Easter 2011 Finding True Joy

Finding TRUE JOY is to see God's goodness! Do we see God's goodness and if we do why do we find our selves complaining and grumbling time after time. As I press Hard into the Word of God I wrestle I beg Him to show me His goodness as I find myself all around hurting non-joyful people I myself lack this joy most days why have I been consumed by the ways of this dark cold wicked world or is it the pure dark sin of selfishness. Is it both or have we forgotten to be a thankful people? I press deeper into the arms of Christ I am still in the quietness of an early morning when all is calm and still in my house as they lie asleep with no thoughts to a mom whom wrestles with God to find truth and answers to something I long for the TRUE JOY only found in a life with Christ. I am still HE answers Cindy it's all around you have busied yourself and have chosen not to see the many blessings I daily give His words pierce yet a convicting Truth I ask Him to show me He says look I look and I see it everywhere in the dark sky of an EARLY morning, with the lights that shine in the distance, the breeze that blows on a cool Spring morning, its in a child's laughter echoing from their rooms as they arise in the morning, it's in my aching bones that have just ran their hardest, it's in the body that lies reclined in this plush chair, it's in the whisper of a husband's early morning prayer's as he retrieves my coffee, it's for in the pleasure of enjoying that coffee, it's everywhere can you see it now Cindy ? I see it I cry I beg for forgivness for the selfish heart within. I am thankful I begin to do as a sister' blogger does I grab a bunch of post-it notes and begin the journey of thankful gratitude I place them all around the home everywhere to be reminded daily of all the many many blessings bestowed down upon my family and I cry I am so thankful. Feel thanks and it is impossible to be grumpy or feel angry it is hard to feel more than one emotion at a time so I choose (being thankful I get that choose) to be thankful JOYFUL which emotion will you choose today?? So as I have been searching my heart this "Lent" season He is teaching me to be a thankful person filled with Grace His Grace! I pray He will "Be thou always my vision, oh Lord of my heart" Thankful that God died for a wretch like me yes even me. One day when sin was as black as can be Jesus came to dwell among men like you and I His Word became flesh and the light shined among us Living He loved us, Dying He Saved us, Buried He carried our sins Far away Rising He justified Freely forever One day He's Coming OH Glorious Day isnt' that enough in and of itself to be oh so very thankful for HE Died on a cross nail scarred hands dripping with the blood that covers you and I if that doesnt make one thankful I pray! May we come before God cleansing our hearts this next week as we count down to Easter Matthew 5:8 says ; "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God " o How I want to see God!!! Lord I am still filthy rags please continue to mold me and reshape these frayed edges of mine into the image and likeness of the Holy One!!! God Bless You as we prepare our hearts for Easter Sunday SEEK to cleanse those deep dark ugly places to find TRUE JOY ! Until Next Time, In His Amazing Grace, Cindy

As Easter Season is Beginning......

Many people have been asking what we do as a Family for Easter and many have wanted me to share on Facebook but I have been on a month break from Facebook and will not return until the 1st of May been a NICE break yet am starting to miss it. EASTER: Well my family and I have already began preparing our hearts as we are in "LENT" which began on Ash Wednesday in March we have two Boxes in which we have made into the "Repentance" boxes we write things we need forgivness for and fold the cards and place them in the boxes so no one can see it is between the Lord and the individual. This is just a way to prepare our hearts for Easter that we may come before the Lord with PURE hearts. Then the Good Friday before we remember that that was the DARKEST day in the world and the darkness of these sins in the boxs we pray and throw the sins away just as CHRIST shed blood that dripped from HIS body that evening to save our souls for eternity and wash our sins away for good. On the Saturday after Good Friday we begin a Family Reading of the WORD and we light 7 candles the next night one less and so on each night leading up to Easter and the night before Easter Nothing no candles lit and this represents the fact that the tomb was empty and on Easter Sunday we will Eat and tell final part of The Events with ALL 7 candles now lit again to represent that our LORD has Risen "HE HAS RISEN INDEED" For a more detailed outline of how we do Easter and what LENT is you can go to Noel Piper's site and go to the topic titled "The Resurrection of Christ" @www.desiringgod.com We do color Easter eggs and we use it as a time to talk about God and His Trinity the three parts this is a WONDERFUL way to explain to young children that God is still one but HE has three parts just as this egg is one yet still has three parts to it: We take an egg and show it breaking : 1st you have the shell this represents God Himself 2nd you have the yolk this represents Jesus 3rd you have the whites and this represents the Holy Spirit that dwells within but whala you only have one egg they seem to love this and so get it try it ....it is amazing!!! We do alot and my prayer for all of us is to just STOP and be still and really reflect on the EASTER season and the sacrifices made on our behalves sinners such as you and I and may our time as we count down to that day not become all knotted up and circum to redundant encumbrances but that we would truly be blessed and thankful and remember the blood that dripped from the body of Christ that DARK night so long ago to cover the sins of each of us and may we be reminded that day by day we live out our actions in the very presence of a living GOD. Draw me close to the foot of the cross where YOUR blood poured out To save a wretch like me and lead me to your heart !!! May God bless your family as you Celebrate Easter week!!! In His Amazing Grace, Cindy