Spring 2023: Growth & Renewal

Spring is on the way—and in this season of transition and transformation, we’re focusing on growth and renewal here at The Bookery. So what exactly does that mean? Here’s what our founder, Mandy Crow, had to say.

Why was it important to focus on growth and renewal during this season? I love seasons of transition, so spring and fall rank up there among the favorites for me. When I work at home, my desk sits in front of a large window that faces a huge oak tree. Each year, as winter slowly fades into spring, I watch for the slightest trace of green to appear as the tree wakes up from its long winter’s nap. I think winter can sometimes be a depressing season for some of us—and to just be honest, life has been hard over the last few years with the pandemic, economic downturns and just the struggle of balancing the ups and downs of life in general. So this year, maybe more than in the past, I’ve just been longing for renewal and new beginnings in my own life, too—spiritually, mentally, physically. I think it’s one of the reasons I love the Lenten season. While it’s a time of fasting and mourning, it’s all done with the purpose of reawakening our hearts and minds to the truth of the gospel. For some, a new year may symbolize a fresh start, but for me that sense of new beginnings, new chances and refocusing truly comes to life in the spring as I watch the trees bud and the flowers begin to emerge from the soil. I think as believers, it’s vital that we seek to grow and mature in what we believe, and sometimes that means coming to God and asking him to renew us through the Holy Spirit. And spring can be a powerful time to focus on that because we’re seeing it play out in nature before our eyes.

What excites you about this theme?

I think that whether we are new believers or we’ve walked with Jesus for a while, there’s a great benefit to coming to him with open hands and asking for renewal, revival and realignment with his Word, his purpose and his work. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but it’s a powerful spiritual decision that can have an affect on every area of our lives as the Holy Spirit works.

Additionally, like I mentioned earlier, it’s spring here in the U.S. We are watching the world come back to life and there’s a lot of joy that comes with that. To celebrate this theme across all the content areas of The Bookery, is to lean into that joy and sense of new beginnings and celebrate!

So, it’s easy to see how that theme translates to spiritual things, but what does “growth and renewal” look like when it comes to books and baking?

Fair question. We’ll definitely be pointing you in the direction of some books that will help to nurture spiritual and personal growth and renewal and reviving our “Abundant Life” series where we examine what it means to live abundantly. As far as recipes and baking, we’re planning to share a few recipes that showcase the tastes of the season, explore the joy of cooking and more. It’s going to be a fun three months!

What do you hope readers get out of this spring focus?

I think it’s really important for us to hit pause every once in a while and really take stock of where we are personally, spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially, and so forth. I hope that through the content we share here, we help people to have the space to do that. More than that, I also hope that we point them toward joy and the ultimate source of that joy—Jesus—as we count down the days until Easter.