"Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and
believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
~~John 11:25-26~~       

Easter is our annual festival that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the principal feast of our Christian year and is celebrated on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25th. The Easter holiday begins with the 40 day observation of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at midnight on Holy Saturday before Easter Sunday. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday and marks the date Jesus was crucified and died for our sins.

The Mysteries of the Rosary

The Five Joyful Mysteries
The Annunciation: Humility.
The Visitation: Charity.
The Birth of Our Lord: Poverty, or detachment from the world.
The Presentation of Our Lord: Purity of heart, obedience.
The Finding of Our Lord in the Temple: Piety.

The Five Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the Garden: Contrition for our sins.
The Scourging at the Pillar: Mortification of our senses.
The Crowning with Thorns: Interior mortification.
The Carrying of the Cross: Patience under crosses.
The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord: That we may die to ourselves.

The Five Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection: Conversion of heart.
The Ascension: A desire for heaven.
The Coming of the Holy Ghost: The Gifts of the Holy Ghost.
The Assumption of our Blessed Mother into Heaven: Devotion to Mary.
The Coronation of our Blessed Mother: Eternal happiness.               

Spring is here and its magic is in the air!

Spring is a time of rebirth and newness as decreed by nature. This natural decree brings about the old age expression of ‘spring cleaning’. As nature takes its course, so should we by doing our own internal spring cleaning. Let us not forget that we too are a part of nature. Internal spring cleaning involves spiritually ridding yourself of blockages to make way for anew. Many of these blockages you may be well aware of but some of them you may not. As a first step, you should obviously work on ‘cleaning out’ those corners of your life that have gone untouched for some time. Spring cleaning isn’t like your every-weekend cleaning-its deep cleaning. It entails going into corners you haven’t been into for a while.

This spring, let your journal be your broom to sweep out the cobwebs present in your life. Take a look around your "house". What areas of your life needs deep cleaning? Are you being true to yourself about what you really want out of life? Is there someone that you need to Forgive (including yourself)? Are there pinned-up emotions of Fear, Hurt, or Shame, that you need to let lose? Not only should you be looking for the ‘dirt’- but you should be seeking the source of the ‘dirt’. So often we hold on to grudges, keep problems close to our heart, worry about things we can’t change, etc. etc., etc., without realizing how much this plays a part in bringing unwanted baggage into our lives.

So this spring, while you clean your physical environment, take time to ‘Spiritually Spring Clean’. Let your diary be an aide in this effort. Think about what it is that you are holding on to: Write down persons you need to forgive. Don’t hold back as you transcribe how they wronged you and why you have not forgiven them. We ALL have someone we can forgive… Why hold on to that negative energy?

Still need more cleaning? What most of us need are the overall Healing of Emotions. Healing from some underlying Fear, Shame, Hurt, Mistrust, Betrayal - or so on. Use your personal writings to try and come to terms with the emotions you need healing from. Get in touch with the part of you that reaches out for comfort. One sure-fire means of getting to what’s bothering you is through your journal entries. This self-therapy method is a guaranteed effective tool for getting to the core of our emotions. This spring, try it out—Happy Cleaning!!!

Thanks Peggy for this thought provoking Spring Cleaning tip

COCONUT CREAM EGGS
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 cups (1 lb.) powdered sugar
3-1/4 cups (10-oz. pkg.) MOUNDS Sweetened Coconut Flakes
Additional powdered sugar

Favorite chocolate coating
Instructions:
1. In large bowl, stir together butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar and coconut, beating until blended.
2. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon additional powdered sugar on flat surface. Spoon coconut mixture onto prepared surface; knead about 5 minutes. Using 1-1/2 teaspoons mixture for each candy, shape into egg shape. Place on wax
paper-covered tray. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before dipping into chocolate coating.
3. Place coated eggs on wax paper-covered tray. Store in cool, dry place. About 40 candies.
VARIATION: PEANUT BUTTER EGGS: Omit coconut flakes. Add 1-1/2 cups REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter. Proceed as directed above.
Prep Time: 30 min. Start to Finish: 2 Hrs. 30 min.

PEANUT BUTTER EASTER CUPS
Prep Time: 1 Hr.
Start to Finish: 2 Hrs. 10 min.

Ingredients:
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
5 teaspoons shortening (not butter, margarine or oil)
CREAMY PASTEL FONDANT (recipe below)

Instructions:
1.In microwave-safe bowl, place peanut butter chips and shortening.
2. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1-1/2 minutes or until smooth when stirred. Line small muffin cups (1-3/4 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. With narrow pastry brush, thickly and evenly coat inside pleated surface and bottom of each paper cup with peanut butter mixture.
3. Refrigerate coated cups 10 minutes; recoat any thin spots. Repeat procedure, coating twelve cups at a time. (If necessary, microwave peanut butter mixture 30 seconds to thin.) Tightly cover cups; refrigerate until firm.
4. Fill each cup with desired color CREAMY PASTEL FONDANT; decorate as desired. Cover; refrigerate at least one hour. Carefully peel paper from each cup. Store in refrigerator. About 3-1/2 dozen.

CREAMY PASTEL FONDANT
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green, red and yellow food color
- 1/8 teaspoon mint, almond and lemon extract

In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and well blended. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla. Divide mixture into three parts. Mix 1 to 2 drops green food color and mint extract into one part, red food color and almond extract into second part, and yellow food color and lemon extract into third part.

Orange Sunshine Cake

1 cup unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs, well beaten
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon pure orange extract
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 cups powdered sugar

This cake, with its cheery color and flavor, is an instant pick me up. The cake is perfect for any holiday as it stores and travels very well, allowing it to be made several days in advance. The impressive appearance, rich flavor, and moist texture make this cake a perennial favorite.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and heavily grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan, 12-cup Bundt pan, or 12-cup angel food cake pan. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and mix well. Sift the flour and baking powder in small amounts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, making sure to start and end with the milk. Stir in the flavorings. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a cake tester comes clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Once the cake has cooled slightly, mix the frosting by blending all of the ingredients until smooth. Drizzle the frosting over the cake. Serve immediately, at room temperature, or chilled if desired. Cake stores well for up to one week in a sealed container. Serves 12