Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

 

It amazes me how Christ shines light even in the darkest of places. 

We had a rather Lenty day of Easter Vigil here, but, by evening, were blessed with a beautiful Vigil Mass followed by Coffee and... with fellow parishioners.

We did not have a chance to take a family photo in front of the altar as we have in past years at our old parish, but we did snap one between chatting and eating.

Then, despite getting home after 1 a.m., somebunny was able to hide eggs and fill baskets.

Later,  my earliest riser helped me boil eggs, since we had not had a chance to dye any as we traditionally do on the day before Easter.

She also enjoyed opening her "bed egg" while waiting for her brothers to wake.

Meanwhile I set up our Easter breakfast table with our traditional donut tomb for the risen Jesus. 

Then, finally, the boys arose and the hunt was on!

 Post-hunt and Easter basket time, some of us walked to our local church for Easter morning Mass.

Then, we finally got to doing our Easter eggs.

I am so grateful that even at my children's ages, they will come together with me to do this!

Simple pleasures!

Then, there was cooking and preparing before the extended family festivities, which included an outside Easter egg hunt, feasting, celebrating a birthday, and belatedly celebrating a Christmas pajama stocking exchange since health issues prevented a family Christmas this year.

Truly, it was a day filled with light and love. I am so grateful. 

I pray your Easter season is beautifully blessed.

You can find our Easter archives here.

It was a ble

Alleluia! He Has Risen!

Pinterest perfect?

Not a chance!

Perfectly imperfect with simplicity and tradition?

You bet!

That's how we roll in our home...

For while I often dreamed of picture perfect holidays and even tried to create them now and again, our reality is often a lot more haphazard and chaotic.

So, simple traditions tend to be all that works here.

One that we tuck in just before Easter each year - as so many other families do - is dying Easter eggs.

And while I've wanted to try making natural dyes, test out Cool Whip Easter eggs, and introduce myriad other picture-perfect ways to make beautiful eggs for Easter morning, we tend to just go with ease.

Toss on "cruddy shirts" (old tee shirts that we do not care if they get ruined) and cover the table in recycled paper. Boil up some water, pour it into glass bowls, and add some vinegar drops of food coloring. Then, use oil pastels or wax crayons to decorate eggs if desired, or simply start dipping them.

Simple, traditional, low prep, and something we can manage every year despite whatever else is going on.

Low stress before the Easter Vigil, our simple tradition brings smiles on Easter morning.

Happy Easter morning!

Alleluia! He has risen!

He has risen, indeed!

Praise the Lord for all good things. May your Easter season be a joy-filled one!

Alleluia! He is Risen!

Alleluia!

He is risen!

Happy Easter 2020 from our home to yours...

And from our nature walk to yours, too.

Wherever your path takes you this Easter season...

... may it give you cause for thanks and smiles.

May moments to pause to play unfold...

May you travel safely even when things get mucky.

And may Christ's light shine gloriously!

We are so blessed. Hope shines forth always.

Praise God for all good things!

Have You Read the Easter Storybook? { A Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor compensated in any other way.

If you're looking for a picture book to read together with your family next Lent or one to read during the 50 days of Eastertide, The Easter Storybook: 40 Bible Stories Showing Who Jesus Is from David C. Cook could be a good choice.

The Easter Storybook: 40 Bible Stories Showing Who Jesus Is by Laura Richie with illustrations by Ian Dale is a sweet 92-page hardback picture book that aims to show the beauty, love, and grace of Jesus as our Rescuer, Redeemer, and Friend.

Each of the 40 stories in the book - which trace Jesus' footsteps from his boyhood time in the temple to His Ascension - is written and illustrated in such a way that a 4-8 year old can understand and remember while an older child or adult can remain engaged.

At the beginning of each story, a day, title, reference to the Bible, and quote from the Bible are listed.

Then, text brings Bible stories to life with child-friendly writing which includes some embedded commentary and insights.


An example of the way the author includes the truths of Bible stories at a level appropriate for a variety of ages was pointed out by my children when we read the story "Jesus Offers Grace".  This story explains that "a woman was dragged in front of the crowd" and announced to be "a bad sinner." It does not, however, speak of adultery as a actual Bible story where Jesus tells those without sin to cast the first stone does.

My children, having heard the real Bible story multiple times at Mass, asked why the author left out details, and, then, when I asked them why they thought she did, had the "Oh..." moment of realizing that adults, older children, and children who are familiar with the content of actual Bible stories can fill in details themselves while younger children can understand the story without being tripped p by such concepts as adultery, which they might not be ready for.

Likewise, my children, who are ages 9-14, noted how the author seemed to add some background and commentary to stories. For example, in "The Good Samaritan", she offers simple details about the typical relationship between Jews and Samaratins and about the good Samaritan's choice to love.

The stories, therefore, unfold with enough simplicity for children to understand, enough embedded commentary for them to connect dots, and enough interest to help readers and listeners to recognize the purpose and spiritual significance of each event from Jesus' life that is told.

At the end of each story's text, a simple question is offered for thought and conversation.

Accompanying each story is a full page, brightly colored illustration to capture and engage attention and enhance interest in the stories.

