“Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Well, spring has finally sprung (fingers crossed), and like most of you, I've rolled up my sleeves and have begun the ardent (yeah, right) task of taking over the back-forty again. Albeit though, not as quickly or as enthusiastically as my neighbor. It's been a typical spring so far around here, with the lilacs in fragrant bloom. The flowering crabapple and dogwood trees have flourished brilliantly, while the pansies are in bold contrast of purples and yellow…blah, blah, blah. The truth be known, springtime around here isn't about Mother Nature and the birds and the bees. It is more about mowers not wanting to mow, and weed whackers not willing to whack. (Speaking of weeds, they are coming in nicely thank-you and are growing as quickly as the grass. Oh, and the dandelions, I love dandelions (NOT)! I've got leaves that were raked up in November all over the place again. What's with that? And it just wouldn't be spring without a cat (not a bird mind you) perched and preening on the roof (a story for another time) while a new crazy cardinal is crashing into our windows at 5 a.m. again. Ah… the saga continues. Can you say “beach-ministry”? Actually, I take this time of the year as a personal challenge to rise above and “subdue the earth' while overcoming the malice of inanimate objects at the same time! The other evening as Ann and I were getting ready to weed one of the flowerbeds, I thought I heard a gurgling voice calling out from tall unidentified plant life “FEED ME, SEYMOUR. FEED ME!” Then Ann, dressed like Dr. Livingston daringly proclaimed “I'm goin' in” …it was an ugly scene from which I'm still having nightmares. (Well, actually , we were just dividing the Hostas that had taken over. After dividing those monsters, our backyard now is a Hosta haven.) Division is defined as the act or process of separating things into parts. And often, the result of division is multiplication. I was thinking that God is into division. He made the decision for division long ago. It is apparent in His very essence; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit…the three in one, one in three. He has also shown the division equation in the local church. God divides gifts into people's lives to reflect himself within the church. Each of us has been given His Word, thus seeing His kingdom multiply on earth. In other words, God has delegated His authority to each of us to complete His math. Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus delegated the responsibility of spreading His message to His followers. You and I have been handed that responsibility. What God has placed in our lives, what He has divided among us, is there for the purpose of reaching others; multiplication by division. What has God divided into your life? What talents or gifts has God given to you? Use those gifts the way that He intended. Use them to complete His math. Because, after all, that is how His equation will be completed....through you and me dividing Christ among other people who still count to God. Oh, yeah, and happy Springtime. Art