{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Making LOVE Come Alive

She had nothing. Nothing but a life filled with sin. Nothing but an alabaster jar filled with perfume.

 

Jesus was having dinner in the home of Simon, the Pharisee. Surrounded by the religious leaders of the day when she showed up. Uninvited. And obviously unwanted.

Right there at the dinner table, she washed Jesus' feet with her tears and poured out her expensive perfume onto his feet. A repentant sinner, anointing him with the only valuable thing she owned.

Seeing what she had done, Simon said, "if this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner."

To which Jesus replied, "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

"I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly...Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

What is it that you value? What have you been holding onto, keeping for yourself, putting above your relationship with God?

This woman loved Jesus so much, she gave everything she had. What a beautiful testimony of faith.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. {1 John 4:7-10}

Family Activity for the Week...

Gather together and have each family member tell one thing that they are going to do this week to show love to Jesus and others. One of the best ways to show love is to put another person before yourself. Sacrifice something for them in the same way that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross. Give up something for them.

Leave me some comments to let me know what you did and how it went. I will be praying for you!

Don't forget to hang your Love fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on love in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post last week. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Monday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about JOY! :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Making The Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive

I told you a few weeks ago that we were going to have a Fruits of the Spirit summer series, to help us put one fruit of the spirit into action in our home each week! I wanted to start last week, but our find joy in the journey Ebook finally released and I was preoccupied with that all day!

Go here for a description of the book and a few testimonials. It can be downloaded onto your computer, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Kindle or Nook. I am absolutely thrilled with the number of downloads and the incredible feedback we have received in just the first week! I know the stories of these 12 incredible women will bless you as much as they have me! Stay tuned for a HUGE celebration giveaway later in the week!

For now, here is Week 1 of our Fruits of the Spirit summer series, which I posted last year...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. {Galatians 5:22-23}

I am sure these characteristics are displayed in abundance in your home as they are in mine, right? Ha! I can't even type those words without laughing out loud!

I feel like my 6 and 4 year old boys do nothing but pick at each other these days. We have been in transition for the past few months, yet again, our second cross-country move in less than 2 years and with the unfamiliar surroundings, lack of routine and uncertainty comes two tired, cranky, fussy little boys. 

They have been driving me crazy and because I am tired and cranky myself, I end up snapping at them and the vicious cycle of non-fruit-filled-living continues.

Sound familiar?

Whatever your situation may be, I am sure that you face days where your home is less than an uplifting environment, to say the least.

Am I right?

This summer I am asking the Lord to transform my home into one free from stress, frustration, negativity and all things associated with the sin-filled life and to instead fill it with peace, harmony, love and all things that are a result of Spirit-filled living. Will you take this journey with me?

Are we going to be able to remove all sin from our lives and home? Absolutely not. In fact, once we begin our journey with Christ, we must allow the Spirit to make us more like Him (and less like the world) each and every day, however we will never actually achieve perfection until we are at home with Him in Heaven.

That being said, I feel it is our responsibility to do intentional things in our lives and homes that are God-honoring, in order to promote growth in our walk with Him and to be a living example of Christ to our children.

In fact, Cat of Cap Creations and I have come up with a plan to help us fill our homes with the Fruit of the Spirit this summer!

Every Monday, I will post a lesson on one of the Fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I will also give you an activity to help you put that particular fruit into action in your home that week.

Meanwhile, Cat has designed a Fruit of the Spirit tree and individual fruits, so that you can display them in your home as a reminder. Click on images to download, when they open right click and save. If you run into any problems downloading them please let her know. The tree is 8x10 and the fruits are 4x6. For our project they both need to be printed on a laser printer, so that the ink will not run. An office store can do this for you.

Go ahead and print your downloads and next week Cat will provide a tutorial showing you how to turn your fruit printables into magnets, so that you can hang your tree on your refrigerator.

If you want to go ahead and gather your supplies for her tutorial, here is a list of things you will need...

- your printed fruit
-large glass pebbles, just over 1 inch (dollar store for a whole bag)
-mod podge (elmer's glue will work too)
-paint brush
-small magnets (craft store or walmart)
-strong glue like E600 to glue on magnets
-a 1 inch circle punch (handy but not necessary)

At some point, she will also show you how to put your tree in a frame or on a wood block, so that it can be moved around your home.

After learning through our I HATE RELIGION series that Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death, I am so excited to begin exploring with you how we can use our freedom to become more like Him, not pursuing a life of sin, but a life filled with His Spirit!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery....So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. {Galatians 5:1, 16}

Happy Summer, friends! Be sure to invite others to join us here each Monday!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Fruits of the Spirit Summer Series!

