“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.” – Isaiah 35:1-2a Dear Friends, Among other things that happened at Pine Springs this weekend for the Winter Retreat like games, gift exchanges and snow tubing, we ended Saturday morning with an activity of creating something of beauty, something that sparked joy in us (from our theme “Joy in the Morning”). Then on Sunday morning, as part of our worship service, we shared with each other what we had created, why and what it meant for us. I was impressed. First, by the quality of the creations; second by the creativity; and third by what was behind it when they shared. In so many ways, God was at work in everyone there. You’d think in the dead of winter, that things can be pretty bleak. We had tons of snow, it remained cold and except for the snow tubing and a few adventurous souls who took some walks, everything we did was inside to guard ourselves from the elements. And yet, things were bursting forth into bright and glorious beauty. It reminds me of the opening line from U2’s song Beautiful Day, “The heart is a bloom, Shoots up through the stony ground.” And that’s what’s going on right now around us – as the world is renewed in Spring… But it’s also what God is doing in us, in a constant renewal of our hearts and minds. There is beauty being born out of ashes, blooms breaking up out of snow packed ground, buds bursting forth from barren branches and good that is happening in surprising places. Do we have eyes to see it? Do we have a heart that is open to experience it? Because we certainly worship a God who is doing it, over and over again. May you experience the beauty in this day, the blooms of God bursting forth in your heart and in your home! Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus, Pastor Don | 
