​Behold, I am going to do something new, Now it will spring up; Will you not be aware of it?  Is. 43:19

Our theme for this school year has been “Moving Forward.” This was ideal since we celebrated our 30th  anniversary last school year and we discovered that the number 30 in scripture represented beginning and devotion. For the past 30 years, MVCA has been devoted to providing quality Christ-centered education to thousands of families. Moving Forward, we are committed to continuing our mission and ministry with the same devotion, commitment, and compassion.

With the beginning of a new year, there is always something new on the horizon. In the above passage of scripture from the book of Isaiah, God is telling us that He is going to do something new. We don’t know what it will be, but it will be good, because every good thing comes from above, and it will happen. But God asks us if our eyes are going to be open to seeing it? That is the thing about moving forward, your eyes have to be open, and we have to be moving and aware of the things happening around us. There is always something better waiting for us, we just have to look forward, and stop dwelling on the past. What we need to remember is that what happened yesterday is done and gone and we can’t do anything about it. We live in the present, and we have hope for the future. The apostle Paul shared this with the Philippian Church, but it is also true for us today.

“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.” Phil. 3:13

Moving forward is an active process. We do not wait for the right moment, we take the moments that God presents and we use them for His glory. The apostles were never called to wait once the Holy Spirit came upon them. The Holy Spirit is always moving forward, and MVCA will continue to move forward, producing well-adjusted, morally sound individuals equipped to transform society.

As we reflect, but not dwell, on the past year, we see how we have been moving forward with the renovations of the kitchen and the boys restroom. We see the five modular units moving forward to where they will become a pod of additional classrooms. And, we look to the future with great hope and anticipation for a new school building that will house all K-12 students, and allow for future growth.

We invite you to “Move Forward” with us, and ask that you continue to share your MVCA Difference story with others who you feel would benefit from a Christ-centered, Biblically based education.

Have a Blessed and Joyful 2023!

The ninth chapter of the book of Isaiah gives great hope for anyone who chooses to accept the record of the birth of Jesus. The names He will be called sheds a lot of light on what He will do for those who choose to accept Him. Isaiah 9:6 says, "For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

The Prince of Peace. That one attribute title of Jesus is what really gets me thinking. I like the idea of peace. I can imagine we all like the idea of peace. I like being in the midst of peace. A peaceful setting with peace and quiet. Sitting in the mountains looking over a lake or stream. Listening to the birds sing, the wind blowing softly through the pines. Breathing in the clean, fresh air. To me that is peace. Now, I understand peace can be seen in different ways by different people, but the results of peace are the same for all.

Jesus coming as the Prince of Peace was never meant to be the end of wars and conflicts, which is quite evident as I write this and ponder the increase in violence in our society and the ongoing war overseas. I believe that Jesus coming as the Prince of Peace was to bring an end of the hostility between man and God, and man and himself. The birth of Jesus ushered in a new hope, a reconciliation between Man and God. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The result of this inner peace leads to more love and compassion, more serving our friends and neighbors, more trusting, more civil conversations with people who may not share our beliefs and values, and the ability to be who God has called us to be. We can, and should ray for world peace, but I believe we have to find inner peace before we can have outer peace.

When we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we celebrate the peace that came with that birth. The inner peace we all desire to have in our lives. Jesus promised that we can have that type of peace if we follow Him. Jesus tells us in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

This Christmas my prayer for you is that you know the Prince of Peace. That you grow in your relationship with Him, and you truly feel the inner peace that you can have through Him on this "Most wonderful time of the year."

MERRY CHRITMAS, AND GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE!

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all the good things that we have been blessed with. I know many families who take the time prior to eating their Thanksgiving feast to go around the table and share one thing that they are thankful for. It is a great way to reflect on the many blessings that we have, but is it enough? Many times, the answers are quite shallow, and without real meaning. We are always thankful for our families, our homes, cars, jobs, friends, and of course the bountiful feast we are about to eat, but is that really all there is to be thankful for?

Please don’t get me wrong, these are amazing ideas on which we should be thankful, but I feel that we are selling ourselves short by sticking to the same answer’s year in and year out. When we have the opportunity to share what we are thankful for, I believe that we should really take the time to reflect on our lives, regardless of how old we may be, and find that one very meaningful thing that we are most grateful for. It may be as simple at a job, a home, your wonderful family, but could it be deeper than even that? Where did these things come from? Who made them possible?

