conquering.

I'm in love with the seasons. And the weather. Around here, we all shake our heads and say "sheesh--the weather has been bizarre lately" and sometimes we glower out the window at the rain-made lakes and the continuous pouring and wish that we didn't live in Oregon.

But God's providential ordering of the weather is really pretty stupendous. I love the variety, even if I whine about the clingy winter. Lately, we've had rainy day after rainy day, and then moody days that flirt with summer. Rain that turns to rainbow that turns to stunning, vivid, never-let-it-end-please sunshine. And rainbows, rainbows are my favorite.

And then, Easter morning was completely, perfectly, beautiful. How perfect that Resurrection Day was the first honest-to-goodness, actually-hot, could-be-nearly-summer kind of day. My thoughts summed up: PRAISE JESUS AND HALLELUJAH. I was resigning myself to a rainy Easter (last year's was pretty bleak) but God decided to prove cynical little me just dead-wrong. I'm very grateful. :)

Christ conquered sin, summer conquered winter, the sun conquered the darkness--so much conquering, all over the place.

This is beautiful, and sums up so much.

“Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told you that the night would never end in day?.... Who told you that the winter of your discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow and ice and hail to deeper snow and yet more heavy tempest of despair? Don’t you know that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? Be full of hope! Hope forever! For God does not fail you. Do you know that God loves you in the midst of all this?.... You will yet, midst the splendors of eternity, forget the trials of time, or only remember them to bless the God who led you through them and works your lasting good by them. Come, sing in the midst of tribulation. Rejoice even while passing through the furnace. Cause the desert to ring with your exulting joys, for these light afflictions will soon be over, and then forever with the Lord, your bliss shall never wane.”

- Charles Spurgeon

It was a beautiful day, all-day-long. Beautiful friends, church, church feast, stop at the perfect flowering-tree-lined road for photos, and then the whole clan over for way too much delicious dinner.

My sister and I romping. Because that's what you do on Easter.

Let the specifically-summery photos begin. Open windows and tangly hair forever & ever, amen.

Calvin. I can't even begin to describe all his perfect, long-eyelashed beautiful little boy-ness.

His cousin Victoria is a fan. :)

God is good. Life is big and beautiful and complicated. I'm so thankful for the new beginnings, new life--shameless hope, in everything.