"On Easter Day
the veil between time and eternity
thins to gossamer."
~Douglas Horton~



EASTER'S COMING...

Through the sunshine,
through the shadow,
down the hillside,
down the meadow,
little streams
run bright and merry,
bursting with the news
they carry,
singing, shouting,
laughing, humming,
"Easter's coming,
Easter's coming!"

~Aileen Fisher~



BLESSES ARE THOSE...

Blessed are those
to whom Easter is not a hunt...
but a find;
not a greeting...
but a proclamation;
not an outward fashion...
but inward grace;
not a day...
but an eternity.

~Anderson~



EASTER WISH

Easter is a time of love,
of family, and of peace.
It is a time when we say
a quiet thanks for all that we have
and for all that the future holds.
Easter is a feeling in our hearts
of hope and faith and trust.

It is a day of miracles;
a day when our dreams seem a little closer;
a time of retrospection for what has been,
and anticipation of all that will be.
And it is a time for remembering
with love and appreciation
the people in our lives
who make a difference...
people like you.

~Anna Marie Edwards~



SPRING BEGINS TO FILL THE AIR

Spring begins to fill the air.
Flowers peek out
from the last remains of winters snow.
Sounds of birds ring out
while fluttering to and fro,
building their nests
in the newly budding trees.
The earth abounds itself in renewal.
God has given us
renewal in His Son Jesus Christ.

~Author Unknown~



"REJOICE! IT'S EASTER!"

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
Let not your soul be sad
Easter is a time of joy
When all hearts should be glad.

Glad to know that Jesus Christ
Made it possible for men
To have their sins forgiven
And, like Him, to live again.

So at this joyous season
May the wondrous Easter Story
Renew our Faith so we may be
Partakers of "His Glory!"

~Helen Steiner Rice~



EASTER IS GOD'S PROMISE

Easter is a promise
God renews to us each spring
A promise that we'll always have Him there,
And like the flowers that bloom so bright
And birds that sweetly sing,
We always will receive His tender care,
A promise that He'll hold us up
Each time we start to fall
And see us through each hour of care and strife.
Easter is God's promise
That His love rules over all,
And through Him
We will have eternal life.

~Amanda Bradley~



I FEEL IT IN THE AIR

I know it's Easter time again,
I feel it in the air.
The breath of spring with woodsy tang,
And new life everywhere.
And spring glides on with magic touch
O'er mountain side and glen;
And wakens all the sleeping plants
For Easter time again.

The brooklets leap from rock to rock,
As if in joyful play;
The flowers peep from darkened tombs
To welcome Easter Day.
The birds are swinging on the boughs,
And trill in ecstacy;
They seem to show the world's great joy
Of Easter mystery.

Why should we dread the thing called death?
It's just an open door,
Where all within is love and peace
And joy forever more.
"Because I live, you too shall live,"
We hear the Saviour say.
Let's consecrate our lives anew,
On this glad Easter Day.

~Edna Reed~



EASTER

Although it happened long ago,
that first glad Easter day;
within the true believer's heart,
it's just as real today.

The Roman guards who kept the watch,
the early morning gloom,
the angel's words, "He is not here"
resounding from the tomb.

And oh, the joy in Mary's heart
while in the garden fair
to see her blessed Lord appear
upon the pathway there.

Although it happened long ago,
it still is true today;
oh, let our hearts rejoice and sing,
the stone is rolled away.

Kay Hoffman



THERE IS A GREEN HILL FAR AWAY
- (My favourite Easter Hymn)

There is a green hill far away,
Beyond the city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.

We may not know,we can not tell,
What pains he had to bear;
We believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiven;
He died to make us good,
That we might go to heaven,
Saved by His precious blood.

There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin,
He only could unlock the gate,
Of heaven and let us in.

O dearly, dearly, He has loved,
We must love Him too,
Trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do.

~Cecil Frances Alexander 1818-1895~



E.A.S.T.E.R.

E is for Easter, coming soon,
A is for angels near the tomb,
S is for stone which was rolled away,
T is for tomb found empty that day,
E is for early morning, the women are glad,
R is for the Risen Lord, no need to be sad.

~Author Unknown~



A CROSS IN MY POCKET

I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be.

This little cross is not magic,
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm.

It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me.

When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or a key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me.

It reminds me, too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say.

It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care.

So, I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life
If only I'll let Him be.

~Mrs. Verna Mae Thomas~



RABBITS ARE NICE NEIGHBORS

Rabbits are nice neighbors,
Kindly and quiet.
They don't bite mailmen,
Or make loud noises in the night.

Rabbits are ornamental,
Lop-eared and silky,
With long bouncy legs,
And noses that quiver.

And now and then ~ not often ~
They deliver ~
Eggs.

~Zilpha Keatley Snyder~

*smile*



MEETING THE EASTER BUNNY

On Easter morn at early dawn
before the cocks were crowing
I met a bob-tail bunnykin
and asked where he was going.

"Tis in the house and out the house
a-tispy, tipsy-toeing,
Tis round the house and 'bout the house
a-lightly I am going."

"But what is that of every hue
you carry in your basket?"

"Tis eggs of gold and eggs of blue;
I wonder that you ask it.
"Tis chocolate eggs and bonbon eggs
and eggs of red and gray,
For every child in every house
on bonny Easter day."

He perked his ears and winked his eye
and twitched his little nose;
He shook his tail -- what tail he had --
and stood up on his toes.

"I must be gone before the sun;
the east is growing gray;
Tis almost time for bells to chime." --
So he hippety-hopped away.

~By Rowena Bennett, 1930~



CHOCOLATE RABBIT

I got a chocolate rabbit
For an Easter treat,
A great big chocolate rabbit
Good enough to eat.

