Happy Easter & Passover

Around this time each year I get excited with the arrival of Spring and all the new growth and life that it brings. I really love getting outside more and playing soccer in the spring grad student league. Although it is a brutal reminder that I am not as fit as my mind remembers, something about playing infuses energy into me for days. This year is especially fun as I approach graduation and get to relax and enjoy life with my family and friends a little more. I'll worry about the daunting responsibility of becoming a doctor and caring for patients in July, but for now life is good (except for my public health master's thesis - note my procrastination here).

Easter seems to fit in so well with all the joy and excitement of springtime. While we have some fun plans for Easter such as an egg hunt with the under 5 year olds and Easter dinner with the family, I also like to try to do something to make the meaning of these special days real and alive for me. In the past I have seen a passion play, and a musical allegory called the Garden. I try to read and study about the great sacrifice that was done for all. I like to listen to Handel's Messiah as well as other music celebrating the resurrection of Christ. There are many different ways that people remember and honor the Savior, and many ways to serve Him and draw closer to Him. I wish I could say that I am extremely consistent in doing that year round or that I have a nifty way to celebrate Easter. Like many, I am trying to do better and be better in the midst of a busy world. I hope that this will be a memorable and meaningful holy day/week for each of us.

In an attempt to contribute to everyone's Easter, I will try to include below a 5 min. video made from an excerpt of a meeting we had last week. Twice a year we have a "general conference" of the Church. We hear from prophets, apostles and other inspired leaders. The broadcast is transmitted all over the world and translated into over 80 languages. All that goes to say that this is an Easter message for the whole world from a modern day apostle, Jeffrey Holland- something I esteem as of special value.