Easter Preparations

I have been reading and praying and teaching Nathaniel about Easter and why we celebrate. There is so much other "stuff" - such as eggs, baskets, and bunnies - and it is fun and cute, too. I really want him to see and know the wondrous gift of God's son Jesus. Then we can do fun stuff, once the foundational parts of this awesome holiday are set in place. I continue to pray that the Lord will use my efforts and that his "head knowledge" will someday grow into "heart knowledge."

Anyhow, this is what we are doing. I have gathered some verses, little symbols, and plastic Easter eggs. For the 2 weeks prior to Easter, we are reading these verses and discussing the symbols that I have put in each egg. It is a lot like an advent calendar, but with eggs instead. It is still kind of work in progress - I am trying to find the right symbols and good verses to explain God's redeeming work on Easter. So far, we have been opening 1 egg each day and then I plan to hide them all on Easter (along with some candy-filled ones) and have the boys search to find them all. Hopefully the kids will be able to recount the story of God's work by looking through all the symbols again. I'd like to use these eggs year after year. If any other families want to share this idea or modify, please do so!

Egg #1:
Message -- Help your child understand why Jesus was called "the Lamb of God" (his role as the unblemished sacrifice)
Passages -- Ex. 12:21-24; John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7-8
Item-- a cotton ball or piece of wool

Egg #2:
Message -- Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people waved palm branches. Act out the "parade" of Palm Sunday as a family. Have family members take turns putting themselves in the place of Jesus, receiving a royal welcome but knowing that the crowd's intentions would change in less than a week. Note: the word hosanna translates "save us, we beseech thee."
Passage -- Matthew 21:1-11
Item -- Piece of palm or other variety of leafy branch

Egg #3:
Message -- Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet.
Passage -- John 12:2-8
Item -- Small perfume sample or cloth with perfume or a piece of cotton with cologne on it

Egg #4:
Message -- Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples.
Passage -- Matthew 26:17-19
Item – a piece of Chex cereal or cracker

Egg #5:
Message -- Jesus gave the disciples at the Last Supper a new commandment, that they should love and serve one another. he showed them by washing their feet.
Passage: Look up John 13:34-35 to discover the "new commandment" Jesus gives.
Item – small piece of soap to represent the washing of His disciples' feet

Egg #6:
Message -- Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Talk about your child's experiences of betrayal or disappointment in friendships. Imagine Jesus' personal hurt at Judas's treachery and the subsequent desertion of Christ's closest allies.
Passage -- Matthew 26:1-16, 47-56, 27:3
Item -- 3 coins or plastic “silver” money


Egg #7:
Message -- Jesus carried His own cross.
Passage -- John 19:17
Item – small sticks in a cross form; or, a small plastic cross from a Christmas ornament or necklace.

Egg #8:
Message -- Soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus' head.
Passage -- John 19:2
Item -- Small thorny branch, or a large thorn all by itself.

Egg #9:
Message -- Soldiers parted Jesus' garments and cast lots for His coat.
Passage -- John 19:23
Item -- Swatch of burlap and a nail. I’ve also seen miniature dice used for this one.

Egg #10:
Message -- Jesus was nailed to a cross and pierced in His side.
Passage -- John 19:18,37 & John 20:25-29
Item -- A nail

Egg #11:
Message -- They gave Jesus vinegar mixed with gall on a sponge to drink.
Passage -- Matthew 27:34
Item -- A small sponge

Egg #12:
Message -- Spices to prepare Jesus for burial. The name Good Friday probably evolved from the phrase "God's Friday." Talk about why the day Christ died is ultimately very good the best because we all need a Savior.

Passage -- John 19:40
Item -- 7 or 8 whole cloves, or other whole spices


Egg #13:
Message -- The stone covering Jesus' tomb was rolled away. Get a clearer idea of the miracle of the tomb rock rolling away by finding a large rock and trying to roll it yourselves. Note that only an act of God could put the guards to sleep and move such a big stone.

