Category Archives: #Spring2020

Hosanna in the Highest

 

“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!’” John 12:13, NIV 

In our Lenten Bible Study He is Alive from Becky Kiser, she says, “Take a moment to pray that the Lord would help you experience the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus with fresh eyes and open heart this week.” Lord, help us. 

I have been thinking about this. And here’s my question: How can people praise in such difficult times?  How can we hold grief and joy in the same moment? Well, we know God says “No” sometimes. But, Mamas, let’s proclaim Grace over our circumstances.  He is still God and there is still a good ending no matter what this present darkness holds.  

I am sure you’ve experienced God saying “No” to you even before the Coronavirus.  I believe one of the most amazing things about a pandemic is that everyone is affected — we are all in this together, Mamas.  Not everyone has had trauma, been poor, or not gotten what they wished for…but everyone on Earth is having to deal with this virus.  Jesus understands what we have been through here on Earth. 

Just as we all relate together with the pandemic, Jesus can extend Grace to us because he felt the entire spectrum of human emotion during his life and pain on the Cross. What a gift this Easter.  No matter what life is like at your home this Easter, Mama, Jesus has Grace for you. He knows how you are feeling, and no feeling is insignificant to him. 

As moms, we all have fears right now, but this week we get to cling to the stronghold of our lives (Psalm 27:1). God sometimes tells us “No,” but because He goes before us, He knows what is best and will work the “Nos” and the fears for His good, even in the midst of our chaos and anxiety. 

For Becky Kiser God said “No” when she was fired and unable to go back to her comfort zone. That was her “personal Egypt.”  For me, it is food and weight gain. My age old issue is weight, but because of my gracious God, this pandemic will not get the best of me.  I am eating weird stuff, but I am not binging, praise God! Hosanna in the Highest. 

As Kiser writes, “her personal Egypt” had to be a slammed door so she would never be able to go back there. For me, I can no longer hide behind my fat (my external insecurity and old insulation). I had to face my own shortcomings beneath the surface and deal with the true anxiety. 

Has that happened to you? Has God torn through your comfort zone for your own good? Has He been working like this even during the pandemic quarantine? We want you to know that you are not alone this Easter, although we are all cloistered.  We may be afraid, but we are together. We may be unsure, much like Jesus and his followers on the first Easter, but we do have hope that we know this will all end eventually, if we are faithful and obedient.  

Palm Sunday signifies the humble entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey, where people laid palms at his feet to symbolize peace but also triumph and royalty.  His humility caused praise.  

My prayer this Easter week is that even though God has said “No” to several things right now, I want to still see where He’s working. I am praying I can be like Jesus this Easter, where I obey His voice and stay humble. Practically this means instead of being the tyrant in my home, keeping everyone on task, I want to live with gentleness like Jesus did. 

We want to share a few resources about Easter with you.  We’d love to hear how you are celebrating Holy Week with your family too!    

#sacredholidays @sacredholidays @hillsongunited #lent2020 #coronavirus #palmsunday #quarantinelife #coronacrazy #coronavirus #palmsunday #holyweek #holyweekideas #easterideas #hosanna #textingthetruth #realmomsrealgrace

Air Hugs,

Jo

 

Resources to Come Alongside You: 

Colette Eaton Stay Holy, Stay Home 

Palm Frond Free Printable from Illustrated Ministry 

Unscrambling Easter Here is a past post to encourage you as we encounter the Holy Week. 

Easter Box Tradition We could actually do this during quarantine with household items! 

COVID 19 Time Capsule Worksheets 

 

Truth to Inhale: 

Stand in Your Love by Josh Baldwin (Bethel)

Hosanna by Hillsong United 

Lion and the Lamb by Leeland 

I Look to You by Selah 

 

Soaking in the Truth: 

And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty. Exodus 3:21 KJV  

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NLT 

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!’ John 12:13, NIV 

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1, NIV

 

Come and See

“Watch me, Mommy!” “Come look!” “Mom, did you see that?!”

I can’t tell you how many times everyday I hear those phrases from my kids. As much as I’d sometimes rather finish whatever item I am trying to check off the to-do list instead of going to watch whatever new trick they’ve mastered, I love that my kids want me to share in their experience. They want me to see them and know them.

I also love that God wants us to know Him. He invites us to come near to Him, to study Him, and to know Him.

In this week’s study in He Is Alive, author Becky Kiser pointed out that Jesus invited the first disciples to “come and see” where He was staying and what He was doing. After spending time getting to know Jesus, those men invited their brothers and friends to “come and see” Jesus, too. (John 1:35-51)

The amazing thing is that we all receive the same invitation to come and see Jesus! God went to such great lengths to send His Son to earth and to die for us, so that we can know Him. What a joy and privilege! 

I wonder what Jesus would invite me to come and see today? Where is He at work around me? Are my eyes open and attentive to what He is doing?

And, how can I continually invite my kids to “come and see” this amazing God, too? Maybe it’s taking a few extra moments to examine bugs together on the driveway or to marvel at the sounds of all the birds returning to our yard at the first signs of spring. Maybe it’s praying together in the van on the way to school or baseball practice. How can I take advantage of these little, everyday moments to turn my eyes and my kids’ eyes toward all that God is doing in our lives?

?Katie

P.S. There is still time to join our Lent book study or to join us in fasting for something during this season leading up to Easter. (See previous posts for more info!) If you’re joining us in either, leave a comment below to let us know you’re with us.