Tag Archives: Family

He is Risen!

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It’s Resurrection Celebration week, also known as Holy Week! It’s a week to remember the events leading up to the empty tomb that Mary found on that morning so long ago. I had the pleasure of home-schooling my children and even though I worked full-time from home, I remember the blessing of being able to just BE with my kids. During this season, we purposely chose to spend time each day focusing on the gift of Jesus’ Sacrifice for us. One year, we even made a poster and added a picture or symbol for each day. This year, many families will have the flexibility and time to do the same, whether by necessity or by choice.

With that thought in mind, I’ve created a daily plan with activities focused on the events of Holy Week. With a few supplies (many found around the house or easily picked up while grocery shopping), you can facilitate focused conversation, thoughtful activities, and a meaningful family time that honors the Lord and deepens your own understanding of God’s gift to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Palm Sunday & Monday: Read Matthew 21:6-11. Palm Sunday is the day that Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  It was a day when the people publicly declared that He was sent from God! Declare today how amazing Jesus is! Have each family member share something they love about God. Create an individual or family acrostic with the word HOSANNAH by writing each letter on its own line.  Then, write something that the Lord has blessed you with beside each letter. Decorate your acrostic and hang it on the fridge!

Example: H is for a Healthy body and mind!, I is for Incredible creativity…

Tuesday: Read Matthew 26:6-13. A woman poured a bottle of perfume over Jesus’ head to demonstrate her thankfulness for His love and forgiveness. Choose some Scriptures that celebrate Who the Lord is to us as His children.  Write the Scriptures on slips of papers and enclose them in plastic eggs (add a few jelly beans if you’d like!).  Hide the eggs around the house and have an egg hunt!  When the eggs are found, gather as a family and read the Scriptures.  Sing a song together such as How Great is Our God or Our God is an Awesome God. Here are a few Scripture suggestions: Exodus 34:6, Psalm 89:9, 136:3, Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 16:16, Mark 1:1, John 11:25, 14:6, 14:26, Romans 15:13, II Corinthians 4:7, Ephesians 3:20, I John 4:9, Revelation 22:13

Wednesday: Read Matthew 26:36-46. Jesus was willing to do what Father God wanted Him to do, even though it would be difficult. He knew that God was faithful and trustworthy! Create a reminder of God’s faithfulness! Gather planting supplies: small pots, soil, flower seeds, water.  As you put the seeds into the soil, name your worries, fears, and dreams.  Cover those seeds with soil and water.  As you do so, pray together declaring that you trust God with all of them!  When we give our desires and worries to God, He can make something beautiful from them!  Read: I Peter 5:7, Romans 8:28.
Note: A planting “how to” video can be found here.

Thursday: Read Matthew 26:17-30. On Holy Thursday, Jesus served a Passover meal to His disciples. Sing a song together and then brainstorm ways for each member of the family to serve one another. With older children, consider having communion together using grape juice and crackers or even spend time washing each others’ feet as a sign of willingness to serve and honor one another.  Here are some ideas for serving your family:

  • Do another family member’s laundry
  • Share a chore that would typically be individual
  • Wash someone’s car
  • Make a sibling’s bed
  • Create a meal together


Friday: Read Matthew 27:11-55 (or a shorter portion depending on the age of your children). Good Friday is a day to remember what Jesus did on the cross for us.  Watch a kid-friendly video about Jesus’ Crucifixion.  Share about the love that God has for us, even when we mess up.  Draw a cross shape or print one (one for your family or one for each person).  In pencil, write on the cross wrong behaviors such as unkind actions, impatience, selfishness, etc..  As a family, confess those actions and ask the Lord for forgiveness, then erase the words.  Celebrate! Jesus’ death on the cross erases our sins!  Then decorate the cross by coloring it, painting it, gluing on tissue paper, colored rocks, or pretty ribbon!

