Happy Easter Weekend, everybody!
Like many families, we try to make a big deal out of Good Friday and Easter weekend. Last year we visited the cross at church along with some other activities, some Jesus-focused, some not. This year I decided to follow what worked successfully this past Christmas: simplify. So today we baked hot cross buns and visited the cross. Sunday we will go to church and have family dinner with an egg hunt. That is all, and trust me, it's a lot less than our years past (even without a kid).
Like many families, we try to make a big deal out of Good Friday and Easter weekend. Last year we visited the cross at church along with some other activities, some Jesus-focused, some not. This year I decided to follow what worked successfully this past Christmas: simplify. So today we baked hot cross buns and visited the cross. Sunday we will go to church and have family dinner with an egg hunt. That is all, and trust me, it's a lot less than our years past (even without a kid).
My life's step over the past year has tread more and more often in the land of intentional simplicity and peace. The last few months especially, months of work, school, sickness, and job changes, have followed two ideas, wrapped (I hope) in love:
Recognize and Avoid Distractions
I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?
Nehemiah 6:3
Parent and Work Intentionally
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 6:7
Recognize and Avoid Distractions
I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?
Nehemiah 6:3
Parent and Work Intentionally
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 6:7
So this Easter was about simplicity and focus. We kicked the Easter bunny to the curb this year (sorry bunny- nothing personal) and intentionally placed our parenting focus not on the culture, but on Jesus.
Don't worry... TLO is still getting a gigantic Easter basket! I like Peeps as much as anybody! And Reese's eggs. And giant chocolate bunnies. Oh, and those whopper-egg things.
(Wait- am I buying for him or me here??)
Don't worry... TLO is still getting a gigantic Easter basket! I like Peeps as much as anybody! And Reese's eggs. And giant chocolate bunnies. Oh, and those whopper-egg things.
(Wait- am I buying for him or me here??)
Piles of sugar and raisins later, we popped them in the oven and then made the five minute trip to church to read the Good Friday story and talk about Jesus.
We read the Good Friday story from The Jesus Storybook Bible (our fav). My big idea was to take the book down to the cross, but that rain was a pourin'!
So we read in the car.
Reed had a lot of thoughts and questions after reading the story and then seeing the cross. Plus it was extra cool because of the rain, puddles, and wildlife. I still think it is difficult to make the Crucifixion/Resurrection story relevant to a 3 year old, but he came away understanding that Jesus died on a cross, it was really important, and He did it because of His love for us.
He also came away soaked, muddy, and incredibly happy.
Yes!!! #momwin
He also came away soaked, muddy, and incredibly happy.
Yes!!! #momwin
Afterwards, we went home, dried off, iced our hot cross buns, and took a big pan of them to my family who we are not going to be able to see on Easter Sunday.
Overall, it was a super-good Friday. I hope you have some time to come away with your family this weekend and truly enjoy and focus in the moment. I wish you a blessed, distraction-free, peaceful, Jesus-focused Easter weekend!
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