I Celebrate Resurrection Sunday

There is irrefutable proof of the resurrection.

By Glenni Lorick, IBCLC

A grieving mother watched her Son die in the most horrific way some 2000 years ago. She couldn't begin to reconcile what she knew to be true about her Son with what had just happened. Now she was gathered with His closest friends as they all wondered what would happen to them. It is early on the Sunday morning after He was killed. Two nights have passed, and this is the dawning of the third day.

Suddenly she hears a commotion. Peter, one of her Son's closest friends, is saying her Son is alive. That's impossible. She saw Him die. But then her friend Mary from Magdala confirms it, and everything begins to make sense. The angel's prophecy before He was born, His teachings about the resurrection....it all falls into place. She had always known that He was the Son of God. She of all people knew the truth about His holy conception. Now she begins to understand more fully the incredible depth of God the Father's love for mankind. He had sent His Son, allowed her to carry Him, to nurse Him, to teach Him, to love Him in a way that no one else ever would. Then He had allowed that beloved Son to make the ultimate sacrifice and do what no one else ever could, conquer Death once and for all.

That is the reason I refer to today as Resurrection Sunday. The word Easter has nothing to do with my Savior. Today is about the fact that He conquered death, that in so doing, He made a way for me to also live eternally, and that He will come again (regardless of whether I believe it or not.) Today is about His Resurrection! The historical fact of Jesus' life, death and resurrection fills me with hope. It is the reason I am the person I am. So today I celebrate Resurrection Sunday, and I invite you to celebrate with me❤

100,000 Blog Views Giveaway!

Marley's post about Monaco has thousands of page views.

We are less than 900 page views away from having our blog posts viewed 100,000 times. That's pretty exciting. Since we started Nurturing Moments with our very first post on Oct. 6, 2011, we've had some posts that have really been fan favorites. Our readers really like current-issue based posts like this one that dealt with American Airlines and this one that dealt with Target stores a couple of years ago. Recently we had a very popular guest blog about this year's legislative session and the bill to decriminalize home birth.

One of our most viewed posts was written by Marley Phillips when she was interning with us last summer. Marley was studying the relationship between childbirth culture and infant mortality in countries with very low infant mortality rates. Her post about Monaco still gets hundreds of views each week!

Another one of our top five most frequently viewed posts is one I wrote about insurance and breast pumps. The information is still relevant! Of course no review of our blog would be complete without making mention of our most DELiCiOus post ever: the recipe for Mommy Milk Cookies!

One of my personal favorites will always be the post I wrote when my precious grandson was born prematurely two years ago! (He turns 2 next month and you'd never know he started out so tiny!)

In honor of this approaching milestone, and because it is almost Easter, we are having a special contest. Two winners will receive a special Easter Basket gift of their choosing. We just ask that you tell us in the comments below what YOUR favorite post ever in Nurturing Moments is and why. The contest will end the day that we hit 100,000 page views....it may one day, it might be two, but I'm pretty sure it won't be more than three! So enter now!!

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A Sword Shall Pierce Your Soul

Today we remember one of the darkest days of human history. As we think about the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus, we often focus (rightly so) on the agony He felt when He experienced not only the physical suffering, but also the intense spiritual pain of complete separation from His Father.

However, I want to take a moment to reflect on what His mother went through on that day. Thirty-three years earlier she had taken her infant son to the temple as prescribed by Jewish law. There a man named Simeon took Jesus in his arms and spoke the following words:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)

Then he spoke directly to Mary as he said:

Medieval art depicts His grieving mother at the cross.

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  (Luke 2:34-35)

As Mary stood by the cross grieving over the horrible death her son was experiencing, she surely must have felt as if a sword was indeed cutting right through her. I wonder if she remembered those words that Simeon had spoken so long ago. As she looked up at the dying Savior did she see the baby she had nursed, the little boy she had cuddled, the child she had lovingly taught?

No mother wants to see her child suffer, and as parents, we feel that we shouldn't outlive our children. Nevertheless, in those last moments of his earthly life, Jesus took a moment to make sure that his precious mother would be cared for by his dear friend, John. What an incredible bond between mother and son!