Monday, April 30, 2012

"Spring Cleaning" A Ladies Luncheon


We received two little buckets, one to keep and one to give away.
It has a mini version of the Bible study and a schedule inside.
Smart, smart, smart...

I attended a ladies luncheon at church on Saturday. It was an introduction to a new six week Bible study that I am starting next week called "My Heart - Christ's Home. All the ladies who attended prepared the finest salad fare and desserts. The room was cast in a "Spring" motif. I'm talking an award wining set if there was such an award.  It must have taken hours of work to get the room set up, but thanks to several, it was enjoyed by many.

When we arrived, Beth and Karen (ladies in charge of the ministry), had on cleaning scarves on their heads and cleaning overalls with their pockets stuffed full of sponges. They were so cute. The tables had bright cleaning buckets full of sponges, cleaners and other cleaning supplies for center pieces.                                                                        

The study is about cleaning out the temple (your body) where Christ dwells. There are 7 rooms inside your heart to clean out. The ladies had seven rooms set up inside the area where we were having our luncheon. They gave us an intimate look into the study that we will be delving into for the next six weeks.  As I venture through my rooms, I will share with you how to go about deep cleaning each room in your heart to make room for Christ to dwell. What kind of junk do you have in your rooms that you are expecting Christ to dwell in? This will be a cleansing experience that I look forward to.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Oil, Wheat And Hay, Oh My!

It's a beautiful morning here in the West. The sun is just now making it's morning appearance over the Rocky Mountains. My tea is steeping in my largest mug that a dear friend gave me. It makes my tea even sweeter. Number One made a brief appearance out of the bedroom to say, "good morning", then back to bed for a Sunday nap before church. The girls (pups) are like teenagers who sleep till noon. They will not appear until 9:00 or 10:00 am. They will go outside and then get back under the covers until it warms up a bit more. We have a heavy frost this morning. When I arose out of my own slumber, it was 23*.

I have been traveling this week. I was amazed to see the first cutting of hay in Oklahoma and foot high wheat in Kansas. It was already in the mid 90's and everything was "new green". I love the smell of fresh cut hay. The rancher's were not going to take a chance this year by not cutting as much hay as possible. Last year, they had to pay $300 for large square bales to feed their cattle. They were in a drought(most cattle places were) and hay was scarce.

Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? Well, you don't have to travel far in the USA to find a farmer. The wheat stretches forever in Kansas. Right now it's green and it's heads are getting big. Pretty soon it will be the "amber waves of grain" that is in the song "America The Beautiful". It is a lovely sight to behold. If the weather holds, we will have fresh produce early this year. I love to attend the Farmer's Market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead of buying trucked in produce that was not ripened on the vine.

We could not find a place to stay in the "oil belt" either. They are drilling as fast as they can, so maybe prices will go down some more. Wishful thinking? We had to travel 30 miles past our destination one night. The prices for rooms have tripled and in some places they are not up to my standards of clean. At least these little towns are surviving in this mini depression. Don't get me wrong, there are still closed down businesses. The word I used was "surviving" not prospering.


Oil and wheat...

They are everywhere...

First hay cutting...

Alternative energy and more wheat...


New green...

Fun in the sun in April?

Traveler's Prayer

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

"...Lead us toward peace, emplace our footsteps toward peace, guide us toward peace, and make us reach our desired destination for life, gladness, and peace."
In Jesus Name,
Amen and Amen

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Just Thinking...

Church Program

I returned home from church shortly after noon today. It was a powerful sermon about being called into service by God. I visited for a short time after the service with some of the ladies, then headed home. I took the scenic route home. (Ha! Ha, it's all scenic in the Rockies)I wanted to find a shorter route home that didn't require a four wheel drive. It was a mile farther, but a different kind of scenery than on the usual route. I didn't mind, since I was in awe of God's handywork. What an awesome God we have!

I thawed out some chicken breasts last night to cook for our Sunday evening dinner, so when I got home from church I started cooking.  I turned on the oven, seasoned the breasts and baked them with a couple of baking(pre-cooked) potatoes. I also baked a small boneless ham for next week's lunches. While all that was baking, I whipped up a potato salad to go with the ham next week. I boil potatoes every week and store them in the refrigerator to use for hash browns or things like potato salad. Potatoes take forever to cook at this altitude, so boiling them first saves time and energy.  It's going to be a busy week, so I'm planning ahead for some of our meals.

