He is Risen Indeed!

Thanks to holylandphotos.org for the picture!

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

And make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon the cross

My sin upon His shoulder

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Why should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, I am reminded of the words to one of my favorite songs. I hope that each of you enjoys a blessed day of being with family and friends, and rejoices in remembering the sacrifice our Lord made for the joy set before Him.

As Far as the East is From the West

We've all read about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's condemnation of the Brits, and western culture in general, for allowing a female soldier to be deployed to the Persian Gulf. He apparently questions our "family values". Ahmadinejad criticized Britain for deploying Leading Seaman Faye Turney, one of the 15 detainees, in the Gulf, pointing out that she is a woman with a child. "How can you justify seeing a mother away from her home, her children? Why don't they respect family values in the West?" he asked of the British government.

When kindergartners are proudly interviewed on television reciting martyrdom poems to celebrate their mother's demise as a suicide bomber, and boasting how many Jews were killed by their mother, I believe his culture has lost any authority to comment on the family values of other societies. Somehow, in the fight against the West it is apparently okay to send mothers permanently away from their children.

While this video deals with Palestinian children rather than Iranians, it does give some insight into the radical nature of the culture war and religious war being waged in the world. I do not assume that every Muslim, Middle Easterner, or Persian thinks what is shown in the video is good. In fact, I have had the privilege of being friends with a Persian that would never support this. Still, the radicalism is real and violent and we must be vigilant in our attempts to understand what is happening, defend ourselves, and give the hope of Christ.



h/t: reformedchicksblabbing.blogspot.com

Voila!

5 Minutes for Mom is having another giveaway! This time, a free Presto is the prize. If you have a dear, sweet grandmother like mine who is content to be unconnected in the world of connectivity, this is the perfect gift. You can send her pictures and notes that print right out of the machine over a regular phone line that does not prevent regular phone calls and does not require a computer or any technical knowledge. If you're interested, visit 5 Minutes for Mom by clicking on the link above to register!

Does Better Mean Less?

5 Minutes for Mom is giving away a Dyson Slim vacuum cleaner. To enter the contest, visit the site before 1 p.m. EASTERN time today.

The Dyson Slim is highly rated, but my question is, does a better vacuum cleaner mean less vacuuming?

Spring Break Photos

The kids had a blast at the beach. Even though the water was cold and we didn't fully get in much, we enjoyed dipping our toes in the water while looking for shells every single day.

We visited the Audubon bird sanctuary while there. We didn't see many birds, but we had fun walking in the woods together.

We went without the kids to Bellingrath Gardens, where I was once more amazed at the beauty of God's creation.

Poost Bog Blagoslavit Vas

Many people have asked what Slava Bogu means. It means "Praise God" in Russian. It is one of the many Russian phrases we learned while spending the summer of 2005 in Ukraine. It is also probably the most important phrase we learned.

We spent 6 weeks and two days separated from our 3 year old daughter as we sought out the children God would have us adopt. While the end result made the journey worthwhile, I have to be frank in saying that after three weeks in Ukraine with the process to adopt a particular child not begun, we were somewhat discouraged. The most difficult decision of our married lives was made during that time when we visited a child that we did not have a peace about adopting. I remember weeping into the night, second guessing ourselves, and to this day remember the child frequently, praying for him as he comes to mind, although sadly, I don't pray for him daily as I was sure I would in the intensity of that moment.

While the adoption process was discouraging, we had the pleasure of staying with a Christian lady and visiting her church several times. This was of great encouragement to us. Singing praises to our Lord in English while our brothers and sisters were singing praises in Russian was a highlight of our trip. Worshipping with people of other tribes and tongues seemed to be a glimpse of heaven. And so, declaring Slava Bogu! Praise God! reminded us of whom we had placed our hope in--the Living God who had led us thus far.

And by the way, Poost Bog Blagoslavit Vas means "May God bless you all!"

To read more about our 2005 adoption journey, visit www.caringbridge.org/al/theoues .