Spring Changes

In the past, if you were to ask me my favorite season, I would answer autumn. I love crisp fall days, the changing leaves, and the smells of the season. I love fall hayrides, college football, and harvest moons. For years, fall has been my favorite time of year. But if I really think about the seasons, I really consider which one is my favorite, I would have to simply say that I love them all. I love living in a place that experiences 4 distinct seasons and I find wonderful characteristics of each season. For instance, I adore the long days that come with summer -- the early sun that stays up well into the evening hours before the fire flies light up the night. I enjoy the winter wind that howls as I am nestled under comfy blankets. And with spring, I love the long wild branches of blooming forsythia as well as the blooming pear, tulip, and magnolia trees. Both fall and spring bring great changes to our landscape -- changes that I enjoy and anticipate each year. This year, those changes are happening not just in our yard and neighborhood, but in our lives.



This spring, Josie is 7 and Norah is 2. Norah is enjoying this change towards warming weather and is, for the first time, really enjoying the outdoors. She loves to swing, run, play in the sandbox and slide down the slide. Josie adores helping her do all these things as the great big sister that she is. While Norah's spring enjoyment pretty much peaks with the joy of playing outside, Josie's is further reaching as she anticipates the next season to come. Today, in anticipation for summer, Josie and I started some seeds to later transplant into our garden. This summer, Josie decided she would like to grow four things: green beans, tomatos, cucumber, and pumpkins. I am pretty excited about this assortment... stay tuned and I will let you know how it goes.


Other spring changes in our life reflect our economic times. After five years at Community, my time there is coming to an end this June. Due to budget realities, several things had to be restructured in order to help the church continue to move forward in ministry -- one of those restructurings was staffing. I have adored my time at Community -- it has been a good fit for me. I have been challenged to grow, but I also feel I have had a lot to offer. We don't know what the future holds in terms of new emplyment for me , but what we do know is that we (or at least I) have a strong sense of peace about it. While I am terribly sad and disappointed that this is how I am leaving, I believe that something else is waiting for me. Now, I just need to find out what that "something else" is (hard to do when you are still working full-time!).

I refuse to end this blog on such an uncertain note. As I think about the seasons, Spring is the season of hope with the passing of the dark, winter months and the brighter, warmer days to come. It is a season of promise as buds grow on trees, and as life springs forth from bulbs planted the autumn before. Hope. Promise. Golly, you can't go wrong with either of those things -- and I am full of them both.

But just in case that isn't enough to keep your spirits up... here is one final photo to share from our Disney trip in February...

Yes, Josie caught Tinkerbell in her hands... and she didn't even know it until she got home and saw the picture on the computer. So, make a wish - because wishes DO come true!