True Love

"For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

He Was Born To Die

This picture was taken a little more than 3 years ago of our youngest grandson being held just after his birth by one of his big sisters. She could not take her eyes off him, and when she did.. ...she could not help smiling with joy.She positively beamed every time she was near him.The whole family was joyful and this little boy is very happy & healthy. We have hopes for him, he already has goals & dreams of what he will do when he grows up. (something to do with cars and trucks I am sure) Have you ever considered the birth and future of the precious baby Jesus, who's birth we celebrate at Christmas by marveling at His miraculous birth ? His mother and family were every bit as happy at His birth, yet Mary knew His future. I must say, I used to try to forget His future when reading through the Bible,for it was a terrible death on a cross. Yet without the cross there would be no reason to celebrate His birth. He was born to die. "Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted, but He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4,5 "Jesus was born to die...so that I could be born again to new life. It is the miracle of a violent grace; God securing for us the priceless treasure of His grace -" 'A Violent Grace' by Michael Card * I will be playing with my grandchildren this week during their spring break, and have decided to not go near a computer until after Easter. May you all have a glorious celebration of His resurrection, which gives us the hope of eternal life in Him! John 3:16

Sorrow Becomes Joy

Our son's 4 daughters were able to travel to this side of the mountains for a glorious week with us and their 4 cousins ( our daughter & her husbands' children) who live close-by. As a grandma who loves to share her faith with them how could I resist spending every day with all 8 of our grandchildren? I decided to have a week long Vacation Bible School here, complete with fun crafts and of course leaving time for the 8 cousins to play together. Our Bible lessons centered on Jesus' triumphal entry on a donkey colt into Jerusalem, His last supper, His betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. On the day of the Butterfly Tea party ( previous post ) we watched an animated DVD of this Bible story after we had lunch. Above is a picture of one of our sweet granddaughters' reaction to the abuse Jesus suffered just before His crucifixion.

All 8 of the children ( and we adults too) became very quiet at the animated scenes of His crucifixion , some of the children hid their faces...

...but happiness and relief as we remembered He did not stay in the tomb. He's alive !

I taught Sunday School for many years and over those years I noticed the story of Jesus' death began to disappear from the Sunday School curriculum, instead focusing almost exclusively on His resurrection and the delights of spring time . The crucifixion was greatly minimized and sanitized so as to hold little or no importance at all. One curriculum went so far as to explain that we should not disturb the children with such sadness. I ask you, what then is the purpose or point of our faith ? Where is the hope,miracle, and joy of resurrection if there is no death? (Please know I am not speaking of graphic pictures and descriptions for little children, but a knowledge of the Bible story as it reads). ~"Fifty years ago, when some underground Christians in the church in Germany were asking many of the same questions about the cross, a man who would become a martyr asked, "How could something become cheap which cost God everything ?" Dietrich Bonhoeffer gave his life to remind us that the cross of Christ will forever remain the center of our faith. From the greatest of negatives flow all the positives of our new life in Christ : from conflict, peace ; from pain, healing ;from death, life." ~Michael Card- A Violent Grace "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations," Luke 24:46,47 "