Because He Lives…

Because He Lives…
I can face tomorrow.

Because He Lives…
All fear is gone.

Because I know…oh…oh…
He holds my future!

Life is worth the living JUST because He lives!

Can I be honest???

As I sit typing this, I am not sure those are the exact lyrics. They are, however, the lyrics resounding loudly in my head.

And I love them.

I look at each of them…
Because Jesus lives, I can face tomorrow.

I remember when we miscarried our baby, I could not face the light of day. I could not face the exit of our house into a different part of the real world. I could not face the presence of people that did not lose babies…

I could not face anything.

I wanted to remain curled in my dark dungeon of death and hide.

But He was there.

Loving me. Holding me. Comforting me.

And, eventually, I began to live again.

Because He Lives, all fear is gone.

I remember when God asked me for Maxwell’s life.  My only son’s life.  He asked me to give Maxwell to him.

I remember shouting, “No, God!  I will not give you Maxwell.  I gave you my other baby and you TOOK that baby from me!  Therefore, you CANNOT have Maxwell.”

I remember the fear of losing my son.  My only son.  To death.

I remember the fear of trying to imagine life without my son.  My only son.  To death.

I remember the fear of not knowing if Maxwell would live or die.

I remember that fear as if it, that fear, is sitting next to me at this moment while I type this.

But the VERY moment that I relinquished my son completely into the hands of God, I remember that fear leaving me.

Instantaneously.

Gone.

Did I know if my son would live?

No.

Did I know if my son would die?

No.

I knew absolutely only one thing—God had Maxwell in his hands.

And with that, my fear was gone.

Because I know he holds my future…

When I was on the brink of a mental breakdown.  My marriage was in shambles.  My life was far different than I ever dreamed.  When I was on that brink — when I did not see my future as a family whole, I realized, probably for the first time in all of my life, that God is enough.

At first I thought God was enough—plus my family—plus my friends—plus my job—plus my husband—plus my children (I progressed as I got older and more married, you know—things like that).  God PLUS everything and everyone else were enough.

But when I was left with nothing but the very shell of who I was — THAT is only when I realized that it wasn’t God PLUS the rest.

It was only God.

Life is worth the living  just because He lives!

Take it from a woman that knows.  Life is worth the living just because he lives!

I pray that you come to this beautiful peace in your life, too.

Happy Easter, my friends!

***

After writing this, I went on Google, and look what I found!  Enjoy.

Also, in the above photo, Maxwell is in a full coma and simultaneously receiving a life-saving blood transfusion. So, if you donate blood, THANK YOU!  Also fitting for Easter, the fact that someone gave so that my son could live.

The 2014 Easter Egg Hunt…She ran this time.

Well, if you followed a post that I did recently speaking of last Easter, you would recall that my daughter lazily and enjoyably sauntered last Easter, casually looking for eggs.

She had a blast—we worried she wasn’t getting enough eggs.  She taught us a valuable lesson that day on enjoyment and contentment.

But this year…

This year she was sure to beat her brother!  Get Ready; Get Set; Beat the 1-year-old to the Eggs; Go!

And she did.

The count at the end…

Adelyne:  19 eggs.

Maxwell:  10 eggs.

Josephine:  2 eggs.  The only 2 with her name on them (I guess Maxwell & Adelyne were not willing to give up their eggs, eh?!)

Momma even got an egg…A golden egg.  That Easter Bunny must like her?  Cuddle-cuddle!

Anyhow—we hope that first and foremost your Easter was full of Christ.

and

Family.

and

Easter egg hunts.

Much love to you from ours…xo b

First—the Easter Bunny came!  The little one (literally 1 as well), just thought it was the prettiest table he’d ever seen.

Sat there in awe…

Next…The Hunt.  Wee!

After breakfast, we had the BEST time reading the Bible and going through the Resurrection Eggs…

 

And, of course, out the door!  All 3 miraculously dressed for the celebration of His resurrection! (and it’s a miracle because if you know me—you know I don’t doll up)

Now, since it’s Great Monday, I hope that you all are avoiding the kids and staying dry!  I am sure that Poland is not.  Happy Smigus Dyngus, everyone!

If I love this much…

Let me take a few moments to show you a few photos that speak of my heart…

And in case you think I’ve forgotten the men in my life…

I show you these photos so that I don’t have to use words.

These photos are my words.

They express my heart.

My love.

My passion.

They express my life.

My everything.

I hope, in these photos, you see how much I love.

And if I love as much as that—can you imagine how much God loves?!

Even more.

Impossible?

Nope.  Totally possible.

His expression…Jesus!

Happy Easter, Friends! He has risen indeed.

Alleluia.

Are you a church CEO?

I saw it first on Facebook…Because, you know, it’s the place to go to get the news.

Someone wrote, “Tomorrow you’ll see a lot of CEOs at church.  Christmas and Easter Only”

Someone is funny.

Someone is right.

But the more I thought about it, I thought—if you are only a CEO, why go at all?

What?  You say…(imagine it being said like the Geiko commercial)

Wouldn’t you think twice a year is better than not at all?

