easter gratitude

i thought this weeks gratitude should be for something that i am always grateful for and always using.   the Atonement of Jesus Christ.    i am always trying to better myself and none of that effort would do any good with out this tremendous act of love and mercy.    

this week, my tomboy princess gets to give a talk in church.   we talked a lot about Easter.   she decided she liked the symbols of Easter and the meaning behind them.

her is her talk and the 3 symbols she wanted to share with everyone:

My family and I have been talking about Easter and it's symbols for the past week.   I would like to tell you about some of the symbols that i liked.

The first symbol is the egg and chick.   The hard shell represents the stone tomb that Jesus Christ was buried in.   The chick represents new life.   When a chick hatches, it symbolizes Jesus's resurrection.   The chick comes out of the hard shell like Jesus came out of the stone tomb.

The second symbol is lilies.  I like this symbol because my grandma has lilies.   The white blossoms are symbolic of of the purity of Jesus Christ.   When lilies bloom, it represents new life and the Resurrection.

The third symbol is the butterfly.   The life cycle of the butterfly represents Christ's life.   The caterpillar represents His life on earth.  The cocoon represents His crucifixion and burial in the tomb.  The butterfly coming out of the cocoon represents Jesus arising from the dead and coming out of the tomb. 

I really enjoyed learning about the symbols of Easter.   I didn't know there were so many Easter symbols and  I didn't know their meanings.   I know these symbols will help me remember the true meaning of Easter.   I hope they will help you remember that Easter is about Jesus Christ too.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

because she has to give this talk in german, we had some dear friends translate it for us.   we are grateful for them as well.

here it is in german:

Meine Familie und ich haben letzte Woche über Ostern und seine Symbole gesprochen.

Ich möchte über einige Symbole sprechen, die mir gefallen haben. 

Das 1. Symbol ist das Ei und das Küken.Die harte Schale stellt das Steingrab dar in dem Jesus begraben wurde.Das Küken ist ein Symbol für neues Leben. Das ausgebrütete Küken  symbolisiert  die Auferstehung Jesu Christi.Es befreit sich aus der harten Schale, genauso wie Jesus Christus  sich aus dem Steingrab befreite.

Das 2. Symbol sind Lilien. Mir gefallen Lilien, weil meine Oma Lilien im Garten hat und mein Name leitet sich von dieser Blume ab.Die weissen Blüten stellen die Reinheit von Jesus Christus dar.Wenn Lilien blühen ist es wie ein neues Leben und die Auferstehung.

Das 3. Symbol ist der Schmetterling.Der Lebenslauf eines Schmetterlings stellt symbolisch das Leben Jesu Christi dar.

Die Raupe bedeutet sein Leben auf der Erde.Die Verpuppung bedeutet seine Kreuzigung und sein Begräbnis.Und  der Schmetterling, der aus der Puppe hervorkommt,stellt die Auferstehung von den Toten dar.

Ich habe viel von den Ostersymbolen gelernt. Ich wusste nicht, dass es so viele davon gibt, und ich kannte ihre Bedeutung nicht.

Diese Symbole helfen mir an die wahre Bedeutung von Ostern zu denken.

Ich hoffe, dass es euch auch hilft daran zu denken, dass Ostern mit Jesus Christus zu tun hat.

 

ich sage dieses im Namen Jesu Christi

Amen

i love the imagery of these symbols.  i knew the chick and egg but had never thought about the hard shell being the grave and the new chick representing the new life Christ took up upon resurrection.   

i love the imagery of the butterfly as well.   the always busy, constant growth that was required of Christ to be able to fulfill His calling is reflected in the little caterpillar constantly eating and growing getting ready for it's transformation.   the amazing way a caterpillar changes is significant as well.   think of how a caterpillar hangs itself up and just sheds the last skin to reveal this shell the hardens into a chrysalis.   Christ gave himself to hang on the cross.   He gave His own flesh and blood for us willingly.   He was then sealed in a stone tomb, this hard shell.   just days after that happened, He reemerged to show His glorified and changed body.   truly able to show His true self.   the words, "with healing in His wings" come to mind with this thought.

i'm sure we will be using this as an object lesson from now on when the kids find any form of this amazing creature.       

I hope the words of a young girl have touched you.   i hope you feel a renewed sense of the beautiful reason we celebrate this Easter.