Happy Easter weekend to you! I pray that you have a blessed time reflecting upon the death and resurrection of our Savior. May you know the hope of your own resurrection, because of His.
If you missed last week’s edition of Five Minute Friday, you might not have heard the latest news about the FMF Retreat. Help us spread the word?
[Tweet “Registration for the Five Minute Friday Retreat opens on Thursday, April 16th at 9pm EST. http://wp.me/P4RaMa-1ci”]
There are only 30 slots available, so mark your calendars! Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis.
For more info about the retreat, click here.
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This past week, on April Fool’s Day, we celebrated the first anniversary of the release of two beautiful books:
Surprised by Motherhood: Everything I Never Expected about Being a Mom
Warrior in Pink: A Story of Cancer, Community, and the God Who Comforts
I had the privilege of reviewing both books last year at this time, and would highly recommend each of them! You can find my reviews here and here — then go ahead and treat yourself to a little Easter gift, eh?
This week I get to share a fantastic new FMF Intro video with you, in which Asheritah from OneThingAlone.com interviews Karrilee Aggett.
You’ll see in the video that Karrilee is a pro at encouraging others, and if you’ve been part of the Five Minute Friday community for any length of time, you’ve likely been blessed by her enthusiasm and kindness!
https://youtu.be/joEGMySfijw
If you can’t see the video, click here.
This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is:
Roll up your sleeves, set aside your cup of tea, and let’s write.
GO.
Every year around this time, our pastor in Cape Town preaches a sermon two days before Easter. The title is often the same:
“What’s so good about Good Friday?”
It’s a question I used to wonder myself.
What’s so good about the day Jesus died? Wasn’t it a day of tremendous sadness? Why, then, should we call it good?
What’s so good about a man in agony, sweating drops of blood into the ground as he knelt down to pray?
What’s good about the harsh betrayal of a close friend, a betrayal that would lead to death?
What’s good about the mocking, the beating, the repeated insults endured by the Son of God? The nails, pounded into raw flesh? How could any of those atrocities be labeled as good?!
The day Jesus hung on the cross can be called Good Friday because of the last words he breathed:
“It is finished.”
The curtain tore in two, from top to bottom. From heaven down to earth, access has been granted. Sin no longer separates those who accept the glorious gift of forgiveness, made possible only by the suffering of the Son.
The punishment we deserve has been nailed to the cross, once and for all.
It is finished.
Glory to God. For He is good.
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Beautiful, my friend! It is good because the price had been paid and the Savior had bought each of us. It IS GOOD!
Happy Easter, Anita!
It is good because it reflects the finished work of Jesus. Just like when God looked over His finished creation and declared it good, so Jesus finished the work of salvation and so it is good. Sad, but good.
That’s partially why Easter is my favorite holiday!
Hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter, Asheritah! Blessings to you!
Kate, I love your pastor’s take on “Good” Friday. As we head into Easter weekend, may we all remember what GOOD gifts Jesus gave us in hanging on that cross . . . and rising three days later. He truly is Good beyond measure. As your post shares.
Beautifully written, as usual. 🙂
Amen, Jeanne! Thank you for your ongoing encouragement and participation!
Kate,
“The day Jesus hung on the cross can be called Good Friday because of the last words he breathed:
“It is finished.”
Yes! Hallelujah, Christ arose!
Thank you again for taking over the fmfparty. I am new this year, but have found such joy and the prompts are so often timely. Just last night, my heart was led to consider our enemy is “up to no good”, and in contrast, God is “up to all good”. He is capable of nothing else but good. I was excited to see the word “good” for the prompt as He’d already brought me there.
Thank you again!!!
love,
Tammy (sincerity and hope)
How cool, Tammy! Thanks for sharing that! I love hearing stories about how the prompts fit well for certain people. So fun! Thrilled to have you joining us!
So “good” to call you friend. Thank you for sharing truth and also thanks for letting me know about the High Calling linkup too. Worked a little overtime to blend the two linkups.:)
Fun! Glad it worked out! Grateful for your friendship, too, Katie.
Amen.
Yes, He is good.
Thankful for His sacrifice.
Thanks for the link up!
Thanks for joining in, Tonya!
So good to know that in Capetown, your pastor preaches on “What’s so good about Good Friday.” Good to know that the Good News is being preached all over the world. And that God works all things together for our good. Thanks for your prompt and for your words today, Kate.
Yes, that was one thing that totally amazed me when I first arrived in Africa, Betsy — the same truth half way around the world! God is faithful! Happy Easter to you and yours!
The world’s only true good news… “It is finished.” Amen! Loved your post, Kate-especially this line: “Sin no longer separates those who accept the glorious gift of forgiveness, made possible only by the suffering of the Son.” Praise God!
Have a Blessed Easter!
You too, Karen!
Lovely Link-up! Can you imagine I just discovered it? 🙂 Happy Easter!
Such a treat to have new people joining us each week! Welcome! Hope it’s the first of many!
Kate, you continue to bless me each week. I love what you have written. I also wrote on Good Friday and the death of Jesus. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. Thanks for all that you do for the FMF community!
Happy Easter to you, too, Mary! So glad to have you here!
Thanks so much for your ministry to the Five Minute Friday community. I am so enjoying the prompts and meeting all the wonderful bloggers drawn to this challenge every week.
Thank YOU for being a part of it, Barbara! Blessings on your Easter weekend!
Amen! We wrote similarly this week. Glory to God, for He is good. Blessings to you this Easter weekend!