MissDomestic.com

By David Ben-Ariel

Like dumb sheep to the slaughter, most of mankind continues to blindly follow pagan traditions, rather than obey God’s clear commands (Mark 7:7). Has it ever occurred to those stuffing their faces with Easter ham that Jesus would puke at the thought? Neither Jesus or Peter, James or John ever ate forbidden foods. They wouldn’t feel too comfortable at plenty of people’s dinner tables.

Even the early Gentile converts to Jewish Christianity respected the biblical dietary laws (Acts 15:20), understanding that not all foods are sanctioned by the Creator in the Holy Scriptures (I Timothy 4:5).

When John the Baptist recognized Jesus as our Passover sacrifice, he declared: “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). He didn’t say, “Here comes the Easter Bunny!” Again, like the Easter ham, the Easter rabbit is also rejected in the Bible as an abomination (Leviticus 11:6-7).

The very name of Easter exposes itself as a heathen festival, although it’s cloaked as “Christian.” Easter/Ishtar/Astarte is the Babylonian spring goddess our British-Israelite forefathers foolishly worshipped. Hence the fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs.

God isn’t fooled by such baptized paganism, such whitewashed heathen customs (Deuteronomy 12:30). He commands us to commemorate Jesus’ death every Passover and recognize His atoning work of redemption as our resurrected High Priest in Heaven, unleavening our lives of sin (I Corinthians 5:7-8).

The early Church followed Jesus’ Jewish example for several hundred years until Gentile opposition (from false converts) threatened them with a death sentence if they didn’t bow before Easter observances (the Quarto-Deciman controversy)!

A growing number now know, understand and believe the biblical account that we’re to observe Passover and that Jesus was resurrected before sunrise Sunday, “when it was yet dark” (John 10:1). Others prefer to reject this light of understanding to remain in their traditional darkness and die in their sins (John 3:19)– it’s that serious! Because if our nations don’t repent of such idolatry and immorality we’ll soon suffer national destruction, defeat and deportation! That’s why this article of faith is part of our plea to diehard Catholics and Protestants to repent.

Thankfully, every generation has those chosen few who are willing to reject holidays for holy days and “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered” (Jude 3). Hopefully, this plain truth about Easter will cause you to question your beliefs and provide some “kosher” food for thought!

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Ben-Ariel
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Plain-Truth-about-Easter&id=114571

By Jennifer Bailey

Easter—regarded as one of the most important religious feasts in the year—is marked by fun, togetherness and love. Feasts, get-togethers, and prayers together make up a happy Easter day. And to show our love on such an important day, Easter flowers exist. Bringing color, happiness, and vibrancy, they are sure to convey our message to all our loved ones.

Lilies are the most popular flowers during Easter. Another flower which is always an all-time favorite is the rose. Available in many colors, it has been used for centuries to express sentiments and deepest feelings. Besides such flowers, multitudes of other pretty, enchanting flowers like chrysanthemums, tulips, sunflowers, daisies and carnations, among others, are also available for Easter celebration.

Companies such as Dot Flowers, Larose, Brant Florist, Value Flora, Flora 2000, All American Flowers, Rose Guy, Dial a Bouquet, Flowers go.net, FTD or Florists Transworld Delivery, City Center Florists, and Flower Store provide beautiful flowers for Easter.

We usually have the option to choose from among different flowers designed in beautiful ways. However, some companies provide a customizing option too, by which we can personalize our chosen flowers. Brant Florist, Flora 2000, and Speaking Roses are some examples of companies that allow us to customize our gifts. While Brant Florist asks us about our preferences and accordingly creates a basket or bouquet of colors of our choice, Speaking Roses prints any logo or personal message in a unique way on the petals of any fresh flower.

Flowers are usually delivered in a box with a personal message and instructions on preservation and arrangement of flowers. Dot Flowers provides floral preservatives along with personalized messages and flower care information. Companies like Value Flora offer free chocolates along with the flower delivery. Vases are normally not included with flowers, but Dial a Bouquet provides a free vase with dozen or more peach roses.

