I woke up on April 1st, the beginning of Easter. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, it was a nice warm day….April Fool’s, It was snowing.
It is cold and gloomy; it is easy for me to just crawl back to my bed and go to sleep. However, that is not what Easter is about, it’s about Resurrection, it’s about a New Beginning. It’s about celebrating that Jesus defeated sin, rose from the dead and gave us a new clean beginning. Yes, it is cold right now, but in the next 50 days I know that Spring will come, the flowers will bloom and life will have a new chance.
I never really observed Easter; I just tossed it up to one week. However, it is 50 days, from April 1st to May 20th. During Easter, we celebrate the Resurrection, the ascension of the Lord, and it ends with Day of Pentecost (May 20). So I made a challenge for myself, and I want to invite you to this Easter Challenge!!
1. Read the following Scripture (not all at once, but spread it out). Read it more than once, pray about it or talk to someone else about it.
1. Matthew 28
2. Luke 24
3. John 20
4. John 21
5. Acts 1
2. Ponder this Questions: What does the resurrection mean to me? Has it affected my life? (During Easter Sunday Service our worship pastor played this song, I want to share it: Resurrection Blood)
3. Pray that God will guide and allow you to see where God is wanting you to do something new.
4. During lent it is common to fast; however, during Easter, take up a practice (a “fun fast”) that gives you joy. Here are some ideas:
- Walk every day
- Take the family to ice cream every weekend
- Pick up that instrument or paint brush
- Read your favorite childhood books.
- Pick-up gardening.
5. Plant something and watch it grow. This is a very hard thing for me to do because I do not have a green thumb. However, I planted a few seeds a couple weeks ago and it brings me so much joy to watch them grow. Send us pictures of something that you planted or something that is growing in your garden to godloveliferepeat@gmail.com, we will share them on May 20th.
6. Pay attention how nature brings about new life
7. Bring new life to a past relationship, reach out to a friend or to a family member that you haven’t talked to for a while.
8. Finally, The scripture says:
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gift of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous power, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11
Take note of this season of different spiritual gifts that you observe inside and outside your church. Why do you think God gives these gifts to each person? (Here is a hard one, take your time and pray about it) what do you believe is your gift?
Have Hope and be Joyful.
Love
Milo
