Ukraine, Easter and the Secret to Abundant Joy

I am thankful to report that we bounced back quicker from the bug than I anticipated and three of us never fully got it! Hooray! We were able to join in the fun by Thursday mid day. Every moment from Thursday until Monday evening we squeezed in as much family fun as possible. Jeffrey and his family left on Sunday. Jonathan and his family leave tomorrow (Tuesday).

In the midst of our busyness and fun though,  Ukraine has not been far from my mind. You've probably seen the news reports of how Eastern Ukraine continues to be the hotspot of political battle. Sadly, a year and a half ago I would have paid very little attention to what is going on. Now that I have spent time in three of the cities in the headlines (Donetsk, Slov'yans'k and Horlivka) and especially since I know people who live there, it is all very real to me. Please pray for Ukraine! Pray for peace. Pray for the children in orphanages who could possibly be affected by a Russian take over. Pray for the families in the process of adopting from this area who are in limbo due to the potential danger. Ukraine and the children of Ukraine will forever have a piece of my heart.  These wooden Ukrainian eggs setting on our kitchen table remind me to pray often.

It is not likely that Irina participated in any Ukrainian Easter traditions prior to her time at the orphanage, but it is important to me to preserve her heritage. After some searching on the internet, I decided to make this traditional Ukrainian paska bread for our Easter dinner. Irina was delighted. She knew exactly what it was and said they had a ceremony at her orphanage in which she carried in the paska. Although, she said the kids didn't get to eat it. Only the staff ate the foods that the children processed in with during the ceremony.  She was so happy to taste it and so proud of it. 

To keep our hearts and minds focused on the true meaning of Easter, our family read the book "Amon's Adventure: A Family Story for Easter" by Arnold Ytreeide. It was captivating!! We got a late start so we had 10 days to read 28 chapters (some of which were very long). It wasn't too hard considering the boys literally begged me to "read one more" chapter each time I closed the book. In the spirit of Resurrection Day, I'd like to share with you the final paragraphs.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"When it comes to the God of love seeking you out, calling you into relationship with him, making every effort to get you to listen to him, there's no such thing as a coincidence. He had it planned from the beginning, and will continue calling to you all the days of your life. If you choose to follow him, the blessings you receive - even in tough times - will be no coincidence either. I pray with all my heart that you will make that choice, and discover as I have the abundance of joy waiting for you.  

May the God of love and peace, the God of forgiveness and mercy, the God of all hope and power, reign in your heart now, and for years to come, and forever and ever, Amen." Arnold Ytreeide

A Happy Resurrection Day, indeed!