Day Thirteen Hundred and Two

The New Life

"After a criminal does his time in jail and fully satisfies the sentence, the law has no more claim on him and he walks out free. Jesus Christ came to pay the penalty for our sins. That was an infinite sentence, but He must have satisfied it fully, because on Easter Sunday, He walked out free. The resurrection was God's way of stamping PAID IN FULL right across history so that nobody could miss it.

On the Day of the Lord - the day that God makes everything right, the day that everything sad comes untrue - on that day, the same thing will happen to your own hurts and sadness. You will find that the worst things that have ever happened to you will in the end only enhance your eternal delight. On that day, all of it will be turned inside out and you will know joy beyond the walls of the world. The joy of your glory will be that much greater for every scar you bear. So live in the light of the resurrection and renewal of this world, and of yourself, in a glorious, never-ending, joyful dance of grace."

Happy Easter, my friends!!

The greatest day in history - the cornerstone of our faith...celebrated and remembered.

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die'

                    -John 11:25

Though we couldn't celebrate the Risen King in service alongside our church family and friends yesterday, we cherished Resurrection Day from the coziness of our sweats, on the road to New Orleans - just the three of us. 

It was a sweet day for us.

We spent every moment together. 

We gave her her first shower.

We made new memories.

We talked about Jesus and his defeating the grave. 

Millie maybe didn't understand it. But we pray that someday she will. And that it'll become her life's identity and love. Until then, we'll just continue showing her love the best way we know how...and keeping her little body free of rotten-cheese smelling stank.

We drove 573 miles yesterday.

It took us 12 total hours between the food stops, the potty stops, the gas stops, and the Millie-needs-a-break-so-pull-over-in-the-ditch stops.

And though she was certainly not in her element - craziness and chaos surrounding her - our little Sweetheart was a travel champion. She slept almost the entire way. Without a fuss. And if not for the last three squirrelly hours when she couldn't much be consoled - and who could blame her - we would've made it to NOLA in record time.

Thanks for being so lovely, Amelia.

We thought it would be so much harder than it actually ended up being...

...but we were pleasantly surprised.

You're the best, cutest, sweetest little thing I've ever known. 

And we love you so much.

You made our first Easter Sunday as a new family the greatest I can remember.