We have just celebrated Easter, the cross looms in the background - a reminder that the only way to living lives pleasing to God is for us to be willing to surrender to the cross, to live our lives as those who have been crucified with Christ. How then, can we live our lives in gratitude to God and what He has done for us through the resurrection of Jesus? We must have a living hope. A living hope that comes through praising God for His great mercy, for our new birth, and for our inheritance. A living hope that comes through faith, rejoicing, and trials.