“‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.” Luke 23:46

I visited my daughter’s preschool the other day for their Easter celebration. I was struck by the way the school director shared the meaning of this special holiday with the kids.

“And what are we celebrating next week?” she asked with an excitement in her voice.

“Easter!” they shouted.

“Easter celebrates the most courageous man that ever lived.” she explained.

And several children shouted the name, Jesus.

“And why did Jesus die on the cross?” she asked…

“For our sins.” One four year old girl quietly answered.

The most courageous man that ever lived. It stuck with me.

In a world that celebrates every brave, cival professional (and rightfully so), how have we lost sight of the bravest man that ever walked and served the earth?

This morning, as I read this passage in Luke and thought about Jesus’ courage, I thought about our opportunity as believers to die this death with Christ when we come to know him. It’s our own act of courage to trust our life to a savior we cannot see in the natural. In committing our spirit into his hands we bravely say…Yes Lord. I trust the work you did on the cross for my salvation…you suffered bondage so I can walk in freedom…you suffered pain so I could be healed…you suffered much so I could have peace and joy. And when we say this…when we commit our lives to him, we breathe our last fleshly breath and begin to breathe new life in him.

Courageous.

Are you struggling right now to courageously put your life in his hands? How can we pray for you this Easter weekend?

Last month when we attended Blissdom, we had the privilege of meeting several of the amazing sponsors. Of course my favorite booth was Hershey’s. Those that know me know that chocolate is a weakness for me. Actually, I think weakness is an understatement. And if I love chocolate than I adore, no, I’m in love with chocolate and peanut butter. I am pretty sure we’ll be dining on Reese’s peanut butter eggs (they are even better than the cups) in heaven – guilt free of course, what with it being heaven and all. This week I’m excited to share some of my favorite Easter memories with you as part of Hershey’s Hop on the Bunny Trail. You can find some great ideas, recipes and products on the site so check it out this week. There is still time to plan your Easter memories!

My earliest memories of Easter include finally getting to wear heels at age 8 (they were iridescent), meals with family (either in a home or taking over a local restaurant with my largely awesome, Italian family) and of course – hoping and praying there would be a large peanut butter egg in my Easter basket. Not just any PB egg would do though. It had to be Reese’s. Everything else was simply second rate.

This past year we welcomed our second child and completed our family (as far as we know…we are, of course open if the Lord would lead us to adopt in the future). The holidays seem different to me now, as a mom who feels her nest is full. If ever I wanted to start family traditions, I should start them now. Now that both my children would benefit. Being a Christian family we believe Easter is a celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ. My children will not understand this for several years so I’ve been thinking of ways to celebrate the holiday in ways that will build up to their full understanding. It’s easy to tell a preschooler that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday…the day he was born and came to live here on Earth. But how can I express the day he died? Or harder yet, the day he miraculously rose again?

I have always been that mom who over-explains things to her kids.

“Mommy is going to change your diaper now so you can be all clean for your nap.” {I said to my 3 week old}

“Do you understand why mommy said you can’t touch that? It could hurt you.” {I said to my 6 month old}

“Grandma is in heaven with Jesus. Sometimes Jesus decides not to heal us on earth. He decides it’s time for us to live with him in heaven.” {I said to my 3 year old}

But this time it’s different. I haven’t even tried to explain Easter. I’m letting it be about family and Easter egg hunts and of course, Reese’s peanut butter eggs. I’m learning the more I try to make them understand, the more I water down the truth. They will come to know what we believe as they observe our lives and as I’m given the words that match their understanding (through God’s grace). In all my Easter memories I can’t remember my parents sitting me down and telling me the details of the Easter story. I’m sure they did at some point but it’s not what I remember. I remember joy and family. I remember sharing and giving. I remember that Easter meant something deep to them because it was the foundation of their faith. They didn’t have to put that into words. Their very lives expressed it.

This year, as I reflect on my own Easter memories, I am committed to making age-appropriate memories with my little ones. Bring on the joy. Bring on the fun. Bring on the abundant feast. After all, it was the sacrifice of Jesus’ life that provides all these things.

What are some of your favorite Easter memories? How do they affect how you share Easter with your children?

“…they found Mary, Joseph and the baby who was lying in a manger…but Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:16-19

Moms-to-be. . .take a moment to ponder the miracle growing inside of you. Consider Mary and the unfathomable joy she experienced knowing the life she bore would save mankind. The life you are carrying may not be the Savior but with his help, you can guide your child to an amazing destiny. Praying for him to prepare your hearts to steward the life you will bring into this world. Amazing!

Waiting mommies-to-be. . .I know that holidays can be hard, thinking about your longing for a little one to share the joy with. I remember those days. They could have ruined me. I pray you will allow the peace of Christ to dwell in you this holiday season and as you consider the awesome miracle of his life, be filled with the HOPE this tiny baby brought to Earth. That HOPE is for you.

