Happy Easter

You can feel free to use the coloring pages for your own PERSONAL use.  But please be kind and do not claim these pictures as your own or offer them for downloads.  It makes me sad to see my pictures on a coloring page website run by someone else.

This coloring page was drawn by one of my sons. My kids love to help me out with pictures for my blog.

This coloring page was drawn by my youngest daughter.

Resurrection Bingo

I had the most wonderful time teaching my 2nd and 3rd grade class at church. We were learning about the resurrection for Easter. I wanted to give the kids a fun way to learn all the details. Normally, I share my Resurrection Eggs with the class, which they love. I decided to do a little twist on that this year.

We played Resurrection Bingo instead! It was so much fun and for the first time ever, the kids were so into the lesson that not a single child asked if it was snack time. Even by the time they all left to go home, no one remembered snack time. That has never happened! 

You can feel free to use the Resurrection Bingo for your own PERSONAL use.  But please be kind and do not claim these pictures as your own or offer them for downloads.  

If you would like to download a complete PDF set of Resurrection Bingo, you can scroll down to the bottom of this post. 

Each child will get ONE blank bingo card

And TWO sets of the small pictures. There are 25 squares of Bingo, and only 12 small pictures. The free space says Jesus is Alive!

Before playing the game, have each child make his or her own specialized Bingo playing card. Cut out the pictures and glue them onto each square of the Bingo card. There is no specific order and the more random the cards are the better. Each child should make their own Bingo card different from everyone else and try not to have two of the same picture in each column. For example, if they put both donkey pictures in column “B”, when it is called they will automatically have two marked off. To make it fair to all the kids, I made sure they only had one picture of each thing per column.

Cut apart the Bingo Calling Cards that you will be drawing from.  

To Play the Game:

When you hold up a card for the kids to see, allow a child who could mark the picture on their Bingo card to explain the purpose behind the card.  

For instance, I draw a card that looks like this:

The child would explain that it is a crown of thorns and that the soldiers placed it on Jesus’ head to mock him.

Stop and discuss each card until you have made it all the way through the 12 different cards. You will be repeating some of the cards, and it isn’t necessary to explain them again, unless you would like a new child to have the chance to share the importance behind the card.

If you need help with the description for each picture, I have included a list, along with scripture references for further discussion.

Donkey – A lowly donkey was given to Jesus to ride into Jerusalem just before his death. (Matthew 21:1-9)

30 Silver Coins – Judas accepted 30 silver coins for betraying Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. (Matthew 26:14-16, 46-50, 27:1-5)

Passover Cup - At Jesus’ last supper with his disciples before he died on the cross, He used the cup of wine to explain his death. (Matthew 26:17-19, 26-28)

Praying Hands – Reminds us that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with His disciples. (Mark 14:32-42)

Leather Whip – After His trial by Pilate, the Roman soldiers used leather ropes with rocks and metal woven in to whip Jesus.  (John 19:1-15)

Crown of Thorns – The soldiers who crucified Jesus placed a crown of thorns on His head, so they could mock Him. (Matthew 27: 29-31)

Nails in the Cross – Three large nails were driven into Jesus’ hands and feet to nail Him to the cross. (John 19: 16-22)

Dice for Gambling – The Roman soldiers used dice to gamble for Jesus’ robe.  (John 19:23-25)

Soldier’s Spear – Roman soldiers used a spear to pierce Jesus’ side when He was on the cross. (John 19: 31-37)

Linen cloth – Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in a linen cloth after He died on the cross. (Matthew 27: 57-61)

Stone at the Tomb – The huge stone that had covered the tomb was found rolled away by an angel. (Matthew 28:1-3)

Jesus Loves Me – The whole reason Jesus died and rose again was because of His great love for us! (John 3:16)

You can use anything for the markers. I used some pony beads. You could even have the kids color in each picture as it gets called.

You can download a PDF of Resurrection Bingo

Crafts for Easter

It's been a fantastic two weeks of teaching! The kids are learning, and fully engaged in the story of Jesus crucifixion and resurrection. Each Wednesday, I dedicated the entire day to planning my lesson. Our pastor loves to say each year at this time, "Easter is the Super Bowl for Christians." It should be one of our biggest weeks for attendance. If someone is considering going to church, they will most likely say yes to an invitation this weekend!

