Crucified with Christ

 I hope ya'll had a wonderful Easter Sunday! Here in Oregon's Willamette Valley we had an unusually warm, sunny Easter. What a blessing! :) Even more of a blessing was getting to spend the whole day with different ones from the congregation. Not how we have typically spent our Easters in the past, but since grandma has been gone, holidays are a bit different in the family. We took a meal over to my grandpa's on Saturday instead.
 Sunday's service wasn't a specific Easter message, but a wonderful sermon all the same. I honestly kept forgetting that yesterday was Easter Sunday all last week and even up until the day itself. Some of that may have had a bit to do with how we did not get involved with all the typical things leading up to Easter - buying some of our favorite treats, getting in on all the sales, and so on. Personally, I wanted to get away from as much of the stereotypes of Easter as possible. I wanted to make the day simple. Every Sunday is about honoring the resurrection, and Easter Sunday is no different except for extra emphasis on that fact.
 Remember how I did those verses and such for the Christmas season? And how the day or so after I wrote about how that the birth of our Savior and Christmas isn't the end of the story? Well, I believe the very same thing is true for Easter. Many people have become disconnected from the real meaning of Easter and the fact that every Sunday ( especially communion Sunday ) is a celebration ( not like a party, but a remembrance ) of the resurrection for the Christian. And truly, every day should be a remembrance of what our Lord has done for us. Because we must die daily from our own thoughts and ways so that Christ in us may fulfill His perfect work, it is as being crucified with Him. Death signifying Life. A paradox, to be sure. However, there is no greater Truth than this.
 I've been remembering something that happened last Easter morning as we pulled out the driveway to go to church. It was pretty special, and I half wonder if it really was the Holy Spirit, just like the times in the Bible, but... right by our driveway was a white dove. We only have the grey doves now and then where we live. I even got a picture of it: