A wonderful Easter!

How wonderful it was to be in the house of God yesterday!

My heart was lifted, my spirit was renewed --- WORTHY IS THE LAMB!

Brian, the kids, and I enjoyed our first Easter in South Carolina so much. We got up early Sunday morning and got ready for church - everyone excited, although probably not for the same reasons.

Brian: It was Easter! What preacher doesn't get excited about Easter Sunday? You get to preach about the resurrection of Jesus Christ! There may be preachers out there that don't get excited about that - and I feel so sorry for them. We were also having the Lord's supper for the first time at Providence Missionary Baptist Mission yesterday, and Brian and I both were excited about that.

Blakley, Jacob, and Christian: Well, folks. The kids were probably most excited because Blakley and I had baked a cake the night before so they knew they were going to get cake at some point. And my kids love to hunt eggs (which we had colored on Sat. night). But they, too, were excited about going to church. They enjoy seeing their friends there, but they were so excited to learn a little bit more about the Lord's Supper. Christian was feeling a little under the weather, but he was still very happy to be going to church.

Christel: I looked forward to getting to participate in the Lord's Supper, for one thing. Having been on the deputation trail for a year, and not being in regular attendance at the church where our membership was, it had been a while since I had gotten to partake. How humbling it was to remember what it was our Lord went through in our place. Brian sang a special, "I Should Have Been Crucified" yesterday morning, and did such a wonderful job, but that song is so true. Jesus took my place - and the place of everyone else that has ever or will ever walk on this earth. What an enormous undertaking that only one man was capable of doing. Again, all I can say is PRAISE GOD!

Yesterday did have it's hard moments for me, though. Easter is a time in my family to get together. All my family on my mom's side that are able and that live close to Benton, AR gets together at my grandmother's house for dinner on Sunday afternoon after church. Of course, being in South Carolina, we missed it. But I called and talked to my grandmother on Saturday for about 45 minutes - another blessing to my heart. Easter Sunday was my mom's birthday this year - and I got to talk to her for a little bit (while kids yelled "Happy Birthday, MaMaw!!!!!!!!!" in the background.) :-) I did cry after that phone call. I ask that everybody who reads this pray for me and my family. We all have moments of feeling homesick and all we can do in those times is pray and rely on God to get us through. Sometimes the desire to go "home" is so great. But then God reminds me, "Christel, bloom where you are planted. Your only here temporarily - your true home is here, with me. Be happy where you are. Be happy doing what I want you to do - and I will bless you." And all I can do is smile and say, "Thank you, Lord."

My prayer for all of us is that we can have the attitude laid out in the chorus of the song I sang in church yesterday morning, "Broken and Spilled Out":

Broken and spilled out

Just for love of you, Jesus

My most precious treasure

Lavished on Thee

Broken and spilled out

And poured at your feet

In sweet abandon,

Let me be spilled out

And used up for thee.

Many blessings to you all,

Christel