March 25: Contentment / Making Homemade Easter Resurrection Eggs, Part 2

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CONTENTMENT SCRIPTURES

Philippians 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 

Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

Practice Makes Perfect

• Choose to give anxieties to God
• Choose to pray specifically
• Choose to be thankful
• Choose to dwell on the positive

(Linda Dillow, Calm My Anxious Heart)

[excerpted from Contentment: A Matter of the Heart 

by Karen Horsey / Karen's Kreations]

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Making Homemade Easter Eggs, Part 2
(continued from yesterday)

Once you have gathered all of your supplies, sit down with your child(ren) and start decorating the outside of each colored egg.  Ages 3-10 really enjoy this type of activity.  Be creative and make it fun.  Be as elaborate or as simple as you like.  There should be nine (9)  eggs in all.    If you're really creative, you could decoupage your eggs but young children generally like anything using glue.  :)   Add other colored eggs to fill your basket.  Here are our decorated eggs.


If you can find a 6" nail or larger, add that to the basket to show what the nails were like that were nailed into Jesus' hands and feet.

After the eggs have dried overnight, the next step is to fill each egg with a representation of that day's part of the Easter story as told in the Bible.   Read the passages for other ideas.  I put a small piece of card inside each egg with the scripture passage references which can then be looked up in your Bible as you open each egg.


Criss cross a piece of purple fabric with a piece of white fabric inside your basket.  As you fill the eggs, lay them carefully inside the basket.

Day 1  Saturday 
      Scripture:  Luke 2: 1-20  (Christmas / The Nativity)

      Egg ideas:   star (led the way), angel, bow (God's greatest gift)

Day 2  Palm Sunday
      Scripture:  Luke 19: 28-48

      Egg ideas:  toy donkey, piece of palm frond

Day 3  Monday

      Scripture:  Luke 22:1-30

      Egg ideas:  communion cup, piece of cracker (fill cup and drink/eat)

Day 4  Tuesday
      Scripture:  Luke 22: 39-53

      Egg ideas:   flower, praying hands, lipstick kiss on card, three dimes

Day 5  Wednesday

      Scripture:   Luke 22: 54-71

      Egg ideas:   small rooster

Day 6   Thursday

      Scripture:   Luke 23: 1-33

      Egg ideas:    toothpick crown, three nails (show the large nail)

Day 7   Friday
      Scripture:  Matthew 27: 33-56

      Egg ideas:   piece of fabric (to be torn), toothpick cross

Day 8    Saturday
      Scripture:   Exodus 12: 1-30  (Passover)

      Egg ideas:    cotton soaked in red food coloring (blood), toy baby

Day 9   Easter Sunday
      Scripture:    Luke 24

      Egg ideas:    stone, gold cross

Fold the fabric pieces over each other when first presenting the basket to the children. Make it an event.

Begin on Palm Sunday, and as a family read the scripture(s) together for that day.  Let your child open one egg each day.  If you have more than one child, let them take turns each day.  My sons really looked forward to this.  As they got older, they would plan the days to be sure they got to be the one to open the egg on Easter Sunday. :)

We made this a tradition in our home from the time our older son was three years old until my younger son was about 12 years old.  We still put the egg basket out each year and all of us remember learning the basics of the Easter story this way.  This could also be used for a Sunday school class or other small group.