Fall has begun

The cooler air in the mornings, the shorter days, the chestnut spikeballs stabbed in your feet... ah, the feel of fall. I am a little sad to see summer go but welcome this new change (well, all but the spikeballs). I like when it is cool enough to enjoy snuggling, the beauty of the colorful landscape, and baking in the oven. Yes, it does mean that we will be spending all spare time in the yard trying to rake up that "colorful landscape" and dealing with darkness at 6:00 but it is wonderful how God, even in his created world, gave us newness. It is not the "same old thing"; He's pretty amazing!!

But what is funny is that I can appreciate the change in the seasons but have a much harder time appreciating change in my personal life. I look at the seasonal difference as a blessing but see any variant of difference in my life as troublesome, awkward, and at times, fearful. Maybe its because I can predict the change of the seasons. Moving in to the fall means you'll need to start unpacking your jeans and long sleeves. There is a little predictability in the ensuing change whereas, in your own life, it is rarely, if ever, predictable how things are gonna go. This, I'm sure, is one of God's ways of ensuring our DAILY dependence upon him. And beautifully, he never changes. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever"- Hebrews: 13:8 Though we may be in flux, he is our rock which we cling to.

My recent change was my kidlets going off to school. We've now settled in to a bit of a revised schedule and it all is working out grandly. Lauren is coping with the absence of her brother and sister very well. Nate and Nicole absolutely LOVE school (Nicole the academics, Nate recess!) and I have adjusted to it all now. But change isn't over. God is working in me- the hardest kind of change- internal change. Let's hope that I've learned a lesson or two and welcome this change as best as I'm able! Because there is definitely some fear associated with this change as well as confusion. For now, I am clinging to my Rock and asking for help to endure. I may not be able to look out past it all now, but I am hopeful that once the change has occurred, I'll be adjusted to it all and be able to look back and say, "I'm glad the new season has arrived".

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.- Psalm 36:5