Are you ready? Spring is officially here, and good news is everywhere! For those of the Christian faith, Easter is a time for renewal and refreshing, and that is exactly what's happening all around us.

The news recently reported Fayetteville's signature Dogwood Festival is back in action after an unfortunate hiatus brought on by the pandemic. The organizers promise it to be smaller and safer, but just as fun as we've come to expect of the hometown festival rooted right here in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

After a year of virtual everything, I've pretty much reached 'Zoom Fatigue' and have recently met with local church and civic leaders excited about everything from fun family activities like egg hunts and days in the park to what one local pastor called the “... super bowl of Easters.”

One thing is certain, over the past year we've learned we need each other. A recent survey cited a surprising 52% of Americans who volunteered to do things for others for the first time in their lives. Donating blood, caring for elderly neighbors, working with and donating to food pantries – the first time! That's a trend we can all hope will catch on.

This is a great time to be alive, and while we blame the virus for so many of the bad things that came our way, we can even find plenty to be thankful for on its heels.

While masks and other precautions may be the norm for now, it's still exciting to see the country – and our local communities – spring to life once again. I can honestly say I was never before happy to get stuck behind a school bus on the two-lane cut-through to get to work, but I almost clapped my hands when it happened a couple of weeks ago. NOTE: I didn't actually clap my hands; I was on a motorcycle, and that would have been a little irresponsible.

If there is a central point to any of this, it's that we can find reasons to rejoice regardless of the circumstances surrounding us. There is much more to this life than what we may see as the interruptions. The blessings we long for – family, friends and celebrations of both – are the very things we learned to chase and find when they were dangled six feet away, or held captive behind the walls of a senior care facility over the past 12 months.

If you haven't yet, thank God for allowing you to see and experience what you have. We are living in a historical moment as we create memories no one can take away. And while I wouldn't wish the bad parts of the pandemic on anyone, I will certainly rejoice in the good that has come through the experience. I hope you will too.