Blog – 5-8-19 As I continue to reflect on Easter, I am reminded that the resurrection of Jesus is a powerful reminder of God at work in our world. He isn’t a God who sits on His throne in the heavens and just casually watches what we are doing. He isn’t a God who has no interest or involvement with His creation. Absolutely not! Easter is proof that He is a God who is right here with us, and He is intimately involved in the day-to-day happenings in our lives. If we can truly wrap our hearts and minds around this truth, suddenly the resurrection moves from a spectacular, one-time event to something intimate and personal. Think about it, Jesus appeared personally first to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than 500 of his followers all at one time. Jesus has always been about showing up in our everyday lives and in the middle of relationships. When we confront this truth and make the decision to say yes to Jesus, the same power that raised him to new life lives within us. We ourselves have the resurrection power! The power that is able to bring dead marriages back to life. The power that is able to make lost and broken people whole. The power that is able to restore and raise up our hopes and dreams. I need to tap into that resurrection power in my own life today. John and I suffered a big disappointment last week when a dream we thought we were going to realize was shut down. It’s been in the works for a while now, and a door we thought was opening was suddenly and abruptly slammed shut. We were caught totally off guard. We are grateful that the waiting is over, we are grateful that it was a clear and definite no, but now we are facing the seeds of disappointment and all the “what now” questions. As I read Chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians today, I soaked in Paul’s powerful words about the resurrection power. It totally energized my wounded spirit. I especially love the last verse which reads: “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV) Paul tells us that because of the resurrection power that resides within us, nothing we do is in vain. We may not see the results we desire, we may stumble along the way, we may face disappointment, but that doesn’t mean that God is not alive and well and active among us. When we get knocked down we can get right back up on our feet because we trust that the very same power that raised Jesus to life lives in us. That, my friends, is powerful truth! And reality is, we can’t afford to forget it! We can’t forget that God is active and alive in our world today just as surely as He was on that first Easter morning. He surrounds our everyday routines with His redemption, His grace, His strength and His love. If you’re facing a disappointment, if your marriage feels dead, if someone you love feels beyond hope, if you’re in a financial crisis that doesn’t seem to have an end, if you’re feeling defeated, join me in claiming the resurrection power that lives within you as a believer today! God has not left you, and He has the power to change things in an instant. Nothing is too far gone or too hard for His mighty hand to restore. Together let’s choose to believe and have our hope renewed as we stand firm on the truth that resurrection power lives within us! Hugs and love, Jill