FALLing up

So I LOVE fall. I love the mild weather, the colors on the trees, the smell of fireplaces being wakened for the first time in months. I love getting cozy under blankets and making hot chocolate. I love watching the kids dress up for halloween, and getting to go to football games. I love decorating the house in fall colors. I love seeing the kids in footed pajamas. I love wearing my husbands sweats. I love yummy thanksgiving meals and time with family. I love that this, the most stressful time of my year, schedule wise, is still my favorite.

I look at this season and revel in it's creation. There are so many things that tell me everyday there is a wonderful and very intelligent Creator. In YL, I've seen so many little freshman (seriously, some don't look a day older than my 9 year old) and other kids I've heard about with attitudes of "I don't know why I'm here", "I don't believe in anything" (agnostic), or those that are proud to be 'atheist'. It just confuses me! Our 'talk' at Club on Monday night was about creation. According to him, in one drop of blood there are 500 million cells. Did you know that that huge orange moon you saw in the recently, the Harvest Moon was designed to give those in harvest a brighter night, signaling the change in hours in the evening. Or what about the this tree I learned of while listening to the radio, it is in a part of the Amazon that is subject to frequent fires. It actually has leaves and branches that have a special coating. The tree won't grow unless a fire is there to burn off the coating!! Call it evolution, but if so, wouldn't it make more sence that there was a design behind that evolution? It seems to me that it would take more faith NOT to believe it were so.

This just gives me pause to look around me at everything and thank God for it. It helps me look beyond what I think I can control and know that He has planned every last minute detail in advance.

It so odd, still. I remember in HS I used to stay awake at night in tears begging, praying that God would take me. Now, I find myself, this many years later on the flip side of redemption, of restoration, a project no doubt he will be molding until I'm gone. But now, I find myself begging him to let me stay just a little longer. There's still so much I don't know, still so much I know I can do. I know what He has for me, or at least I can now see a glimpse of it, and I don't plan to waste any more time getting to it.

This fall I want to run and jump in the leaves and play and snuggle with my kids and connect and grow with the HS kids in my community. I want to show everyone who sees me just who created me, and them, and why no matter what they or I am going through, it has been carefully designed and will be ok, as long as we trust in Him and turn to Him no matter what.

Verse to Ponder: Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."