Easter. The world is waiting and our children are watching.

Gabre was SO happy we kept her up past her nap to hunt for eggs since she totally gets why you would put a plastic egg into a bucket with candy in it that she can’t eat.  :o)

Now she sees how fun this is. And yes, she is not wearing shoes. That is how she rolls.

How sweet is that?

These two were way into the Easter egg hunt fun from the start.

Easter also includes this if you are as lucky as we are to have a Sudie and Papa Rob

And this.



All ready for the Easter Bunny




He (She?) came!



Our Easter finest. Time for church.

The Easter season for us was filled with much joy …what’s not to love, there’s Egg Hunting, Egg Dying, Candy, more Egg Hunting and don’t forget the bunny that brings you stuff! Please don’t get me wrong, I treasure these special memories with my children. I’m just not sure I am teaching the right things about Easter. I’m just not sure I am living Easter like I believe Easter.

My first clue that I was not modeling what Easter is all about was this: Sarah Bess said, “I wish Easter wasn’t on Sunday so we didn’t have to go to church”. That’s right. Church is getting in the way of her fun. And I don’t think she is the only one.  

So, I have been asking myself, what does it mean to celebrate Easter? What should I be teaching these little people that are watching me so carefully?

Easter Monday I read this by Richard Rohr, “God forbids us to accept “as-it-is” in favor of “what-God’s-love-can-make-it.” Because of the promise of the Resurrection of Jesus we realistically can believe that tomorrow can be better than today. There is a future created by God, and much bigger than our own efforts…That is why a true Christian has to be an optimist. In fact, if you are not an optimist, you haven’t got it yet.”

That is brutal for all of us that can be cynical. It is not always easy to be an optimist. In fact sometimes, it is hard to look at the world today and see God’s love prevail. It is hard to be optimistic when we hear stories like this: Ethiopian Government is poisoning the water in the Gambela Region to kill insurgents. REALLY? How can this happen in our world? This news is heartbreaking and won’t make our national news. It is hard to be optimistic with 147 million orphans in the world.  It is hard to be optimistic in a consumer church culture where Christians expect the best band and a coffee shop for the one hour they devote to God each week.

But that is not the story of the Resurrected Christ. I must believe in the Resurrected Christ. I DO believe in the Resurrected Christ. That His love can prevail even over this. That’s right, Love Wins. But believing is not enough. I must do. I must give. I must surrender. I must Love Well and Live Differently.

“What I know now is this. Less. I don’t need to have the most, be the best, or reach the top. It doesn’t matter what I own or how I’m perceived… In order for Jesus’s kingdom to come, my kingdom will have to go. …The world is waiting. Our kids are watching. Time is wasting. Are we willing?”  (J. Hatmaker, 7: A Mutiny Against Excess)