SPRING IS ALMOST HERE

Welcome to the first glimpses of spring for this year!

If you’ve been watching the daffodils bloom, or observing the crocus peaking out of the ground over the last few weeks, you already know what is happening.

It just becomes official on the 20th of March.  

Spring has already arrived in our hearts.  

Here is a list of some springtime things to do:  https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/entertainment/spring-activities.

ARRIVAL OF NEWNESS

Since a beautiful Spring is spreading through our land; let’s turn a page and step into some new and exciting things together. Let’s stop, pause, drink in the fresh air. It is time to look around and enjoy the newest scenery in the community.

Don’t you love the fresh breath of air that each spring brings to the earth?

I think of the verses from The Song of Solomon, Chapter 2; “My beloved calls to me, “Arise my darling. Come away with me, my beautiful one. For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in the countryside.  Now the season of singing has come.  The cooing of the turtledoves is heard in our land.”

Such a lovely invitation; as our Beloved sends out His Word and beacons us to enjoy the season with Him.

Life always takes on a fresh new aspect with the changing of the seasons from winter to spring.

SPRING IN THE SOUTH

Here in the South, the privet is blooming and the pollen is flowing heavily through the air.

People are washing cars and dusting off their patio furniture and planting flowers in brightly colored pots.

Some places are carpeted with little pink petals.  Walkways are lined with cheerful blooms.  They are popping their heads out to say “hello” to this new season.

Our tulip tree is blooming!

EVERYTHING IS FRESH AND NEW

With the coming of spring, one gets the feeling that everything about life can be fresh and new again.

Isn’t it amazing that one little season can do this to our attitudes?

I notice this transformation more in the springtime than any other season; maybe because of the observance of The Spring Holy Days and the remembering that we do which brings us a special sense of security and hope.

Isn’t that the hope of every bride?

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST GREETS THE SEASON

Surely the Bride of Christ gets an extra dose of anticipation with each springtime’s glorious arrival.

This winter, like several before, has been hard and full of political turmoil and critical national changes. We’ve been bombarded with all the tragic news of a world in constant transition.  

Aren’t we all ready for a break from the constant bombardment of the negative facts of the ever-changing modern world? We are tired of all of the harsh realities that sometimes go along with it.

Spring seems to lift and erase the tragedies of humanity away. It brings the hope of Messiah returning to set things right.

HOPE OF MESSIAH

With the coming of spring, everything around us seems to soften up a bit.

Harsh faces crinkle with laughter again.

Hard steel eyes light up and wrinkled old faces smile.

People’s attitudes perk up and sometimes even un-neighborly neighbors are more friendly.

Don’t you love how that happens?

How could anyone look at the changing landscape across America right now and frown?

How could anyone feel the warmer air blow across their face and not rejoice?

Are you not blessed with hope of Messiah’s return?  Here is a link to reinforce that feeling:  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/seasons-celebrating-early-first-fruits-during-passover-week-in-gods-spring-holy-days/.

A TIME OF JOY

The beautiful spacious skies are now their bluest blues.

Our amber fields of grain turn to lovely shades of vivid greens.

The Great Artist From Heaven has been busy!

Each spring brings its own unique form of loveliness.

Everything everywhere stands up and speaks of hope, from the pretty new flowers to the cheerful colors of the blossoming fruit trees.

Adar brings it’s joy!

There is a warm breeze blowing through the valleys and the mountain streams are full and flowing.

Springtime is taking away winter’s chill and getting all of us ready for more down-time and summer vacations.

DANCE INTO THE SEASON

So come and dance into the newest season of Spring with The IN SEASON Lifestyle Community.

This is not to make light of the tragedies the last of winter gave us.  Some of us (from Alabama) desperately need a fresh new blessing of hope and change after a terrible tornado season.

Others have spotted evidence of still a little snow in the air. All of us are holding out for the hope that when Spring becomes official on the 20th, the world will be renewed and refreshed.

Some of these bitter winter things will fade and become less evident.

Many will still have a hard time recovering from the last of this winter.  Our prayers are with those tender hearts, and our cares go out to them.

COMFORT FOR THE GRIEVING

It is our hope that spring will bring comfort and help those who may need a smile through their tears.  New life will bring new hope to those who have lost loved ones this past year.

So; let’s get some happy renewals going on; let’s step into this spring with renewed vigor and anticipation.

Let’s thank our Creator for all the beauty and warmth of the sun and let’s ponder the wonders of His Holy Seasons.

Who else could do the impossible task of lifting our hearts up again?

