Thank You for the Cross, Lord

Easter Blessings from our home to yours!

Read

Worthy Is The Lamb Lyrics

here.

I love Easter! There are hardly words to describe the immense awe, wonder, gratitude, love, relief, joy I feel when I think of the amazing gift Jesus gave us by dying on the cross for our sins. 

 A gift even more precious than these 5 blessings & their amazing papa. Crazy hard to imagine, but true!

 Even so, I don't know why, but I have been a grouch the past few days. My patience has been low & I have snapped at the kids all too quickly & way too often. 

 It seems Satan has been working overtime because at every turn, something falls & breaks, someone makes a mess, kids are bickering or irritating one another, someone is having a fit or stomping their foot over something that isn't fair or someone not getting what they wanted. 

 The whining bothers me all the more because we have SO much to be thankful for...ingratitude  & the "I wants" just push my buttons. 

 Truth be told, I have not felt very "Eastery." 

 But as I was seeking the Lord yesterday, confessing my impatience, my own selfish & unloving attitude, I was reminded that THIS is why He came! 

 Jesus died on the cross, "bearing all MY sin & shame!"

  He died that I might have forgiveness, new life, a fresh start, a loving heart. 

 So, I thank you for the cross, Lord! 

 I thank you for what it means in my life, that whether or not the sun is shining outside, I can always have the Son shining inside of me! 

 I have received grace & forgiveness...and so I will choose to freely extend grace & forgiveness. 

 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 

 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person

—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—

 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, 

Christ died for us. 

 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood,

much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 

 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, 

much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 

 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:6-11  

 And sometimes I will forget, I will yell & I will stomp my own feet because I want my way! 

 Because just like it takes a lot of tries to get a good photo of the kids, 

it takes a lot of tries in life to live like Jesus wants me to. 

 To live & breathe & walk & love in His power and not my own. 

 To die to myself & live for Christ. 

 And I will be ever grateful that Jesus died, that he arose, and that I have new life in Him! 

(Worthy is the Lamb by Hillsong United) 

Thank you for the cross Lord 

Thank you for the price You paid 

Bearing all my sin and shame 

In love You came 

And gave amazing grace 

 Thank you for this love Lord 

Thank you for the nail pierced hands 

Washed me in Your cleansing flow 

Now all I know 

Your forgiveness and embrace 

 Worthy is the Lamb 

Seated on the throne 

Crown You now with many crowns 

You reign victorious 

 High and lifted up 

Jesus Son of God 

The Darling of Heaven crucified 

 Worthy is the Lamb

 Worthy is the Lamb 

 WORTHY IS THE LAMB

 (Alive Forever Amen by Travis Cottrell)

He's alive, alive, alive. Hallelujah!
Alive! Praise and glory to the Lamb.
He's alive, alive, alive. Hallelujah!
Alive forever. Amen

 I'm alive, alive, alive, hallelujah!

Alive! praise and glory to the Lamb.

He's alive, alive, alive. Hallelujah!

Alive forever. Amen

Let my heart sing out, for Christ, the One and only

So powerful and holy rescued me

Death won't hurt me now because He has redeemed me

No grave will ever keep me from my King

I'm alive, alive, alive, hallelujah!

Alive! praise and glory to the Lamb.

He's alive, alive, alive. Hallelujah!

Alive forever. Amen

Worthy is the Lamb, worthy of our praise

Worthy is the One who has overcome the grave

Let the people dance, let the people sing

Worthy is the mighty King.

 (Alive, Alive Forevermore--Artist Unknown)

 Alive alive alive forevermore

My Jesus is alive

Alive forevermore

Alive alive alive forevermore

My Jesus is alive

Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah

My Jesus is alive forevermore

Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah 

My Jesus is alive!!

(If you're still with me, thanks for reading along!) 

I love this sweet picture of Lucy so excited to jump into her Daddy's arms! What a precious picture of the way that God loves us & He wants us to come to Him in the same way!

He holds us lovingly.  His love for us is tender, complete & perfect. 

As much as I know that Jeff loves our children, it is amazing to realize our Heavenly Father loves us infinitely more!!! 

 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 

1 John 3:11 

  By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, 

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 

1 John 3:16

  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 

1 John 3:18

 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 1 John 3:23

Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. 1 John 3:24

Finally, the picture session was over!! 

 Everyone was happy to bounce a bit on the trampoline!

 We actually had put Lucy on the trampoline to keep her contained while Jack & Sophie snapped a few shots of Jeff & I!

 What a crazy, cute, wild bunch of kids, but I love 'em & wouldn't trade them for anything! 

 Smushed faces!

  

Brotherly & sisterly love! 

Love the snot right out of you! 

HA! 

 Sweet, sweet baby, loved from her button nose...

...right down to the tips of her delicious toes! 

What a delightful Easter Sunday we had! After attending an awesome worship service at church, we came home & took pictures & then had cereal or toaster waffles for lunch! Not fancy, but it sure made for an easy low-key afternoon. A true day of rest! Then we enjoyed a quick dinner out & a sweet frozen treat from TCBY for dessert. A little reward for such sweet & (somewhat) cooperative picture-takers! Then, we came home & got the little ones to bed & let the older 3 stay up for a bit to play Headbandz. A silly, giggly fun ending to a sweet day! Thank you, Jesus, for your love that teaches us how to love!