“The winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come…”
(Song of Solomon 2:11-12)
Dear Friends –
Such joy arrives with the first vestiges of spring; the buds are bursting on the barren branches ready to explode under growing warmth, while the daffodils also eager to bloom, push their green stems onward and upward. Oh, what delight it is to see reaffirmed after a harsh winter, that the natural world is at last waking up 
from a long sleep. And with Easter fresh in our thoughts with Christ’s resurrection from death, we are in a physical and spiritual state of new life… our redemption by Christ’s sacrifice gives us eternal salvation and the natural end of a season of cold dormancy greatly anticipates new growth so pregnant with hope for new beginnings. Our souls just want to sing out with joy at the thought of a fresh “spring” to life.
The springtime of the natural world does renew and invigorate us to attempt new projects and for gardeners, the prospect of planting and playing in the dirt once again is pure delight. But there is also a springtime in the spiritual world that doesn’t follow a calendar, for anytime a major change occurs in our lives it is just like a new beginning that must start from scratch and take us on to a new way of life. Those springtime type highs of great joy that occur for us can begin in school with the receipt of a scholarship to the college of our choice… we will be branching out and developing growth in a whole new direction and that has us absolutely ecstatic! A promotion at work takes us to a whole new level of responsibility and respect, which challenges us to secure every aspect of our new environment. As a newly married twosome, we are heading down a brand new path of togetherness that we are just beginning to get acclimated to while setting long-range goals with great expectations. The twosome gets pregnant delivering a whole new family existence that is a completely new dawning for all concerned. These moments of happy new beginnings also mean that an ending 
has occurred to a past way of life we shall never return to and naturally some trepidation will occur. Ease the worries of unknown tomorrows by calling on Almighty God to guide and direct every thought, deed and action taken. We are so used to calling on God for help in trying moments when things are out of our control, but as long as everything is fine and we think we know what we are doing, we forget to ask God for help.
When you plant a spring garden it is necessary to follow the directions on the seed packet just as it is also smart to plant a potted bush following the Nurseryman’s instructions. Too much sun for a shade loving plant will kill it eventually and all your effort will be in vain. Our Heavenly Father delights in these periods of joy that come into our lives and He wants to help us anyway He can to have the best possible prospects for success. He said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) He wants to help us or He wouldn’t have told us to ask Him for whatever we need… let Him guide you in choosing a college or major field of study… when business decisions and options are overwhelming, let Him clear them up for you… bring Him into your marriage and family life for the best of all possible outcomes. Whatever you need, He’s got it; knowledge He can supply directly or by an assistant; and as for connections, He’s got them worldwide! There is no greater source to meet your needs then Almighty God The Father who lovingly provides for His children. Alone we can do only so much, but in union with God, all things become possible. Life began in a Garden because He planned life to be beautiful, without sin… so stay close to Him and watch your garden grow!
“The best remedy for those who are afraid,
lonely or unhappy is to go outside,
somewhere where they can be quiet,
alone with the heavens, nature and God.
Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be
and that God wishes to see people happy,
amidst the simple beauty of nature.”
Anne Frank
A quiet moment or two in the privacy of one's own garden can renew the spirit of one downtrodden by the plight that life bestows daily. The suns warmth on your shoulders relaxes the stress… the beauty and grace of songbirds entertain with such delightful distraction that worries soon flit away. For a few moments, all is right with the world and peace enters your being… nature gave you that bliss… Almighty God gave you that beautiful nature.
EVANGELIZATION --- PLANTING GOD’S SEED
“The best way to get yourself to heaven is to take someone along with you” my Dearest Mama Mia would say that often, and with the rampant secular culture dominating every facet of life, it seems the need for evangelization is greater than ever. Christian churches everywhere are struggling to maintain membership with all feeling the need to evangelize. Promoting a belief in Almighty God was something only a pastor was supposed to do, but today, the need is for all His children to get out there and let the world know just how great He is… but that is easier said than done. Most of us don’t have the knowledge or ability to stand in the public arena and relay the principles of faith, but we do have the opportunity in our private lives to reach a friend in need, a co-
worker undergoing a personal tragedy, or an associate from social connections we find to be struggling. Countless opportunities arise when adversity sets in to let another person know that we are there to help any way we can, and more specifically to offer prayers on their behalf.
To a non-believer the gift of prayers means nothing, so when you learn of their unbelieving ways, that is the moment to seize and explain how God can truly help them. So often in times of misfortune, desperation sets in when an individual has no control over the situation and you know Divine Intervention is needed, and in hopelessness, they are ready to receive any solution you offer, even the possibility that a God exists to call upon. Take examples from your own personal life to explain how God does answer prayers, that He can give you strength to endure and that hope exists for God to always bring out something good from horrible times. Certainly if a fatal disease exists hope has any waylittle possibility, but the need for their preparation to face death becomes paramount and conversions can take place when peace is needed.
Arm yourself with some prayer cards available at any religious
goods store, or copy them from your own prayer book. The Apostle’s Creed or the Nicene Creed is a good starting point to introduce the basic tenants of belief, which you can elaborate on as they question these aspects of faith. The Our Father prayer that Jesus taught is essential and easy to explain and the 23rd Psalm will bring comfort. Point out how Jesus lovingly characterized God The Father in His many parables particularly symbolized by the father in the story of the Prodigal Son. I feel the most important impression to relay about Almighty God is that He is our Heavenly Father, The Great Provider… not a dictator 
god, or a dispassionate creator… but a conscientious, loving, almighty Father that wants only the best for His Children. Yes, He gave us Ten Commandments to guide us to live the best life possible, but He also gave us a free will to choose with and not to be ordered to believe in Him as in slavery. He wants us to freely unite with Him for a greater good… as in any union like a marriage, each gives to the others need in a loving relationship, not as a duty or obligation. We lose nothing when we unite with God, but gain so much more and any convert must be made to see that accepting God doesn’t diminish us one iota but enhances us greater than we could ever accomplish by ourselves. Work long and hard at planting God’s seed in the world… that will guarantee your entrance into heaven… and you will be taking a few friends along with you as well!
