Easter in Sedona, Arizona

The 40 day fast of the Lenten season and its culmination on Easter Sunday constitute what I would argue is my favorite time of year. There is something extraordinarily beautiful about making a sacrifice, a personal fast, in order to refocus on the true meaning and sacrifice of Easter. This holiday was always such a huge celebration for our family when I was growing up. It started with picking our favorite childhood indulgences (usually something with a high concentration of sugar) and committing to not partake in it for 40 days (plus or minus a few cheating Sundays). Emily and I were always kept honest in what we decided to give up because mom and dad obviously knew our greatest weaknesses, so the year I tried to give up broccoli Ken kept me honest by encouraging me to rethink the meaning of lent ☺ We received our ashes on Ash Wednesday & put together our mite boxes where we would deposit a quarter every time we broke our fast until Palm Sunday, when we would march around the church with banners and palm leaves & begin counting down the few days left until Easter. The big day was always celebrated by a tremendous egg hunt at Ease & Poppop’s house, 200+ eggs hidden around their yard, an enormous feast, and the freedom to eat as much candy as humanly possible (trying not to make ourselves sick).

This year I made the journey to explore the red rocks of Sedona on this momentous occasion. About 2 hours north of Phoenix, Sedona is best described as a small hippie town in Arizona’s high desert just under the southwest rim of the vast Colorado plateau. Filled with breathtaking red-rock formations, abundant hiking paths, natural energy fields (vortices), and some extremely interesting people, there is a lot to see in Sedona. Chris and I only had about 36 hours to explore the countryside but I think I speak for both of us when I say we weren’t disappointed at G-d’s splendor in this place. Among some of the things we experienced, were breathtaking sunsets & sunrise, winding canyon trails, awe-inspiring mountain top views, & the Chapel of the Holy Cross (pictured above). Even the view from Starbucks was incredible! Thankful that I could celebrate the holiday among G-d's sprawling beauty and with awareness of His Grace.