He is Risen!!

Today is Easter! I woke up this morning expecting it to be like any other Sunday (well other than the fact that today was my 1st Sunday in the Relief Society Presidency). Anyway, I honestly had forgot at first that it was Easter. I think in my mind I just had decided to treat it normally because this is the first Easter I have been away from my family. I did not want to think about it because I knew that it would make me sad. Then as I was getting ready for Relief Society I was looking at some talks and such online. I came across a Mormon Message about Easter. It was Elder Holland talking about Christ. He said "One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so." At that moment I realized that even though I was spending Easter by myself I had what I needed, my Older brother!

I continued in my search for Easter talks and such and I came across President Monson's talk last year titled "He is Risen". In his talk he discusses the Savior and the purpose of his atonement. As I listened to his talk while sitting on my bed I just started to cry. I started thinking about my own personal experiences with the Atonement and how grateful I truly am for a Savior who was willing to be risen again so that I can someday do the same.

I went through the rest of the day thinking about how much I have been blessed by the Atonement, and crying a lot during it!

I think my favorite part of the day was when I got back from ward prayer. I decided that I should check my email before going to bed and I saw an email from my Grandpa Parkin. He had open heart surgery about a month ago and has been in rehab since. He sent out an email to all of his family informing us that he was being released from the rehab center. In his email he said something that I really liked. He said,

"Today begins a new chapter in my life. After a week in intensive care and almost another four weeks in a recovery hospital, I am being released from the hospital TODAY to finally return to my home, where I can begin "A NEW". I think it is very significant that I’m being released to return home on Easter Sunday.Easter celebrates the most important and significant day in the history of the world. It is a day of rebirth; dead things come back to life and it celebrates that greatest of all events that provides, through the atonement and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we will all live again. He also made it possible that all who embrace and live his gospel may live in perfection with the Savior for eternity. I think this Easter will be a special day of rebirth for me as I begin my recovery back to health and as we all celebrate and give praise for the mission of the Savior and the actions taken by him on our behalf on this date so many years ago."

I am very grateful that I have a father in heaven who has heard my family's prayers.

The Easter that started out as what I thought was going to be my least favorite, has turned out to be my favorite! Even though I was not surrounded by family, I was surrounded with the Holy Ghost and my love of Christ and his Atonement.