Posts tagged #easter traditions

Slowing Down this Easter

We live in such a fast paced world. As I write this article, Easter is just around the corner. Holidays seem to bring out the “hurry” in all of us. There are usually plans to make, meals to prepare, activities to organize, errands to run, and on the list goes. Busy! It’s hard to be purposeful about slowing down. 

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. There are so many wonderful things to celebrate as a Christian! New life! Forgiveness! Grace! Love! Eternal Life! I’m sure I could come up with quite a list here.

This Easter season I was so blessed as I sat down to read a new story to my kids. I purchased the newest book in the Princess Parables series, A Royal Easter Storyat a conference I recently attended. The story is a perfect example of the blessing we can be to others when we take the time to slow down. I really love are all the conversations I’ve been able to have with my girls about why serving others is so important.

3 Ways to Teach Kids the Importance of Slowing Down this Easter

For me, slowing down started by taking a break from all my busyness to read to my littles. It’s so easy for me to put it off. I’m trying to get better at saying “yes” to my kids whenever they ask me to read to them. Here are a few more ideas for slowing down.

1) Take time to sit down as a family and think about the blessing of the cross. There is so much focus on Jesus, the cross, and His tomb at Easter. Do our kids really understand the importance of Jesus dying for us? Sometimes we become so comfortable with seeing crosses everywhere that we forget to slow down and truly remember what Christ did for us on that cross on top of Calvary.

2) Looking to the needs of others and not what we are trying to accomplish. It’s easy to hurry by and not notice the needs of others around us. Maybe there is someone who needs a little extra love and encouragement this Easter. Just like the princesses in the story who decided to make helping a lost little girl more important than winning a race.

3) Make Easter your time for rebirth! Forget about the resolutions of January that may or may not have made it to March. I love taking time at Easter to really do a heart check and see what things God may be asking me to lay down. This is such an important lesson for our kids, too. Teach them to allow God to really search their hearts and bring anything that needs to be repented of to light. Sometimes even our prayer time gets hurried. Take time this Easter to slow down and listen for His still, small voice.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting!
–Psalm 139

Fun Easter Basket Gifts…& a Giveaway!

My girls have enjoyed their Princess Parable books so much. I’m a huge fan of them! The character, virtue, and the biblical life lessons that are incorporated in each book is so refreshing. Ashlyn and Caitlyn have loved looking through the pages. Honestly, I just love the character and modesty aspect of the books. There is always a biblical lesson to be learned. For that reason, one idea I had for this year was to tuck a Princess Parables princess into my girls Easter basket. I think they would really love them.

…OR you can enter to win a FREE Princess Parables Easter Basket!

The giveaway ends in a few days–March 20th! So, be sure to sign-up! Just click the picture above or HERE and you’ll be entered into the contest. This giveaway is hosted by Princess Parables. I’m just excited to be able to tell you about it! 

May the Lord bless you and your family this Easter! 

Kristi Clover is homeschool mom of five blessings ranging from teens to tots. She spends most of her days watching over her "castle" and attending to the needs of her loyal subjects. She is married to her Prince Charming and resides in southern California. She records her royal adventure in motherhood at www.raisingclovers.com. You can also find her at YouTubeFacebookPinterestInstagramTwitter, — &Periscope as @RaisingClovers!

Jackie's Journey: Bunnies, Baskets, and New Beginnings!

Ah…Spring!  Don’t you just love it?  Martin Luther wrote, “Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.”

In Panama we had only two seasons…Dry Season and Rainy Season.   I used to miss spring in the jungles.  With the introduction of spring comes Easter, refreshing the garden and the promise of new life everywhere! 

 As Moms, we try to make every holiday one that will commemorate the occasion and create a family tradition.  We decorate and plan special family gatherings with a menu that is reminiscent of the day being celebrated… Christmas Dinner, Fourth of July B-B-Q’s, and Easter Brunch with Easter baskets filled with colored eggs!  Our homes become “show pieces” for enhancing the lesson of the season. Easter affords us one of the most amazing opportunities to rehearse again the enormous sacrifice of our Savior and His Resurrection that is our living hope after death!

 Easter reminds us of the Life the invisible Creator has given us. Rom. 1: 20   The barren ground exploding with magnificent splendor, as far as the eye can see.  The magic of new life bursting from the earth bringing forth flowers of every imaginable color and size…tulips, lilies, lilacs, daffodils… Tiny bunnies, fluffy chicks popping out of eggs, foals, fuzzy lambs and every other living being confirm the wonder of revival of life after a long winter. 

Revival can also be personal and immediate.  It is the power of the Holy Spirit transforming God’s Word into our soul.   There has never been a need, as great as today for revived lives, revived families, fellowships, communities and nations. The desperate need is there but the realization of our personal need is not!  And revival starts with us!   

“For revival is not a green valley getting greener, but a valley full of dry bones being made to live again and stand up an exceeding great army. (Ezekiel 37)  It is not good Christians becoming better Christians—as God sees us there are not any good Christians—but rather Christians honestly confessing that their Christian life is a valley of dry bones, thus qualifying them for the grace that makes all things new”! (Roy Hession)  For the Christian, death is a promotion!  New Life springs from our continual choosing to die to our pride and selfishness.