Baked chicken breasts seasoned with homemade garlic salt,
fresh ground peppercorns and cayenne pepper.

I will slice the ham to make sandwiches for our lunches.

I will serve the potato salad as a side dish
for the ham sandwiches.

While I was at it, I made some gravy out
of the chicken drippings for our breakfast in
the morning.
I cooked all of this food, cleaned up and worked on this post. It only took an hour to cook and clean. The post takes longer depending how off track I wonder. It is worth it to have meals on hand, since Number One is a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of guy. This is part of being prepared for unplanned excursions that frequently occur at our home. There is not a Micky D's on any of the corners where we live. Even if there was, we would not spend money on it, unless we had no other choice. What would you rather eat? Me? We travel so often that if I do not ever eat out at a fast food restaurant again, that would be fine with me.
 We carry most of our meals with us to save money and to save our health. Last time we traveled, we had fried chicken, pasta salad and chili cheese baked potatoes with sour cream and butter( plus snacks). We ate out twice, at LJS and BK for under $16. LJS had their meals on sale(2 for $10).  Number One loves that stuff. If I eat out, I want Chinese or Mexican. I can't cook either of those worth a hoot. I like the real deal...

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Lyrids Meteor Shower Tonight!!!!

We have clear skies here in the West for tonight's meteor shower. It becomes visible for us around 11pm. It's also a new moon, so it will be even more vivid. I just love God's big screen...



Deer Sausage Stuffed Chicken

I made this for Resurrection Sunday dinner. I forgot to take pictures of the finished product, sorry...

Stuff your favorite sausage under the skin of a whole chicken...

I used homemade deer sausage...

Make slits in the skin to tie the legs or use twine...

Prepare vegetables(your choice) to roast with the chicken...

Season, bake at 350* until done...

Don't forget to save the pan drippings to make gravy.
We had biscuits and gravy the next day...

Slower Than Dial Up!!!

A much needed rain shower...

I just got home this early(Friday) this morning. I was suppose to be home late Tuesday night, but our week lasted a lot longer than I had planned for. We stayed in a hotel that had Wi-Fi, but it was slower than any dial up that I have ever seen. I could not post, check emails or do anything for that matter. Other than the snail Internet, we had a blessed week. I usually pack extra just in case, but it was not enough this time. I carry laundry soap just in case we have to wash clothes. Planning ahead really paid off.

Life has a funny way of interrupting our plans. I feel that there are a lot of people are feeling the strain of a bad economy. I know that we have had to adapt to this rough economy by changing the way we run our business and the way we run our household.

We want to continue to growing towards a self-sustaining lifestyle and in this economy that requires change and sacrifice. I am so excited about adding animals to our ranch  and installing a greenhouse to grow produce to feed ourselves and our animals. This is a big goal of ours, but the start-up costs and this economy have slowed our progress down. Our harsh climate makes it necessary to have not only a greenhouse, but also animal shelters in place before we can grow any type of produce or care for animals.

In the next few weeks we will be building our chicken coop and yard for our new baby chicks. I have been pouring over plans and designs to figure our what we really need to have in order to care for 33 chickens and 1 rooster. Our chickens will free range when we are home, but will have to be in a yard for protection from predators when we are gone. There are three families dividing a lot of 100 chicks. One of the families, who are on the grid, will be caring for the chicks until they are old enough to be on their own.

Nutmeg, the goat that I milked a few weeks back, had twins last week. I was visiting her owner just prior to her giving birth to twins. I haven't made it back over there yet to see the kids or take pictures. Maybe tomorrow? I hope to have a couple of female goats from this herd. They are healthy goats that produce rich milk. I would prefer a Dexter cow, but can't justify the cost of care for such a large animal. One day...

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Daily Grace Inspirations By Joseph Prince Ministries

I really like Joseph Prince. We watch him often on the Inspiration channel. I signed up for his Daily Grace Inspirations months ago and I receive an encouraging message everyday via email. I enjoy reading his biblical based messages daily for encouragement in God's word... 

Joseph Prince Ministries grace.inspirations@josephprince.org



Choose The Good Part And Profit
Isaiah 48:17
17… “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.

God instructs us for our own benefit. He wants us to profit in every area of our lives — health, finances, career, marriage and family relationships. The Bible says that it is God who teaches us to profit. And it is He who leads us in the way that we should go.

