Happy Birthday to me!

Danny continues to keep the tradition alive. This has been a birthday delight for me every April. There's something about being surrounded by the cherry blossoms and walking around the tidal basin that I just love. This year we were able to offload the kids (although I like bringing them too sometimes) and do an overnight in D.C. We enjoyed an amazing lunch at The Old Ebbitt Grill and a less amazing dinner at 1789.  It was a refreshing time getting away even just for a short bit. I even had to time take a nap!

Thank you love for a wonderful time, for having the kids pick out flowers and treats for me, and for being the best gift given to me.  I love you guys!

Always a Happy Easter

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said." - Matthew 28:6

This past Sunday, our pastor quoted an excerpt from the Chronicles of Narnia. It ended with Lucy asking, "But what does it all mean?" And as he read through it, my heart was excited. It's the excitement of seriously one of my favorite books, and the excitement of knowing what it was that C.S. Lewis was trying to portray.  I can't imagine having been there and to have heard the angel's words spoken from Matthew. I like being here in the world's timeline, and to look back and see the whole story and now see what it all means. As I am reading through the book of John, I am so aware of how grateful I am to have the words of God in my hand. I get to see how God's plan unfolds and how his purposes were fulfilled. It is really exciting, because it's not a fairy tale. This is real life. There is purposeful meaning to our lives. The death of Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, was necessary for me to be made right before a perfect God. And his resurrection was necessary to prove his power has conquered all (ALL) my sin and death. "He has risen." He is alive. He is still working, working a ton in my heart, every day helping me fight the good fight. Being a mom has made me more chronically aware of my weaknesses and the selfish desires of my heart.  And being in Christ, bought by the precious blood, has made me more aware of his forgiveness and the unending grace and strength he gives to sustain and help me (and my kids). His love is deep. It went really far for me. Yet, it goes further still because this isn't even the end of the story, because the happy ending is yet to come! (I wish I had the movie to watch that ending!)

"Grace and peace, oh how can this be

The matchless King of all

Paid the blood price for me

Slaughtered lamb, what atonement You bring!

The vilest sinner's heart

Can be cleansed can be free

Oh, what an amazing mystery

What an amazing mystery

That Your grace has come to me."