I am not trying to put ideas in anyone’s head, because really, I can’t. Your gratefulness is your own. What I am thankful for will be different than what you are thankful for. The words and ideas may be the same, but the purpose and emotion will most likely be different.

So, this Thanksgiving, pray, meditate, reflect on what it is that you are most thankful for. It’s all about what is in your heart, and it is a personal issue that only you can decide. You need not be thankful for the same things your neighbor is thankful for, and you need not be thankful just for thanksgiving sake. But, surely there are things in your life that you are truly thankful for. There is always something to be thankful for.

We live in the greatest nation in the world. We live under the loving and caring hands of the God who created all things. We have because He has blessed us in an abundance of ways. If nothing else be thankful for the blessing it is to live in this great nation, imperfect as she is, but great nonetheless, and the freedom and the blessing to send your children to Mountain View Christian Academy, where they can not only gain academic knowledge, but to grow spiritually with a true understanding of grace, mercy, morality, and all of the attributes that will make for a better person and a better society.
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From all the teachers and staff of MVCA, have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day!

In our society we tend to look for the fastest way to get something, and at the cheapest cost. Fast-food, microwave ovens, on-demand movies and tv shows, instant downloads, and instant search results for our research projects. We don’t want to wait for the things we desire, but at what expense? Do we move so fast, or desire to get something so quickly that we are missing something in our hastiness? Is there a direction or message that we do not hear or see because we were too quick to act?

Speed is not always best. Maybe in NASCAR, or track and Field events, but in the race of life speed is not the most important aspect to getting to the finish line. Hard work, dedication and counting the cost are what we are called to do in order to be who we have been called to be by the very one who created us.

In the movie, and one of my favorites, “Field of Dreams,” we all know the famous line spoken by the “voice”, “If you build it, they will come,” but there is another line spoken by the voice that says, “Go the distance.” Do you remember that line? It was spoken when Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) and Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) were sitting in the stands at Fenway Park in Boston. Click on the link to be reminded.

It is not enough to start; what matters is that we finish. We have to “Go the Distance.” Jesus, when speaking about being His disciple, made this comment about starting and finishing.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”  Luke 14: 28-30

Obviously, in order to complete a task, we first have to start the task, but with everything, finishing what we started is more important than just starting.

Too often we start something, and we do a great job for a while, but then we get tired, run down, exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed, discouraged, we just give-up. We stop, we quit, we throw in the towel, but why? Did we not plan appropriately for what it would take to finish? Was it taking too long? Were we unable to be patient enough to see it to completion? Do we lack the confidence to do the job once we get started? Do we not have the endurance? Whatever the reason, the counter to all of this is GOD.

When we are in His will, following His plan and the path He has laid out for us, He will get us to the point of completion.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

It is not about who is the fastest, or the strongest, or even the smartest. It is all about the finish, and doing the right things along the way. It is having the confidence in knowing that GOD is on our side and He will see us on to completion, to the finish line.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:7-8

Mountain View Christian Academy BEGAN in 1992. In 2022 we turned 30 and we had ONLY JUST BEGUN. Now we are MOVING FORWARD and looking eagerly to the future. Adding more classroom space with modular units donated to the school, but with a cost to install and make operational. That cost has been counted, and we will see this phase one project to completion, but not always in our time, but in God’s. After that, the plan is to add to the church and then to build a stand-alone K-12 school on our campus. There is a vision, a plan, and when God says go we will, and be assured, we will, “GO THE DISTANCE!”

In 2021 the West Virginia State legislature passed a bill, The Hope Scholarship Fund, that was subsequently signed by West Virginia Governor Justice that would provide funds to families so that they could choose the best path for their child’s education. These funds would not pose a reduction of funds to public schools, but it would do what many parents desire, and what MVCA continues to lobby for in Virginia, provide a true path forward to funding families instead of public schools.

We have shared this in a previous blog, but it serves to be repeated, when you create competition it only makes both sides work harder to be better. When you give parents the choice of where they can send their children to school, it creates a better future for the community as a whole. Studies over the past several decades indicate quite clearly that school choice has positive academic effects on both private and public schools. School choice has positive effects on both taxpayers and Public Schools. School choice has positive effects on racial segregation in schools, and it has positive effects on civic values and practices. (Greg Forster, Ph.D.)

I bring all of this to your attention again, and I urge you to pray even more, because on October 4, 2022 the West Virginia Supreme Court will hear arguments about the West Virginia Hope Scholarship. Hundreds of families, even some of our own, were counting on these funds to help send their children to a school that would be a better fit for their child, and to provide better opportunities.

