Via Crucis--The Way of the Cross

Hey everyone! Today's the big day--our choir finally performed the Via Crucis tonight! It went so well. The whole time really was a worship service, and I think everyone enjoyed it. Lance's mom, sister (Leslie), niece (Cassie), and nephew (Taylor) even drove in just for our concert! They had to leave almost immediately afterwards, but I thought it was wonderful that they got to come. They said they all enjoyed it. I thought it was great that Lance's mom and Leslie could be there, because they were the ones who hemmed my dress; they got to see the fruit of their labor! Also, Kirstin and Christina helped me straighten my hair tonight, so a round of applause to those fabulous girls for helping me get ready.

Anyways, that really was the highlight of the day. Classes went ok; had a biology lab test that I got over with. Chapel was really good; the whole time was spent worshipping and singing, which was awesome. There was a special worship group there to lead us, and it was a really good time. Most of this afternoon I was running around preparing for tonight. It's really nice to have that behind us, and to know we did a good job on it. We all went out to Dairy Queen afterwards to celebrate; Lance's family came and all my friends who came to see our concert. Yay for all of them! Four of us (from our group of friends) were in the concert: Kirstin, Melissa, Lance, and I. And then most of the rest of our friends got to come see us. I'm attempting to put up pictures that we took at Dairy Queen tonight, so we'll see if that works.

I was chatting with my dad online earlier, telling him about our concert. I told him it was called "Via Crucis" which meant "The Way of the Cross." He just kind of laughed as he replied, "Yes, I remember my Latin." But I really was thinking about that translation: the Way of the Cross. It could not have been an easy way, one filled with suffering and anguish. And yet our Lord walked it for us so that we could experience the salvation and joy of the resurrection. As Lance pointed out earlier tonight, our pastor and our choir conductor have both said that the joy of the resurrection cannot be as glorious without the pain of the cross. There is no empty tomb without first the splintered cross. "The Way of the Cross." What does that mean to us? How would we walk differently if we walked each day in the self-sacrifical way that Christ walked to the cross?

May we all find ourselves in the way of the cross this week. Only then can we really experience the magnificence of the resurrection...only after walking the way of the cross can we know the true joy of Easter.