Hello Autumn!

I'm so excited about fall.  I don't know exactly why, but this time of the year always seems to bring a certain exhilaration to my little part of the world.  Maybe it's the cooler weather after a hot summer, football games,  or  the expectation of the upcoming holidays, I'm not sure.  I think there's a certain newness surrounding this season even though we usually attribute that to spring, We must experience the falling of the old leaves before we can see the new ones in later on,  so I guess I think of Autumn as a "cleansing" of sort.  The death of the foliage gives way, later ,to new life and that to me is somehow very beautiful.  .

Fall has a new meaning for me this year as I'll celebrate my Dad's life in October.  He will have been gone from us for a year although it seems almost impossible, as often it feels like yesterday.  I do, however, resolve to CELEBRATE his life.  One thing I've learned about grief (and there are so many) is that it's really comforting to embrace it when it comes.  Yes, comforting.  Some days it sweeps over me like a monstrous tidal wave and it envelopes me.  I will not run from it when it comes, instead, let it pour over me,  cleansing me of the hurt and the pain and comforting me as it heals those wounded places.  

I hope for you anticipation of  new things, new life and new ways to be whole.

          A Time for Everything

 ¹ For everything there is a season,
      a time for every activity under heaven.
 ² A time to be born and a time to die.
      A time to plant and a time to harvest.
 ³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
      A time to tear down and a time to build up.
 ⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
      A time to grieve and a time to dance.
 ⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
      A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
 ⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching.
      A time to keep and a time to throw away.
 ⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend.
      A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
 ⁸ A time to love and a time to hate.
      A time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3


Joy~~~~~~~