Death is Dead and other Real Thoughts

This is not a blog post particularly on Easter, I am just writing it on Easter Sunday afternoon - so some of it has come from thinking on this day.
A lot has taken place in the last week.
True Woman Conference 10 in Chattanooga
Moving out of Louisville, KY and leaving a job I've loved for 2.7 years
Moving back HOME to Raleigh, NC. I love the Triangle.
Driving 9 hours with a great friend following my Dad.
Being welcomed by so many to Providence Baptist Church.
Worshipping this morning for Easter at my new church home and not feeling like a guest.
These are some of my thoughts on that:
1. The unconditional love of God the Father. I learned that this week more. I guess it was on Friday morning, I was getting ready to head to get my hair cut, fixing breakfast for Dad and I. He said "I know it may not always seem it, but I love you." I replied, "I don't know why, I don't always show it back to you." Right as soon as those words came out of my mouth, I knew that I had in a sense declared the gospel to my Dad. God the Father loves me unconditionally - all the time, even when I don't see it, don't feel it, or definitely don't deserve it. He loves me during the times I disrespect him, ignore him, don't want to spend time with Him, etc.
2. The Body of Christ. This wins out over Facebook. I had a amazing help by 6 guy friends in the ville for moving me out so quickly - 45 minutes. And Rachael pretty much hands down cleaned my whole apt as I was directing the guys and saying my goodbyes. But, earlier in the week I had no clue how I was going to get all my stuff in my apt. I had very little help. By the time I got to the apt on Tuesday, I had about 10 people helping - and we finished it in about 25 minutes. Some were friends, some only stayed 5 minutes because there wasn't anything else to be done, but the peeps who did most of the work were people I didn't even know. They just wanted to help. This, my friends, is what the Body does for other members of the Body - and to people not in the Body.
3. "Death is dead." I love this line from a Getty song. I mean think about it. If the wages of sin is dead - then it is dead. Dead. Not half alive, not in a coma. The empty tomb conquered death for us for eternity. Does that mean we still won't sin? No. But, it means that sin has no more dominion over us. When I struggle with the sin of impatience, overeating, laziness, comparison, judgmentalism, coveting, pride, putting Christ last - He has won all those and I need no longer struggle with them. My Mom was talking about this on the phone while I was traveling home. All we have is Christ - as the New Attitude band song says.
4. We have victory every day. Pastor David preached on this this morning. We have victory over sin on Easter. But, we also have victory over sin on Monday, on January 3, on Dec 25, on July 16 - 365 days a year. There is not a day where we should live in the defeated dejection of sin. Christ's love is better than that life.
5. We are all sinners. As I was loving on babies this morning at the 930 hour - I had some cute ones. It was very interesting to see them during snack time. We laid out a sheet and sat them all down, poured cheerios in front of them. They immediately looked at what the other kids received and went for their's. I guarantee their parents haven't trained them to be stealers, coveting, envious, prideful, selfish toddlers. No. But, sin is by nature. This is why we have to teach the gospel so early! We are by nature all sinners, deserving of death, being loved and shown mercy by a gracious God. PTL. And just for the record, I enjoyed holding Rachel and Judah in my lap for most of time. Judah - that kid - gotta love him. We snuggled!
6. I have loved most parts of my life the past 2.7 years. Louisville - the friends, the job, and the restaurants - will definitely be missed. I have great friends there. But, there are other parts that won't be missed so much - that were extremely hard.
7. God has graciously blessed. The last 6 months in this transition have been hard at time, but most of the time I have seen and known the peace of God and known His blessing and hand of direction on this! I will see a dream fulfilled tomorrow - a prayer request I've had for 7 years (since graduating seminary). Even as I look out my porch right now - knowing there is pollen covering my car, knowing there will be tough times, knowing that there will be many times I will feel lonely and over my head, overwhelmed by the task at hand. I do know that God's hand and glory all over this. I can't wait.
I look forward to seeing what my life looks like - as it is lived out for his glory. Thankful for the cross!