Happy Easter!

This coming weekend is Easter! I would like to wish you all a Happy Easter. This year is unique because my Easter, that is, for Coptic Orthodox Christians, is actually on the same day as for other Christians (it usually is not!). I hope everyone enjoy this wonderful time.

Why is Easter important? For Christians, Easter is more than just the death of Christ. It is realizing that Jesus - God, gave up His life for us. He saved us from our sins and took the burden upon Himself. God, in all His glory, chose to die for us. What humility and what love! Do you love others as this? Can you honestly say that your love for others mirrors how Christ loved us?

I can't. I wish I could - this is something I am trying to work on. This doesn't mean that I have to die for others, but it does teach me that I need to refine what I mean when I say that I am Christian. Am I Christian by name only, or do my actions show it? Can others see Christ through me?

The season of Easter is also a celebration; not just a remembrance of Christ's suffering. The celebration is in realizing that Jesus arose from the dead. Death cannot hurt us - God is alive! He has triumphed over death; we need not be worried about what the world can do to us. We have God to lean on, and He alone can give us peace and joy. We celebrate and  become joyous in knowing that we are not left alone to suffer in this world - God is near to those who believe and call on Him.

For those who are not Christian or do not celebrate Easter, I still urge you to take this time to spend it with those you love. Or, take the time to evaluate your life: what is going well now? What can be changed? Is there room for God in your life? Are you showing love and kindness to others? Is your life so focussed on work and money and sensual desires, that you have lost sight of what is truly important? What IS important to you? Take this time to make new goals. Easter is about starting anew: seeing that we are no longer the same as we are before, for we must learn to see that new beginnings can have powerful and positive changes in our lives.

So, Happy Easter to everyone! Rejoice that Christ in not dead; we are not alone in this world!

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

"But thanks be to God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ". (2 Corinthians 215:57)

Popular posts from this blog

The 'Comfort Zone'

Image
  No one likes to be challenged out of their 'comfort zone'. You know - the place where you know you will succeed. Please note that I am not talking about real safety. There is a HUGE difference between challenging yourself to do something you are worried you will fail at, and putting yourself at risk of harm. I am not a 'risk-taker' by any means. I hate roller-coasters. I despise scary movies. I don't speed through yellow lights hoping to pass through. At the same time, I'm not superstitious. I will take some risks if I think that they are reasonable. I will apply for positions that I am not sure I will get. I will try drawing something that I have never tried before. I will (cautiously!) try new yoga positions to test my balance. At the same time, I very much dislike getting out of my comfort zone in certain situations. For example, I applied to a position a while ago, feeling nervous that I would not get it. I mean, how awful would it be if I did NOT get it? ...
Read more

Happy Mothers' Day!

Today is Mothers' Day! Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms, sisters, aunts, grandmas, cousins, etc all over the world! You deserve to be recognized everyday for your work, but today is a special day just for us to tell you how amazing and wonderful you all are! This day is certainly important for me, because my mom is my best friend. She is everything to me. I want her to know how much she means to me - and how much I appreciate her. Mom, this is for you! Last year on Mother's Day, I was dying in the ICU and could not breathe. I didn't even have enough breath to tell my mom, 'happy mothers' day'. And she didn't protest or complain. She stayed by my side and prayed, looking into my dull and tired eyes. She told me, 'don't worry, Marina. You will be okay. All I want for Mother's Day is for you to be alive and to come out of this healthy and well. That is the best and only gift I want'. I cried because I couldn't give her a proper ...
Read more

Published again! - and birthday celebrations

Image
I am blessed to say that once again, my writing has been featured on Fr. Anthony's site. This time, my post is about suffering and pain, and how to communicate with God during these times : http://franthony.com/how-long-o-lord/ I will be honest with you, I find that when I get overwhelmed by the troubles in this world, it becomes difficult to do anything. And sometimes, the hardest thing to do during tribulations is to pray. We all have times when we don't feel like talking to God - and this is harder when we feel angry or fearful that God has forgotten about us. Here is a little secret: God can never forget about us . He loves us unconditionally. And He has His eyes on you all the time, His hands around you to protect you, and His ears ready to listen. I know that sometimes it is hard to pray and communicate with God when we are facing obstacles because we don't understand why things are happening as in our lives. But know this: 'all things work together  for the g...
Read more