Fall is just around the corner

Today I realized that Fall is just around the corner. We are still having a rainy cooler forecast and that is an obvious way of sensing Fall, but what has really brought it to light was some other factors. Jim and I have a great view (we think so) in our backyard and often take our dinner outside the sunroom on the deck to enjoy the beauty. As we are sitting and enjoying our meal together we hear the sound of crickets or beetles doing a humming-type sound that is more prevalent closer to harvest nights. We also see the wonder blooming of the fall mums that are sporadically placed around our home. What warm, glorious colors. We also have begun to notice that dusk is coming a bit earlier and our soft lights that are on dimmers are in need of being adjusted to this change.

Today was also my last day of teaching summer music lessons. We will now break until the 2nd week of September. This gives my students time to get into a scheduled routine with school and activities and honestly it gives me a little break too! I teach approximately 10-15 students ( I teach only 2 days a week now) ranging from beginners to intermediate students. I am privileged to teach piano and flute students presently. It is a joy that is hard for me to describe. Oops, I got off on a "bunny trail", sorry. This, the ending of summer lessons is also a sign of Fall.

Another opportunity that comes around Fall is the ability to serve approximately 50+ college students through the Campus Ministry Program that Jim and I are involved with. Jim serves on the Foundation board and I volunteer with all the mailings, keeping the database updated and making food for the students. The ministry provides a weekly dinner for the students with a devotional after the time of fellowship and food. Many people participate in preparing parts of the dinners. If you remember from a previous post, I mentioned our adopt-a-student and some others from the campus ministry were coming for a meal last week that we had to postpone. Jim and I LOVE having the college students with us and doing things with them. This ministry gives us that opportunity as well as speaking to area congregations about the ministry and how it is an influence in our area and how people can be part of the ministry.

Three other events make me more aware of Fall . I have the scheduled dates of my two weekly Bible studies and I'm so excited to share information from these classes with you in future posts. Also, a number of ladies from our church have gone every-other-year to the Women of Faith conference which is held yearly in Philly. We will be doing that the weekend of Sept 15th. This year a few of us will be attending the pre-conference in the morning as well. It should be a WONDERFUL way to begin the Fall schedule. I am SOOO excited about these three events.

I am again amazed how God works in our daily lives. The changes of seasons are a blessing for us. I did a talk several years about about the seasons of our lives for a ladies breakfast/talk and I also did a recent devotional talk at a MOPS program on this subject. We all go through all the seasons and we need to see that when we are in all the seasons we have a purpose in those seasons and we need to see God's plan in that time of our lives. I have preferences on certain seasons, but I truly am learning (and it's a process...remember the sewage story post), to see the blessings in each season while I'm in that particular season.

May you see God's blessing in the change of this coming season.

Tina