Holy Week

My sweet kids and I have been fighting sickness on and off for a while now. I love the change in weather, but it can really hit my sinuses. So, I am a few days late in posting this, but I wanted to share what our family is doing for Holy Week, which started on Sunday. Don and I really want Easter to be as celebrated and focused on as Christmas. As Christians Easter is a HUGE deal it is the celebration and remembrance of Christ giving us life so that we could have life with Him. It's a celebration of the new life that Christ gives. We want to always cherish that and teach it as best we can to our kids. Here is a quick rundown of what we will be doing this week. We are a day behind on it since we were all so sick on Sunday. So we really started yesterday. So if you haven't started it's not too late!!

Sunday: Triumphial Entry

Luke 19:28-44; John 12:27-36

Songs: Hosanna (Hillsong), Crown Him With Many Crowns,
We also found print outs of palm branches and colored and cut them out and did a parade as we sang. (pics tomorrow)

Monday: Jesus clears the temple

Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:47-48

Songs: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, Come Thou Fount

Tuesday: Jesus teaching in the Temple

Matthew 22:1-14, 34-40; Luke 21:34-38

Songs: My Jesus, I Love Thee,

Wednesday: Plot to kill Jesus

Mark 14:1-11

Songs: All My Days, May the Words of My Mouth

Thursday: Passover

Mark 14:12-42

Songs: Passover Us (Peterson),

Friday: Christ Death

Mark 14:43-15:47; Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Songs: How Deep the Father’s Love, Hallelujah, What a Savior, Go to Dark Gethsemane,

Saturday: Waiting (Making the tomb secure)

Luke 23:56b; Matthew 27:62-66

Songs: My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness, All My Days, I Will Sing of My Redeemer, I Will Glory in My Redeemer

Sunday: Resurrection

Matthew 28

Songs: See, What a Morning, The Power of the Cross, In Christ Alone, Crown Him With Many Crowns, Let Your Kingdom Come (Sov Grace),

(All Scripture and songs are from a document my husband put together)

We are also going to make an "Easter Mountain" this year. Noel Piper teaches about it in her book "Treasuring God in our Traditions". This will be our first year making one and basically it is a play dough mountain/tomb. And it is used to show Jesus being buried and then on Easter morning he will be placed on top of the tomb... showing how he defeated death. Noel explains it much more eloquent :)

We also do lent candles. Starting on Palm Sunday we have 5 candles lit and as we read and sing on each day we blow out one candle at a time. On Friday all 5 candles will be out and stay out until Easter morning where we will then have them all lit on the table with Jesus out of the tomb and a huge breakfast to celebrate!

So much distracts and takes away from the true meaning of holidays. Don and I find nothing wrong with having candy and doing Easter egg hunts, but we always want our children to know why we do the things we do. We are so not perfect at it, but we love teaching our children and thankful for the grace that God gives us in doing so. I hope to share some pics from the week :)

Anyone else have Easter traditions?