I’m in Sulmona, Italy, this week, spending some time with the puppet carver and his family who are creating a puppet opera of our St Nicholas story to premiere here this Christmas!

But today is Easter, and I was able to celebrate with them, watching a portrayal of Jesus’s mother running to Jesus after learning He had risen from the dead.

She starts at one end of the plaza dressed in black, but when she sees Jesus, she begins to run to Him. Her black cloak of mourning comes off and a green dress of new life is revealed. Doves fly, and the crowd cheers!

It was extravagant enough to make me cry.

But what made me cry even more was what it means to me…

• Because He lives, I will live, too.
• Because He lives, those I love will live, too.
• Because He lives, He has a purpose for my life here, too.

How do I know? Thirty-six years ago, when I put my faith in Christ, He gave me a gift of faith. Faith to believe that everything He said was true. Faith to believe that He could do anything, absolutely anything. And faith to share with others so they can have new life, too.

So that’s what I want to share with you today! A little bit of my faith.

Because I know that life can be hard. Relationships can be messy. Doubt and discouragement can turn into despair and hopelessness.

But I also know that God can do the impossible. He can make a way where there is no way. And He can breathe new life into things that are dead or dying.

I believe He can breathe new life into you.

If you’ve never put your faith in Him, I hope you’ll do it today. It’s as easy as ABC (He’s already done the hard work for you!)

• Accept that He died for your sins so you don’t have to.
• Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.
• Confess with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord."

When you do, you will be saved!

And if you’ve already put your faith in Him, let me remind you of what God reminded me:

• Because He lives, you will live, too.
• Because He lives, those you love will live, too.
• Because He lives, He has a purpose for your life here, too.

And if you’d like to watch the videos of my week in Sulmona, I’ve included a few below, starting with the portrayal of "Running to Jesus."

Keep running to Him!