Years ago when we lived in Virginia, three little toddlers clinging to my legs, I was part of a “Family Home Evening group.”
What is that? you may ask. Well, it was a group of eight (or so) moms who made up all kinds of crafty things for Family Home Evening lessons in sets of eight (or so), a new topic each month.
We would bring our eight duplicate lessons and disseminate one to each of the other mothers when we met to exchange lessons each month. So we’d each go home with eight (or so) whiz-bang lessons to teach our kids things like “keeping the Sabbath day holy” and “stories of the New Testament” and “the beauty of service.”
Who has time to make laminated and creative lessons in multiple sets when you have babies crying and toddlers potty training and making mischievous messes??
That’s what I’d like to know!
But I was in, hook, line and sinker, and I still to this day have a whole file drawer full of those lessons (the ones weeded out through the years…initially I had a whole big tub full of them…but I digress and that’s a story for another day).
Easter Holy Week Helps
I bring this up today because I thought of that Family Home Evening group as we had our own little family testimony meeting on Sunday, the cute little girls Grace is babysitting for lined up in front of our traditional Easter Holy Week yellow cards that Lucy made sure we put up for Palm Sunday. And that have made it through so much of our family Easter history:
I wondered who that blessed mom was all those years ago who most probably stayed up into the wee hours of the morning after her babies were sleeping, slaving away making me my very own set of Holy Week cards.
And I was so thankful for her efforts.
Those cards, outlining all the events on each day of Holy Week, have lined our kitchen at Easter for as long as I remember:

…and made the transition to this new spot in a new house.

Our kids have searched the scriptures included to tell the story over and over.
Each time we have celebrated the story of that “Good News” infiltrated into all those events.
And each time I like to believe that miraculous story has nestled it’s way more solidly into their hearts.
I wish I could give that Family Home evening group mother a big hug.
I have linked my sister Saydi’s Holy Week helps that we have used along with these yellow cards before (she has put so much work into Easter prep and I am so grateful! Check out what she has researched HERE.)
And just last night I came across a new Holy Week “new and improved” study guide from Saydi’s friend (and therefore my friend too:), that is fabulous.
Complete with some gorgeous Easter art:

I have only just scratched the surface reading all the goodness that guide contains, I will be reading more today, but check it out HERE if you’d like to delve into more Holy Week details.
(And check out the rest of that blog too because she is an amazingly talented writer.)
Anyway, thank you, mother-from-my-family-home-evening-group, and Saydi, and Cath.
And thank you Jesus, all that happened all those years ago to change our hearts. If we let it.
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