PRAISE FOR THE SPRINGTIME

• Oh, the joy of springtime--it's my favorite time of year when the grays and browns of winter finally disappear. And this winter was a LONG one!
• It made me think of Isaiah's words, "The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,
  it will burst into bloom" (Isaiah 35:2).
• The plants & trees & flowers that are blooming now in the Northwest are magnificent and everywhere I look, dig, plant & mow I can see His magnificent sense of beauty & design & artistry & praise Him for it. How about you?
• My favorite of His blooming creations are the Prunus Serrulata Kwanzaan cherry trees in front of our garage windows and along our backyard path. And when the blossoms begin to lose their petals, it's the softest, pale pink rain you've ever seen.
• So many reasons to "Bless the Lord My Soul." The song below is one of my favorites from the musical, "Godspell."

SMELLS & SOUNDS OF NEW LIFE

• Oh! What a beautiful 72 degree Puget Sound day with just the slightest breeze!
• Perfect for yard work, raking (& discovering two garter snakes under a pile of leaves), trimming ivy, planting alyssum & violas at the base of my tree roses, replacing worn-out trellises to hold our climbing roses above the pond, & digging out wild blackberries from the edge of the property.
• And in the few moments of resting, the smells and sounds of spring: the fresh, moist earth; the red peony stalks poking up like new asparagus; the neighbor children playing in their backyard; the rushing water of the cascading fountain; the 1/2" peeper frogs chattering endlessly; the neighbor mowing his yard; another neighbor putting together a swing and playset for his little kids; the robins enjoying the bugs exposed by the leaves having been raked away; a beautiful blue sky w/ just a few clouds; and me, glad to be alive. Are you grateful for His gift of life? For the very air we breathe? Listen to Avalon sing, "Oxygen," from their CD by the same name.
• "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6).