I love the Easter season. It brings with it such a wonderful feeling of hope. As the days get longer and also a bit warmer, we slowly forget the brutality of the winter and hold onto the promise of renewal that spring brings.

With each passing day, the sun’s rays deliver a more positive energy depositing with it smiles on every face it encounters.

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Pastor Paul delivered a very inspiring message on Easter Sunday. I could listen to him talk for hours (and sometimes it feels like he does) LOL.

This particular sermon was so powerful. He talked about what he called “the big question”.

Is there anything after death?

I suppose that’s a hard question for many people to answer. I personally have always believed through this remarkable life that we’ve been given, we have an opportunity to earn a seat in Heaven. It is how we choose to live this life that will be the determining factor.

You see, as Christians, we believe God sent His only son, Jesus, who was crucified and died for our sins. He was buried, then rose on the third day.

Period.

End of story.

But this is not just a “story”. There is factual evidence to back it up.

In fact, if this were a court case, there would be a witness list so long that it would fill a 3-ring binder all on its own with hundreds of names.

And when the opposition would ask for an offer of proof for these hundreds of witnesses, meaning what they will testify to, the response would be that they will all give eye-witness accounts to seeing Jesus with their own eyes AFTER He was crucified and buried.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, THAT is objective evidence of the resurrection. Irrefutable evidence.

The standard of proof in a civil case is preponderance of the evidence, requiring that a claim is more likely than not (greater than 50 percent) to be true.

There are innumerable accounts of Jesus living as a man, performing miracles and teaching about His Father’s plan. The cross was not a mere interruption, as Pastor Paul said in his sermon. It was always part of the plan. So was the resurrection.

It was all perfectly orchestrated and perfectly fulfilled.

And for those that don’t believe in Jesus, my question is: What more do you need to know?

There are plenty of juries that will disregard eye-witness testimony and demand DNA evidence. And for some, short of being brought back in a time machine, they will simply choose not to believe. Maybe it’s because they aren’t willing to live the type of life that will prepare them for what is yet to come.

Honestly, how did we get here if not for God creating us? And why would we be given this beautiful gift we call life if it all just ended with our physical death and there was nothing more?

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Mike and I will be married in two short days! It’s so exciting! He’s doing pretty good and we’ve had a few appointments with doctors. The biggest one to report on is the ophthalmologist. She felt he is improving a little bit with his vision but at this point, being a year out from the stroke, the vision loss he has in both eyes is seen as permanent.

We are going to look into the prism glasses that I’ve read about. She doesn’t do that. That’s for an optometrist. She said there’s no scientific evidence to suggest it helps, but it certainly cannot hurt. We are hoping it will help even a little bit. Anything at this point will be something.

Mike is slowly starting to work again in his shop, which brings him that inner joy and peace that comes from doing what you love and feeling fulfilled and useful. A necessary thing for any human being, I would say.

His customers are wonderful and bringing him work just from past encounters with him or word of mouth. He’s also getting some business back from his Fleet Response client, which is huge.

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From an early age, I have thought long and hard about the crucifixion. It was something that haunted me as a child. I grew up going to Catholic school and we would do the Stations of the Cross every Lenten season. To even think about that kind of human suffering that Jesus endured for me, for you, for our sins, not his, hits very deeply.

I work in the Justice System and I always think of fairness. I mean, how unfair is that? But He didn’t question His purpose. He loved us that much that He was willing to be tortured and to die in order to save us.

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Death is, indeed, a sad thing. When my dad passed away, I was devastated. Knowing I couldn’t see him again or hear his voice just hurt so much.

But when I think of my own death, it’s more scary thinking about who I will leave behind and how it will affect them than the actual thought of not being here anymore. I am not afraid to die. But I do want more time to prove I am worthy of my spot in Heaven and also to help prepare my loved ones for my absence.

I rarely go to the cemetery where my dad is buried. It’s more a sign of respect, and I understand that and try to honor that. But there is nothing there for me. It does not bring me peace to visit the place where my dad’s physical body resides. I choose to remember him and honor him in how I live my life and celebrate his spirit that I feel all around me and hold dear the memories that bring me the most comfort.

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This Easter season is a good reminder that if the Resurrection serves as a footing in our lives, we will always stand on solid ground.

“It is our hope, something we can cling to. Hold on when suffering and doubt come. Stand in it, hold fast to it and build your life on it.” Pastor Paul Beck