Hope of a Christian Beyond the Grave

Is there more to life than being born, making money, and then dying and then people cry and put you in a box and then burry the box in the ground with a bunch of other boxes that contain the decaying bones of a once breathing human being? Do we re-enter as an animal or maybe another human being to different people, with a different name, in a different place, in a different time period? Will we one day meet a scale that all of our good deeds are on one side and the sinful, ugly things sit on the other side and if the good out ways the bad then we will enter into heaven? Is the answer to life that we are just an accident, we have nothing to live for, life is pointless, and that when we die well, that would be the end of that? My answer to all of those questions is NO. As a Christian I believe that I am a sinner. I believe that there is a heaven and a hell. Heaven being a perfect place that will last for all of eternity that has the presences of God and the absence of sin. Hell well that would be the opposite of heaven. It is a burning blackness that lasts all of eternity that has the absence of God and the presence of sin. Sin entered to world when Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit of the one tree that God said not to and from then on all of humanity is doomed for death and eternity in hell. BUT God loved us. He developed a rescue plan. It would involve the death of His only son at the hands of sinners like us in the worst way that we could come up with all for us because He loved us. But we had to believe Him and trust Him. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life." We cannot and will not enter heaven because we have done good things. It is all because of Jesus Christ that I will one day see Him face to face and spend all of eternity with Him. Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast." No we are not an accident. We are made by God with a purpose. Genesis 1:27 "so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." As far as the point of life, well that is found different places in the Bible but once you are a Christian we are to tell others of Jesus Christ and what He does in a persons' life. Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." The hope of a Christian beyond the grave is that because of Jesus Christ that when I die I will see Jesus face to face and will remain there forever! You and I are not accidents. You and I will not have another shot at life. You and I will not make it to heaven by doing good works. It is really simple if you believe that you are a sinner and the because you are a sinner you deserve to go to hell and that Jesus died to take your punishment and rose again on the third day that you will spend eternity in heaven. If you don't believe that then you will spend eternity in hell. As a follower of Jesus Christ I have hope beyond the grave!- Halfcup

Tea and Cook Out

Today included a girl's tea at a nearby tea place and a family cookout at my Uncle's house. Tea was fine. Going out like that is not my cup of tea HAHA! I got some good pictures. After that some of my visiting family members came over for some fun. After chilling and having a healthy snack of apples and grapes we hit the traffic filled roads to go get some grub that was at my uncle's house. Of course we talked and some fun. I also took some good pictures as well. That was our day in fast forward. -Halfcup

Today

Today we joined way too many people on a trip to the aquarium. Two sets of cousins and a set of grandparents and our family was just one big pack of people wandering through the building. To keep everyone together and in a somewhat organized way we each had a "buddy". I had my little three year old cousin. He was great. Towards the end it was clear that he was done. In the beginning there was not too many people so I didn't have to hold his hand all of the time. However, after we were done the shark exhibit, which was amazing, we joined many other people for the other exhibit. When we were with so many people I just couldn't let him go. So he asked, "Do you have to hold my hand because I don't want you to." "Well, buddy there are so many people so I need you to hold my hand" He said okay and tried to get his entire hand around mine! So that was our adventure today. - Halfcup

Good Friday

    Today is Good Friday. If today was the end of the story today would be a day of great sorrow. However, for followers of Jesus Christ we know that this is not the end of the story. Today is the end of the beginning. Yes, today is the day that we think of the mockery and pain that Jesus went through on the cross. It makes me stop and think when I look back and remember that He did it for me, but also when I look back I remember that the reason He did it was because He loved and still loves me. Today we remember that Jesus was betrayed by His friend, headed over to the leaders, the Jews and the Romans. He was unjustly tried. He had His skin torn off of his back by whips and a robe. He was mocked and humiliated. He was blind folded and beaten. A thief was chosen to be released over an innocent PERFECT man. Then after all of that (most people would barely be conscious) he was taken to Golgotha (the place called the skull) His wrists and ankles were nailed into a rough splintered cross, that lay on the ground with nails that resembled rail road ties. After fastened to the cross, the cross was picked up and dropped into a hole in the ground. This jarred his entire body and dislocated his shoulders. On either side of Him were two other criminals. While hanging on the cross the sky went dark, during this time God was placing the sins of you and Me on Him. Because He held the sin of the world on Him and God cannot look upon sin, God looked away from Him. After this He said, "It is finished" and He breathed His last. The seven layer thick curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was split from top to bottom. This symbolized how Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice that allowed us to have direct access to God. Jesus made the needed intercessory for us because He loved us. Later on, His side was pierced to make sure that he was dead. His body was given to Joseph of Arimathea to be buried. He was placed in a tomb and a stone was rolled in front of it. The stone was sealed and soldiers were placed by Pilot to guard the tomb.

    The prophet Isaiah prophesied about the death of Christ in a book of the Bible named after him. This section is taken from Isaiah 53.

    "For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dried ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief and carried out sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we were healed. All we like sheep have turned astray; we have turned- every one- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its sheers is sigh lent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit from his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of my soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors."

    I am not one to see pictures in writing, nor am I one for imagery, (just ask my mom!) but can't you see what Jesus did for you in those verses. In the beginning of this post, which seems like a long time ago, I said that Good Friday was the end of the beginning. Yes, I know that Jesus is dead and some of you may be asking how this can be the end of the beginning. Well, we have Jesus in the grave and guarded by soldiers. This next part really should wait until Sunday however, I will finish it now. After three days God sent and earthquake and an angel to roll back the stone. That morning Women came to anoint Jesus' body. They found the angel and he told them to not be afraid for Jesus had risen. The women were told by the angel to go and tell Jesus disciples that He had risen. Jesus later went and talked to them. He taught them and met with them for 40 days. At the end of the 40 day time period, Jesus ascended into heaven. Today He sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father. That is why I said that Jesus' death was the end of the beginning. To read the whole story see Matthew 26:14- 28:20, Mark 14:10- 16:20, Luke 22: 1- 24- 53, John 18:1- 21:25.

Jesus was the sacrifice for us Once for All. That is why I named my blog that. I got it right out of the Bible. See the verse at the top of the banner? Good Friday by itself is full of grief and sorrow but with the resurrection of Christ it brings hope! - halfcup

    

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Teaching Sweet Pea to Ride a Bike

Well, now she is five and I decided that now is the time for her to learn to ride a bike without training wheels. So, I went to the shed, pulled out the bike and took it to the Garage. There I got myself a wrench and proceeded to take the training wheels off. We started on the small incline in front of our house and ran with her down the grass, to keep her from falling over. Yes, we had some falls. Yes, we had some tears. No, we cannot ride a bike by ourselves. BUT, we got a good start and someday soon we will be going so fast by ourselves that you will only see a flash of light in front of your eyes. Some day soon Sweet Pea just keep practicing! - Halfcup

I’m back!!

    Yeah, I know that I haven't blogged for a while. I don't really have too much to say lately. Nothing out of the ordinary, it is just my life. Sometimes that is good. I am playing softball. Actually I should change that to trying to play softball. I am not any good. Well, regardless of whether I have something to say or not I will try to blog more frequently. Have a great day. Oh and I did add something's to my blog so now it looks a little different. -Laura