He Is Risen!

"And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  

And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"  And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.  

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.  And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, Who has been crucified.  He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him...."

                                                                  (Mark 16:2-6)

A few years ago I remember arriving at church and fellowshipping in the lobby area before Good Friday Services began.  As a sister in Christ approached me with a huge smile on her face, my spontaneous greeting to her was, "He is risen!"  She looked at me for a moment and then leaning in towards me, said in hushed tones , "But Cathie, it is only Friday, He does not rise until Sunday."  I tilted my head to the side and said, "Really?  But I was just talking to Him!"  It only took her a moment, and then she too began to laugh as we linked arms and walked into the sanctuary to continue our mutual worship of our already and forever, risen Lord.

Keeping the above verses in mind, I wonder how often we come to visit the 'tomb' when the Son has already risen.  How often do we, in our minds, or even physically, visit dark and cold places of death, prepared to mourn, when the Son has already conquered both death and the grave?  Sometimes we too, just like the disciples, are inclined to go visit that dark place, prepared to mourn, and when we arrive, we actually begin looking around for others to help us in the removing of that 'extremely large stone from the entrance of the tomb', so that we can re-examine, or pay homage to that dead thing... notice it was only when they looked up that they were then able to see that the stone had already been rolled away and that death itself had been conquered in the Risen Lord.

She (Mary Magdalene) went and reported to those who had been with Him, 

while they were mourning and weeping.  

And when they heard that He was alive, and had been seen by her, 

they refused to believe it."

                                                                     (Mark 16:10-11)

Sometimes, grief over death can be so overwhelming as to keep the eyes down, causing them to refuse to look up.  It can be the death of a loved one, a death of a dream, a death of an ideal.  It can even be the fear of death or the threat of death or the anguish of watching someone in abuse or sin heading ever closer towards death - it can even be just living in that dark place that speaks of death.

When the eyes are cast down, even the witness and testimony of others, others that have been in the presence of Jesus and have walked with him, seem to have no effect.

And after that, He (the Risen Lord Jesus) appeared in a different form to two of them, 

while they were walking on their way to the country.  

And they went away and reported it to the others, 

but they did not believe them either.

                                                                    (Mark 16:12-13)

There is nothing wrong with looking into the tomb, it's just that we are not meant to linger there.  Isn't it wonderful that while at the tomb, the women were invited to go ahead and look in for themselves, to see that Jesus is not to be found among the things of death - He is Living! and so their next instruction was to go and tell others that Jesus had risen! - that they would indeed see Him again, and they were reminded that Jesus Himself had already told them these things!

How often, when confronted with the dark things of this world, we forget what God has spoken to us through His Son.

We need to remember what He has spoken to us.  That He will never leave us, nor forsake us.  That He now works in us, with us, for us, and through us by the power of His Holy Spirit.

For those who belong to Him, who have turned from darkness to Light, the birth, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord is always and profoundly with us.

The cross of Christ speaks to our greatest need and the resurrection of Christ speaks of new Life in Him.  May the power of His resurrection speak afresh to you today (Ephesians 1:18-21)... I pray this over you and your family today, just as I pray it for myself and over mine.

Now, let's link arms and together, as sisters, walk boldly forward into the Day, continuing in our mutual worship of our already and forever, risen Lord and God! 

Blessed Easter Sunday to you!

How Deep The Father's Love For Us...

How deep the Father’s love for us...
For I am convinced that neither death,
nor life, neither angels or demons,
  neither the present or the future,
  nor any powers, neither height nor depth
 How vast beyond all measure...
  nor anything else in all creation,
  will be able to separate us from the
  love of God that is in Christ Jesus,
  our Lord
 That He should give His only Son...
  For God so loved the world that
  He gave His one and only Son...
 To make a wretch His treasure...
 ... that whoever believes in Him shall
 not perish, but have eternal life.

 How great the pain of searing loss...
  Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
  “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
 The Father turns His face away...
 which means, “My God, My God,
  why have You forsaken me?”
 As wounds which mar the Chosen One...
  But He was pierced for our transgressions,
  He was crushed for our initquities;
 Bring many sons to glory...
 ... the punishment that brought us peace
  was upon Him, and by His wounds
  we are healed.