God always has our best interests at heart. We only have to sit at His feet, listen to His Word and just have fresh, daily communion with Him, and He will make our way prosperous.

But we are constantly bombarded with things to do every day, like sending the kids to school, attending a business meeting or making a sales presentation. Likewise, in church, there are just as many important things to attend to — ministering to the needy, reaching out to the lost and healing the sick. But you know what? All these things will be taken care of when we sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His Word.

What was the Lord’s response to Martha’s complaint that her sister was sitting at His feet and listening to Him, instead of helping her with the many tasks? “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41–42)

Yet, many of us are like Martha. We worry about many things. And we are so busy that we have no time to sit at Jesus’ feet to listen to His Word and enjoy communion with Him. When we fail to draw from Him, we end up running on our own strength, and relying on our own flesh and wisdom to get things done. Listen, you can never have a plan that is better than God’s!

My friend, do you want to be led by God’s wisdom and timing in your decision-making? Then, make it a point to choose the good part like Mary did. Spend time with Jesus, open your Bible and say, “Lord, speak to me.” You will find that your heavenly Father takes care of your troubles, and teaches and leads you to profit!

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Bartering, A New Look At An Old Way...

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barter
Barter is a method of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money.[1] It is usually bilateral, but may be multilateral, and usually exists parallel to monetary systems in most developed countries, though to a very limited extent. Barter usually replaces money as the method of exchange in times of monetary crisis, such as when the currency may be either unstable (e.g., hyperinflation or deflationary spiral) or simply unavailable for conducting commerce.


A 19th-century example of barter: A sample labor for labor note for the Cincinnati Time Store. Scanned from Equitable Commerce by Josiah Warren (1846)


As economies around the world continue to falter, bartering is fast becoming the new currency of choice. Bartering has always been around, but it's popularity is growing with the need to continue to provide for one's family. Bartering communities are popping up all over the place.

Trading goods and services for goods and services knocks out the middle man and the tax man. When money is scarce, but your needs are not, bartering is a sensible skill to have. It's very similar to negotiating. We have all traded something for something. Children learn this valuable skill early by trading toys. As we get older, we may trade more valuable toys or skills for things we want, but can never seem to afford.

Bartering is occurring more frequently out of necessity instead of out of the desire to own a new toy like a boat or snowmobile. Trading more tangible items like eggs or garden produce for a hair cut is a lot more plausible these days.

When we built our first home way back when, Number One bartered his labor to tear down a structure at the University for the materials. This provided all the large timbers for our house. It saved us a lot of money that we did not have and the University did not have to pay someone to tear the structure down or haul it off. It was a win win situation. Number One has bartered for many things over the years. I think that it just comes natural to a man to want to provide what's best for his family.

If the economy continues in it's current downward spiral, Greece may not be the only country needing a second type of currency. Don't wait until you have no options to act. Bartering can take some time to find the right deal for you and your family, so don't wait till the last minute...

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

If You Like What You Read And Hunting Season...

Good morning everyone! I have a big favor to ask you. I know, I know you all are very busy and it's hard to squeeze one more thing in. I can appreciate that. I'm going to ask anyway. If you like what you read on my blog, please share my blog with others.

I know that I had to slow down when I injured myself, but I'm back and would like to reach more followers and the best way to do that is by "word of mouth". Thanks to all of my friends out there for your help...





Well, it's hunting season again. It's the season to bag mice. It's that time of the year when they have their offspring and try to get into everything. It happens twice a year for us. When it thaws and when it freezes. We have come up with a way to beat them at their game, we trap them outside. This works for us and we rarely get one inside.

Our dogs usually let us know when they are back. They are great scent hounds. They are great hunters too. They have killed more than we have. Mice are very destructive. They can get into your larder and you will never know it until it is too late. They carry all sorts of diseases like Hantavirus in the West. In times of drought this virus rears it's ugly head. Think "Ebola" and you will know some of the the symptom's of Hantavirus.

This is not my pic, I would have to move...

Our dogs have gone outside at dusk before and killed a dozen mice that were around the house. It was a real eye-opener. This past winter was very mild, so I imagine that they will have larger numbers than last year. We caught three last night in the traps that Number One set out around the house. We keep a trap or two set inside, but have not caught any.

