I have always loved autumn.
I love the colors
of turning leaves,
of pumpkin fields,
and sundry kinds of gourds,
of bittersweet growing beside
a country road.
I
remember the thrill
of new saddle shoes.
of new school clothes,
and brand new school supplies,
of warm, bulky sweaters,
worn with wool plaid skirts.
 I
love the sounds
of Canada geese
of rustling leaves
of football games on a
clear, chilly night;
of marching bands and
"Stand Up and Cheer'
at half-time,
Autumn reminds me
most of all that
there are seasons and cycles in life. There is a time to be born and,
for all of us, a time to die. A time to mourn and a time to dance.
There are times we may
feel barren, but we are not, if within
us the Spirit of God is moving... drawing us upward toward the high calling of God
in Christ Jesus.
His desire is that we would submit to and benefit from
the seasons in our lives as He ministers His life to us, that we might
come to know Him more deeply and intimately in the power of His resurrection.
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As the years pass, each autumn stirs fond memories
...of walking to school
in the crisp, warm September air, on brick sidewalks pushed up
into rolling waves by decades old tree roots;
...of gleefully skipping through
neatly raked piles of Maple, Oak and 'Buckeye' leaves
...the pungent aroma of leaves smoldering, burning
slowly in the street.
Autumn leaves remind me of going with Dad to buy apples and cider, kept cool in
a big glazed-block barn.
...the tantalizing aroma as apples were pressed through the cider mill.
...it takes 3 different varieties of apples to make the
best cider, he always said.
...He taste-tested until it was just right.
Autumn
brings memories of the county fair
...the sights, the sounds,
...the
aromas,
...candy apples and cotton candy,
...arts and crafts, pickles
and jams, baby pigs, and bunny rabbits aligned
in rows,
...marching band concerts in the grandstand and
...gospel quartets
in the old church.
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