Passage -- John 20:1
Item -- A small rock

Egg #14:
Message -- The napkin around Jesus' head was lying separately from His linen clothes. He was not there. He has risen!
Passage -- John 20:6-7
Item -- A scrap of linen-type fabric

Egg #15:
Message -- In Christ's death and resurrection we also become new creatures.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Item – small plastic butterflies or home-made with tissue paper

Ooops

I said we'd be here until summer 1010, I meant 2011! There's still time to visit!

Our House

We now live in a duplex in a residential neighborhood on our post. It is quite nice. The kitchen is very big and I am loving all the nooks to store stuff - it is like a dream of mine to someday have a "place for everything and everything in its place" and this is a step in the right direction! There are 4 bedrooms upstairs, a main floor dining and living area, and also a basement for laundry and storage.

There is a small yard. The kids love the outdoor space, and we can just go right out the back door and not have to go down 3 flights of stairs. Yesterday they were just covered in mud, since it has been raining here, and they were as happy as could be! We have our own washer and dryer, too, so mud is not too big of a problem. I didn't need more indoor space, as I don't know how to decorate and am rather predictable, but the yard and a future flower/vegetable garden thrills my heart.

Nathaniel made me a "mocha coffee" today (mud, in a small green bucket) and has been picking little flowering weeds for me. He has been very affectionate lately (and argumentative, we take the good with the bad). Finally, spring has arrived - breezy and fresh and it beckons us outside every day. Tom has been extended in our location until summer of 2011, so we'll enjoy all the seasons in this home. I've attached 2 pictures - enjoy - and come see us for yourself!

Grandpa Denny & Grandma Sue's Visit

For about 10 days, we enjoyed a visit from Tom's parents from March 7-17th. Here's a little overview of our days together, but there are lots more stories to tell and pictures to share! We enjoyed a few days here at the house, a game night, and driving to nearby castles in Heidelberg, Bensheim, and Heddesheim along the "Berg Strasse". We ate lots of good food (both out and about and at home). Nathaniel and Josiah enjoyed many stories and sing-alongs with Grandma.

We had the opportunity to host Tom's 1996 foreign exchange host family in our home for an afternoon of dining and getting to know one another. They live in Hamburg, but were down this way visiting relatives and we were overjoyed to have them stop by here, too! Finally the parents who had sent their young sons over the ocean to live with another family were joined to meet! There were lots of stories and sharing of photos.

We journeyed to the Alps in Bavaria for a couple days, too. While in Bavaria, we were all once again impressed by the marvelous mountains, the Alps are never disappointing, and Grandpa and Grandma were full of oohs and ahhhs! It was fun to sit in the hot-tub at the hotel at the foot of the Zugspitz with snowflakes falling on our noses and eyelashes. We tried some tasty local cheese and beer (made by Monks at the Ettal monastery). We visited the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart. All the men and boys were giddy about the cars and trucks (J & N got to sit and play around in a garbage truck and bus!).

We enjoyed a wonderful 10 days together. We were blessed with joy and fellowship and great evening discussions.

Long Time, No Updates...

Sorry it has been awhile. We've moved! We are still at the same APO address, but a different German house address. Tom was selected to be promoted to Major (way to go!) and we had the opportunity to move to a bigger house that has a yard! We jumped on that chance and have been busy packing, moving, rearranging and so on. Now we are settled, but it took about a month for the phone company to hook our phone and internet. So we've been "webless" and (gasp!) we've survived to tell about it.

The boys have been busy digging and riding their little bikes and trikes all over the lawn. I am looking forward to the coming of spring and planting some flowers and vegetables in our space, too. Spring is slowing appearing in little places where bulbs are sprouting and it is encouraging.

Grandpa Denny and Grandma Sue made the big flight over the ocean and visited us here for the last 10 days. It was a wonderful time of talking and enjoying beauty here in Germany. The kids loved their visit and Josiah has asked me several times "Where Grandpa Denny? Where Daddy?" It is quiet today here; it feels kind of lonely to put away the extra bedding and eat the leftovers from our time together with such wonderful guests.

We really do enjoy visitors - so please come on over. We now have an extra bedroom and an extra bed!! Hooray!

Photos of our house and our European adventures with the Grandparents will soon follow. But I do have to get to work around here, too, and the kids are especially needy today. I suppose they are kind of let-down after all the attention and fun of the last weeks.