In Celebration of Autumn

The very last days of summer struggle to bring warmth to the cooling of the autumnal earth in the north Midwest as the crayon box colorful leaves attempt to hold their grip on branches ready to release them to dance in the light winds as they drift earthward. 
I celebrate Autumn. It is my favorite season.

“ . . . Here I stand in wonder of this
A soft wind blows to me a kiss
My spirit tells my mind to hush
Peace abounds in Christ for us.
The seasons change, come and go
But this is what I truly know
When autumn leaves begin to fall
I think of Him most of all.” ~Kathleen Higham~

I love the autumn sights –
The mountains arrayed in splendor of color,
The ripe red and yellow apples begging to be picked,
The mums adorning porch steps along with corn stalks and scare crows,
Flocks of Canadian geese in formation landing on our lake to rest before continuing their journey southward.

And, I love the smells of Fall –
Fresh apple sauce, fresh apple pie and dumplings with cinnamon ice cream,
Hot-mulled cider simmering on the stove,
Hayfields with freshly baled hay stacks,
Wood burning in backyard fire pits sending their resplendent fragrances into the night air.

Awaken my senses -
Let my mind drift easily back to autumn times that were simpler. 

Running through leaf piles and rolling down backyard hills in Pennsylvania with cousins,
Dashing the mile to home from the school bus stop to play outdoors in the quickly fading sunlight amid the vibrant colors still cling to sparsely clustered branches
Sitting down to supper of bowls filled with steamy beef stew over mashed potatoes from the garden. 
Waving goodbye in the crisp autumn air and starting a new chapter in my life
Settling into a college dorm on a beautiful little campus nestled in the picturesque hills of Pennsylvania
Sitting high in a restaurant overlooking the splendor of Autumn’s beauty surrounding Niagara Falls
A little boy, together with his dog, peeping out from beneath a mound of freshly raked leaves
Huddled beneath soccer blankets in moist, crisp, autumn air cheering on the Bulldogs
Standing at the altar admiring the fragrant Fall flowers of friends joining their loves and lives
Saying goodbye to an old, dear friend lowered into the autumn earth amid rustling leaves beneath blue skies. . . .

Ahhhhh. . . .Autumn. . .

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. . . a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has put eternity into man's heart. . .” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2, 11
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Gen 8:22

Thank you, dear God, for reminders of your infinite love and care for us through the beauty and color of this season.  -RS