“A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” (Isaiah 40:3 NIV)

Scriptures tell us that John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:2-3). And, just how did he do this? He preached repentance. He taught people about being washed clean and removing sin from their lives and through that process, accepting the most amazing gift ever received by mankind - forgiveness.

In the next few weeks, Christians all over the world will be honoring God for this most precious gift. Families, friends and loved ones will gather to commemorate Jesus’ life and death. And when Easter Sunday arrives, we will prepare our famous potato salad for the big Easter dinner at church to share in the celebration of the Resurrection. But, the question is: are we truly ready for this celebration? Have we prepared the way of the Lord? Have we done all we can do to invite Him into every aspect of our lives? To open the doors for Him to use us for His good?

As Easter approaches, we invite you to join us as we ask God to move and operate in our lives, as we search our hearts for everything and anything that might be acting as a roadblock, and as we lean on Him to help us remove those barriers. Maybe you need to finally forgive that person who caused you so much pain, or maybe it’s time you turn that one secret sin over to Him, or maybe you are being called to spend more hours in the Word each day. Whatever it may be - we encourage you to have that conversation with God and be open to His answers for your life. Remember, Jesus knows how hard this life can be, and He loves you.

Even though these “roadblocks” are not always easy to identify (and sometimes painful to admit), we all know that once we can lift all our worries and concerns and seek to the Lord with our whole hearts - it is only then that we able to experience true peace.