Thinking outside the Basket

I love spring! I believe I might have posted about it last year but here we are again... SPRING IS HERE!

One of the things I love most about spring is the celebration of new life. Looking around seeing the new grass coming up through the old... seeing buds slowly appear on a cold, grayish brown tree that has sat naked for months... hearing the birds chirping and seeing them busily getting ready for their babies to be born... the butterflies and bees start to appear after hiding all winter... Everything seems to have a similar outcry.... NEW LIFE has come! It's as if they all know (and just in case you're wondering... they do in fact know) that this time of the year is when Christ died and rose again!!!! Their growth shouts... He is risen... He is risen... He is RISEN!

This coming Sunday is Easter Sunday. Oh what a joy to be able to share with our boys the Life, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! We often talk about God's love and that He gave His son so we could know Him (that's actually one of the things Tristan has picked up from our prayers and added to the end of his, "Thank you God that we can know you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.") but since it is Easter we will spend even more time on the story of the cross and Jesus giving His life for us.

In teaching our children about Jesus we choose not to celebrate the same way a lot of people do. For instance, Santa at Christmas and the Easter Bunny at Easter. We think these things are fun (we both celebrated them to some degree with our families growing up) but we don't see importance in them. Like... at all. Especially when the seasons of Christmas and Easter are (and they should be) ALL about Christ! I realize I might have lost a few of you just now. Please hear me out... We want our kids to LOVE Jesus and His story. It doesn't seem fair if we teach them all through out the year about who He is and then come to specific times of the year when we should celebrate beautiful highlights of His life but instead mix in things that cloud their minds and hearts (Santa and Easter Bunny) about those seasons. I imagine having this conversation with my boys,

"Mommy, is Santa real?"

"Well, no. He's not real anymore... he was a man that gave to the poor and needy a long time ago."

"But you said he was real..."

"Well, I know... but you see, we were just playing a game. A fun game for Christmas!"

"Mommy, is Jesus real?"

"YES! Jesus is real."

"But you said Santa was real and he's not... Is Jesus just a game too?"

The thought of this conversation breaks my heart. I want our boys to know Truth! Truth and only truth. I know there will be disappointments in their lives. I know I will have to sit them down at times and explain that I was wrong and mislead them over something. But I DO NOT want that to be over the Truth of who Jesus is. I want the seasons and the things we celebrate to point them to the Truth of who He is. And nothing else.

So, do we do gifts at Christmas and eggs around Easter? Yes, we give gifts at Christmas and talk about giving and how we want them to have giving hearts. And we do egg hunts... we are not calling them "Easter Eggs" because what do eggs have to do with Easter? We celebrate new life and spring with the egg hunts and baskets (and all the yummy candy:).

Here are a couple of outside the box things we are doing this year as a part of our celebration of Easter... (and let me say, I am SO EXCITED about them!)

Resurrection Cookies

You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
a zipper baggy
1 wooden spoon
scotch tape
Bible

Instructions:
These are to be made the evening before Easter. Preheat oven to 300F. ***This is important- don't wait until you are half way through with the recipe***

Place pecans in zipper baggy and let children beat them with the spoon to break into smaller pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto a waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookies in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED!

Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed . Read John 16:20-22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9

(the source of these cookies is unknown)

Resurrection Eggs

These are so neat! My mom bought and sent them to the boys. These colorful eggs tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Each egg has a different item in it that represents a part of the story. I was actually encouraged when I read a review of this item that said a 3 year old little girl was able to tell the story with the eggs! Wow!

I have had the recipe for the resurrection cookies since before Tristan was born but haven't gotten to use it yet. I am so very excited to make it and the eggs a part of our yearly celebration of Christ's death and resurrection! I do realize since our little ones are 3, 2 and -1 years old, it will be a very condensed version of the above recipe. But I know over the years their understanding of what we are doing will grow and I pray their love for the truth of the story will grow as well.

I pray that you, however you decide to celebrate, would remember the beauty of what we are celebrating this season. Christ giving His life out of obedience and love. Dying the death we deserve. Buried in a borrowed tomb. Rose again victorious over SIN and DEATH on the third day! HE IS OUR LIVING SAVIOR!!!

He is risen! Hallelujah! He is risen indeed!