Good Monday Morning!
Rip and I started our morning reading in the gospels the “who, what, where and when of Holy Week”. We want to walk this week with Jesus and when Easter morning comes, what a heart and spirit of worship we both anticipate! When you read and walk with the Lord this week, in best Chronological order as has been determined), it just makes Sunday morning a morning that you will wake up ready for the sun to rise and share in worship with other believers!!!! Easter IS MY favorite holiday! Has been for years!!!
The real drama of the Easter season begins on Palm Sunday (that was this past Sunday, March 29, 2015), and it is the start of what is often called “Holy Week”—the final days leading up to Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. The gospel accounts of Holy Week are of spiritual importance because they are simply a powerful, emotional story. As Holy Week unfolds, a large cast of characters play out a drama that touches on every extreme of human emotion: joy, hope, fear, betrayal, pain, and grief—and then back to joy with its incredible conclusion on Easter Sunday.
So, here’s a chart (offered through Biblegateway.com) that visualizes each of the different strands of the Easter story as they lead up to Easter Sunday: Holy Week Timeline
It’s rather small so here is a larger PDF version.
Here is a timeline that shows the days of Nisan and Feast Days.
Later today, I’ll be sharing another video on Simplify Your Life series and it’s from Robert Morgan’s principles taught in his book, “Make the Most of Your Life Before It’s Too Late.” He teaches in one chapter, “God Isn’t Disorganized so Why Are You?” and he shows in the Bible just how organized our God truly is, and the practical ideas and tips Mr. Morgan offers only affirmed what I felt in my heart to encourage us all to do, which is …. to do the work that it takes to live organized.
Living organized is a God-honoring practice. Trust me, being the sanguine that I am, I fought for YEARS and YEARS the whole “clocks, calendars, daytimer and being organized” lifestyle! I fought it tooth and nail! I also have to be bone honest and tell you … I would purposely surround myself with other friends who joined me in cradling an inner protest against it all, because it seemed to sooth my guilt when I had a group of supporters. The cliche’ is true – birds of a feather flock together.
Well, truth be told, the Lord kept bringing me back time and time again to THE LIFE HE LONGED TO LIVE THROUGH ME and it required getting organized. It required surrounding myself with people that I knew would be people of inspiration. They would be friends who’d challenge me to raise the bar instead of finding comfort in my disorganization and haphazardness. I started watching and studying those people who seemed to be so productive peacefully and I noted what they all seemed to possess. And it was this:
1) the ability to say no graciously
2) the ability to look only to God in prayer in how they planned and purposed their days
3) the ability to silence any and all naysayers with an unshakeable certainty of their own unique calling
4) the awareness of God’s presence in the big and small things of life
5) they were highly organized. Highly.
They had a joyous structure to their days and the energy and enthusiasm they possessed was something I craved. So, I learned. I took on their lifestyle as a class in, “How To Carry Out the Father’s Will With More Peace and Greater Excellence” and the results have impacted my life tremendously. And I LONG to share them with you!
Living out the will of God in our life, reaching the maximum potential He has always LONGED for us in carrying out His will, well, it just demands organization and thought and planning and being able to say one small word – “No.” We just can’t be all to all.
I love you much and … HAPPY HOLY WEEK!!!
lisa