 Behold the Man upon the cross...
  And they crucified Him.
 My sins upon His shoulders...
  We all like sheep have gone astray,
  each of us has turned to his own way;
  and the Lord has laid on Him
 the iniquity of us all.
 Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice...
  He was despised and rejected by men,
  a man of sorrows
 and familiar with suffering.
 Call out among the scoffers...
  Like one from whom men hide their faces
  He was despised
  and we esteemed Him not.

 It was my sin that held Him there...
  He Himself bore our sins
  in His body
 on the tree.
 Until it was accomplished...
  ... so that we might die to sins
  and live for righteousness;
  by His wounds,
  you have been healed.
 His dying breath has brought me life...
  The Good Shepherd
  lays down His life
  for the sheep
I know that it is finished.
Jesus said, "It is Finished."
 

I will not boast in anything...
  But whatever was to my profit,
  I now consider loss
  for the sake of Christ.
 No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
 But I will boast in Jesus Christ...
  What’s more, I consider everything a loss
  compared to the surpassing greatness
 of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
  for Whose sake I have lost all things.
 His death and resurrection...
  “They will kill Him,
  and on the third day
 He will be raised to life.”

 Why should I gain from His reward?...
  Now if we are children, then we are heirs -
  heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
  if indeed we share in His sufferings
  in order that we may also share in His glory.
 I cannot give an answer...
  If anyone would come after Me,
  he must deny himself
  and take up his cross
  and follow Me.”
 But this I know with all my heart,
 His wounds have paid my ransom...
  The punishment that brought us peace
  was upon Him,
  and by His wounds,
  we are healed.

May God bless you with the Reality of His Presence
 and Purpose this Easter,

Selah!

There are just some days when the Power of the Presence of God falls so heavy upon His child that it is almost too much Good for His child to take... and that was today for me... right smack dab in the midst of the extremes of life... just almost too much Good for this child to take - but be assured - I was of the presence of mind to be receiving every bit of the Good that was being laid upon me today and I am still praising Him.

Without going into all the details of the day, I will say this... I was totally set up! Properly positioned, you might say, to receive this particular blessing today.

This past week I have been in Exodus and in the study of the Tabernacle - I am completely restraining myself here from teaching a lesson, however, perhaps it is sufficient to say that just as every part of the Old Testament Tabernacle was an earthly copy and shadow (Heb. 8:5) of the Heavenly design - Christ Himself is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle itself (Rev. 21:22)... Beautiful.

Today is Palm Sunday. It is the day that marks the final entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (John 12; Mark 11; Matthew 21), the day that palm branches were taken and spread upon the road and the people shouted 'Hosanna!' ('save now!'). The day of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. It was an entry that was filled with great popular acclaim from those that had been with Jesus when He had raised Lazarus from the dead; yet it was a popular acclaim that lacked spiritual understanding... perhaps if they had just partaken of Selah...

Throughout the Psalms (and three times in Habukukk) there is found an isolated word that stands apart from the main text... Selah. Although scholars have long since debated the exact meaning of this word, because of its context, it is widely considered to translate as 'pause' or 'consider'... and this is where I have found myself recently... I am in my Selah.

Just as my study in Exodus and Hebrews set me up for a blessing of the outpouring of the Power of the Presence of God today, so too, have I been set up for my own particular time of Selah... a time to pause and to consider all that the Lord has been teaching me over these past 20 years. Now, it is not as though I have not paused or considered throughout that entire time, many times it is daily if not hourly! However, I'm sensing within my spirit 'a new thing' and I do believe that at this particular time God is preparing me, positioning me, setting me up (so to speak) for just that very thing.

This is my time of Selah - it is not, by any means, a time of inactivity, but one of complete engagement in the purposes of God! It is a time to reflect, a time to receive an even deeper spiritual understanding of all that God has been placing within me.

My prayer is that you would be blessed in your own personal time of Selah; that, however long it may be, you would know the Reality of the Presence of your God in it and that it would be a time of sweet refreshment and fellowship for you.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house,

ever singing your praise!

Selah

(Psalm 84:4)

I Am So... Bugged!

