Beautiful Colors

I know I have commented on all the colors the trees turn here in the fall, but I had no clue they turned all different colors in the spring.

In the fall, we had red, orange, yellow, and green. However, in the spring, we have white, pink, purple, yellow and green.

It is beautiful here, and I thought I'd share some of the pictures I took while Ryan and I were driving around the neighborhood last weekend.

As Easter rapidly approaches, I encourage everyone to really meditate on what it is we're celebrating--Christ's resurrection. How wonderful is that!? Not only did our Savior die for our sins, but He was raised and now sits at the right hand of our Father.

Matthew 27:27-31 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Matthew 27:50-52 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

These passages are incredible descriptions of what our Lord has done for us. Nearly beaten to death and then hung on a cross for crimes he didn't commit. He didn't complain or try and convince the authorities that He was innocent. He knew this was what He had to do so that we might spend an eternity with God in heaven. So that when we are face to face with God on Judgment Day, that we may be seen as holy and blameless.

I love this next passage too. It shows the simplicity of what it takes to get into heaven. Simply believing and recognizing our need for God. That we are sinners but that Christ bore the burden of our sins.

Luke 23:39-43 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Thank you, Jesus, that you did for us what we could never do for ourselves!