Today, in the midst of lingering winter chill, I attended church in the midst of lent.  I did not have an opportunity to hear the sermon, but I did have an opportunity to teach Sunday School. For me today, the overall theme was one of how winter is a time of hidden growth, not of stagnance, not of death but of restorative dormancy.  I was pleased to hear our youngest child, our son, read Psalm 32 in church, and also pleased also to teach kids I have known since they were toddlers in Sunday school.  It has been a few weeks since I taught and I was particularly struck today but the growth and maturation of the kids, not just mine, but of all of them, how well they can now read, and how well they can understand what they read. Many of them independently described the meaning of lent to me with compelling lucidity. The kids are, with Tracey, preparing a song for Easter, and it is as invigorating as it is tiring to spend time with them.  I am very grateful to Christine for all of her work with the children this past year, and look forward to welcoming Huda back as well.

Rebecca B.