I keep everything in glass jars. I don't care for plastic. You never know what toxins they have been made with that can leach into your food. I have always used glass even in the city. You don't have to live in the country to have an infestation of mice. We have only had a stray mouse here and there, but we keep our defences up and this has worked for us.

Our baby chicks will be here soon and we will have to take extra measures to fight off an infestation. Mice love to feed on animal food. We will keep our animal feed in a metal trash can. The chickens will keep their yard picked clean, so we hope this will prevent any problems. Happy mouse hunting...

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Book Reviews

When we were away from our homestead last week, I found these books(extremely discounted of course) at a book sale. I have seen these books before for about $20 a piece at a box store, but could not pull the trigger. I found both of these books at the book sale marked $9 a piece, but only paid $16 for both. My patience paid off, since I did not have to have them right away I found a better deal. It was something that I could do without at $40, but both for $16 I thought to be a real bargain.

 I dearly love books, especially instructional ones like cookbooks. I also enjoy reading books about  people's lives that are similar to my own. I learn how they accomplish their goals and live their simple lifestyle through their trials and errors. They have already been down the road that I am traveling and a lot can be learned from their experiences. True pioneers who have already learned the hard lessons and want to share the wisdom that they have gained from their experiences. I'm grateful to these homesteader's who have gone before those of us who are still working out the kinks in our own plans.

Simple living does not mean easy living...
We can all use some healthy living...

Take the bible for example, we can learn so much from God's word by the examples He gave us. Many of God's people made devastating decisions while trying to help God out with His promises that he made to them. Abraham and Sarah tried to help God out a lot. God promised Abraham that He would make him the father of many nations through Sarah. Sarah got a little impatient with God's plan and gave Abraham her maidservant to help God out. Well, that action created a nation who fights against Israel to this day. How about Abraham giving Sarah to a King out of fear for his own hide. That poor king didn't know what hit him when God started removing yet another obstacle that they put in front of His promise to them. God does not need our help, He wants our cooperation and obedience.

God is good. He removes all of the barriers and obstacles that we place in front of our relationship with Him and gives us more opportunities to get it right. His love endures forever. His mercy is endless. I love that God takes those who are less than perfect(we all are) and uses them to glorify His kingdom. Praise Him!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Passover Preparations And Resurrection Sunday

This morning(Saturday) I was sitting on the porch eating my leftover homemade pizza from last nights' Shabbat celebration (I know, not very traditional) as my thoughts wondered to our preparation for Passover. We had to go back to town yesterday to purchase the rest of the supplies for the Seder and Passover meal. I believe that we purchased the last lamb shank in town. It was about 2 am yesterday morning when we returned home from a trip, so we stopped at the Super center (you know the one) and they did not have any lamb at all, none, zip. Apparently, they don't carry lamb at any time of the year. They were the only store open at that time of the morning, so we had to traipse back into town to find out that two other stores were out of shanks. Number One called the last one in town and reserved their last shank. He is my hero....

I have not cooked lamb shanks before, so I checked out a few recipes online and watched a YouTube video. Hopefully, it will turn out great. Number One does not care for lamb, but he has not had it cooked with love or rosemary. I didn't care for lamb either, until I had it prepared with rosemary at a women's retreat. I look forward to the challenge of a new recipe....



Heat some olive oil in a skillet, salt and pepper the shank,
brown on all sides.
You will have a captive audience.
Prepare your vegetables and spices.
(Onions, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary)
Saute onions and spices in the same pan the shank was browned in.
Add one cup of red wine or stock.
Simmer 10 minutes.
Pour wine sauce over lamb shank and potatoes.
Bake at 325* for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Lamb should fall off the bone.
We all feasted and naps were served for dessert.


I am also preparing the Resurrection Sunday meal (Pics and recipes coming soon) at the same as the Passover meal. Both meals require long cooking times in the oven, so I will roast them at the same time to save on fuel and solar power. Our Resurrection Sunday meal will be a roasted hen with homemade smoked deer sausage stuffed under it's skin, roasted potatoes, carrots and steamed broccoli.


Scenes from our Passover celebration


Matzah (unleavened bread)


Sideways Seder layout


Seder plate

We are attending a Sunrise service in the morning at the church where I have been attending a woman's bible study. This will be the first time that we have attended a Sunday service there and we are looking forward to the fellowship with other believers in Christ. They will be serving breakfast after the service, yummy!

