Good Friday

Wow, has it really been that long since my last entry? I better get moving.

Hard to believe Easter is just a few days away. There's an excitement building in the air. Can you feel it? It bubbles slowly, building inside until you just can't hold it in anymore. It explodes in a rush and suddenly the words come bursting out in a wild kind of joy.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Yes, Christ is risen indeed. Tomorrow is Good Friday. I heard
someone ask recently, "If Jesus died on that day, why do they call it Good Friday?" I honestly didn't know what to say. I didn't know why.

So I did some searching. My family and I used to live in Switzerland and Good Friday was called Karfreitag—loosely translated as Mourning or Sorrowful Friday. Businesses and schools closed early the Thursday before and didn't reopen until Saturday. It was a holiday. A religious holiday. A holy day. Good Friday.

Others speculate that it's like our current "good-bye" that evolved from "God be with you." Perhaps it was once God Friday and has now become Good Friday.

I don't really know which it is, but I do know that an amazing thing happened that day. Christ died so that I may live. Eternally. So, however it became Good Friday is secondary to the miracle of Christ's resurrection. And it is a miracle. In my book, it's the greatest miracle God ever performed. Without it, we are nothing and there is nothing gained.

Christ's resurrection is the proof that His crucifixion wasn't in vane. We don't like to face the harshness of His death. We don't like to think of someone suffering on our account. We don't want to accept that we needed Christ to die for us in order to have a relationship with God. But it's true.

It's also true that without Christ's resurrection, there would be no salvation. Paul tried to dispell rumors that there was no resurrection. In 1Corinthians 15:13-14, he says, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."

Those are powerful words. The crucifixion and the resurrection go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. It just doesn't work. God made it that way. He is risen. We are saved.

So what's the excitement that builds inside us? I believe it's the Holy Sprit reminding us of the amazing power God unleashed in us through Christ. We can do nothing, be nothing, without Christ. Or, we can do all things through Him. (Philippians 4:13)

I choose to do all things through Him, because I know without Him I am nothing. I can't imagine trying to live my life without Him. It's the most amazing and exciting journey I've ever taken. And the best part is, it doesn't end.

So, I close with the words that keep bubbling in my mind and bursting from my lips. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!

Have a blessed Easter!

Are you a Caroline?

As I listened to Air 1 this morning, the song Caroline by Seventh Day Slumber came over the airwaves. I found myself tearing up when the words filtered into my cluttered mind. Wow. What a wonderful song. I wish I could include the words to it, but, alas, the publisher says I have to get permission. Here's a link. Go check it out and come back. Please.

Caroline by Seventh Day Slumber

If you know the song, it's even better. I can hear the tune running through my head as I write this. Let me wipe away your tears and give you life, make you feel beautiful again. That really speaks to me. In a world that dictates most women be a petite toothpick to be beautiful, that tells me I don't have to live by that standard. (As if I even could!) God does make me feel beautiful. I love that about Him. His presence, Christ, in me, shining forth. Beautiful.

There's that tune again. Caroline. God keeps reminding me He's there. I'm not alone. His arms are open wide. What love, what grace! So amazing…

And when you think you've gone too far, He'll meet you where you are.

Are you a Caroline?

Where do I begin?

Well, here I go. My first blog. Does this make me official? Interesting question. So, lets jump right in and get our feet wet. Or should I say bloody? I was surprised to find out from today's Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional by John Fischer that The Passion of the Christ will be released for Easter, minus seven minutes of graphic scenes. It will still have an R rating though. It will be interesting to see what reaction the film gets this time and how it will differ from last years'.

That movie had a profound effect on me. And, to my joy, the day I went to see it, my mother did too. We hadn't planned it. It just happened that way. A God thing, definitely. I say to my joy, because when I called her that day and asked her how she felt about Jesus, she said, "I love Jesus." I am very grateful to Mel Gibson for his part in showing us all the amazing sacrfice Christ made. Especailly to my precious and wonderful mother. (Mom, if you're reading this, I LOVE YOU!!!)

It's late and I best go see if the other computer swallowed my dear hubby. One never knows…