Sleepless in San Diego

Life has kept me from blogging recently. We're currently in San Diego where we're helping staff a summer missions project for college students.

While it's been wonderful here, my sleep deprivation has kept me from functioning normally. Aidalie turned 7 months old yesterday, but despite her supposedly being able to "sleep through the night" she's instead waking up several times each night. In certain ways, it's been really good for me... but it's mostly just been really hard.

So, I'm continuing to rely on God in deeper ways and experience the rest that is found in Him... rest from my works. Meaning, I'm learning how to let go of my need to prove that I'm somewhat of a good mom who can get everything done. I simply can't. I could find all kinds of reasons to feel guilty for the things I'm failing to do right now... but I'm grateful that my works aren't what justifies me, but rather Christ's finished work on the cross that is credited to me.

I hope to write about more of that idea soon. So stay tuned.

Until then, I leave you with this adorable photo of my sweet little Grace, who turned TWO on May 18!

Two for Tuesday: May version

A month ago, I started a Two for Tuesday health project on this blog. The point is trying to implement one health change for myself, and one for my kids. I haven't kept up with doing it weekly, and I think doing it once per month is a lot more up my alley right now. :)

To see the original, click here. I'll give a little update before I share my next two.

The water drinking has been good. Some days were complete failures, others were great. The greatest challenge is remembering to drink it especially when I'm running around all day. But overall, I'm definitely drinking more water and I am feeling a lot more hydrated.

The homemade fruit snack thing was kinda a flop. Maybe I just need more practice, or maybe I'm just not cut out to be a make-your-own-fruit-snacks kind of mom! We did get some fruit snacks out of it, but it would have been a lot less of a hassle (and mess) to just cut up some strawberries and drizzle some honey on them to give as a "fruit snack." The ones I made weren't even very portable, which was the point. And, picky Israel kept turning up his nose at them.
On the upside though, it did inspire me to make more of my kids' snacks myself, like granola bars, popsicles, veggie chips, popcorn, trail mix, and more. In fact, I haven't bought any snacks in about a month now.

So... on to this month's challenge. I plan to:

1. (for me) Make it a habit to use sunblock every day. I know sunblock is a little controversial to some, but I'm a big believer... especially since I live in a state that has over 300 days of sunlight a year and my skin is really sensitive to it.

2. (for them... and also kinda me) Experiment with green smoothies. This means I'll be taking my blender with me to San Diego, where we'll be for 6 weeks. :)




This time of year is always crazy for us. I have so much going on between now and the time we leave, including Grace's 2nd birthday party! I'm sorry the blog is getting a little neglected.

Until next time!

Getting to the Heart- Part Two

Several weeks ago, I wrote about how my husband and I have been going through a DVD series on parenting called Getting to the Heart, published by Paul Tripp Ministries. I am incredibly thankful for Paul Tripp. He is a pastor and counselor whom God has gifted with a unique ability to turn theological concepts of the gospel into well-communicated, practical methods of living for everyday life. We've greatly benefited from his ministry, and not just in the realm of parenting.

It might help to go back and read Getting to the Heart- Part One. This post is a continuation of what I'm personally learning and processing during this series. 

I'll re-quote the verses that are foundational to understanding human behavior. They are Luke 9:43-45. "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." 

As a parent, I sometimes come up with all kinds of methods to get my children to do what I want them to do. For example, I may threaten my child with discipline. "Israel, if you don't pick up your toys like I told you, you won't get to play with your favorite truck for the rest of the day!" Or, I may try to bribe them. "Gracie, eat your dinner and I'll give you a cookie." Now, there is nothing wrong with making consequences for my child's bad behavior. And there certainly isn't anything bad about rewarding my daughter with a cookie. But if I try to bring about change in my children without dealing with the heart, I am only paying them to be self-loving. The minute the cost outweighs the consequence, or the reward is removed, they have no moral commitment. They just want stuff.

The question for me is: Will I take the time necessary to address the heart?

This is not a quick-fix to behavior. Parenting the heart isn't easy to do, especially since I'm the type of person who thrives on having a step-by-step formula to follow when parenting. But God doesn't always work that way. The goal becomes not behavior-modification, but rather long-term, progressive change in my child. This is where it helps to ask God to give me an eternal perspective on my work as a mother... that I wouldn't get short-sighted and discouraged in seasons that are harder.

