New Easter Tradition

Sometimes in life, it is important to stop and reflect.  I read a great post on a blog I enjoy reading called "The Anderson Crew".  It was that post that made me stop and evaluate the way we have been doing things.  Easter is one of those things.  Every year we have given our kids an Easter Basket stuffed with toys and candy, and they love it!

I shared the post I read with Darrick and we talked about Easter.  It is an exciting time of celebration remembering that the Lord is risen.  We tell our kids that Easter is about Jesus and not the Easter Bunny, but how are we showing them?  We tell them it is not about the candy but then we give them a big basketful!  

So this year we made a commitment to be more consistent with our words and actions.  We decided that on Easter morning each child will receive some type of book to foster their relationship with the Lord, a verse written on the inside cover of their book that Darrick and I will be praying over them all year (until next Easter) and a few pieces of candy.

Last week Darrick and I went to the Christian Bookstore and looked through book after book until we found the right one to match each child's personality and where they are at in their walk.  We actually enjoyed searching for each individual child-they are so different!

Then we also took a week and thought and prayed about what verse to pick for each one of them.  We came together last night after they were all in bed and shared verses and picked the one that we both agreed was best for where each child is at.  Then I wrote it in their book and we laid them out on the table.

Naomi-6 years old

Jacob-10 yrs. old

Micah-12 years old

*We are not sharing the verses on the blog because we feel that they are very personal and private.

We told the kids last week that we wanted to start a new tradition and they were okay with that.  But what warmed our hearts the most was that each child came to us individually and thanked us for their book.  Naomi was so excited to get her first Bible, she couldn't wait to bring it to church and tell our Pastor!

We desire for our kids to grow in their relationship with God and in their understanding of the Lord.  How can they do that if we do not guide them along the way and point them to Jesus?  Parenting is a journey, and we are constantly learning, growing and trying our best.  We are so thankful that God holds our kids in His hands.