Last summer I posted a series every Monday entitled "Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home" as part of our {Hope for the Home} series and I thought it would be fun to do it again this summer!

Every Monday, I will post a lesson on one of the Fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I will also give you an activity to help you put that particular fruit into action in your home that week, using the Fruit of the Spirit Tree designed by Cap Creations specifically for this series.

I will be back next week with more details, but it will be a great way for us to keep Christ the center focus of our homes this summer and will give us something fun and meaningful to do with our children each week while they are home from school!

For now, I simply want to give you this free customized chevron iPhone wallpaper designed by 517 Creations. You can display it on your phone this summer, to help you memorize the Fruits of the Spirit and keep your focus on them! Click here for the complete tutorial on how to download it to your phone.

Which Fruit of the Spirit do you and your family need the most help with? Which one do you do well?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: The Heart of the Matter

A few days before Mother’s Day, my husband asked me what I’d like for a gift. I knew he wanted to show his genuine appreciation and that my daughters would want to demonstrate their feelings in a concrete way, too. As is our tradition, they would each give me a sweet card sharing elements of their love for me and they’d take me out to lunch or dinner. But they wanted to present me with something tangible to mark the occasion as well.

And I felt truly blessed by his desire to bless me. But I didn’t know what to say.

A few things I could use or enjoy quickly came to mind: a new printer, a gift card to a local bookstore, a weekend retreat to catch up on my scrapbooking. But when I began to think about what I truly need as a mom, I realized it’s not something my family can wrap up and top with a bow. In fact, it’s not something they can provide at all.

Simply put, what I need most is an ability to focus each day on the heart of the matter in terms of my calling.

Motherhood is not about finishing the laundry or designing the most well balanced meals. It’s not about the 3,796 diapers a mom changes for each child. It’s not about the carpool or organizing memorable birthday parties. It’s not about volunteering in the classroom or finding the ideal homeschool curriculum. It’s not about enrolling the kids in extracurriculars and supplemental activities. It’s not about planning “perfect” family vacations.

Of course, all those tasks (and many more) fill our time. And each small job has value and purpose, demonstrating our love for our families in concrete ways. But if we focus on the utilitarian doing of motherhood without remembering to be in the moments, we’ll miss the point. We’ll spend our kids’ childhoods exhausted and bitter about all the time “they’re taking from us” and then wallow in regret once they’re grown. I know women like that; I never want to become one.

Instead, what I most need as a mom is a growing desire to be fully present with my kids – mentally and emotionally – moment by moment. I need my heart to be with them while my mind and body work through the necessary to-do lists. I need to notice the details as their faces change from those of girls into young women…to really hear their ideas and questions…to grasp the intricacies of how each is wired…to put down the work in order to hold and comfort them.

That’s not something my family can give me. It is God’s gift to me, ready and waiting. But accepting the gift is a matter of my will – each day and in each moment. That’s hard because life is so full and busy. But I know that’s the heart of the matter.

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Tina Hollenbeck and her husband Jeff are raising two daughters and have another waiting for them in the arms of Jesus. Before becoming a mom, Tina taught English to immigrant kids in public secondary schools for nine years, but now she cherishes her role as an at-home wife and mother and also advocates passionately for homeschooling. Tina writes regularly for her blog, Being Made New, and is also the staff writer for Celebrate Kids, Inc, a Texas-based ministry to parents and educators. In addition, she’s developing a public speaking ministry of her own, and is available to address homeschoolers, women’s groups, and young people on a variety of topics. In her spare time, Tina enjoys singing on her church’s worship team, exercising, and scrapbooking.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: The Wide Spectrum of Mothering

Happy Monday!  My husband, Scott, spoke about the legacy we leave as parents (and grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, etc.) yesterday and included a special prayer for Mother's Day.  One of the things that he pointed out was that Mother's Day doesn't always bring happy memories for everyone.  For some people it is the most painful day of the year.  For some, it's the first Mother's Day without their mom.  For others, it's the first Mother's Day without their child.  For others still, it's a reminder of the longing they have every day for a child of their own.  This really spoke to me, as I was in the middle of celebrating my first Mother's Day as a mother of two, with a sweet daughter added to our family this year.