For some reason I have always had an appreciation for bugs. It's not like I go out looking for them, but whenever I happen to come across them... well, like I said... I have an appreciation for them.

When I was ten years old, I saw my first 'Bug'... the man-made kind. I was at a car show with my dad and as we followed the red carpeted path that led through the gigantic showroom, we turned a corner... and there it was, a beautiful, shiny, bright orange, VW Bug - perfectly displayed on a round pedestal and turning e-v-e-r so s-l-o-w-l-y in order to give the eyes of onlookers the opportunity to view it from all angles - and to allow the lights to highlight its glossy curves. I was smitten.

When I was old enough to drive, and afford a car of my own, I purchased a brand new, candy-apple red Pontiac Sunbird. I had my eye on a VW Bug (with a sunroof I just have to say), but because my dad was a car salesman and did not happen to sell VW's... I went with the Sunbird.

Very soon after my big purchase, I met a very handsome young man who happened to drive.... you guessed it... a VW Bug!

Honestly, it was just the cutest thing to watch - from the moment that we started dating, that little Bug did not have a reverse, and so this handsome young man would strategically park it in places where he could just drive it straight out, although more often than not, a reverse was required and so he would hold onto the steering wheel with his right hand, position his back against the opened door frame, and use his left leg to push the car backwards... then quick as a flash jump in, start the Bug, and away we would go!

Eventually this young man had my heart... and we were soon married and starting our new life together. My husband's brother, who was an art student with the Emily Carr School, gave his brother a beautiful sketch of his little Bug.

As the years went by, and our family grew, the day finally came when we had to sell the little Bug. As the new owners drove away and the familiar putt-putt-putt faded into the distance, my husband and I continued to stand in the driveway, arms around each other and unashamedly, cried.

Fast forward, to this past weekend, when we were out looking at cars... just for fun. We started out test driving a cute little white car - the dealer handed us the keys and told us not to turn the car off - we drove around for a few minutes and decided to park in a school parking lot to check out the vehicle more thoroughly... and you guessed it... we turned off the engine.

Short version of the story, I made an early morning emergency phone call to my friend Wendy (who just happened to live close to the area where we were) for a jump start.

Before we parted ways, Wendy joked about how we should go see her son at the VW Dealership; we took the little car back and headed over to the Honda car lot. We test drove a few cars there as well and then later on in the afternoon, my husband suggested we look at the VW Dealership before calling it a day... the fun was about to begin!

Ok, so this is what happened... just for a lark we ended up taking a VW Convertible out for a test drive. We were no sooner out of the lot, than we pulled over and put the top down, and turned into two of the dorkiest 16 year olds you could ever meet! We bombed around and laughed our fool heads off until we had tears coming out of our eyes. Every time we came to a red light, or a stop sign, we would look at the people on the sidewalks, then look at each other and start laughing all over again as we took off. It soon began to sprinkle and we remembered that we had washing out on the line, so with the wind in our hair, we sped off home, and while my husband was quickly bringing in the laundry, I snapped this picture before putting up the roof.

We laughed and giggled all the way back to the VW lot and were still laughing as we handed back the keys.

We were then shown a very sedate sedan and it was suggested that we give it a test drive as well.

As we pulled out of the lot we were very quiet...

very sedate.

We did our obligatory four right turns around the block and as we turned into the dealership lot...

we both saw the little VW bug...

and instantly looked at each other and began to laugh all over again.

We were definitely blessed that day,

and although the little test driven convertible did not come home with us that night...

its younger sibling, the 2009 Special Edition VW Bug did!

And we are still laughing...

For some reason I have always had an appreciation for bugs. It's not like I go out looking for them, but whenever I happen to come across them... well, like I said... I have an appreciation for them.

Side By Side...

I seem to find life lessons everywhere I go, and because I think in pictures, it is quite often the visual things that seem to speak to me the most. 

Yesterday, while out in the pouring rain in the garden, I squealed in delight when I found the biggest, juiciest, healthiest looking worm in the soil that I had just dug up. I was so excited that I immediately picked it up and ran over to my husband to show him how lovely it was... as I held it up (so the light of the sun would shine through it), I told my husband to look as closely as he could and he would be able to see the new dirt that this healthy and fat worm was making inside itself... and where it came out at the end... my husband just kind of nodded and didn't really look.

