Welcome Spring!

"Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness mercy and love"

- "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas Chisolm & William Runyan -

I love spring! But much of my enjoyment in spring really flows from how much I LOVE summer!!! Anticipation is half the fun, but I do get giddy over seeing the buds coming forth and hearing the Spring Peepers in the creek on warm nights. I love leaving my winter coat in the closet when I go out the door and I'm beyond eager for the first night I can leave the windows open. Aaah. I was driving home this afternoon and something caught my eye, something beautiful - Magnolia blossoms! They were barely open but I was still stunned by them. I think I may have actually gasped when I saw them because I forgot how they delight my eyes :-) I've been thinking about how Spring is evidence of God's faithfulness. Just like the seasons in a year there are seasons in my walk with the Lord. Each time I feel this great coldness in my heart - when I'm lacking passion, when my eyes only seem to see myself and immediate circumstances, when I am downcast and sinning in unbelief - God is absolutely faithful to bring "spring" to me again. Because of the desperate places my sin takes me, and because he kindly allows me to see that, I long for renewal and fresh vision for his glory. He consistently meets me there and I am never disappointed with where I end up on the other side.

some of the tree buds in our yard

Tonight I was looking at Zechariah 10:1 "Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field." I was reminded of something the Lord was teaching me this morning on the way to church. I drove past a small pond which is often full to the brim, but today I saw several inches of bare bank above the water level. I was surprised because I haven't been aware of a lack of rain. It seems to me to have rained quite a bit lately, but I tend to be more aware of those days than the amount of sunny ones in between them. But God spoke to me of his wisdom and faithfulness. I am so subjective and my measure of what is "best" is often what makes me most comfortable. Be glad God's wisdom is far beyond mine. He knows just how many sunny days to give and just how much rain we need to be full and effective for him. The direct result of those cool drizzly days are the flowers which are starting to come alive and the trees that are reawakening. God gets glory over how he perfectly measures and balances the sunshine with the storms. He is so trustworthy!

We had a fun day visiting with my sister Cheryl on Saturday. I love getting to spend time with her and my niece and nephew. Her husband was coaching his Quiz Bowl team in a tournament that day so we took the kids to That Fish Place and then later for a walk to a construction site in their neighborhood. Xavier and I had a blast and were smothered with hugs, kisses and giggles. Here are some fun shots from our day.

this eel had his mouth wide open at us like he was waiting to
chomp at anything that crossed his path - very intimidating

you probably can't tell but this hermit crab was about 6 or 7

inches tall and probably almost a foot long to the end of his shell