Last week we focused primarily on the death of Jesus. I did make sure to share the good news of His resurrection, however the focus of that would be the following week. My favorite way to teach this lesson is by using Resurrection Eggs. I don't know how long they've been around, but they are genius! Kids love hands on stuff to help them learn. I bought my set when my daughter was 2 years old, and we've been using them each year since. That's 14 years of Easter fun!!

Every egg has a piece of the story hidden inside. When you buy the set, they also come with a booklet that gives scriptures to read, and helpful information to tell. I typically don't follow the book. It's pretty wordy, and I prefer to share from my heart about each piece of the story. They might have updated the book since I originally bought my set. I do like to follow along with reading the different passages from the Bible. 

Whenever I bring the eggs to my class at church, the kids are enthralled. They LOVE to take turns opening each egg. I have found these eggs even interest my kids who usually need special attention. Everyone listens. Everyone learns. 

To go along with the story, I like to plan a craft. Kids really enjoy using their hands. After we had gone through all the eggs, the kids got to make their own resurrection pie wheel to bring home with them. This pie wheel has all the same things they learned through the eggs. The kids were very excited to make this. Now they would be able to share the same story with their family and friends. 

To make the resurrection pie, you print both pages, and simply use a brass fastener in the center to keep them together. You cut out the pie piece on the top paper to provide a hole for viewing through. The bottom pie wheel should easily turn through the viewing screen. I left an area blank above each description so the kids can draw a picture in of what the object is we talked about. 

There are twelve pieces of the wheel, one for each resurrection egg. On the front wheel piece, you can see a list of all twelve things, along with their scriptures that we referenced. This was very easy to make, and the kids had a lot of fun with it!

Feel free to use any coloring sheets I put together, and post. That's why I share them online. I'm always happy to let anyone use what I have created. My goal is to teach all kids about Jesus, including ones I've never met! As always, if you click on the picture it will allow you to save a much larger file size.  

*UPDATE 2018* I have a new game you can play called Resurrection Bingo! It is very similar to doing the Resurrection eggs.

This week my lesson focused much more on the resurrection of Jesus instead of His death. I was so excited to teach about this. I prepared my thoughts and heart all day long. I showed a 13-minute video to the class of some clips I edited together from A.D. The Bible Continues. The video content is very well done, but a bit harsh and violent to show young children.  I put together several different, kid friendly clips to make a short video. A picture is worth a thousand words, and the kids were so into the movie. I think they were disappointed when the lights came back on. Some had never seen this acted out before. They had lots of questions, and we could have some really good discussion afterwards. Why did Peter lie that he didn't know Jesus? Was that Pharaoh in the movie? So cute and sweet!

After our lively discussion, the kids had a quiet time of journaling. I keep a journal for each kid in my class. I never look in these journals. It's between them and Jesus. The journals stay in my supply cabinet, and only get removed during class time when the child who it belongs to is there. When the kids graduate from my class, they get to take the journal home with them. Parents love these! It's neat to see their kid's heart and growth through the two-year time span they are in my classroom. We do all kinds of writing in this journal. Sometimes it's as simple as copying a Bible verse, other times it's drawing a picture of something I prompt them to think about. Often we glue workbook pages into the book, and lots of prayers are wrote inside. The list is endless...

In their journals this time they wrote a prayer to Jesus. They confessed a sin they struggle with, and asked for forgiveness. The prayer was ended with thanksgiving. We were recognizing Jesus for His sacrifice, and giving thanks to Him. 

Once their prayer time was complete, the kids came back one by one to a table in the back of the room where I had supplies to pot a plant. We all potted some flower seeds. I made it an object lesson for the kids. I explained why we had these plants. It was about more than a pretty flower. It was about a lesson I was trying to teach them.