I love the Life that is happening in the garden, the visual parts are really beginning to show, the Elephant Ears have already bloomed pink and the Wysteria is full on yellow with the purple Heather exuberant in its display right beside it. Buds are absolutely everywhere... if my garden was a symphony, my neighbours might be telling me to turn down the volume! I love it!

So what is the life lesson that I learned from that fat and healthy worm?

That even in the depths of the darkness of the earth... Music plays.

A few weeks ago, while in another city, I was enjoying the somewhat lengthy walk back to my car, on an exceptional crisp and sunny day. As I made my way up the sidewalk on a hill, I glanced over and saw an amazing looking tree, and at its base was this lovely display of cheery yellow crocuses... and nestled beside these cheery, yellow crocuses... was an equally thriving clump of weeds.

The life analogy was obviously apparent, yet, the thing that was really holding my attention was the actual tree. It was perhaps the most gnarly looking tree that I have ever seen! It was twisted and misshaped, weather beaten and had obviously been vigorously pruned back many, many times over the years. As my musings began, I took some pictures and as I made my way towards my car, and eventually home... I thought about the life lesson that I was learning from this tree... and from what lay at its feet.

Within the culture that we live in, there is the underlying, if not blatantly overt, philosophy that whatever is visually lovely and pleasing is somehow more valuable, more desirable than that which is its antithesis... yet all that glitters is not gold... and it is most often, within the gnarliest of vessels, that the true treasure lies!

I am almost sure, that this particular tree, has seen an abundance of weeds and flowers laid at its feet over its many years, just as we also have had, on our own particular life's journey, many a weed and flower laid or planted at our feet, whether invited or not.

If you were to speak with any botanist, they would probably tell you that "There are no weeds - just unwanted plants", and it's true! Each year when I plan out my garden, it never even crosses my mind to plant a few weeds, they just come unbidden, and my thoughts towards them are unwelcome thoughts... they are to be eliminated or removed so that the plantings that I do want in my garden can thrive and not be choked out. Yet, there is a purpose for all things, and many times an unwanted planting in my garden makes me a better and more attentive gardener!

It would take far too long to tell you the life lessons that I learned that day, however, I can tell you that one lesson learned is that no matter what was laid, side by side, at its feet, the trees' roots went Deeper than its surroundings or circumstances! It has continued to do what it was created to do despite the weeds and despite the flowers... it has grown in strength and in stature and in favour - after all, it has only been pruned year in and year out because it is of great value and gives an abundance of blooms year after year.

Honestly, that tree did not teach me any life lessons, it is the Creator of the tree that has used His creation to speak into my life.

One of my favourite verses is Isaiah 61:3. If just plain living has ever left you feeling weather-beaten, twisted, gnarled or misshapen, remember another 'tree', the tree of Calvary, that 'old rugged cross', and The One Who hung upon it for you; let your roots go Deep and drink in His sustaining strength and peace...

"That you might be called a tree of righteousness,

A planting of the Lord, for the display of His splendour."

Thankyou...

**This post was actually written yesterday afternoon and placed in the Study Room, however, because so many of you have been faithfully praying for my mom, I felt that it was important to share it here, in Pure Grace, as well...

thank you!

Hi Girls, I just wanted to thank you so much for all your prayers these past few weeks and to let you know that I haven't dropped off the side of the planet... I really am still here and missing you like crazy I might add!

Here is my mom, looking quite pleased with herself as she takes her daily walk... and so she should, she's been through a lot.

Today we were finally able to pick her up from the hospital and take her home. I put her dinner in the oven while she settled herself down on her 'own wee couch', then tidied out her fridge and restocked it with new groceries.

I have been so blessed to have such caring and loving sisters during this season; God, daily, has been ministering to me through His Word and by His Spirit, may He see in me a truly thankful child.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

With love,

Home Is Where the Heart Is...

I received a phone call just a few days ago letting me know that Takako is going Home.

Her two sisters have come all the way from Japan,

and in just a few short days they will escort Takako onto the plane,

and they will all fly back to Japan together.

Yet,

Takako's journey Home,

is not to Japan -

her Home you see,

is where her heart is.

