Because Resurrection Day comes early this year, depending on when you read this article, you may be reading it on Easter Sunday or shortly thereafter.  this makes it hard to decide just what to write.  Do I write on celebrating the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, or something else?  As I thought and asked God what I should write, he was very plain in asking "Why do you only celebrate my Resurrection one day a year?"  This really got me thinking.  

Many of us will sit back after filling our stomachs with that ham dinner (or whatever your tradition dictates) and after having had your fill of chocolate Easter eggs and jelly beans, thinking Easter is over for another year and now we can start planning for Mother's Day.

WAIT!!  Why can't Easter be the holiday that lasts all year long? We should be able to wish each other "Happy Easter!" 365 days of the year.  After that first Easter, it is here.  It is always here.

Spring is often used to define Easter.  The beautiful flowers starting to come up, the grass turning green, and everything coming to life.  All these signs of the Resurrection and new life. 

But the seasons blend into one another, the rains of April leading to the flowers of May to the sherries of June to the autumn leaves of October to the harvest of November to the ice and snows of January to the blooming of the crocuses in March.

The Resurrection trumps all that.  It is something entirely different.  The world has been turned upside down.  In Paul's words, "We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and He will never die again.  Death no longer has power over Him."  And it no longer has power over us.  So praise God for giving us his Only Begotten Son, who suffered and died for each one of us. But Glory Hallelujah, He arose from the grave and is now at the right hand of the Father.  Because of that, we have Easter now and forever.  You don't have to ever leave it again.  Each day you can proclaim:

Up from the grave He arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain
and He lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose!
He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
                               (--Robert Lowry, 1826-1899)