Spring is in the air! The temperature is rising, we’ve seen the sun a lot more than the dreary wintertime, and when we have rain, it is warmer than it was (I was able to wear shorts on purpose outside). The animals are flourishing – just outside my office window I hear the trill and song of some bird of indeterminable species (honestly, I never grew up around wild birdsong, so I thought my phone alarm changed itself again). As I walked out to my car this afternoon to take Geordyn to work, I was greeted with my car being covered in yellow pollen (if there is one thing that I miss about living in the desert, it is the lack of pollen). The time of renewal is upon us!

In this time of renewal and rebirth, I like to reflect on what I’d like to accomplish in the coming year. For me, it was registering for my very first doctoral level course today. For you, it might be time to think about planting a new garden, visiting family for the upcoming spring holidays, or some much needed house cleaning or decluttering. While you’re thinking about all the things that this season brings us, think also about what your community brings you. What does the Fellowship offer you? How does it feed your soul? How does it nurture your spirit? Thinking of those who came before you, how their spirit lives on in the work of the Fellowship: how can we till our own garden, or connect with our community further, or what can we do to bring some fresh air into the Fellowship, and into our time together?

Yes, the time of renewal is upon us (as well as the aforementioned pollen, so excuse me while I take an allergy pill and grab a tissue). Seriously though: what do you want to see for our future, and what can you offer to it?