And this sweet woman's heart belongs

to God.

I wanted more time to put together a little book for her.

The few hours that I had was time enough.

Polished it is not.

Full of love from her sisters in Christ...

it is.

In early February,
in the Bible Study Room,
I wrote...

Please pray for Takako.

This dear woman has just been recently told that her cancer has now spread to her brain.

Many, if not all of you girls have heard Angie speak often of Takako.

I had the joy of meeting her last July when we went to visit Angie's Auntie Jean, I remember that when I was about to take her picture, she quietly asked me, "Is my wig on straight?" I was so astonished and said, "Takako! I didn't even know that you were wearing a wig!"

She smiled the sweetest smile, which was captured in the picture above.

Lovely.

God's banner over this precious woman is 'Love'...

and so as we pray for God's will to be done in Takako's life,

we are praying beyond all that we ourselves could ever ask or think.

Although Takako was not able to physically join us in our weekly Bible Studies,

she has always been a much loved and important part of our group,

through Pure Grace.

There are 47 pages in this little memory book,

may it bless you Takako,

as you make your way Home.

With love,

your sisters

Pure Grace...

Pure Grace truly is The True Beauty of Everyday Life -

He Is Pure Grace,

He Is True Beauty,

He Is Today,

He Is Life,

He Is... Jesus.

Although Today I walk in the Beauty of the Reality of Christ, it was not always this way!

As with every other single person that has ever stepped out of darkness and into His wondrous Light, there are spiritual and natural threads that have woven together my own particular 'before and after' story; the Story that makes up the fabric of my days, and which continues to be woven together and lived out on the (sometimes dusty) roads of life.

I pray that the following video, 'Cardboard Testimonies", will bless you and encourage you today.

How would your 'cardboard testimony' read?

Satisfied...

Delight yourself in the Lord...

and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

I almost titled this post "Be Careful What You Throw Away". It was all because of an interesting comment that I heard this past week. It was in the context of a conversation regarding spring cleaning. A kind of 'out with the old and in with the new' perspective. This woman said, "...I need to take away in order to have more of what I want in my life." It sounded deep enough at the time... the spring cleaning that was being spoken of was a 'spiritual spring cleaning'. But as the conversation continued on, I was still musing on it, and my first thought was "Uh-Oh".

Isn't it just a fact that as soon as we get rid of something, there's another 'something' close behind it to takes it's place? This is true of the physical realm and also true of the spiritual realm. I can see this quite easily in my garden, especially in the spring when I begin to clear out and divide my plants. My intent may be to create space around a certain planting, but within a few weeks, if the plant hasn't taken the space over, then the weeds certainly have! Especially if I have not been tending to the soil! It's the same in our home. Remove one piece of furniture and something inevitably takes it's place. Remove old shirts from the closet, new shirts take their place. It's also true in the spiritual realm, when something gets moved out... something else is bound to be movin' in!

So here's the thing. We may take away a few things in order to have more of what we want in our lives -but is what we want in our lives, the best for our lives?

Let's face it, every one of us have desires... personal, relational, financial, whatever...; yet the Bible tells us that our hearts are deceitful. Yes, we can actually be deceived through our own hearts desires! By its very definition, 'desireable' means 'attractive'... it's a fact, there are just plain, flat out, ALOT of attractive things in the world; eye-candy, that parades before us day and night, 24/7 would definitely apply here! The word 'desire' carries with it the meaning of 'appetite or craving'. Every one of us has our own particular appetite. What trips your trigger, may not trip mine, but the principle is the same... we all have the propensity to being deceived by our own hearts desires and then... following through on them.

In Genesis, Eve was attracted to the fruit that was forbidden to her because it was a 'delight to her eyes' and because it was 'desireable' to her; so, she acted on this deception of the heart, took the fruit, ate it and proceeded to then gave some to her husband and he went right on ahead and ate it too... and all of humanity has been tainted since!

It's interesting to note that Eve already had the wisdom of God. She could have gone to God at any time and asked Him anything, but she was deceived; not only by the serpent, but by her own lust, her own appetite, her own desire, into thinking that she could and should have MORE... and besides, the MORE was attractive to her eyes.