The sunrise service was beautiful. We saw elk and deer on the way to the service. We also saw a newborn calf that the momma was just cleaning up on the way home. Breakfast was tasty and the fellowship was welcoming.


Sunrise service came early...

Friday, April 6, 2012

Author Unknown....

I recieved this email and thought it was a wonderful story. The author is unknown, but we know who created the author and inspired the story....




Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was
still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller,
often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and
make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if
a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time,
however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher.
One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation.
As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy
really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger
children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap
between his age and that of the other students."
Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss
Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a
terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know
he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they had left,
staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her
soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only
child had a terminal illness. But it
wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach,
and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and
write. Why waste any more time trying?
As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining
when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought.
Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy. From that day on, she
tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day, he
limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.
"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to
hear. The other students snickered, and Doris' face turned red. She
stammered, "Wh-why that's very nice, Jeremy. N-now please take your seat."
Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter.
Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new
life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg.
"Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back
tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically-all except for
Jeremy. He listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even
make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus'
death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should
call his parents and explain the project to them.
That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and
waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had
to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the
next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.
The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they
placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After
they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first
egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new
life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring
is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arm. "That's my egg, Miss
Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which
looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes
and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little
Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine." Next, Doris
found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life.
Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he
beamed.
Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it
must be Jeremy's she thought, and of course, he did not understand her
instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because
she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached
for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to
talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is
empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was
empty, too."
Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why
the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in
there. Then His Father raised Him up."
The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the school
yard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.
Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the
mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them
empty.
If this blesses you, pass it on.
Happy Easter!
-- Author Unknown

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Resurrection Sunday


Easter - The Resurrection of JesusMatthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21, Acts 1

The Tomb is Empty!

Angels announce that Jesus has risen from the dead.
Jesus' body was hastily placed in a tomb on Friday afternoon. There was no time to properly prepare the body for burial with spices and ointments according to Jewish customs. No work could be done on the Sabbath, so that task had to wait until Sunday.
Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and several other women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. When they arrived, they found the tomb had been opened already. When they went in, they did not find Jesus' body, and they wondered what had happened.
Suddenly, two angels in dazzling white clothes were there. The women were terrified, but the angels said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you that He would be turned over to sinful men, be crucified, and rise again on the third day!"
The women ran back to tell Jesus' apostles what they had seen. Peter and one other apostle went to the tomb to see for themselves. They looked in and saw the linen cloths that Jesus' body had been wrapped in but nothing else. Then they went home, amazed and confused.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene.
When Peter and the other apostle went home, Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb crying. Suddenly she saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize Him at first. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Mary thought He must be the gardener and said, "Sir, if you have taken Him away, tell me where, and I will take Him!" Jesus said, "Mary!" Then she recognized Him and exclaimed, "Master!"
Jesus said, "Don't hold on to me, because I have not yet returned to the Father. But go to my disciples and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
Then Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!", and she told them everything that had happened.
Jesus Talks with Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus
Later that same Sunday, two of Jesus' disciples, Cleopas [KLEE uh pas] and another man, were walking along the road to a village called Emmaus [em MAY us], which was about seven miles (11 km) from Jerusalem. All day they had been talking and wondering about all the things that had happened.

Jesus talks with two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Suddenly, Jesus was there with them, but they did not recognize Him. "What are you talking about as you walk along?" He asked. The two disciples looked sad. Cleopas asked, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that have happened there in the last few days?" "What things?" Jesus asked. "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a great prophet before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed Him over to be crucified. We had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides, it is now the third day since all of this happened. And now, some women of our group amazed us. They went to His tomb early this morning, but they did not find His body there. They came back and told us that they had seen angels there who said He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women said, but they did not see Jesus." Then Jesus said to them, "Oh you are so foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn't it necessary for Christ to suffer those things and enter into His glory?"

As they came near the village of Emmaus, the two disciples said to Jesus, "Stay with us, because it is late and the day is now nearly over." So Jesus went in to stay with them. As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. Suddenly they recognized Him as Jesus, and He vanished from their sight.

The two disciples quickly returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven apostles and some of Jesus' other followers gathered together. The apostles told them, "It's true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Peter." Then the two disciples told everything that had happened on the road to Emmaus.

