Happy Easter!!

A few thoughts I'd like to share today...

Believe it or not, I took my Christmas tree down in January and put it back up a day or so later. The lights lit... at night or during the day... remind me of LOVE! I put my favorite ornaments on it that remind me of love, too. 

What an appropriate and fun way to celebrate EASTER today, with the reminder of God's amazing love for us, through the One who said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12, NIV) 

What stood out to me, in this close-up picture of my tree, was the star and the angels... and how at Christmas, we refer to the amazing star that led the wise men to find Jesus and how the angels appeared to Mary and Joseph and the shepherds and, now, at Easter, we remember the angel at the empty tomb. 

This morning, it was fun for me to see this star and these angel ornaments on my tree and to remember... the coming of Christ was foretold by the prophets; angels spoke of His coming to Mary and Joseph and John and Elizabeth; an angel or angels spoke to the disciples who were dismayed that Jesus had been crucified and were so surprised to find the EMPTY TOMB; and how, when an angel asked why they were looking for the living among the dead, he went on to say, "He is not here, but He has risen!!" (You can read more of these amazing events in Luke 24.) 


This morning, I posted on Facebook:

"This is the day the LORD has made! We will rejoice and be glad in it! Christ is risen indeed! Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!!" 

I chose not to include the Bible reference for the first two sentences, but looked them up to be sure they were accurate. Surprisingly, someone else posted: "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad." (Psalm 118:22-24 NIV) and I recognized his use of Psalm 118, so I looked at the chapter and found: 

"Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:19-24, NKJV.

I truly rejoice in this day!! Hallelujah! Praise the LORD!! He is risen indeed!


One other picture I found interesting and would like to share with you is:

 (You can find it at: https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/11632_162935702086_6637905_n.jpg)

I am so grateful for God's forgiveness for me and for all who believe in His Son!

May you be blessed, as you consider the amazing love of our Creator and how He sent His Son, as a babe, to grow into manhood and teach us about God's amazing love and grace for all of us, through His words, spirit, and actions, while living among us on earth, and then through His sacrificial death as the "perfect Lamb of God" to "pay our debts" so that we may be truly forgiven for choosing to "go our own way" rather than the way that our loving and most merciful God created for us... to live in love... loving God, loving ourselves, and  loving others, using the amazing gifts and talents God has given us, for His glorious, amazing, and loving purposes for us all.

Happy Easter and God bless you! This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!

Linda