Saturday: Read Matthew 27:57-66. Imagine how the Disciples felt when Jesus was gone.  They didn’t realize that it was only temporary!  What is something that you are asking God for in your family?  Thank the Lord for the answer even though you haven’t seen it yet!
The Jelly Bean Poem: This is a fun and concrete way to think about Jesus’ sacrifice for us!  Write out or type the Jelly Bean Poem and create baggies of Jelly Beans to share with others.  You can also make a Jelly Bean Prayer bracelet or necklace using beads!  You can find the Jelly Bean Poem here.

Resurrection Sunday: Read Matthew 28:1-10. He is Risen! Make Easter Sunrise Empty Tombs to celebrate that His grave is empty! Use this recipe or find one on Pinterest. One family I know creates an Empty Tomb cake each year. Click here for an easy miniature version. 🙂 Whatever your tradition, embrace it as a way to bring your family together to focus on the beautiful Gift of Easter morning!
Celebration time! Get dressed up! Wear one new item (shirt, dress, hairbow, socks) as a reminder that we are new creations (II Corinthians 5:17). In lieu of going to church this year, watch an online service.  Sing along to the songs, participating just as would if you were there in person. 
Organize a neighborhood car parade: Decorate your cars with streamers and a poster saying, “Jesus is Alive!” or something similar.  Line up in a central place and then drive around your neighborhood with the windows down, cheering and honking!  If you can’t organize a parade, be your own 1-car parade! Celebrate Jesus all day long!

Each Resurrection Sunday, as I get ready for the day, the song Arise My Love plays through my mind (and usually through my speakers)! The grave no longer has a hold on us as believers in Jesus! I am so thankful for the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice! In His death and resurrection we have forgiveness, freedom, healing, deliverance, restoration, an inheritance and everlasting life! Hallelujah! He is Risen!

Live Loved and Free!

A Case for Fatherhood

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This Father’s Day, our worship team, like many others, led us in the song, “Good, Good Father.”1  How beautiful it must have sounded in the realms of Heaven, hearing strains of this song echoing from all over the world.  What a powerful truth that the enemy has tried to steal from the hearts of society as a whole.

Think about it, over the past 40 years, the media has tried to erase the remnants of fathers worth respecting.  It has presented us with examples of fathers that are foolish, clueless, outdated, and dull.  It has attacked strong fathers as being macho, selfish, or chauvinistic.  Stereotypes have been applied and enforced through television shows, lyrics, and comics strips. 

As the respect for fatherhood declined, so did the fathers.  Men began abdicating their role in droves eventually creating a generation that was dubbed, “The Fatherless Generation.”2

That’s not to say that there haven’t been some poor examples of fatherhood.  Many can attest to experiencing painful childhoods because of absent, uninvolved, or abusive fathers.  And when your father memories are fraught with pain, the idea of God being a good, good Father is foreign and unrealistic.

But the role of fatherhood was created to be an expression of love and provision throughout childhood as well as one of guidance and wisdom for life.  It was originated by our Heavenly Father when He breathed His very breath into Adam and when He created Adam and then Eve, in His own image.3  He spent time with them each day, walking and talking.  That is the heart of the Father!  It’s a commitment of love that allowed Jesus to walk through a tortuous death and resurrection in order to reestablish a pathway of relationship with us!

We need fathers!  We need YOU, Dads! 

We don’t need you to be perfect but present!  We need fathers who will:

  • Listen to silly jokes and never-ending stories
  • Paint fingernails and toenails while sipping imaginary tea
  • Toss baseballs and practice dance moves
  • Schedule son events and daughter dates
  • Celebrate successes and rising from failures
  • Work elbow to elbow in chores and homework
  • Be teachable yet confident, kind yet firm
  • Demonstrate generosity, integrity, and faith
  • Lead, honor, and love through every season

I know, that’s a tall order, isn’t it?  But the payoff is without comparison! “The father of a righteous one rejoices greatly. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.” (Proverbs 23:24 TLV)  How does a father end up with a righteous and wise child?  By following the example of the Father of fathers!  What makes God a good, good Father?  He is loving, kind, compassionate, faithful, wise, merciful, generous, and oh, so, patient! 

