Autumn :-)

Ahhh...my favorite time of year :-) The leaves are changing colors, the air is cool, the sun is warm. I love everything about it: sights, smells, food, everything. Honestly, I don't think there's one thing that I don't like about fall.
The changing of the seasons always intrigues me. Each season holds its own unique design. There are positives about every season, like there are certain activities that can only be done in specific seasons, and there are also negatives, usually about the weather. And everyone has a favorite season, too. Some people like a season because of the activities that are available, other people like a season because of the weather, and still others like it because of the kinds of clothing there is to wear. But...every season is necessary. Now here's an easy biology lesson for you ;-) In terms of plant life, every season is necessary in the growth process.
Ok, so most of you probably know where I'm going with this, so don't check out yet. Not only are there seasons in nature and in the physical that we experience year round, we have seasons in our lives just like the ones around us.
Now, please keep in mind, that all of this is not totally my own, I listened to a Midday Connection podcast with Mark Buchanon on his new book, which deals with the seasons of life. However, there are some of my own thoughts in here too haha. I'll do my best to give credit where it's due haha but here's the link to the podcast if you'd like to listen to it...it's excellent!
www.moodyradio.org/brd_ProgramDetail.aspx?id=58270

Alright so I just want to touch on a few things that really hit home with me. To start, Buchanon was talking about the winter season in our lives. He relates it, obviously, to the physical winter season. He talks about how he grows trees, and if he doesn't cut them way back right before winter, then they don't produce any fruit in the spring. He said that even though the tree looks so ugly during the winter, on the inside it's preparing for its new growth in the spring. Now, in life, Buchanon says it's pretty much the same thing. God takes our lives and prunes out what's dead and what needs gotten rid of, then it'll seem like a period of dormancy for us. A time when we question ourselves and wonder what happened to the person that used to be so strong and passionate. We wrestle with ourselves on the inside and try to understand who we are and where we are. But that time of being pruned and feeling dormant is necessary for growth in the future. God doesn't tell us that those times are going to be easy, but He does promise to be with us no matter what. In Buchanon's own words, "There's nothing like a winter to sober us up and bring us to our senses and bring us down to the things that are absolutely essential in our life with one another and our life with God." Seriously...there is nothing like a winter season. He also talks about how winter grows faith, and basically it's impossible to truly make it through the winter seasons with out faith.

Alright, so this is just a snippit of what Buchanon talks about in that podcast. He also goes into what causes winter, how to make it through the season, and basically breaks it down even more than what I just gave you. I definitely encourage you all to check out this podcast and open yourself to what's being said. We're all in different seasons in our lives, which season are you currently experiencing? I was able to take so much from this teaching, God really spoke to me. I sincerely hope that you, too, are able to apply this powerful teaching in your own life.
Isaiah 40:31

God bless! :-)
~Anna