Easter at My Folks: Part 2

Brad didn't ONLY sit around being sick. I found an actual video game that is freaking fun: Guitar Hero. You pick songs off this list and have this fake electric guitar that you use as the "controller" to play the notes coming up on the screen. It is SO FUN. I was very addicted to it. Brad was great at it. Here he is giving his dirty rockstar face. When I played, I got so into it, I had to stand up and shed some layers of clothes -- down to a t-shirt or tank top -- to get into my Inner Rocker. I am SO GLAD we don't own this game -- Atticus would have to raise himself or find some wolves to do the honors.

Aaron, Lindsey & Lilly arrived Friday late afternoon after a long drive from St.Louis.

Atticus immediately hugged Lilly. He just loves babies...kids...people.

I don't know if Lilly meant to hug Atticus back, but that's what it looked like she did.

My music & noise lover

My Aunt Donna & Uncle Danny drove out from Illinois to spend the day with us on Saturday.

Brad & Uncle Danny get along swell -- a bit worrying....

Later that day a couple of Jonathan's friends showed up with a three-wheeler (ATV) having just returned from a 20-hour non-stop trip to Ohio to pick it up. All the guys went out to look at it -- I love when guys are so guy-ish.

Lindsey wanted Atticus to open his birthday present from them early since they won't be able to make the trip up for his party.

A dog hat...

Electronic maracas that count in English or Spanish and light up when you shake them...

And he loved the tissue paper...

Aaron & Jonathan shoot people

Saturday night baths: Lilly gets her bath in the kitchen sink -- gettin' clean for church in the mornin'

Rebekah surprised my mom by getting work off Easter Sunday. She drove late Saturday and showed up to sleep for awhile before morning. Here she is with Lilly -- both dolled up for the Celebration. Easter Sunday morning we headed over to the high school across the street for an all-church breakfast. Then a dairy family from near Iowa City sang for the first half of the service. They have NINE children with ANOTHER ONE on the way. They ALL came for dinner afterwards and were very nice and normal, imagine that. The mom is absolutely beautiful and about as big as me (minus her baby-belly). I can't imagine the logistics, character, selflessness, and sheer work involved in loving and caring for 9 children and a husband. And a dairy farm. I quiver in humility and lowliness and selfishness.

The sermon my dad preached was from 1 Corinthians chapter 15 centering around two verses. Verse 15 "And if Christ is not risen then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty." and verse 20a "But now Christ IS risen from the dead...."
Only because of verse 20, the preaching and our faith are not empty.
We have died with Christ and now we live with Christ. One of my friend Jeff's favorite verses is from 2 Corinthians 2 -- verses 4-7:But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
Later in 1 Corinthian 15 -- our mortality is clothed with immortality -- "Death is swallowed up in Victory". and the section ends with "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

I didn't sit there entirely able to concentrate (I kept looking back to where Rebekah was following Atticus up and down the halls of the high school with half a dozen mothers and their toddlers), but still, I received encouragement to not forget the Glory and the Beauty of the Resurrection of God Himself. To remember that all things will be swallowed up in Life. That death is conquered. That all things will be made incorruptible. Entropy has been given the death blow. It will die. Ugliness will die. Pain will die. Foolishness will die. Selfishness, Cruelty, arrogance, bitterness, laziness, all sin will be destroyed. Truth, Beauty, Goodness will reign. Christ our Glorious Creator-King will reign supreme with the twin-sword of Righteousness & Mercy, Truth & Kindness. His Death and Resurrection have done all this. I don't want to forget even in the midst of typing up and downloading a blog entry. My life is deeper and more beautiful than I make the effort to remember. Rejoice, Sarah. Rejoice.

Aaron & Lilly

With Grandma & Grandpa before getting his jammies on to ride home Sunday night.