New Beginnings

Fall has always been my favorite time of year. Here in Pennsylvania it is quickly approaching, and I am very excited! When Terry and I take Sadie our golden retriever for a walk, occasionally now there is that cool crisp feel to the air that inspires me to breathe deeply and close my eyes, remembering the beauty of past autumns and realizing I have been granted by God another opportunity to revel in this glorious season. At the school where we take our doggie cornfields surround the perimeter and I love to observe the gradual discoloration of the stalks as the days grow shorter and all turns to brown.There is beauty even in death, as displayed through nature.

It was recently I read that fall is a time for new beginnings..... funny I guess I have always perceived spring time as that. It is difficult for us to observe things dying and see it as a beginning, but with God every end is just that- a time for renewal and rebirth. For the trees that lose their leaves and the plants that are cut back, it is not an end, simply a time of rest. In life I feel designated times of rest are often what inspires us to try something new. Feeling God prune us back seems hard and painful, but when spring does arrive we are ready to grow stronger and healthier than ever before. I want to learn to embrace all the seasons of my life, both the ends and the beginnings.