I had the opportunity to travel last week to visit with family and friends in Kentucky and Tennessee. As I was driving over the Cumberland Plateau from Kentucky into Tennessee I was able to witness the transformation of the landscape from winter to spring. On the Kentucky side of the mountains the ground was still shades of brown, the trees were still deep in winter slumber and the only signs of approaching spring were the tips of the pine trees as they began to swell with pollen.

Then, suddenly as I began the descent into Tennessee the landscape came alive with color! The Redbud trees were an explosion of vibrant fuchsia! The grass was green, the tulip trees were screaming "spring is here" with pink and purple blooms. The forsythia with it's bright yellow arms reached high in the air and swaying in the breeze seemed to be dancing to the song of the birds. Wow! It was an awesome sight to behold.

Spring is just around the corner for those of us here in the Upper Midwest and I know when it arrives we will rejoice and be glad to say "Hooray! Spring is here!" Yet let us not forget that which makes spring so wonderful is the time we spend in winter. Let's give thanks for all the wonderful seasons of the year where Creation embraces us, refines us, and guides us as we journey together through all the seasons of our lives.