GOOD FRIDAY

An Easter Encounter
Embracing Christ's pain helps us appreciate the joy of His resurrection.
By Tiffany Colter

"They're hurting him. Make them stop," cried my 4-year-old daughter Caitlin as she watched the Easter cantata. She stared with wide eyes as Jesus was beaten, mocked, and crucified. Earlier in the service she had danced and sang as Christ healed the brokenhearted, forgave sins, and provided for the poor. But now as she watched the sacrifice needed to do all of these things, she didn't try to hide her horror.

"Mommy, they aren't being nice."

"I know, honey, but it's okay. Just watch," I whispered back.

She shielded her eyes. "I don't like this."

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"Okay. I will take you in the hall."

I turned around to look back at the stage as we walked down the aisle. "Look, honey. It's all pretend. Jesus is okay," I reassured her. The expression on her face told me she wasn't convinced. I took one last look at the cantata before letting the door close behind me.

Two thousand years ago, it wasn't pretend. I stopped my consoling and pondered that thought. There was a day in history when this crucifixion was very real.

During the Easter season, it's easy to get so caught up in wearing the "perfect" outfit and deciding whose house to meet at for dinner that we miss the importance of the Last Supper.

Do you go to the Passion plays and listen to the Easter story and tell the childlike faith inside you "This is all pretend"? Or do you allow yourself to smell the sweat on Jesus' skin after a long night of prayer and pleading with His heavenly Father? Do you allow yourself to hear the buzzing of the flies as they crawl on the Savior's wounds? Do you chew on jellybeans and chocolate bunnies rather than imagine the bitter taste of wine vinegar from a sponge? Do you feel the ache in your chest as you watch your best friend die?

As I spoke with Caitlin in the hall during the cantata, she recounted the pain Jesus was feeling on the other side of the sanctuary door.

"Mommy, I saw Jesus. He was on the cross. They were hitting him."

"I know, honey, but he will be okay. Remember, Jesus came back to life."

"Yes."

"Do you want to go back in and sit with Grandma?"

"Yes."

I walked her back in the sanctuary and led her to her grandmother in the rear pew. I then walked about eight rows up and sat with the rest of the family. The beautiful music and chilling images onstage raised goose bumps on my arms.

Soon the lights came up in the sanctuary. My mom and Caitlin were standing in the back talking to the man who played Jesus, who was now in his street clothes. I gathered my diaper bag and two other children and followed my husband to where they were. I saw Caitlin's radiant smile as she pushed her way back to us.

"Mommy, I just saw Jesus! He told me he loves me!" Her eyes danced with excitement. I knew what she was feeling. She had had an encounter with the risen Savior, and her happiness was tangible. She didn't need the candy or the bunnies or Easter egg hunts. Jesus is alive, and that's the best reason for our joy.

Tiffany Colter is a writer and former youth leader from Riga, Michigan.

Copyright © 2004 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine.

Confusing Signs

This is from the Christianity Today weekly Email

Confusing Signs

Doug Lansky has been a travel writer and photographer for many years. In the course of his travels he has collected photos of odd signs from around the world. Some samples:

• A white highway sign in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, says, "Entrance Only/Do Not Enter."
  


• A yellow diamond-shaped sign from Mill Valley, California, says, "Not a Through Street." Right below it is a blue circle with a white arrow pointing straight ahead and the words, "Evacuation Route."
  


• A sign in Pennsylvania says, "Invisible Fence Now Open."
  


• A sign from Tibet reads: "Lhasa Recelption Centre for the Unorganized Tourists."
  


• A sign from Rome, Georgia, says, "Used Rainbows, $250 and Up."
  


• And finally, a blue sign with white letters reads: "Pakistan-Narcotics Control Board Investigating Unit." But it is obscured a bit by the marijuana growing up in front of it.

—Doug Lansky, Signspotting.com; submitted by Lee Eclov

END OF THE ROAD

After visiting the Ida Bay Railway we drove on for half an hour to the farthest point that can be reached by road in Australia. It is at Cockle Bay. To get there we went through some lush forest and followed a stunning coastline bordered by white beaches. A five minute walk took us to the end of the road at the edge of the southern coast where it is marked by a large sculpture of a whale. A sad reminder of a whaling industry that only stopped because whales were almost made extinct. At least the location is in a National Park and will not become a "Lands End" development like in the UK.

IDA BAY RAILWAY

We went to Swanport in the far south of Tas. today to ride on the Ida Bay Railway. This is a restored narrow gage tramway that takes visitors through a variety of vegetation including native buttongrass ,and beside a pituresque bay where two sea eagles live ,to the site of the wharf used to load ships with limestone from Lune River. John Woodcock Graves author of "D'ye ken John Peel" purchased a block near the township in 1863. It is a memorable trip and the $20 ticket(age discount) for a two hour excursion great value for money.

I celebrated my connection to broadband last week after a six month wait. This has meant I can return to my Blog . This was difficult to keep up to date using "dial - up". My service supplier Westnet lived up to its reputation for supplying excellent customer service. It is good to be back.

Macro Merging Photos

My friend in the Photo Club referred me to a freeware program that enables the photographer to take macro photographs that focus on particular parts of the subject that you want to appear in focus in the final product. Usually a macro photo places some parts in focus while leaving other key parts slightly out of focus. The software combines all the images taken and seamlessly connects them together to produce a superior end result. I am about to put this to the test.
When looking for the web site I also found this important information relating to Z.
The software is called "CombineZ"http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_72/essay.html

23.1.3 Perspective z-Coordinate Transformations

The z value in eye coordinates, z_eye, can be computed from the window coordinate z value, z_window, using the near and far plane values, near and far, from the glFrustum() command and the viewport near and far values, far_vp and near_vp, from the glDepthRange() command using the equation:

The z window coordinate is computed from the eye coordinate z using the equation:

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My New Boat.

IMG_5489
Originally uploaded by nrmn_kelley.

A 1980 Quintrex that was restored and with an added flooring. I am about to tow it to Hobart. My first jpourney was to the service staion where i did not allow for its width and jammed it against the bowser protection pole. I provided entertainment for the other motorists as I skilfully got it free with only a slight scratch ;and it only took me 10 minutes.