I've always loved the smell of spring showers in the air, to feel the coolness of the air and the sense of being washed clean, a fresh start, and seemingly endless opportunities for that day. There's something about a baptism that has the same effect on me. There's just something about that sense of rejuvenation that goes along with it that I love. Over the past couple of weeks we've had a couple of chances to enjoy that experience, first with Vanessa, and then with Zack. Watching young people make that commitment also reminds me that the blood of Jesus, into which they were spiritually immersed, is still at work in my life today, even though my baptism was many years ago at this point.

In fact, the blood is no less powerful now, or any less rejuvenating now that it was at that first moment of my spiritual birth. I think that is one of the blessing that the world can't seem to understand, and probably never will. Day to day it might just be one of Christianity's greatest blessings - to start each day new. To smell the sweet fragrance of forgiveness to start each day, to feel the cool breeze of opportunity always in your face and in your heart, that's a life like no other.

Maybe that's part of what Jesus was talking about when he said he wanted to give his disciples a fuller life and greater joy. Knowing that the errors of the preceding day won't haunt me forever, and knowing that the blood of Jesus will never stop working in my life to bring me that cleansing and fresh start certainly goes along way towards helping me realize that grater joy and more abundant life.