A SEASON OF WONDER

Every spring brings new life and “life, life and more life” is the best reason of all to celebrate and rejoice.

How ironic that new life comes to us in the tragedy of the death of our loved ones.  At first glimpse it doesn’t seem fair.  On second glimpse, we know the circle of life must continue for those who are left behind.

One way to celebrate spring’s arrival is to stop and remember the things that we are most grateful for.  We will remember and be ever grateful for having those precious souls with us for the time that we were able to borrow them from Heaven.

We are ever-grateful for our memories.

A SEASON OF GRATITUDE

Can you not look back over those memories of spring times in your life and think of things that always made you smile?

I hope so.

It is so comforting to know the things that always made us smile.  Many of them came to us in the time of spring.

Personally; I have some wonderful memories of growing up on a farm and watching the season of spring come to cheer up the land at the end of every brown and bleak winter.

No matter what the winter had brought our way the spring seemed to be God’s way of saying to us “Look up child and find the destiny I still have for you.”

Spring on the farm was so busy!

Chicks are popping their little heads out of eggs.  Birds are busy building their nests. Baby calves and foals are being born. The ground is being prepared for fresh new crops. with hopes for a bountiful harvest.

PLANTING FOR A GOOD HARVEST

Most of all; I loved the feeling of anticipation which spring always brings back to us.  We plant our gardens and fields with great care and much anticipation.

Farmers are always hopeful, anticipating a good harvest.

Children keep anticipating school ending.  Adults keep anticipating nice long summer nights with sweet family gatherings.

TIME FOR SPRING CLEANING

The houses get their spring cleanings.  Everything seems to take on a pure, clean, wholesome feeling of renewal.

How I love the “freshness” of it all!

At the farm we didn’t throw things away.  When items were old and dingy; we simply polished them up again.  They were cleaned until they looked like new.  We made all we could be useful for yet another busy year.

God will do that with us too; come spring.  I can feel it in the air.

Back then; there was always this great transformation going on.  It happened during every spring.

TRANSFORMATION OF OLD TO NEW

Old things became transformed.  As this happens, they become new again.  The circle of life continues its renewal.

All of a sudden you began to see drastic changes taking place.  What seemed in disrepair and ruin begins to be useful and take on purpose.  

This happens in our lives also.  We take a beating sometimes; but we can be renewed and begin again.  We can see new purposes accomplished if we just wait for the times of spring.

Even countries can be renewed!

That is my earnest prayer for America this Spring.

With life on the farm, things happened in increments.  It was a fairly slow and steady process.  One item changed at a time; but suddenly it all became so noticeable.  The healing power of spring came forth.

The people noticed, the animals noticed, and the land noticed.

They noticed the renewal of the life processes from God’s grace.  Their eyes saw first hand that the impossible hope of spring had arrived again; just like clockwork. Never too early; never too late, always right on time.

GOD’S TIME PREVAILS

God’s timing is so different than ours.  We often do not know when and how to expect it.

Now The Great Timekeeper has wound his watch again.  The great miracle of spring has reappeared everywhere.

Everyone and everything seems to be watching and paying close attention.  They wait with wide-open eyes and listening ears; as if they were big grizzly bears finally coming out of a long winter hibernation.

Many souls are realizing there is still so much more life to be living.

Springtime memories comfort my soul.  They give me hope in knowing that life goes on and seasons change and heal us.

RECALLING MEMORIES OF SPRING BLESSINGS

The spring family gatherings we shared at the farm were so wonderful!

I have so many vivid memories and even some cherished old photos to remind me of how those spring times at the farm were blessed.

I love that I got to share those years of my life with my family on the family farm. The farming days are over now; but those memories will linger forever.

There are priceless memories of how my Mom’s tables were always so beautiful. Her cooking was delicious.

Each new harvest brought its own delight.  The times we shared as we enjoyed the carefully preserved bounty and abundance were very well spent.

Most springs we canned tomatoes and froze green beans and corn.  There were bushels of fresh, green vegetables, squash and cucumbers on the table to enjoy.  The cattle raised on the farm made our feasts affordable and abundant.  

CHERISH YOUR OWN MEMORIES OF SPRING

I’ll bet you have some similar memories of things that happened in the spring times of your own life.  They may be a bit different than mine; but you have them just the same.

Did you live on a farm, or do you have wonderful memories of the community that develops within a city life?  Both cultures have their own advantages.

Rich memories can be stored up wherever grateful hearts are gathered to celebrate a new season.

