Thoughts for Holy Week...

    Happy be your Easter-tide. Peace and joy with you abide,

and upon you one above, shed his blessing and his love.

 

Some days are for searching for that "something"...that cork to fill the empty spaces...The words that bring "hope" to the light, healing to the broken hearted.   Words that bring peace to those that feel there is no peace in sight.   Help to find joy where joy is hard to come by.  There are days that you wonder why we have such heartache and pain in this world.  Why we have a hard time seeing the beautiful blessings that are in our lives.  Why we can be drug so far under that we can't see and feel the blessings that are right in front of us.  Joy feels so very far away.  We dwell on the hard times, the mistakes, the why me's, the I screwed up agains...  I don't know about you but I could use a little "Easter"...a little BLESSING, a little FORGIVENESS...alot of JOY...  What in the world made God send His only Son to die for me?  For this world?  We hurt each other...we take each other for granted.  We grow hard in our hearts and we don't forgive.  We forget about the BIG ...major...unselfish LOVE that we've been given.  We've been given a clean slate...(I don't deserve it)...probably not many of us do.  We are a poor excuse for His children.  We just want more more more (like the commercial says) and just expect it to be so...to be given without anything in return.  Only with Jesus is that gift given.  And let us know...and believe in our heart of hearts that yes, we are here because it was planned...and it was planned to be good, full of joy and hope for the future.  If things are tough maybe it's so we'll see the blessings in the little things...we'll appreciate where our "help" is coming from...from whom the sacrifices have been made.  Jesus didn't have to go to the cross for us.  He had the capability to say no...not today, they aren't worth it Dad...they won't even appreciate what's been done for them.  Please God...during this HOLY WEEK , help me to see the LOVE around me...feel the PEACE you've given me...glimpse the HOPE that can come in believing in YOU, and dance for the JOY that you want me to have...that I was born to have...

Jeremiah 29:11  New International Version (NIV)     ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Isaiah 55:12 - "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (NIV)