Ah, the beauty of fall.  I don't know if it is because it comes after a heat-scorching summer or if it is because of the vibrant colors it usually heralds, or what, but fall is my most favorite season of all.  For us, fall means many things.  It is a time when we start cutting our wood for our winter's heat.  It is when we start pulling out the board games in the evening as darkness descends much earlier.  And it is a time of change in our househould routines as we start the school schedule up.  In many ways, fall feels like New Year's Day to me.  A time to start something new and fresh.  I find myself thinking more about my homemaking skills, my cooking/baking skills, and even more about my spiritual life.  Summer is awesome and I love it, but too often for us, it gets so hectic that we are all but rushing through each day and fall seems to signal a slowing down of sorts.

As I sit and ponder on all these things, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 come to my mind.

 1TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:

    2A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted,^(A)

    3A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up,

    4A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

    5A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

    6A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away,

    7A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak,^(B)

    8A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.^(C)

^{I had a pastor's wife tell me once when my girls were all very young and I was easily frustrated with the stages they seemed to constantly be going through, that "this too shall pass".  I didn't really appreciate her words of wisdom until many years later unfortunately, but it is true.  Nothing stays the same forever, except God.  Seasons change, people grow and change, circumstances come and go, good times come and go, and yes, even bad times come and go, though sometimes when you are in the midst of a bad time it doesn't feel like it will ever end, but it will.}

^{So, as summer comes to an end and fall, with its crisp clear mornings, vibrant colors, and warm, sunny days arrive, let's take a minute to embrace this change and thank God that He loves us so much He will never leave us in one season forever, but He will see us through each season and teach us and grow us more into His image each day no matter what season we are in, as we embrace all that He has for us.}

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Sep. 10, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Happyhome

Beautifully said. If we can remember that everything is a season and will pass in due time, it will help us make it through the rough patches.

Hugs,

Ang

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