Celebrating Fall

It appears that God's been busy painting leaves 

on the trees in southwest Ohio.

In our peak week for leaf peeping, Tim, Rosie, and I 

took a drive to take in the beauty of the season.

We ended up on the campus of Clermont College, 

where I used to work.

Fall was my favorite time on the lovely rural campus.

The tree I shot here was one of the most vibrant 

and stood at the back of the lot where I parked.

I was happy to see it still standing and celebrating fall.

What do you enjoy about autumn?

 

Allow Color to Bless You

God created the world as a colorful place. 

Look around and see the greens, blues, pinks, and purples. 

Red, yellow and orange, black and white and even brown 

add amazing variety and contrast. 

My favorite color, pink, pours joy into my soul. 

That may sound silly, but I believe God gave us color 

to help us understand and appreciate the world we live in. 

On a gray day, a splash of color adds inspiration.

Take a moment to admire the colors and allow God to bless you.

 

Let Things Go

 Psalm 62:5-8

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge.

"The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go."

Autumn has arrived in a glorious hue of magnificent color this year. I can’t remember a recent fall as beautiful as the one we are experiencing now in southern Ohio. From the photos I’ve seen on Facebook, the rest of the country is gorgeous, as well.

My daughter and I took a drive to see the trees in Kentucky. She pointed out one on her street in an amazing shade of magenta. Surrounded by oranges and golds, the tree stood out as a true beauty. All of these trees in all of their glory are preparing to shed their leaves and rest for a season. I’m glad they are giving us a show before they go.

And go they will. One day in a few weeks we’ll wake up to bare branches where glorious beauty once waved. The thing is, the trees are okay with it. It’s their process. Every year they let their leaves drop and prepare for a season of dormancy. That doesn’t mean they go to sleep, instead they prepare for spring by reducing water loss in the branches and trunk.

They let go in order to protect themselves from being depleted of the what they need to continue to grow in the coming spring.

Letting go of past sins is hard, especially when guilt and shame tighten their grip on the heart. Part of having freedom in Christ is to let go of the past and the sin and trust in God’s grace. Jesus is my salvation, my cleansing, and my rock. I’ve sought forgiveness and in His graciousness, He’s given.

Like the deciduous trees who drop their leaves in the fall and sustain themselves by preparing for the next phase, I want to let go of the past and store up my trust in Jesus and His grace. It is lovely to let go and find rest in God.

Spread God's Word Like Seeds

 Luke 8:11-15
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

Zinnias brighten any day.

My daughter and I sat on her porch and observed the fading zinnias. A few pink, orange, and yellow flowers hung on, as petals fell away and left seed heads. While we chatted, she popped one of the heads off the stem and rubbed the nubs between her fingers. Before long, her hand filled with little gray, spear shaped seeds. For about twenty minutes, we harvested seeds from the dried heads. Now she has a bag full to spread in her garden next year. I'm excited to see if they germinate, grow, and produce a beautiful rainbow.

In Luke 8, Jesus shared the parable of the farmer who planted seeds. Some fell on a path where they were trampled, some on rocky ground where the roots didn't grow, some among thorns which choked them out, and others on good fertile soil. I've planted zinnia seeds in my flower bed, and they didn't produce one seedling. I don't know if the birds ate the seeds, or they didn't germinate and root. I plan to try again next year. My daughter has good soil to plant her zinnias. They tend to grow taller than they are supposed to.

Jesus wants His followers to continue to spread the seed of His word and encourage people to get to know Him. He wants me to share his truths, regardless of where the seeds fall. Rather than be discouraged by poor soil, I want to continue to spread the good news about Jesus and pray hearts are prepared to hear from Him.

He loves every person and wants a relationship with all of his sheep. As the farmer continued to sow the seed, so will I.

Prepare your heart like the good soil and persevere to grow an abundant crop.

Simple Things

The older I get, the more I appreciate the simple things.

I was watching the bees land on 

this "obedient" or sometimes called "dragon" plant. 

They buzzed around and gathered pollen, paying no mind to me.

Observing nature colors my soul with joy.

What simple things do you enjoy?

Look for Wonder in Spring

March offers the first warm days that lead into spring.

Green sprouts from the ground.

The daffodils, hyacinth, and tulips awaken.

Crocus open in colors of joy.

Embrace the Wonder!

 

Gift Item Review: Whatever Is Lovely Postcard Book: Twenty-Four Inspirational Cards to Color and Send: Postcards by Ink & Willow

Item Description:
Spread joy and inspiration with twenty-four colorable postcards to send to friends and family (or enjoy yourself!), from the creators of the Whatever Is Lovely coloring book.

Featuring inspirational quotes and beautiful artwork from the award-winning Whatever Is Lovely coloring book, this set of twenty-four detachable, colorable postcards offers a peaceful escape from the stress and busyness of everyday life. Quotes from contemporary voices, familiar hymns, and Scripture are included on the back of the cards.

Each card has a splash of metallic ink, so they are pretty enough to send before being colored. That way, you can color them yourself or let the recipient have all the fun! You might even decide to keep them yourself to display in your home!

Artists of all ages will enjoy coloring and displaying these beautiful cards!

My Review:
The Ink & Willow postcards come in a cute book where they can be removed one-at-a-time or kept to enjoy. Although the cards have designs that can be colored with pencil or markers, the touches of gold make them beautiful on their own. Each card is beautifully designed with a drawing and an inspiring quote. I'll enjoy sending these to friends and family. These would make a lovely gift or a sweet surprise, with each postcard sent. The paper is high quality and great to color on. The back of the card continues the sentiment with room for an address and a message. I received a complimentary copy of this item. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Laugh with the Flowers

I love this time of year because my flowers are laughing with color.

God created so much beauty for us to enjoy. 

When I stop and admire the Black-eyed Susans, zinnias, and lavender, 

I find balance to the stresses of daily life. 

I smile and sometimes even laugh.

Their glory reminds me to acknowledge the one who created them.

Praise God for his amazing creation!

Walk in Love

Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 5:1-2
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

An array of colors hung on the wall in front of us. The rainbow reached from beautiful blues to passionate pinks and purples. Excited to experience a relaxing pedicure, we ladies perused the polishes. We wanted our toenails to be the loveliest shade of summer as they peeked from our sandals.

Every year my youngest daughter gifts myself and her sisters with pedicures for our birthdays. We have so much fun picking out the colors, admiring each other's toes, and laughing and talking together. The love we share makes the whole experience wonderful.

"Living in love is the color we bring to the world." -Didi Bacon

Our pastor, Didi, preached about a humble love we, as believers and followers of Christ, show the world. We are called to spread the most important color in the world—love. Share a smile, stand up for someone who's been hurt, offer help, give money, share a hug, talk to a friend about grace and faith, sit quietly beside the one who grieves, have the hard conversations. Jesus loves us more than we understand. He wants us to pour that love into other people. We need to see others the way God sees them and move beyond ourselves to love people.