Easter 2012

Our family really makes a big deal about Easter.  Moreso than Christmas.  But not with candy and eggs (though, there is some of that too).  We spend a lot of time reflecting on Christ and reading Scripture, praying, worshipping with song, and celebrating with friends (or family, when the opportunity presents itself).  We just want to delight in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection.  That is, after all, what Easter is about.

Our annual Holy Week Scripture readings are:

Matthew 21: 1-11; chapters 26-28

Mark 11:1-11; chapters 14-16

Luke 19:28-44; chapters 22-24

John 11:45-57; 12:1-35; chapters 13, 14, 17-20

Isaiah 25:8, 53:1-12

Romans 3:23-26; 4:25; 5:8-11; 6:23

This past Thursday night, the night we usually meet with our Home community, we commemorated the Last Supper with a semi-traditional Passover Seder.  It was an awesome experience.  It reminded me of my childhood and spending Passover Seder with my childhood best friend, who is Jewish.  We enjoyed it so much that we will be adding a Messianic Seder to our Holy Week traditions in the future.

On Good Friday, I made Matzah ball soup from scratch for dinner before attending the Good Friday service at Imago.  It was so yummy!  Recipe is here.  Another new tradition is born!

We incorporated a few more new traditions this year.  We did a Resurrection garden and made Resurrection rolls on Saturday night.  (We did not dye eggs this year.)  In addition, thanks to our friend, Kat, we will be reinstating our own version of "resurrection eggs" again (we haven't done them since 2008).  She made them an awesome homemade version, and called it the "12 Days of Easter".  We opened up one egg a night in the days leading up to Easter.  I even hid them and had the kids find them each night.  It was fun!  (Thanks Kat!)

We have other traditions that have been in place for several years.  My husband and I always watch "The Passion of the Christ" on Good Friday and the kids watch a cartoon version of it.   We have a scavenger hunt to "find Jesus" on Easter morning (in addition to an egg hunt).  Seeing the kids work together on the hunt is awesome, since its rare that they get along.  And, I write a short Psalm every year, as a way to worship the Lord and pay homage to His sacrifice (you can read that HERE).

The weather was gorgeous all weekend!  Easter Sunday was filled with celebration with our Church family in the morning, a scavenger hunt, an egg hunt, games and treats with Aunt Jill and Aaron and the neighbors, and lots of giggles and photos.  Alayna wasn't feeling well most of the day and ended up getting sick at the end of the night.  So, we had a sour ending to a great day.  Still, a day to remember, our first Easter in Portland!  Hope you all had a blessed time celebrating the resurrection of our Savior!

Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection "garden"--Sealed tomb

Empty tomb--He is Risen!

Family Pics

They "found" Jesus!

Church

Ready for egg hunt

My man-boy

Sweet girl

With Aunt Jill and Aaron

Dinner