So I ate his ears on Sunday,
His nose I finished Monday.
Tuesday I nibbled on his feet.
I ate his tail on Wednesday
Thursday I kept on,
By Friday he was going,
Saturday he was gone.

Oh, I loved my chocolate rabbit
From the moment that he came,
And if I get another one,
I'll love him just the same.

~Author Unknown~



EASTER QUOTATIONS

"Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger that the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right;
Faith and Hope triumphant say
Christ will rise on Easter Day."
~Phillips Brooks~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

No, we can never think that Jesus died in despair
or "of a broken heart," as some have said.
He was dying in victory, not defeat.
He foresaw, if anyone ever did,
that future which is more real than the present.
~Frederick C. Grant~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The heavy, ponderous stone
that sealed Jesus in the confines
of that rock-walled tomb was
but a pebble compared to the Rock of Ages inside.
~Anonymous~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Our Lord has written
the promise of the resurrection
not in books alone,
but in every leaf in springtime.
~Martin Luther~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
~A. E. Housman~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Jesus died upon the cross,
He took our sin and shame;
He offers us His righteousness,
A gift for us to claim.
~Sper~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesus took my place on the cross
to give me a place in heaven.
~Author Unknown~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The cross is "I" crossed out.
~Author Unknown~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Come, ye saints, look here and wonder,
See the place where Jesus lay;
He has burst His bands asunder;
He has borne our sins away;
Joyful tidings,
Yes, the Lord has risen to-day.
~Thomas Kelley~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesus Christ is risen today,
Our triumphant holy day;
Who did once upon the cross
Suffer to redeem our loss.
Hallelujah!
~From a Latin hymn~



BIBLE QUOTES

But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.

~Isaiah 53:5~



EASTER CUSTOMS
Egg Rolling

Egg rolling is a traditional Easter custom,
and is still practised in a few areas of England.
Taking place mostly on Easter Sunday or Monday.
People roll hard-boiled coloured eggs down hills
until they are cracked, then they are eaten.

Easter egg hunt

Another game which is very popular with children is
the Easter Egg hunt.
Chocolate Easter eggs are used,
or you could get the children to decorate hard boiled eggs.
Then hide them in the garden, or in the house,
and provide the children with little baskets
to collect the eggs that they find.



EASTER JOKES

Knock, knock..
Who's there?
Lettuce..
Lettuce who?
Lettuce hide some eggs.

How can you tell where the Easter Bunny has been?
Eggs (X) makes the spot.

What do you get when you pour hot water down a rabbit hole?
A Hot Cross bunny.

Why do rabbits do so well at school?
They're experts at multiplications?

What do you get when you cross a bunny with a spider?
A harenet.

Why is a bunny the luckiest animal in the world?
It has 4 rabbits' feet.

What does a bunny use when it goes fishing?
A harenet.

How do you make a rabbit stew?
Make it wait for 3 hours!

How do bunnies stay healthy?
Eggercise.

How does a rabbit make gold soup?
He begins with 24 carrots (carets!)

What did the rabbit say to the carrot?
It's been nice gnawing you.

What does it mean when you see thirty rabbits in a row
and they are all marching backwards?
What you have is a receding hareline.

What can rabbits have that no other animal can have?
Baby rabbits.



EASTER GIFT IDEA...
"Easter Poop"...and "Kisses"

Get a plastic bag
and fill with some chocolate-covered raisins,
tie with a some curly ribbon
and attach one of these poems,
or attach a home-made coupon for a bunny hug
or any other little gift ideas you can think of,
maybe a trip out.

*Poem to add maybe.....

The Easter bunny was smiling,
Spring was in his hop.
He had a basket full of candy,
You were the next house on his stop.
But he saw you being naughty
and his poor ears began to droop.
So instead of eggs and candy...
He just left this bag of poop!!!

OR...

The Easter Bunny came last night
So listen, here's the scoop.
He left a special treat for you,
A bit of bunny poop.

OR...

The Easter Bunny came last night
and left this little scoop.
Because you weren't so good this year,
You're getting Bunny Poop.

Bunny Kisses

This cute little bunny has hopped all day,
Been delivering delivering baskets for the holiday.
His paws are so tired and his little nose itches.
He left you something special-
something to fill all your wishes.
These cute littles hugs and Easter kisses.

~Author Unknown by me~



Make some Magic Easter Bunny Food

Mix glitter and rabbit food pellets
(you can find this at most pet shops)
put in a plastic bag
and attach the following poem:

Magic Bunny Food poem...

Sprinkle on your lawn at night,
The moon will make it sparkle bright.
The Easter Bunny may wander and roam,
But this will guide him right to your home.

To finish, decorate the label with Bunnies.

~Author Unknown by me~



ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE
I learnt from the EASTER BUNNY

Don't put all of your eggs in one basket.
Walk softly and carry a big carrot.
Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
There's no such thing as too much candy.
Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.
Keep your paws off other people's jelly beans.
Good things come in small sugar-coated packages.
The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.
An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare.
To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell.

~Author Unknown by me~



EASTER IS THE GIFT...

Easter is the gift of HOPE
Easter is the gift of PEACE
Easter is the gift of LOVE
Let us rejoice in Him,
Who gives them all.

May God bless you at Easter,
And keep you all year through.
May God give you all the faith it takes,
To make your dreams come true.
May His love and wisdom always help,
To guide you on your way.
May His light shine down upon you now,
To bless your Easter Day.

~Author Unknown~



THE EASTER FEELING...

The Easter feeling does not end.
It signals a new beginning,
Of nature, spring, and brand new life,
And friendship, peace, and giving.
The spirit of Easter is all about
Hope, love, and joyful living.

~Author Unknown~