The newness of Spring..

 

I love this time of year.. after a long rainy winter, we are finally getting some beautiful weather and the first signs of spring are here. All my potted plants are showing signs of life.. it is always a surprise when I see that they survived so much rain and I never managed to transplant them.. yet they are coming back again. Their conditions are less than ideal.. but they persevere..reminds me of our lives.

We live in less than ideal circumstances.. yet every spring we can look ahead with hope and trust that the Lord has new things for us in this season. The hardships of winter may have beaten us down.. but there are signs of new growth.. signs of life. I don’t know about you.. but I need to have hope for the future.. to believe that there are going to be surprises.. things that God is going to do that I never expected..I try to make a point of noticing those things when they happen.. even if they are very small things.. like my rose bushes looking exceptionally healthy this year.. almost ready to bloom.. a precious gift from God.

Easter is coming in two weeks.. a time of celebration.. rejoicing in what the Lord has done for us. We have this time to begin to savor each day and to be thankful for this life.. to pray and ask for restoration and healing.. to seek a greater glimpse of His goodness. This is a special time and I don’t want to waste it looking back at the disappointments..the desire of my heart is to experience the abundant life of John 10:10 every single day in the midst of the challenges and trials.. He is always with us and always pouring out His love into our hearts.. time to drink deeply of the Living Water.. to fill up so we can pour out that love to others.. Let it be so Lord!

 

Hope is renewed..

It is really springtime again.. I never feel quite sure until May appears..than I feel safe saying winter is over! We came back from a long weekend away this afternoon and as we looked up we saw beautiful fluffy white clouds in a bright blue sky.. the fields along the highway were a vivid green dotted with patches of yellow wild mustard. I could see the Lord’s handiwork all around me.. it was very comforting. God’s love for us revealed in creation.

It was a weekend of reminders for me. We went to a very special wedding.. one that was full of amazing surprises.. I could see God’s fingerprints all over this union. He brought these two people together and it was clear that His love drew them to one another. He was transforming their lives and it flowed over each of us watching the ceremony…we stood in awe of His redeeming work. I had a similar experience at another family gathering last December.. as I looked around the room I could see how the hand of the Lord had been at work healing broken lives and relationships. His hand of redemption on our family.

God is at work even when we can’t see a single thing He is doing. Suddenly He allows us a glimpse into the lives He is restoring.. a glimpse of His healing touch. Spring is like that for me.. all winter long I wonder how I will make it through my least favorite season.. too many hours inside waiting for the weather to warm up… too many grey skies.. short days and long nights.. Suddenly the season changes and I realize He has been working in the dark.. behind the scenes.. getting things ready for the new things that He is going to reveal.. Spring is here.. winter is over.. Hope is renewed!

 

He is doing a new thing..

I believe that this is always true of God. He is always doing a new thing and never runs out of ideas:) The problem is that at times we get stuck. We may feel as though nothing new can ever happen or that we are forgotten or possibly we believe that the past is being repeated in the present. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Spring is the time when we are reminded of this. Every year new things spring  up from the ground.. trees are suddenly filled with lush green leaves. The light coming in the window is at a new angle. The old brown leaves that covered the ground are gone..suddenly replaced by lush green meadows and the tiny blossoms of wildflowers. The earth is being renewed by its Creator God. He has taken out his paintbrush and painted the most beautiful watercolor we have ever seen.. it takes our breath away.

Every spring I am surprised by the Lord..totally amazed at His creativity.. so inspiring. His personal reminder that He  is at work in our world and that He is doing a new thing around us and of course in us.

“For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”    (Isaiah 43:19)

And then He brought the rain..

We got a good dose of God’s blessing of rain this month.. after a long dry spell..the colors of His palette are everywhere. I have been walking over the last week.. easy to do when the sun is shining every day. You never know what new things are just around the corner and I am continually encouraged by the Lord that He is in control and everything is moving ahead exactly the way He has planned it.

My heart is feeling full of hope as we move toward Spring and I know that it is because He has answered the cry of my heart to be renewed and granted more faith in this season. I see the way He is weaving my life experiences together..nothing is random. Isn’t that reassuring? We are part of a larger story..one that we can’t full comprehend, but He gives us glimpses. One thing leads to another and suddenly we are filled with joy.. God is doing things with us and through us.

I want to leave you encouraged today.. filled with anticipation..hopeful and renewed in your faith. I can’t do all that, but the Lord can and He will.. He is ready to meet us and to fill us with His living water.. I took some pictures on one of my walks to share with you…glimpses of Spring and all the good things that are yet to come..

 

Here is the scripture that God gave me for this year.. I am art journaling these days..I recommend it.. as a way of responding to the Lord and remembering His words to us.

Seasons of waiting..

Today is the 4th anniversary of my blog.  I began writing here in March of 2010.  It’s also the first day of Spring..a good day to begin things. When I went back to one of my first posts, I noticed that I was writing about waiting and that theme has resurfaced through the years.. over and over again.

Life is full of waiting. We are waiting for one thing or another as long as we are here.. I’ve spent time trying to understand waiting and learning to wait in a way that doesn’t deplete me emotionally. I can’t say I’ve figured it all out, but I do know one very important thing.. GOD IS IN THE WAITING. While we are wondering.. He is working and great things are being accomplished in us and for us.

So much of our lives are filled with longings and He is in those as well. He puts his desires inside us and then takes whatever time is necessary to fulfill those desires. He changes us as we wrestle with Him and as we trust Him. He heals us and restores us in these seasons. These are rich times when He can go deep into our hearts and find wounds that have been patched over. He removes the band aids and cleanses us.

I am not a patient person and I really dislike waiting, but the fruit of all the waiting I’ve done has been great and I am thankful. Without it, I would not know His grace the way I do now nor would I feel as restored as I do now. No.. I would not choose it, but I am grateful to the Lord who knows what is best for me.

I pray that as you read this and as you wait.. you get a bigger glimpse of this great God that will do whatever it takes to capture your heart.

Thanks for reading my blog, without you.. I would have no reason to write.

xoxo Alicia

Happy Spring!!!

The winter season is still with us..

I am always ready for Spring long before it actually appears. The flowering plum trees are blooming here and so are the beautiful bulbs that push their way up through the soggy soil. So..Spring is not far away..in less than a month we will be celebrating the end of Winter. My calendar says the first day of this new season is March 20th.

I’m anxious to be in that season..the last two winters have been very difficult. The winter of 2011 and 2012 were especially challenging ..  overwhelming.. My prayer became a simple ” I trust you Lord” ..there was not much else to say. My heart was heavy and my body seemed to be working against me.. needing rest but unable to sleep. Yesterday I looked back and saw that both winters were rich in lessons that I needed to learn. Both winters brought healing to some very infected wounds that demanded attention. God is faithful to do the deep things in us that will free us up to be the person we were created to be.

When I find myself wishing for an easier road.. I know that the road He has prepared for me is the only way. If I want abundant life and if I choose to follow Him fully..the road is narrow  with just enough light for the next small step. He is holding me and will catch me if I fall. He is guiding me and moving me forward as I trust Him.

So..if you are tired of this winter season.. Trust God for that amazing, abundant Spring that He will unfold in His time!

“If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.”

Glimpses of Spring

I saw some today.. little yellow daffodils. They reminded me of smiling faces..gazing up into the sun..filled with joy and hope. We need these reminders..every day. So here are some glimpses for you..Spring is coming.