And may we all experience true peace and joy leading up to Christmas this week. I want to honor the savior by choosing HIM instead of busyness and stress. It’s a daily choice I am trying desperately to make. Will you join me?

Today I am linking this post up with a new blog I recently discovered. Check out Imparting Grace this week to read lots of other encouraging posts about Christmas!

Merry {week before} Christmas!

Jessica

Happy Black Friday! I’m sure many of you are out braving your local shopping stores and malls, eager to find the best deal of the year on just about everything. I’m saying a quick deal-lovers prayer for all of you. May your brave ambition lead you to great money-saving discoveries.

But not me. No, you won’t find this shopaholic out there in the wild today. I’m writing this post as I stay home with the kids so my husband can go golfing with his dad. He’ll be home in time for me to grab an 80 minute massage before dinner time. {Don’t think for a moment we can afford these luxuries. Both were obtained from Groupon. Oh, how I love thee Groupon!} Yes, we chose today, instead of the craziness of American commerce, to relax.

I finished my Christmas shopping last week. I’m sure many of you are closing this browser window or cursing at me right now. This is not meant to be a bragging post. I simply want to share why I purpose to finish my shopping before Thanksgiving when I can. That may not be possible for some like my sweet sister in law who has her busiest working season of the year up until mid-November. And some may love the thrill of Black Friday or the last-minute Christmas Eve hunt. Whatever method you are able to use and allows you to enjoy the holiday season is what I recommend.

I am a task master who loves crossing items off of my “to do” or “to buy” list. I’ll be honest and tell you that is my main motivation for getting the shopping done early. But obviously that is a personality trait and not a good enough reason to encourage others to do the same.

You might wonder why I am waiting until Black Friday to write this post. I defintely believe in celebrating one holiday at a time. I didn’t want to take anyone’s focus away from it. And while I felt led to share my thoughts on the subject, I didn’t want to put any unneeded pressure on your already crazy lives. Think about these reasons that I am sharing and then decide if they resonate with you and your family. There are plenty of Christmas seasons to come should you decide to adopt a similar strategy.

Three reasons for getting the Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving:

1. Avoiding the craziness of the mall, Target, Costco, etc… Crowded places stress me out. The thought of fighting over the last sale priced princess doll makes we want to throw up. For me, there is nothing like shopping stress to take all the joy out of the holidays. With my shopping done, I can use the month of December to build up all the joy and wonder of the season without having it stripped away by mall parking lot road rage.

2. Focusing on others leading up to the season… Instead of seeing me run around like crazy trying to snag gifts for our family or for them, my kids will hopefully see me focusing on others in need. With my family shopping complete, we can now focus on programs like the Salvation Army Angel Tree and volunteering for local holiday related efforts. True, shopping for an angel will require a trip to Target but let’s face it, I can’t avoid Target for a whole month. I’m bound to be there and with only a bright eyed and hopeful child or two to shop for, I can focus on teaching my children how to give to others.

3. Having the time and head space to really teach the little ones about the true meaning of Christmas… This year we will start using an advent calendar to share the story of Christmas with our children. My hope is that having this activity in the forefront of our days {instead of running from place to place to buy all sorts of things}, my kids will begin to understand that Christmas is not about presents. It is about Christ and he should be at the center of it all.

Last year around this time I did a post about our 3 gift simplicity strategy. This is yet another way we try to keep things simple and focused on others. Several people have asked me to repeat that post so I’m linking to it here.

Each child receives three gifts {plus some stocking stuffers}:
Gold – the big gift they’ve been wanting
Frankincense – something for their body
Myrrh – something for their spiritual or personal development

That’s it. Simple and purposeful.

For us, these things help keep the season merry. Less stress, a more central focus on the savior and others in need are sure fire ways to keep Christmas bright.

How does your family try to keep your Christmas merry and bright? We’d love to hear your ideas.

Praying that this next month is full of joy and wonder for you and your family,
Jessica

Because I have a very special place in my heart for social graces, I couldn’t resist participating in this link up brought to you by incourage.me today {not to mention the awesome prizes}.

Encouraging Faces

I absolutely love keeping meaningful notes and cards that have been given to me throughout the years. I admit I have a few places that I keep them . . . an old cigar box, my nightstand . . . but I decided to share my solution for keeping those precious photo Christmas cards we never know what to do with in January. Why not start thinking of holiday solutions in June?!

I have a hook on our back door that adorns my Christmas card holder during the holiday season. Once the tree is put away and all the festivities have passed, I now take all of the cards with the beautiful faces of our friends and family, I punch holes in them and hang them by a ring on that same hook. The display is not as prominent as it is during the season but I am still reminded of my loved ones and prompted to cover them in prayer as I walk out the door daily. With the right hook, you can flip through them so that different faces are staring at you daily.

Thanks for letting me share! Hoping to win a few great prizes. You should join the fun. Check it out here.