From one Easter to the next

As I sit at my desk, looking over to my left are two paintings I did on Easter break last year. So this brought me back to Easter a year ago...where I was at, where I thought I was going, how I thought this year would go, etc. I even went back and found my journal entry from Easter last year in which I had written down a few quotes from our pastor's sermon:

"That's the great thing about Easter. You don't have to look back at your past, your old chapters because they are gone."

"Are you looking for the one who offers freedom, energy, excitement and joy? Because He has come today!"

Regarding having faith/believing: "Its not an easier life, but a better life."

I remember the Good Friday service I went to at a church in Omaha with two of my friends. We were given big nails to carry around with us as a reminder of our sins that are forgiven through Christ's death on the cross.

But that first quote that I typed from the sermon is really striking me today: You don't have to look back at your past. How wonderful is that! While it is helpful to look back at times to see the

progress, sometimes looking back has brought be back to that place literally. A lot has happened in the past year, I have hit highs and lows, I have made and lost friends, I have developed a better relationship with my parents, my faith has been tested yet today is strong. So why stay stuck in the past? I could go back to events, days, months over the past year and get completely swiped up by them. The pain,

loneliness, depression, frustration and anger that accompanies them could swallow me. But also surrounding those times are times of laughter, laughing so hard that I can't breathe and start snorting, running in races where I felt empowered by what my body could do, crying but experiencing healing through the tears, worshiping with friends, having music speak to me in ways that words can't at concerts or even just on the radio, and many more. All of these experiences have made me who I am today and while I can look at them, I am looking and moving on. Looking forward to my future and trusting that God will continue to carry me when I need carrying and that each day

I will wake up and the sun will be rising or risen. On Easter Jesus rose and every day the sun rises as a reminder of our renewed self.