Bull frogs greet me as I stroll past the pond on my way to the cabin.

Glub. Glub. They WILL be heard.

Song birds and fat buzzing bumblebees compete with the frogs.

I sit on the cabin porch at the edge of the pond and take it all in.

It is quiet, but oh, so noisy on this spring evening.

Each and every spring, I marvel at the gift of NEW.

As winter wanes and spring approaches, I never fail to be surprised by how God knows just when I have had all the brown and grey and white I can take, and He delivers a wide swath of green, punctuated with all the colors that have laid dormant through winter.

Never more than in springtime do I appreciate Scripture’s promise that God will restore heaven and earth. The perfect earth as He created it will be returned to perfection — our forever home for Eternity.

Glory!

A long-awaited piece of mail arrived today, giving voice to my appreciation for God’s creativity. The first issue of my subscription to the beautiful Plough Quarterly holds pages of stunning art and photographs, surrounded by literary reflections on this quarter’s topic: Earth. As I turn its smooth, thick pages, words of praise rise and images from an artist’s eye share truth.

The earth is a precious gift from God and we are its stewards. Share on X

Many times, I have been cautious in my praise and frugal in voicing concern over how we care for this gift, fearful some might accuse me of loving the creation more than the Creator. But the perceptions of others matter little alongside what I know in my heart — God’s goodness is reflected in His creation. He is pleased by my “Hallelujahs” and He delights in bringing me joy while I sit on my humble porch, listening to birds sing and frogs croak.

From the Spring 2015 issue of Plough Quarterly, these words by theologian and scholar N.T. Wright (excerpted from his book “Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues”):

“In the new creation, the ancient human mandate to look after the garden is reaffirmed……The resurrection of Jesus is the reaffirmation of the goodness of creation, and the gift of the Spirit is there to make us the fully human beings we were supposed to be, precisely so that we can fulfill that mandate at last. What are we waiting for? Jesus is coming. Let’s go and plant those trees.”