Going to college in Texas absolutely ruined March for me.
All of a sudden I discovered the secret that had been diabolically hidden from me all my life: In most of the country SPRING COMES IN MARCH!!
It is bluebonnets and cherry blossoms, lemon bars and strawberries, and the sweet aroma of honeysuckle drifting in through open windows, and THERE IS HOPE STREWN EVERYWHERE LIKE CONFETTI!
In Minnesota, March is the cruelest time of the year. It brings to mind a totally different spin on the phrase “March Madness”.
WE HAVE MORE SNOW IN MARCH THAN ANY OTHER MONTH.
WE GIVE UP ALL HOPE OF EVER SEEING THE SUN AGAIN IN OUR LIFETIME.
March is a perpetual month of Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days, which is why I decided we need a dash of inspiration and a pinch of sparkle. How about a Spring It Up Challenge to get us through March?
There are no rules, just a prompt for every day. Do one day or all. Do alone, or with friends. Get creative! Have fun!
Share on Instagram with the hashtag #springitup if you want.
Spring It Up Challenge!
- Wear something pink – bright pink or blush pink, lipstick or scarf, shirt or tie…anything counts.
2. Celebrate! Invite friends over for a “March will NOT defeat us!” potluck. Ask each person to bring a food that reminds them of spring (or summer) and have them share why. Choose the date today.
3. Clean out one closet, drawer, or bookshelf. Make room for Spring!
4. Be a joy-bringer. Smile at every stranger you pass. Let others go first – through doors, in lines…
5. Write a note of affirmation to someone. Add some confetti before you seal it up 🙂
6. Go shopping for one warm-weather item – sandals, swimsuit, new top, outdoor entertaining items…
7. Hug at least 3 people today.
8. Buy yourself a bunch of flowers.
9. Put on music and dance!
10. Write out Isaiah 58:11 and reflect on it. Which words do you need most?
11. Take a flower bulb to a friend who needs hope to grow.
12. Wear something the color of sky and sea.
13. Splurge on a donut with sprinkles.
14. Take a walk at sunrise or sunset. Breathe deeply.
15. Bake something fun and springy and bring it to share with your colleagues or staff at church or a non-profit.
16. Surprise someone with a bouquet of helium balloons
17. Make a new recipe with a green ingredient – avocado, lettuce, asparagus, mint chip…
18. Find 10 things to be thankful for today. Say them out loud as you notice them. Write them in your journal.
19. Put a happy, colorful screen-saver on your phone.
20. Take a picture of one thing/person/experience that brings you joy and post it online.
21. Grab a friend or your spouse and go out for an ice cream cone.
22. Make hamburgers on the grill for dinner (no matter how cold it is!)
23. Get out colored pens or pencils! Letter and/or illustrate Psalm 36:5. Post a picture!
24. Buy a funny card to send someone.
25. Plan a dream vacation or weekend getaway. Even if it’s a hope for the future, get online and look at pretty pictures.
26. Make/eat something with strawberries today – yogurt parfait, green salad with strawberries, strawberry smoothie…
27. Create a Pandora or Spotify station of summer tunes.
28. Call a friend who is life-giving.
29. Buy a beautiful magazine on one of your passions with images that spark your imagination.
30. Buy coffee for a stranger.
31. Google the song “Knee Deep” by the Zach Brown band featuring Jimmy Buffet – play and sing along!
Click here for a shortened version of this calendar of inspiration to print up and put on your fridge!
If you’re reading this on email or on your phone and want to comment, just click on the title and then scroll down!
Now go for it! Share on Instagram with the hashtag #springitup.
