The air is warmer and filled with powdery, yellow pollen, the white fluffy blooms of  my neighbor’s Bradford Pears are viewable outside my front window, and the forerunning greenery of daffodils are finally poking through the ground.  Spring is here!  At least, in South Carolina.  If you are from the northern climes, I assure you, it is coming.

I have always loved this time of year, seeing the earth renew itself and reminding me that I am a new creation in Christ — the old  has passed away, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)   And in a few short weeks, Easter will be here!  For Christians, this is one of the most important times of the year.  This is the time we want to teach or remind our children of the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We often attend Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services in our churches, but we also want to take this opportunity in our homes to renew our understanding and appreciation of Christ’s sacrificial death and glorious resurrection on our behalf.

Recently I was thrilled to come across an e-book called Holy Week Family Devotions.  It was written by a dear homeschooling sister, Miiko Gibson, a very sweet cyber-friend who loves the Lord and desired to create “something that would capture the essence of the Holy Week”.  She wanted her children to be able to relive some of the last events in the earthly life of Jesus and reflect on how they were applicable to our lives today.  Miiko’s 28 page e-book devotional contains devotions for Holy Week, the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday.  Each day begins with reading scripture, singing an applicable hymn (it helps to have a hymnbook with this if you don’t know the words, but Miiko suggests you sing something else if that is simpler) and a key verse for that day.  That is followed by the short devotional portion, Looking at Jesus, written in simple language easily understood by younger children yet applicable to older ones as well.  Pertinent and engaging, the Looking into our Hearts section contains reflective discussion questions and applications and is followed by a prayer relating to the lesson.  Miiko includes additional notes for older children, as well as a hands on activity for each day’s devotion.  An additional family activity is also included to reinforce the lesson – we know those hands on activities make learning stick, especially for the younger ones.

I loved this devotional and wish it had been around when my children were younger!  Miiko is making Holy Week Family Devotions available for $6.95 and can be purchased on her website.  (Click here to visit Grace Journey Press website). She also has created a board game to go along with this devotion.While you are there, she also has additional free downloads.  I love her Ten Hints for Keeping Your Daughters Heart. Enjoy!

God’s blessings on you and your families this week,