Easter At Our House: Resurrection Egg

Resurrection Egg

It always amazes me how new and exciting Easter is to my children even when we do the same things.

My 3 year old came home with a Resurrection Egg (pictured above) from MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers).  She has the gift of sharing and was quite put-out with me when I wouldn't let her give the palm branch to her brother who loves green.  As we talked about the importance of keeping the pieces together so we could tell the story (which hasn't really resonated with her yet) I watched her struggling to understand the pieces.  As we talked about them my 5 year old picked up the sheet and tried reading it -- stumbling over words like Resurrection and Jerusalem she decided to just tell it from her own words.  In stepped my 7 year old son to explain that "that isn't what it really says."  As I struggled with how to balance teaching faith and basic reading skills and where my emphasis should be in that moment I decided to see if my son could tell me what each of the symbols meant without reading the paper.
Resurrection Eggs have been a part of our Easter celebration for many years http://sbpcmops.blogspot.com/2010/03/resurrection-eggs.html and I love how they have equipped my children to not only know the Easter story but also be able to share it.  As we walk on the beach, a rock will suddenly bring a discussion of Jesus' tomb as a child will announce "I have a rock in my egg"  The palm trees bring to mind Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and we tell the story again.
As I reflect on our Ressurection Egg experience of yesterday I am also struck by how often things like the using the "right words" or the egg being "my favorite color" so easily distract us from digging deeper into the story of Jesus.
Lord, help us to let go of the distractions and focus on you this Easter season.  Amen.

about getting caught up...

How easy it is to get caught up in life!  As a mother of a 7, 5 and 3 year old, not to mention spouse and MOPS coordinator I have some personal experience in "getting caught up" in life.  And also dwell in a constant state of feeling I will never "be caught up."  Life comes at me faster than I can absorb it and no matter what I take off my plate I have just learned there is more of life to enjoy than we have time for.  My church community has been exploring the concept of rest and sabbath.  It has been a fun way to dwell in the Lenten season this year.

This year's MOPS theme is "Love as it your life depended on it" taken from The Message version of 1 Peter.  I have been thinking on this theme for nearly a year now.  What kind of love is that?  How does that fit with the whole boundaries concept?  How does it fit with 1 Corinthians where it says that Love is kind when nothing feels kind about the screaming fit in response to my telling my 3 year old no to protect her physical safety.  What is love?

I have come to love the Lent and Easter season.  I used to think Christmas was better but as I have come to value the slower pace of Easter mingled with the grief and sorrow that are overcome by new life I have learned to relish the Easter season.  Unlike Christmas where celebration gets pushed closer and closer to July each year you sometimes have to hunt for signs of Easter.  Is it really coming?  I remember thinking this year, 'How can it be Ash Wednesday already?' it seems like Christmas just finished.  I feel Easter is a season that I have to carve out time for -- the world around me doesn't join with me in the same way they do at Christmas.

As I have reflected this spring I have realized[...

...how easy it is to get caught up in life...and never get to finish your thoughts.]* added to complete post 1/27/2015