Each kid got to decorate their plastic pot with permanent markers. They could write the Bible verse. They could draw a picture that reminds them of Jesus. It could be a word that Jesus gave them. It could be something He wants them to remember. I try to get the kids to always think for themselves. I want them to get in the habit of talking to Jesus about EVERYTHING! It's about getting truth down deep in their heart. It's not good enough to have head knowledge. We all need some heart wisdom. And we all need to learn how to hear God's voice. 

 

My lesson about our potted plants was that we all sin and miss the mark. Our sin is something we usually hide. We are often ashamed of it. The soil is dark like our sin, and dark like the way we feel about it.

The seed we plant is Jesus. He comes in to the dark places of our hearts. He takes our sin upon Himself. He is innocent, yet He still takes our punishment.

When Jesus was with His disciples He broke bread, gave it to them and said, "This is my body, which is given for you." Luke 22:19. Just like the bread broke, symbolizing Jesus' body, the seed coat must break open for the seed to begin to grow and sprout. Jesus gave up His life for us because He loved us so much.

The seed in a way goes through a transformation from death into new life. It must change for it to become a new flower. Just like the flower rises out of the soil, Jesus rose from the dead. He is alive. Because of this new life, we too can rise out of the darkness. Our sin no longer has a claim on us. We are forgiven. We are free. We are beautiful. We are a new creation. We are a flower that soaks up the "Son."

The night was amazing. We were all connecting with Jesus. That is something to get excited about! I am so honored to be a voice for Jesus with these kids. I love them with all my heart!

Bible Egg Hunt

Our Easter egg hunt this year was very simple. BUT it was still fun for the kids. We didn't want to do a traditional hunt for eggs filled with candy. I've always tried to come up with something different each year to remind the kids it's not just about finding candy. I like to use every opportunity I can to point my kids back to Jesus. And Easter is a perfect time for that! After all, Jesus is the reason we celebrate.

For our egg hunt we had a present for each kid. You could also do a basket of candy. This was the ultimate goal they would be searching for. To get to the goal, they first needed to find 12 eggs of their own color. We always have a color assigned to each kid to make the hunt fair. I've seen way too many kids have a greedy monster come out of them in an egg hunt, so we eliminate that by having equal eggs hidden to their own abilities. The younger they are, the easier their eggs are to find.

The eggs were not filled with candy. We found a different Bible verse for each kid. It was used as a clue to point them to their final gift destination. We wrote the Bible verse out on a sheet of paper, and cut the paper in twelve pieces. This would be a puzzle for them to put together later. We tried to cut odd shapes instead of just straight squares or rectangles. Each egg contained a piece of the puzzle.

Once they ALL found their 12 eggs hiding in the backyard, the kids had to come inside to open the eggs and put their puzzle together. We adults used this opportunity to go back outside to hide their gifts. We didn't want to risk them finding their presents before they were supposed to.

We planned and prepared the entire egg hunt in about 30 minutes. The Bible verses were a lot of fun to come up with. We tried to be creative, but at the same time easy enough for the kids to know exactly where their prize was located.

CLUE:
“O Israel, stay away from idols!
I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.
I am like a tree that is always green;
all your fruit comes from me.” Hosea 14:8

ANSWER: Evergreen Tree

CLUE:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
ANSWER: Cross

CLUE:
“So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, he looked up to [Zech] and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Luke 19: 4-5

ANSWER: Sycamore Tree

CLUE:
““No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.” Luke 8:16

ANSWER: Lamp Post

To have even more Easter fun, discuss what the Bible verses mean that you chose for clues. Talk about how you can apply them to your life.

If Jesus hadn't risen from the dead, He would have just been another nice man willing to give His life for others. It is because of His resurrection that we have forgiveness for our sins.

"And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless...And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins...But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back." 1 Corinthians 15: 14,17, 23

Because of Jesus we have Hope!
Happy Easter!

The Hunt for Easter

Happy Easter

Are you looking for a new Easter tradition? Or maybe just a fun thing to do with your kids? It doesn't need to be Easter to go on a Bible trivia hunt. You can do that any day of the year! In fact, it's a great way to get your kids excited about the Bible. You could simply switch out the Easter trivia questions for some trivia about a different Bible story. This would be an enjoyable and enlightening family activity to do several times a year.

