Happy Easter!

Ok, so I'm a couple days late but here goes...

Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, is Christianity's most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast because it doesn't fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year. Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter will occur and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western churches, which follow the Gregorian calendar.

Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil. The day before Lent, known as Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples; Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus' ascension into heaven. ~from this website (History Channel - good stuff!)

Easter is my favorite holiday of the year so I am so happy it is finally here! Holy Week this year has been quite the experience for me. I had a part in our Maundy Thursday service (and I didn't trip! WHEW!), our Good Friday service was very moving and Holy Saturday was unexpectedly calming. Attending all three services was something I had never done before but am so glad I did.

A long time ago, one of my friends had said something that stuck with me regarding her finding religion. She said, "I know why Christians who have found God want to speak about him all the time to everyone, it's because they are so happy and they want everyone they know to be happy too." For the 20 years following that conversation, I kept that in the back of my mind and when someone I was hanging around mentioned God, I tried to remember that they are just really excited about it and I feigned excitement too on their behalf. It was annoying at times but I got through it. lol

I think it makes a difference as to how you found God in the first place. For me, I had lost two uncles within a year... one expected, one unexpected. We had both memorials at the same church and I kept thinking, "I really like this Pastor. I would like to go here." My mom and I started going to church and I really enjoyed it. It was time for me to become a part of something bigger and this was the place. Everyone was so welcoming and so nice and I really felt like I belonged there. That was the kicker. My hubby wanted to come with me and from there it blossomed into the whole family coming along and becoming members of the church. I love it and my friend was right, I want everyone to be as happy as I am.

So even though I'm a couple days late, Happy Easter!