Easter 2014

I think as I've gotten older, Easter has meant more to me as I seek to really understand the power and meaning it holds for our faith in Christ.

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

We were at home for Easter and had a restful weekend.  We went to a Good Friday service at church, spent Saturday at the park and playing outside, then went to church on Sunday morning.  Sunday, we truly rested.  I think Bryce took a nap while Maddie napped, and I just piddled around on my computer.

Our little stinker doesn't stay still for photos anymore.  Seriously.  There's much coercing and not much cooperation with a 1 1/2 year old.  I did the best I could, but didn't get a great shot of her in her cute little Easter dress, but I love how her spunky personality shows up in some of these photos.

Barely can hold her still (and keep her in my arms with that basketball of a belly!

Love this picture.

Bryce and I had a lot of time to reflect on the meaning of Easter over the few weeks before and that weekend.  Our faith wouldn't mean anything if death had mastered over Christ after he hung and died on that cross.  Because he rose, we can have hope that surpasses anything this world has to offer us, any hardships that we may face, even death.  Now that is radical and amazing.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ.

Romans 6:8-11
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.  For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.