Easter Tree

In the last post, I did make it seem like I was taking pictures to go with the story, but in fact, I was not! We were actually going to the "forest" to cut down branches of pussy willows for an Easter tree. This seems to be a tradition of ours every year and we have some pretty darn cute decorations to adorn the branches with! Here are some pictures- they just liven up the bareness don't they?

Poor Wilfred seems to missing an ear...

If only Melinda could find her voice box, she could have a pretty song to sing!

I love the traditions we have at Easter, and this year it was no different! Easter tree, Paska, decorating eggs, and the traditional easter egg hunt in which the hiding places are the same every year, but somehow I get all the hard ones because my one sister rushes through as fast as she can to nab all the easy ones...that will never change I don't think. And of course, the most important part of it- Jesus' resurrection! This year, I seemed to empathize a whole lot more, and I think it's because I have understood a bit more of God's heart this year. I was reading a chapter in the book Sex God by Rob Bell in which he talks about when you give an invitation to someone to open their heart to yours, there is the possibility of rejection. And that type of rejection is one of the deepest aches a human soul can have. Anyone who has experienced a heart broken by a loved one will know this. But what I have never connected this with before is the fact that God has extended an invitation to all of us to open our hearts to his (that I knew), but when we reject that invitation, God's heart feels that same ache (that I didn't know!). And this understanding made me understand his love for us on the cross! Here's an excerpt from the book:

"Love is handing your heart to someone and taking the risk that they will hand it back because they don't want it. That's why it's such a crushing ache on the inside. We gave away a part of ourselves and it wasn't wanted. Love is a giving away of power. When we love, we give the other person the power in the relationship... Love is a giving away...Love is giving up control."

Really, I suggest reading the whole chapter because I sure can't summarize all that is said in a short post! The whole book is really enlightening as well- I've read it before, but reading it again has got me thinking all over again!