Resurrection Day

Here are a few highlights of our weekend:

On Thursday, Jonerik and I ran our monthly food cupboard in the morning - giving food to about 50 families!  It was a beautiful day and we had more people that we had food!  We have people sign up ahead of time so we make the right number of bags, but we tell people who haven't signed up to come back at the end of our day and if we have left over food we will gladly give it to them (we also sign them up for the next month).  We had no extra food this month - all of it was given out.

After the food cupboard, we watched three of "our kids" for a while and they hung out at church until we practiced our music for the Good Friday service.  They love singing so we set them up with some mics for a while.  They sang all the songs they could think of: Mighty to Save, Deep Deep Deep Down Down, You're Powerful...among others.  No, Justin Beiber songs were not allowed!  =)

On Friday, Jonerik and I went on a cheap date in the afternoon.  Because it was Earth Day, Starbucks was giving out free coffee to anyone who brought a re-usable mug!  Free Starbucks date!!  We took the El down to center city and rode the bus back (I'm still getting used to public transportation and so this is like practice for me - country girl!)  There are also lots of ridiculous photo ops down town -

Last year was our first Good Friday Service and Jonerik initiated and implemented the service again this year.  We watched a video clip from the Mars Hill church in Seattle, Jonerik shared a brief message on the death of Christ and what that means for our lives today, and then we had a time of worship and response.  Communion was offered in the back of the sanctuary and there were people there to pray with others.  Worship was powerful and we sang of God's great love for us, for the sacrificial love that has transformed history and transformed our hearts.

I (Emily) am learning how to play the keyboard with worship music and this was an opportunity for me to add that to the mix.  I played piano for about 10 years growing up but to improvise and simply play off of chords is a new challenge and I'm really enjoying it.  I hope to grow in this area and to have the ability to enhance our times of worship.  It is difficult with our current sound system.  We will need to pray for an upgrade soon, but for now we make due with what we have.

Maybe about 6 months ago - Jonerik and I were at a music store looking at keyboards/electric pianos and we saw a few just like this that I thought would be amazing to have.  I still love real pianos best, but this is very close.  They were VERY expensive (to us anyway) and so it was a "Wow, that would be nice someday" kind of thing.  The same afternoon we went back to the church and when we opened the door, guess what was sitting inside!!!  Yes this beauty.  No one else at the church seems to be looking to play it in church so Jonerik checked and we were given permission to bring it home so I could build my skills.  What an amazing blessing.  Jesus is so good to us.

Easter Sunday was busy as usual.  We have two services at our church to hold all that come and so this means two worship sets.  Things went well though and God was given praise.  We celebrated that our God is alive and that Jesus Christ was not conquered in death but that he trampled death by death!

After church we had three guys over to our apartment for lunch.  We made a ham and other food that is traditional in my family (no one argued against it).  Jonerik is mentoring two of these young guys and the other wasn't going to have anything special so it was great to celebrate and eat with them.  They played games and hung out for the afternoon as I enjoyed working in the kitchen and preparing fun things.

What's behind the door?

"...sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

Genesis 4:7

Recently Jonerik and I went on a date to the Adventure Aquarium.  We had a coupon and decided to go without kids!  It was amazing and I loved see lots of sharks, two hippos, and lots of other sea creatures.  

This little penguin was hiding behind the door from the rest of the penguins and from the workers.  It brought this verse to mind which was a good reminder that we are not living in the world with no enemy.  We ask the Holy Spirit to help us in our battle against the Enemy and against our sinful selves.  That help can only come through the blood of Christ.  

We live in an neighborhood where sin is obvious and out in the open.  But there is also a level of secret sin that is destroying homes from the inside out.  My heart breaks at the level of sexual awareness our neighborhood children have at such young ages.  There are times when all I can do is desperately cry to the Lord and surrender my angst to Him knowing that He is present and working in the midst of broken family cycles and individual hearts.

Sin is crouching at our door...

"But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.  Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren."

James 1:14-16

We could have been left in that, but God had a bigger plan and His love transformed the ending of that story - 

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Colossians 1:13-14

Thank you, Jesus, for rescuing us from the domain of darkness!  That sin does not have the right to overtake us.

The lyrics of Lecrae's song, "Just Like You" sang to my heart this morning as we drove through Kensington -

More than a teacher, 

but somebody to buy us back from the darkness, 

you can say He redeemed us. 

Taught us that real leaders follow God, 

finish the work cause we on our job. 

Taught us not to rob, but give life. 

Love a wife like He loved the Church, 

without seein' how many hearts we can break first.