Jesus Appears to the Apostles

"Doubting Thomas" becomes a believer.
That same Sunday evening most of the apostles were together. They had locked themselves in a room in fear that the religious leaders would want them crucified next. Suddenly, Jesus was there among them. He said, "Peace be with you." Jesus showed them the wounds from crucifixion in his side and hands. The apostles were overjoyed to see Jesus alive again. Jesus said again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
The apostle Thomas was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. So the others told him, "We have seen the Lord." But Thomas said, "Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger in the nail holes and my hand in the wound in His side, I will not believe it."
A week later the apostles were again locked in the same room, and Thomas was with them. Jesus again came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands. Put your hand in my side. Don't doubt it any more. Believe!" All Thomas could say was, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen? Blessed are those who have not seen but have come to believe."

Jesus Ascends to Heaven
Jesus remained on earth for 40 days after He was resurrected from the dead on that Sunday morning (Acts 1:3). He appeared again to the apostles at the Sea of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) and on a mountainside in Galilee. He also appeared to more than 500 others (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Jesus' parting words to His disciples were,
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (NRSV, Matthew 28:18-20)
When it was time for Jesus to return to heaven, He led His disciples out to a place near Bethany, a village on the slopes of the Mount of Olives about 2 miles (3 km) from Jerusalem. Jesus lifted up His hands and blessed them. Then He ascended to heaven, and the disciples lost sight of Him in a cloud.

Holy Week - Good Friday


The Judas Kiss by Gustave Doré, 1866
According to the accounts in the Gospels, the Temple Guards, guided by Jesus' disciple Judas Iscariot, arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas received money (30 pieces of silver) (Matthew 26:14-16) for betraying Jesus and told the guards that whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Following his arrest, Jesus is brought to the house of Annas, who is the father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas. There he is interrogated with little result and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest where the Sanhedrin had assembled (John 18:1-24).
Conflicting testimony against Jesus is brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answers nothing. Finally the high priest adjures Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testifies in the affirmative, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemns Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedrin concurs with a sentence of death (Matthew 26:57-66). Peter, waiting in the courtyard, also denies Jesus three times to bystanders while the interrogations were proceeding just as Jesus had predicted.

A Good Friday procession in Mumbai by Indian Roman Catholics, depicting the Way of the Cross
In the morning, the whole assembly brings Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king (Luke 23:1-2). Pilate authorizes the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own law and execute sentencing; however, the Jewish leaders reply that they are not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death (John 18:31).
Pilate questions Jesus and tells the assembly that there is no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate refers the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod questions Jesus but receives no answer; Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate tells the assembly that neither he nor Herod have found guilt in Jesus; Pilate resolves to have Jesus whipped and released (Luke 23:3-16). Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asks for Barabbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asks what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demand, "Crucify him" (Mark 15:6-14). Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day, and she forewarns Pilate to "have nothing to do with this righteous man" (Matthew 27:19). Pilate has Jesus flogged and then brings him out to the crowd to release him. The chief priests inform Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came (John 19:1-9).

Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Ecce Homo with Jesus and Pontius Pilate, 19th century
Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declares Jesus innocent and washed his own hands in water to show he has no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot (Matthew 27:24-26) and ultimately to keep his job. The sentence written is "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carries his cross to the site of execution (assisted by Simon of Cyrene), called the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and in Latin "Calvary". There he is crucified along with two criminals (John 19:17-22).
Jesus agonizes on the cross for six hours. During his last 3 hours on the cross, from noon to 3 p.m., darkness falls over the whole land.[13] With a loud cry, Jesus gives up his spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break open, and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declares, "Truly this was God's Son!" (Matthew 27:45-54)
Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus (Luke 23:50-52). Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus brought about a hundred pound weight mixture of spices and helped wrap the body of Christ (John 19:39-40). Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion whether Jesus is dead (Mark 15:44). A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out (John 19:34), and the centurion informs Pilate that Jesus is dead (Mark 15:45).
Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and placed it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock (Matthew 27:59-60) in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Nicodemus (John 3:1) also brought 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and placed them in the linen with the body, in keeping with Jewish burial customs (John 19:39-40). They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb (Matthew 27:60). Then they returned home and rested, because Shabbat had begun at sunset (Luke 23:54-56). On the third day, Sunday, which is now known as Easter Sunday (or Pascha), Jesus rose from the dead.

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