All aforementioned companies usually have a hundred-percent-satisfaction guarantee, and provide beautiful flowers of high quality. There are some among these companies like Flowers go.net, Brant Florist, and Delivery Flowers which, if receiving a complaint, sends replacement flowers.

Same-day delivery and international delivery options are also provided by most of the florists.

Send Flowers provides detailed information about send flowers, send thanksgiving flowers, send easter flowers, send gift flowers and more. Send Flowers is the sister site of Long Stem Red Roses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Bailey
http://EzineArticles.com/?Send-Easter-Flowers&id=144331

By Carolina Fernandez

Just when we thought spring had finally arrived, we got blasted with snow flurries and wretched weather all day Saturday. Rain mixed with snow and sleet…and spring spirits dashed right along with hopes of getting anything done outside in the garden…or of simply catching a whiff of fresh spring air. Because my calendar tells me that spring has officially arrived—we’re ten days into it for crying out loud and chocolate bunnies, eggs and marshmallow chicks line rack upon rack of grocery store shelves after all—yet my eyes tell me that winter is indeed, still in our midst—we cannot leave our homes without bulky overcoats and sweaters—I’m caught between the desire for celebrating spring’s freshness and vitality with the inescapable resignation that winter, at least up here in New England, is still here.

Such is Holy Week. We want so badly to celebrate the Resurrection at Easter, but we feel overcome with the passion and trial of the days leading from Palm Sunday through Good Friday. This season signals—around the world—time for reflection. During Holy Week, we move—day by day—from sadness to enthusiasm. From the valley of darkness to the tunnel of light.  And that entails conflict.

Many of us feel conflicted these days. Overall, general “conflictedness.” The war in Iraq might be bogging us down in one way or another; college acceptance and rejection letters might be cause for overall malaise or even panic; and figuring out the calendar for summer activities for your kids in light of your own schedule might be more than you can emotionally handle.

I’ve been unusually conflicted lately. I’ll most likely be re-entering the official workforce in the next few weeks or months, and I’ve been interviewing, taking tests and talking with lots of different folks from varied areas of the work-world in an effort to nail down what I should be doing with myself, professionally, for the next oh, twenty years or so. A huge decision. We’re trying to figure out how to transition from having a mom in the home to having one gone during the day; how to shuffle kids to various activities without a mom-chauffeur yet with a new teen driver on our roster; and yet how to deal with the financial reality of multiple college tuition bills for most of the foreseeable future which, in and of itself is enough to cause discomfort. Perhaps my family just has too many balls in the air. Too many unanswered questions. Too many variables in the equation.

Yet as I look around, I see so many others facing conflict and discomfort. I cannot go one week without receiving an email or a phone call from a reader whose family member is struggling with one problem or another. Financial problems, health concerns, relationship issues. Most of us hate being uncomfortable. We hate conflict. Hate uncertainty. Hate dealing with the struggle in order to celebrate the victory. And yet that’s the real lesson of Holy Week.

However tempting it is to focus your thoughts and energies this week on the celebration of Easter—on resurrection and renewal—I hope that you allow yourself some quiet time to sort out the conflicts and discomforts of Maundy Thursday and of Good Friday. To focus on the sacrifice. For as you grow more fully aware of the sacrifice that Christ made on your behalf, you will gain immeasurable joy at the power of the Resurrection.

And if you are of another faith, please be sensitive to the fact that this week brings with it introspection for millions of people around the world. Passover will be celebrated by Jews and they will have rituals and holy remembrances, too.

So as tempting as it is when you’re in discomfort, confused…or just in a funk…to focus on spring’s lightheartedness and brightness, on chicks and on chocolate, remember that for a few days anyway, it’s not about that. It’s not about the bunnies. Even though, I admit, they’re taking up inordinate amounts of windowsill and tabletop real estate in my own home these days, and as much as they emotionally lift me out of the doldrums of winter, out of my own confusion and state of disequilibrium and into the sublime celebration of spring, they have little to do with the days ahead of us this week.

