easter sunday...what it means to me

yesterday was easter sunday. of course i have crazy cute pictures of the kids in their "easter colors" which i will post but yesterday our pastor posed a question...a slight challenge. is your easter about that new outfit or the kid's adorably cute matching clothes or hiding eggs for your kids to find in their adorable matching clothes or maybe even a big lunch with family? (totally not quoting him but that was the jist) yesterday when i woke courtney up i video taped her as the easter bunny had come to our house and daddy was at work so i wanted him to see her searching. i asked her what day it was and she knew...easter sunday. i asked her what that meant and honestly, to my surprise, she didn't say that meant the easter bunny came...she said jesus died on the cross and came back to life to forgive our sins. oh, she was also excited to find eggs filled with skittles and a easter basket filled with tons of chocolate and candy she does not need but she knew what easter was really about...it's what came first to her. this is what easter means to her. my prayer for her? that it stays that way as she grows up. anyway, back to the question posed during church. as i sat there in my bright pink...yes, pink...shirt i watched 4 people get baptized in a 'tub' in the front of the most recent church we are attending that meets at a local bar/music venue (later post)...one of them a younger (than me) guy who i literally watched make the decision, right then and there...in his jeans. simply awesome! THIS is what easter means to me...christ rose after being dead and these people are representing the same thing...they were once dead in christ, no relationship with him...they came to him and let him into their life and now they are professing this among others...believers and non.. all from a love we did not earn and surely do not deserve at times. with tears in my eyes a feeling overwhelms me that i am so thankful for. a feeling of continuous love and eternal happiness from and with God in heaven.

what does easter mean to you?

side note:
as i'm putting courtney to bed last night i prayed for the people who got baptized at church earlier that day. after i finish courtney looks at me as asks "am i old enough to get baptized? can i get baptized tomorrow?" honestly, i'm not 100% sure she totally understands what it means and we didn't rush off today to baptize her, but it gave me and paul an opportunity to explain what it means and let her know that i pray for her to make that decision one day too. what better of a day than easter sunday to have your 4 year old ask questions like that!


2nd side note:
i received this email from my cousin this morning. simply, AWESOME!


Happy Easter to all!

Check the photo for a shot of me getting dunked today!  I made the decision at the end of today’s Easter service to be baptized.  It was a rather spontaneous decision, but I had been praying about it for some time.  I’m thankful that my Mom chose to have me baptized as an infant, but I also felt it important to make the conscious decision as an adult to commit my faith in the Lord through baptism.  I wanted to feel called to do so, not simply do so because it was expected of me.  That feeling came upon me today and 5 minutes later I was in the tank.  What a wonderful experience coming up out of the water on the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection!  Still soaking it in and considering all that it represents.

Love you all!

-Reuben