Happy Easter! After my Lenten fast, I am more than ready to indulge in some Easter chocolate this morning.

Welcome to the 157^th edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a quote of the week. This week’s edition is shorter than usual as I enjoy some family time…and a little bit of Easter chocolate.

On my mind this week: Bring on the Easter chocolate

As I shared earlier, I decided to go big this Lent by giving up chips, chocolate and candy. The big 3. All at once. Yikes! What was I thinking?

Honestly, it wasn’t as hard as I expected. I only had one day around week five that I had an insatiable craving for candy. But I didn’t succumb.

As an unexpected bonus, the junk food ban helped me to lose 7 pounds in March.

Last year, I gave up social media for Lent. When Easter arrived, I was reluctant to return. A year later, I average about 6 minutes a day on Facebook, ad rarely go on Instagram. My social media time is down significantly from before my Lenten fast, and I don’t miss it at all.

But candy, chips and chocolate are a different beast. Unlike my social media fast last year, I won’t wait a week or two before indulging. Because it’s Easter and there’s chocolate everywhere. Earlier in the week my husband filled up our Easter Ferris Wheel with Cadbury eggs. How’s that for temptation? I resisted, even as my husband and daughters enjoyed those eggs in front of me.

I will indulge in some Easter chocolate today. I have a weakness for the foil-wrapped mini Cadbury Dairy Milk eggs. The trick will be to not fall right back into old habits and start eating candy every day. Wish me luck!

I wish you all the hope, peace, joy and blessings of the Easter season. And a little Easter chocolate too!

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Three highlights of the week

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:

• The weather was beautiful on Monday, so I went out for a 40-minute walk. It was wonderful.
• On Monday evening, we had a power outage in our neighbourhood for about four hours. It was our last choir practice before Easter, so we got creative. We took advantage of the evening daylight and warmer weather and went out into the courtyard beside the church for our practice. We had singers and guitars, and our keyboardist helped by using a keyboard app on his phone. It was a challenge, but we got it done.
• And saving the best for last, our daughters Colleen and Laura have both been home for a few days. It’s such a treat to have them both home together. I’ll be sad today when they both return to their faraway homes.

Things I learned this week

It was a busy week so my time for reading and learning was limited. My regular nuggets of learning will return next week.

Quotes of the week

Easter truly is a season of hope, something we so desperately need in our world in 2026. Here is a selection of quotes about the hope of Easter.

From death came life, from sorrow came joy; this is the hope of Easter.

Aloo Denish Obiero

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.

Pope John Paul II

Easter reminds us that the darkest moments are not the final word. That sometimes, when the whole world looks like it’s falling apart, that’s exactly when something new can be born. Not easily, and not without cost. But born nonetheless.

Adam Kinzinger

And, it’s not a quote but this meme makes me smile every year when I see it…

What’s your favourite Easter treat to enjoy? Drop me a comment below and let me know.