Basic Truths | Finding God in Everyday Life

  The calendar says spring began about 3 weeks ago although it seemed earlier than that here in Texas. Most of our spring flowers have come and gone or are nearing the end of their season.   I enjoy the change of seasons, although they are not as distinctive here as in other parts of the country. I’m not sure which is my favorite season – they each have their own appeal. I like the explosion of color from the flowers and trees in spring after the drabness of winter. We have a lot of perennial flowers in the yard and it feels good to see them come back to life again each year.   It’s no surprise that we celebrate Easter in springtime because Jesus’ resurrection is the ultimate example of rebirth throughout all history. It’s a testament to the fact that we can be made new regardless of our circumstances, because nothing is impossible for God. The apostle Paul knew this personally. Jesus took him from being a persecutor of Christians to the greatest of evangelists. H...

  We toured Alaska several years ago. We were there for Solstice Day, the longest day of the year, with over 23 hours of daylight. Despite having a nice visit, we all said that we couldn’t live in Alaska because it just stays so dark in the winter.   There is a medical condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder that I’ve treated patients for. People get depressed in the winter months due to a lack of daylight. We treat it with bright light exposure as well as with medication.   The days leading up to Easter are a study of darkness and light. The spiritual darkness of Jesus’ passion and death on the cross culminated in physical darkness as the Gospel writers note, “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land” (Matthew 27:45). But then came the dawn of Easter morning and the light returned.   Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” ( John 8:12)....