For the past few Easter Sunday's our elementary aged kids at church having been going on a Hunt for Easter. They break up into teams, and follow clues which lead them around the church property to various locations. At each location, they must answer Bible trivia questions about Jesus' death and resurrection. While on this hunt, they have the chance of running into Elmer Fudd, who's chasing down the rabbit. "Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits." When they've answer the trivia question, they are given a piece of the map, and their next clue. Once they finish their last clue, they can put together the map in order to figure out where the rabbit is hiding. (The end of the hunt, but not the true treasure. The real treasure lies in answering the questions and learning the story.)

If you want to make your own map, you can do this at Google Maps. Once you're there, you can type in the address of your treasure location, and off to the right side of the screen on the map, you should see a small icon that reads Satellite. Click on that and you will be able to get an aerial view of the spot you want. You can zoom in as much or as little as you'd like to.

You can make your hunt as simple as you want, or as complex as you desire. I think it would be fun to get in a car and travel to each location, but you could simply hide clues around your home too. We've done treasure hunts both ways. If you don't plan on leaving the house, make a hand drawn map, marking the x yourself.


Before you start, you've got to figure out your locations and clues. At each place you stop, come up with 2 or 3 trivia questions to ask. I would bring a Bible along in case the kids are stumped and can't figure out the correct answer. If the story isn't one your kids are familiar with, read it aloud together before you go on a hunt. Then the story will stick more once the kids are trying to figure out the trivia questions. If they have to search for the answer themselves, they will probably remember it next time they're asked! Want to make it really difficult, don't give them multiple choice questions; make them come up with the answer. Or if you feel like your kids are too old for trivia questions, make them more personal reflection questions.

Sound fun? Let's go for it!

WINDING THROUGH THE WOODS WITH A GENTLE FLOW, THE PLACE YOU ARE TRYING TO FIND; THE FISH, DUCKS, AND FROGS ALREADY KNOW. (Creek)

The trivia questions are:

1.) Before the rooster would crow, Jesus told which disciple he would deny that he even knew Him 3 times?
A: John
B: Judas
C: Peter
D: Thomas

2.) For how many pieces of silver did Judas betray Christ?
A: 20
B: 30
C: 60
D: 100

3.) How did Judas Betray Jesus?
A: Pointing at him
B: Gave him a hug
C: With a kiss
D: Shook his hand

WITH SO MANY WORDS USED FOR KNOWLEDGE YOU WILL FIND PLACES LIKE THIS EVEN IN COLLEGE. NOW WITH COMPUTERS DEWEY DECIMAL SEEMS BEHIND THE TIMES, BRING BACK WHAT YOU BORROW OR FACE SOME FINES. (Library)

4.) Who did Pilate send Jesus to after he had interrogated him?
A: Herod
B: Annas
C: Caiaphas
D: Caesar

5.) Pilate offered to release one prisoner- which prisoner did the Jews request to be released?
A: Jesus
B: Barabbas
C: Paul
D: Barnabas

6.) After Pilate found no guilt in Christ, for what reason did the Jews say that Jesus should die?
A: He claimed to be from heaven
B: He said He would tear down the Temple of God
C: He claimed He was their king
D: He had blasphemed God

TO BE A KID IS TO HAVE FUN, A PLACE DESIGNED FOR YOU TO RUN. WITH A LADDER LEADING TO A PLATFORM UP SO HIGH, THERE IS A FAST WAY TO GET DOWN THAT WON'T MAKE YOU CRY. (Playground)

7.) Who carried the cross for Jesus?
A: Simon of Cyrene
B: Simon Peter
C: Simon the Zealot
D: Simeon

8.) At Christ crucifixion what did the soldiers place on his head?
A: Crown of Gold
B: Crown of Thorns
C: Crown of Jewels
D: Crown of Thistles

9.) What was the color of the robe placed on Jesus?
A: Blue
B: Red
C: Purple
D: White

YOU FIND ME WITH CANDY OR SOMETIMES WITH ROLL; I'M HEAVY AND LARGE, ROUGH AND DULL. OUTSIDE THE CHURCH I BORDER THE LOT; LOOK CLOSELY YOU'LL FIND THE TREASURE I GOT. (Rocks)

