Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. Joel 2:23 NIV

In my part of the world, fall is here! It’s a little cooler, the days are shorter, and darkness comes earlier in the evening. The sourwood leaves are turning red, and the other trees will soon follow as green leaves turn to red and yellow and orange and purple. Yes, purple! We have Tupelo (Black Gum) trees, and the leaves can actually turn purple, red, and yellow. They also have dark purple berries; the deer love them. You can tell because no branches, leaves or berries are left below where the deer can reach. The trees look like they’ve been trimmed.

When I was a kid, we had two huge maple trees in our front yard. When the red fall leaves fell, we raked them into huge piles and took turns jumping in them. Do you have fall leaves to help rake? Do you like to jump in the leaves? We also would have a family day in the fall when we gathered up fallen branches, brush, and leaves from the woods around our house. When there were only coals left, we roasted hot dogs for dinner. And made s’mores for dessert! What kinds of things does your family do in the fall?

God made an amazing plan for the changing of the seasons.

Spring is the growing season; farmers plant, grass greens up, trees leaf out in shades of green and days warm and get longer.

Summer is the maturing season; nights are warm with long hot days, sudden thunderstorms and blooming flowers and bees and songbirds everywhere.

Fall is the harvest season; farmers gather up what they planted in the spring, the weather cools and days get shorter, trees are decorated with colorful leaves, and birds migrate south.

Winter is the resting season; bare trees and evergreens, days are short and colder, snow blankets the earth as it rests, animals find places to hibernate, and we stay inside more by cozy warm fires.

This week step outside into God’s amazing creation and experience the joy of fall. Or the joy of whatever season you happen to be in. What is your favorite season? Why? Draw a picture of your best season. Share your picture. Talk with your parents and other people about their favorite season. Enjoy God’s changing seasons!

Blessings and joy in the changing of the seasons!