 

 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy,

to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God,

which is your reasonable service.” Rom. 12:1

 

Some give Him a place; some give Him prominence; but what Christ wants in our lives is pre-eminence.  The fruit of His being pre-eminent in our life is a spiritual renewal that restrains the anger of God, restores our God-consciousness and reveals His continual activity in us.

For those who have humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God at that place where sin is washed away, it has meant revival of their Christian lives in the truest and simplest sense of the word.

As we look forward to celebrating our Savior in the coming days, let’s use this time to revisit our need for personal and continual revival.  His death and resurrection came with plan and purpose.  It was to give us life from death.  New life does not begin with someone else.  It begins in each of us!

Let’s exchange dry bones for New Life!

 “If you are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.”  Col. 3:1

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is discipling and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Do-It-Yourself Easter Tradition!

Mommy, is it time to bring out the colored eggs?

Are we finally 12 days away from Easter?

Is it my turn to open the egg tonight?

When my kids were little, we started the tradition of the Resurrection Eggs.  I made our little colored egg set and it has lasted all these years.  As I look back on different family traditions we have adopted, I think counting down to a holiday has always been a favorite.  My kids enjoyed doing something every day.  I love these eggs that no only are fun, but also build faith and wisdom into my kids’ lives.

Creating a sense of heritage and expectancy, we open a different egg each day. I have also heard of families doing all the eggs at once. Inside each egg, a surprise object and corresponding verse tells the Easter story.  Each day builds up to Jesus’ death and resurrection while giving tangible items for my kids to remember. Many of these years, I had a stack of great Easter books to read, one a day, counting down to Easter.  Of course, we ate chocolate, too.

Since many of you who read this blog have little princesses and knights, I thought I would give you the plan to make your own Resurrection Eggs.  They have been around for many years.  In fact, you can even purchase a set from Family Life.

Whether you make them or purchase them, my hope is you will start this new tradition this year.  You can make them or order them this week and be ready to start on March 16th - twelve days before Easter.  They are easy to make and not expensive.  I hope you will enjoy this craft that will give you years of enjoyable memories, as it has in our family.

Making Resurrection Eggs

To make the Resurrection Egg set, you will need an empty egg carton,12 plastic eggs (different colors, if possible), and 11 story starters with verses (shown below).  First, number your eggs 1-12.  Then place the story starters in each egg that corresponds to the number. Copy off the verse and put inside the egg, too.

 

(1) Jesus enters on a donkey - a small plastic branch or leaf

   Matthew 21:1-11; Zechariah 9:9

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) Judas betrays Jesus - a dime

Matthew 26: 14-16; 47-50, 27:3-4; Zechariah 11:12-13; Psalm 41-9

 

(3) Jesus eats the last supper and washes the disciples' feet -small bite size saltines sealed with shellac and small cloth or soap

John 13:3-17; Mark 14:22-26

 

 

(4) Garden of Gethsemane - a small plastic cup or let children form small cups from clay

Mark 14: 32 – 41; Luke 22: 39-46

 

 

(5) Jesus is arrested and goes before the Sanhedrin – piece of twine

Mark 14:43 – 64

 

 

 

(6) Peter denies Christ – a rooster (can be paper copy)

Luke 22:33-34; Luke 22; 54-62

 

 

(7) Soldiers mock Jesus and he is sentenced to death - a small thorn or piece of a small rose bush stem/ I made a sign “King of the Jews”

John 19:1-16

 

 

(8) Crucifixion of Jesus - hot glue two small twigs together to make a cross that will fit into the egg or a nail, and a die (for the soldiers casting lots)

John 19: 16 – 24

 

 

(9) Death of Jesus – small sponge

Matt. 27: 45-56; Psalm 69: 21

 

 

(10) Burial of Jesus – a small piece of linen cloth or gauze and a spice (piece of vanilla bean) 

John 19: 38-42

 

 

 

(11) The Tomb-a stone (you can purchase pretty ones in bags in the craft section of stores) and paint the egg black 

Matt. 27:62 - 66

 

 

(12) He is RISEN!  leave this egg empty

Matthew 28:1-10; Psalm 16:8-11

 

 

 

Creating an Easter Book basket

Reading books along with opening the eggs is a wonderful tradition to start.  We do a similar practice at Christmastime.  If you don’t have any Easter books, I would suggest ordering a few this year and adding to your collection each Easter.  You also can fill in your collection with books from the library.  Here are a few classic Easter books to review.

The Easter Story by Patricia Pingry

The Legend of the Easter Egg by Lori Walburg

The Easter Egg by Jan Brett      

The Country Bunny by Dubose Heyward

P. Zonka Lays an Egg by Julie Paschkis

The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt

Easter in the Garden by Pamela Kennedy

The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan

Benjamin’s Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs by Melody Carlson

Of course, we would love for you to add our book, A Royal Easter Story, into your collection as you create wonderful family traditions to celebrate our Lord and Savior. 

