Lent, Good Friday & Easter! How is your Heart doing?

40 Acts Sum Up

Lent was interesting this year for me. Doing something that focuses outward instead of inward was eye opening for me. It reminded me of how big the world is around us. As I sit here distracted by my children chattering around me, I am reminded that I have beautiful, healthy children who have amazing hearts themselves. This Lent has helped me see how truly blessed I am with all I have and how people around me are as well.  It's hard to see the negativity in the world when you focus on the positive.

Let's just say I will definitely be doing 40 Acts again next year and maybe between now and then I can continue this mind set of looking for ways to help others around me.  It's hard to get out of our own ways sometimes and push ourselves outside of our comfort zones.  I have made a commitment to myself to keep choosing the path less followed.  I am hoping the unevenness of the path will help me grow.  You know that scene in Beauty in the Beast where Philippe the horse doesn't want to go down that scary path in the woods?  Well, a lot of time this is me in everyday life.  I will say that I'm at about 60% of choosing that scary path.  My first instinct is to use the smoother path, but I try to push through the rocky one instead.

How will I keep up with this?

Since I'm a procrastinator by nature I need to schedule things in order to get them done.  So I am using my google calendar and looking for other apps to remind me to do things on a daily basis. I am hoping that by adding these things I will become accustomed to it and just naturally do it.  Fingers crossed. 😉

Good Friday

My emotions were all over the place yesterday. I often feel like when that happens I'm in an emotional state I can't explain.  It could have been physical or just emotional. I think it was a combination brought on my the fact that it was Good Friday.  As I drove through downtown Rochester yesterday, there was a group walking through town carrying a cross.  I've seen them do this before during Good Friday.  A representation of what it looked like for Jesus carrying the cross up to the top of that beautifully dreadful hill. When was the last time you read the story of Easter week, specifically Good Friday into the Resurrection?  If it's been awhile check out the passages below:

Matthew,Mark,Luke,John

The part that affects me the most is where Jesus is so distressed that he sweats blood. This is a real thing, Hematidrosis. Extreme physical or emotional stress causes this condition.  Can you imagine knowing what you were going to have to go through over the next couple of days like Jesus did? He cried out to God, like so many of us do. But if you notice, He did something not a lot of us in turmoil do, he asked for God's will to be done, not ours. He pleaded for this to be taken away, but only if it was God's will.  Often times in trials we ask for God to take them away from us, for our will not His.  He often takes these trials, as hard as they are, and uses them for His Glory!  What a concept!

Not just sweating blood, but how about being betrayed by those you know love you. Ouch!  How about being spit on and mocked?  How about having being scourged. I'm not gonna tell you to look this up.  This was an awful punishment. If you've seen The Passion of the Christ movie, they show this scene. How about after all this hate and punishment having to carry your own cross up to the place where you know you are going to die and doing it willingly and with a heart that soars because you know that is what God wants from you?  

Wow. Always in Awe of the cross!

EASTER

Ever wondered where got all these traditions surrounding bunnies and eggs when it has nothing to do with the true meaning of Easter?  Here's a great video for you: Easter Sunday-Bunnies and Eggs?

I struggled with these traditions when we had our kids.  I knew that my kids would want to enjoy traditions like this, but I didn't want them to take away from the true meaning of the season.  I also didn't want to be a buzz kill.  So I did some research and found a couple of things that worked for us.  One of them is Resurrection Eggs.  You can buy them at Amazon: Resurrection Eggs or at other Christian based websites.  Or, if DIY is your thing, there are a few links for that as well.  Here is one of them: DIY Resurrection Eggs

I also found that getting this book: What is Easter? By Michelle Medlock Adams helped me to feel like I was explaining to the kids that bunnies, egg hunts, dressing up and food were all fun and good things but it's not the true reason our family celebrates.  She has a few other books regarding other holidays that are really great too.

