The First Words Of Easter

- Newspaper gives words of advice for Easter

The Patriot-News --- Harrisburg, PA

PennLive. Com (section)

By CHRIS MAUTNER,

Tuesday March 30, 2010, 2:23AM

Surviving Easter: How To Ensure Your Kids Have A Happy, Fun Holiday

The Easter holidays are upon us and no doubt filling excited children’s heads with visions of colored eggs, chocolate rabbits and jellybeans. But for many youngsters, Easter also means having to sit still and behave — either in church or at a relative’s house — a prospect that can be fraught with frustration and difficulty.

What’s the best way to ensure little Johnny or Jane doesn’t get into trouble? To get the answer, we consulted educator and best-selling author Joy Berry (author, educator and child developmentalist).

“The most important thing to remember is that 80 percent of misbehavior is caused by boredom,” she said. “When they don’t have something to do they’ll make up something and often that’s not the best thing in the world.”

IN CHURCH

Many moms and dads have romantic notions about the whole family going to church on Easter morning and getting a wonderful religious experience, but that’s really not realistic according to Berry.

She best thing, she (Joy Berry) suggested,

<.....is to simply keep the kids away from the service.......>

“They’re designed by adults for adults and not appropriate for children,” she said

Most churches have a day care area or Sunday school offering that kids can attend while the service is going on. However, if you do have a situation where the child has to attend services with you, Berry recommends bringing along quiet activities they can do in the pew like coloring or drawing.

“It’s better than him kicking the seat in front of him,” she said. “You cannot control a child in those situations. An hour is an eternity.

<...... It just isn’t an appropriate place for children.” .....>

<..... What’s more, dragging young kids to church will create negative associations that will encourage him to avoid the place when he’s older......>

<..... “I always say the damage you do by making the experience negative is far worse than if you didn’t go at all, .....>

” Berry said.

--- Article continues on:

EASTER BUNNY

Berry encourages it though, saying that it stimulates children’s imagination and aids in their creativity.

<..... “It’s very important for children to have these fantasy characters,” .....>

she said. “Developing imagination is one of the most important things you can do for kids. That way leads to creativity, which leads to inventions and interesting lives.”

- Focus here is on fun & happiness

- There is no danger or enemy, or emending doom

- No sense of urgency

- Rescue is not needed

Before the first Easter

- There was all of the above PLUS

- There is Tears

- There is Hopelessness

- There is Lost

- There is no Savior

-There is no Salvation

The First Words of Easter Changes Everything

- Me ssages & books have been written on the 7 Words on the cross

- Jn 20:15 – Gives us the 7 Words of Easter

… Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?

- The First words of Easter was a question

- The first question ever asked

Genesis 3:9KJV

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

- Here it was to man after he had sinned

- Now to a women who loved the sinless

❶. WOMEN

- Strength For the weak

- Speaking of the weaker sex

- A women’s right was through her husband

- ID in v.1 Mary Magdalene

Luke 8:2KJV

And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

- Disciples were respectable

- Mary was demon possessed with 7 demons

- Jesus comes to who ever we are

- Changes the past into New Life

❷. WHY

- Answers for the Confused

- Here is a problem – Pain, a sense of lost. Bitterness

- Confusion “Why me?”, “Why did this happen?”. “Why now?”

- First time “Why” is used in scripture

- Dealing with emotion

Genesis 4:6KJV

And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth (angry, displeased, furious)? and why is thy countenance fallen (looking unhappy, sad, the scowl)?

The “Why” at the Cross

Matthew 27:46KJV

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

❸. WEEPEST

- Comfort for the Hurting

- Mary is weeping.

- Tears through the years over lost

■ First in scripture is Abraham at the death of Sarah

Genesis 23:2KJV

2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.