Change Is All Around.......

Prospect Point, Adirondacks

AUTUMN!

My favorite season.

It begins today!

I do love spring for all the newness and mild weather that arrives.

I do LOVE summer for the stay-at-home-no-rushing-to-work days and for the glorious New York weather.

I do like parts of winter.....my youngest daughter's birthday is the Solstice day and then there's Christmas in the beginning of winter and those cozy nights at home and the pretty snow. For a day.

But....

autumn does something to my soul like no other season.

It's a time of changes and beginnings....a new year (for us teachers), new church activities, new schedules and routines.

and a time to reflect, in those golden late afternoons...........

and upon reflecting today in the beautiful mountains of Vermont (NO, I was NOT hiking.....still waiting for the all-clear from the chiropractor!), I realized that as I get older, change is easier.

I used to despise change and although I dealt with it when needed, it was a struggle.

Now I embrace it.

Because we often grow with it.

One change is the way I am going to be leading my small group.

I'm a little apprehensive about how it is all going to come together but I am trusting God that this is the right plan.

We're starting a "deeper" (spiritually) book geared towards intimacy in Christ.

And with that comes....intimacy with each other.  Really doing life together.

Really getting to know each other past the shallowness.

Like I did with a friend 3 summers ago and it kind of fizzled.  It didn't work out.  I have a feeling as to the "whys" of that and I believe it lies with both of us....but....since that friendship is still not restored, I hesitate to go deeper with others.  Except my pastor's wife.  She has shown me that I can go deep with her and it is safe.  Which I needed.  But I digress.

This new intimacy among the ladies in the small group is good.  It's important if we are to grow together in Christ and in our individual walks with Him.

I'm excited for that change.  

I'm excited that everyone likes the idea of a topical study from time to time and not just sticking with the book.  Here's the new book, which we will begin in November.

And our group name has changed to WOW!  (Women of the Word).  We will be incorporating the things we learn from this study and the topical studies to the many roles we play:  wife, mom of older teens/emergent adults (college-aged teens), career woman, ministry leader/participator, sister, daughter, friend.

And there's changes in my home life.

More relaxed evenings and more dinners together.  One eveing, dinner will need to be early but it will be together!!  One night a week it will be late....but together.  One night we will be like ships passing in the night but at least there will be a time for about 10 minutes where we can connect with a quick word, hug, kiss............

But the other 4 nights?? togetherness with our youngest daughter.  An important time for us as next year she transitions to the high school.

My eyes fill with tears when I realize she is turning 14 on the first day of winter....and that this is her last year at the junior high.....grade 8...a year of so many "endings"....most likely an ending to her little girlhood as she approaches womanhood, physically.  Emotionally, an ending to dependence on us to more independence as a teen.  Academically, an ending to junior high curriculum and the beginning of a high school major and higher level classes and SAT prep and college materials being sent our way.

Changes to my life style a little bit as I can no longer lift heavy loads or just bounce out of bed.....Fitting in daily lumbar stretches and fitness ball routines and trying to get back to cardio work-outs and the training involved in that.  Changes to the little things like a new ways to bend my back.

Changes physically as I approach age 53 and the menopausal year.

(which thankfully, haven't included hot flashes!! LOL!)

Changes....they're good.

They're all around us.............

..................and God is in the midst of them all.

And yet.....HE NEVER CHANGES!!

Embrace Him.....