ours the cross, the grave, the skies

tonight i went to my first easter vigil.

it was beautiful and symbolic.  describing it here will only sound trite and sentimental.

i will, though, include the words from mr. wesley: 

christ the lord is risen today,
earth and heaven in chorus say,
raise your joys and triumphs high,
sing, ye heavens, and earth reply.

love's redeeming work is done,
fought the fight, the battle won,
death in vain forbids him rise,
christ has opened paradise.

lives again our glorious king,
where, o death, is now thy sting?
once he died our souls to save,
where's thy victory, boasting grave?

soar we now where christ has led,
following our exalted head,
made like him, like him we rise,
ours the cross, the grave, the skies.

"we are always carrying the death of jesus, so that the life of jesus may be visible in us" 2cor4:10

. . .

and tomorrow i am going to my first non-family easter brunch.  it's the first, ever, in my life.  i will miss my family that day, but i am looking forward to this "coming of age" milestone that seems to happen in big cities (though, this may be an uninformed generalization... like all of my generalizations are LOL). 

and i made this delicious fruit dip to bring.  cream cheese, whole milk, whipped cream, sugar, vanilla pudding.  dip some strawberries in it.  thank you, jesus.  i'm thinking of calling it, "edible resurrection joy".