What traditions do you keep and enjoy this Easter season?

~Jeanna Young

When Jeanna is not writing, speaking, event planning, or homeschooling, she can be found scrapbooking her life, redecorating her home, loving on her husband, planning fun events for her kids or eating healthy to stay cancer-free!

Posted on March 10, 2016 and filed under Parenthood.

Easter Eggs: History and Faith Lessons

Growing up, I was always told Easter traditions began in the depth of pagan rituals.  So when I became a Christian, I shied away from certain holiday festivities.  Now as a mom, I have begun to come back to many of these “fun” traditions to take a close look for myself.  I have been pleasantly surprised at the history of many traditions.

With Easter quickly approaching, Jackie and I are taking a couple of traditions and exploring their roots and meanings.  We are so excited about Easter ourselves with the release of our new book, A Royal Easter Story.  The book has Easter eggs throughout the story and we did it on purpose! 

I have a new appreciation for all things commercially Easter.  You see, if our nation didn’t have these traditions to experience, they would not celebrate Easter.  They just would not do it!  Similar to Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and all the trimmings allow us to invite friends to Easter service and talk about Easter freely in our community during this time of year.  Saying, “He is Risen!” to the grocery clerk is not as crazy as it would be any other time of year.  For that reason, I think God looks down upon many of these traditions (although not in the Bible) and smiles!

Eggs were the symbol of new life before Christ’s crucifixion. Eggs are God’s creation and they do carry new life, regardless of who claims the symbol. When Christians began celebrating Lent in the year 330, they fasted for 40 days prior to Easter.  They abstained from all meat . . . including eggs.  Once the 40 day fast was over, they had an abundance of eggs to consume.  Breaking the fast on Easter morning, lent itself to eating eggs, which quickly became tradition.  In Jewish Seder Passovers, a hard boiled egg is also part of the meal.

Various traditions are associated with the dying of Easter eggs. An ancient story tells of Mary Magdalene being summoned by Emperor Tiberius where she explains Christ had been resurrected. The doubtful Caesar pointed to an egg and exclaimed, "Christ has not risen, no more than that egg is red"—after which the egg in question miraculously turned blood-red. One Eastern Orthodox myth presents either Mary Magdalene or Mary, the mother of Jesus, placing a basket of eggs under the cross. The blood of Christ fell on the eggs, turning them red. According to another tale, Simon of Cyrene was an egg merchant who had to leave his basket of eggs to help Jesus carry the cross. When he returned, he found that his eggs had changed color!

Eggs can be used to teach faith to your kids this Easter.  You may dye them, hide them, fill them, roll them or eat them! Your traditions are as personal as your family heritage is to you.  There is a quick faith lesson you can share with your children of any age. An egg’s hard shell can represents Jesus’ sealed tomb, and cracking the shell symbolizes His Resurrection. Eggs, which often remind people of new life because some creatures are born from them, reminded early Christians that Jesus is the true source of new life spiritually. 

Deepening the symbolism for your children you may choose a couple of ways to demonstrate this to your children. 

Egg knocking

This two-player game is messy, but does bring the point home.  Each player takes their egg and knocks it against his or her partner’s saying “Christ is Risen”. The one whose intact egg breaks open the other egg is considered the winner, and the broken egg is symbolic of Jesus’ empty tomb on Easter morning. You can do this with each family member until there is a “winner”.

Egg rolling

The tradition of rolling Easter eggs down hills began centuries ago in Europe as a way for children to celebrate how the stone that had sealed Jesus’ tomb rolled away on the day of His Resurrection. In the 1800s, one of the world’s most famous Easter egg rolls began: the one on the White House lawn (which first took place on the U.S. Capitol lawn), where children gather on the Monday after Easter to roll Easter eggs across the grass with spoons. Your family may choose to participate in a community egg roll if there’s one in your local area, or hold your own.

Easter egg trees

Decorating our dining table is the hollow eggs that hang from our egg tree.  This Easter tree represent Jesus’ tomb, which became empty (hollow) on the first Easter after his Resurrection. I brought this tradition back from Germany in my college years. It recently has become more popular in the United States, but is a centuries old tradition in Europe. You and your children can create an Easter egg tree by making small holes with a knife or needle at the top and bottom of uncooked eggs to blow or drain out the yolk and white parts inside, then putting either ribbons or hooks through the top holes to attach the hollow eggs to the branches of a tree. If you’re short on time, you can substitute modern plastic Easter egg ornaments that are as easy to decorate with as Christmas tree ornaments. The tree you choose to decorate may either be a live one that’s growing outdoors, or a craft tree that is small enough to fit indoors.

No matter what you choose to do this Easter, I hope you are able to incorporate the faith lesson of Easter eggs with goal to appreciate Jesus’ resurrection better and add a bit of fun for the kids!

~Jeanna Young

When Jeanna is not writing, speaking, event planning, or homeschooling, she can be found scrapbooking her life, redecorating her home, loving on her husband, planning fun events for her kids or eating healthy to stay cancer-free!