Go ahead and splurge on chocolate and on baskets. On flowers for your home or in a new outfit or on travel. This is a time for celebration, to be sure, come Easter Day. But allow yourself in the next few days, to internalize the conflict of Holy Week. It is one time of year when your internal struggle should be palpable. For we cannot get to Easter, to victory, without coming to grips with the sacrifice of Good Friday. Throughout life, we cannot get to true celebration without coming to grips with life’s struggle.

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; ten years of homeschooling and raising four kids provide fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is widely available online, in bookstores or through 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via seminars, workshops, keynotes and monthly meetings of the ROCKET MOM SOCIETY, a sisterhood group she launched to “encourage, equip and empower moms for excellence.”

Please visit http://www.rocketmom.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolina_Fernandez
http://EzineArticles.com/?Its-Not-About-the-Bunnies&id=176303

By Susie Cortright

Celebrate this season of renewal, abundance and love with some new family traditions. Here are seven ideas:

1. Create a kindness wreath for your front door. Begin with a small, plain wreath. A week or two before Easter, distribute 10 or more ribbons in bright spring colors to each family member. Whenever someone reaches out to another in kindness during the week, another ribbon is tied onto the wreath.

2. Fill a wicker basket with handmade cards featuring cheerful messages and perhaps a small gift or two. Leave the basket anonymously on a friend’s doorstep, along with a request that they empty the basket and do the same for someone else.

3. Sit down with your children and each create a special collage or drawing that depicts what Easter means to each of you. The artwork can become a permanent part of your family’s Easter decorations. Before they go into storage at the end of the season, scan them or take a photograph so you can record the artwork in your family journal or scrapbook album.

4. Videotape (or audiotape) young children singing a fun seasonal song. These renditions of “Little Bunny Foo Foo” and “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” will be treasured for years to come. Make copies and send the tapes to family and friends whom you can’t be with on Easter.

5. When it’s time for your annual Easter get together, present each guest with a 6×6 or 8×8 sheet of cardstock and ask them to handwrite a message especially for the Easter holiday - perhaps ways that they are feeling joy, gratitude, or hopefulness. Snap a photo of each guest and create a simple (and quick) mini scrapbook album as a keepsake, featuring one page for each guest - with their photo and Easter message.

6. Make a Garden Journal. Cover an ordinary dime-store composition book or journal with spring patterned papers or magazine clippings of your favorite flowers. Now record the process of creating your family garden this year. Make sure to include pictures of each of you working in the soil. Don’t forget the journaling  - and lots of flower pressings.

7. Buy or make handmade Easter greeting cards and send them to friends and family. Make a point to send out at least seven cards this season to people with whom you’d like to create a deeper friendship.

May these ideas for Easter family traditions spark more ideas that you can use throughout the year to celebrate the beauty that comes to us through friends and family.

Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com as well as Momscape’s Online Scrapbooking Magazine and  Momscape’s Organic Living Channel - all of which celebrate the simple splendor in our everyday lives. Visit her site today to subscribe to her free weekly newsletters featuring fresh new ideas and inspiration.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susie_Cortright
http://EzineArticles.com/?Family-Traditions-for-Easter&id=165381

By Susanne Myers

Easter baskets don’t have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar.

Bubbles

What child doesn’t love to blow bubbles? Grab a couple of bottles of bubbles for this year’s Easter basket. The kids will have a blast with them and with a little luck it will be warm enough outside to keep them busy and running around chasing bubbles for quite some time.

Sidewalk Chalk

Another fun treat is sidewalk chalk. This is the perfect time to draw on the sidewalk with the weather warming up. Plus we get enough rain in the spring that your driveway or sidewalk won’t be decorated for too long.

Homemade Playdough

Make some playdough using your favorite homemade playdough recipe (we have one at kinderinfo.com). Get a couple of small playdough toys to go along with it and let the fun begin.

