Our Easter was very low-key this year -- which was a good thing. Marc and I were actually talking that weekend about how when our "holidays" are low-key, we REALLY do focus on what the "holiday" is about instead of just merely rushing around to various events.
Part of being low-key, however, is that I really didn't take too many photos at all. But, here are a few.
The Thursday before Easter, Luke and I went out to lunch at
Pizza Hut -- to the buffet, which Luke really enjoys (he gets that from his Dad).
I'm one of those people who doesn't mind eating out alone. I think it comes from all of those years traveling for business on my own. But, I will admit that eating with our 2 year-old, almost 3 year-old, son is quite pleasant.
Saturday morning of Easter weekend, Marc took one of our vehicles in to have the oil changed, general maintenance, etc.
It was a chilly morning, and I wanted a walk. So, I bundled up Luke, and we went out.
Fortunately for Luke, he got to see not one, but two trains downtown. You'll notice in this pic that Luke has on his sunglasses. He also has, if you look closely, Marc's "work glasses" (i.e. safety goggles for when/if Marc is in the plant) on his head. Luke has his obligatory blanket with him, and his legs are wrapped in a blanket for warmth. AND, if you look closely at his right wrist, he has an ID bracelet of Marc's on....the bracelet Marc wears while running so somebody can identify him if something should happen. Click
HERE if you're interested in purchasing one yourself.
That evening, Marc and I had our
DATE NIGHT for the month of April.
While we were out, Luke stayed with one of his Papas and Grandmas (my parents). He gets VERY excited when we tell him we're going there. But, he's always super in the car. He just "hangs out" with his blanket for the 40-minute drive to their house.
On Easter morning, Marc was scheduled to work in the "tech booth" at our
church, specifically, to work the "lights." That meant that he was at church for three services.
Luke and I went to the first (earliest) service. Then, during the second service, Luke and I hung out with Marc in the tech booth for the first part of the service.
Luke didn't mind AT ALL....Luke has really started to WANT and ASK us to stay in church and "pwap and sing." (TRANSLATION: Sing with the music)
After staying through part of the second service (because Marc was still at church), Luke and I went to a
local park. Nobody was there. It was chilly, but it was nice. Luke enjoyed playing. I enjoyed watching him in the peace and quiet.
After a simple lunch with just the 3 of us, Luke went down for a nap (actually, we all did).
After several hours, Luke was still really quiet. I walked into his room, and I found him still sound asleep, reversed from the way he had layed down.
Obviously, Luke was pooped out from an exciting evening the night before with Papa and Grandma, complete with an early morning for the earliest service at church.
In the evening, Marc's parents came over. They stayed for awhile and were certainly entertained by Luke.
Marc's parents are older and physically can't do as much with Luke. But, we can certainly tell that they enjoy watching him play, and Luke can certainly show off if he wants to (and he clearly wanted to that evening).
We didn't have a "traditional" Easter meal....I made beef stroganoff, a Greek salad, and rolls. Marc's mom made a yummy cherry cheesecake for dessert. Yep, we were well fed.
*****
Having grown up going to church, I have certainly always known what Easter was all about -- I have always recognized that Easter was not just about the Easter bunny, Easter eggs, Easter baskets, and candy....
If you'd asked me in my younger years, I would've simply told you that Easter was the day that Jesus rose from the dead.
I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior when I was 13 years old at a state Church of God youth convention. It happened to be in Hutchinson, KS, that year....It was November, 1989.
At that time, I recognized I was a sinner....I knew I did things "wrong."
HOWEVER, it hasn't been until the last 5 years or so where I have recognized just truly how broken of a person I am.
I grew up in a fairly judgmental household. I'm by no means "bashing" my parents. I love my parents, and I believe they did the best they could with my brother and me. But, I think that though I knew I was a sinner, I always thought I didn't sin as bad as others -- you know, not as bad as people in prison, people who were "partying" a lot, etc. etc.
But now, I do realize I'm no less "guilty" than anybody else on this planet. We really are all very broken, and we really are ALL in need of a Savior.
God sent His Son for that very reason....to save us (see John 3:16).
The older I get and the more broken I realize I am, the more I realize the need for a Savior for ALL OF US -- not just the people who sin more than I do (because there really is no such person).
The group
Casting Crowns has a new song out called
Glorious Day. Click
HERE to listen to it.
We sang it in church on Easter Sunday. Because Luke and I stayed for part of the second service, we got to sing it and hear it twice. YAY!
I've since heard it on the radio MANY TIMES, and it's pleased me so much that when Luke hears it, he mentions to us that it's from church (in other words, he remembers it from Easter morning).
Since I've been hearing it MANY TIMES, I've really been focusing on the lyrics. They're pretty spectacular.
Here they are....
One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