10.) What was inscribed above the cross?
A: Prince of the Jews
B: King of the Jews
C: Savior of all
D: Lord of all

11.) With what was Jesus side pierced?
A: Sword
B: Knife
C: Spear
D: Spike

12.) For what of Christ’s did the soldiers cast lots?
A: Clothes
B: Jewels
C: Donkey
D: Cross

SCRUB, SCRUB SQUEAKY CLEAN. BEHIND THIS DOOR ARE CHEMICALS THAT MAKE THINGS GLEAM. ON THE SHELF IS SOME COMET, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T INJEST IT COULD MAKE YOU VOMIT. (Janitor's closet)

13.) What did Judas do with the silver pieces after he had betrayed Jesus?
A. He buried it in the ground
B. He gave it back
C. He put it in the bank
D. He bought a field

14.) When Jesus died for how long was there darkness over the land?
A: 3 days
B: 3 hours
C: 6 days
D: 3 weeks

15.) In what was Jesus wrapped before he was buried?
A: Goat skins
B: Linen clothes
C: Sheep skins
D: Golden robe

3 LITTLE LETTERS MEANING SO MUCH, LINES SO LONG YOU MAY MISS LUNCH. YOU BETTER GO IF YOU WANT TO DRIVE, TO GET YOUR LISCENSE YOU MUST GO INSIDE. (DMV)

16.) What was the name of the man who requested Jesus’ body for burial?
A: Nicodemus
B: Joseph
C: Phillip
D: Jonathan

17.) Jesus appeared to his disciples after the resurrection beside which sea?
A: Red Sea
B: Sea of Galilee
C: Sea of Tiberius
D: Dead Sea

18.) Who rolled the stone away from Jesus tomb?
A: Jesus
B: God
C: An Angel
D: A Roman guard

WITH A CAP ON HEAD AND MITT IN HAND, YOU ENTER THIS PLACE WHERE SCOREBOARDS STAND. SO MANY AMERICANS HAVE PLAYED THIS GAME AND THE PRO'S KNOW IT'S FOR LOVE NOT FOR FAME. (Baseball Diamonds)

19.) Who of these was the first on the scene after the resurrection of Christ?
A: Simon Peter
B: Cleopas
C: Judas Iscariot
D: Mary Magdalene

20.) Which disciple wanted to see the imprint of the nails before he would believe?
A: Andrew
B: Thomas
C: James
D: Bartholomew

21.) How long did Jesus remain after his resurrection before he ascended into Heaven?
A: 7 days
B: 3 days
C: 14 days
D: 40 days

After the last question has been answered, you can give the final piece of the map. One you've figured out the location, get your treasure. Since this was a church activity, our last location was meeting back in KidZone for a story and worship music. If I had done this hunt at home with my children, I might have had the treasure be back at home, where we would take communion together as a family.

In fact, we did this as a family the night before Easter. We watched an Easter movie of Jesus' death and his resurrection. We discussed what we had seen, and the parts that stood out to us. We read aloud from Isaiah chapter 53. My husband led us in communion, with sparkling red grape juice and sourdough bread. It was memorable.

One of the things that really stood out to my husband and I was while Jesus was dying on the cross. The soldiers are putting the nails in his hands and feet, and "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.'” Luke 23:34

This wasn't done in anger. It was the words of someone who was broken, pleading and begging for the lives of others. He could have been selfish at that point, and just endured the punishment. But his thoughts are outside himself. He's desperately asking his daddy to forgive them. He genuinely doesn't want anyone to suffer, no matter what they've done to him. They were killing him, and he was pleading for their forgiveness. That is real love.

We talked with our children at great lengths about grace. We described it to them as getting something good that they don't deserve. It's a gift that we all must accept. It does us no good to know about, but not accept it.

In order to illustrate the point to them better, we had a gift.

