Think of the scenarios in which those words would make all the difference in a person’s day! They would mean… No Cancer! You were found not guilty! You can graduate! The last of the hard project is over! The prisoner is no longer captive!
One word can, indeed make all the difference in a day.
As I recently read through the Book of John, I was struck by this thought as I heard Jesus say one word that would change everything for Mary. Remember that she is the first one to the tomb after Jesus’ death. She found the stone rolled away and then seeing a man, she assumed he was the gardener. Then He called her name,
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Mary went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had spoken to her. In my mind’s eye, I see her joy, I hear her amazement and relief! She was no longer weeping! Hearing Him say her name had changed everything for her with just a single word.
Is your heart heavy today? There is so much going on around us to cause grief in our heart, but we can have the same experience that Mary had; we can get alone with the Lord, open His Word and allow Him to speak a single word to us to give us joy and remove our tears.
Forgiven!
Hope!
Loved!
Rapture!
Heaven!
Mary was encouraged because she went looking for Jesus on that early Resurrection morning. We, too, must “go looking for Jesus” as we open the pages of His Word. Then we will find comfort and then everything will be changed when He gives us the Word that we need to hear.
What word has the Lord given you today that has filled your heart with hope again, even in the midst of heartache?
Hi friends! I’m back after a week of rest from blogging. Thanks for checking in today! Let’s start out by talking about Easter since I missed it last week!
Sometimes even good family traditions need to be tweaked. We typically always have either ham or turkey breast for Easter, but I felt the need to try something new (imagine that!). I looked through some cooking sites and found a delicious sounding recipe for Garlic Rosemary Pork Loin from Food and Wine site. While we’re not wine drinkers, they have some great recipes and this one did not disappoint!
The Pork Loin is marinated overnight, giving it flavor. Then in the morning it’s seared in a pan, giving it that nice crispy edge that any meat should have! It is then roasted in the oven for a relatively short amount of time. I did this all before heading to church. Then I sliced it and put it on the platter. All I had to do after church was warm it in the oven a bit. The pan juices made a really savory gravy to pour over top!
I love apples with pork, so I also made a side dish that would incorporate that flavor. I cooked apples with cinnamon and a little sugar until the apples were tender. Then I baked sweet potatoes and we topped the potatoes with a spoon of the apples. It was SO good!
Here’s the recipe for the pork loin. I hope you’ll make this in the near future! It’s a keeper!
Garlic and Rosemary Pork Loin
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch of rosemary, leaves only, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds center-cut pork loin
In a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork. Transfer the pork and marinade to a large, resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Let the pork stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush off as much of the marinade as possible. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the pork to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to the oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°. Transfer the roast to a work surface or carving board and let rest for 15 minutes before thinly slicing and serving.
A full plate, but an even happier heart! Our Savior lives!
Of course dinner was ended with a slice of my Coconut Cake with lemon filling!
How was your Easter and did you serve anything out of the ordinary?
Easter weekend is my FAVORITE weekend in the whole year! It encapsulates the reason I can face tomorrow – Jesus is alive! No matter what we’re facing today – even with all the craziness, confusion, unrest, hatred and division, the truth that Christ arose from the tomb promises us all victory over sin, death and hell!
Because of that, I believe we should celebrate to the hilt!
Let’s magnify Christ!
Let’s share the Good News of eternal life that comes by placing our trust in Jesus alone for salvation!
Here are a few ways I’m celebrating Easter this weekend:
Reading the chapters in John about Jesus’ death and resurrection. I love to read the Scriptures early in the morning and think about the women at the tomb and the joy that filled their hearts to learn that their Savior was alive! Their joy is MY joy!
Resurrection Rolls – This treat is such a fun and delicious way to remind children of the elementary facts of Christ’s resurrection from the tomb. Here’s the idea – A simple marshmallow is rolled in melted butter, then tossed in cinnamon and sugar, reminiscent of Jesus’ body being covered by spices before He was buried. The crescent roll is wrapped around the marshmallow, reminding us that Jesus body was wrapped in linen cloth. The roll is then placed in a muffin tin, reminding us of the tomb where Jesus was laid. The pan is then put into the oven to bake, and in about 12 -14 minutes, the baked rolls can be eaten.
When you open the rolls up you find the inside (the tomb) is EMPTY! My grandsons loved this activity!
