Our Easter celebration was sandwiched between a week long trip to Michigan and our pastor-spouse conference 6 hours south. Despite the hustle, we celebrated well. This holiday is the pinnacle of our faith, Child. The church calendar begins in Advent, expecting the birth of Jesus, and carries us through to his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. We can’t wait to walk with you through the yearly exuberance that comes with Easter Sunday.

We spent hours at church, rehearsing, leading, worshiping, and intersecting our lives with others. It was an especially heartfelt Sunday. On our walk home in the pristine Spring weather, we stopped to take some new photos of us in our “best.” I am so pleased to have these printed and ready to be framed. I just love us. That’s a good thing after all these years. I think you’ll know your daddy and I really like each other.

I couldn’t resist the road’s beckoning me to a long run. So run I did, for 8 and a half miles, all while singing This is Amazing Grace in my head over and over again. This was such a continuation of my worship. I prayed. I sang. I listened to the sounds swirling. I watched daddies hiding colorful eggs around the yard and heard children squealing with delight.

By the time I arrived home, I was energized and excited to enjoy my Easter candy – 1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg. YUM! Around 5pm, we headed to our friends’ home to share Easter dinner with them. It was a wonderful time with Jessy & Kyle, Kim & Rick, and Cory. The food was perfect and conversation was sweet.

Finally, I posted our new pictures to Facebook and shortly thereafter I discovered a compliment that I was cherish forever.

You have a Jesus shine all over you!!!

I honestly cannot imagine receiving a more meaningful compliment. My heart is still overflowing with joy, encouraged to know that somehow, despite my aches and issues, Jesus is shining and others can see him.

I hope you’ll know that anything good you see in me is Jesus, God’s grace made manifest in my life. You, my Child, are going to be one of the best graces ever.