After we got home from lunch, I saw this picture below. "The Wide Spectrum of Mothering" by Amy Young was read at a local church during their services yesterday and I thought it was so fitting...it was exactly what Scott had spoken about.  I thought that it was worth sharing today, as a reminder that everyone is going through something and needs prayer for their certain situation!  Will you join with me in praying for each of "those"listed below? 

Have a wonderful week as you bring hope into your home though the One who brings us all hope!

About the Author: MJ Smith has her little corner of the internet to document her family, their home and their adventures - and any crafting that occurs along the way - over at 517 Creations. She has the greatest job in the world: being a stay-at-home momma of a wild and wonderful little boy and a sweet baby girl, and is married to Scott, a pastor, which often makes for such a fun (and crazy) life!

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Parent/Child Dates

This past Friday when I picked Little A up from school, I took him on a "date" to get ice cream...just the two of us!

I was frustrated because I feel like I don't get enough quality time with my oldest baby anymore...it is never just me and him. I get Little E to myself alot because he is still at home and then Little A joins us after school. Anytime the kids are split up, it is usually Little E with me and Little A with Big A, that's just how it works out most of the time.

As a result, we have decided that every Friday morning Big A will take Little E to get donuts, just the two of them and every Friday after school, I will take Little A to get ice cream...or really whatever they want, but so far it has been donuts and ice cream!

It is such a blessing to be able to spend some quality time with each one of my babies, doing things they enjoy, bonding and talking without the distraction of the other one. It is precious time together and I highly suggest you try it with your children as well!

Fridays work best for us because it is Big A's day off, but you find whatever time works for you and find out what your child would like to do. Once a week works for us at this point, but that may not work for you...maybe start with once a month. Children grow up way too fast and I know I will always cherish these memories together and will never regret the time spent with each of them!

Do you have any ideas for parent/child dates? What has worked for you?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: 7 Creative Ways to Display Scripture in Your Home

As you know, I think it is so important for families to display scripture in their homes. I believe these displays help us to keep our focus on the truth and are a shining light in this dark world. They also serve as a reminder for us to hide God's word in our hearts, a protection against the devil's schemes and the lies of this world.

With that in mind, I thought today would be as good a day as any to show you some creative ways to display scripture in your homes!

A wooden sign...

Source: mydesignhearth.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

A stack of books...

Source: lessthanperfectlifeofbliss.blogspot.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

A canvas...

Source: charlotte-march.tumblr.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

A pillow...

Source: etsy.com via Mariela on Pinterest

A wall decal...

Source: etsy.com via Kathy on Pinterest

A banner...

Source: sparksinthekiln.blogspot.com via Tracy: The Crafty PolkaDot on Pinterest

A printable...

Source: shanty-2-chic.com via April on Pinterest

What about you? How do you display scripture in your own home?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: The Picture-Smart Bible

I had heard about The Picture-Smart Bible when it was first developed several years ago. Then, in May 2010, I had the opportunity to see the program at a convention, and I was instantly hooked. In fact, I took advantage of special convention pricing and purchased the complete set for our family.

So, what is The Picture-Smart Bible? According to the program website, it "is an innovative approach to 'seeing' Scripture as a total entity. This Genesis-to-Revelation course is designed to help participants learn, remember and teach the themes and concepts in each book of the Bible...and have fun in the process!" In other words, it's a complete Bible curriculum presented in a unique format that will engage young children, youth, and adults alike in such a way that they'll actually remember key scriptural ideas.

The Picture-Smart Bible is unique because, unlike any other Bible curriculum of which I'm aware, it's been designed to appeal directly to the powerful picture-smart element in every person's brain.

Specifically, Dan and Juanene Peters, the creators of the program, have developed a one-page blackline drawing to represent each and every book of the Bible. Each drawing incorporates images for all the key events and concepts presented in the book, and detailed notes help a teacher walk her students through a systematic, engaging study of the text. As the teacher explains a particular idea, students activate their brains by tracing and/or coloring the appropriate parts of the drawing until the entire page is colorized as directed. If desired, a student can then use the completed illustration to explain his understanding of the book in his own words, and, thus, activate another powerful memory tool. And, when pictures for every book have been finished, each student will have an illustrated, personalized summary of all of Scripture.

I found with my daughters that taking several days to go through each book was most conducive to absorbing and remembering. So we've chosen to incorporate it as an occasional supplemental homeschool activity - one, I might add, to which they always look forward. As a result, we finish a handful of book pages a year and will be able to enjoy our study for years to come. Others I know have chosen to use The Picture-Smart Bible as a daily component of their homeschool curriculum and, thus, produce completed keepsakes after just a couple of years. In either case, students can look back to a book's summary sheet at any time when they're engaged in other Bible study, so it's a tool they really can use for a lifetime.

