As I’ve perhaps alluded to in the past, those people afflicted with Seasonal Affective Disorder (aka SAD, very fitting) should probably not make Minnesota their place of residence…especially during the months of February-May. The temps and varieties of precipitation are all over the place…on Sunday, I wore long corduroy pants and a sweater and on Thursday I’ll probably wear a tank top as the temp is supposed to be 77. Not a good home for those who prefer to have a steady predictable forecast and want spring to come when spring is supposed to come! But, for those of us who live here and tough it out, when spring does finally come (and stay!), I think we appreciate it perhaps a bit more than those folks who have sunshine and warmth all the time. Case in point, my roommate Jenilyn and I cheered yesterday when we noticed that the tree outside our dining room window was finally budding. Those bright green little leaves were such a welcome sign. Here is a photo of them…perhaps a little blurry since I took it through the screen, but you get the idea. 
Seeing the buds and the increasing verdure of spring, I can’t help but think of the words from “Morning Has Broken,”
Morning has broken like the first morning;
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word!
Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dew-fall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.
Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation; praise ev’ry morning,
God’s recreation of the new day!
I can’t wait for the lilacs and tulips to start gracing us with their presence!