Extravagant Easter Blessings

It's been such a wonderful Easter weekend ... full of wonderful blessings that have touched my heart.

The kids and I traveled with Brooke and my parents down to visit my brother's family near Baton Rouge. My niece Rachel was baptized today. My brother Reid (who is a youth pastor) was able to baptize his daughter, so it was very special to witness this precious moment. Baptism doesn't save a person's soul, but it is a beautiful picture of salvation. I'm so happy that my favorite niece (and I can say that because she's the only one) is also my sister in Christ.

While we were getting ready to watch the baptism service, Julia was full of questions. First of all, she wanted to know if Rachel got a new swimsuit to wear since she was going to have to go all the way under the water. When I said that she wouldn't be wearing a swimsuit, Julia gasped and said, "You mean she has to be naked?!" So funny! Julia also wanted to know when she could be baptized. I love being able to have gentle conversations with my children ... questions that I trust will someday culminate when they ask Jesus to be Lord of their lives.

Another blessing was that I bought a new computer! After a year of debating and praying and trying to decide what I wanted, I finally made a purchase of a Macbook. It's my first laptop ... wel, I do have a laptop that I use at work, but I've never owned a laptop before so it is a first in that respect. I hope I'm happy. Right now, I'm just eager to get everything set up and working. This old computer is really on its last leg ... I hope I'm computer saavy enough to get all of my files from it transferred to my new computer. It's definitely a matter of prayer!

This next little blessing is sort of interesting ... I've been doing the bible study Am I Beautiful? By Angela Thomas. (I love Angela, by the way. Her books are very insightful to my situation in life. Can you believe that I get to hear her speak this weekend?! I'm totally excited because I almost gave up taking this trip to the women's conference in Baton Rouge. Thankfully, I'm going and I'm anxious to see how God speaks to me there and what wonderful things will happen because I was able to attend.)

Back to the Bible study ... Angela begins by talking about how every woman desires to feel beautiful and loved, for some man to find her captivating. She goes on to talk about how it is more important for us to feel captivating and beautiful in the eyes of God than in the eyes of a man. She goes as far as to suggest that we ask God if He finds us beautiful. I didn't realize just how much I craved this feeling until recently. It had been a LONG time since I felt beautiful. I didn't even realize it was missing from my life until I started dating Keith. For those short few weeks, I felt downright gorgeous. When it ended so suddenly, I felt like that gift of being a beautiful woman was ripped from me. So, I started talking to God about it ... and I asked Him if He thought I was beautiful, too.

At the bookstore on Saturday, a lady was selling her book and some friends were drumming up business for her. The friends were walking around passing out daffodils. Daffodils are my all-time favorite flower ... I love them because they are such a happy, yellow color and they practically dance in the spring breezes. When one of those ladies walked up and handed me a daffodil, it was like this wonderful little gift from God. I know that every other lady in that bookstore was getting daffodils, too ... but to me, it was like a kiss from God. You see, daffodils aren't exactly the kind of flower you hand out to others. And the season for daffodils here in Louisiana is past. Those ladies could have been handing out any other kind of flower ... roses, carnations, daisies. But, they were handing out happy, yellow daffodils ... a gift for me from God.

One more thing on a totally different topic... something the boys said to me that made me smile. Julia was being mean to Joel. I guess she hurt him or something. Anyway, Nathan took Joel by the hand and brought him to me. There they stood ... Joel looking all pathetic and hurt while Nathan said this, "Momma ... Julia was being mean to Joel. But Joel was a wise boy because he remembered to overcome evil with good. Only Julia got really mean and hurt him and now he is crying." The whole "overcome evil with good" came from a cd we listen to in the car that teaches bible verses through songs. I love to know that at least some of what I'm trying to teach them is sinking into their brains ... I hope it is going into their hearts, too!

Easter weekend and my heart is full. It's not full of chocolate or little bunnies or spring time flowers. No, my heart is full because my Saviour is blessing me in amazing ways. And He can bless me because He is living ... He is risen! Praise God that the tomb is empty! What a glorious Easter!