Previous First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, once said,
                                    "Where flowers bloom, so does hope."
This time of year, we begin to see the flowers sprout up, blooming and giving glory to God.  Also coming up is Easter.  Easter weekend is the hinge of Christian's entire faith.  Easter weekend is hope. 

Yesterday, on Friday, Jesus...the Son of God, WILLINGLY laid down His life for us.  He laid His life down to pay for our sins.  "Without the giving of blood, there is no forgiveness."  He spilled His blood for our forgiveness.  We aren't perfect as Christians...far from it.  But, through Jesus's death, we have hope of forgiveness and life eternal with Him.  The story didn't end with His death, though.  Sunday morning, He demonstrated His power by conquering death-our biggest problem.  You see, on Friday He conquered sin and Sunday He conquered death.  Death is our biggest problem because it is after our death that we pay for our sin.  Now, through Him...through JESUS, we have hope of a life with Him in heaven.  He gave us so much-He gave His all. 

As the flowers bloom at this time of year, so does our hope.  Our hope that was given us through Christ's death and resurrection. 

Stopping to Smell the Flowers

Writing about this seems familiar, but it really is something that I constantly struggle with. Maybe I miss the little things in life because I am so goal-oriented. I am trying to get there more than I am trying to be there.

Last Friday, God showed me how much I was missing. What would it be like it I got to heaven and realized I completely missed life? What would it be like if I realized that I had missed the little things because I was only looking for the big things. I think, at the end of my life, those "little things" are going to look a lot bigger.

On Friday, all of a sudden, I heard that the birds were singing beautifully. How did I miss that? I was so caught up in my "to do" list that I didn't get to enjoy the birds singing in the drizzling rain until God showed me. Since Friday, I have been trying to be thankful for the little things and I've realized how much it adds to my life. Joy and peace are more constant when I am looking for little things to be thankful for. Also, I can often be disappointed in life when my goals don't get met. When I put my hope in the Lord, and find my joy in His small blessings...my life will be worth living because my life will be a thankful life. I think that the blessings I count can, in the end, outweigh the disappointments.

I need to start recording in a journal or somwhere the blessings that I find from God. God has given us so many spectacular things to enjoy- are they worth passing up in the race to find something bigger?

Psalm 46:10

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will
be exalted in the earth."

1 Chronicles 16:34

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. "