“As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Deuteronomy 33:25

"...as your day, so shall your strength,

your rest, and security be."

 Deuteronomy 33:25

Alleluia!  He is Risen!

A triumphant ending...

a glorious morning...

a beautiful grace...

an enduring hope...

an everlasting joy...

Easter.

 It's promises were born 

on a starry night

in a little manger,

grew to maturity on

dusty roads and storm-tossed seas,

died on a darkened hillside

on a wooden cross

between two thieves,

and were miraculously fulfilled

when a stone was rolled away

and a tomb lay empty.

Easter.

The greatest hope that ever was.

Without it, you and I

lose faith, 

grow faint of heart,

tremble in fear and doubt.

Without Easter's miracle,

why love?

Why give?

Why forgive?

Why live?

With Easter's

triumphant Resurrection,

we live each day with hope:

We try, we fail, we go on.

We start, we stop,

we begin again.

We reach out,

we venture further,

and we succeed.

We seek, we ask,

and we find.

Because of Christ,

we have new life.

Because He lives,

we live!

And because

He lives,

we can live

the miracle of Easter

every day.

-Excerpt from the book,

"The Stone That Rolled Away"

c.1993 Guideposts Associates Inc.

Afflicted Saint, To Christ Draw Near

Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near—
Thy Savior’s gracious promise hear,
His faithful Word declares to thee,
That as thy days thy strength shall be.

Let not thy heart despond and say
“How shall I stand the trying day?”
He has engaged by firm decree,
That as thy days thy strength shall be.

Thy faith is weak, thy foes are strong,
And if the conflict should be long,
The Lord will make the tempter flee,
For as thy days thy strength shall be.

Should persecution rage and flame,
Still trust in thy Redeemer’s Name;
In fiery trials thou shalt see,
That as thy days thy strength shall be.

When called to bear thy weighty cross,
Or sore affliction, pain, or loss,
Or deep distress or poverty,
Still as thy days thy strength shall be.

Orig­in­al ti­tle: “Afflict­ed Soul, to Je­sus Dear.”

Words By John Fawcett

(1782)

Music By Lowell Mason

(1830)

Morning Has Broken

Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word

Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word

Words By Eleanor Farjeon
(1931)
Set to the traditional
Scottish-Gaelic tune,
"Bunessan"

Cardoness Castle
Scotland

"If anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation,

the old has passed away,

behold, the new has come."

 11 Corinthians 5:17 (RSV)



Easter Blessings!