snowball passed away today. he's my monster's hamster. he was going on two years. it's just kinda weird that he died on good friday. my oldest was the saddest. i haven't seen him cry like that for ages. he prayed that snowball would be raised from the dead. as i was comforting my oldest, my youngest said "maybe we could take him to the vegetarian." as a family, we were able to talk about Jesus in a clearer light.

thank you Jesus that you chose to die for all and ultimately conquered death!

God gave me the greatest gift on my birthday. The Word He revealed to me was JOY.  The past year seemed bleak dreary, and unjoyous. He whispered it in my ear and then said it quite loudly over the weekend. The day after my birthday I was driving to my friend's house and the song "Joy" by the Newsboys was playing on the radio just when i was comtemplating on what joy was going to look like in my life. Then today at church the sermon was on I John 1:5-10. that Jesus is the light and being in darkness is being ignorant of divine things.  Darryl spoke so clearly on having joy.... it is not the absence of tears and sorrow but rather to be in a state of fellowship with God and having peace in the depth of my soul that everything will be all right. Wow. Thanks God for my gift.

5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[b] sin.

 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.