Resurrection Celebration

Happy (belated) Easter!
Our day was full of jubilation and remembrance of our Savior.
To start the day we attended a very nice church, the music was beautiful and the sermon, very thoughtful and had some very good points.

When we came home, we began our Seder Meal, something we do every year.
This year we had a delicious lamb roast. Mom cooked it perfectly!
I gotta be perfectly honest with you. I didn't do so well on capturing everything....
I got some pics of dessert though!

 Almond honey cakes.

 Fig bars.

And peanut butter chocolate cups!

It was a bit rainy and cold that day, but just being able to have this time to thank Jesus for taking our place on the cross and forgiving us our sins is so nice. 

I am nothing, but because of Him, I can be something. He is our Savior, our Strong Tower, and I am so thankful that He is in my life!

HE IS RISEN!

 

How was your Easter?

Love,

Hagen

The Forgotten

The Forgotten. All the forgotten people who are in turmoil. Who have nothing to eat. Who are drug out of their homes, beat and killed for loving Christ.
This is something that has been weighing on my heart for awhile now, but the thing that did it in for me is this:

As I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, Layla was looking at a Voice of the Martyrs magazine. Lying on the table next to her was a Walmart flier. I absently picked it up and flipped through it. As I was doing so Layla said sadly, "Wow, look at this." It was a picture of a father mourning over his bloody, dead son in the rubble of their church that had just been bombed.
"Wow." I said as I shook my head. Then I realized. I looked from the Walmart flier to the magazine and back again. I began to tear up, not cry really, but a tear or two did fall.

As we hustle and bustle with our heads down, trying to get the last iPhone5 that's on sale, or maybe that Lego Ev3 MindStorm set that your son always wanted that's on sale for 350 bucks, we tend to forget about those people I mentioned above.
 And just as our cheeks flame red with anger because we were too late for that 60" HDTV flat screen that was on sale for 800 bucks, someone on the other side of the world is being beat, maybe burnt at the stake.This is no light subject to just be shrugged off.

Believe me, I LOVE Christmas time. I'm no Scrooge, but you see? During Christmas time the gluttony  and want for stuff, stuff, stuff, really shows whats in our hearts.
And of course, I want you to celebrate! But ought we to celebrate the real reason for Christmas? And I want you to see your family members faces light up as they open their gifts. I like to experience that just as much as anyone.
But just think of how you would feel to know that, as your children laugh and giggle over their stocking stuffers, some other child is laughing and giggling because they have clean, purified water to drink because you chose to share with them that happiness. Because you chose to step out of your comfort zone
Now I'm not looking down on you at all. And I most certainly am not judging you for spending money. I spend money. Everyone spends money. But we need to know where our hearts are and what our motives are.
Why are we going Black Friday shopping on the one Holiday that has anything to do with giving thanks?
Maybe we could spend less money on ourselves, who have everything we need, and a little more on those who don't.

We don't need to stop what we are doing, but some times we need to just change what we are doing.
This doesn't mean you have to go and return everything super expensive that you have already purchased,  but why can't we set aside a small sum of money to help or support someone who is really in need? The answer is we can. We can die to ourselves! And we can share our luxury! The Lord says we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!

If you feel convicted, don't shrug it off. If you feel like you should help those in need, I encourage you to! Don't be afraid to step out of the crowd, don't let the world trick you ( because really, it will try), you must not let the devil succeed in your life!  

Will you share Christmas with those in need? Will you show them the love of Christ?

If you choose to do so, please check out Gospel for Asia. It is a wonderful ministry that, as in the name, shares the Gospel of Christ through out Asia as they clothe naked and feed the hungry.   

I also suggest you check out Voice of the Martyrs . (As mentioned above.)

Thank you for reading and I hope you choose to step out for Christ.

Love,

Hagen

National Day of Prayer

As you may know, today is the National Day of Prayer. I thought I would write down a few prayer requests, for our country and our family.

• Pray for our country's leaders, that the Lord would provide strong, Christian leaders in office.
• Pray that Godly leaders would be raised up in the next generation, and for generations to come, that they would take seriously their role.
• Pray for the state of our country, that there would be a revival, and many would come to know Jesus.
• Pray that the Lord would strengthen Christians, that we would step out of our comfort zones and spread the good news to all creation and to the ends of the earth.    
• Pray that the murder of innocent children would be abolished.
• Pray for my new friend, Leah, who is in Thailand doing mission work.
• Pray for the persecuted Christian around the world, that they would be strengthened and encouraged.
• Pray for our soldiers and their families, giving thanks for their service, for being willing to give up their lives for our safety and freedom.
• Pray for the families involved in the West, TX plant explosion, that God would provide all their needs.
• Pray that the family and marriage would be protected.
• Pray that homeschooling would be protected, that parents would keep their right to disciple their children.
•  Thank the Lord that we live in a country where we can read the Bible and the Lord freely.
• Pray that all things we do would be to God's glory.
• Pray that the Lord would guide our family, that He would make each step clear.
• Please pray for our family, as we learn to adjust to RV living.

Thank you for teaming up with us and being prayer warriors! This is only 15 things to be praying about, I know the list could be endless!

  Personally, my prayer life needs to be strengthened. So, if you have any prayer requests, I would love to add them to my daily prayers. You can find our e-mail on our Contact page.

May GOD bless you,
Layla

Easter Sunday

Hello!

I hope you had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday, 

 we sure did!

We drove up to Houston to visit our Aunt's church. There we watched a Crucifixion reenactment and sang praises and hymns.

John 19:17- And he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 

After the service, we 'walked down to the Jordan' as the pastor said. We witnessed several people get baptized. I think the baptism of our friend was the most touching. We were all in tears!

2 Corinthians 5:17- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 

Every year we usually do an Easter Seder meal, which is much like a Passover meal, but each item has a differnet meaning, and purpose.

Since we are limited on space in our tiny RV oven, and not having enough time to plan everything out, we decided to go to a Mexican Restaurant, instead! 

Even though things have been a bit hectic around here, it was a good to slow down and remember what Christ did for me. He went through torture and ultimately death to save me. He conquered the grave! MY REDEEMER LIVES!


I would like to hear all about your Easter Celebration!
Blessings,
Layla