You may be thinking, but He is perfect and I am not.  That’s true, but… His perfect love can flow through you–a less than perfect–but teachable father!  Trust that He loves you enough to give you all that you need to be the dad your family needs!

Dads, don’t shy away from your role!  Fathers are an integral part of God’s plan for healthy families a necessary foundation for healthy communities!  Not only do biological and blended families need their dads, but there are emotionally hungry children who need adopted dads, and spiritual orphans who long for spiritual dads.  Allow the Father’s love and character to flow through you to the next generation!  Your investment will bring dividends that far outlast your life here on earth!

Live Loved,

I’m immensely proud of this amazing man! He loves deeply and well. He is teachable and generous! I am ever so thankful for this Dad and my own Dad & Dad-in-Love! <3

P.S. It’s fascinating to learn about how young bull elephants act when the male role models are missing from their lives: https://youtu.be/5gsNjI99eFE

1Good, Good Father by Christ Tomlin, Songwriters: Anthony Brown / Pat Barrett

2The Fatherless Generation: https://thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com/about/

3Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7

Favorite Friday: Connection!

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“Raindrops on roses

And whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles

And warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things…”1

Julie Andrews sang these lyrics as the intrepid Maria, an adult orphan who embraced music to soothe her lonely heart.  As her story unfolds, what a blessing it was to find herself set into a family!  I’d like to imagine that she added a few lyrics to this song…

“Sweet, sticky kisses

And warm, cozy cuddles

Laughter and snapshots

And birthdays with candles

Ball games and bike rides, Kids pumping on swings

These are a few of my favorite things…”

Connection with family and friends is one of my favorite things!

Connection… authentic, encouraging, enriching connection… is to the soul what nourishing food is to the body!  Authentic connection usually entails sharing,  lots of laughter, heart revelations, and even some tears.  These are times when you know and are known.  You are cared for simply because of who you are instead of what you can do.

Yesterday, I listened as my daughter shared her heart about what God was doing there in the Philippines.  She was facetiming her uncle who she’d not seen or spoken with (aside from the occasional call or text) in a few years.  I watched as he listened and affirmed her.  What a blessing to see authentic connection overcome time and distance!  You and I need these connections for our soul to thrive!Truly connecting with others requires something of us… it requires time, interaction, and vulnerability.

  • Since time is not easily recovered, it is a valuable commodity. We demonstrate value of another person by setting aside time to engage in their lives and build the relationship!
  • Interaction might also be labeled communication. However, some would say communication is the art of listening and talking.  To me, interaction indicates a deeper level of listening, considering, and responding that enhances relationship and increases understanding by engaging the heart, mind, and spirit.
  • While time and interaction might seem like no-brainers, vulnerability is where the brain may slam on the brakes! Relationships can occur with time and even interaction, but they will remain shallow and unfulfilling without vulnerability.  Authentic connection can only occur when vulnerability is present.  What is vulnerability?  Various people may define it differently, but I’d say it’s a bit like peeling back your skin and showing what is truly inside your heart!  Being vulnerable is choosing to say, “This is who I am inside; this is what I need; this is where I hurt; this is what I dream.”  It’s scary and even painful to open yourself up to others because they are human too!  They may not appreciate the gift of you.  So, be wise about the who, what, where, and when of vulnerability.  But don’t be stingy with sharing who you are!  You will only cheat yourself.  Dr. Brené Brown brings clarity to the value of vulnerability in her TED talk and it’s worth a listen!2

Deeply connecting with others can be scary!  It also can seem impossible if you have a tendency to isolate yourself.  However, don’t let that stop you!  If you find that you have few authentic connections in your life, my challenge to you is this:  Don’t wait for others to come to you!  Reach out to someone else, peel back the layers of heart-protection, and engage them in some nourishing interaction!

