"He is not here but has risen."

Happy Easter!

Easter Memories...

My mom loved Easter. She loved creating Easter baskets for my sisters and me. And she loved dying Easter eggs, even after I was grown and married with a child of my own. I'm the same way.

One year, a friend and I used only natural ingredients to dye eggs. Red cabbage and red onions made the prettiest and most natural blue colors. Coffee created a mottled brown. It was fun even though a strange odor pervaded the house for a day or two. This same friend and I exchanged Easter baskets for several years. One year, I was the lucky recipient. The next year, she was. She even drove down to my house after I had moved so she could dye eggs with my daughter and me one year. I think she and I were hogging the dye and eggs a bit. A two-year-old barely stood a chance with the two of us at the table!

This year, my daughter suggested that the Easter bunny not hide any eggs for her to search for. She was okay with receiving a basket though. And she and I definitely had to dye eggs, even though this was the smallest number we had ever dipped and decorated.

While I've always enjoyed the fun of Easter... dying Easter eggs, decorating a small "Easter" tree with ornaments, getting out framed photos of my daughter from Easter's past, the significance of the day doesn't pass me by, and I am thankful.

I am thankful that Jesus died for me. I am thankful that the tomb was empty when the stone was rolled back. I am thankful that Jesus appeared to his mother and to his disciples... that He is with me today.

I hope you have had a wonderful Easter!