He is risen.

I am determined to read this book. It is a bit slow-going at the moment, but I am decidedly going to read it. I have attempted this feat quite a few times and I am no longer sure why it is so important.

Everyone else has read it already.

That is a little bit of the reason. I loved Narnia and Tolkien was a friend of Lewis. The world of these books, however, seems quite a bit more complex than the Narnian worlds that I grew to adore.

You read too much fluff.

This is sometimes very true. There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down and reading a mindless book about twenty-somethings like me. Especially with all the traveling I have been doing lately, to sit on a plane and try to get into a book like The Fellowship of the Ring is a little beyond me. And I like fluff! Maybe I am not stretching my university-educated mind enough, but I like it.

I am setting off on this quest to read this overrated trilogy and already my mind is thinking of the Borders gift card burning a hole in my purse and what great fluff book I could buy and read next. I am meeting Brandon for dinner right near Borders. . .

I must say that I had a very enjoyable Resurrection Sunday. We really steered clear of the eggs and chocolate and et cetera. Not really for any particular reason, but I think that I enjoyed the day more because of it. And being in the traditionally liturgical church that we are, there was a Good Friday service. It really put me in the mood for the whole weekend. The whole service was quiet and somber and we exited in silence which was such a change.

I thought that not having a voice around this time of year would be so upsetting because I love to sing and my favorite songs come out of storage. I even tried to croak along a little bit, but when I stopped trying to make notes, I stopped to listen and actually heard the words. Like Luther mused, there is such a balance between singing for the beauty of the music (guilty) and really hearing the message and having a heart of worship.

Covenant had a sunrise service on Sunday and I was so bummed that we didn't know about it, but next year I can guarantee that we will be in attendance! I really thought that giving up the Easter Bunny would be a big sacrifice in our marriage, but (don't tell my mom) I don't miss it!! I really liked having the focus on Christ (it only took me twenty-four years to get in the right frame of mind). And when we have children, I want that to be the theme of the weekend: Christ's sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection.

I have rambled quite a bit and I am unsure that I expressed what I wanted to. Yet, this was more for me than for anyone else and I feel that I have said what was on my mind. If anyone else understands what I am trying to say, it will be a miracle.

He is risen indeed.