Spring is the time of new things! New life springs up everywhere this time of year. Even as the snow came down yesterday there were signs of new life all around us ~ the grass is greening, some bulbs are starting to poke through the earth, and even the birds have arrived to serenade us. Spring has, indeed, sprung. (Even in Vermont!)

But nature is not the only thing being renewed this time of year. We have the opportunity for renewal as well. In our Scripture reading yesterday we heard Isaiah proclaim the word of God saying, "Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old... I am about to do a new thing!" Everyday God does new things in our lives and in the world. The question for us is, "Can we perceive it?"

In my own life I can celebrate a renewed closeness with my Dad, even in the midst of his illness. While my Dad and I have always been close, I can sense a deepening of that relationship. This is a renewal that gives me strength in a difficult time. What new thing is God doing in your life now? How do you feel God's renewal working in you to give you hope or strength for the days ahead?