So... how in the world does one "address the heart" anyway? Paul Tripp describes it this way: Our children must transact with God. It's my job as a parent to set up that transaction. He offers 5 questions to help open our kids' eyes (and our own!) to the concepts found in Luke 9:43-45. As I catch my 3 year-old misbehaving, I can ask him these questions. Often, my son is quick to push the blame on the other person involved, so I have to help him answer these questions correctly to help him see his own sin. Here they are, in the correct order.

1. What was going on? (tell the situation)
2. What were you thinking and feeling as it was happening? (this goes after the heart.)
3. What did you do in response? (now we get to words/behavior.)
4. Why did you do it/ what were you seeking to accomplish? (this goes after desires & goals, more heart stuff)
5. What was the result? (deals with consequences)

He describes all of this as a tree, the seeds being the heart issues in questions 2 and 4. The tree's trunk is question 3. The tree's fruit is question 5. This image really sunk in for me. It teaches that behavior and consequences (or to use a biblical word, "harvest") are the things that naturally sprout out of our thoughts and desires! And looking at my own life, this challenges me. In trying to get to my childrens' hearts, I feel as though God is trying to get to MY heart.

Paul Tripp describes what some of the long-term results might be from parenting in this way. He says, "A 4 year-old is going to hear me talking about his heart, and is beginning to put together what that means. A 6 year-old is beginning to make connections between his heart and his behavior. An 11 year-old has learned to think about himself in a distinctly biblically way. A 16 year-old has an elaborate understanding of where he's weak, where he's strong, where he tends to be tempted... you see, it's a process."

Some days, I'm completely worn out by my 3 year-old! He just tests me over and over, disobeys, lies to me, refuses to share his toys, and calls his cousin a booger-head. I feel like I'm disciplining him over and over again for the same things. Parenting is so discouraging sometimes! But more and more I remember the looooong process that we're in, and most of all, I remember God's faithfulness. He is their God! He has promised not to forsake me, and it is ultimately His work to draw the hearts of my children to Himself. But much of the work He is doing will come through our patient, thoughtful, deliberate parenting.

O Lord, use me to help make those transactions happen between You and my child.

If you haven't already checked out Domestic Kingdom, you should totally do so! Gloria wrote today about the "fruit-stapling" project she did with her kiddos. What a fun, interactive way to begin teaching your children about trees and fruit and their own hearts. I think I'll give that a try this week.

100percent Certified Organic Idolatry

Natural living has become quite trendy over the past few years, especially in the world of mothering. Each person has choices to make about their health, and for moms these choices also affect their children's vulnerable little growing bodies. The model of natural living makes distinctions between an endless list of options. Breast or formula? Cloth or disposable (or better yet, EC!)? Vaccinate, or delayed, or not at all? Baby wearing or stroller pushing? Obstetrician or midwife? Epidural or doula? Circ or no circ? Co-sleeping or Baby Wise or any other sleeping practice between the two? I'm sure you get the picture.

Many mothers, like me, have embraced some of these things while rejecting others, depending on how it fits into our lifestyle and our babies' needs. But I'll just say it- lately I get the feeling that some of these things have become unspoken rules, particularly in mid to upper-class circles. And sometimes the list can get really nit picky. For example, I was flabbergasted to read on a popular natural living blog about how horrible it is to own a microwave. A separate post addressed the question, "Should you allow your kids to eat junk at birthday parties?" Still more criticism comes raining down on things like TV-watching, jarred baby food, antibiotics, non-organic meat, artificial dyes, cleaning supplies... any topic, you name it, and the natural living ethic has an alternative way. 


John Calvin is famous for saying, "Man's heart is a perpetual factory of idols." It's true. We humans will take just about anything in our lives that makes us feel good and valued and turn it into a little god that we worship. We sometimes do this with our own children. And sometimes, if we're not careful, we who value natural living will make that into an idol, too. I think that the natural way of living is a good thing. There is so much benefit in making health a priority in your family, and I enjoy doing so in mine. There is value in choosing organic foods when possible. But idolatry is a very subtle thing. People don't normally wake up one day and decide to idolize something. Rather, idols slowly creep into the fabric of our identity until, as Tim Keller says, a good thing then becomes an ultimate thing.

