Preparing for Easter

Most years, we have celebrated Easter "just us," or at least stayed home.  One year in Florida, we had the blessing of traveling to Orlando to spend Easter with my uncle and aunt.  One or two other times in Florida we had Easter lunch with a sweet family who invited many of us "out of towners."  Our last Easter in Florida was spent with our WONDERFUL small group (oh, how we miss you!).  And our first Easter in Ohio was celebrated with a sweet family who so thoughtfully invited us over (I can still taste Beth's orange cake for dessert!). :)

We are not traveling anywhere, although the word is still out on whether it will be the 4 of us or if we will be celebrating with friends here at our house.

Regardless, Matt and I have been talking and brainstorming ideas for making Easter tangible and visible in our home for us and the kids (particularly Asa).

Here are some ideas we are planning to incorporate into our Holy Week celebration:

I have some Easter decorations on the mantle that I think I will cover with a black cloth on Friday and leave covered until Sunday morning.

I hope to make Resurrection rolls with Asa on Friday or Saturday.

I read a blog of a lady who underscored that women were the first to come to Jesus' tomb after He was raised and find out that He was ALIVE!  She went on to say that in her family, they continue to bestow the blessing of telling others that Jesus is alive on the girls.  On Easter morning, she awakens her daughters to exclamations of, "He is risen!"  Then they go wake up her husband and sons together.  It makes me tear up just to think about this, and we will be adopting this ourselves.  I will go to Anna Reaghan first and wake her up saying, "He is risen!"  Then she and I will wake up Matt and Asa.  He is risen INDEED!

We will do a small egg hunt with Asa.  I read some ideas for filling eggs with items and Scripture that point back to Christ and plan to incorporate it as well.

• For the eggs with candy: For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. (Psalm 107:9)

• For the eggs with change: …Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)

• For the empty eggs: He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:6)

Lastly, we are late getting started but we're going to play catch up this year and start on time in the future using Noel Piper's Lenten Lights devotional during Holy Week.  You start with 7 candles lit the first night (the Saturday before Palm Sunday) and snuff one out each night until they are all dark by Good Friday.  You leave them all snuffed until Easter Sunday.  I think this will be wonderful visual for all of us to remember the Light!

Lastly, we have some simple things for Easter baskets for the kids, and I like to always include a story about Easter (or Passover).

How will you be celebrating Easter?