I don’t hate winter, and I can appreciate the beauty of freshly fallen snow, but… COME ON!

It’s snowing in March and personally,  I am ready for spring!

After inheriting left over flowers from a wedding my daughter and I helped with this weekend, I am surrounded by white… on the inside as well as the outside … a little fringe benefit! :0)

Fresh flowers.
Spring.
New life.

It won’t be long before the first daffodils and hyacinths start blooming, and some years we’ve even seen them pop up through the snow.   Regardless, there’s just something about those first blooms that breathes fresh air into my spirit.

Could it be that their natural beauty just inspires me to appreciate the simple things of life?  I never get tired of the magnificence and complexity of every bloom.  In my desire to simplify my life, I certainly don’t want to leave behind the pleasure of making things beautiful.

A simple landscape is made awe-inspiring when covered with wildflowers; a solitary table becomes a centerpiece when decorated with a vase full of flowers.

I am a realist and I know that cutting flowers leads to their death, but there’s nothing like having fresh flowers in my house to brighten the room and my attitude.
I’ve never been afraid to cut those fresh flowers from the yard, knowing that sometimes the pruning can lead to even more magnificent blooms from those remaining.

One of my new favorites is the Ranunculus:

Apparently these are a popular wedding flower, and after using them in the bridal bouquet, I can see why!  They are truly a stand-out flower, and I’ll definitely be looking for these when I shop for annuals in the spring.

One of my all time favorites is the Hibiscus.  They are definitely not white, and my favorite is a brilliant coral.   I plant them in my backyard every summer, and because these plants thrive in the sun, I never cut them for arrangements.  I do pull off old blooms to make room for the new–and depending on the weather, I am able to enjoy them from mid-April until the first frost–which is sometimes as late as October or early November!

Could it be that God’s pruning in our lives has much the same effect?   When we “pluck” away those things that are cluttering our life, we leave room for new growth.
It’s sometimes obvious–and other times not so obvious, that when I experience “pruning”,  (even the painful kind) I am more keenly aware of God’s presence and the blessings He has freely given if my focus remains on Him.  So often the clutter in our lives stagnates our growth and blinds us to God’s provision.

I don’t want to be so busy with life that I miss the blessings that are right in front of me.  The real blessings, lasting ones.

By God’s grace I am blessed with…

a loving family~~consistent, unconditional, loving…  we want to be around each other.

friends~~real friends…  ones that know me and love me anyway.

health~~with every passing year I’m reminded that I’m not getting younger… I treasure the time.

wealth~~I don’t desire it, but am blessed… God has freely given, I want to freely give.

freedom~~to worship, to witness, to write… to experience God daily.