Spring has Sprung!

Unless you've been living under a rock - or in your basement - for the last couple of days, then you have undoubtedly noticed that it is finally spring outside! After a long winter of snow, melt, snow, melt, and a super rainy and cold spring, it seems that we have finally entered into the nice part of spring.

I can always tell because tulips have begun to bloom and the red bud tree in my front yard is looking particularly pink these days.

This time of year always gets me excited. I love the clean smell of spring. I love the super green grass that is sprouting up every where. I love all the flowers in bloom. And, I definitely love that I get to walk to and from work every day.

Yes, spring is nice, isn't it? But, don't you think we appreciate it more because of the nasty winter that we had? I think so. When I lived in Georgia, and winters were never that bad, we enjoyed spring, but not like you do in Illinois! In Illinois, you have to suffer and endure for spring. You put up with days and days of grey skies and freezing weather; ice and snow. And it makes spring feel all that much better.

I think that's how it is in our lives too. Many times we ask why bad things happen to us. Why are we forced to go through hard times. Its definitely not fair that bad things happen to good people, is it?

But, God can use those bad times for good. He can help us to come to appreciate the good times better. After we've endured a hard time, and we rely on God for help, He is there to help us pick up the pieces. He helps us to realize how good life can be when we rely on him.

Just like spring is always so good after a hard winter, life can be better appreciated after we've been through a hard time.

Praise God for always being with us - in good times and in bad. Praise God for helping us to realize how wonderfully blessed we truly are. And praise God for this glorious spring!

Sick.

So, I've been sick for the last few days. It has not been fun. I've basically been a lump on the couch for the past 72 hours.

Today, I was trying to think about the last time I remembered feeling "normal." As I was figuring that it was probably around Saturday morning, I realized that I definitely take for granted when I am feeling well. You know what I mean, when we are healthy, we don't really take time to thank God for feeling good, you know?

That, in turn, got me wondering about what else we take advantage of on a daily basis. One thought - Jesus' death and resurrection.

Sure, a few weeks ago, we spent a lot of time thinking about Jesus on the cross. We celebrated a beautiful (and snowy!) Easter morning. We took time to thank God for taking away our sins.

But how often have we thought about it since Easter Sunday? Have we taken time daily to thank God for all that he has blessed us with? Have we taken a few moments to think about what Jesus went through for us? Probably not.

So, I want to challenge you all this week. Take time EVERY day to thank God for his sacrifice on the cross. Thank him for everything he did on your behalf. Spend some time with God - he's always wanting to spend more time with you!