Rejoicing at the colors!

I am enjoying autumn in all it's splendor and hope that you are, too. School is well underway. God has been most gracious to push me along in spite of a million things competing for my attention. I saw a sign on Pinterest once that said "I am easily distracted by shiny objects". Sometimes, I think that describes me to a tee! More often than I care to admit I am brought to the realization that every thing that sparkles and shines isn't worth such attention or time. I may have talked about this incident before but because I am too lazy to go back and check my posts I risk repeating myself (which really is not all that unusual).  I remember one early summer morning sitting in my living room, trying to read my bible. I looked up to see the light filter in as the sun rose. It was beautiful! The light shone and I could see little sparkling rays and for a moment it took all my attention and my breath....... then truth entered in. The sparkles were dust! It was the dust that was catching the rays of light as they fell to their resting place. I was distracted by dust, of all the things. How profound is that?!  And, how pathetic am I!

There are probably so many lessons there but these are the two that keep pressing on my mind. One, just because it is pretty and sparkles doesn't mean that it is real, lasting or worth my time. Two, and this one I am still wrestling with, is that there is beauty in everything that God has created-even the things that we would be quick to throw away or disregard. Yes, I know that they seem contrary to each other and I can't have it both ways and yet here we are. I know you can take either observation to the extreme but at face value the Lord has used both to instruct me.

I always dread Autumn a bit as it means summer is over and it is time to get back to work. I am always glad for Autumn once I have resigned myself to the fact that I cannot avoid it. Autumn in New England is beautiful but the colors don't last long. As the trees start to turn it only takes one rain fall to strip the leaves down to the ground. If you are after beautiful fall pictures you cannot wait for a sunny day because it many not come until after a rainy or windy day that removes all those leaves you are trying to capture. I remembered my dust lessons and decided to seize the day- Carpe Diem! These are pictures I took around the area that I live in.

Beauty!

Still a lot of green on some of those trees!

The rain had already taken some of the leaves before I got here.

The church in the distance is the one across from my house.

There is much here to distract me but also much to be thankful for and much to enjoy. I won't complain about wet leaves on the floor or colder days or shrinking day light hours. There is a beauty to each of them and they have their place just like my pretty dust. I hope you are enjoying this season of autumn!

One of my favorite quotes:

There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.
                                                                                                                                             John Calvin

God's confetti!