and the heavens rejoiced

On November 2, 2010 our precious N' asked how he could go to "God's heaven." We were completing a Bible lesson about God's faithfulness based on the story of Joseph and his brothers. He asked about how God could forgive Joseph's brothers for doing such a bad thing (selling Joseph and then lying about it). Soooo we talked again about sin (which we've discussed several times before) and about Jesus, the cross, and resurrection. He said, "that was bad" about the scourging and the cross and then said "that was pretty nice" about Jesus' willingness to suffer and die so that he could take the punishment for our sins. I explained (not for the first time) that Jesus did all that so that we could enter heaven when we die and spend forever with God.

So, N' asked how he could go to God's heaven when he dies. (I love how he kept calling it that.) So we talked it all through and he said that he loved Jesus and he was sorry for doing things that make God sad (sin) and that he wanted to ask Jesus to come into his heart. Oh I wanted to melt into a puddle of happy tears on the spot, but instead I said we should wait and talk to daddy about it when he got home from work.

So, we waited and I called PT to let him know there was an exciting conversation to have once he got home. It was a looooongggg night. N' tried to ask PT about it at dinner but it was just not a great time to doublecheck that he understood it all with the other kids interrupting every few minutes, so we just had to wait.

Finally at bedtime we put everyone down and then pulled N' out for a few minutes. PT talked with him to see where his heart was at and to make sure he understood what he was asking to do. I was there too and it was so sweet to hear him talk about it all. When PT asked him if he loved Jesus he said, "Of course I love Jesus." Hee hee! That's a good answer!

Anyway, we all talked through it all again right down to explaining again that you just need to pray and tell God that you love him, that you're sorry for making God sad by sinning, that you believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins, and that He was made alive again three days later, that you want Jesus to come into your heart, and that you want to spend forever with God. Then PT told him that he could tell God those things any time and that he and mommy would be glad to help him do that.

AND THEN PT asked him if he wanted to pray that prayer. AND HE WANTED TO! So, I sat on a couch in a room in a house and listened as my beloved husband helped my precious son become a believer!!!

King Jesus

This is the week leading up to Easter Sunday: our celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Some refer to it as Passion Week. What a wonderful opportunity to reflect on each of the days that led up to the ultimate sacrifice, the cross; and that awesome miracle, the resurrection.

Jesus willingly left the perfection of heaven, to come to earth as a baby, taking on flesh. He lived here without committing a single sin for 33 years and spent the last 3 of those years ministering to those who would hear the Truth. He knew the whole time that he would have to suffer a terrible death in order to pay the penalty for each of our sins so that those who accept Him as Lord and Savior may have eternal life with God the Father! An old hymn I love says it best; " What wondrous love is this, O my soul!"

Here are the main events of Jesus' week of passion (see Mark 11-16):
Sunday: Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
Monday: Jesus cleansed the temple of immoral practices and cursed the fig tree
Tuesday: Jesus taught on several subjects pertaining to godly living
Wednesday: a woman named Mary anointed Jesus' head with oil and Judas Iscariot agreed to betray Jesus
Thursday: Jesus shared the last supper with the disciples, Jesus prayed in the garden at Gethsemane, He was betrayed and arrested
Friday: Jesus stood on trial before the Sanhedrin, before Pilate, and before the people; the people called for Him to be crucified, Jesus was tortured, Jesus walked to Golgotha carrying the cross, Jesus was crucified, died, was laid in a heavily guarded tomb, and it was sealed shut. Then it was quiet.
Saturday: (still quiet)
Sunday: Jesus rose from the grave! He's Alive! Praise the Lord!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:16

Jesus Paid it ALL

Those who know me best know that I eagerly await Heaven! I love to sing about heaven, teach about heaven, I just can't wait to spend forever at home with God the Father! This week is resurrection week. Passion Week. The week leading up to Easter Sunday: our celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a wonderful opportunity to reflect on each of the days that led up to the ultimate sacrifice, the cross; and that awesome miracle, the resurrection.

Jesus willingly came to earth as a baby, taking on flesh. He lived here without committing a single sin for 33 years, and spent the last 3 of those years ministering to those who would hear the Truth. He knew the whole time that he would have to suffer a terrible death in order to pay the penalty for each of our sins so that those who accept Him as Lord and Savior may have eternal life with God the Father! The hymn says it best; " What wondrous love is this, O my soul!"

Here are the main events of Jesus' week of passion (see Mark 11-16):
Sunday: Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
Monday: Jesus cleansed the temple of immoral practices and cursed the fig tree
Tuesday: Jesus taught on several subjects.
Wednesday: a woman named Mary anointed Jesus' head with oil and Judas agreed to betray Jesus
Thursday: Jesus shared the last supper with the disciples, Jesus prayed in the garden at Gethsemane, He was betrayed and arrested
Friday: Jesus stood on trial before the Sanhedrin, before Pilate, and before the people; the people called for Him to be crucified, Jesus was tortured, Jesus walked to Golgotha carrying the cross, Jesus was crucified, died, was laid in a heavily guarded tomb, and it was sealed shut.
Saturday: (quiet)
Sunday: Jesus rose from the grave! He's Alive! Praise the Lord!

I so love Jesus, in whom my great JOY is found!
He is my Savior, my peace, my comforter, my provider, my King... He is everything to me!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:16