Here are a few photos of our family preparing to celebrate Easter, as well as our festivities on Resurrection Sunday. It has been an awesome season and joyous celebration!
Abby Grace and Hannah preparing to make Easter cookies.
All the girls painting their egg-shaped cookies.
They made beautiful works of art!
Lots of icing. :)
And here they are dying Easter eggs. They had a great time hiding eggs for each to find all week.
Our family on Easter Sunday in the backyard.
We had over one hundred people for a backyard celebration.
Zoe searching for Easter eggs during the party.
Hannah and Abby Grace are also on the hunt.
Mark and I shared the Resurrection story with the children using Resurrection Eggs (Such a great tool to keep your focus on the Risen King. If you don't have them go to Family Life's website and order them for next year: www.shopfamilylife.com/res-eggs-2011.html).
Outdoor Worship. We sang "In Christ Alone," my favorite.
You can hear this song done beautifully and worshipfully by Keith and Kristyn Getty on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLy8ksqGf9w&feature=related
The lyrics are:
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
Mark preaching in the backyard. What an awesome day of ministry--thank you, Lord!
While I am at it, let me recommend an excellent book for Lent. I read "Amon's Adventure" with the girls over the last month or so. We were all captivated by it and it truly captured our hearts for Easter. The very well written story takes place during the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It follows the life of a devout Jewish boy and brings to life the history and reality of life in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. I cannot recommend it heartily enough! All six of us give it two thumbs up. You can buy it on Amazon.com for $11.55.