For families across our nation, school choice is what we need to pray fervently for. It is right for West, Virginia, it is right for Virginia, and it is right for the nation. There is not one aspect that takes a negative hit because parents have a choice. And please hear my heart, we are not pro-school choice because we dislike those within the public system. We are pro-school choice because it is right for families and America.

For more information about school choice visit https://www.edchoice.org/ or https://schoolchoiceweek.com/.
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To read Dr. Greg Forster’s report on the Empirical Evidence for School Choice visit https://www.heartland.org/_template-assets/documents/publications/friedman_-_2016-5-win-win-solution-web.pdf

​This past April I was blessed to have the opportunity to fly to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a conference. The conference was amazing, but it was the flight home that got me thinking about this blog post.
I flew on Southwest, you know, the no frills airline. It was a fairly short flight, so I only got a cup of soda and a small bag of trail mix. I guess I could have had more if I asked, but I try to not be a glutton when I am amongst strangers. When the drink and snack was served, it came with a small dessert napkin. It was the napkin that really caught my attention.

On one side of the napkin were the words, “Where will your wanna take you?”

My wanna-whata? “Where will your wanna take you?”

At first, I thought that was strange, but when you really think about it, we all have “wannas” in our lives. It makes perfect sense. We wanna go someplace, we “wanna” be something, We “wanna” do something, we “wanna” this and we “wanna” that. (I feel that Dr. Seuss could have had a field day with “wanna”.)

The idea of “wanna” is the beginning of visions, dreams, desires. These are good things. The Bible tells us that, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV) It is a good thing to dream, to imagine what our lives could be. Our children dream of their future and what they “wanna” be when they grow up. It took me well into my adult life to figure out what I “wanna” be. When I was young it was to be a firefighter/paramedic. I made it to Intermediate EMT, but never made it to firefighter. (I guess that was a half-a-wanna-be) The “wannas” in our lives are what dreams are made of. And our dreams are what our realities can be. But we can’t fulfill our lives on “wannas”. We have to take the step up to the next level. Fortunately, I turned to napkin over.

The other side of the Southwest Airlines napkin completed the equation. “In 1971, a triangle scribbled on a napkin transformed a dream into an airline and a wanna into a gonna.”

Visions and dreams are great, but it is what we do with those visions and dreams that really matter. As I write this my wife and great niece are in the process of baking a cake. Prior to this they had the vision, dream, “wanna” of baking a cake. Had they not gotten up and into the kitchen, gathered the ingredients together, turned on the oven, and mixed everything together in the right proportions, they would not have turned the “wanna” into the “gonna”. In a little bit there will be a cake that we are “gonna” eat. The “gonna” creates the satisfaction of the finished product. If they only stayed on the “wanna” our stomachs would be empty and my taste buds would be terribly disappointed. The same can be true, will be true, if we leave the “wannas” on the drafting table. We take our visions and dreams and we put together a plan that will help us get to the “gonna” and beyond.

So, I ask, what is the “wanna” for your life, for your child’s life? What do you “wanna” be, where do you “wanna” go with your life? What dreams, visions do you have? Once you have a clear vision of your “wanna”, it is time to plan to turn the “wanna” into a “gonna”. Draft the plan, finalize the plan and make it happen. You can’t go anywhere on a “wanna”, but you will be fulfilled with the “gonna”. So, how are you going to turn you “wanna” into a “gonna”?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal., that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Those words were penned by Thomas Jefferson 246 years ago and included in the Declaration of Independence. Those words rang true then, and they ring true now. As a nation, brave men and women have fought and died to protect our rights to be a free and independent nation. But, as Thomas Jefferson eluded to in the above quote, these rights come from one much higher, with much more authority than any individual or group can ever attain. Our government can pass laws, enforce laws, and make or break our nation, but ultimately, we have to look at the one who has provided the means for our Democratic Republic to exist.

As I write these words, and I think about where our nation is right now, it is very easy to get swept up in the political divide that we are finding ourselves in now. A divide that we should not find ourselves in if we are going to remain THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. We must be able to find common ground, we must be able to have open debate without hatred or a dismissive attitude towards those who have differing opinions. Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”

Our freedoms are proclaimed in the documents that created our great nation, but they are provided for by the God who created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Not only has God created the physical universe, he has also established the “governing authorities.” Paul, in writing to the church in Rome made this statement in chapter 13, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

Our forefathers, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and the list goes on, clearly understood where their authority came from and where life, liberty, and our pursuit of happiness originates from.