One of the requirements for getting ready for school each day is to have your room clean, and your things picked up around the house. If something is left out in the living room, kitchen, computer room, etc., and they have left for the day, it becomes mine. I did the work of picking it up, so it now belongs to me. I have a box in my closet full of these items. When my children do a job around the house, anything that is not a normal chore, they have the opportunity of choosing an item from the closet. It's kind of a trade. I do a little work, they do a little work.

For Easter, we told the kids we were giving them some grace. My closet was to be emptied out. They were free to take back all their toys and books. No jobs would be necessary. It was grace. A good thing that they did nothing to deserve. The slate was wiped clean, and they could start fresh again.

We have that same opportunity on a much larger scale. Every day we have the chance for a fresh start. Jesus paid the price for our weakness. All we have to do is accept it. We must say thanks for the gift, and receive it. It's that simple. Forgiveness is in our grasp. Don't let it get away from you.

There is peace in knowing that you have been shown mercy. You're not going to get what you deserve. You're going to get a gift! The gift is there waiting for you to take it.

Come Awake!

"The glory of God has defeated the night! Our God is not dead, He's alive! He's alive!"




We always hunt for Easter eggs each year, sometimes, even more than once. This time we made the hunt last a little longer. We added a Bible verse to our eggs, and the kids all had to put the eggs in order. They didn't know what verse they were searching for, they just knew it had 25 eggs to it. Zech was too little to join in this game, so we hid orange eggs for him. He was thrilled as orange is his favorite color.


After the kids found most of their eggs, they dumped them out on the patio. We had a spot waiting for each egg. If they found more than one of a word, they had to put it back for the other kids to find.


If you follow my blog, all this should appear very familiar. We did a hunt similar to this a couple weeks ago, and searched for the words Jesus is Alive!

This time our verse that we were looking for was found in Luke chapter 24. We didn't include the entire thing, as that would have been too long to search for. The verse we found reads:








We didn't want to make it TOO difficult, so we had a Bible sitting on the patio table that each of the kids could use. All they needed to do was find the egg with the scripture reference on it first. After they looked it up, they had to close the Bible so the other kids couldn't sneak a peek too.


The kids really enjoyed hunting for eggs this way. It made it more of a challenge when they had a puzzle to figure out.


As everyone had a chance to finish their egg hunt, we heard a knock at the gate. The kids were very excited to see who was there! They thought it might be a girl that lives down the street coming to visit, however... they were wrong.


It was JESUS!
He told us "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)


My favorite part was when Zechariah saw who it was. He was very excited and ran to be picked up by Jesus. He immediately showed him his elbow and said, "Jesus, look, my BOO BOO." I thought it was wonderful that he put it together, and knew exactly who Jesus is. We are always praying for him to heal our owies.


After Jesus was invited into our backyard, we had an object lesson to share with the kids. They each had a Easter gift wrapped in red paper. We asked if they knew what the red stood for, and explained that it was for blood. They knew that Jesus shed his blood for us.

We discussed with them further that Jesus dying on the cross was a gift for us. But it's up to us whether or not we accept it. And just like they must accept the present set before them, we must accept Jesus' gift of eternal life. Then we each took turns and shared about when we had asked Jesus to be in control of our lives.


When the presents were all opened, we gathered around in a circle. We had the song lyrics in our hands and sang along with a CD that was playing Christ is Risen by Matt Maher.

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, Come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again!
Come awake, Come awake
Come and rise up from the grave.

It's a very powerful song if you haven't heard it!

Before our time came to an end with Jesus, he led us in communion. This was a first for my children and done very age appropriately. It was simple and to the point, not formal or liturgical. I believe it was very meaningful to the kids.


"If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?" Romans 5:17 (The Message)

Easter is not just about history, and something that happened years ago. It's about Jesus death providing the one sacrifice that would last forever. It's just as real today as it was years ago.
"What difference does it make in your life?"

iheartfaces: Pets

This week's challenge is Pets.

I found this challenge to be especially sad.

Today was different than all other days, and was filled with grief and sadness. We all gathered in the backyard today on Easter to have a family BBQ. That means everyone, including the pets in our family.

My daughter has a girl parakeet, Valentine, and my father has a boy named Otto. The two birds have been in love with each other since day one. They get to celebrate birthdays and special occasions, holidays, and occasionally have sleepovers together.