Just as candy and junk food will not sustain a healthy body, shallow relationships and surface conversation will not sustain a healthy soul.

We need more!  Moving beyond the safety of self-preservation to the satisfaction of heart connection isn’t a guarantee of no pain.  BUT, moving towards heart connection gives more than it takes.  Pressing into authentic relationships with others is a worthwhile, heartwarming, rewarding endeavor.  Others are worth knowing and YOU are worth being known!3

Connection will enrich your life as it has mine!

Live Loved!

 1Lyrics from “My Favorite Things” written by Richard Rogers for The Sound of Music

2The Power of Vulnerability by Dr. Brené Brown: https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o

3Read more about your value here: You are Enough & Beautiful Mess

Savor the Season!

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  November and December usher in wonderful opportunities to reflect on the blessings in our lives as well as the people who make our lives richer!  But as our calendars fill up and our wallets empty, the season seems to slip by much too quickly and on January 2nd, we look in our rearview mirror wondering how it flew by in the blink of an eye!

It feels this way each year for me…  so, I’ve been contemplating…  what can I do, or not do, to treasure the days, value the moments, and capture the pleasure instead of haphazardly racing through the season.

Savor… I’ve decided to purposely savor… savor the preparations, savor the time invested, savor the opportunities, savor the finds, savor the people!

Savoring involves using the 5 senses to experience and appreciate the world around us.

Tasting…  so easy this time of year!  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa… each involves deliciously prepared foods that we anticipate each year.  But there’s so much more to tasting!  The preparation time and effort going into our food can involve times of cooking together, whipping up cookies with a promising baker, sharing a special recipe with a new family member, inviting the input of someone who usually doesn’t offer it.  Savor the moments of food preparation as well as the food.

Smelling…. Ahhh, at this moment, there’s a caramel pecan candle filling my home with a sense of warmth and delight.  Cinnamon, pine, favorite perfumes, honeyed-ham, all evoking images that bring delight… or maybe not.  Our sense of smell is uniquely connected to our memory.  Sometimes memories can be painful or remind us of loss.  But even those moments have value.  They remind us of past blessings, victories over pain, and anticipation of new memories being made.  Savor the smells and the memories that come with them.

Feeling… Feelings of the heart and feelings of touch are precious opportunities to savor the season!  Whether you live alone or in a houseful of chaos, look for opportunities to encourage others with kind words, thoughtful actions, and genuine affection.  Give to those who don’t expect it and can’t give in return.  Hug instead of shaking hands. Offer soft answers to those whose stress levels push yours.  Savor the opportunities to be a blessing.

Seeing…  We see with our eyes and envision with our mind.  Savor the people in your life with both!  See who they are and who they are destined to be.  Understand that our loved ones do not always show us their kindest moments yet love embraces the person for who they are not for what they do!  Savor the delight on your loved one’s face as they open a gift from you.  Capture a mental snapshot of an unexpected, serene moment. Delight in the splashes of color uniquely displayed during the holidays.  Savor the sights of your eyes and heart.

Hearing… Close your eyes and hone in on the sounds… the laughter, the music, the greetings, the bells.  Choose to tune out the demands on you that seem so urgent—but can wait.  Sift through the must dos and set them aside for some things you choose to do that bring you joy.  Listen to the words of Christmas Carols, focus on the silly stories your children share, laugh at the joke you’ve heard 10 times before, hear the heart of your loved ones, even if their words don’t match.  Listen carefully, hear with your heart and savor the tune.

Savor the Season! Embrace the moments!  

The new year will come with its demanding schedule, list of responsibilities, and new challenges.  But for now, pause with me to enjoy this season of celebration!  Enjoy the reminder that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to earth to bring His Kingdom into our hopeless situation.  Thank Him for the blessings of breath in your lungs, food on your table, and sunshine each day. He’s a good, good Father!

Live Loved,

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