Happy Easter!!

This is the coolest thing ever! My mom found it somewhere and I thought I would share it with you (this is not something I wrote). I hope you enjoy!

----------------------------------------------

"The Folded Napkin"

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this....

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.

The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'. But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........the folded napkin meant,

'I'm coming back!'

--------------------------------------------------

God is coming back! Are you ready?

Have You Counted Lately?

"Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God has done. Count your blessings...name them one by one....count your many blessings, see what God has done."

Last week at church we sang this hymn. It fits just perfectly for the time of year because it's the holidays. Thanksgiving. Christmas. New Years.

I know I know...we have sung this song many times before and we know the words...but do we ever really think about the meaning of this all to familiar hymn's words? Do we count our blessings? Do we really thank God for ALL that He has done for us?

As I'm writing this, I'm getting this image in my head of a child sitting at the dinner table during Thanksgiving dinner telling their mommy and daddy all that they are thankful for. The child proceeds to tell them that he or she is thankful for their teacher, their pet, their favorite toy, etc. The child's parents believe that this is all the child is going to say and giggle at the child's innocents and proceed to say "That's great, sweetie." Then the child pauses, with a pondering look on his or her face. After a couple of seconds, the child says, "And mommy and daddy....I'm thankful for what Jesus did for us."

"For God so loved the world that He gave is only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Next time you pray, thank God for His salvation and His great, great love for us. Remember what He did. Remember the Ultimate Sacrifice...and thank Him for it.

Happy (Early) Thanksgiving

I know this is a day early but I'm not sure if I'll have time to get on the computer so.... Happy (early) Thanksgiving everybody!!

I'm going to list 5 things I'm thankful for in honor of this holiday.

I'm thankful for....

-My Salvation

-A mom that is always there for me when I need her.

-A dad that cares.

-Our (kind of new) home

-Good friends

-Having the chance to have my grandmother live with me (even if we don't always get along).

-The future blessing of waiting on God's timing. (I'm speaking in faith!)

-God's great mercy that He so faithfully shows His child.

-The opportunity to be homeschooled.

-My future and all that God has planned for me to do for Him.
-Good turkey (Hey, I had to throw that one in there. It's Thanksgiving!)

I told you mine, now tell me your. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

After The Election...

Well... the election is over. I have to admit, when I first saw the words on the TV screen "Breaking News: Obama Wins The Presidency", I was a little shocked. OK, little is an understatement. I was befuzzeled! (And that isn't even a real word!) I was thinking, 'OK God. What are You up to? I know You're in control and you're going to take care of us, but I don't understand your plan.' Then the thought popped into my head: "Anna, My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways; My ways are higher than your ways."

Please continue to pray for our leaders, even if you don't agree with what they stand for. "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44, ISV) I don't know about you, but when I hear about people who believe in everything that I'm totally against, I view them as my enemy. Well, Jesus said that we are supposed to pray for them, and not only that, but we're supposed to love them too! I have to admit, I haven't done either as often as I should! (Lord, forgive me.)

This is the time for the children of the most high God to stand up and speak out for Christ. He has given us an opportunity and we should be obedient to whatever He asks us to do.

Next time you pray, just remember our leaders and our country after the election.

I'm Thankful for...

A few days ago my mother asked me to name five things that I was thankful for. Here are my answers:

1- My Family
I'm thankful to be blessed with God-fearing parents who only want whats best for me.

2- Good Health
I'm thankful that I don't get sick that often and that I wasn't born with some life threatening disease.

3- Salvation
I'm thankful that "I once was lost, but now I'm found. I once was blind but now I see".

4- My new house
I'm thankful for the blessing of our new house that we moved into last year.

5- Safety
I'm thankful for safety because...

Last year, I got the privilege to get to know a foreign exchange student from Georgia (the country) who was living with a couple who attend my church.

We couldn't pronounce her name so we nicknamed her "Taco". When I heard about the war that is going on between Georgia and Russia, my heart about stopped! All I could think about was Taco. Was she OK? Was she scared?

I found out a week later that another friend had talked to her on Myspace. She said that Taco was afraid that her city would be bombed next and that she was worried about the safety of her family.

I can't even begin to imagine the fear that Taco must feel. I personally have never experienced anything that would make me fear for my life and the life of my family.

This girl and her situation has made me really thankful for the safety that God has blessed me with in the past. I can't count the times that he has protected me from car wrecks, sickness, and broken bones.

I'm blessed with many other things that I definitely don't deserve!

What are you thankful for?