JoyJoy. Today is Easter Sunday—the most important day of a Christian's faith. Someone recently asked me, if I had to distill it down to one thing, what was the one thing about Christianity that secures my faith. It was a great question and one each of us should have an answer for, no matter what our belief system. Why do we believe what we believe.

The Resurrection of Jesus has always been the linchpin of my faith. Here is why. At the time of Jesus's death, he was causing all sorts of trouble. The Jewish religious leaders were worried that Jesus was so radical and against the way things had always been done 'religiously' up until that point, that he and his followers were going to start an uprising that would cause them to loose their religious power and might even cause the Romans, the civil authorities, to come down hard on them. The Jews had acquired a certain amount of respect and autonomy within the Roman Empire and they didn't want to loose that. The Romans didn't like Jesus because he said crazy stuff like "Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's and Give to God what is God's." They weren't really sure what that meant, but it sounded a lot like disloyalty to Ceasar and that could not be tolerated. Even Jesus's disciples, who were looking for a King Messiah, someone to rule God's Kingdom on earth, didn't quite get that this Kingdom was a ways off and there was a lot a servanthood and 'lesser-ness' required first. So, when Jesus was crucified, put in that tomb with a Roman Soldier guarding the entrance and then allegedly rose from the dead, the Romans and the Jewish Religious leaders, the only two groups with power at their disposal, really wanted to find that missing body. The disciples were scattered, confused and disillusioned. They didn't know what was going on. Had the body been found, it would have stopped this new religious 'cult' of Christianity from getting started. Jesus fulfilling his pre-death claims changed everything in that world.

So, because the body was never found, I say to myself...."Wow, Jesus must have, in fact, risen from the dead and I have never heard of any other human who has ever done that. I guess Jesus must really be God. Therefore, I have to take all that stuff he said while on earth seriously, including the part about Him being the only way to God".

That is why I believe—because they never found the body.

Yesterday, I was running my squirrel-chasing dog Daisy :), at my local park. There was an Easter Egg Hunt about to begin with lots of cute little children. The announcer let everyone know that the excitement was going to start in 5 minutes so "get ready!" One little boy was running as fast as he could to get to the hunt... but he was going in the wrong direction. He was earnest, determined and trying hard, but he was going in the wrong direction. Had his mom and dad not caught up with him and told him which way to go, he would have missed the whole thing.

On this Easter Sunday, I am reminded why I need to listen to Jesus's words and I am thankful that He caught up with me and told me which way to go.

More today than any other day of the year....

~To God Be The Glory~

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace. It is Good Friday. The day God's vision of Grace became a reality. Amazing.

The lyricist says it best in this old church classic....

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, how great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great thou art!

I am going to celebrate by playing a round of golf! :).

~To God Be The Glory~

ConnectedConnected. I have some decisions to make in my life. I am having trouble making them. I struggle with knowing what God's Will in my life is regarding those decisions and reconciling it to my own idea of what I want. With some decisions, the two are the same thing. With others, they are not. And with some, I just don't know. I am counseled to "be in relationship with God" and then I will know. From what I know that means to pray, read God's Word, meditate on Scripture, be patient.... all those disciplines that sound really Holy! :) Ok, I'll try...

~To God Be The Glory~

Center of AttentionCenter of Attention. It is Holy Week, the week I am especially reminded of Jesus' death and resurrection. It is sobering, gruesome, significant and joyous all at the same time. My church is performing a dramatic play which is so vivid, it makes my remembering more acute. The two things that stick with me about Jesus compared to other 'God-options' is that Jesus is the only one that both sacrificed himself for me and raised himself from the dead. Through his sacrifice, my sin (past, present and future) is dealt with and because of His resurrection I can have new life in Him.

The following passage from Colossians proclaims Jesus' unique standing. Others can try to take the spotlight away from him, but in the end, only He will remain. Anyone with awareness of the historic events of that week—what the trials were like, what flogging actually is, how crucifixion works, how beaten Jesus was before they nailed him to that cross—will realize that the cost of humankind's salvation was great. My response can be nothing short of making Jesus my Center of Attention. Amen to that! :)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him

all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him....he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

~To God Be The Glory~

FluffSpotlightsFluff and Spotlights. During my recent trip to DC, my shooting goal was to capture the Cherry Blossoms. I spent 4 hours walking around the Tidal Basin looking for every variation of that the famed flower that I could find! When my loop was complete I switched focus and started looking for 'weird stuff' as I sometimes refer to geometric patterns, close-in colors or textured surfaces. Fluff and Spotlights is an example of each of these endeavors. I am always struck by the seemingly obvious fact that one sees what one looks for. When I was shooting the blossoms, that is all I saw. When I was seeking weird patterns, surfaces or compositions, I never saw a blossom. I couldn't see two things at once with the decision-making focus I needed to see the specific subject I was looking for. We see what we are looking for.

My spiritual life is the same. When I am seeking God's provision, direction or enabling, I need to be looking for them, or else I miss it. My default seems to be looking at my failure, my flaws, or my self-will, even though I know from experience, that looking to myself or to those things gets me nowhere.

It seems like a simple enough plan, for when I look for God's presence in my life, I do see it. I notice the friend there to encourage me in my lonely days. I sence God's warming of my heart with forgiveness when it is cold with self-incrimination. I have the wisdom to know that a new opportunity is a step in God's path for me. But, just as with my photography, I cannot be looking at two things at once. I need to get my 'viewfinder' off of me and onto Him. Lord, Help me remember!

~To God Be The Glory~

God's PeopleGod's People. I love my new church. It is a place that loves God, loves God's Word and loves God's People. I have never been in an environment that so exemplifies this before. It is ethnically diverse, loving to strangers and isn't run by corporate flow charts, those who contribute more or rock-star pastors. The Spirit of God runs it and you can tell the moment you enter. Truth is spoken from the pulpit, in small groups and throughout the various ministries—even if that truth is challenging and not what you want to hear.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their

hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water.

In a world where so many churches fall short, I am so thankful that I have found a place where this verse from the book of Jeremiah is lived out. It has made all the difference.

~To God Be The Glory~

TrustworthyTrustworthy. Many times in my photography, I catch my breath at the beauty of what I see. "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands...." Perhaps when I am flailing around, wondering why, when and what if, if I could simply remember the glory I see in creation, I could trust that God is able to take care of whatever I am facing. "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God." Like the Psalmist, I can trust an awe inspiring God. Yes, I can.

~To God Be The Glory~