Is This What Easter is All About?

He Is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

HE. IS. RISEN.

He is Risen INDEED!

           The Pastor at the church we attended in Dallas, Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, had such meaning & conviction when he said these words at Easter.  So much so, that I can't help but hear them run through my head each Easter season. I think I will forever hear Pete saying this to us.  And that is awesome- it was at that church that I fully came to know Christ.   That I was baptized at, even though I had always been a Christian.  And that I really understood what Easter was all about.

           Easter had always been about Jesus dying on the cross and rising form the dead and ascending to heaven, but it read through my mind like a Charlie Brown monologue (You know, like when Schroder tells us the Christmas Story?).  I truly understood and grasped that Jesus had died for ME here at BTBF. And so I will forever think of Pete's words on Easter and no matter how the day passes, will remember what it is for.

            Our Easter this year was uneventful- in fact it was just a typical Sunday.  The kids started coming downstairs around 7:30 - "Can we go and see what the Easter Bunny brought us???"  I remember mumbling to them to go & watch some cartoons until the baby wakes up.... He finally wakes up and we walk into the kitchen all zombie-like to watch the kids go nuts over their Easter baskets and freak out when they see there is eggs hidden all over the downstairs:

They ran around like chickens with their heads cut off looking for eggs.

         Brody finds a golden egg and proceeds jam it under his sister's nose to "show it off".  In turn Sissy, huffs around the house, whining that she can't find the other one.  Of course, Brody finds it before her and the fight begins:

That's my golden egg!  Mom says we both get one each!

But I found it, so it's mine!

Nuh-uh!!  That's not fair- it's MINE!!

NO!  IT'S MINE!!!

           WHAT??  Is this what Easter is about?  Golden EGGS????  I know, I started this monster in the first place but this was way out of hand.  We took their baskets and ALL eggs away and made them sit on the couch - the proceeding lecture went in one ear & out the other, but it needed to be done. Again, what is EASTER about?????

Yes, we look all put together and happy.  But both the older 2 were still steaming....

           The 10 am church service is the best one with Bubba's naps, so we leave our house about the same time we always do - BIG MISTAKE.  We waited 15 mins just to get in the parking lot, another 15 to check the kids into their class, and unfortunately had to sit in the overflow room - which means we get to "watch" church on a very big screen...but it's in HD!!!  Isn't that cool?  no.

          When I finally shake the "ugh-it's-Easter-and-I-am-not-in-"church" feeling of the HD room, Bubba's number flashes on the screen.  Not once has any of my kid's numbers flashed on the screen.  panic.  I get to the baby's room and he is being pushed in a stroller, happy as can be. "we just couldn't get him to stop crying!" But he's not crying now..... (which BTW, is so unlike Bubba to cry).  So I gather his things and take him back to the big HD room (which, did I mention is a huge auditorium that was filled with thousands......).  Try taking communion with a 10-month old.  it wasn't pretty.

          Are you exhausted yet?  I was.  But I kept focusing on what the day was about.  And that kept us going....

          I came home and gave all the kid's eggs to the baby.  just kidding.  But I did make them both tell me what Easter meant to them, why it was important and why the "golden" egg was not.  Did they get it?  Who knows.  But I can tell you- next year will NOT be about Golden eggs and chocolate bunnies....

But about family, and how blessed we are to be a happy, healthy family.  

All because Jesus loved us so.

He is Risen Indeed!