Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

  • Home
  • About
  • Favorites
  • Policies
  • Contact

First Friday Prayers: Good Friday

April 7, 2023 by Lauren 6 Comments

Happy Good Friday!  I pray this day affords you some time to meditate on the sacrifices Jesus made for you and me.  And the huge significance of the cross.

 

“For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NASB

 

If Good Friday commemorates the day Jesus died, why do we call it good?

Click To Tweet
It’s because of the last part of our scripture passage for today.  “…that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”  We celebrate the day Christ died because he didn’t stay in the grave.  He rose again.

 

So why is this significant?  Because God loves us.  He is holy and cannot have any part of sin, which is a problem because we are all sinners.  The penalty for sin is death.  And not just a death in this body, but an eternity spent separated from God and all that is good.  So God sent a substitute, who had never sinned, to die in place of us all.

 

Last week I heard a great analogy.  When we decide to trust in Jesus and his sacrifice to save us from eternal death, God sees us through rose colored glasses.  He sees us as righteous because he sees us through the blood of Jesus.  Forgiven.  Made right.  Eternally secure.  That’s why the day Jesus died was a good day.  Will you join me thanking the Father by praying these scriptures?

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

A read through of 10 Bible Verses for Healing a Broken Heart from Lisa Blair was just what I needed this week.  Maybe you would be encouraged by this too!

The Link Up

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Adieu April: Another Month Has Gone By

April 29, 2022 by Lauren 24 Comments

another month has gone bySpring has sprung and here in Texas that means it’s getting hot and muggy already.  School activities are ramping up into high gear as the days on the instructional calendar tick away. 

Another month has gone by.  It happens all the time, but these days I am very aware that the months turn into years.

Click To Tweet
One more school year with my Allie at home and then she will step out into new adventures without us.  It’s hard to believe.

 

Physical therapy appointments and exercises filled the first part of my month.  Unfortunately it only exacerbated my sciatic pain.  I received a second sedated epidural injection on the 19th and wait impatiently to see if it offers me any additional relief.  In between I worked a little, banquet dress shopped for Allie (she has 4 to attend), and got to hear her choirs perform their UIL show twice!  We also watched a digital premiere for Baylor University with Allie (her current first choice for college) and started planning some in-person visits!

 

Easter Treats

 

Another month has gone byOur church held a special Maundy Thursday service during Holy Week and we attended Easter service Saturday night with Chuck’s parents so we could drive out to spend Easter day with my parents, my PawPaw and my sisters’ families.  There was food (of course),  confetti eggs, an egg hunt and cooking with Aunt Kristen (a holiday favorite for the kids).  And on Good Friday Shelby had an egg hunt with Best Buddies.

 

Allie Rose and a whole slew of her smart friends were inducted into the National Honor Society in a ceremony that left much to be desired.  But an honor for her none the less.  Then the next night she starred as Giselle in a one act play of Enchanted.  I am more than a little biased, but I think she’s the perfect princess!  Watch a short clip https://www.facebook.com/1363398330/videos/298641175786727/

 

Updates on the Hubs

 

Chuck still had a few doctor’s appointments sprinkled in there.  He is trying to eat a little more by mouth so he can eventually evict the feeding tube, but swallowing still hurts a lot.  He also has some lymphatic swelling getting in the way of his throat.  So we have applied for insurance coverage on a new device to help with this.  We are having fun with how good it looks.  My sisters deemed it his luchador outfit (think Nacho Libre).  The wrestler names they have suggested:  El Detallista – The Retailer (he works for WalMart) or El Sobreviviente – The Survivor.  I think I like the later!

 

April Entertainment

 

I did not mention any books in my round up last month.  That’s because I’ve been struggling to get through one for the last 6 weeks.  I’m not sure why except that I’m still taking medication for my sciatica that makes me sleepy.  And most of my reading time is in bed at night.  First Women:  The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Brower seemed like a perfect book for Women’s History Month, but now that month has come and gone.  I loved Brower’s The Residence:  Inside the Private World of the White House (highly recommend), and this one is full of interesting stories and details.  But it jumps around so much from one administration to another and back again that I get whip lash.  I’m still going to finish it; hopefully before another month has gone by.  I have trouble quitting on books – whip lash and all.

 

We talked my sister Kristen into going to see Uncharted with us.  A surprisingly clean movie – which is hard to find these days.  And it was fun.  A very Indiana Jones-like escape.  And we tried a couple of new shows on broadcast TV.  Good Sam might be a new favorite, although not without issues.  We haven’t watched a medical drama since ER but this one has an interesting twist.  And The Thing About Pam was good if you like true crime.  We tried Only Murders in the Building after hearing good things but the language was a little much for us.

 

One particularly sedentary day hubby and I watched two movies.  I didn’t like either one, for very different reasons.  Free State of Jones, although a good historic story, was so gory.  We followed it up with The Fighting Temptations for something lighter.  It was lighter, but not compelling at all!  We then landed on a documentary on Hulu.  Captive Audience:  A Real American Horror Story shows promise.  At least the first episode grabbed us.

 

Before May Becomes Another Month that Has Gone By

 

On the day this post goes live, Allie’s show choir puts on their annual Jazz Show.  It’s always a highlight.  Her solo and her general outlook is Accentuate the Positive!  I hope you can as well today.  I’d love to hear from you in the comments.  Let me know what captured your attention.  And as always, I thank you, I love you and I hope May treats you well!

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

 

Grace and Truth’s own Tammy Kennington put so many of my feelings into words.  I don’t live in a state of dispair, but have definitely felt it these last few years.  She expressed it – and prayed for it – better than I could.  Read Two Prayers to Help Overcome Bitterness When You Struggle With Sorrow.

 

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Next Page »

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
Read More

Subscribe for Updates

Enter your information below to receive the latest updates from the blog!

Recent Posts

  • An Election Year and Titus
  • Christmas is Over. Now What Do We Do With Jesus?
  • Thankful Thursday
  • Going Forward with Some Changes
  • First Friday Prayers: 2 Corinthians 12:10

Find Devotionals By Me in These Books and Click on Image for Order Information!

A 25-Week Bible Study with Topics from Abide to Zeal
A 26 week journey to a better prayer life.
30 devotionals for faith that moves mountains

For Sharing

Lauren Sparks

Like Podcasts? I’m on This One

…and This One! click to listen.

Click below to get a free trial of my favorite technology monitoring platform

Need More Than Just Monitoring? Find Filters and Accountability Here

Search This Site

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2025 Lauren Sparks | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM

Stop!  Don't Miss Out!

I have a brand new e-book.  This was Not On My Bingo Card:  Essays on Cancer and Related Surprises is available to you FREE by simply subscribing to my blog!  

Invalid email address
I promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!