Resurrection Rolls
Ingredients
8-ounce package refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 regular-sized marshmallows
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8 wells in a muffin tin with baking cups (for easier clean up) or spray the wells with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Unroll crescent dough and divide into 8 triangles at the perforations
3. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in shallow bowl.
4. Dip marshmallow in melted butter, then in cinnamon and sugar.
5. Place marshmallow in the middle of a crescent roll. Wrap dough tightly around the marshmallow, making sure there are no openings.
6. Place roll in muffin tin. Repeat with the rest of the rolls. Brush rolls with remaining butter and sugar.
7. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Cool sightly before serving.
Good Friday Service – Today is Good Friday and my church is having a Good Friday service at 3:00 in the afternoon. I always LOVE these afternoon services! We will be observing the Lord’s Supper, singing, reading Scripture, and being reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus’ death. If you’re in the area, we would love for you to join us. Here is the link to our website where you can find the address at the bottom of the Home Page.
Sunday service – Of course I’ll also be attending Easter service at church on Suinday. Remembering back to last year when we were unable to get together makes me doubly thankful to be able to meet together to worship and praise the Lord with other believers! Again, if you don’t have a church home, we welcome you to attend! Go here to learn the times of the services.
Cake – My family will also get together to enjoy an Easter dinner after church. It will include this traditional Coconut Cake with Lemon Filling! We’re all a little very excited about that!
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If you need something a whole lot simpler for your Easter dessert, here’s a cute little bunny sundae my dad always made for our family every year. Everyone could make their own and add what they like. You could even have a contest to see whose bunny is the “Best dressed!”
All this takes is a scoop of ice cream, some whipped topping, coconut, for whiskers Jelly beans, M&M’s or chocolate chips for his face, and some banana slices for ears.
I pray that your Easter weekend is filled with the joy of the risen Savior! He loves you and died in your place so you could have eternal life in Him. That’s the only thing that will truly refresh you for now and all eternity!
This week my husband pulled out a journal that he wrote in when his father was dying of cancer. On his death bed, my father-in-law spoke to each of us. With ears leaned down, straining and attentive, we wanted to hear every word he said to his family before he died. His words were precious. They were written down so we would not forget.
In John 17, we have Jesus’ final words to His disciples. This was His prayer for them as He was now facing the cross. But He didn’t just pray for those that followed Him during His time on earth, He also mentioned me and every other person who would trust Him and follow Him as their Savior! How amazing is that?!
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Could we miss hearing His precious words? Would we turn away and not lean in to hear what He wanted to tell us before He died? Here’s what He prayed for us in His final hour:
He wanted us to have unity as modeled by the Godhead. The Father and the Son were one. Unity among the Body of Christ is so important. Has the cross helped me to love others, or am I divisive in my spirit? Our love for others proves our love for God.
He wanted us to be one in Christ. This is our position once we are saved – in Christ. We’re not one through church membership, good deeds, or our pastor, but in Christ. Is the cross work of Christ and my identification in Him my only hope of salvation? Nothing else will save me.
He wanted us to be marked by glory. Jesus gave His glory to us through His presence, His Word, and His Spirit. It’s the manifestation of His presence. Can the world tell that I’ve been with the resurrected Christ?
He is anxious to be with us! Jesus greatly desired for His people to be gathered to Him in heaven and to see His glory. Jesus longed for heaven’s completion of all things. Am I longing for heaven where I will be with my resurrected Savior and view His glory face-to-face?
He wanted us to know the indwelling presence of Himself. “I in them.” Am I abiding in Christ today?
One of the things my father-in-law said on his deathbed was, “I’m going to miss my family, but I get to see the Man I’ve been preaching about all my life!” It’s normal for us to think about our family members longing to see us, but to think that the Lord Jesus is anxious to see us in heaven is amazing, isn’t it?
Because of Easter, the celebration of our resurrected Savior – we can have the assurance that we can have Christ living in us now simply by putting our trust in Him alone for the forgiveness of our sins. Then, we have the solid assurance that we will see Him in all His glory one day when He brings us home, and we can see His glory by abiding in Him now.
If you’ve never read Jesus’ last words to His followers, or if it’s been a while, you can find them right here. Open your “journal” and be overwhelmed by what He wanted you to know before He died in your place!
RefreshHer 