebirth. Later Christians changed the symbol of the hare to the Easter bunny.
In an attempt to Christianize Easter which began as a pagan holiday, is named for a Saxon goddess who was known by the names of Oestre or Eastre, and in Germany by the name of Ostara.” You may continue reading HERE.
And another: “In the last two hundred years, the Christian holy-day has become more and more of a secular folk holiday. By the 1890s, the pagan and folk aspects of Easter as a celebration of spring were fully established and commercially exploited in America.
New clothes, parades, candy, and egg hunts have become key cultural expressions, even though the number of people celebrating the religious significance of the holiday declined in the last half of the twentieth century.
In the end, the Easter bunny has nothing to do with Jesus directly. There is nothing in the Bible or Christian tradition that links the two together. Yet still, the “pagan” associations of the hare and rabbit with fertility, life, death, and rebirth remained near enough to the cultural surface to find expression alongside the powerful religious claim that Jesus had conquered death.” – See more HERE.
These are some of the ways we celebrate Easter. It’s a wonder, isn’t it? Wonder what would be Peter, James and John, even Paul’s critique of the way we celebrate the anniversary of the greatest of all days in the history of Christendom?
Whatever your traditions, however you invest the hours of Resurrection Sunday this remains: He lives. He lives. Christ Jesus lives today and He loves us, the Bible tells us so.
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Matthew 28:1 NLT [source]
5 But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Yeshua, who was executed on the stake. 6 He is not here, because he has been raised — just as he said! Come and look at the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell the talmidim, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and now he is going to the Galil ahead of you. You will see him there.’ Now I have told you.” Matthew 28: 5-7 CJB [source]
It is a wonder, isn’t it?
Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie
Your Prayer requests welcomed
Day 84
282 days remaining after today.
Daily Grind
Probably not a lot to write today; just some I’ve been thinking stuff.
This daily grind also known as this day-to-day stuff we do when we drag (or jump) ourselves out of bed to do breakfast (or not), out the door to work or not (but work at home); gas in the vehicle, a few things from the store, on and on you know the drill: life! The stuff we do because we live here on planet earth – it’s for our survival, yours mine and ours. Is that it? Is there more to this it, than that?
Yep. There is! For sure there is for those who have entered the family of GOD. It occurred to me again yesterday that when the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD convicted me and I agreed with Him that I needed a Savior and that JESUS the Christ (YESHUA) was the only Savior and I said yes, that there was no reason after that for Him to leave me here to do this daily grind. I mean it was a done deal. I said yes. Heaven was home. Lets go. But that did not happen. And after these what, 4 decades plus since then, I’m still here.
Why? What’s the point? I believe I got it!
Obviously, this human experience has requirements. See paragraph 2.
The daily grind.
But what if. What if our daily grind and even our play time and our play time toys; what if all that is designed and provided to be tools? Tools to connect us with people. People looking for answers. People wondering is this it! People needing a Savior but not sure there is One or how to connect with Him.
Our daily grinds are the perfect springboard connectors. Our daily grinds are the way DADDY GOD intends for us to share His Good News. That’s the only reason He has left us here. I’m convinced He’d much rather have us at home with Him!
But . . .
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [source] Matthew 28: 18-20 NLT
Heaven is a big place . . . there needs to be lots and lots of people there.
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [source]
1 Corinthians 3:9 (CJB) 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. [source]
I was wordier than I expected. :)
