BeltnBeyond Vol4Issue26 3.22.18_for web

6 COMMUNITY NEWS
Thomas Greenhouse & Country Store
Shop local at a family owned business
Tulips, Lilies, Hyacinths and more!
Stop in and see what’s new
Fresh cakes and pies available for Easter weekend
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 am-5 pm
Sunday 10 am-4 pm
1602 Mount Bethel Hwy. (Rt 512) Mt Bethel, PA.
484-661-6553
Open now until Easter
Everyday
Experience the Joy of Easter Every Day
By Kathleen McFall
Like so many of us, I remember the excitement of waking up on Easter
Sunday with my brother and sister in search of our Easter baskets. We
knew they would be filled with candy - from jelly beans and marshmallow
chicks to chocolate bunnies and peanut butter eggs.
The Easter holiday was fun. We dyed eggs, had egg hunts and enjoyed
great food (especially the Easter bread, shaped like a basket, waiting for
each of us at our grandparents’ home).
Yet, we know Easter is more than sweet treats.
Easter is the core of Christianity. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
three days after he died on the cross. Easter is about forgiveness, grace
and amazing love.
We understand there are various types of love - the love of family, close
friendships, the love in the eyes of a child. Easter, however, is about a love
that is infinitely so much more. It is about a love that the world would never
forget.
John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.”
The joy of Easter is hope. Each of us has a dream for our life - a loving
family, a better job, a desire to start a business, or it can be something that,
right now, seems unattainable.
Sometimes our everyday life can feel so heavy that celebration is not a
part of it.
For Pope Francis, Easter’s joy and hope means “leaving ourselves behind
and encountering others, being close to those crushed by life’s troubles….”
Life can feel burdensome and lonely at times. Critical family illness,
loss of a job, disappointment in a relationship can make it difficult to feel
particularly joyful.
As we all are too sadly aware, another tragedy unfolded in our country last
month at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
We are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and, simply, citizens of the
world who have witnessed, time and time again, the pain, the grief, the
agony and terror of gun violence that can take place anywhere - in a home,
on the streets in our neighborhood, mass shootings in our schools, our
concerts, and, yes, even in our places of worship.
The world can seem very frightening.
In the midst of life’s unfortunate and sometimes tragic events, how can we
cope?
I believe we need to look to God to strengthen us. We need to share the
chaos of life with God so that we can finally stop trying to make things
happen on our own and trust that God is at work, even in our quiet and dark
times.
He is our most powerful ally who is with us when the challenges and
troubles of this world bear down on us. We can overcome our fears, for
the real power of letting Jesus into our hearts is how free our hearts will
become.
There can be joy after sorrow, peace after pain, forgiveness after an
argument and hope for the days ahead. We can choose to surrender our
fears, worries and doubts to God. He is our comfort and strength.
Easter Sunday is Christianity’s most joyous and hopeful day, but it
shouldn’t be a once-a-year
celebration.
Rather, it is meant to be a daily
reminder that, through our faith
in Jesus, we each have access
to His goodness and mercy in
every ordinary and extraordinary
moment of our lives. It is the
basis of our hope. That is where
the real joy of Easter waits for us.
Happy Easter!