He Is Risen... Songs On Sunday

Before church this morning I took some pictures of the kids. A, D, J. I know this may sound *obvious* to some, but the girls are really looking alike again. Strangers and those who don't know them well, can't tell them apart, but I can and they look very different to me. Still, they go in and out of phases of looking more or less like each other and right now they are at the phase where they look more alike.

As Shelley and Grandma and Grandpa know, it's near impossible to get a photo of all three of them together! There are some hilarious "out takes"! LOL Daddy was jumping up and down being silly behind me to get them to laugh, smile, anything to look at the camera! Mom always has a camera in front of her face, so nothing new to them, they just ignore it! :o) D always has his tongue doing something strange because he lost two front teeth on the bottom and one new tooth is half way through and the second starting to pop out.

This is one of the best shots I have gotten of the two girls together. They do fight like cats and dogs sometimes but they are also extremely close. Several times lately it has been quiet in the van and we will look back and there are the sisters, whose car seats sit in the bucket seats with about 15" between them - and they are reaching out across that aisle space holding each others' hands. It is so precious! Obviously I can't take a picture while driving, so I have to ponder these things in my heart!

This is A and J again and it captures their personalities to a T. Hard to believe they will be 5 in 4 days! :o)

This day which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ is my favorite holy day on the church calendar. I wish I could write that we had a lovely day filled with joy and fun, but today was a really hard day. It would be really easy to not write anything or to put on my smile and pretend like everything was "all right", but honesty and genuine sentiment are important to me. In reality some days our walks are difficult and if we never share that with others at least in some small ways, they will never know what Joy and Peace and Strength that we can because of Jesus' resurrection, to help us through these times. Everything is okay, just some difficult stuff that will pass in time. If you feel led, please pray for our family.

An email that I received from Charles Stanley's In Touch Ministries had this great quote from him:

His tomb is empty so your life can be full.

I may have shared before, but considering the stress and sorrow I am feeling now, this song is worth posting again for Songs on Sunday, as it is one of my favorite contemporary hymns.

Because He Lives

1. God sent His Son - they called Him Jesus,

He came to love, heal and forgive;

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Chorus:

Because He lives I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

2. How sweet to hold a newborn baby

And feel the pride and joy he gives;

But greater still the calm assurance:

This child can face uncertain days because Christ lives.

(Chorus)

3. And then one day I'll cross the river,

I'll fight life's final war with pain;

And then, as death gives way to victory,

I'll see the lights of glory - and I'll know He lives.

(Chorus)

Written by Bill and Gloria Gaither