Bread of Life

John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

How interesting that Christ should compare himself to bread. It is such a simple food. So basic. Some grain, some water, some fat. I am no scholar and, I am sure many people, much wiser than I am have, written things far more in depth than this.

But these are my thoughts.

Of all of the food Christ could have compared Himself to He chose bread. He chose a basic, humble food. A staple. A food so lowly that it is what prisoners are given. When cupboards are bare and piggy banks are empty there is always bread. Like air, like water, bread meets our most basic of needs in a direct and simple manner.

Just a day before Christ makes this statement declaring he is the Bread of Life he meets the crowds basic need of food. With bread. And they are back. Wanting that same need met again. And here He offers to meet an deeper need, a need that makes all others pale in comparison. With Himself.

He didn't choose a luxury item to compare Himself to. He didn't place Himself out of the reach of those who desperately need what He had to offer. He came to offer the most extravagant of gifts: Grace. And yet He identified Himself with the food of the peasants. He came to meet our most basic need: forgiveness. And He offered it to all. Not the few that were good enough to pay for it. But all. He made Himself accessible to all. Like bread.

The King of Kings stepped off his throne. He joined the ugly, dirty, sinful masses. He lowered Himself to die a criminal's death. He became broken Passover bread. For us. For the poor. To meet our most basic need. He is living water, the bread of life. Broken for us.

1 Corinthians 11:24

And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Now We Can Have Easter

This post started out as a Facebook status. But it was just too good not to blog about.  I am sitting here at the computer bemoaning the cold weather when my 3 year old looks out the window.

Maddie: "The snow melted!!! Now we can have Easter!"

She was so excited, so full of hope, so full of life. I wondered if that's how the women felt when they realized Jesus was no longer in the tomb.

"The darkness has passed! We still have hope!"

I was so ready for spring. For warm weather. For sunshine. For hope. For life.

When we walked out of church Palm Sunday and the snow was falling I was crushed. I remember cold Holy Weeks, but never quite THIS cold. Never SNOW!

It also seems like there is so much turmoil around us in general right now. Facebook feeds are full of friends on opposite sides of the same issues calling for action, for boycotts, for their right to be heard.

And I think back to how confusing, and conflicting, and cold that first "Holy Week" must have felt. How overwhelming. A triumphant entry, a desire for salvation from their oppressors, the realization Christ hadn't come to over throw the Roman government. Watching the man they thought would save them die on the cross..... death... cold... "snow".... but then.... but then HOPE!

May this last push of winter remind me of the need for spring.

May this reminder of death remind me of my need for life.

May this darkness draw me to the light.

"Sorrow lasts for the night, but JOY comes in the morning"


Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.

Tacy Rae

We went to get our measuring/gender ultrasound. It was supposed to be in the morning but due to an 6 inch snow fall it got canceled. Thankfully we were able to get it rescheduled for later in the day! I'm not sure why it was so important to me except that things are a little stressful at home. Snow this late in spring is not good for car business. Especially car business that's already slow. I keep thinking about a phrase my dad shared during his Christmas sermon.

"It wasn't a good time to bring a baby into the world. It's never a good time to bring a baby into the world." Which is so true. And yet, the worst times to bring baby's in to the world is when we tend to need them the most.

Some how seeing that little baby girl on the screen seemed to make everything so much easier. I don't know what the future holds but I know this baby is wanted and loved.

Today is my mother's birthday. She shared her birth story on her blog today. Once Upon My Story. It's an absolutely beautiful story about her mother and her aunt. Please take the time to read it.