See! The winter is past;

the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth;

the season of singing has come,

the cooing of doves

is heard in our land. 

• Song of Songs 2:11-12, NIV

Spring and fall are my favorite times of the year. Even amid my allergies which tend to be at their peak during these two seasons. In the spring, I love seeing the beauty of nature as it exits its winter rest. It is breathtaking to behold.

There are so many things that I enjoy about spring. The beautiful array of colors as the flowers come into bloom. The budding of the trees as they prepare to break forth their leaves and fruit. (The two trees at the parsonage are beautiful at this time of year.) I love the smell of a freshly cut lawn. I even like the smell of a newly plowed field as it is prepared for planting.

As nature returns to beauty and splendor, we can be reminded that God is the source of newness. As the flowers emerge from the buds to spring forth life, God can do a new thing within each of us. As we walk with Christ; we can be made new. As it says in 2 Corinthians:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

• 2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV

My prayer for you this month is that as you experience the newness of spring that you also see how God is doing some new thing within you. Ponder what God may be speaking to you. As you smell the springtime air; as you see the beauty of nature; as you listen to your neighborhood come alive with outdoor activities; ask God what new thing he has in store for you.

In Christ!

Pastor Matthew