I am the Life and the Resurrection

Dear Friends, during this Easter time, my heart has been filled with gratitude. I have been very thankful to be at home the past two months, spending more time with my children. This alone has been a gift - the gift of time. It has also meant I have been able to take up some volunteer work in the community, reconnecting with old friends, giving a little more time at church, and making new friends. I am grateful for all the people who have come into my life during the past few years, and their love and support for me and my children. I have time to take pleasure in welcoming the longer days, luxuriating in the warmth-giving Sun, and watching blossoms burst forth.

I have also had time to take up more reading. A book my sister gave me for Christmas, which I took in hand last week, is called, The boy who came back from heaven. It's a true story, which happened in Ohio, written by the father and son of a family whose lives were changed forever, due to a horrendous car accident. This story of a child who "died" and went to heaven, and his slow return to the land of the living, is full of miracles from start to finish. I wept through almost every page. You see, when you have experienced pain in your own life, it can lead to being more open to the pain of others. It also is helpful to read about trials in other people's lives, as it makes you more thankful for what you have. The mother in this story also has a blogsite: amomonamission, if you are curious to learn more.

This story is ongoing. It is about Life. It's about walking with God. It's about opening up your heart to the Christ. These words stood out for me today during the service: Those who bring Christ to life within themselves. It's a phrase written over and over in this book as well: The Kingdom of God is everywhere - it is NOW! It is not somewhere in the distant future, in an imaginary place, it can be here and now, if only we can allow our hearts to open like a seed. For it is Love that brings forth the blooms, and it is Love that calls forth our true selves.

Do you know this song? Cherish the Love, by Kool and the Gang

Sparky