If you had peeked inside our parsonage on Easter weekend when my girls were young, you would have seen us having a great time together as a family!  We had several traditions that we loved, because Easter is the BEST holiday for believers!  Without Easter, we would have no hope!  You can go here to read about our traditions.)  We shouldn’t be stuffy and no fun on Easter – this is a time of celebrating our risen Savior!

Here’s a great activity that will help teach your children the message of Easter in a really creative way – by baking Resurrection Cookies!  Each ingredient adds a special part of the story, from the salt to the vinegar.  You mix the ingredients together and read the Scriptures as you go along.  I’d suggest printing the verses out on slips of paper beforehand.  Write the verses in condensed form if you’re dealing with pre-schoolers.  The cookies get placed inside the oven, where they stay overnight – like Jesus’ body stayed in the tomb.  The next morning the cookies are ready, and when you bite inside, they’re hollow – empty!  Just like the tomb was on Easter morning!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients

■1 cup whole pecans

■1 tsp. vinegar

■3 egg whites

■1 pinch salt

■1 cup sugar

■gallon size zip top bag

■wooden spoon

■tape

■Bible

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. Put the pecans in the plastic bag. Let the children take turns breaking them by beating with a wooden spoon. Don’t crush them finely, but leave in large pieces.

Explain that Jesus was arrested and beaten by the soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

3. Let the children smell the vinegar. Pour it in a mixing bowl.

Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, they gave him vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

4. Pour the egg whites into the mixing bowl with the vinegar.

Explain that eggs represent life. Jesus gave his life so that we can have life. Read John 10:10-11.

5. Sprinkle salt into each child’s hand and let them taste it. Put a dash of salt in the mixing bowl.

Explain that salt represents the tears shed by Jesus’ disciples. It also represents the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

6. Add 1 cup sugar to the mixing bowl.

Explain that this is the sweetest part of the story. Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

7. Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until it forms stiff peaks.

Explain that the white color represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

8. Fold the broken nuts into the beaten egg whites. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets.

Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and let them seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

10. Go to bed!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven. Jesus’ followers were very sad when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Let them take a bite and show them that they are hollow inside!

On the first Easter morning Jesus’ followers were amazed to find his tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

He has risen!

The Easter story cookies recipe was found at this site.

How do you tell your children about Easter?

From my parsonage windows,

I pinned an ever-so-cute Bunny Napkin Fold on one of my Pinterest boards and decided that I would fold my napkins like that this Easter.  Last week I got out my freshly ironed napkins, along with the on-line instructions from Martha Stewart and tried my hand at this delicate fold. Um, sure! I felt like a magician because the bunny kept disappearing!  I’d see the formation of the ears, then I couldn’t figure out how to finish it, or it would pop open after I thought I had it secured.  But you know what?  I kept trying until I got it!

Anything worth doing is worth working at until you master it! What thing in your spiritual life do you need to keep working at, with God’s help? Bible study? Memorization? Witnessing? Don’t quit!

I don’t do well with drawings or written instructions!  I’m a visual learner who has to see the real thing in pictures to progress at any speed.  Once I learned how to do this fold,  I snapped pictures in case anyone else does better with snapshots than drawings.  Here you go.

My instruction pictures are using a pink napkin so you can see it better. The stiffer the napkin, the easier it will be and the better it will look.  I like the looks of my pink napkin better than the cream colored, though I’ve never seen a pink bunny!

Step 1 –
Fold starched napkin into thirds to form a rectangle. (If you’re using a square napkin, you’ll need to fold in half, and then fold in half again to get a long rectangular shape.)

Step 2 –
Crease in half to create a center line for reference    That was Martha’s instruction.  I would just say to – Find the center of the napkin and  fold top corners down to this center line.

Step 3 –

Fold up bottom corners.  Don’t worry about that little fold on the side.

Step 4 –

Step 6 –

To fasten: Fold left and right corners back (really towards the front of the bunny); tuck one corner into the pocket of the other. Pull out bunny ears first; open up base.

Here’s a picture of the other side of the bunny – the side that is “tucked.”  See how it goes into the fold?  Depending on the size of your napkin you might only have a little to tuck.  Just keep working with it until it stays put.  Again, the stiffer the napkin the easier this will be.

While you’re holding the tucked corners, fluff up the ears and make the tail stand up. At first it looks like this…kind of pitiful.

Keep working until it looks like this…

Isn’t it adorable? 
Hmmm, will I gasp when my Easter guests unfold this little guy?  =)  Nah, there’s more where he came from!

From my parsonage windows,

There are so many adorable ideas on the Internet for Easter…which is only three weeks away.  Have you found any recipes or decorations that you are excited to do this year?  Let me inspire you with a few things I’ve found; ideas to refresh your spring and your anticipation of Easter.



This darling treat is from Martha Stewart



These miniature centerpieces would be so simple!



Here is a simple idea from Martha Stewart to just add blades of grass around your morning eggs.  Cute!




Edible nests!  I think my Sunday school class would love these!



I love this door decoration because it is the symbol of what Easter is all about.

If nothing else, put out a bowl of jelly beans or chocolate eggs in a pretty bowl or pretty little basket and set it out on the coffee table or your entry table so your guests will have a spring treat.

I hope you’ve been inspired!

Now, how about some refreshment in your spiritual life?  We all need it every day, don’t we?  We begin revival meetings this Sunday with Ben Farrell.  The meeting runs Sunday through Friday.  We’d love to have you come!  We are looking for the Lord to do great things among us!

See you in church!

Be refreshed,

P.S.  Did you notice the new tabs above today’s post?  I’m especially working on the “Recipe” tab to create links to all the recipes on my blog so it will be easier for you to find them.  Hope this is helpful to you!