Hold on to them and cherish them.

TELL YOUR OWN SPRINGTIME STORIES

Tell these stories to your children and grandchildren.  We each have been given times that will never be again.  Those times were meant to be shared.  It is essential that they are passed down from generation to generation.

So, let each generation be faithful to do its part.

Such beautiful memories are something precious to pull out of the corners of your mind when the world feels just a bit too fast, too busy or too overwhelming.

Know that it is okay to slow down for awhile.

Just slow down, take a deep breath, and remember all of the springs of the past.

The memories will change your day.  Your mood will become lighter.  You will once again feel grateful.

It is very possible you will find yourself smiling; and maybe even singing.

MAKE NEW SPRING MEMORIES 

As much as I’ve enjoyed these old memories of which I speak; I am also very grateful for the memories we are presently making in our current home.

Let not one moment be wasted.

Not one blessing should be overlooked or neglected because of distraction or temporary sadness.

We have food in abundance.

God has provided our shelter.

We have all that we need to gather together with family and friends and thank God for putting up with us.  He has loved us so much that He has blessed us with each other.  We are all together and beginning another beautiful season of life.

Our long winter is over!

SHARE THE BLESSINGS

We find we have enough to share with those who were just the same as us only a few days ago.

Let us do so quietly, with kindness, grace and affection.  With each Spring our hearts awaken to the fact that we have SO MUCH abundance.  There are blessings in all that truly matters.

I’m especially thankful for the seasonal changes springtime brings to our humble little castle where love abounds. It may not be a huge, spreading farm; but it is a home full of love.

I’ve always said that any home can be a castle, if love lives there and its owners are paying attention to God’s best ways.  Our castle is going through the empty-nest years; but the funny thing about that is, for some reason our family just keeps growing.  The house is rarely ever empty!

BLESSINGS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Why are we surprised to know this?

We are so happy with our grown kids, their spouses and our grandchildren. Each one of them has brought a different set of blessings into our days. It has been amazing to watch them make their own life choices.  Even more amazing is seeing them caring and reaching out to others in need.

They have not been spoiled.  These now grown children can still remember the times when they were the ones in need.  How grateful we all were when a storm took away our home at the farm.  Our hearts were able to recognize that what we lost was simply a building.  We still possessed the memories that would last forever.  They can never be destroyed.

The “gone” part is just a structure which can be rebuilt.  We felt the miracle of knowing we were still together.  Everyone knew where-ever we were was home for the moment.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART LIVES

Our hearts go out to those who are still going through such times this spring.  We hope that they will recover and that their hearts will one day remember the delights of springtime again.

Everything heals in time.  However, this doesn’t seem possible when you are first wounded.

Healing is not the same as it was when you had never been wounded at all.  Wounds turn into scars that tell stories of our past.  Each new season brings something new which turns these scars into stars and helps us to see heaven again.

FROM SCARS TO STARS

Spring, and all that we remember in spring, brings another time for being grateful.  It includes richly celebrating family and friends.  We are thankful for those who are still with us as well as those who have gone ahead of us.

Our little family gatherings in the springtime remind us of how appreciative we are of the present moments of the life we are living right now.

With each spring season, life goes on.

WITH SPRINGTIME THE MIRACLE OF LIFE GOES ON

There is also that exciting aspect of anticipation when we dare to look ahead to the future springs of another day.  We keep the dreams strong and never let them die.

What will our grandchildren do with their lives?

What amazing people will they become?

How can we be a part of contributing to their character and their life choices?

Prayer seems to be the most certain answer.

We can see God at work in their days. What a blessing to be allowed to participate in this season of life with them.  Let’s pass on the things that are good while we have these moments to enjoy.

With Spring; we begin to feel all of the hope that the changing season brings to us.

Each person learns to celebrate the wonders of springtime.  As the flowers grow, so do the people.  Each person begins to do the unique things they were made and meant to do.  It is the increase of these things which truly make them into who they are.

God has a spring destiny for each of us.

Families gather.

Friends gather.

Wonderful things are being set in motion.  They come together in beautiful ways.
This is the beauty of the relationships which each spring brings to us.

NEW PRAYER FOR A NEW SEASON

Today I am sending up a fresh new prayer.  I pray this season is glorious for you.  My hope is that it is full of love and laughter and fun.

I pray that God will bless you abundantly.

It is our constant hope that The IN SEASON Lifestyle blog can always play a tiny part in your day and the celebration of your springtime happiness.

Therefore, be looking forward to some fresh and exciting new articles during this spring season.