Well, of course I think twice a year is better than not at all.  But let’s take a look at the two times that you go:

Christmas.

Easter.

What are those two days?

Why, major holidays.  You say.

And you’re right.  Two major holidays—both religiously and commercially.  And I do.  I do.  I do love them both! (Both religiously and commercially)

But, again, I ask you—Why do you go on those two days?

For which you’ll probably answer, TRADITION! (All Fiddler on the Roof style)

Or To see family…which is a great reason to go.

So, I don’t want you to think that I am bashing your trip to the kaplica (chapel)—but I am questioning why you choose to be a CEO.

Let me explain it this way…

Christmas.  It’s a foundational holiday to the Christian faith.  We believe with all that we are that, during this season, Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, Mary.  Mary was engaged to Joseph.  But Joseph is only the earthly father of Jesus.  The father of Jesus is God.  It’s a miracle.  There is no other way for us to explain it.  And we believe—by faith—that it is so.

And this is the day that you choose to go to church.

Then there is Easter.  It’s THE most important holiday—holy day—to be celebrated in the Christian faith.  Without the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, we would not have an opportunity to know him.  Personally.  To walk with him.  Daily.  Before Christ’s death and resurrection, there had to be a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.  Christ, the man that was born of the virgin, Mary, became obedient unto death…becoming the final sacrifice.  The ultimate sacrifice for all of mankind (womankind, too, in case you are gender sensitive—smile and wink).  Giving us the opportunity for new life.  In Him.

These are big deals.

And these are big days.

But these days speak of BIG FAITH.  BIG BELIEF.  BIG.  BIG.  BIG.

After all, on the days you choose to go, you are saying, I am here on a day that I believe a miracle took place—a virgin gave birth to the Son of God.

And…

I am here on a day that I believe that same Son of God rose from the dead.  He had been dead for 2 previous days.  This is the 3rd day.  There was a tomb (cave, resting place) that he was placed in.  There were Roman guards by the tomb.  And yet, somehow, he was not in this tomb on the 3rd day.  Not only that—but this same man that died and was placed in a guarded tomb, later appeared to many hundreds of people.  Hundreds.  Before ascending to heaven.  Hundreds.

I believe it is not Happy Zombie Day (like you will see without a doubt on Facebook on Easter day).  But it is instead, He has risen indeed.  Hallelujah!  He, the ultimate sacrifice, became death for me.  But death had NO hold on him.

No.Hold.On.Him.

Yep.  I am at church on a day that believes this.  Celebrates this.  Proclaims this.  And chooses to live by faith THIS!

It’s all pretty incredible.  And requires great faith.  Which brings me back to you, CEO, why do you choose to go on these days that are so big?

Why not just go two times a year on other days that may be a lot gentler—like say Valentine’s Day?  Or perhaps the 4th of July?

Or do you go on these days because you need that reminder—be it twice a year—that we all need to live like this?

As people with great faith.

 

Get ready, Get set, Get the EGGS!

My daughter has grown up in Poland.  And, in Poland, we hunt Easter eggs like this:

There are 12 eggs and 4 kids hunting.  You each can find 3 eggs.  Bring them to me, dump the contents into your basket, I will refill them and rehide them.  Get ready.  Get set.  Go!

And the 4 kids run and hunt and find and dump and close their eyes so that we can do it all over again.  We have a blast and enjoy every moment.

Problem.

We came back to the States.  There were a million eggs.  And a million kids hunting them.  And they didn’t stop at 4.  Or 40.  And hunting?  They were professionals.  Like the Daniel Boones of Easter Egg Hunts!

Then there was my daughter.

Wee.  Happily skipping.  Slowly moving.  Lightly looking.

And there we sat…Or stood…Or sweated…

Look for the eggs, Adelyne!  Get going!  There’s one right above your head!  Don’t you see it?  There’s another below your foot!  Yikes!  They took it.  Grab the egg!  Fast!  Adelyne…GRAB THE EGG!

And while we were shouting, sweating, and stressing…all eggs in relatively close proximity were promptly and deftly swiped—by professional egg hunting children.  My daughter, her Easter basket bare yet her spirit full.

That’s when I learned…

We have grown up in two worlds.  We, my husband and I, in America.  My daughter in Poland.

We have grown up as eager, aggressive Easter egg hunters.

My daughter as a “Yea, this is fun!  Look, I have 4 eggs!” kind-of-child.

Two worlds.  One family.  And, in the end, all that really matters is this:

She had fun!

Oh, and technically, she doesn’t really like candy.  So all of that candy we sweated about her grabbing—she never ate and we threw out anyway.

Sweated for nothing, eh?

Parents, sometimes we are the death of our children.  Especially their spirits of contentment.

And, so, this year, I will do the following:

Fill the eggs

Hide the eggs

Prepare my camera

and

Remember to just have fun.

After all, Easter Egg Hunts should be just that…

A big bunny that hides eggs ridiculous amounts of non-sweating fun—while remembering to let our daughter be the kid that she likes to be.

The kid with 4 eggs at the end of the Easter-egg day!

***

Take some time to link in to the following Easter posts written by fellow Poland-living bloggers like myself:  Easter Blog Fun!