Welcome my friend! At this time of the year Chocolate is seen everywhere here in Australia. There are chocolate eggs of all sizes, filled, unfilled, decorated & undecorated.

There are chocolate bunnies, chickens, Bilbys, Platypie & the list goes on. So, I thought for our cuppa & reflection today we would explore this annual phenomenon.

It is a delightful autumn day here with the sun shinning & birds singing as I write but when you read this I will be recovering from eye surgery. So I have written & scheduled this post beforehand to make sure we celebrate Easter together.

We are seated at my dining table looking through our large sliding glass doors onto our front garden. I have prepared a gf Carrot cake & Choc peppermint tea for us.

Now we’re settled sipping our cuppa & enjoying the sweet taste of our cake let’s begin…

Chocolate

I must confess I’m not a fan of chocolate, I know, I know I’m kinda weird! The only variety in the chocolate family I find okay to eat, as a very rare treat, is White Chocolate. But I have a hubby who loves his milk & dark chocolate.

In fact within our combined family of six adult daughters, their spouses & our many grandchildren we have many chocoholics! Yes, I’m the odd one out!

Even as a child my Chocolate Easter Eggs would sit in the refrigerator for months & months after the event! Finally being eaten by the chocoholics in the household who couldn’t stand seeing them sitting there any longer. Lol!

What’s in Chocolate that makes it so addictive?

The main ingredient in all chocolate is Cocoa which contains Tryptophan, an amino acid, which is linked to the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in our brains that produces feelings of happiness & contentedness.

Other factors…

The fact that chocolate melts in the mouth is perceived as a very pleasing sensation. This sensation is passed on to our brain which also triggers the production of endorphins.

The eating of chocolate often contains a positive emotional experience. When children we were often given chocolate as a reward for being good & accomplishing something great or as a special treat.

As adults, when eating chocolate those pleasurable moments from childhood are recreated, reinforcing the enjoyment, comfort & pleasure.

And the fact that it is often so comforting to the emotions, chocolate becomes the go to comfort food! That chocolate lovers reach for when feeling stressed, hurt, sad or just needing that little bit of extra comfort in their day!

Why do we have Easter eggs?

In the early days of Christianity, the symbols of eggs were adapted by early Christians to replace their old practices & festivals, as was the term Easter. As eggs are the source of new life representing new life in Christ.

Chicken eggs were also used to represent Jesus being in the tomb for 3 days (as chicks are in the egg for 3 weeks before hatching) & Christ breaking the power of death through His resurrection.

Even to this modern day in many parts of the world real chicken eggs are cooked, decorated & exchanged at this time to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

As seen above,, chocolate with all of its pleasing attributes has replaced chicken eggs in many parts of the western world becoming an all time favorite gift of  exchange for celebrating this special time!

As you enjoy your chocolate goodies this weekend feeling that neurological comfort, let’s remember the following…

The Passover sacrifice was for you & me!

John the Baptist declared that Jesus was,

“…the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of this world!”

John 1: 29

You can read the full Passover story in Exodus 12

However for our reflection today we will focus on Jesus, who was the last Passover lamb sacrificed for mankind, for all time.

What is sin?

It’s actually pretty simple, sin is ignoring God & His direction for our life.

You see when our many × Grandpa Adam & Granny Eve ignored God’s direction in the Garden, regarding the tree of knowledge of good & evil, a great separation in the relationship between God the Father & mankind happened at that point.

However, we are not innocent inheritors of this legacy that separated mankind from this relationship with God. Because, if we’re truly honest we keep it going!

“Really?” You may ask…

Let me pose the following to you my friend, how many times have we ignored God’s love, presence & direction in our life? Believing we knew better than He at the time!  Hmmm?

God keeps His promise

However, God loves us so much He sent His only Son Jesus to bridge that separation.

That’s why Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit, lived, taught & walked amongst us. And why He was crucified on the Cross as the last Passover sacrificial lamb, saving those who believe in Him from eternal death. His resurrection demonstrated His power over death for a resurrected eternal life with the Father.

For you & me!

God has done His part, He kept His promise in the Garden of sending us our Messiah, Jesus. Our part is to believe & accept Jesus, as our personal Savior.

We can then enjoy that intimate relationship with God, calling Him our heavenly Father through our Savior Jesus. And let me tell you He is relentless in His loving kindness!

For His love is the ultimate comfort for our life!

So while you’re enjoying Easter celebrations, eating that enjoyable chocolate or special Easter goodies remember Jesus’ sacrifice for you.

And don’t wait another minute to enter into that personal relationship with Him or return to His loving arms, if you have wandered away!

He’s spiritually knocking at the door of your heart, patiently waiting for you to allow Him in! How to open the door Here

Happy Easter my friend! He Is Risen!

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

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