I'll be the first to admit that I have a tendency toward this. For me, there are two signs that natural living has become an idol in my life. (We can also apply these to other things that we may be idolizing.) They are:

1. When I am unable to make natural choices for my family for whatever reason, be it finances or availability or lack of skill or anything else, I am robbed of some of my joy. I feel condemned, like a failure, and I have a hard time with it. Maybe this is why a mom who gives her baby formula feels the need to defend herself to her breastfeeding friends. Maybe this is why I will spend all kinds of extra time (that I don't really have) in the kitchen fussing over home-made whole wheat macaroni and cheese that hasn't turned out right, when I could just give my kids the box, be done with it, and give them lots more of my attention and care. I do this because I am finding part of my justification as a mom and as a person in my ability to provide healthy, natural options all the time. So, naturally, it flows that I'd feel like less of a mom if I fail in this (no pun intended).

2. When I see or hear of other moms choosing unnatural parenting methods, I feel like I'm slightly superior to them. I give myself a little pat on the back, because I obviously care more about my health and my children than they do. In other words, I use natural living as a way to judge others who don't live that way. Moms, we do this ALL THE TIME. If you have had a natural childbirth, think about how many times you've heard moms talk about using an epidural. Tell me there wasn't at least some sense of superiority in your thoughts during those moments. Or, how about when you've gone over to someone's house and they served meat products you knew had traces of hormones in them? You may have eaten it because it would be rude not to do so. But perhaps you did so hesitantly, grateful that you normally eat only organic so the one time won't hurt you too much. Now, natural living has become a way to exclude those who don't live naturally. Maybe not consciously. But suddenly we find ourselves friends with mostly other people who value natural living like we do.

In Romans 1, Paul writes about the idolatrous heart of mankind. "Claiming to be wise," he writes starting in verse 22, "they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things... they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is to be blessed forever!" In other words, human beings like to worship nature and its benefits instead of worshiping God. I think that, very subtly, natural living can become a sort of religion. We can look to nature to be a savior for us. We think that taking care of our bodies in all the right ways will make our lives more meaningful and will make us more acceptable people. We put our hope in it; we think it will give us the future we've always wanted where we can evade sickness and live a long life. The Natural Living Ethic sees the problem of humanity to be that we have lost sight of our health and our harmony with nature, and the natural world is a power that can transform us... that is actual language that I have heard within the natural living movement! If that's not a worldview, I don't know what is.

So, having seen what the natural living worldview can become when taken too far, let us now fix our eyes on the gospel. The gospel speaks to both of the tendencies I presented above. Here is how:

1. The gospel says that I am acceptable and justified because of Christ's goodness, not my own. Therefore, I don't have to feel condemned or like a failure if I am not natural all of the time (or any of the time!). I don't feel the need to defend myself in this issue or any other; I have One who speaks forever in my defense before God. This frees me to make natural living choices but not become a slave to them.

2. The gospel says that I'm much worse than I ever thought or imagined, but yet God does not exclude me. In fact, Christ was excluded and rejected so that I could be included and accepted. Because I know this, I can't possibly judge myself as better than others, because there is nothing good in me that hasn't been put there by God's grace. I don't need to find my identity in having a natural way of life. My identity is hidden in Christ with God. This enables me to esteem others as better than myself instead of feeling superior to them.

Our desire to be healthy and live long lives is a reflection of our desire for paradise. We want to live forever, we want a time to come when we won't battle sickness or pain or death any longer. God put this desire in us so that we would look to the person of Jesus to fulfill it. But instead we cheat ourselves and tend to put our hope in this life. Through the gospel, paradise has come to us. Our bodies will age and wither away, but our souls have been made new and are forever healthy and strong. And one day, we will receive new bodies that will not grow weary or fail us and that will endure through the ages.

I believe that health does matter. Christians especially have a way of justifying poor health choices in a myriad of ways, but God made our bodies to be taken care of properly. We honor and glorify him in doing just that. So, let us take care of our bodies. Let us master them, even as we live naturally. But let us not be mastered by them. May we seek to glorify God with our bodies and our childrens' bodies, instead of using them to glorify ourselves.