My children and I have, of course, been reading our way through this book as a part of our Lenten practices and are finding that, although we are familiar with each of the Bible stories retold for young children in the book, we can appreciate how they are told and illustrated.  

I am also wishing I had this book when my children were younger, because I think it would have been a gentle and lovely introduction to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. (Some of the picture books we read when my children were younger were definitely not as gentle when dealing with Jesus' death, especially.) Thus, I recommend it, especially, to those with young children or grandchildren and to those with sensitive young ones.

Further, I recommend The Easter Storybook: 40 Bible Stories Showing Who Jesus Is to those whose attention may have been diverted during Lent - especially with recent world events - as a way to refocus on Jesus as alight for the nations  our Rescuer, so filled with love and mercy.

Truly, our Lord has not abandoned us. He loves us and will draw us closer to each other and to Him this Easter season and forever!

Learn More

Over 40 Homeschool Review Crew families received this delightful picture book for review. See what each family thought by clicking through the review links on the Homeschool Review Crew website. 

You can also connect on social media with David C. Cooke, a publisher of music, books, Bible studies and more for children and adults, whose The Action Bible Anytime Devotions book I recently reviewed.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube

Happy reading!  May your Holy Week and Eastertide be blessed and beautiful!

Let the Rejoicing Begin

He is risen.

He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Easter is upon us with its 50 days of celebration and rejoicing.

That's right.

Fifty days!

Not one.

Not just this single day.

But an entire season to focus ourselves on rejoicing and celebrating... on remembering that we are an Easter people.

We now the end of the story.

Jesus may have died on the cross and his body may have been put in a tomb, but He is risen!

He is risen, indeed!
And no matter how imperfect... how not-quite-understanding-everything... how all-too-human in faith and action that we as the followers of Christ may be, the Resurrection has changed our lives.

Like Christ's original followers, we, too, may experience the amazing magnitude and mission of the Resurrection - to let it inflame our hearts and to live Christ.

Yes, to live Christ!

To be ignited in faith, hope, and love and to carry Christ's light into any dark place that we may encounter. 

Whether the darkness be in our own minds and hearts or in the experience of those around us, Christ is with us and can help us banish the darkness.

For Christ died for us and He rose for us. He has invited us to experience a share in His love.

His love which conquered death.  

His love, which - in us and through us - can certainly illuminate any dark places in our lives and set the world aflame with love, with joy, and with zeal.

So, no matter how you are feeling as you end this Easter Sunday, even if you are feeling wholly tired as I am, I pray that, like me, you are also feeling wholly charged to seek and spread Christ's love.

With gratitude, amazement, rejoicing, celebration... may you have blessed and beautiful Eastertide, journeying with joy. 

He is alive!

Happy Easter!

We wait in darkness, then shine with His light.

We rejoice!

The tomb is empty!

HE IS RISEN!

We gather in joy, thanksgiving, and hope!

For, yes, the stone has been rolled away, and He is risen!

Alleluia!  Praise the Lord!  His sacrifice brings new life.

Joy!

Abundant joy!

The tomb has been broken open.

Death has been overcome.

Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

I pray this Easter season is one one that fills you with hope and joy!

Enjoy FREE PRINTABLES for 2 Easter Nature Walks

Surely, you've heard of the Stations of the Cross.  Have you also heard of their Easter counterpart the Stations of the Resurrection? 

These 14 stations, also known as Via Lucis, Stations of Light, or The Way of Light, assist us in recalling Christ's journey from Easter to Pentecost.  Each of the 14 stations is based on an incident in the life of Christ and his followers after the Resurrection as recorded in the Gospels and Acts.  These stations offer a wonderful way for children and grown ups to journey with Jesus during the Easter season, and, if you like to adventure outside, you can meditate on the Via Lucis while doing some nature study, too.

Today, I am sharing a FREE Via Lucis Nature Notebooking printable, which also includes a bonus simplified Easter Challenge. 

The Via Lucis pages include boxes and prompts for each of the 14 stages plus an additional page with suggestions of nature items you might look for.  The bonus Easter Challenge is a one-sheet challenge where children simply look for eight signs of new life (in honor of Jesus' Resurrection and the eight Sundays during the 50 days of the Easter season.)

Either nature hunt can be used as is with a pencil, colored pencils, or markers.  You could also use it the printables as checklists for a photographic foray into nature.  Or - as I plan to use the Via Lucis one during this Easter season- you can lead children through a prayerful reflection and then let them each decide to sketch, draw, or take photos during a scavenger hunt to follow.

Some free resources for Way of Light artwork and reflections to pair with my Via Lucis Nature Walk printable are offered by:

• Family in Feast and Feria (fantastic printables with art and meditations!)
• Bookworm (printable cards with art images on them)
• Catholic News Agency
• The Archdiocese of Detroit (pdf)

I pray that you are able to enjoy a meaningful time in nature with children using these resources come Eastertide!

You may also like the Lenten walk I shared last week:

For other faith-based nature printables I have made, just click through the images below.

May your journey with Jesus continue to be blessed and meaningful!