So, this fourth of July, remember the gift it is to be living in a free country, to have the liberties we have and the ability to live our lives in a way that brings glory to God. Perhaps, just as we read the Christmas story to our children at Christmas, we should remind our children of how we became a nation every 4th of July. I know that may not sound very exciting, but if we are not reminded of where we came from, who we ought to be as a nation and as a society, and by whom we have been granted this freedom, it becomes all too easy to forget, and fall away from the position we once held.

God Bless your family, and God Bless these United States of America.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  
                                                                          2 Corinthians 3:17  

Well, here we are at the end of another school year. Class awards, graduations for high school and kindergarten, field day and the end of the year picnic are all that is left. Where does the time go?
It is a fact of life that time stands still for no one. The years go by, our children grow at amazing speed, and years that at one time actually took 365 days to get through, now seem like they go twice as fast. So, what do we do to slow down time? Well, reality is we can’t, but maybe I can suggest a few things that might make the time we have more meaningful.

1. Spend as much time together as you can handle.

Why would I say it like that, you ask? Because, sometimes we do need a break, but sometimes we get so busy with life that we lose those important moments in life. Take that time, and make the time, to do the routine things together as a family. Cooking, baking, eating, cleaning can be done as a family, and enjoyed as a family. Teaching our children, the “family recipes” that they can take and share with their children one day is a great opportunity.
Take a walk, a bike ride, swimming, playing catch, whatever you can think of, these are the opportunities that we need to take, and the lifelong memories we can make.

1. Make the most of every opportunity.

Life can be stressful. Spending time together and trying to do things that we have planned can be stressful. We tend to rush from one thing to the next without even thinking about it. We have become a “drive through” society where we need it now so we can get to the next task. On top of that we have lost the ability to put the technology away. We are so afraid we might miss a phone call, a text, or some event that has no bearing on the moment we are living. When I was growing up, we had one land line phone and no answering machine. If someone wanted to find you they had to keep calling, or go to your house and knock on the door. I know that seems so barbaric, so intrusive, but it actually worked. As a kid, if you wanted to know where everyone was hanging out, you looked for the house where all the bikes were laying in the yard.
The opportunities to send time and make memories will present themselves, we just have to purposefully make and take the time. Take pictures, videos, keep a journal, and make sure you save these things to the “cloud,” so there are always available wherever you may be. You don’t want to one day try to find picture or video and it not be in your phone.

1. Finally, and most importantly, just slow down.

We have to live as the old adage goes, “Slow down and smell the roses.” When was the last time you actually did that? When was the last time you actually tasted the food you were eating? I know that sounds strange, but take a moment and think about it. We are moving so fast, and have to get to the next thing that we forget to slow down and taste, smell, see, hear and feel. We may not have the power to slow down time, but we do have the power to slow down life. We move so fast that we have to be reminded to take a breath. We are drowning in stuff and things that we don’t realize we have forgotten to come up for air. The nice thing is, when we stop, lift our heads out of the chaos and stress of life, take that deep breath, we will see the things that are truly the most important, our children, our families, the life we dreamed about, but allowed everything else to stop us from living it.
SLOW DOWN, MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY, AND SPEND TIME TOGETHER!
I prat that this summer you have plans to do those three things. Time is short and moves at the pace God has set, but life doesn’t’ have to pass us by. We are all given the same number of seconds, minutes and hours in a day. The difference is how we use the time given.
James 4:13-15 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 
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What is an organizations greatest asset? Is it their building, their organizational structure? Is it their program or products? What is it that makes an organization great?
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Some may argue that it’s all of these things working together, but what keeps them working? Why can’t we find one asset that is greater than the rest?  I know, that is a lot of questions and you probably haven’t had your full compliment of coffee yet, but these are important things to consider. Why? Because each organization is unique. Unique in what they offer consumers, unique in how they deliver their goods and services, and unique because of its greatest asset, the people who put it all together.

The first week of May we will be celebrating TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. Started in 1984, this is a week that we celebrate the dedication and hard work of the men and women who diligently prepare our children for the challenges of life that lay before them. Lesson plans, grading papers, answering questions, solving problems, and that is before they get into the classroom to teach our children to read, to write, the importance of history, the excitement of science, and how to relate to those around us. Our children’s teachers are so much more that just that person who stands in front of a classroom telling them what they should know, how they should do it, and why it is important. Our teachers are also councilors, nurses, social workers, referees, dieticians, janitors, and so on. And, they do all of this with love, compassion, patience, and a will to see our children succeed in life.