Eleven Ways For Normal, Average, Every-day People (Like Me) to Fight Against Abortion

I shamefully admit that up until 4 years ago I didn't really think twice about abortion. But when I laid on that grey cushioned exam chair for the first time, an ultrasound wand to my abdomen and a screen displaying my 18-week old son moving around and kicking his little legs before my very eyes, things began to change.

I won't re-tell the whole of Israel's story in this post, but I will say that many babies with his same birth defect are aborted every day. And 18 weeks is not too late to have it done. Our doctor painted a pretty bleak picture for us, offering little encouragement and lots of negative speculation. I thank God for the faith He had given Vince and me, and that He was our firm foundation both on ethical side of things and in the grief side of things. I am so grateful Israel was given to us.

But the reality is that so, so many babies are never given a chance, whether "healthy" or otherwise. The number of abortions in 2010 were somewhere around 1,318,000 in the United States alone (source). All over the world, this is happening to an exponentially greater degree. Abortion is now so common and normal that it's become a defining feature of our culture today. I don't know about you, but I find this incredibly overwhelming and despairing. I want to do something about it. But I'm not very outspoken or bold, and I've never personally felt the calling to protest outside of abortion clinics or anything of that nature. So, I've been praying, discussing with close friends, and mulling over in my mind for the past several months... what can I do to help fight against abortion? I've landed on eleven things that I can do, with God's help, to defend the cause of the unborn. I thought I'd share it with you, because anybody can do these things. So, here goes.

1. See it for what it is. There is a reason they call this the "culture of death." That's exactly what it is... the purposeful extermination of the most vulnerable among us. And this terrible, evil practice is simply accepted, and even in some cases celebrated, as being a basic right of reproduction. But it's never been a basic right for a mother to kill her child at her own discretion. This "right" is something that is unique to the culture of death. But the heart of God advocates the cause of the weak, the unwanted, the oppressed, the fatherless. I could probably write a whole essay, but what it all comes down to is this: if we who follow Christ claim to care about the things God cares about, then we will be passionately pro-life. We will see abortion for what it is, and we will not just look away and wish it to be gone... we will act. This is not a political issue. It is not a matter of opinion so as not to offend anybody. It is a theological issue, it is a heart issue.

I have found certain blogs and websites helpful in keeping me informed about abortion, as well as giving me a biblical perspective on it. One of them is Russell Moore's blog. Another is The Gospel Coalition, which produces and promotes fabulous articles on all kinds of topics from a biblical worldview. Much of the time you will find great articles about abortion. Or you can do a search for them on the website. OK, on to the rest of the list... they won't all be this long, I promise.

2. Pray. This is the one I forget to do most. We need to remember that God hears and answers prayer. We also need to remember that He is wisely sovereign over every single pregnancy. So, let us pray for the unborn, for parents, for healthcare workers, for politicians, for worldviews to shift, for hearts to change, for evil and death to be defeated.

3. Talk about it. I have found that, like me several years ago, many people simply don't think much about abortion. Because it wasn't something I had passionate feelings about, I never took any action. I don't think I realized what the big deal was. Some people include abortion as a taboo topic. It isn't comfortable or easy to talk about it. And, it takes a lot of graciousness to present the pro-life viewpoint, especially when it might spark passionate feelings. But the more we have informed and humble discussion, the more people will be thinking about what we say. In my opinion, the best way to persuade someone of your viewpoint is not to bombard them with graphic images or shouts of condemnation. It is to engage them in love, seeing them also as one who, like you, cares about human rights and women's health. One great thought-provoking example of doing this is found here.

4. Vote. There are all sorts of varying opinions about how much faith should affect public policy, if at all. But abortion is different. I wrote above that it is a theological issue, but it is also a human rights issue. We must help elect policymakers who will legally protect unborn children.

5. Support local pregnancy resource centers. There is a lot to be said for organizations that work at the local level. That is where change begins to take place, within individual communities. Lots of women, men, and children are really and truly helped by these centers. You don't have to give only money... there are needs of all kinds that you could help meet. For example, Turning Point of Las Cruces currently needs unisex newborn clothes. And volunteers.


