Easter Joy

I wanted to post on the Joy of Easter, but I have to say that watching the Master's yesterday almost derailed this post, because the end was so exciting. Even my sister asked me, if I was going to Blog on Angel Cabrera's win, here's the deal quickly because I want to get back to some Easter Joy. The thing that struck me, was Angel Cabrera was completely out of the match stuck behind a tree on his first shot, it was so bad that everyone I was watching with basically accepted that it was down to 2 golfers. But he didn't quit, its a great lesson, the famous quote, "don't give up 5 minutes before a miracle happens," is so true. Life can turn on a dime, and with God in our life, we should live with hope, expecting the best. To many people believe that life can turn on a dime alright, but their anticipating the worst. What does that get you? Anyway, he's behind a tree, and 5 minutes later after a ball bounces off a tree into the fairway, he's the Master's Champion.

Back to the reason for this Post, Easter Joy. I didn't do a very good job with Lent to be honest, but something very good came of my failure, I am starting to realize that I can't even give up chewing gum with out God's help. We need a savior, and as Psalm 91 says, the more we live in the Shelter of God's care, the happier we will be. So even failure can help us along our path to God, if we let it teach us the right lessons, that we need God in all things. Something I missed about Lent that is very important, Joy is perfectly compatible with sacrifice and even suffering, Joy should be a huge part of Lent. Jesus goes out of his way to point out that when we fast, we should take extra care of our appearance, He even advises us to comb our hair and wash our faces. When we are sacrificing for others, which is what all our sacrifices should be about, then Joy should be front and center. I really missed that this Lent. But the Joy of Easter is so big, that it over-flows for 8 days, we don't have to fear sin and death, because Jesus has defeated both. That's what Joy is really all about, its living with a faith, that there is nothing in our life that is bigger than God. No sin that can not be forgiven, no problem that can not be solved, with God all things are possible.