Did you have a Happy Easter? Celebrating a risen Saviour with you and sharing our Easter weekend on the blog today.
Some families dye eggs, we usually do, but this year we picked something different….. 😉
Come on over!
Hugs, T
http://www.rvoilers.com/blog
This song has been on repeat at my house, I absolutely adore it. It is perfect as we head into Easter weekend, and the promise of a Risen Savior, Hallelujah!
You never change, you are the God you say you are;
When I’m afraid you calm and still my beating heart.
You stay the same, when hope is just a distant thought,
You take my pain, and you lead me to the cross
What love is this, that you gave your life for me
And made a way for me to know you
And I confess you’re always enough for me you’re all I need
I look to you, I see the scars upon your hands.
And hold the truth, that when I can’t you always can.
I’m standing here, beneath the shadow of the cross.
I’m overwhelmed that I keep finding open arms.
What love is this that you gave your life for me
And made a way for me to know you
And I confess, you’re always enough for me
You’re all I need
Jesus in your suffering you were reaching your thought of me
Jesus in your suffering you were reaching your thought of me
What love is this, that you gave your life for me
And made a way for me to know you
And I confess, you’re always enough for me
You’re all I need
What love is this, that you gave your life for me
And made a way for me to know you
And I confess, you’re always enough for me
Always enough for me
Always enough for me
Hugs, T
We used to make these Resurrection Cookies every Easter, but honestly, even though I love the process, and how verse by verse you add ingredients, no one loved the cookies in the end. If you are looking for a … Continue reading
I feel like based on weather, I should be sharing a line up of Soups, Hearty Casseroles and Comfort food. Goodness! This is what we woke up to, the DAY after we got sunburned playing outside…… Well, … Continue reading
At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.
At the time crucifixion was the “worst” death.
Only the most dreadful criminals were condemned to be crucified.
The nails are thought to have been driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed.
Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long. Can you imagine?
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There’s a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder.
The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, later forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe.
Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross.
Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back then using his legs just to continue to breathe.
Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage. Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours.
Yes, over 3 hours!
Can you imagine this kind of suffering?
A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding.
He was simply pouring water from His wounds.
The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters (just less than a gallon) of blood.
He had no more blood to bleed.
But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten.
The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body.
The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face to the point of being un-recognizable.
The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp.
Most men would not have survived this torture.
All this plus carrying His own cross for nearly a mile, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones.
The cross was almost 66 pounds, only for its higher part, where His hands were nailed.
Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you can have free access to God.
So that your sins could be washed away.
All of them, with no exception!
Don’t ignore the reason we celebrate Easter.
It’s not about a silly bunny who delivers chicken eggs.
It’s not about new clothes and Easter baskets.
It’s about the fact that JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!
And would’ve given His precious life even if you were the ONLY person on Earth. Because He loves you that much!
The truth is that Jesus is the only salvation for the world.
What held Jesus to the cross was not three nails… It was His love for you and me that held Him there to endure to the end.
May today we be still.
May we be in silent meditation, awe and wonder at the ultimate sacrifice; God’s only Son, the perfect lamb, given as atonement for our sins. Sins so filthy and so ugly draped across Jesus, that the Father Himself had to turn His face away from His Son.
Or was it because He couldn’t bear to see the agony of it all, lest He send angels to swoop down and save His Son from this slow and painful death?
Thankfully, this story has a happy ending:
The grave couldn’t hold Jesus for long. Hallelujah!
On Resurrection Sunday, may you celebrate our risen Lord!!!!!!
He died for you. He would’ve given His life if you were the only person on this Earth.
The reason is….YOU!
Amazing grace, amazing love…….please watch this, it will rock your world today.
Happy Easter to you and yours, I am taking the rest of the week off to enjoy Easter break with my family!
~T
Here are some favorite Easter Recipes from years past:
Green Bean Haystacks Sugar Bunny Pops Lemon Blueberry Trifle Resurrection Cookies
I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Easter Weekend with those you loved most as we celebrated our risen Lord!
It’s late, we just got home from a fun-filled evening and I still need to make my grocery list and cut coupons, so here are some pictures from our weekend….
~T 🙂
I have no idea what Pax is doing in this next pic, but it was TOOOOO funny not to take a picture!
Easter Dinner at Uncle Dan & Aunt Gena’s house:
Trouble makers!
Now, look ferocious!
Hiding from the bullets inside……
Dale was trying to hit my lens. Close, but no cigar buddy!
Our poor table centerpiece, The Resurrection Garden, never did grow like it was supposed to!
Grandma’s YUMMY beet juice dyed Deviled Eggs! Delish!
Lettuce Wraps, recipe coming TOMORROW! 🙂
Lemon Raspberry Angel Cake: coming sometime!
Hope you had a Happy Resurrection Day!
Love, the 4 little Ferguson’s
In honor of Good Friday, I am choosing not to participate in Weekend Potluck this week. Thank you for understanding! I’ll be back next week….
The Death of Jesus
At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.
At the time crucifixion was the “worst” death.
Only the most dreadful criminals were condemned to be crucified.
The nails are thought to have been driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed.
Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long. Can you imagine?
There’s a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder.
The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, later forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe.
Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross.
Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back then using his legs just to continue to breathe.
Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage. Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours.
Yes, over 3 hours!
Can you imagine this kind of suffering?
A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding.
He was simply pouring water from His wounds.
The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters (just less than a gallon) of blood.
He had no more blood to bleed.
But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten.
The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body.
The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face to the point of being un-recognizable.
The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp.
Most men would not have survived this torture.
All this plus carrying His own cross for nearly a mile, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones.
The cross was almost 66 pounds, only for its higher part, where His hands were nailed.
Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you can have free access to God.
So that your sins could be washed away.
All of them, with no exception!
Don’t ignore the reason we celebrate Easter.
It’s not about a silly bunny who delivers chicken eggs.
It’s not about new clothes and Easter baskets.
It’s about the fact that JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!
And would’ve given His precious life even if you were the ONLY person on Earth. Because He loves you that much!
The truth is that Jesus is the only salvation for the world.
What held Jesus to the cross was not three nails… It was His love for you and me that held Him there to endure to the end.
May today, we be still as we think about why we celebrate Good Friday. May we think of the disciples and Jesus followers, who must have been devestated today, as they wondered, what happened to their Saviour and how could he save them if he was dead?!
May we be in silent meditation, awe and wonder at the ultimate sacrifice. God’s only Son, the perfect lamb, given as atonement for our sins. Sins so filthy and so ugly draped across Jesus, that the Father Himself had to turn His face away from His Son.
Or was it because He couldn’t bear to see the agony of it all, lest He send angels to swoop down and save His Son from this slow and painful death?
Thankfully, this story has a happy ending:
This Resurrection Sunday, as you awake, may you celebrate our risen Lord!!!!!! He is alive and He wants a relationship with you! He offers a beautiful and free gift……
Total freedom from sin.
Redemption.
A life eternally in Paradise…..
It is a free gift, all you have to do is ask.
Wow. Oh how wonderful, Oh how marvelous is my Saviour’s love for me!
Have a Happy Easter!
~Dale, Tonya & 4 little Fergusons
So an Easter Tradition at our house is making Resurrection Cookies! I love the Bible verses associated with each step, and the kids love to help make these!!! The end result is a meaningful Easter story and a yummy snack (breakfast treat?) for the next day. Dale reads the Bible verses and the kids take turns adding the ingredients.
*Plan ahead, this recipe sits over-night.
click for easy printable
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
ziplock bag
wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer
Masking tape
Bible
Important: Preheat oven to 350*F before starting.
Place pecans in baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them into small pieces.
Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30
Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life.
Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11
Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste. Then put a pinch of salt in the bowl.
Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’s followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27
So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read John 3:16 & Psalm 34:8
Beat with a mixer on high-speed for 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.
*A 4 little Ferguson reader just told me that if I would use a glass bowl, rather than metal, my cookies would have more loft!!!! Apparently, there is some chemical reaction with the metal and the egg whites that causes them not rise as much. Thank you for the tip, Debra!!! 🙂
Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons on to wax paper covered cookie sheets.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’s body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66
Leave the kitchen and go to bed. Acknowledge that the kids are feeling sad that they’ve worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in 
the oven overnight.
Explain that Jesus’ followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22
The next morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Take a bite, the cookies are hollow!
Note: Last year our cookies were not done, still chewy and soft inside, so we just baked them a bit longer at 350* that morning.
Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. HE HAS RISEN! Read Matthew 28:1-9
What are some Easter traditions in your family?
~T
We’ve got tons of ground to cover today, as I am SURE you can tell by the GI-NORMOUS title and let’s not forget post 2 for today is Resurrection Cookies, a meaningful activity to do with your kiddos.
So, enough chit-chat, on with the show…….
There are certain foods that come to mind when I think of Easter. The obvious, HAM, which by the way, is best cooked in the crock pot on low all day with a can of Coke.
No kidding!
Green Bean Haystacks, so unique and so yummy!
(click title for easy printable)
1 pound Bacon, Cut In Half
2 bags (16 Oz. Bag) Whole Green Beans, Thawed
½ cups Butter
1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
½ cups Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoons Black Pepper
Prep early in the day: thaw bacon, cook slightly, pull from pan while still soft. Bundle 10-12 green beans together and wrap with half a slice of bacon. Lay side-to-side in a 9×13 pan with bacon ends down. Place butter, garlic powder, brown sugar and black pepper in a saucepan and heat on low until sugar dissolves. Pour over bean stacks. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes.
AMAAAZING! And so pretty too! The perfect Easter side for sure!!!!
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We were in charge of snacks for Destiny’s class this year. When I saw these homemade “Peeps” at Weekend Potluck, I knew this would be what Destiny wanted to make. We decided to get crafty and do a mixture of marshmallow shapes and sizes and do multiple per stick, rather than following the original recipe. A big thanks to Everyday Mom’s Meals for sharing these Homemade Peeps!!!!!
Here by renamed by the 4 little Fergusons as:
(click for easy printable)
Original instructions:
Large marshmallows, strawberry flavored (We did all shapes and sizes.)
Candy sticks
Pastel colored sprinkles or colored sugar (Our favorite were the nonpareil!)
Water
Piece of floral foam or Styrofoam
Place sticks in marshmallows, to make “pops”. Dip each in water to dampen. Dab lightly on a paper towel to remove excess. Roll each in sprinkles, covering evenly. Place sticks in floral foam, standing upright to dry. When dry, place in a cup for easy enjoyment!
What we did:
Dip marshmallow in water, dab off on tea towel before placing a bowl of colored sugar or non-pareils. Use a mini wooden skewer/candy stick to stir around, carefully covering all sides. Place on a tray to dry overnight.
Carefully thread different shaped marshmallows on the stick in various patterns.
Destiny’s class will love them! We will take them later today for the Easter party. I think I will even let Ty, Avery & Pax share one. {gasp} 
I know, I know, I am letting up in my old age. I am trying to be more flexible at school with the whole “No Sugar” thing. With birthdays and class parties for holidays, I can’t always say no to sugar, right?!
But at home? That is a WHOLE ‘nother story!
~T
4 little Fergusons 