...But Joy Comes in the Morning

"Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” – Psalm 30:5

The day after Jesus’ death had to have been an intensely difficult day for the followers of Jesus.  The day before, they had just witnessed their Good Shepherd/Teacher/friend be killed by crucifixion and placed in Joseph’s tomb.  Sorrow, hopelessness, and a deep depression more than likely began to settle into many of the followers.  Questions filled their minds and the One who could bring the answers was no longer there.  Heartache.  Weeping.  Mourning. 

Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”  Never would those words ring so true than on the day following this intense day of sadness.  But how on earth could things get better to the point of “rejoicing?”  Miraculously enough, however...everything did.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen!  (Luke 24:1-6)

Rejoicing had come in the morning!  Jesus is risen!  The women immediately ran to the other disciples to share this news.  Skeptical, the disciples ran to the tomb and discovered that Jesus was indeed no longer there.  Over the course of days and weeks, as Jesus began appearing to His followers, they came to realize that the news they had heard about His resurrection was indeed true…He had defeated the grave.  He had risen from the dead.  He is ALIVE!

This week my church lost a dear encourager, prayer warrior, and friend.  Her sweet family lost their precious wife and mother.  So many of us, including myself, can attest to the fact that our sweet friend Shirl was always one to offer her prayers and support during our time of need.  Her loss was unexpected and is so incredibly heartbreaking to so many of us.  When I found out yesterday that she had entered the throne-room of heaven, I immediately thought of Psalm 30:5.  The logic-part of my mind thinks the same thing the followers of Jesus thought on the day after the crucifixion – “how on earth can rejoicing come in the morning?”  I’m sad.  I’m heartbroken.  I miss my friend. 

Then there’s my faith.  My faith in the very One who rose from the dead.  My faith in the One my dear friend is with today because she knew Jesus as her Savior.  Because of Jesus I know that although our sadness and loss of our dear friend (and loss of so many other friends and loved ones) may endure for a while, as believers in Him, our joy will come when He comes again! 

In Revelation 22:7, Jesus says, “Look, I am coming soon!”  Someday in the not so distant future, Christ will return to take His followers to heaven with Him.  We will rejoice in heaven with our loved ones and friends at the feet of Jesus.  We will be in a place where there is “no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  All of these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4).  Our rejoicing will continue for eternity!

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen” (Matthew 24:36).  Are you ready?  Is your faith in Christ?  Have you accepted Him as your Savior?  Do you believe with all your heart that He is the Son of God?  Have you confessed Him publically as Savior of your life?  If you haven’t, He’s ready with open arms to accept you as His child.  I can’t think of anything better this Easter than to surrender your life to the One who gave His life for you.

“ALIVE!  ALIVE!  Look what mercy’s overcome!  Death has lost and Love has WON!  ALIVE!  ALIVE!  Hallelujah, risen Lord, the only One I fall before, I am His because He is ALIVE!”

"Resurrection Eggs" - An Easter Tradition

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  - Proverbs 22:6

One of my favorite childhood memories from the Easter season are "Resurrection Eggs."  No, they aren't eggs that resurrect from the refrigerator...rather they are plastic eggs with some object inside that relates to the Easter story.  It's kind of like advent calendars for the Easter season.  So many days before Easter, you open up the plastic egg, look at the object and read the scripture that corresponds with that object.  It's basically a mini object lesson for the day, taking no more than 10 minutes.

I've seen many types of "Resurrection Eggs," but my favorite are the ones my parents created.  Many of the ones you can buy in the store today are like 10-12 days long.  My parents took that idea and expanded on it.  Instead of a 12-day "Resurrection Egg" lesson plan, my parents developed a 40-day lesson plan using these simple plastic eggs.  They searched the scriptures and found 40 different objects that relate from everything beginning with the Triumphal Entry all the way to Pentecost.  We would begin it way before Easter and end a few days after Easter Sunday. 

