This time of year we face the lingering paleness of winter and long for the rich greens of spring. We suffer through the last of the flu season and ache for the sweet familiar smells of springtime. A dear friend told me yesterday that she is groaning in 'the wait' ... she is longing for more, for a new season, but more... to see Jesus face to face.

Tulips in the snow remind us that God is at work all around us. God is at work in places hidden and dark. God is at work in the coldness when we are frantically seeking the warmth. The bright color of a new tulip or crocus brings a lift in our spirit. This Scripture from Isaiah expresses this joy,

"...the wilderness will rejoice and blossom; like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy...
they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God."
(Isaiah 35:2-3)

Sometimes we get impatient in the 'wait' of our circumstances, our disappointments, our longings. We fret and scramble, restless and uncomfortable. Rest in knowing God is working in the wait. Below those snowy piles of stress and difficult places, treasures are growing.

"The purpose of journeying together in spiritual friendship and spiritual community ... is to listen to one another's desire for God, to nurture that desire in each other and to support one another in seeking a way of life that is onsistent with that desire. Spiritual friendship is not for advice giving, problem solving and fixing.

Rather, it is to assist one another in paying attention to the movements of God in our lives through the spiritual disciplines and to support another in resopnding faithfully to God's presence." - - - - Ruth Haley Barton, "Sacred Rythms"

Join us for a two-session seminar:

Friday Evening, March 9th,
7:00 - 9:15 p.m. &
Saturday Morning, March 10th,
9:00 a.m. - 12 noon
Childcare available.

Paul David Tripp uncovers the heart issues affecting parents and their kids during the often chaotic adolescent, and pre-adolescent years. This is a seminar that will transform and enlighten your approach to parenting tweens and teens.

• When you are neediest, He is the most sufficient.
  [2 Cor 12:9]
• When you are completey helpless, He is the most helpful.
  [Isaiah 50:7]
• When you feel totally dependent, He is absolutely dependable.
  [Psalm 46;1]
• When you are the weakest, He is the most able.
  [Job 5:15-16]
• When you are the most alone, He is intimately present.
  [Psalm 32:7]
• When you feel you are the least, he is the greatest.
  [Proverbs 3:25-26]
• When you feel the most useless, He is preparing you.
  [I Peter 4:12-13]
• When it is the darkest, He is the only Light you need.
  [Psalm 27:1]
• When you feel the least secure, he is your Rock and Fortress.
  [Psalm 31:3]
• When you can't, He can.
  [Jude 24]

Mark your calendar for some special women's programs and opportunities for connection,

• Spring Retreat -- April 20-22nd in Rehoboth Beach, DE... registration opens next week.
• Spring Celebration and Sharing Days -- May 1st ~ 2nd ~ 3rd. Don't miss these special gatherings of friendship and sharing.
• "Loving Well" by Beth Moore -- 4 week teaching study in May ... details coming soon.
• "Pretty in Pink", Friday May 11th -- an evening of sweet expectations and treasured moments ... celebrating the women God has placed in our lives.
• Summer Book Club -- great reading and great conversation.