Toys from the Dollar Store

You can also pick up some very inexpensive toys at the dollar store. I have found anything from Easter themed coloring books to kites in there. This is also a great place to shop for the Easter baskets themselves, as well as some plastic Easter eggs that are great for hiding small trinkets and treats.

Of course every child should have some special treats in the Easter basket as well. Along with the obligatory chocolate bunny, include some healthier treats.

Chocolate and Yogurt Covered Raisins

Both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins look like little mini Easter eggs and are a yummy treat. Fill a small cellophane bag with these sweet treats and tie a pretty bow around it.

Trail Mix with Jellybeans

Mix some low sugar cereal like chex, or cheerios with some small pretzels, peanuts, raisins, and some jellybeans for an Easter inspired Trail Mix. You don’t have to feel bad about your kids filling up on this. Pour your trail mix in a small bag, or fill some large plastic Easter eggs with the mix.

To enjoy weekly healthy menu plans delivered to your inbox every week visit http://www.healthymenumailer.com .  For family friendly weekly meal planning visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/info .

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susanne_Myers
http://EzineArticles.com/?Healthy-Easter-Treats—Easter-Bunnies-Bring-More-Than-Chocolate-Eggs&id=174827

By Sam Serio

Easter — a time of rebirth, regeneration, renewal — is also a time for celebration, and many people find that wearing Easter jewelry is an apt thing to do during the season.  You can choose from among a wide selection of designs, from the solemn to the elegant to the carefree.  Whatever your personality may be, you can be sure that there’s an accessory that’s just right for the festivities on Easter Sunday.

Easter conjures up images of rabbits and Easter eggs, as well as traditions associated with Easter.  Most notable of these traditions is the Easter Monday Egg Roll held annually at the White House, which is supervised by the First Lady.  Celebrities and politicians also turn out to watch the children roll Easter eggs on the south lawn of the White House.  Of course, you don’t have to have celebrity status or be a person of prestige to look good during Easter or any other holiday.  With Easter jewelry, a person could look his or her best and not break the bank by doing so.

Earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets or brooches with Easter-themed or religiously inspired designs are common sights during the season.  Necklaces with cross pendants or images of saints would be appropriate for Easter worship or mass.  Bracelets and earrings that have dangling crosses are also seen on women, as are brooches and pins with similar designs.  Men are also seen wearing accessories with religious motifs: cross cuff links and iconic medallions and bracelets.

When it comes to Easter festivities, you can look fun-filled and carefree depending on your attire and choice of accessories.  Stretch bracelets with rabbit or egg charms are attractive and eye-catching, and many of them are inexpensive to boot!  Similarly, you can get more into the spirit of the season by giving Easter jewelry to friends and family: charm bracelets are great gifts for kids, while adult recipients would perhaps appreciate brooches or pendants.  Teenagers and other young people, on the other hand, would probably enjoy Easter-themed belly button rings or toe rings.

You don’t need to spend a large amount of money to give Easter jewelry gifts.  Many of them are available in specialty stores and costume jewelry stores for just a few dollars, but even with the low price, you can be assured of attractive and whimsical designs and satisfactory workmanship.  Of course, if you have a bit of extra money to spend on Easter jewelry, you can always avail of them from fine jewelers.  And what’s great is that some fine jewelers have a philanthropic streak in them — they donate part of the price you pay for an item to a charitable cause.

One classic and classy piece of Easter jewelry that you can buy for yourself or for others is a Faberge-style Easter egg accessory.  Carl Faberge was a famous jeweler in Russia, and the jeweled eggs he created, made with precious gems and metals, were much in demand among the Russian royalty and elite.  Today, there are contemporary Easter egg jewelry pieces that follow the Faberge pattern and style.

Whether you are attending mass on Easter Sunday, or participating in an Easter parade, or watching kids have fun at the White House Easter Monday Egg Roll — or all of the above! — wearing Easter jewelry is a great way to express and celebrate the meaning of Easter.

Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician, and writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com  Also includes informative articles, comparison shopping, rare book excerpts, & link directory.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Serio
http://EzineArticles