Happy Easter {#3}

Easter.

 What is Easter?

I have always known Easter to be a celebration involving family, candy, dyed eggs, food, Easter egg hunting, and fun. I never celebrated this holiday for it's real purpose.

At 29 years old..I ask, "What is Easter?" I know it's something about the resurrection of Christ Jesus but I know nothing more.

Being a fairly new follower in Christ I wanted to share this with you all.

I remember the story from church {3/17/12} about the resurrection of Jesus. As Kale and I sit listening quietly to our Senior Pastor I believe we were both taken by the story and how he approached this teaching. Here is the beginning of the teaching:

John 20:1-9

John 20:1-9 NIV

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

The story went on and was extremely interesting. Something I had never heard before or that I can remember. I love the way our Senior Pastor taught this in his own understanding and through scripture.  I am continuing this 4 week study through my church online. I heard the first teaching and missed the last three being out of town and sick.  This story starts off too good to not want to finish it. And for that matter it would be a great bedtime story to read to my kids on the days before Easter in upcoming years.

There was one verse given to all before leaving church at the end of each teaching. One stood out for me:

Sometimes doubting is not a lack of faith but rather an expression of it. Sometimes to doubt is merely to insist that God be taken seriously, not frivolously - to insist that our faith is placed in and upheld by something other than tricks (Mark Buchanan).

To end this long Easter Celebration..I give you my Easter Flowers.

Typically I would receive flowers in a vase with a cute little card addressed to me ~ Love Kale and the boys. Now of course it would have included ~ love Morgan.

This year was different. I. Like. Different!

My boys planted me flowers instead. I was shocked. The sad part? I waited for the flower man to knock on the door or Kale to walk in with a smile on his face and a bouquet in his hands.

I really like that they decided to give me Easter flowers this way:

{ The small flowers were the gift, however, it was a beautiful spring touch to see all of my other plants blooming beautifully}

{ They even filled my empty pots }

{ And they added brick and new mulch around the side of the house } 

I love my boys!

Happy Easter {finally} to all of our family and friends! Despite Morgan and Mommy being sick ON Easter Sunday...this couldn't have turned out any better. 

The kiddos thank everyone for their wonderful little Easter cards, candy, and gifts. They are sending you all thank you cards.

And one more picture of all three kiddos on Easter