Celebrating Easter

I've been reading a lot of posts from friends in the blogosphere and on Facebook about the ways they celebrate Easter. There's a lot of "we always" do this or that......we always go to Sunrise Service at........., we always have breakfast together at........, we always.......... In reading these posts, I realize there isn't much "we always" about my life! I think that is primarily due to how many places we have lived, how much we have moved around. We rarely celebrate something exactly the same way two years in a row!!

But as I think back on the many Easters I have experienced, I have wonderful memories!

• of my childhood Easters, when all the cousins would come to visit (my grandmother lived next door) and we would go to church together, in all our frills and ribbons (mostly girls on that side of the family) and then have an egg hunt in the afternoon.
• of Easters when our sons were just little boys, all cleaned up in their finest going to church and then hiding the eggs in the afternoon. Now they have sons of their own!
• of the years spent in service to the church, as a church pianist, a church organist, a music minister.....planning Easter worship services, presenting the Resurrection story through music and drama.
• of Easter dinners shared with dear friends....."transplanted" as we were and far from family.......of the memories we made together.
• of Easter bunny cake with Bill, Jean and Amy.

Often when I think of Easter, the words of hymns and praise songs run through my mind.......probably a result of those many years of service in the area of church music and worship. Lyrics like....

"How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure....."

"Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me....."

"And can it be that I should gain an entrance through my Saviour's blood....."

"Hallelujah! What a Saviour!"

This year, I'm looking forward to making more memories, to celebrating with new friends and a new church family. Above all, I'm looking forward to the ultimate celebration......to that day when we see Him face to face!