In the book of James, we find the reason that we should see the value of those who answer the call to be teachers. It is a profession that demands much of the person. It is a profession that easily comes under fire when something goes wrong. But, what it really is, is a mission, a ministry to teach, disciple, love children and train them in the way they should go. James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

Teaching as a profession is not for everyone. I am a living example of that. Although I did it last school year for a wonderful group of 9th graders, it is not my calling. My dad was a teacher of literature and poetry, he was a great teacher. I was never blessed, or cursed, to have him as a teacher, but I have heard others speak very well of him and the work he did. I believe he was called to be a teacher, but I was not.

At Mountain View Christian Academy, we always say that we have the best teachers this side of heaven, and we do. The men and women who serve this ministry do so not out of a love for money, for we all know that private school teachers are the lowest paid, but out of a sense of mission. To teach and train the next generation of leaders. To be a part of something bigger than themselves. To be able to deliver quality education for the whole child - Spiritually, Academically, Socially and Physically.

In our world there are many people who are heroes. We can debate who is the greatest of the heroes, but the ones who touch lives, and have the opportunity to shape the future, they are teachers. According to Dictionary.com a hero is 1. A person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character, 2. A person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal. You tell me if that does not describe a teacher.

So, to all the teachers of the world, HAPPY NATIONAL TEACHERS WEEK! You have been, and still are heroes by the very definition of the word.

For many the idea of celebrating someone’s death is a difficult concept to grasp, especially when we have had a close relationship with that person. With death comes an end. An end of a period of time, an end to a beautiful, earthly relationship, and the end of life itself. We cry at the loss, we mourn at the thought of not seeing that person again, and the sadness lingers for what seems like an eternity. But, death does not have to be the final goodbye. It does not have to be the end of the final chapter. It could be just a time to say, “I’ll see you in a little while.”

On Friday, April 15th we remember the night that Jesus Christ was arrested, wrongfully tried and convicted, brutally beaten, and nailed to the cross and left to die. The narrative is difficult to read without shedding tears. I could not imagine what it would have been like to actually witness what he had to go through. Hollywood has attempted for years to put on film what that night must have been like for Jesus, but even then, I have to wonder if it wasn’t even worse. The Passion of the Christ was probably the closest, but even then, was it even more brutal than Hollywood can depict? And yet, we celebrate the death of Jesus. We, Christians, look upon the cross not as something to be despised, but as something that was necessary. I mean, we do call the day, “Good Friday.”

But the death of Jesus was not the end of the story, and because of what happened on Sunday, it does not have to be the end of our story either.

Jesus’ end on this earth was the beginning of life for all of us. It opened the door between mankind and God the Father. What once was an ugly, blood-soaked cross is now a beautiful bridge between us and God. When we accept Jesus’ invitation to follow Him, to be His disciples, to die to our sins in the watery grave of baptism, and arise in a newness of life we become heirs to the very kingdom in which He, the only begotten Son of God, came from.

Romans 8:17 - Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Galatians 3:29 - If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Titus 3:7 - so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Because of what Jesus endured on the night of his betrayal and the day of His death, we share in His inheritance when we become children of God.

Galatians 3:26 - So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

So, the story of the cross, of the death of Jesus, is not the end. We know that on the first day of the week, Sunday, the stone was rolled away from the tomb and the body of Jesus was nowhere to be found. HE IS ALIVE, and because of His resurrection from the dead, we too, can share in that resurrection one day as we live for Him, serve Him, and share His marvelous story. In the same way we shall rise from our earthly graves to walk in the glories of heaven.
Romans 6:5 - For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

This past Sunday, nearly 2000 years ago, was a time of great joy as Jesus entered Jerusalem, but that joy quickly turned to great sorrow as Jesus was beaten and crucified, but in three days it became a day of great hope. Life as we know it on this earth will stop one day, but life with Christ will live for all eternity. There will be no end to the story if we accept Him, His grace, mercy and the assurance of what will be for all eternity.

1 Corinthian 15 - 50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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When you gather together with family and friends this Easter Sunday, remember, what may have seemed like a sad Friday, was in fact “good,” as it was the forerunner to what became a “GREAT” Sunday!