SPRING is my favourite time of the year.

I love the flowers, the new leaves and especially lambs in the field. I love watching them explore and get up to mischief.

Their mothers are very patient and it is not uncommon to see a lamb either standing or lying on top of their resting mother.

New life is all around us in spring and it is a reminder of the new life we have when we become Christians.

Spring also means for Christians that Easter is around the corner.

We prepare through Lent, journeying towards Easter, by either giving up something that is bad for us or taking on something that is helpful or beneficial.

Lent represents the journey that Jesus took as he spent 40 days in the desert before starting his ministry. He was tempted in every way, but did not give in to temptation.

He set us an example for living. We all face temptation. The secret is not to give into it. However, if we do give in, and we do, because we are frail human beings, Good Friday and Easter are there for us.

When Jesus died on the cross on that first Good Friday, he took all the sin of the world onto his innocent body, so that we no longer have to carry that sin.

He sacrificed his life for us, because he loves us. The God we serve as Christians, is a God of love, forgiveness, mercy and grace.

And then on Easter morning, Jesus rose from the dead, so that death has no more power over us.

There is no need to be fearful of what lies ahead for us, because Jesus settled the score once and for all.

What Jesus did on the cross and the empty tomb, means that we are no longer separated from God. Through Jesus, we have direct contact with our Father in heaven.

May this Eastertide be a time of renewing and rejoicing at what Jesus did for us on the cross.

May you know his love, forgiveness and grace this Easter and may you be blessed in the celebration of new life.

Rev Janet May

Team Vicar

Crediton and Upper Creedy Valley Team Ministry