6. Have children, and parent them well. The sociology of abortion is surely very complex. But it's been found that the birth-rate in the western world is on the decline. More abortions are being performed than ever before in history, and also fewer babies are being born. Some blame the economy while others blame the rising trend of independent living... but one factor to recognize is that children aren't exactly highly esteemed in our culture today. It doesn't take much to notice this to be true... there is no place for children in the career-driven, materialistic, quiet, organized, well-traveled kind of society that is so highly pursued. But society has it wrong. Children are treasures! They are not problems to be eliminated, they are not consequences for mistakes made. They are worth giving up ourselves and our lives for. So, if the world can look at my children and see how wonderful they are, that can help undo the perception that children are nothing more than a nuisance. If you don't have children, then love the children that are in your life- your nieces, nephews, or the baby in line at the grocery store. They are highly valuable- treat them as such.

7. Adopt... or support those who do. Perhaps the opposite of aborting a child is adopting a child. Of course, not everyone can adopt or should adopt. But we should support the idea, as well as the people who are taking otherwise unwanted children into their hearts and homes. Check out the Orphan Justice Center and their article, Ten Ways to Care for Orphans.

8. Sponsor a child. This may seem to have nothing to do with fighting abortion. But the reality is that millions of babies are aborted worldwide simply because their families cannot afford them. But there are great organizations that offer child sponsorship to make sure poor children are taken care of. These programs offer hope to mothers and families who might otherwise feel hopeless and desperate because of poverty. My favorite child-sponsorship organization is Compassion International, and there are many other great ones.

9. Share your faith. The gospel of Jesus isn't just a message to get people to heaven. The gospel changes cultures, shapes history, transforms individuals and entire societies. Our need to be rescued from our slavery to Self and brought into a restored relationship with God is the thing that defines and unites all of humanity. It's where true change takes place. I firmly believe that the gospel is the primary solution to abortion... both in saving lives of the unborn, and in offering peace and healing for the men and women who have experienced it.

10. Support missions, locally and abroad, particularly among college students and the poor. Those two people groups are the most targeted by Planned Parenthood, and they both have the highest rate of abortion procedures. Like I said above, preaching (and sharing and conversing about) the gospel is the best way to fight against abortion. Campus ministers, high school and college youth groups, and missionaries to the poor locally and internationally are worth supporting as you seek to help the pro-life cause, because they work directly with the women who are most likely to get an abortion.

11. Don't get discouraged. While we may be bombarded with alarming statistics about the reality of abortion, it might be easy to feel as though we're fighting a losing battle. But the kingdom of God will overcome all evil and death. Let's fix our eyes on that perspective. And remember, God isn't just going to make everything all better someday in the distant future. Rather, He is at work very much in the here and now in ways that we can't even see. We like to have hard, concrete evidence of our hard work. But we have to be willing to give up our need for that and walk by faith instead of sight. The truth is that we don't know what our conversations accomplish, or our donations, or our prayers. We can't know... but I believe one day we will know. And in the meantime, the sovereign, omnipotent God is holding all things in His hands. Knowing that is all the more reason to keep pressing on.

So... how about you? As you've considered this issue and what you can do, does anything stand out? I'd love to hear other ideas or suggestions. 
.

A Prayer for Our Family

I came across this prayer today that was written by John Piper. It's found on pages 408-409 in his book Taste and See. He calls it "A Prayer for Our Church: Asking God to Build a Certain Kind of Men and Women." When I read it, I prayed for my church. I also found myself wanting to pray these things for my children, because they are great things to pray! I also found myself deeply convicted and praying this prayer for me and Vince as well.

So, here is the prayer he wrote. For the purposes of my own family it will be known on this blog as "A Prayer for Our Family: Asking God to Build a Certain Kind of Man and Women, and a Certain Kind of Father and Mother." Pray it this week along with me.

Oh, Lord, by the truth of your Word, and the power of your Spirit and the ministry of your body, build our family to be one...

