Celebrations—of life. The past few weeks have been chock full for my family and I, and a major part of that has been celebrating life: new life, risen life, lived life, and life full of promise. As this Easter/Spring season has begun, I find myself grateful for all kinds of life and the opportunities to celebrate it.

For us, this season of celebration began with the birth of my nephew—my third, and the eleventh grandchild in the family—followed quickly by an annual children’s concert we attend that celebrates the beginning of the Easter season and our risen Lord. Then my daughter turned ten—ten!—and my father turned seventy. My daughter had a sleepover, and for my dad all four of his children, each of his sons- and daughters-in-law, his grandchildren, his sister and brother-in-law, and his fiancée surprised him at his favorite restaurant. Celebrations galore!

The weather has also begun to truly turn from winter to spring with the turning of the calendar, a rare occurrence in the midwestern area I am from. Birds are returning, the sun is shining, and pollen is blowing through the air—all signs of abundant, new life.

As grateful as I am to celebrate this life and the new life springing up around us, I am even more grateful for the opportunity to live that Jesus gave us by living and dying. Jesus tells us in John, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV, emphasis mine). This life can be wonderful, but this life on earth is not all there is. It is not the “abundant life” that Jesus spoke of; that life is one in which we are able to approach God, the creator, the almighty, the King of Kings, and call him “Father.” That life is one that begins here but stretches into eternity. That life is the one he came to give us, the one he died to give us, the one he rose to give us. That life is the one worth celebrating more than any other.

That life is, simply put, the one found in Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26, ESV

I can’t leave this blog post without asking you: Do you have life? Do you have it abundantly? Do you know Jesus?

Do you believe this?

I do. I am so grateful for Jesus’ life, given for mine. And I would love to correspond with anyone who has questions or wants to know more.

Love and prayers til next time,

Rhonda