She and Adam, were both willing to do some personal 'spring cleaning', determining for themselves that they would cast 'out' the wisdom of God in order to have more of what they wanted in their lives... and they got it. Hmm-mm......

Not all of our choices in life are going to bear such weighty consequences, but I have learned that there is nothing, not one single thing that we do, that is insignificant in the spiritual realm, which also has its out-workings in the physical realm. To 'delight' ourselves in God is to be 'satisfied' with Him, and in Him. When we are satisfied in Him, then our desires are satiated in Him, and the propensity of our heart is then to only desire what He desires.

It's an awesome thing... when we truly delight and are satisfied in the Lord, in Who He is and in His ways, then His desires for us become our desires... and I ask you, what could be more delightful than that!

"...For I know that plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Cleaning house is always a good thing... let's just be careful what we throw out!

sshhh...

In today's world,

it has become increasingly more difficult to find quiet and rest.

Our culture has become saturated with so much information,

that even when we do find quiet time,

we find our minds in a state of constant activity.

The activity of our minds on any given day is precariously teetering on 'overload'.

Our eyes and our ears are bombarded daily with a deluge of images and voices,

sights and sounds.

TV and the Internet, with the click of a button, can take us from the visual and audible horrors of the bloodiest of deaths and the most horrific carnage of hundreds of people,

to a sit-com with canned laughter, or a gardening show.

Before our minds and emotions have even been able to assimilate or sort through the depth of any one thought...

we 'click' and are taken to another.

Healthy emotions need time to assimilate and sort through what each day, each moment brings us.

All that information that we are taking in goes somewhere in us...

and it needs sorting through.

And oddly enough,

amid all that our senses take in throughout any given day,

we have an inherent need to learn how to listen...

to learn how to really be quiet,

amid all the clamour,

even the clamour of our own minds,

and truly listen.

We are created beings,

and we need to let the Creator of the Universe speak His Wisdom into us.

Ask Him...

and then be quiet.

Take the time,

and listen.

This is where Healing begins.

Be still, and know that I Am God. Psalm 46:10

Showers of Blessing!

Look at the lovely gifting of tulips, among other things, that my 'Home Girls' blessed me with today. I now have a new book to read, a bird house for my garden, seeds to plant, lovely notepaper and note cards, plenty of fruit to fill my kitchen table basket with and.... a large package of Quinoa! It looks like the Girls are convinced!

So,  as I promised, and as my way of saying Thank You for your showers of blessing upon me this morning, I offer you a variety of recipes for your newly found food... Quinoa! Just click on the collage of recipes below, or click here to go to one of my favourite recipe sites 'Epicurious'... and prepare to enjoy!

With love,

                        recipes and corresponding pictures from Martha Stewart.com

What A Difference A Day Makes...

Saturday morning I awoke to find a heavy mist had draped itself over every bush and shrub and tree. I could hardly make out the familiar landscape outside my windows... but within an hour, the mist had completely lifted and brilliant blue sky and a welcoming bright, warming Sun was beckoning me outside... it was my birthday!

Part of my day was spent in a little village, across the river. My husband knows that this is one of my favorite places to wander through, and so away we went. Truthfully, the sight of all those cheerful Spring flowers sitting out in the fresh morning air, under the warmth of the sun, was all the birthday gift I needed!

We wandered through some of my favourite places....

And saw some of my favourite things...

But one thing that I noticed, was that some of the shops had not yet joined me in my excitement of the knowledge that Spring is (literally) right around the corner.

For instance, the little Hat Shop that I frequently visit, still had it's old Christmas decorations on the door...

While just around the corner, Spring was blooming up and down the sidewalks of Main Street!

The following morning the rains hit once again, and even as I tap away on my keyboard this morning, the winds are gusting up a mini-storm outside my window, leaving raindrops clinging to the pane.

But Spring has already begun to bloom in my heart. My house has been Spring Cleaned and is just waiting for that Sun to beam through it's windows.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

It's amazing all the lovely things that burst into bloom in Spring. The colours and the textures, the varieties and the scents are just absolutely glorious. It's time to step through the Door of Spring and embrace all that comes as the result...

Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new... now it will Spring forth; will you not be aware of it? Isaiah 43:18-19