As a child, I remember being so excited each year as we opened each egg.  Every year the objects were the same and of course the story never changed, but I learned something new about the Easter story every year we did the "Resurrection Egg" lessons.  I can still remember some of the objects that would be in those eggs...one that comes immediately to my mind was a nasty fig (I say nasty because it never got replaced from year to year and that plastic egg stunk after a while J).  The fig represented the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree (Mark 11:12-25).  Another was a wet Kleenex representing when Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44).  Of course there were plastic eggs with nails in them, a stone, an angel, and so on...and you can figure what those represented.

I am so thankful for parents who valued teaching me about the Bible at home.  This can NOT be underestimated!  When I was in college, our education professors drove this home - learning can begin at school (or in this case church), but it MUST continue in the home!  I'm not a parent, but I know the value of having parents who taught me the God's truth at home.  My parents were the ones who helped me memorize Scripture, answer my questions about Christ, teach me Christian praise songs, and use object lessons to teach me about the Bible...not my teachers, not my friends, and not myself.  My teachers definitely were God-sends and helped me learn, but my parents reinforced my learning at home.  Kids are pretty awesome people, but they need the influence of godly, Christian parents (or guardians) to grow into even more awesome teenagers and adults!  Remember Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

If you've never done "Resurrection Eggs" before, I SO encourage you to do it with your children!  Kids are visual and love to be able to "see" how something relates to a story or concept...doesn't matter the age.  I'm a firm believer in using object lessons with kids and "Resurrection Eggs" are a great help in teaching kids about the Easter story. 

You can buy these in stores...but honestly you can make it yourself using common things at home too.  If you're interested in the 40-day one my parents developed, comment below and I would love to send you the plan.  I've included below an awesome DIY (do-it-yourself) below...this is one of the easiest I've seen in a while.

Parents...teachers...children's leaders....we are responsible for teaching the Truth to the next generation.  In order to impact future generations for Christ, our children have to be ready and knowledgeable about Him and their knowledge begins with us. 

Here's the DIY "Resurrection Egg" tutorial I was telling you about:

(C) Tasha Sawyer, 2013 - http://www.commissionstories.com/asia/interactives/view/resurrection-eggs-share-christ 

You've Got a Friend in Me!

 “A friend loves at all times” - Proverbs 17:17

Lucy and Ethel.  Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.  Woody and Buzz Lightyear.  These are just a few of the many examples of friendships that we see on television/movies or read about in books.  Here are friends that laugh together, work together, and yes, even get in trouble together; if these friendships were real, I think they would most definitely be friendships that last a lifetime.

I am SO thankful for my friends.  They offer encouragement, advice, a listening ear, and a huge hug.  Some I’ve known for a long time and others I’ve only known for a few years.  Some are older than me (no…I didn’t say they were old… J) and others are my age.  Some I get to see often and others not as often as we both wish.  No matter who they are or where in the world they are, my friends are individuals who are a text/call/Facebook message away and I know they will be there to rejoice, laugh, cry, and/or pray with me about whatever is going on in my life.  My dear friends are individuals who truly take Proverbs 17:17 to heart and “love [me] at all times” and I pray I can be as good a friend to them as they are to me.

Did you know that as believers we all have a mutual friend who is one that “loves at all times?”  This person is my friend and your friend and even the friend of people we don’t even know!  The awesome thing about this friend is that He is with you no matter where you are or what you’re going through.  If you’re by yourself, He’s there.  If you’re with other friends, He’s there.  He never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!  No matter what is going on in our lives, He promises to never leave us or forsake us.  All we need to do is to stay in constant communication with Him (through prayer and Bible study) and He will direct and help us.  His name?  Jesus.  “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.  What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”  Thank you Jesus for being our everlasting friend.

Do you have someone who has been with you through thick and thin?  Offered advice in a time of need?  Laughed at your not-so-funny joke?  Rejoiced with you in the good times?  If so, these are people who have “loved you at all times.”  Take a minute to pull out your phone or write them a message letting them know how much they mean to you…it doesn’t have to be long or wordy.  Let your message come from the heart.  Be the friend to them that they are to you.