I have grown African Violets now and again for decades. The last time I stopped was because they became too much work, with way too many African Violets. Some of my discouragement came with a bug called thrips. I could never figure out how to completely get rid of them.

Sometimes we initiate new chapters, and other times they are forced upon us. Either way, new chapters bring change. How do we respond to change? We can either embrace it or resent it. The choice we make impacts the way we experience life during this chapter.

On Easter Sunday morning I stood staring at the Bougainvillea (it’s a bush, in case you are wondering) growing in our back yard. It’s amazing the difference one day can make! Where we live, the Bougainvilleas die back during the winter. The thorny branches looked dead and dangerous. I wonder if the crown of thorns was made of similar branches. The dead branches gave little hope for the future.