But it's not just for homeschoolers. Families whose kids attend school outside the home use The Picture-Smart Bible for family devotions, utilizing it to build both Bible knowledge and family unity. And it's also an excellent resource for Christian schools, Sunday school classes (for children as young as four or five all the way through to adults!), and youth groups; in fact, if a school or church adopted The Picture-Smart Bible for use among all its members, I daresay it would be the most Bible-literate organization for miles around!

Of course, whether in a family or within a school or church, the goal is not mere knowledge. But the fact of the matter is that we must know Scripture in order to really know the Lord, and I can't think of a better tool than The Picture-Smart Bible for parents and teachers who really want to engage kids in that process. Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Tina Hollenbeck and her husband Jeff are raising two daughters and have another waiting for them in the arms of Jesus. Before becoming a mom, Tina taught English to immigrant kids in public secondary schools for nine years, but now she cherishes her role as an at-home wife and mother and also advocates passionately for homeschooling. Tina writes regularly for her blog, Being Made New, and is also the staff writer for Celebrate Kids, Inc, a Texas-based ministry to parents and educators. In addition, she’s developing a public speaking ministry of her own, and is available to address homeschoolers, women’s groups, and young people on a variety of topics. In her spare time, Tina enjoys singing on her church’s worship team, exercising, and scrapbooking.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Relish the Charms...

Do y'all read Kelly's Korner blog?  I was catching up on some blog-reading and came across this picture on her blog.   The quote is from Jen Hatmaker, a church planter's wife who lives in Austin, from her devotional book Out of the Spin Cycle.  Jen Hatmaker also has a fabulous blog!

As the momma of 2 sweet little kiddos (Grayson is 5 and Mollie Kate is 4 months), this TOTALLY spoke to me.  There are a lot of days that we make it to the very end of the day, when the house is totally quiet, and I think "Another day of their little lives has passed."  The days with preschoolers sometimes seem SO LONG, but the years go by so quickly.  My husband even reminded me at breakfast this morning that Grayson is 1/4 of the way to 20 years old.  Goodness gracious.

I love the photo above, but I wanted one that I could put in our house - maybe on the fridge?  Or above the kitchen sink?  So I created this little printable below.

I thank God for our sweet little kiddos every day and am going to be making the choice to relish the charms of the present!  Have a wonderful week!

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: MJ Smith has her little corner of the internet to document her family, their home and their adventures - and any crafting that occurs along the way - over at 517 Creations. She has the greatest job in the world: being a stay-at-home momma of a wild and wonderful little boy and a sweet little girl, and is married to Scott, a pastor, which often makes for such a fun (and crazy) life!

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: 12 Activities to Keep Easter Alive All Year Long

Another Easter has come and gone. My favorite holiday is over. Sigh.

All that remains is a house full of empty baskets, plastic eggs and sugar-crazed children.

But I don't want Easter to be over. I want these beautiful boys of mine {yes, I know I am biased but seriously...beautiful} to marvel in the resurrection all year long. It is not simply an event that took place 2000 years ago or even a once a year celebration. It is a way of life.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. {Philippians 3:10-12}

I want to keep Easter alive in our hearts and home all year round. Will you join me?

And yes, we Texans love our bluebonnets! ;)

As soon as Easter is over, make an Easter Egg Countdown using 12 of your leftover plastic eggs. Inside each egg write 1 of the following activities on a piece of paper. Open 1 egg together as a family at the beginning of the corresponding month and be sure to complete that activity together before the month is over. When you have completed all 12 activities it will be time for Easter again and you can go here for 12 Ways to Make Easter about Jesus!

{1} April: Read Five Ways to Celebrate Easter Every Day and make a list of how you can incorporate these suggestions into your everyday lives.

{2} May: Grow Monarch Butterflies or build a Butterfly Garden and discuss the fact that in Christ we have new life and are a new creation. {2 Corinthians 5:17}

{3} June: Do an Easter Egg Fitness Treasure Hunt, using your leftover plastic eggs, as a reminder that our bodies are living sacrifices. {Romans 12:1-2}

{4} July: Celebrate Independance Day, pointing out that we have freedom in Christ because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. {Galatians 5:1} Download this free printable to display in your home.

