October!

Autumn.  How I love this season.  I know I have written before of my appreciation for the beauty of these weeks. October, especially, passes so quickly that it seems the leaves have barely turned before I am walking ankle deep in a blanket of orange, red, gold and brown. I want to savor every second, every scent, every sight, every sunset. Even the occasional rainy day brings a sense of cozy comfort. I love lighting a warmly scented candle, brewing a spiced tea, listening to the rain and watching it encourage the leaves to decorate my patio.  And then there are those gorgeous sunny days when the hillside flames with color.  Is the sky ever a deeper blue?  Oh, the richness of this blessed month!

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.  It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it?"  ~  Spoken by Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne Shirley in "Anne of Green Gables."

Thoughts on Friendship and Trees

I am blessed with an abundance of wonderful friends.  Each one adds their own unique, priceless gem to my treasure chest of friendship. I am deeply aware of this wealth God has poured out upon me, and oh how thankful I am for it. 

In my friendships I find not only enjoyment, fun, laughter and shared pleasant experiences, but a source of encouragement, comfort, inspiration and strength.  Life, as we all know, has its share of hardships, disappointments, sorrows, stresses and troubles.  How good it is to travel the paths of good and difficult times with friends who share the burdens and the joys. 

I remember well an experience I had many years ago while accompanying a wonderful group of teenagers on a weekend youth retreat. A dear friend and I were walking along a wooded path beside a river.  As we walked and talked about the beauty of the day and all that surrounded  us, we came upon a tree that seemed to be lifting its branches upward, praising the One who had created and fashioned it while at the same time reaching down to us in,,,,well, a tree-hug!  Together, we were blessed with what we saw as a lovely illustration of creation praising the Creator and at the same time blessing us. The sight of it and the thought of what it represented filled us with joy. Would I have noticed the tree or made the spiritual connection had I been walking alone?  Maybe.  I do know, however, that sharing this experience with my friend increased the enjoyment, deepened the symbolism and created a memory that still warms our hearts.  My friend and I suffered much teasing from the young people with whom we shared the story of our tree, but it was worth it. In fact, that tree was visited many times over the years.... and not only by the two youth advisers who first found it while strolling by a river on a chilly winter day so long ago! 

 

 

"Friendship is a sheltering tree."  ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge ~

Snow Angels

  Every now and then, I decide it's time to sort through and reduce the accumulation of papers, notes and collections of this-n-that, all of which need to be filed either as keepers or candidates for the recycling bin.  While attempting this recently, I found a copy of a wonderful little collection of thoughts written with the idea of encouraging us all to lighten up and view life with a childlike anticipation of good things.  The specific"good thing" in this writing was....SNOW!  Now, as a lifelong snow-lover, this got my attention.  I ceased sorting and tossing and sat down to read this little treasure.  The author described a time when his children were small and were playing in the snow, throwing snowballs gleefully...until a snowball hit the window and their father appeared with stern admonitions. The author/father went on to describe how, in spite of his irritation, the sight of his little boy making a snow angel with the intention of having his angel speak on behalf of his brother and himself and hopefully softening his daddy's heart, did indeed accomplish just that. He was reminded of how the storms of life can rob us of the simple trust and joy of childhood.  How do we view a snowstorm?  Dread or delight?  An annoyance, inconvenience, problem?  Or as a gift to be treasured and an opportunity for great fun? 

It is January and I am hoping a good snow day will soon be here.  I want to watch the snowflakes fall, go for a walk and listen to that amazing hush that seems to fall with the snow, watch my little grandchildren celebrate.....and perhaps make a snow angel of my own!

 

"I want there to be a twinge of excitement in your heart when you see snowflakes on the weather forecast.  As a grown-up, I hope you will savor the peace of a snow-covered hill, for few things blanket the earth with peace like a snowfall does.  But as a child - because I know there's one in you somewhere - I hope that when you peer out your window this winter and see snowflakes, you will throw on your coat and grab your mittens and fall into a pile of white, flailing your arms with all your might and make an angel out of your storm."    

 

~ T.D. Jakes ~

Seasons

The weather forecasters are telling us that a huge storm is approaching and that we need to be prepared!  Just three days ago, the skies were bright blue and cloudless, the sunlight showing off the changing Autumn leaves and creating a banquet of colors on which to feast the eyes.  If nothing else, the weather is unpredictable and sometimes catches us by surprise with dramatic changes.  As does life. 

I am not looking forward to this probable hurricane we are facing.  We will do what is necessary to prepare, but the impact the storm will have is unknown at this point.  Storms come and go, as do beautiful autumn days.  Seasons change, almost always bringing with them a mix of bane and blessing.  Today there are clouds, probably the harbinger of rains to come, but there are also dancing leaves outside my window and a carpet of red and gold on the patio stones.  I will enjoy today.  I will scuff my way through the leaves and enjoy the sight of the colors under a gray sky.  I will remember and give thanks for many wonderful days throughout each season, and that will give strength to face the inevitable storms.  You have heard it before, I am sure.....today is a gift, and that is why it is called the present!

