Our household was always alive with people, fine food and a beautiful atmosphere.

The Easter Bunny was real and he seemed to favour us with plenty of treats. I am thinking my memories of Easter may not be so different to your own.

For many people, Easter is about hitching up the caravan or throwing the tent into the car and heading off to the favourite camp spot. Much of our pre-planning for Easter centres around safety and how to extract as much out of our break as possible. This consumes a lot of our time and thought process.

In life, just as we do when planning a holiday, we must make choices. Some are very basic like what food to take or what clothes to pack.

There is one choice that was made for us many, many years ago and that choice was laid bare to us, when Jesus said "you are either for me or against me".

The simple fact is we have manoeuvered the true meaning of Easter away from its spiritual meaning, which is the cross. The fact that Jesus died on that cross and declared he was doing so, because he saw it necessary to take away our sins through rising from the dead and assending into heaven. He showed us the pathway to repentance. Even today, as we celebrate Easter, be reminded that Easter is a celebration of life. And when you take time off work to celebrate Easter in your traditional way, you are in fact doing so because Jesus first loved you.

You may ask, why should I pause to remember the cross and Jesus? This is a crucial life or death question. To find the answer we must go back to the beginning of life itself. God gave human beings a wonderful but dangerous gift - freedom of choice. The power to choose right or wrong, good or evil.

Jesus died on the cross so that we could have choices. Can you not spare Him an hour or so this Easter to recognise this and to say thank you? Don't deny Him any longer. Put yourself right with God and celebrate the true meaning of Easter with your family.

Join your local bible-based church and thank Him for the wonder of the cross.

By all means enjoy your traditional Easter, but don't forget how it came into being.