These days I try to go with the flow of my kids, since they are at separate ages and stages in their faith. I try to engage them together but separately while always trying to find God Moments in everyday life to bring up the cross.

Easter is a time for new life and celebration for He is Risen! 

We live in such a fallen world. It's hard to realize that if not for the sacrifice of Jesus we couldn't go to the Father. The thought of a world without forgiveness is awful. I know I'm not good enough, I know I will never be good enough. But... the cross means forgiveness. If we lay ourselves humbly at the foot of the cross and turn toward God we can be always in his Grace and Mercy.

I look forward to a day where I see his face and understand all the things of this world that confuse me are explained.  Until then, I bask in the rays of His love and sacrifice.

How's your heart?  

Mine is free.

Here are a few song links that are my favorites, not only at Easter but all year round.

My Victory

Christ is Risen

God's Not Dead

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

Romans 12: Love in Action, Living Sacrifice, Humble Service

Beauty and the Beast Movie Review 2017

If someone told me, even a couple of years ago, that I would be writing a review about a live action Disney movie I would have laughed out loud.

I debated whether or not to write about this.  In the end I decided to just go for it.  

I had read a lot of reviews about this movie before it even came out.  Then all the boycott posts and articles came out.  I always take these things with a grain of salt. Ever wonder where that expression came from? Click here to find out.  I love facts like this.

While perusing Facebook one day, I came across an article that someone had shared. Someone whom I have great trust in his teachings from previous experience. Here is the article.

http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/why-christians-can-calm-down-about-beauty-and-the-beast.html?utm_content=buffer7a930

Now I'm not saying I would even write what this person did or have the same exact feelings about it as they do, but I gotta tell you that they make a lot of good points in it.

I was going to go see Beauty and the Beast with my daughter(who is 6) along with other family members, without even reading the reviews.  Let's be honest, reviews are subjective in nature.  We all see movies in a different way.  I'm not a critic, in the professional sense.  I just like to be entertained.  Maybe I have low expectations, but I think going into a movie with another person's review on your mind might not be the best idea.  

NOTE: That doesn't mean that I wont look at a trusted review of a movie from Plugged In by Focus on the Family before taking my kids to a movie I think might not be appropriate, or even going to the movies with my husband and checking for nudity or sex. 

So, where does this leave us?  Well, as a parent there are some things that can wait until they are an appropriate age to discuss, depending on the child of course.  In this case, it's a Disney movie and as adults I think we over think things.  My daughter didn't ask any questions about the "controversial" scenes in the movie. The adults with me and around me giggled a little, and so did I.  

This is the world we live in people.  Are we going to hide from the world or try to be lights in it?  Look at this as an opportunity to teach your children how you and your family feel and how God sees things in our society today.  Teach them that when something is different we aren't called to judge.  Teach them that we are called to love, no matter how we feel about something.  Be a light, heck be a lighthouse for your kids.  If WE don't show them the way and talk with them about things going on in society then someone else will, believe me, and then you never know what information they are receiving.

One more note about the movie.... did you see the original?  Lefou was over the top in that one too, I think we just didn't hear much about it then because they were animated characters. 

I love Beauty and the Beast, it is my all time favorite Disney Animated Film. Maybe that is one of the reasons I wasn't going to let someone tell me how to think about it. Then again, when do I ever let someone else tell me how to think? :)

If you don't know how to talk with your kids about these things, you aren't ready yet? Don't see it until you do know. Decide how you feel about these subjects and how you are going to explain it to your kids.  There are a lot of good resources out there. This one is put out by Focus on the Family: True Tolerance.  I love the scenarios and the responses, how loving and kind they are.

I want to encourage you to look up the original definition of Tolerance, not the current one.  You don't have to approve of something to tolerate(or endure) it.  It's okay to have differences of opinions as long as you are respectful of other people in the process.  Be kind, be loving.  

Go see Beauty and the Beast, but be ready to talk if it comes up.  I bet it won't if your kid is under a certain age.

Until next time!

1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,  keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.