This afternoon as we were gathered together celebrating the day and the life that God has given us through his son Jesus, our little bird, Otto, was tragically taken from us. It was an accident. There was a game of frisbee going on, and no one saw that he flew into the middle of it until it was too late. He was stepped on.

After almost 4 years together, Otto's life has ended. If you have pets of your own, you can imagine how upsetting this can be. The celebration was suddenly over, and our hearts were broken.

I am reminded of just how fragile life truly is. We are not guaranteed tomorrow.

Each night I read a special Veggie Tales devotion with my children. Today's was set up differently than normal. It was a challenge to memorize the verse Psalm 118:24 , "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." There was a note to parents to talk about the need to celebrate the gift of life. As I read this devotion I was reminded again that God always knows exactly what we are going through, and when we are going to go through it.

Right after the bird was found, we dyed our Easter eggs together. On the egg carton was the same verse, Psalm 118:24. I used that opportunity to talk with the kids about how we need to rejoice no matter what happens.

I do not believe it was a coincidence that the devotion was again bringing up the same verse in the Bible, and I was being encouraged to talk with my children about life being a gift. I know we often take it for granted.

Otto's life was a gift. We are so thankful for the time we had with him. He was a gentle bird. He liked to sing, and would never bite you. He was very special to us. We're all going to miss him.

As I was getting my children ready for bed, I found this verse in the Bible for them. "What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head!... You're worth more than a million canaries." Matthew 10:29 (The Message)

I found it especially encouraging to read the part that God cares about the birds even more than we do. If my children's hearts are breaking, how much more does God feel? Then it goes on to say, you are worth even more than a million little birds. He cares about our troubles and our pain. He's right there with us.


This is the last picture we have of Otto, taken minutes before the accident happened. I know we will always treasure it, and remember Otto in our hearts.


Valentine is the bird on the left, and Otto is on the right.

Jesus is ALIVE

I love this time of year! Spring has come at last. Just when I thought it would never make it; it finally came!

One of my favorite things about spring is the celebration of Easter. Jesus died on the cross and rose again. What better thing is there to celebrate?

Every year at this time my husband and I watch The Passion of the Christ. I cannot watch that movie, and not be changed. To see with my own eyes the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, it's impossible to put into words the feelings that come. I have immense gratitude and awe that He would do that for me.

The part of it that gets to me the most is when they are beating Jesus, he's lost all his strength and he's down on the ground, and just when you think they might stop and leave him alone, he gets back up to take more of it. When I see that my heart breaks because I see him doing it for me. I feel so unworthy of his love, but at the same time so grateful. When I watch this, the verses in Isaiah 53 comes to mind.

"Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for my rebellion, crushed for my sins. He was beaten so I could be whole. He was whipped so I could be healed."

How can you not be changed by this man and what he's done for us?

Easter is a time for celebration. He didn't stay dead, but rose again. It always gives me goose bumps when I think about it. I love this time of year!


One of the many ways we celebrate Easter is always a traditional Easter egg hunt. The egg symbolizes the new life we have from Jesus' resurrection, just like the new life that emerges as a baby chick hatches out of its egg.

Today we enjoyed an afternoon of hunting for Easter eggs with our children and friends. After doing a normal hunt in the backyard each year, we thought it was time for a change, to do something a little different.

Each of the kids were given an egg carton with the words Jesus is Alive spelled out. The kids were supposed to find the corresponding letters on the eggs. It made the hunt last a little longer, and was more fun to search for. I also felt like it gave the hunt more meaning.


Since the kids only have 12 specific eggs that they could pick up, we didn't need to worry too much about hiding them in hard places.


My kids really enjoyed it more this time with a goal in mind, but requested that next time we make it a longer sentence. If we do it again, maybe we'll put an entire Bible verse on the eggs. That would have them searching for a long time!






I've been purchasing these egg cartons for a long time and it wasn't until today when a friend pointed it out, they have a Bible verse on them. How fun!


I look forward to the next couple of weeks as we continue our celebration of Easter. The party has just begun, and the prize that awaits us is going to be incredible.