Who don't love the world more than God,

who don't care if they make money,

who don't care if they own a house,

who don't care if they have a new car or two cars,

who don't need recent styles,

who don't care if they get famous,

who don't miss steak or fancy fare,

who don't expect that life should be comfortable and easy,

who don't feed their minds on TV each night,

who don't measure truth with their finger in the wind,

who don't get paralyzed by others' disapproval,

who don't return evil for evil,

who don't hold grudges,

who don't gossip,

who don't twist the truth,

who don't brag or boast,

who don't whine or use body language to get pity,

who don't criticize more than praise,

who don't hang out in cliques,

who don't eat too much or exercise too little;

But

who are ablaze for God,

who are utterly God-besotted,

who are filled with the Holy Spirit,

who strive to know the height and depth of Christ's love,

who are crucified to the world and dead to sin,

who are purified by the Word and addicted to righteousness,

who are mighty in memorizing and using the Scriptures,

who keep the Lord's Day holy and refreshing,

who are broken by the consciousness of sin,

who are thrilled by the wonder of free grace,

who are stunned into humble silence by the riches of God's glory,

who are persevering constantly in prayer,

who are ruthless in self-denial,

who are fearless in public witness to Christ's lordship,

who are able to unmask error and blow away doctrinal haze,

who are tough in standing for the truth,

who are tender in touching hurting people,

who are passionate about reaching the peoples who have no church,

who are pro-life for the sake of babies and moms and dads and the glory of God,

who are keepers of all their promises, including marriage vows,

who are content with what they have and trusting the promises of God,

who are patient and kind and meek when life is hard.

Amen! Lord, make these things true about each of my children. Make them true of my husband. Make them true of me. 

Because of the Resurrection: a Mother's Hope

When you start boiling a dozen eggs and leave them on the stove way too long because you get distracted with a crying baby, what do you get? A bunch of cracked and broken eggs that are no good for dyeing and a special art project that's now ruined.

And what do you get when you make plans to take your children to a really fun community egg-hunt at the park, but instead your toddler throws the world's worst tantrum and you have to strap her into her car seat because she won't stop kicking and flailing and screaming for 30 minutes? One completely exhausted momma who never makes it with the kids to the park. In fact, she can barely make it to bedtime. 

And when you shoo the kids out the door to leave for church on Easter morning and the doorknob falls off on the way out (because a certain little boy has spent lots of time hanging from it) and your husband can't find the wrench to fix it because you "organized" his tools one day and since then it's been MIA, what do you have?  Two parents who are huffing and puffing and angry at each other because somehow it's easier to blame the other one in moments of stress than it is to work together with humility. 

These crazy moments from my life in the last 24 hours might look like nothing but chaos. But because Jesus rose from the dead, order is brought out of chaos. And all of the chaotic things of parenting- our trials, our childrens' struggles, a house that looks like it should be condemned as a disaster zone- these are not hopeless things. No. The opposite is now true. These moments (or seasons or lifetimes) of failure can and will bear the fruits of beauty and life. 

Just as in the cross we see Jesus consumed by disorder and chaos and death, in the resurrection we see Him restore order to a disordered world, and life to a dying humanity.

Life as a mother may look like nothing but endless tasks of repetition: loads of laundry that self-regenerate for years on end; dirty little hands that will always need to be washed again; discipline that has to be given over and over for the same thing. But because of the resurrection, these things are producing something wonderful- a child who is loved and cared for and exists for the glory of God.

Because of the resurrection, even changing a dirty diaper means something significant for eternity. 

Because of the resurrection, I can face a new day with hope, even after the world's worst parenting day yesterday and a night when I woke up seven times.

Because of the resurrection, there is forgiveness and restoration for me when I hurt my children with my sin. 

Because of the resurrection, I don't have to be in control of my children; I really can trust God with all the details of their little lives. 

Because of the resurrection, when they are all grown up someday I won't be lost without them. 

My children will experience a lot of pain and hurt in this fallen world. They will make mistakes and fail, and in many cases they will cause their own sorrow. But because of the resurrection, God is working all things together for their good, and for His glory! 

Baby Jude left this earth last October. But because of the resurrection, he isn't really dead... and one day, we will see him again when death is swallowed up forever. 

Because of the resurrection, God saved me from my own destructive self. He called me to Himself and gave me the faith to trust in what Jesus did for me... and now I'm truly alive. Life has a purpose and even suffering can be turned into something wonderful.

Because of the resurrection, the day will come when I no longer have to battle sin... I will be free from it forever. 

Because of the resurrection, my body will be resurrected, too. I long for that day with joy, and can look upon all my present realities with renewed hope... because of the resurrection. 

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." Romans 6:5

Happy Easter!!