The Power of Spring.

When I say this, I do not mean it lightly: Spring transforms lives! I know mine is inevitably brighter as over the past couple of weeks I have enjoyed noticing all this beautiful color I once remember existing a winter ago (green!) budding all around me. There is just something joyful in knowing that it is the season of Spring in our lives. And when Spring comes, you also have the reassurance that there will be two whole more seasons after spring before we must endure the winter once again.

Believe me, I thought I would be the last person who would be saying this, but give Iowa a break people. You North Carolinians up on your high horse who don't understand why there would be any reason to ever move to Iowa (and even Iowans who don't understand why we would ever move here from NC), I now have at least one whole reason: the joy of Spring. I feel that you cannot fully appreciate it until you really really experience the deadness that winter causes. I remember arriving with all the snow around and somewhere deep inside of me, I really enjoyed it. Waking up every morning to that peaceful snow sound outside our window, looking out onto the frozen tundra, and getting to experience something brand new! But then, something dismal happened. The snow began to melt. Everyone knows that there is a beautiful side of snow and there is an ugly side. The ugly side begins as the snow turns black from the pollution of our dirty world closing in around it. The melting process, really is, quite gross. No longer is the landscape beautifully white, but an ugly broken-down, melting gray/black color with jagged edges from the sun and the brown remnants of what used to be grass beginning to "shine" through. Then, once the snow is all gone, only two colors remain: gray and brown. How beautiful right? Oh yes...

Then, all of a sudden--green. This beautiful color really does want to make you GO green. Drive that Prius you've always secretly wanted (okay, maybe I've always secretly wanted), recycle your grocery bags into crocheted purses (a lady at our new church really does this), take your bottles to Wal-mart to be reused, plant a tree, you know, do your part for the environment. If we could only do something to make this color be a part of our planet for a little bit longer, it is so worth it. What a difference it makes! The people here, as welcoming as they were before, have woken up, come alive and really enjoy every second they can in beautiful Iowan sun. As I was driving through one neighborhood recently, I thought to myself, you know, this place really is beautiful. The day we moved here, I thought I would never think that, but there you have it. The power of Spring. I hope to get out and take a few pictures in the next couple of days so you too can experience this amazing transformation along with me!

The beautiful blue sky and green grass calls me outside to run. This is amazing as all winter I dread getting out and exercising. But now, once again, it becomes a part of the healthy lifestyle I really love and long for. Great news! There is a Sturgis Falls half marathon in Cedar Falls! At the end of June, I will be attempting my first 13.1 mile race right in our back yard. As some of you know, my new year's resolution for this year was to run a half and a full marathon in 2010. As of the end of June, I will (hopefully) be half way there! The Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis happens the first weekend in October. With prayer, dedication and good weather, I am hoping to complete this full marathon!! What a blessing to have the ability to get out and run. If anyone wants to join me on this training journey and come race with me, please do! I'd love the company!

In other news...we have found our church!! This is amazing news as we start to build a community here. We are so excited to get involved in a small group, get to know our pastor better and become involved in more ways this summer. This past Sunday, I'll be honest, we woke up a little early, so we started chatting and let the time run away from us. When we finally looked at the clock, we had about 25 minutes until the service was starting and neither of us had taken a shower (physically impossible for me to get ready at this point in 25 min....or so I thought). As we were laying in bed, all of a sudden I said to Graham, "Let's go. We need to go. I'm hopping in the shower--pick out something for me to wear!" After getting ready in a record 20 minutes we headed that way (we were only 10 minutes late for service that starts late anyway). Because of our lateness, we ran into our Senior Pastor, John Fuller on our way in. He stopped us on the way in, saying to me, I've seen you around here before but don't believe we have met! Then, after about a 10 minute relaxed conversation (before he had to go in and lead the sermon nonetheless) we felt like this was it. We had really found our church! It was amazing that God had lead us to not be lazy, to get up and get out of bed, and go form a new friendship with our soon-to-be pastor!

One more great thing about spring--Cedar Falls Farmer's Market! Starting this Saturday, May 1st through every Saturday until the end of October, local farmers and artists come together near main street to sell fresh and beautiful products for cheap prices. I feel like this is going to be the start of yet another beautiful relationship! Nothing is better than fresh veggies straight off the farm and a bouquet of fresh flowers to brighten our cave-like apartment. Keep bringing on the joy Spring...we can take it!

PS Congrats in advance to our dear friends Josh Navey and Amy Denton and Chad McGhee and Kristy Hendley on their soon to be marriages this Saturday, May 1st! We wish more than anything that we could be there to celebrate with you, but we are praying for you and are so excited to see all the wonderful things God is going to do through you as he strengthens you with the amazing gift of marriage! We love you!