Spring

Spring is in the air! It seems like I've been waiting for springtime for a long time. We have truly enjoyed all of the blooming trees and shrubs all around us this spring. It seems as if there are more and better blossoms this year than usual, at least that seems to be the consensus of many here. Perhaps its just that we seemed to have such a long and drawn out winter this year that it makes it seems so wonderful to have all of these beautiful trees. Kansas seems to have a bad name around the country for some reason, but anyone who might happen through this area this spring might have a change of mind.

We also have been enjoying watching some of our plants grow. The clematis sprout and grew, very rapidly it seems. It is more than six feet up the lattice now and still growing. The rose bushes are leafed out and preparing to sprout buds soon. Our two yellow primroses are also starting to develop their leaves so hopefully we'll have some of those showing themselves before too many weeks. We have some red geraniums out front this year which brightens up the front of our house. We have other plants here too and all of them in their own way reveal the power and glory of our God.

There are some other revelations that spring brings, such as the need for some repair and repainting of the dutch windmill and the patio chairs I made a few years ago. The storage area needs cleaning out and a few things discarded. Its a good thing that this time of year gives us "spring fever" which enables us to do the things spring offers us.

Spring also is the prelude to summer. Sometimes summer comes with such gusto that we almost wish for it to be cooler again. I vowed last spring that I wouldn't complain about the hot weather, but I probably did my share of that before summer was over. I'll be glad for summer to come but I won't make such a promise this year.

As the seasons come and go I'm always reminded of how much God really cares for us. He reveals Himself to us in each season and somehow in the more difficult times of the year I try, with my wife's help, to see the good in what is happening then. I see the sun trying to peak through the clouds right now and am reminded again that the sun is always shining, even when we can't see it. God is always there even when we can't seem to see Him or the things He is doing for us.

May God bless your day with peace and joy.

Pilgrim on the way

Communication

Well it has been quite some time since I have done a post. I haven't been sure that I wanted to start this up again, but decided that I needed to do just that.

This communication thing seems to be getting out of hand for me. I started this blogging thing first then got into Facebook to see if I could keep up with what relatives and friends were doing. That was a good thing, at least at first, but I soon discovered that I couldn't relate to all that was being said there. Now they want me to get into Twitter, which at this point I don't intend to do. In our world today we seem to be communication crazy. We seem to need to be "connected" to someone all the time. And by the way, some folks' talking is so fast I can't understand a lot of what is being said. I said once that "you talk fast and I listen slow," and that can make for a problem.

And I heard again yesterday some statistics about how much some people text message one another. Those stats are not only hard for me to comprehend, but to understand as well. Does anyone have time for silence and solitude anymore? If we're not texting, Facebooking, or Twittering we have loud music playing somewhere near, or in our ears, maybe at the same time.

I'm finding that when I get into one or more of the above communication things that I have more difficulty in being able to really communicate with God. True communication with God requires silence, meditation, and opening ones' self to the Spirit of God. It means listening as well as talking. Do we really know how to listen to anyone these days, let alone God? I'm speaking for myself here, but I suspect that others may have the same problem.

Sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives that make us slow down and listen to what He has to say. That has happened to me, has it to you? Someone has said that "silence is golden." Perhaps we all should "go for the gold" more often. Your comments are welcome.

Pilgrim on the way