What Easter means to us this year....

I think the thing I like about patchwork, is that no matter how UGLY a piece of fabric is, once it is part of the mixture it usually looks completely fine! Just like in life, sometimes we feel like we don't fit anywhere or we stick out. But when we become part of COMMUNITY, we don't stick out at all, we just fit in....

As part of a whole! we live in a little street going nowhere (a dead-end street!) and we have lots of what we call street whanau (family). It's great, the kids play, the mums hang out and we borrow stuff off each other. Sometimes (like all families) we annoy each other and have to work out some boundaries, but mostly it is fantastically good and we all support and help each other. It's our community.

We all know when the others need a push or some motivation, like this weekend when I'm supposed to be getting the Decraflex books done for David and instead spent my precious hour of quiet making this red quilt top!! And I know when Christina needs to do her homework and not get side tracked painting bedrooms!!

Anyway, our family is a bit unusual as we are the only ones who go to Church. So I had been thinking and thinking about how to make Easter real to all the children in the street. The whole Easter message is a bit hard to understand if you take it out of context. After a lot of thinking, I made this tree and a pile of leaves to go on it. And I'm explaining bit by bit to the children how Easter is about new beginnings. I've told them (and their mums) that if they have something that they want God to make new for them to put a leaf on the tree. I think by Easter, this tree will be all green and lovely.

Here it is hanging on our wall. The glass containers are all ready to hold some special Easter treats! So this Easter, what would you like God to make new for you? is there something in your life that is old and tired and not working? Put a leaf on the tree (comment here and I'll pin one up for you!) Are you about to start something new in your life? Is it time for a change? Easter is a time when we can remember that God is the God of New Beginnings and He is the same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.... and for all our tomorrows.