From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the LORD's name is to be praised
         Psalm 113:3

                                                       Photograph by Christiane Palpant
                          
With the Easter season upon us, we are reminded of a past Easter in Georgia. Several years ago our entire family got up at 3:00 o'clock on Easter morning and headed for Stone Mountain to join hundreds of other people in an Easter Sunrise Service at the top. When we got there it was still totally dark, and we began a long rocky hike to the summit of the mountain, which takes about an hour. It made you feel like you were on a pilgrimage. As the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, the service began with singing and sharing of the Easter story. During the service all that people had to sit on was the ground or, if they remembered, they brought some blankets.

This was a reminder of what took place two thousand years ago. St. Luke writes, "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus." You can picture the sun just coming up, and the women rushing to the tomb expecting to find Jesus' dead body.  There were angels there to greet them and told them, "He is not here, but He is risen." This brings hope to all mankind in that we worship a risen Savior. As we witness a sunrise, it should be a reminder to us that,
"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the LORD's name is to be praised" or as The Message says, "From east to west, from dawn to dusk, keep lifting all your praises to God!"

We hope that you will have a blessed Easter as you celebrate a risen Savior.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul and Gail