HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY!

When I think about Easter, I used to think about Eater egg hunts, jelly beans and, of course, the Easter Bunny. As a matter of fact, my fondest memory of Easters past are the wonderful Easter baskets my Aunt Lois got me EVERY Easter. I always look forward to her presenting a basket filled with candy, toys and fun. It not only showed that she loved me, but it showed me that she was thinking about me, regardless of the fact that I was 100s of miles away. I love my Aunt Lois and my Uncle Jerry. They've always been so supportive of me. I can even recall my Uncle Jerry prophesying over my life when I was just a baby. Well, I don't actually remember him doing it. But I do remember the stories. What great God parents!?!

Back to Easter though... It took me a while to break the mold of understanding surrounding this holiday. It wasn't until I went off to college that I truly realized the significance and importance of Easter. Easter is all about the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, there would be no Christianity, let alone Easter. This ultimate sacrifice is commemorated on Easter. And at the same time, we mark this time as the re birth of our religion. Without the death and resurrection, Jesus would not be the Christ. And without Christ, we would have no Christianity.

There's a song that I'm going to sing today in church that summarizes Christianity and our reason for living. It's called One Day. It depicts the life of Jesus and its importance to Christianity today.

God bless,

Kevin J.


One Day
J Wilbur Chapman

1.
One day when heaven was filled with his praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin—
Dwelt amongst men, my example is he!

Chorus
Living, he loved me; dying, he saved me;
Buried, he carried my sins far away;
Rising, he justified freely, for ever:
One day he's coming—O, glorious day!

2.
One day they led him up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is he!

3.
One day they left him alone in the garden,
One day he rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o'er his tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Saviour is he!

4.
One day the grave could conceal him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then he arose, over death he had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

5.
One day the trumpet will sound for his coming,
One day the skies with his glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Saviour, this Jesus is mine!

Listen to the MIDI for One Day

HEARTBURN

It's a new day, and a new job. I'll tell you about it later.

alright then... Here we go. I received an email last week from my college friend, Brian. Brian and I both attended Michigan Tech University near the cold, frozen-over lakes of upper Michigan. Brian mentioned to me that he is writing a book which is scheduled for release in late 2006. I am looking forward to picking up my copy.

When Brian mentioned that he was writing a book, my mind went back to my years, shortly after Michigan Tech, when I wanted to put my life story on paper. I still think my life story would make a great book. Some people would probably believe that it was fiction as opposed to reality. I don't even consider myself to be a good story teller. But some of the stories from my somewhat sorted past come to life all by themselves.

Anyway, I am eager to read Brian's book. And I very tempted to begin work on my life's story. I think I'll start with my seemingly normal childhood. Many people don't realize this, but I actually was very stable (and for the most part, like everyone else). Sure, I had my unique quirks, but who didn't? I remember, one time in the 4th grade, I broke out into tears because I had to resign from the Safety Patrol team. I was the only 5th grader in my classroom that was invited to be apart of such an elite group of students.

At Lemasters Elementary, being a Safety Patrol meant that you were somebody important. Don't get me wrong, I knew I was somebody special. I just don't think many other people, besides my family, realized it. For some strange reason, only certain students in a particular class taught by the teacher who was over the Safety Patrols were asked to be Safety Patrols. I wasn't in that class. I suspect that the school considered her class to be the better of the 5th graders. There was another 5th grade class taught by another teacher. I think her class was considered to be the not-so-good 5th graders. And then there was my class. My class was actually split down the middle. Half of us were 5th graders. And the other half was 4th graders - go figure. I think we were considered the "left overs."

I didn't mind though. My class was taught by the coolest teacher in the whole school, Mr. Fogerson. He was cool on so many levels. First, he was a male. Who ever heard of a male elementary school teacher? And then, he was just cool for the sake of being cool. He was always finding ways to motivate students to do their best and finding alternative ways to learning.

Anyway, back to the story. My mom was taking my brother and me to school at the time before she went to work. She wasn't trying to leave any early than what she had to. Thus, I wasn't able to get to school as early as I needed to perform my Safety Patrol duties. I wasn't devastated because I wouldn't be able to participate. I was already privileged at the opportunity to serve. The teacher over the Safety Patrols, however, gave me a stern talking to as if I were letting down the world by resigning. I couldn't take that at 10 years of age. So, one day, shortly thereafter, I broke out in tears. I just couldn't help it. I could not stop crying. Imagine my embarrassment. Thankfully, my hero, Mr. Fogerson, was there to see about me. He kindly escorted me to the coat room and asked me what was wrong. I didn't know why I couldn't stop crying. He figured it out though. What a guy!?!

Mr. Fogerson is probably the best teacher I've ever had. He really encouraged me to be the best at whatever I do. He laughed with me when I laughed. He created an environment where I wanted to succeed. He helped me try new things that I knew I wasn't good at (like basketball and kickball). He helped me up (after I fell several times during kickball). And gave me the courage to try again. I need to send this man a thank you card. I think owe him a lot.

More stories to come...

Kevin J.