{5} August: Write a letter telling someone who has wronged you that you forgive them, in response to the grace that God lavished upon us through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

{6} September: Do a service project for someone in need (or perform a Random Act of Kindness), reminding everyone that it is important to make sacrifices for others in the same way that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross.

{7} October: Go on a nature walk or take a trip to see the fall colors, discussing how God's creation reveals his glory - the same glory that was displayed through Christ's death and resurrection. {Psalm 19}

{8} November: Make a Thankful Tree and have everyone add things to it that God did for them this past year that they are thankful for, highlighting Jesus' death on the cross as the greatest thing he has ever done for us.

{9} December: Read through Max Lucado's One Incredible Moment, discussing why Jesus came to Earth and how his birth points the way to his death and resurrection.

{10} January: Choose One Word for your family to focus on in the new year - relate it to your desire to put Christ first. Make Family Art to hang in your home as a reminder. Have each family member choose a personal verse that they are going to memorize and meditate on that year. Make Scripture Hands to reinforce it.

{11} February: Make John 3:16 Valentines and pass them out to family and friends.

{12} March: Gather up all of your crosses or make Easter Crosses and display them in a prominent place in your home, along with this Free Easter Printable, to keep your focus on Christ's suffering during the approaching Easter season.

Most importantly, attend church together as a family all year long - not just at Christmas and Easter.

Do you have any ideas of your own, for keeping Easter alive year round?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: It Should've Been You {Me}

We did it. We made our Handprint Easter Lambs, in honor of Passion Week.

I wanted to teach the boys, and remind myself, that Jesus took our my place on the cross. He was the perfect, spotless lamb. The sacrifice for all mankind.

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Jesus was in every way human, yet without sin. He was fully God and fully man. It was not his punishment that he endured on that cross 2000 years ago, but ours mine.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He didn't have to do it. He didn't have to go through with it. He had a choice. And he chose you me. He could've saved himself, but instead he chose to save you me.

He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Once sin entered the world, there was a barrier between God and man. God is perfect, holy. He cannot be with sin. And it broke his heart not to be with his children. A sacrifice had to be made. Someone had to die.

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgivess of sins.

It should've been you me.

You see, at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us me. {Romans 5:6-8}

How are you making Easter come alive in your home this week?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: 12 Ways to Make Easter About Jesus

Last year I shared a post entitled {Jesus or the Cadbury Bunny}: 12 Ways to Make Easter About Jesus and it was such a hit (featured over at Tatertots and Jello both this year and last year), I thought I would share it with you today!

Go here to view the full article. Do you have any other ideas for making Easter about Jesus?

The boys and I did most of the items listed last Easter and we had a blast! My hope was to find ways to point them to the cross since our world likes to distract us with other American holiday traditions, forgetting the true reason for the season.

Now, don't get me wrong, we do all of the fun bunny stuff too. But I wanted to make sure we took time to remember the resurrection, the very foundation of our faith and the reason for the Easter celebration.

I hope you enjoy it and that you and your family get to try some of the fun activities listed over the next few weeks! Now I just need to decide which activities I am going to do with my boys this year! :)

Happy Monday, friends! May you and yours have a blessed Easter season together!

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: 10,000 Reasons

In the last few months we have had LOTS of major changes in our lives. Two major ones being that our sweet baby girl, Mollie Kate, arrived on November 25th and my husband started a new church just a few weeks later.  One of the worship songs that we started singing in our services, from the very first meeting in a barn (I know!!) is Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons".



I have always liked Matt Redman as both a song writer and worship leader. He lead worship at a camp we attended a few years ago and was fantastic. Erin and I even had the chance to meet him in Nashville!

But having the chance to go to the Passion conference last year and hearing this song for the first time, and then singing in worship with a group of people who are following God's leading to start a new church, has been indescribable.

I was going to make my own printable of these words, but one of my very favorite bloggers, Julie of Joy's Hope, created this beautiful printable.

It is going up in my house and I have printed several for friends who are experiencing some pretty heavy trials.  It is truly my prayer that "Whatever may pass and whatevet lies before me...let me be singing when the evening comes."

Where will you hang it in your home? Will you give it to a friend who is having some difficulties in life? You don't even have to print it - how about posting it to someone's Facebook wall for a little encouragement?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: MJ Smith has her little corner of the internet to document her family, their home and their adventures - and any crafting that occurs along the way - over at 517 Creations. She has the greatest job in the world: being a stay-at-home momma of a wild and wonderful little boy and a sweet little girl, and is married to Scott, a pastor, which often makes for such a fun (and crazy) life!