Spring!  Will it ever arrive on the prairies?

This is the question of the day.  Just when we all get our hopes up that spring has sprung, another winter blizzard blows in and dumps new snow!  We wonder if God forgot to flip the calendar page and begin to send the warmth of the sun and to turn the grass to green.  Why is winter taking so long to let go?

Spring's delay means I haven't put away  my winter clothing and footwear.  It means we are still driving with our studded winter tires.  It also means I just removed the Christmas lawn lights that were buried under several feet of snow!  Only yesterday I could roll our garbage and recycling bins to the side of the house where our driveway is finally reappearing.  

But something happened that gave me renewed faith that God still has spring in store for us here on the Canadian prairies: I heard a robin singing its heart out!  I opened the door leading to our deck and tried to locate the robin in the poplar tree out back.  There he was, hanging onto the branch for dear life, feathers ruffled in the wind and singing his mating call with great gusto!  The robin can't be wrong; God instilled in this little guy the instinct to sing in a mate.  It must be spring!

I also feel a sense of renewing in my spirit.  We have just acknowledged five years of serving as Director of NCEM.  As we evaluate the changes and new initiatives, I feel encouraged!  At times, the travel and extra load of ministry has been heavy.  At other times, we have felt the strength and leading of the Lord so clearly and feel so privileged to be leaders at this time in history!  As we just finished the Annual General Meeting for NCEM last Thursday, it was very obvious that the mission family is getting more involved in the business of NCEM and growth is happening.  The Board was re-elected.  Awards for service were given.  New candidates and Board members were introduced.  What a blessed time to be serving Jesus Christ in His harvest field.

Another sign of spring in Regina is the opening of a certain ice cream stand, The Milky Way.  Maybe today would be a good opportunity to celebrate spring with a "Flavour of the Day" cone!  And to celebrate the goodness of our God in the seasons of life...