The Season Changes

Fall is officially here & one of the trees on our block is not only green, but has beautiful accents of  gold & orange.

www.spoiledroyalgirls.etsy.com 

I do love the color changes of fall with it's rich, full colors. But i'm not ready for the cooler weather yet. Most of us have had a extremely hot & humid summer this year & i should be welcoming the cooler temps....and i am. I'm just not ready to dig out the sweatshirts yet. But i suppose i'd better do that this week.

www.Kbecca.etsy.com

But when the seasons change, i can't help but remember the promises that God made to Noah after the flood.

"As long as the earth endures,

seedtime & harvest,

cold & heat,

summer & winter,

day & night 

will never cease." 

(Genesis 8:22 NIV)

www.copycrafts.etsy.com

The seasons keep changing. Summer, fall, winter spring. Each season has it's own palette of colors that God has created. Each season is a promise of His love & an illustration of His creativity. Each season is another chapter in our lives. Each season brings change. Every day, i am thankful for that day & that i am able to see the amazing colors & masterpieces that God creates.

 www.ifrogcrafts.etsy.com

But i am even more thankful that some things will never change.

"The grass whithers & the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

(Isaiah 40:8 NIV)

Do Puzzle Pieces Always Fit?

The past couple of days has been quite puzzling around here. My hubby's Facebook & email accounts got hacked. He has reported everything to Facebook & we're just waiting to see if they can resolve the situation. I'm one of those that tends to investigate & a few hours ago, found even more pieces to the puzzle. Luckily, he was able to get back his email account, but not Facebook yet. 

But it reminds me that life can be  very puzzling sometimes & there are times when the pieces don't fit. Don't you wish that things could fit together perfectly like this tote bag?

Autism Awareness Tote Bag by ajojocreation on Etsy

But the older i get, the more i realize that here on Earth, sometimes the puzzle pieces just don't seem to fit.

Puzzle Piece Pins by mrsrummel on Etsy

I was alway taught not to question why God gives us the puzzle pieces that He does. But I've realize that it is ok to ask Him why, after all, He's the one that gave us emotions. Just remember, that He may not always give us a reason & whatever puzzle pieces He gives us, He'll be with us to see it through. Sometimes, that reason may be years down the road. Sometimes we may never get the answers until we meet Him face to face. As a good friend always reminded me, " No one knows what the future will bring & the One that knows isn't telling."

Character Magnets by puzzledbyautism on Etsy

So as we go through our life full of puzzle pieces, remember this....

When life hands you a puzzle,

And the pieces do not fit,

Remember God is always there

To help you deal with it.

Puzzle Pieces Sign by ifrogcrafts on Etsy

It's Pumpkin Time!

It's Pumpkin Festival time in Morton, IL. This is a fun festival with the festivities starting on Wednesday. So much to do, so little time. But as i think about pumpkins, it reminded me of how Christians are like pumpkins. I received this verse in an email quite awhile ago, but i still love it.....

 

Christian Pumpkin Bookmarks by SweetDea484

God picks you from the patch, brings you in, & washes all the dirt off of you, 

some of which may have gotten from other pumpkins.

Then He cuts off the top & scoops out all  the yucky stuff

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, unforgiveness, etc.

And then He carves you a new smiling face.

He puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

This is such a simple illustration of what God can do in one's life. I am living proof of that. I could never begin to list all of the yucky stuff that He has scooped out of my life. I'm just so thankful that He did.

Thankful Wood Country Pumpkin by PACountryCrafts

So what are you trying to scoop out of your life? Whatever it is, God can do the scooping for you if you just give all that yucky stuff to Him. And i mean give it ALL to him. Or do you know someone who is struggling to scoop?  Maybe they need your prayers. Maybe they just need a reminder that God can turn them into a smiling Jack O Lantern.

 

Are You a Pumpkin Christian Toppers by SuzieQsCrafts

My life is so much different than it was before i gave that yucky stuff to God. I pray everyday, that His light will shine through me to all i meet & that they will know that it is HIS light.

 Jack O Lantern Magnet by ifrogcrafts

Are you letting your light shine? Be a jack o lantern for Jesus! 

And for those of you who live in my area, if you want more information on the Morton Pumpkin Festival......www.mortonchamber.org/pumpkin-festival. 

Happy Labor Day!

It's a beautiful, breezy Labor Day here today & i am celebrating by sitting & enjoying my back yard. Brought the dog out & she's done her business. Next on her list is checking the perimeter. Our back yard isn't anything special, no fancy landscaping, that is, but it's nice & peaceful back here & it's pretty spacious. It's surrounded by trees & we have our table & chairs on a make shift patio made of square cinder blocks. And you can hear the church bells chime every 15 minutes. They are beautiful too.

I don't have a lot of laptop battery, so i guess i'd better quit gawking at the dog & the trees & get on with it. =) I hope & pray that you all are having a wonderful & safe weekend. It's been pretty special here. Our 14 year old has been with us & i love spending time with him. I just sent a text to the 17 year old to see if he was working today. It's been awhile since he's been here, but he does work a lot during the summer. I miss spending time with him. I know, that's what happens when they grow up. I just became a "Bonus Mom" a few years ago, so i really cherish ANY time i can spend with them. They are both pretty special boys & i thank God every day for them. He filled that void in my life, as i wasn't blessed with children of my own.

Hubby & i were kind of "surrogate" parents this week to a very special young man. He was baptized yesterday & his folks were unable to be there, so we were there for him. It was an awesome service! They had an outdoor Party in the Park with a band, barbecue & activities for the afternoon. The service was absolutely amazing. Over 30 people were baptized. There was even a mother & son, who were baptized at the same time. It was just an awesome Spirit filled morning. The joy on the faces of the participants were priceless.

There have also been some health issues in my family & extended family recently. Which i know has brought a lot of frustration & fear. Many prayers have been said. Many prayers have been answered. Many prayers are still in progress & awesome results are being seen. Prayer is such a powerful "tool", an amazing opportunity, & an awesome responsibility. But it is the easiest thing to do. It doesn't have to be fancy, & if doesn't matter what you talk to God about. It just has to be heartfelt. All you have to do is give God a shout out, so to speak. He's there 24/7/365 (366 during leap year). Any time, any place, any where!

There was a time in my life when i took God for granted. I didn't really ignore Him, i just didn't pay attention to Him either. I knew He was there, but He was on the back burner of my life. I am so thankful, that when i was taking Him for granted that He never took me for granted. When i finally reached out to Him, i found Him reaching for me. I'm so glad that i took His hand & am allowing Him to be the Pilot of my life.

I guess my message this week is pretty simple. God is awesome! If you know this, i am very thankful. If you're not sure, just ask Him to open your mind & your heart & start talking to Him and listening. He will be with you through everything. Just remember His timing is perfect.<><