As we enter into the month of May, we see many changes taking place in the mountains and valleys that God has created for us to enjoy. Dormant plants begin to grow again, new seedlings sprout out
of the ground and hibernating animals awake. The natural world revives and reinvigorates and the
beauty and freshness of spring comes to life all around us as the temperature begins to warm.

Life on Pine Mountain Lake begins to come alive too. The marina fills up with boats, the beaches
show life on the sandy shores, and the kayakers and paddle boarders happily appear on the lake as
we transition from late winter and early spring into late spring and early summer.

As spring begins, I would like to ask a simple and faith-based question. How is your faith transitioning
in this season of new life? Some of us have been or are still going through a long, hard season of
struggles and doubts, hoping for strength from God just to make it through the day. Much like the
long, cold and wet winter we’ve been through in our mountain community, we’re also ready for
positive changes in our lives. In the Bible, spring symbolizes a time of renewal and new beginnings.

The good news of the salvation and grace of our Lord is the newness we can have through a
refreshing and forgiving daily walk with the Savior and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds
us of this in the middle of his second letter to the Church of Corinth, a large metropolitan city in the
days of the Roman Empire, located in the southern half of modern-day Greece. He shows us that we
are God’s new creation and can enjoy the grace of fresh starts every day, if we choose to believe.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation….” II Corinthians 5:17-18 – NIV

Just as we experience the renewal of the earth in spring, it is through the love and grace we receive
from God that we have an opportunity for personal and spiritual renewal. My hope is that you will
find the new creation with purpose and the call God wants for you each day as you begin to
transform in every season of your life!

For more evidence of the power God can have in your life, we welcome you to visit one of the area
churches on any Sunday. We personally invite you to worship with us at Groveland Evangelical Free
Church at 10:00 am on Sunday morning and to come during the week to our special gatherings.

In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Bob Kandels