Easter

So, I was feeling very dissatisfied with Easter this year. I just feel like Easter is supposed to be the celebration of the Atonement of the Savior but it just feels so nonspiritual with the Easter bunny and all the egg decorating. Not that I don't feel like that stuff is fun; it's just that I don't feel like I really get the true meaning of Easter the way I want to.

So, a friend of mine lent me a book on how to make your Easter Christ-centered and it is fabulous! It has planned out an entire week of Easter celebration based upon the last week of Christ's life. It includes activities, devotionals (reading what Christ did each day from the scriptures and discussing them), learning and listening to appropriate hymns and music, eating the food that Christ may have eaten, and much more. It goes through all the traditional holy Jewish practices from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday going through the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. And you don't have to abandon the commercial Easter stuff; you just move it a week or so prior and call it a Spring celebration-that way you can totally ditch the Easter bunny altogether which is just fine with me! Anyways, you sit with your family at FHE the week prior to Easter week and figure out which activities, foods, etc you want to do to make sure all your festivities fit in with the age of your kids and your schedules.

In the book the author said various shouts of, "He is Risen! He is Risen!" could be heard in her home on Easter morning. I WANT THAT in my home- Jon and I look forward to trying this out next Easter.

I am so grateful for the example my elder brother, Jesus Christ set in His life. I am grateful for his sacrifice that allows me to return to live with Him, Heavenly Father and my family again for eternity. I hope I can honor Him by teaching my children the true meaning of Easter.

(If anyone else is interested the book is called, "A Christ-Centered Easter" by Janet and Joe Hales.)

Decorating eggs with some great friends:







Easter Morning: (in our home the "Easter bunny" brings books and treats)




My secret vice: preservative-filled, wax flavored chocolate donuts-YUMMY!



HAPPY EASTER!