When fall is in the air, all sorts of thoughts come to mind. The temperatures will soon be turning cold; winter is just around the corner. Leaves are changing color and need to be raked. Apples are ripe for picking and making into pies and apple crisp. We start cooking comfort food like stew, chili and soup. The hot days of summer are gone and days are shorter now.

I absolutely love this time of year, but the thought of six cold months ahead, is downright depressing. Seasons can be like the ages of our lives. In spring everything is full of promise. In the summer all is alive and thriving. In the fall we begin the aging process – we wither and dry up. In winter we die. Each year is a reminder that our time on earth is temporary, but our lives don’t end when we die. Death is just the beginning of the most wonderful season – eternal life.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us this time of grace on this side of eternity, to grow in your truth and to do the work you want us to do. Thank you for the change of seasons and the beauty each one brings. Thank you for the days you have allotted to my husband and me as we travel through this world. I also pray for him as he is undergoing another surgical procedure today. May this be the one that will give him the help that he needs. I know his faith in you has never wavered. He is your good and faithful servant, and if it is your will, may he have many more years to serve you. Amen!