" Take the blue of the sky and the green of the forest, the gold and the brown of the freshly mown hay, and the pale shades of spring and the circus of autumn and weave you a lovely today." ~Gloria Gaither~

Autumn!

There just isn't anything I don't appreciate about Autumn.  The beauty of the colors, the chill in the air, the sweaters and turtlenecks I begin to wear again, the apple and pumpkin picking, the baking, the fire pit, the quilts and comforters, even the fact that dusk comes earlier.....it is all a joy to me.  The sky appears to be a deeper blue against the brilliance of the leaves, and. although I am aware that this season is most often thought of as the ending of summer, I think of it as the colorful introduction to months of celebration.  Thanksgiving!  Christmas, following soon after!  So much to look forward to, so many new memories to make.  Like those scurrying squirrels I watch, I want to gather up all the goodness of this season and bury it deep in my heart.  Another Autumn to savor, another gift from our good Creator.

"As I ran under the arches of yellow and red leaves I sang for joy, my heart was so bright and the world so beautiful."  ~ Louisa May Alcott ~

Light Hearted!

There is something so very wonderful about a rainbow.  It is always a surprise and a delight.  After the rain, when the air seems to have that certain almost-glow, I usually dash outside to check.....maybe, just maybe there will be a rainbow.  Last evening there was.....and it was spectacular! 

The thrill of that rainbow is still on my mind.  It seems that sunlight is actually made up of different colors, but in the sunbeam we can only see white light.....until it hits the raindrops at a particular angle.  Then...we see its colors in the form of a rainbow.  Amazing! 

And as if the rainbow wasn't joy enough, there was a full moon last night!   The sky cleared after the rain and there was the moon, reflecting the glory of the sun. 

I pray that my life might be a reflection of God's mercy, grace, love and compassion.....just as the moon's shining only reflects the sun's light, may my life overflow with Sonlight.  May my heart, like the raindrops, catch the color of God's amazing promises and faithfulness.

The following quote, one of my favorites, is from a little book entitled "Diary of an Old Soul".  I've read it as a devotional and have found wonderful nuggets of truth within those pages.

"Lord, make my mirror-heart Thy shining place."   ~  George MacDonald

Spring Rain

It is one of those gentle rains.  I love sitting at the window, listening to the raindrops falling onto the patio and watching the birds enjoying their bath.   A good day to stay home and be quiet.  This will be a good day for the flowers, the grass and the potted plants, too.  God's provision. 

It is a good day for thinking.  I am mulling over yesterday's sermon, a very heavy one.  It came from the lips of a guest preacher, one who has known much pain in his life and has allowed God to use the  hurtful things he experienced as a youth to feed a ministry to young people who desperately need someone who understands and comes along side to help carry the load.

I am thinking about forgiveness, trust, mercy.....God's grace, raining down and transforming lives, bringing beauty from ashes.  A good day for gratitude, for prayer, for thinking.

"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."  ~  Mark Twain

Refreshing!

What fun I had recently accompanying my grandchildren, their mother, and a dear friend on a field trip to a wonderful farm where we viewed newborn lambs, piglets and twin goats!  It was a joy to watch the delight on the children's faces as they took in the wonder of those tiny baby animals, so new to the world.  A recipe for a very refreshing day:  children, friendship, and the beauty of God's creation.

         "He is the God of the daisies and the lambs and the merry child hearts!" ~ Lilias Trotter

Weather

The following quote brought an attitude adjustment after my peaceful night's sleep was interrupted by thunderstorms. The sound of the birds' singing outside my window early this morning brought another reminder.....give thanks, in all kinds of weather!

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, and snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." ~ John Ruskin

Spring!

Tomorrow marks the official beginning of the spring season.  As a true lover of autumn and winter, I am always less enthusiastic than most folks about the approach of warm weather...espcially when the trend, over the past few years, seems to be to skip right over lovely spring and running headlong into hot, humid summer. However, this year I am somehow deeply touched by the early signs of spring. The soft pink of flowering trees, the brilliant yellow forsythia and daffodils, the birdsong, the warmth of the afternoon sun...all speak to me of the mystery of the emerging of new life.  I intend to enjoy this season, whether brief or long lasting, and learn from its secrets.

                            "Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light."  ~ Roethke

Appreciating God's Creation

As wonderful as technology, science, great inventions and discoveries are....I must say I agree with Lindbergh.  He had the right perspective.  Nothing is as brilliant or thrilling as the wonder of His creation!

"I realized that if I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes." ~ Charles Lindbergh