Christian worshippers visit the Church of Holy Sepulchre during Easter celebrations in Jerusalem's Old City, April 7.

I love Easter. Christians are celebrating Easter all around the world right now. Our friends in Nigeria celebrate Easter much like us. They go to worship at church and spend time with their families. Here at home the children are off at school and we have been enjoying a special week together. For us there is a special week called Holy Week that is observed that precedes Easter. I like that this holiday is not as consumer driven as Christmas. I think this is my favorite week of the whole year because this is the core of our faith. Jesus died on Friday. This was not understood then. All hope was given up. A tragic end had come? Evil had won? But no...on Sunday he rose from the tomb. Sunday was victory! He did this so that we may have new life. I always think of this week as a huge renewal. It is spring and usually pretty weather. Trees get their leaves again, grass comes back to cut again, and the flowers bloom. It is all so beautiful. I find myself coming out of my winter rut (although we didn't have very wintry weather here this year) and being very grateful every year.

Our friends at the Anawim Home and Faith Alive Hospital are on my heart today. We at the HFWAF pray for God to bless them. I will never forget the people I met there. It is remarkable how they changed my life forever. I miss them. I think of them when I go through hard times and it helps me. They showed me what courage is really all about. I saw people suffering everyday and making a choice to go on to live and be full of love instead of bitterness. They were grateful for what they had just to be alive to love others. I will remember them always.

Happy Easter to everyone.